“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.
Music For Recorders
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 275132
for: Flute, piano
Item no.: 202640
Cantata for the feast of John the Baptist
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 673192
for: Harpsichord [piano]
4 Study scores (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 289295
for: Cello
Score
Item no.: 101230
for: HRN
Sheet music
Item no.: 594208
for: Guitar
Item no.: 112098
for: 4 recorders (AATB)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 291531
for: Viola
Music score
Item no.: 367901
for: Guitar
Item no.: 216065
for: Oboe [Oboe d'amore, Oboe da caccia, Cor Anglais]
Book
Item no.: 198263
for: Guitar
Item no.: 214623
Chorale from the Cantata No. 147 "Heart and Mouth and Deed and Life"
for: Streichquartett (Kontrabass ad libitum) oder Streichorchester
Score
Item no.: 752751
Motet
for: gemischter Chor (SATB/SATB); Basso continuo und/oder Instrumente ad libitum
Stimmensatz B.c.-Cembalo/B.c.-Violoncello
Item no.: 781693
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 682432
for: Guitar
Item no.: 130834
for: Violinen (2)
Partitur, Stimme (1)
Item no.: 478905
for: Treble recorder, piano
Item no.: 587453
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 355291
from Organ Sonata No. 4 E minor
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1209531
Choir score
Item no.: 344599
for: Oboe, piano
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 193809
for: Oboe, violin, strings, basso continuo
Piano score, Solo parts
Item no.: 361110
for: Flute, harpsichord obligato, basso continuo
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 138748
for: Klavier oder Orgel
Item no.: 287501
for: Piano
Piano Solo
Item no.: 1044375
for: Violin
Item no.: 352938
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285406
for: Oboe, violin, strings, basso continuo
Piano reduction, 2 solo parts
Item no.: 216546
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 134486
for: Treble recorder, basso continuo
Score, 2 Single parts
Item no.: 418035
Sonatas I-III
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Violin, basso continuo
Piano score, parts (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116714
for: String quartet [string orchestra]
Set of parts
Item no.: 105841
for: Flute, piano
Piano score, Solo part (pdf download)
Item no.: 1040
for: Violin, cello
Ensemble score
Item no.: 378849
Complete Transcription for Organ
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 382357
for: Sopran, 2 Alt-Blockflöten (Flöten) und Basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 355458
for: Voice (high), basso continuo
Music score
Item no.: 284344
for: Sopran solo, Alt solo, Tenor solo, Gemischter Chor, Klavier
Klavierauszug vokal, Digitalartikel (AODP)
Item no.: 1640213
Thematic-Systematic Catalog of the Musical Works of Johann Sebastian Bach
Third, extended edition
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 1340693
From Organ Sonata No. 4 E minor
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 1209890
for: Flute, piano
Item no.: 129565
for: Treble recorder
Music score
Item no.: 353828
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 136291
for: Violin
Buch + CD
Item no.: 143865
with marked and unmarked string parts
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 298882
for: Vocal and String Quartet
Book
Item no.: 244416
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 244298