“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: Accordion [piano]
Music score
Item no.: 603241
for: Flöte und Cembalo
Item no.: 113700
Organ Chorales of the Leipzig Manuscript
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition), online media
Item no.: 577766
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285582
for: 2 flutes, basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 112380
for: Harpsichord [piano], string orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 620989
Cantata for Purification
BWV 83
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction
Item no.: 233345
for: Piano
Item no.: 401187
for: Cello
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 683209
for: Piano
Book
Item no.: 208637
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 1215
for: Trumpet, piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1296286
for: Piccolo, piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1299225
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 4002
Urtext from the New Bach Edition – Revised (NBArev)
for: Violin
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 773593
nach Bachs Orgelfantasie und Fuge BWV 542
for: Violin
Music score
Item no.: 562527
2 Books (softcover)
Item no.: 420413
Kantaten BWV49-100
for: STREICH- UND ZUPFINSTRUMENTE VIOLONCELLO VIOLONCELLO SOLO
Item no.: 179453
7 Choräle aus der Matthäus- und Johannespassion
+ 3 Choräle aus anderen Werken mit den jeweils
identischen Choralmelodien aus den Passionen
(aber mit abweichender Harmonisierung)
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 556099
for: Flute, piano
Book
Item no.: 993746
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 239817
for: 4 flutes (quartet)
Music score
Item no.: 775821
for: Trumpet (C/B-flat), organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 3365
for: Cello, organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 3157
for: Trumpet (C/B-flat), organ [piano]
Sheet music, audio file
Item no.: 1411
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 726000
for: Voice (medium), piano
Music score
Item no.: 727417
Baroque Organ Repertoire An Annotated Performer's Edition
for: Organ
Item no.: 139044
for: Flute, piano
Score
Item no.: 100852
for: Piano
Score
Item no.: 851812
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 112307
from: Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 733232
for: Horn (F), organ
Score, part (pdf download)
Item no.: 2974
for: Alto saxophone (E-flat)
Music score
Item no.: 240234
Facsimile of the autograph score in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin
for: 5 soloists (SSATB), mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score (facsimile hardcover)
Item no.: 586130
for: 2 violins, string orchestra, basso continuo
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116782
Chorale Partitas / Individually transmitted Organ Chorales II
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
Online Versions additional
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition), online media
Item no.: 577768
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 689728
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 578209
for: 2 voices (SB), oboe d'amore, strings, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 266155
Studien-Edition
for: Violin
Study score
Item no.: 223363
for: Guitar
Item no.: 112931
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 156077
Studien-Edition
for: Cello
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 471297
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285543
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285417
for: Harp
Item no.: 563432
Three Sonatas for Flute and Harpsichord (Piano)
Edition Peters Urtext
for: Flute, harpsichord [piano]
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 379001