Happy Birthday To A Musical Legend

On this day in 1685, the classical composer Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Germany. Bach came from a musically talented family and enjoyed playing the violin as well as the organ.

At age 10, both of his parents died and he moved in with his older brother. As a teen, Bach took a job playing the organ in church and teaching music to children. His musical career included positions as an organist and an orchestra musician for the royal courts.

He worked for a duke and a prince, with one of his greatest compositions – The Brandenburg Concertos – being dedicated to the duke. Throughout most of his life, Bach's faith influenced his compositions. He wrote religious masterworks known as Kyrie and Gloria. He possessed great technical skill and assembled a collection of keyboard pieces to assist him with instructing children.

He was an expert storyteller and used changes in melody to portray an action. Bach was better known as an organist than a composer until Mozart and Beethoven brought attention to his work, as both were ardent admirers of his talent.

Content provided by Oakland University