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Scan 124
Cyclopedia of music and musicians, 1888
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1sition period between Sebastian Bach and Haydn, a period of general decadence in vocal composition. A list of his existing choral works is given in Spitta, i. 849. Some of his compositions for clavier are published in Pauer's "Alte Claviermusik" (Leipsic, B. Senff). The MSS. of a Fantasia and Fugue in A minor, and a Sonata in A major, are in the Berlin Library.—Spitta, i. 848.
3BACH, JOHANN MICHAEL [11], born at Arnstadt, Aug. 9, 1648, died at Gehren, May, 1694. Third son of Heinrich Bach [4] and younger brother of the great Johann Christoph Bach [10]. He was a pupil and, later, an assistant of his father's. In 1673 he was made organist in Gehren, near Arnstadt. The house he lived in is still standing. Besides his official duties as organist, and his great activity as a composer, he also devoted much time to the manufacture of harpsichords, violins, etc. His youngest daughter, Maria Barbara Bach (born at Gehren, Oct. 20, 1684, died at Cöthen, July 7, 1720), was the first wife of Sebastian Bach [15]. With the exception of his brother, Johann Christoph, Johann Michael was the greatest Bach of his generation; while the former shone more especially in choral composition, the instrumental works of the latter were notably fine. Yet a finer feeling for musical form characterizes the elder brother.
5BACH, JOHANN SEBASTIAN [15], born at Eisenach, probably March 21, baptized March 23, 1685, died at Leipsic, July 28, 1750. One of the greatest masters of all ages, son of Ambrosius Bach (1645-95), from whom he received his first instruction on the violin, and after whose death he was taken in charge by his elder brother Christoph at Ohrdruff. His fine voice and musical education aided him in obtaining, in 1700, a position in the choir of St. Michael's at Lüneburg, where the church library offered him rich treasures for the study of the old as well as living masters, from whose works he chiefly studied composition through his own efforts. Georg Böhm, the cantor at St. John's, seems to have exerted a personal influence upon him, and the vicinity of Hamburg induced him to undertake various pedestrian trips, in order to hear the famous organists Reinken and Vincenz Lübeck. At Celle, which he visited frequently, he became acquainted with French instrumental music, zealously cultivated at that court. About Easter of 1703 he went to Weimar as violinist to Johann Ernst, brother of the reigning duke, and in the summer of the same year was elected organist of the new church at Arnstadt. In the autumn of 1705 he visited Lübeck to make the acquaintance of Buxtehude, and was so much attracted by this famous master of the organ that he did not return to his duties until February, 1706. In the year following he accepted a position as organist at Mühlhausen, and married his cousin, Maria Barbara, daughter of Michael Bach; in 1708 he was called to Weimar as court organist, and, being chamber musician at the same time, he was made Concertmeister in 1714. His activity at Weimar was devoted principally to the organ and to church music, and thence his fame as the first organist of his time and as a composer began to spread. During the autumn vacation he used to travel, and thus visited Halle in 1713 and 1716, Cassel (before 1714), Leipsic in 1714, and Dresden in 1717. At the last place he found the much-admired French player Marchand, who evaded Bach's challenge for a musical contest by taking himself off on the very morning of the day agreed upon. In November of the same year he was called by Prince Leopo of Anhalt to Cöthen as Kapellmeister as director of his chamber music; and he d.
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