“Music owes as much to Bach as religion to its founder.” Robert Schumann
It is astounding how abundant and inexhaustible are his works. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is more than the epitome of baroque music, and one wonders how a single person could accomplish so much in one lifetime. Show others the brilliance of Bach through Stretta!
After a number of engagements as an organist, in which he often confused more than supported parishes with his improvisational skills and harmonic experiments, in 1708, J. S. Bach was appointed Court Organist & Chamber Musician by the Duke of Saxony-Weimar. It was during this period that he composed most of his organ music. In 1714 he was promoted to Concert Master of the Court Orchestra, and one of his duties was to compose weekly cantatas for the Sunday Service, laying the foundations for the 300 or more Bach Cantatas, of which around 200 remain. For his next position, as Kapellmeister to the Prince of Anhalt-Köthen from 1717, Bach’s role no longer required him to compose sacred music, so it was here that many of any his instrumental works were developed, including The Brandenburg Concertos.
With his last role as Cantor of St. Thomas in 1723, Bach held his first and only official position working for the city, the city of Leipzig. He was responsible for the music at the four main churches in Leipzig, and he taught at St. Thomas’ Boarding School. The St. Thomas’ Boys’ Choir is still one of the most important, and traditional boys’ choirs in the world today. In his final years, despite his steadily declining sight, Bach still created works that are the sum, and pinnacle of counterpoint, such as The Musical Sacrifice or the The Art of Fugue.
As was common in the 18th century, Bach’s works were quickly forgotten after his death. People were only concerned with new music. It was Bach’s sons, and his successors at St Thomas’, who preserved his memory. Composers of the First Viennese School, like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, especially admired Bach’s counterpoint, and learned a great deal from him. In the 19th century Bach Renaissance, the St. Matthew Passion was famously rediscovered, and performed in Berlin in 1829 by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy. Another important milestone was the first complete edition of Bach’s works, which was created between 1850-1899. Today’s “New Bach Edition” was published between 1954-2007 by Bärenreiter and has become the authoritative Bach edition. The Original Manuscript of Bach’s B Minor Mass was declared a UNESCO World Document Heritage in 2015.
Johann Sebastian Bach came from a long line of musicians, whose family dated back centuries. Four of his sons continued this tradition, also becoming composers, ending up in London and Milan. With their works, they bridge the gap between baroque and classical music.
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 868484
Zeitschrift für Spielmusik
for: 3 recorders (SAT)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 223929
Übertragung für Kontrabass solo
for: Double bass
Item no.: 180638
for: 2 guitars
Ensemble score
Item no.: 615180
for: Organ
Book
Item no.: 119783
Eine Zürcher Ringvorlesung zum Bach-Jahr 2000
Zürcher Musikstudien 3
Book (softcover)
Item no.: 556957
Bewegende Kantaten–Arien 3
for: 2 descant recorders [tenor recorders]
Ensemble score
Item no.: 1012743
Goodmusic Concert Classics
for: String orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 951685
Kantate zu Mariae Reinigung
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 619151
for: Choral
Item no.: 1374735
Performers' Facsimiles (Faksimile) (Facsimile)
for: Organ
Item no.: 334787
für Tenor
for: Voice (tenor), piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 301736
nach den vorhandenen Quellen unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Abschrift Anna Magdalena Bachs
for: Cello
Music score
Item no.: 308189
for: Classical guitar
Music score
Item no.: 432898
BWV 1014, 1016, 1017, 1019
for: Alt-Blockflöte und Cembalo
Item no.: 129310
for: Harp
Music score
Item no.: 498394
for: Flexible ensemble
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 298997
from the "Well-Tempered Clavier" by Bach, in the arrangement by Mozart
for: String quartet, string orchestra
Score, Parts
Item no.: 394876
for: BFL QUARTETT (SATB/AATB)
Score, Set of parts
Item no.: 142656
for: Cello, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 677455
Kantate zum 14. Sonntag nach Trinitatis
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, organ
Piano reduction
Item no.: 223372
Cantata for the feast of John the Baptist
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score
Item no.: 673075
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 687811
for: Voice, piano [guitar]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1543357
for: Guitar
Music score
Item no.: 113219
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), chamber orchestra
Piano reduction
Item no.: 658385
composed in conjunction with the Well-Tempered Clavier II
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 217129
for: Organ
Sheet music
Item no.: 3368
Suite BWV 997
BWV 997
for: Lute
Item no.: 549758
for: Soprano saxophone [alto saxophone]
Music score
Item no.: 631383
for: Piano 4 hands
Item no.: 360599
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285524
for: Voice (soprano), piano
Piano reduction
Item no.: 285445
Arrangements of Works by other Composers
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Organ
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116770
Embellished Version
Bärenreiter Trtext
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116761
22 Masterpieces for Trumpet Solo
Frits Damrow Trumpet Collection
for: Trumpet
Music score (anthology), Playback-CD
Item no.: 611173
for: Piano
Item no.: 409170
for: 2 descant recorders
Ensemble score
Item no.: 419689
with marked and unmarked string parts
for: Violin, piano [harpsichord]
Piano score, solo part (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 401167
without fingering
for: Piano
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 493451
Transcribed for piano
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 257201
for: 5 soloists (SSATB), mixed choir (SSAATTBB), orchestra, basso continuo
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 116689
for: Trumpet (B-flat) [clarinet], piano
Piano score, Solo part (pdf download)
Item no.: 1835
für Piccolotrompete und Orgel (Klavier)
for: Piccolo trumpet, organ
Organ score, solo part
Item no.: 486865
for: Organ
Gesamtausgabe, Spielpartitur, Sammelband, Urtextausgabe
Item no.: 646430
with Accompanying Brochure (german)
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Voice (alto), piano
Piano reduction (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 358106
for: Symphonic orchestra
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 329746
New Bach Edition (NBA). II/4
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Score (Hardcover, Urtext edition)
Item no.: 139655