“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
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 290798
for: Soloists, mixed choir, orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 655247
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Single part(n)
Item no.: 623628
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 585553
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SSATTB), orchestra, organ
Single part Basso continuo (Organ)
Item no.: 555538
for: Symphonic orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 494391
for: Symphonic orchestra
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 491733
Single part Organ
Item no.: 476140
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part(n)
Item no.: 375490
for: Symphonic orchestra
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 375372
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 622706
for: Organ, strings
Single part Violin 2
Item no.: 331695
for: Viola
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233584
Cantata for St. John’s Day
Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben Urtext
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 232784
for: Mixed choir a cappella
Instrumental part 2 (Choir 1)
Item no.: 1043008
for: 2 mixed choirs (SATB, SATB); basso continuo ad lib.
Instrumental part 2 (Choir 2)
Item no.: 768527
for: 3 soloists (STB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 578481
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), flute, strings, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 424483
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424380
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 424066
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233775
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233736
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233409
Cantata for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
BWV 72
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233207
Cantata for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany
BWV 72
for: 3 soloists (SAB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233206
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233161
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 232727
for: 3 soloists (SAT), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 234034
Cantata for the 20th Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233982
Cantata for the 20th Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233981
for: Soloist (tenor), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 1340542
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233435
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233395
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233372
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Viola (orchestral part)
Item no.: 232910
Cantata for the 5th Sunday after Easter
BWV 87
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 1703932
Cantata for the 15th Sunday after Trinity
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 1050370
Cantata for the Feast of Ascension
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir, orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 797168
Cantata for the Feast of Ascension
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir, orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 797165
Cantata for the Feast of John the Baptist
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 687568
BWV 66
Cantata for the Second Easter Day
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), 2 oboes, bassoon, violin solo, 2 violins, viola, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 681926
Cantata for Oculi – Widerstehe doch der Sünde
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: Voice (alto), strings, basso continuo
Viola 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 678021
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Single part Organ
Item no.: 673205
Cantata for the 23rd Sunday after Trinity
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: Soloist (soprano), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Violin 1 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 673162
for: Basso continuo
Single part Basso continuo
Item no.: 641927
Cantata for funeral service / Purification of Mary.
Reconstruction Klaus Hofmann
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 2 soloists (TB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Cello (orchestral part)
Item no.: 233919
for: 3 soloists (STB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Viola 2 (orchestral part)
Item no.: 655883
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Cello, double bass (orchestral part)
Item no.: 232713