“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: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 553151
for: Symphonic orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 432331
for: gemischter Chor, Blockflöte (S/T), Klavier und Streicher ad libitum
Single part Cello/Double bass
Item no.: 1545881
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1689327
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Viola 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 1644935
for: Soloist (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 292136
for: Organ, orchestra
Single part Viola
Item no.: 1544804
for: 2 treble recorders, harpsichord, string orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 347002
Cantata for Whit Monday
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 875430
Cantata for Easter Tuesday
Third version
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 2 soloists (AT), mixed choir (SATB), 2 oboes, strings, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 746031
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424378
for: 2 soloists (SB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, 2 organs
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424240
Cantata for New Year's Day; Circumcision of Christ
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424231
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Single part Organ
Item no.: 492425
Cantata for St. John’s Day
Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben Urtext
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 232785
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 764413
Cantata for the New Year's Day
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir, orchestra, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 797155
Cantata for the New Year's Day
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir, orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 797153
for: 3 soloists (SAT), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 776132
Cantata for the 1st Sunday after Easter
Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben Urtext
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 634127
for: 5 soloists (SATBB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 627393
Coffee Cantata
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 voices (STB), flute, 2 violins, viola, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 691348
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Single part(n)
Item no.: 233257
for: 3 soloists (STB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233215
16th Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 232796
Cantata for the 19th Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: Soloist (bass), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424214
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), 2 violins, viola, bassoon, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 233912
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233501
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233375
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
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: Mixed choir (SATB), baroque orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234101
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234047
for: Violin
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234044
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233999
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233621
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233422
for: 2 soloists (SB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Single part(n)
Item no.: 233016
Cantata for the 10th Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 232976
for: Violin
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 624192
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 321166