RP183 Johann Sebastian Bach

 RP183 Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was one of the most important composers in the history of music. When we think of classical music, his name is one of the first to come up. He was not necessarily an innovator. Instead, his talent was to express the musical style of his age in the most complete and mature way.

Bach grew up in the era of Baroque music. He learned to play a variety of instruments as a child, and he was also an excellent singer. During his life, he was better known as a musician than a composer, but now we remember him for the compositions he left behind.

Bach's music is special for several reasons. First of all, Bach was a fantastic craftsman. During his life, he was employed to create different types of music for different people. This required him to explore different types of music and different sounds and broaden his own musical style. Perhaps because of this experience, he would add foreign musical influences to his own compositions. Bach also valued completeness. In many of his compositions, a single musical idea is explored fully. This might mean playing a melody in every possible key or at many different speeds. Bach's works often seem to approach one musical idea from many angles. He was a master of counterpoint. Counterpoint is when two voices sing two very different patterns of music that somehow blend together in harmony. He was able to make two distinct lines of music complete each other. Finally, Bach created feeling in his compositions. Particularly with his religious music, Bach was able to make listeners truly feel his passion.

Bach's detailed, controlled compositions are seen as the height of Baroque music. His passion and dedication ensured that his name remains alive hundreds of years after his death.