Johann Sebastian Bach

Ingle, Peter. Charlestontoday.net Web. February 25,02011

Prelude and Fugue "Wedge" E Minor

Listening Guide

4:20 seconds in the song he adds in some very low soft keys interchanging with the loud ones

5:32 seconds the soft soprano keys get strong, louder. The tenor keys get low, softer, but still very strong in this portion giving this piece a softer but still dark side.

6:30 seconds in the song, once again, he adds in some very low soft keys interchanging with the loud ones.

6:49 Seconds the Dark feel begins to end with a steady note flat across the board

7:01 the prelude Ends 7:02 The fugue begins, it starts out with a few

soprano high pitch notes ascending.

7:30 seconds into the piece. The loud bass key is added in there at the beginning of the ascending notes giving it that dark feeling.

8:49 seconds into the pace, the rhythm changes and the pace is picked up very quickly. About twenty one seconds later he adds in the bass note and changes it, so you hear quick, quick, quick, then a hard bass and back to the quick beat.

9:49 seconds into the piece he adds the beginning for the fugue and the current piece together as one.

10:00 Minutes into the piece he starts to slow down on in between his ascending then will speed up and soften his notes changing his piece once again adding onto what he is already doing. So by this time he has three separate styles transitioned into one. Clearly show his creative music skills and ability to put notes together in a way that was not known at the time it was created. This piece ends strong with a steady with a long sturdy tone less dark but still menacing.

Never left the Germany

Eisenach 1685-1695 Ohrdruf 1695-1700 Lüneburg 1700-1702 Weimar 1703 Arnstadt 1703-1707 Mühlhausen 1707-1708 Weimar 1708-1717 Köthen 1717-1723 Leipzig 1723-

1750

http://www.let.rug.nl/Linguistics/diversen/bach/map.html

March 21, 1685 Baptized March 23,1685 at Georgenkirche Started school at 7 years old Studied: Latin Writing Reading Arithmetic, Singing History Natural science

In 1694, His mother died. 8 months later his father died

Eisenach, Germany

Lived with his oldest brother Johann Christoph Bach.

Learned how to play the Organ

Ohrdruf, Germany

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750), German musician and composer playing the organ, circa 1725. From a print in the British Museum. (Photo by Rischgitz/Getty Images)

Due to His beautiful Voice, He was accepted

into St. Michaels School March 15, 1700

He eventually lost his Voice

Learned to play the violin and the harpsichord

To help cover tuition, George Erdmann and

himself were singers of the Mettenchor

Lüneburg, Germany

First employment as a musician at the court of Duke Johann Ernst of Saxony

He was a servant and violinist in Johann Ernst private chapel

He was paid for his services from March to August of 1703

Weimar, Germany

Employed as organist at Neuekirche Duties included:

Providing music for religious services & special

Providing music lessons. Made a lot more then his successor He traveled to Lubeck, walking 200 miles just

to hear the famed organist Dietrich Buxtehude He became deeply influenced by the organ

music of Buxtehude He was accused of going into the wine cellar

with Maria Barbara

Arnstadt, Germany

Prelude and Fugue in G MinorBWV 535aEarly Version

“Capriccio sopra la lontananza del suo fratello dilettissimo “

Composed on the departure of his most beloved brother

BWV 992Composed around 1704

Chorale prelude “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern”

BWV 739 Ascribed around 1705

Pieces composed while in Arnstadt

He got employed as the organist at the church of St.

Blaise.

He created complex musical arrangements and had a

fondness for weaving together different melodic lines.

His musical style clashed with the church’s pastor

He developed interest in creating church music

1/4th of the the chruch was burned May 30, 1707, what is

called the great fire.

October 17, 1707, He married Maria Barbara Bach

Mühlhausen ,Germany

The Ratswechsel ("city council change")

cantata, Gott ist mein König, BWV 71

Only Cantata to be printed during his life time

Prelude and Fugue in D MajorBWV 532.

Toccata and Fugue in D Minor

BWV 565

Pieces composed while in Mühlhausen

Employed by two dukes. Wilhelm Ernst and Ernst August

Hired as organist and member of the orchestra, and encouraged Johann Sebastian to exploit his unique talents for the organ.

