Johann Sebastian Bach

1. Johann Sebastian Bach By Jeremiah Miller

2. Getting to Know Johann • German Composer • From the Baroque Age • Played violin, harpsichord, viola, and the organ • Son of Johann Ambrosius and Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt • Youngest of eight children

3. His Family • Comes from a long line of musicians • Father was a court trumpeter for the Duke of Eisenach • Also director of the musicians of the town of Eisenach in Thuringia • Father taught Bach to play harpsichord and violin • Uncle taught Bach to play the organ

4. Childhood • Learned many instruments from family members • Was a talented singer • Sang in the boys’ choir of the St. Georgenkirche • Mother died when he was 9

5. Teenage Years • Attended Lyceum in 1700 • Learned reading, writing, singing, arithmetic, history, natural science, and religion • Sang in the Mettenchor at the North-German musical center • learned French instrumental music, through his great ability with the violin

6. Adult Years • Married his cousin Maria Barbara on October 17, 1707 • Created the cantata 'Gott ist mein König‘ • 1714- he became leader of the orchestra, and held the second highest position for a musician • 1717- became Capellmeister, or Chapel Master, for the Court of Anhalt-Cöthen • 1723- moved to Leipzig, where he became the Cantor and Director of Music.

7. Death • During Bach’s latter years, he “gradually withdrew inwards, producing some of the most profound statements of baroque musical form” (Johann Sebastian Bach: a detailed informative biography). He died on July 28, 1750, at the age of 65, in Leipzig, from a stroke.

8. Brandenburg Concerto Number 5 in D major, BWV 1050 • In 1721, he sent many of his concertos to Christian Ludwig, in hopes of getting a better job. But nothing ever came from his efforts. The concertos sat in Ludwig’s library, untouched, for 13 years. • Later, they were preserved by one of Bach’s pupils named Johann Philipp Kirnberger. They eventually became part of the Royal Library in Berlin. They were published in 1850, and are regarded as “the supreme examples of Baroque instrumental music”

9. A Listening Guide (0:00-0:59) • http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/philharmonia-slavonica/album/brandenburg-concerto-nos-4-5-and-6/track/brandenburg-concerto-no-5-in-d-major-bwv-1050-affettuoso 0:02 The concerto begins with the harpsichord strumming a few notes. 0:04 The harpsichord strikes one more note before the violin accompanies it with a soft, slow chord. But eventually begins to slightly overpower the harpsichord. 0:07 The flute then begins to play. For a moment, the violin is still the loudest instrument, but then the flute begins to ascend in its pitch. 0:28 The violin slowly fades away, while the flute plays an even higher note. You can still hear the harpsichord playing the melody in the background. 0:36 The violin once again rejoins the other two instruments to make it a trio. They are still playing at the same tones as before, but with the flute going higher every few notes. 0:39 The harpsichord plays a few solo notes. 0:42 The flute slowly comes in to accompany the harpsichord. The two instruments play as a soft, harmonious duet for a few seconds. 0:51 The flute fades out, and the harpsichord continues to play the melody as a solo for the next 9 seconds.

10. Listening Guide (1:00-2:59) 1:00 The flute rejoins the harpsichord to play the same melody that they played during the 0:42 mark, with the violin joining in shortly after. The flute carries the higher pitch of the three instruments. 1:27 The flute stops, and the violin and harpsichord become a duet. After a few seconds, the violin stops, and the harpsichord plays alone for a couple of notes, and then joined by the flute. 2:32 The harpsichord plays a trill note with its strings as the flute plays an ascending note every few trills. 2:40 The violin comes in softly to join the other two instruments. The flute begins to play the same note softly, while the harpsichord slows its strumming. 2:42 The harpsichord once again plays its same notes as a solo. 2:54 The flute comes in with a high rising pitch, and then begins to bounce up and down with the notes. Then the harpsichord only plays a note every couple of beats while the flute is at its highest pitch.

11. Listen Guide (3:00-5:00) 3:03 The flute stops, and the harpsichord continues with the same beat as before. 3:06 The flute and harpsichord begin to play with the same melody as before, but then the violin joins in with a smooth, swaying tone, and a few high notes. 3:21 The music once again returns to its normal, soft form, after the slight raise in pitches. The song continues with the same rhythm for the remainder of the song. 4:58 The song concludes with trills coming from both, the flute and harpsichord, while the violin plays long, soft, drawn out notes. • The harpsichord was, in my mind, the main frame of this piece. The violin and flute were there to accompany the harpsichord, as well as, provide different tones and pitches, which the harpsichord obviously can’t do. This concerto is very beautiful, and relaxing

12. Bibliography • Bach, Johann Sebastian. "Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D ." Bach,J.S.: Brandenburg Concertos Nso. 4,5, and 6. n.d. • Green, Aaron. "www.about.com." 2011. www.about.com. 9 10 2011 <http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/classicalcomposers/p/bach.htm>. • "Johann Sebastian Bach: a detailed informative biography." n.d. http://www.baroquemusic.org/bqxjsbach.html. 12 October 2011 <http://www.baroquemusic.org>. • Rodda, Dr. Richard E. "The Kennedy Center." 2004. www.kennedy-center.org. 13 10 2011 <http://www.kennedy-center.org>.