“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: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 796150
New Bach Edition. Serie VI, Volume 1
for: Violin
Score (Hardcover, Urtext edition)
Item no.: 775131
Score (Hardcover)
Item no.: 634180
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Gesamtausgabe, Partitur, Urtextausgabe, Sammelband
Item no.: 634162
for: Voice, orchestra
Score
Item no.: 631101
for: Cello, Kontrabass, Basso continuo
Stimme, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 493399
for: Organ manuals [harpsichord/piano]
Music score (Hardcover, Urtext edition)
Item no.: 476066
for: Viola
Stimme, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 444398
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Gesamtausgabe, Partitur, Urtextausgabe, Sammelband
Item no.: 434011
for: Violino piccolo
Stimme, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 432388
for: 1. Viola da braccio
Stimme
Item no.: 246971
for: Sopran solo, Alt solo, Bass solo, Gemischter Chor (SATB), Flöten (2), Streicher, Basso continuo
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116776
for: Alto saxophone, piano
Sheet music
Item no.: 1307548
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 433135
for: Flute, piano
Score
Item no.: 100853
for: Blechbläserquartett
Score, Parts
Item no.: 366847
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 239634
for: Woodwind ensemble
Set of parts
Item no.: 819558
for: Guitar and Vocal
Score
Item no.: 238694
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 891734
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 663420
for: Horn, trombone, tuba (trio)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1037192
for: Sopran solo, Alt solo, Tenor solo, Bass solo, Gemischter Chor (SATB), Oboe, Fagott, Trompeten (3), Pauke, Basso continuo
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 260764
for: Sopran solo, Alt solo, Bass solo, Gemischter Chor (SATB), Oboen (2), Streicher, Basso continuo
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 196821
for: Solo voice [choir], basso continuo; melodic instrument ad lib.
Score
Item no.: 114695
Cantata for the first sunday after Trinity
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Study score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 602557
for: Organ
Book (Hardcover)
Item no.: 275396
for: Guitar
Item no.: 113381
for: 2 violins, piano
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1619694
With a second violin part for two soloists (Collection, Urtext)
for: 1–2 violins
2 music scores
Item no.: 205533
for: Symphonic orchestra
Score
Item no.: 198716
in Sätzen von Johann Sebastian Bach
for: 4 recorders (SATB quartet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 419050
Piano reduction
Item no.: 613073
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 682193
For organ solo arranged
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 585256
for: Piano
Item no.: 1586245
for: 5 brass winds
Score
Item no.: 927364
for: Guitar or Lute
Score
Item no.: 394022
for: Recorder ensemble
Set of parts
Item no.: 561235
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 394915
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 280482
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 395177
for: 1–2 treble recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1702353
Violinkonzert (Urtextausgabe) (Urtext)
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 135775
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 321126
for: 2. Violine
Stimme, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 880066
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 631582