“Johann Sebastian Bach”, Volume 3 by Philipp Spitta

Completed on 28 May 2017

Review: 

The final instalment of the in-depth biography and music of J.S. Bach. This shortest of three volumes is devoted to Bach’s life in Leipzig and his masses, clavier works and his other secular compositions.

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Notes:

The third volume starts with Bach masses. His highest achievement was his Mass in B Minor. It was his last large work completed in 1749. He started it with composition in 1733 for the Dresden court (Kyrie and Gloria) in an eventually successful bid to persuade the prince to give him the title of Court Composer. Bach's appointment as Court Composer was part of his long-term struggle to achieve greater bargaining power with the Leipzig council. Although the complete mass was never performed during the composer's lifetime, it is considered to be among the greatest choral works of all time.

Following, two violin concertos BWV 1041 and BWV 1042 are presented. The Double Violin Concerto (BWV 1043), is perhaps one of the most famous works by J. S. Bach and considered among the best examples of the work of the late Baroque period.) are presented.

Bach composed also four orchestral suites (called overtures by their author) (BWV 1066, 
1067, 1068 and 1069). The third one, BWV 1069 with its Air movement is the most popular. 

Following are keyboard works:

1. English Suites (BWV 806, 807, 808,809, 810 and 811), notably by Glenn Gould on piano. Composed in Weimar.

2. French Suites (BWV 812, 813, 814, 815, 816 and 817), written between the years of 1722 and 1725.

3. The Partitas (BWV 825, 826, 827, 828, 829 and 830), are a set of six harpsichord suites published from 1726 to 1730 as Clavier-Übung I,

4. The Overture in the French style (BWV 831), published as the second half of Clavier-Übung II in 1735.

5. The Italian Concerto (BWV 971), published in 1735 as the first half of Clavier-Übung II (the second half being the French Overture).

6. The Goldberg Variations (BWV 988), consists an aria and a set of 30 variations. First published in 1741, the work is considered to be one of the most important examples of variation form. The Variations are named after Johann Gottlieb Goldberg, who may have been the first performer.

7. The Keyboard Concertos (BWV 1052, 1053, 1054, 1055, 1056, 1057 and 1058), are concertos for a single harpsichord, strings and continuo.

The following other compositions are discussed as well.

1. The six sonatas for violin and obbligato harpsichord (BWV 1014, 1015, 1016, 1017, 1018 and 1019) are works in trio sonata form, with the two upper parts in the harpsichord and violin over a bass line supplied by the harpsichord and an optional viola da gamba. They were probably mostly composed during Bach's final years in Cöthen between 1720 and 1723, before he moved to Leipzig.

2. The Well-Tempered Clavier (BWV 846–869 for part 1, and BWV 870-893 for part 2), is a collection of two series of Preludes and Fugues in all 24 major and minor keys, composed for solo keyboard.

3. Toccattas (BWV 910, 911, 912, 913, 914 and 915).

4. Partitas (BWV 1002, 1004 and 1006) for violin.

5. Lute Suites (BWV 995, 996) and Lute Partita (BWV 997)

6. The six Cello Suites, (BWV 1007, 1008, 1009, 1010, 1011 and 1012), are suites for unaccompanied cello by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are some of the most frequently performed and recognizable solo compositions ever written for cello. Bach most likely composed them during the period 1717–23, when he served as a Kapellmeister in Köthen.

7. Sonatas for accompanied violin (BWV 1021, 1022 and 1023). The performance of BWV 1021 by Adolf Bush is especially worthwhile.

8. Sonatas for viola da gamba and keyboard instrument (BWV 1027, 1028 and 1029)

9. Sonatas for flute and keyboard instrument (BWV 1030, 1032, 1034, 1035)

10. Concerto for flute, violin and harpsichord in A minor (also known as "Triple Concerto"),( BWV 1044)

11. The Musical Offering (German title: Musikalisches Opfer or Das Musikalische Opfer), (BWV 1079), is a collection of keyboard canons and fugues and other pieces of music by Johann Sebastian Bach, all based on a single musical theme given to him by Frederick the Great (Frederick II of Prussia), to whom they are dedicated.

12. Concerto in D minor, (BWV 974) After Oboe Concerto in D minor by Alessandro Marcello

Bach's health declined in 1749.He was becoming blind, so the British eye surgeon John Taylor twice operated on Bach while visiting Leipzig in March and April 1750. 

On 28 July 1750, Bach died at the age of 65. He was originally buried at Old St. John's Cemetery in Leipzig. His grave went unmarked for nearly 150 years, but in 1894, his remains were located and moved to a vault in St. John's Church. This building was destroyed by Allied bombing during World War II, so in 1950 Bach's remains were taken to their present grave in St. Thomas Church. Later research has called into question whether the remains in the grave are actually those of Bach.