“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: Violin, strings, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 116785
Revised Urtext of the New Bach Edition
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116747
Motet
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); instruments ad lib.
Choir score
Item no.: 116731
Edition with articulation markings
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Cello
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 674934
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 372222
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 352194
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393965
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 255567
for: Cello
Music score
Item no.: 564816
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1007952
Classics for Saxophone
for: 2 saxophones
Ensemble score
Item no.: 761332
after the Suites for Violoncello solo BWV 1007 and 1009
Solissimo
for: Flute
Music score
Item no.: 633669
for: 2 violins, viola (trio)
Item no.: 164608
for: Violin
Music score
Item no.: 404601
for: 5 soloists (SSATB), mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction
Item no.: 632309
for: Harpsichord [piano], string orchestra
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 296589
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 1029
Piano reduction
Item no.: 620239
Cantata for the Sunday of Septuagesimae
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 233456
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285448
for Piano
Urtext
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 648770
for: Mixed choir (SATB), organ
Organ reduction, choir score (pdf download)
Item no.: 3027
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 664832
for: Guitar
Music score, online audio
Item no.: 247188
Clothbound edition with gold embossing
Urtext
for: Piano
Music score (hardcover)
Item no.: 687566
for: Flöte, Basso continuo, Cembalo
Spielpartitur, Stimmensatz, Urtextausgabe, Sammelband
Item no.: 273762
for: 2 pianos
Sheet music
Item no.: 1381843
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 686625
für Gitarre
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 674025
BWV 1001, BWV 1003, BWV 1005
for: Clarinet (B-flat)
Music score
Item no.: 1050417
Pour Vlc De Vivaldi
for: Trumpet, organ
Buch
Item no.: 312710
Lautenwerk Im Urtext Bd 3
for: Guitar
Item no.: 216075
Klassik
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 1194732
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 133841
for: 2 guitars
Score, Parts
Item no.: 780237
God's time is the best
for: 4 Solostimmen, Chor und Kammerorchester
Study score
Item no.: 737070
for: Voice (low), piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1640340
original for solo cello
for: Bass clarinet
Music score
Item no.: 778891
for: Marimba
Music score
Item no.: 772016
A collection of early to middle grade student pieces selected from the works of J.S. Bach.
for: Treble recorder, piano
Music score, solo part
Item no.: 199898
for: Mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 374763
for: Violin
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 383712
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 109123
for: Oboe [cor anglais]
Music score
Item no.: 693216
for Violin
Edited from the sources
Wiener Urtext Edition
for: Violin
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 491001
Volume 2: Church Cantatas BWV 91–195
Musica Rara
for: Horn
Music score
Item no.: 193983
Johann Sebastian Bach. Neue Ausgabe sämtlicher Werke (NBA) III/1 (Gesamtausgabe, Urtextausgabe, Sammelband) (Complete edition, Urtext, Collection)
for: Mixed choir (SATB) a cappella
Score (Hardcover, Urtext edition)
Item no.: 376092
for: Flute, harpsichord
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 141904