“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.
Cantata for the 1st Sunday after Easter
Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 624179
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 971694
Cantata for the Purification of Mary – Ich habe genung
Original setting in C minor – Vocal score for the version with mezzosoprano solo
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: Voice (bass/mezzo-soprano), orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 584556
Volume with detailed booklet in German
for: Voice (soprano), piano
Music score
Item no.: 358088
The Bartók Performing Editions
With performance marks, fingering and commentaries for beginners
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 254879
for: Classical guitar
Music score, CD
Item no.: 371585
Unterrichtsmaterial
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 1160834
Cantata for the inauguration of the town council in Mühlhausen
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 233183
for: 4 guitars (quartet)
Score, solo part
Item no.: 771356
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 586305
Preludes and Fugues I
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
You will find supplementary material online
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition), online media
Item no.: 577750
1720
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 1018210
from Mendelssohn to Brahms
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 868543
The Learned Musician
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 556953
"Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir"
Cantata for a penitential service (Version in a minor)
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 233813
for: Voice (high), piano
Music score
Item no.: 105977
Cantata for Palm Sunday and the feast of the Annunciation Cantata for Palm Sunday and the feast of the Annunciation
Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 133122
for: Violin
Ensemble score
Item no.: 635970
Actus tragicus. Trauermusik
BWV 106
for: Mixed choir (SATB), baroque orchestra
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 233628
Cantata for the Sunday Estomihi
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (SAT), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 683039
Cantata for the 23rd Sunday after Trinity
Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), piano
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 665330
Orgelbüchlein
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition), online media
Item no.: 577765
for: Mixed choir (SATB), 2 violins, viola, basso continuo; oboe ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 464812
Deconstructing and Reconstructing the Preludes in J. S. Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier
Volumes I & II Set
for: Piano
2 Music lesson books
Item no.: 1351630
for: Violin
Music score
Item no.: 378868
die Sonaten BWV 1027 & BWV 1029 ursprünglich für Violine und Cembalo
bearbeitet für Violine, Viola und Violoncello
for: Violin, viola, cello (string trio)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 210450
for: 2 guitars
Item no.: 487706
for violin and viola
for: Violin, viola
2 Performance scores
Item no.: 684853
bearbeitet für Holzbläserquartett
for: Flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon (quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 656675
for: GES-T (A) 2 ABFL BC
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 413581
for: Flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon (wind quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 679552
1. Präludium
for: 2 marimbas
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1563655
for: 2 cellos, piano
Piano score, 2 solo parts
Item no.: 404364
for: Piano 4 hands
Ensemble score
Item no.: 161301
für Gitarre
for: Guitar
Item no.: 153364
Urtext der Neuen Bach Ausgabe
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 579897
BWV 1032
for: Altblockflöte und Cembalo
Item no.: 142416
Ricercar à 3 und Ricercar à 6 für Cembalo (Urtextausgabe) (Urtext)
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Piano score
Item no.: 116750
Kantate zum 26. Sonntag nach Trinitatis
Umarbeitung einer Adventskantate aus dem Jahr 1716 BWV 70a; heute verschollen
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 233172
Der Choralsatz als musikalisches Kunstwerk
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 407110
for: 2 guitars
Score
Item no.: 492364
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 690102
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 109013
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 628300
for: harpsichord [organ/piano]
Book
Item no.: 583679
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 417835
Study score
for: Piano
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 310617
for: Viola, piano [organ]
Music score
Item no.: 658093