The work of Johann Sebastian marked a turning point in music. He melded the many threads of earlier "Baroque" music into the beginnings of a new age of music -- an age we today refer to as 'classical'.

Hundreds of years later, in the 20th century, when it became possible to electronically synthesize music, some of the first composiitons found highly suitable for this new medium was the work of Bach.

Bach's Life

Bach came from a family of musicians and composers, stretching back for generations. It included music teachers, church and court musicians, and makers of instruments. As his talent became clear, both through performance and composition, his home, ultimately in Leipzig, became a destination for other talented musicians. It was in this rich environment, at a time long before there was any notion of 'broadcasting', that Bach was able to learn, draw on, and combine various musical traditions of the Baroque period, and meld them into a glorious unified sound.

Bach's Music

One of the distinguishing characteristics of Baroque music was a 'contrapuntal' style, a feature which became a hallmark of Bach's music, and which much later composers - up to the present day - have occasionally borrowed or reprised in their music.

Many consider the heart of Bach's work to be the keyboard - which at the time meant organ, harpsichord, clavier, and the early pianoforte - a precursor of today's piano. Bach's preludes and fugues are supreme examples of the art of the keyboard.

The stringed instruments of the Baroque period - the precursors to the violin -- were also transitioning into their modern form, and Bach used them to perfection in his concerti.

Bach's legacy includes 48 Preludes and Fugues for the keyboard, the "Goldberg Variations", which take a single popular tune and provides 30 variations, and hundreds of cantatas, sonatas, concertos, and works for the church, including choral works.

Bach For Newbies:

To get a sense of the magnificent works of Johann Sebastian Bach, good starting points are the Art of the Fugue, and the Brandenburg Concertos.