“Music owes as much to Bach as religion to its founder.” Robert Schumann
It is astounding how abundant and inexhaustible are his works. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is more than the epitome of baroque music, and one wonders how a single person could accomplish so much in one lifetime. Show others the brilliance of Bach through Stretta!
After a number of engagements as an organist, in which he often confused more than supported parishes with his improvisational skills and harmonic experiments, in 1708, J. S. Bach was appointed Court Organist & Chamber Musician by the Duke of Saxony-Weimar. It was during this period that he composed most of his organ music. In 1714 he was promoted to Concert Master of the Court Orchestra, and one of his duties was to compose weekly cantatas for the Sunday Service, laying the foundations for the 300 or more Bach Cantatas, of which around 200 remain. For his next position, as Kapellmeister to the Prince of Anhalt-Köthen from 1717, Bach’s role no longer required him to compose sacred music, so it was here that many of any his instrumental works were developed, including The Brandenburg Concertos.
With his last role as Cantor of St. Thomas in 1723, Bach held his first and only official position working for the city, the city of Leipzig. He was responsible for the music at the four main churches in Leipzig, and he taught at St. Thomas’ Boarding School. The St. Thomas’ Boys’ Choir is still one of the most important, and traditional boys’ choirs in the world today. In his final years, despite his steadily declining sight, Bach still created works that are the sum, and pinnacle of counterpoint, such as The Musical Sacrifice or the The Art of Fugue.
As was common in the 18th century, Bach’s works were quickly forgotten after his death. People were only concerned with new music. It was Bach’s sons, and his successors at St Thomas’, who preserved his memory. Composers of the First Viennese School, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, especially admired Bach’s counterpoint, and learned a great deal from him. In the 19th century Bach Renaissance, the St. Matthew Passion was famously rediscovered, and performed in Berlin in 1829 by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Another important milestone was the first complete edition of Bach’s works, which was created between 1850-1899. Today’s “New Bach Edition” was published between 1954-2007 by Bärenreiter and has become the authoritative Bach edition. The Original Manuscript of Bach’s B Minor Mass was declared a UNESCO World Document Heritage in 2015.
Johann Sebastian Bach came from a long line of musicians, whose family dated back centuries. Four of his sons continued this tradition, also becoming composers, ending up in London and Milan. With their works, they bridge the gap between baroque and classical music.
for: Guitar
Item no.: 109085
for: Guitar
Music score
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for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
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Embellished Version
Bärenreiter Trtext
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116761
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116760
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 615180
for: Voice (tenor), piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 301736
with Accompanying Brochure (german)
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Voice (alto), piano
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 358106
for: Trumpet
Music score (anthology), Playback-CD
Item no.: 611173
for: Organ
Music score (spiral binding)
Item no.: 101262
for: 5 soloists (SSATB), mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
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for: Piano
Item no.: 409170
Piano reduction
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for: Cello
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for: Alt-Blockflöte und Cembalo
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Transcribed for piano
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 257201
from the "Well-Tempered Clavier" by Bach, in the arrangement by Mozart
for: String quartet, string orchestra
Score, Parts
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for: Choral
Item no.: 1374735
The four authentic Sonatas
for: Flute, harpsichord [piano]
Piano score, parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401239
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: Mixed choir (SATB), baroque orchestra
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 234099
for: Descant recorder
Buch + CD
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for: Flute, Viola and Guitar
Score, Parts
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for: Accordion
Music score
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for: 3 guitars
Score, part
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for: Guitar
Music score
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for: Cello
Music score (Urtext edition)
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for: Trumpet, piano [organ]
Sheet music
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for: Piccolo, piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1299225
aus der Pfingstkantate BWV 68 "Also hat Gott die Welt geliebet"
for: Voice (alto), piano
Music score
Item no.: 760348
Edited and provided with fingering by Henryk Szeryng
for: Violin
Music score
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BWV 1002
for: Soprano saxophone [alto saxophone]
Music score
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for: 2 treble recorders [flutes], organ [piano]
Score, parts, audio file (pdf/mp3 download)
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for: Organ
Sheet music
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for: Violin, viola, basso continuo
Score, Parts
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for: Trumpet [cornet]
Music score
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for: Organ
Sheet music
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for: Oboe, piano
Piano score, solo part
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Piano reduction
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for: Wind ensemble
Score, Parts
Item no.: 427614
Organ Chorales of the Leipzig Manuscript
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition), online media
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for: Treble recorder, basso continuo
Item no.: 418562
for: 4 trumpets, horn, 4 trombones, tuba
Score (C), Parts
Item no.: 280150
for: Flute, Oboe, Violin and Piano
Book
Item no.: 169780
for: Piano
Item no.: 401187
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 1215
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285582
Cantata for Purification
BWV 83
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction
Item no.: 233345
for: Trombone
Ensemble score
Item no.: 625141