There were lots of tensions, intrigues, and even open hostilities between the courts of the two dukes over Bach.

Added northern German and French influence style to his counterpoint style.

On March 2, 1714 Wilhelm Ernst appointed him Konzertmeister

Weimar, Germany

He was considered "the famous organist of Weimar“

Bach was very close to co-regent Ernst August. Wilhelm Ernst, forbade Johann Sebastian any musical service to his rival. Bach refused to listen!

In 1716 Bach was passed up as Capellmeister Leopold von Anhalt-Köthen offered Bach

employment as Capellmeister Wilhelm Ernst refused to let him go to

leopold. Bach was arrested and imprisoned for a

month (November 6 - December 2) before he was dismissed "without honor".

Cantata “Bereitet die Wege, bereitet die Bahn“

BWV 132,1715

Cantata “Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn”BMV 152, 1714

Cantata “Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange“BMV 155,1716

Pieces composed while in Weimar

Prince Leopold Hand picked his own band and practiced in Bach's home.

Bach wrote lots of chamber music in Köthen Bach was able to make multiple trips to look

at organs Leopold even took his musicians to

Carlsbad, where he "took the waters" during the summers of 1718 and 1720

July 7, 1720 Bach's wife had died and been buried before his return from Carlsbad.

Köthen, Germany

Declining musical life in Köthen, Bach applied three times for another post since 1720

got married on December 3, 1721 to fellow co-worker Anna Magdalena Wilcken

In 1721, he created a tribute to the Duke of Brandenburg known as the Brandenburg Concertos

Completeed his first book called "The Well-Tempered Clavier”

Violin Concertos in A Minor BWV 1041

Violin Concertos in E Major BWV 1042

Violin double concerto in D Minor BWV 1043

Pieces composed while in Köthen

April 1723, Bach became the successor of the Leipzig cantor at St. Thomas church.

Duties included: Organist, and Teacher He formulated musical interpretations of the

Bible using choruses, arias and recitatives. 1728 Leopold had died, Terminating his as

honorary Capellmeister position in Köthen In 1729 achieved his next honorary

Capellmeistership from the Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weissenfels

He was director of Music of the University of Leipzig

Leipzig, Germany

After 1729, Bach and some Orchestra students

performed weekly at Zimmermann’s coffee houses.

In November 1736 Bach was appointed Capellmeister

and composer in Dresden to the Elector of Saxony,

Frederick Augustus II

In 1739 He began his family genealogy

He visited Potsdam in 1747 ( last major step in his

career)

He became member 14 of Mizler's society

Almost completely blind by the end of his life.

July 22, 1750 he took final communion

Died of a stroke, July 28, 1750

“Passion According to St. Matthew”.Most Famous PieceTells the story of chapters 26 and 27 of Gospel of

Matthew.Written in 1727 or 1729

Coffee CantataWritten in 1730BWV 211Commercial for Zimmermans

Pieces composed while in Leipzig

In 1705, Prelude and Fugue in C major is music of a most joyously unrestrained of its kind.Prelude and Fugue in G minor is one of his multiple version piecesPrelude and Fugue in A major is not known very well, but it is well-writtenPrelude and fugue D major was composed around 1710.

It features a lengthy, complex, self-contained fugue preceded by a multi-sectional prelude

“Prelude and Fugue "Wedge" E Minor BMV 548.15 pages total

Prelude & Fugue

I Hope You hang out longer and finish listening to this

lovely piece of musicThe End

1. Hanford, Jan.

http://www.jsbach.org/biography.html. Web.

September 2012

2. Green, Aaron. “Johann Sebastian Bach”.

http://www.biography.com/people/johann-

sebastian-bach-9194289. Web. September

2012

3. .Reel, James. “Johann Sebastian Bach”

http://www.allmusic.com/composition/prelude-a

nd-fugue-for-organ-in-e-minor-wedge-bwv-548-b

c-j19-mc0002403199. Web Sept 2012

Works Cited

4.

http://www.classicalarchives.com/work/199

5.html#tvf=tracks&tv=about

5. Clair-Alain, Marie.

http://www.rhapsody.com/#search/track?qu

ery=bwv548&_suid=134955069867306627

618099822494

. Web, Music. 09/26/2012