“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: 3 BFL (ATB/SAT)
Ensemble score
Item no.: 418715
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 417835
for: Guitar
Item no.: 153364
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 233172
Edition Schott
for: Treble recorder
Music score
Item no.: 748841
Arrangement 'en forme de burlesque' of the last movement of the Suite for orchestra in B minor, BWV 1067
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 750640
for: 2 violins, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 378765
for: harpsichord [organ/piano]
Book
Item no.: 583679
for: Marimba
Item no.: 130641
for: Piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1351139
Preludes, Toccatas, Fantasias and Fugues I
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116767
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 1412
Movements by Johann Sebastian Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
for: Treble recorder
Music score
Item no.: 741329
for: Descant (soprano) recorder, piano
Item no.: 123877
for: Treble recorder, harpsichord
Ensemble score, solo part
Item no.: 419151
for: Lute
Item no.: 329667
Ricercar à 3 und Ricercar à 6 für Cembalo (Urtextausgabe) (Urtext)
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Piano score
Item no.: 116750
for: Alt, Violine und Klavier
Score, Parts
Item no.: 105968
for: 2 alto saxophones [tenor saxophones]
Ensemble score
Item no.: 299465
for: Cello
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 296543
for: 2 cellos, piano
Piano score, Solo parts
Item no.: 602727
for: OB CEMB (+ VDG)
Item no.: 382474
for: Cello
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 114668
for: Organ
Music score (hardcover)
Item no.: 378536
for: Guitar
Item no.: 348401
for: Guitar
Item no.: 393736
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 125048
for: Piano
Sheet music, audio file
Item no.: 2398
Study score
for: Piano
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 310617
for: Altblockflöte und Cembalo
Item no.: 142416
for: Cello
Music score
Item no.: 217021
for: 2 oboes [flutes/recorders (AT)]
Ensemble score (pdf download)
Item no.: 1096
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 137009
for: Violin
Music score (reprint)
Item no.: 195410
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 109012
from Partita no. 2 d minor
Arrangement for Piano, left Hand by Johannes Brahms
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 679821
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: Guitar
Item no.: 277890
with marked and unmarked string parts
Fingering and bowing for Violoncello: Reiner Ginzel
for: Cello
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 310647
24 Arrangements of Works by Johann Sebastian Bach arranged by Fritz Schindler
for: Flute
Music score
Item no.: 285285
Toccatas and Fugues / Individual Works
Breitkopf Urtext Edition
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition), online media
Item no.: 577764
for: Piano [harpsichord/organ]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 286099
Volume 1: Church Cantatas BWV 1–89
Musica Rara
for: Horn
Music score
Item no.: 193982
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285496
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285486
for: Flute, basso continuo
Score, 2 ensemble scores
Item no.: 286069
for: Treble recorder, basso continuo
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 552363
for: VL VA BC
Score, Parts
Item no.: 475899