“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: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Single part Organ
Item no.: 1009362
Cantata for the 20th Sunday after Trinity.
Leipzig Version.
Reconstruction Masaaki Suzuki
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 797122
Cantata for the 21st Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 687872
Cantata for the Feast of John the Baptist
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 687572
Cantata for the Feast of John the Baptist
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 687569
Cantata for the 7th Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 673188
for: Basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 642047
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); basso continuo ad lib.
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 234245
for: 3 soloists (STB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 655881
for: Violin
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 624192
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 321166
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 1
Item no.: 218654
Hunting Cantata
for: 4 soloists (SSTB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 797991
for: Accordion orchestra
Single part Accordion 3
Item no.: 164963
Kantate zum 1. Sonntag nach Epiphanias (vor 1724)
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 673144
Kantate zum 1. Sonntag nach Epiphanias (vor 1724)
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 673142
Kantate zum Ratswechsel
Umgestaltung der gleichnamigen Kantate zum 12. Sonntag nach Trinitatis BWV 69a
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233158
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 385326
Single part 2
Item no.: 387812
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 321296
for: Mixed choir (SATB), strings, basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 274007
for: Mandolin orchestra
Single part Mandolin 1
Item no.: 464614
D Major
for: 2 Oboen, Fagott, Streichorchester und Basso continuo (Cembalo oder Orgel)
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 783862
Single part Violin 1
Item no.: 1557837
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 1557836
Single part Trombone
Item no.: 899624
Single part Trombone
Item no.: 897516
for: Viola
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 623709
for: Symphonic orchestra
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 553153
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 361174
Single part Organ
Item no.: 361173
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, organ
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 349310
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 349292
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 184050
for: Symphonic orchestra
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 180028
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 622707
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 585468
for: gemischter Chor, Blockflöte (S/T), Klavier und Streicher ad libitum
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 1546024
for: gemischter Chor, Blockflöte (S/T), Klavier und Streicher ad libitum
Single part Violin 3
Item no.: 644656
for: Youth string orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 643461
for: Youth string orchestra
Double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 294154
for: Youth string orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 294150
for: Soloist (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 292134
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo (Organ)
Item no.: 215501
for: 2 treble recorders, harpsichord, string orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 347001
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); 8 melodic instruments (colla parte), basso continuo ad lib.
Single part(n)
Item no.: 301959
Cantata for 25th Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 797211
Cantata for Easter Sunday
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (STB), mixed choir (SSATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 769174