Johann Sebastian Bach   (father of Carl Philip Emanuel, Johann Christian and
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach) was the most significant member of the Bach dynasty of musicians.

He excelled his forebears and contemporaries, but he did not always receive the respect he deserved in his own lifetime.

In 1708 he was appointed court organist in Weimar where he composed most of his works for organ.

In 1717 he moved to C鰐hen as court kapellmeister to the young Prince Leopold. He resigned this post in 1723 to become cantor at St. Thomas’ School in Leipzig where he was responsible for music in the four main churches of the city.

In Leipzig he eventually took charge of the "University Collegium musicum" and occupied himself with the collection and publication of many of his earlier compositions.

Despite widespread neglect for almost a century after his death, Bach is now regarded as one of the greatest of all composers and is still an inexhaustible source of inspiration for musicians.

The six Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046 - 1051, dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg in 1721, feature a variety of forms and groups of instruments, while the four Orchestral Suites or Overtures, BWV 1066 - 1069, include the famous "Air on the G string", a late 19th century transcription of the "Air from the Suite in D major", BWV 1068.

- MIDI FILE - Brandenburg Concert No.2 (complete) (12'06'')

Three of Bach's violin concertos, written at Coethen between 1717 and 1723, survive in their original form, with others existing now only in later harpsichord transcriptions. The works in original form are the Concertos in A minor and in E major, BWV 1041 and 1042, and the Double Concerto in D minor, for two violins, BWV 1043.

Bach wrote or arranged his harpsichord concertos principally for the use of himself and his sons with the "Leipzig University Collegium musicum" between 1735 and 1740.

- MIDI FILE - Concert for harpsichord and strings BWV 1052:
                            Allegro (6'18'') - Adagio (5'18'') - Allegro (7'0'')

These works include eight Concertos for a single solo harpsichord and strings, BWV 1052 - 1059, and others for 2, 3 and 4 harpsichords and strings.

Bach wrote a great deal of choral music, particularly in connection with his employment at Leipzig, where he prepared complete cycles of cantatas for use throughout the church year, in addition to the larger scale settings of the Latin Mass and the Passions from the gospels of St. Matthew and of St. John.

These works include the Mass in B minor, BWV 232, the St. "Matthew Passion", BWV 244, the "St. John Passion", BWV 245, the "Christmas Oratorio", BWV 248, and the "Easter Oratorio", BWV 249, with the revised setting of the Magnificat, BWV 243. Cantatas include, out of over 200 that survive, "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben", BWV 147, "Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott", BWV 80, "Ich habe genug", BWV 82, "Jesu, meine Freude", BWV 358, "Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut", BWV 199, "Wachet auf", BWV 140 and "Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen", BWV 51, for soprano, trumpet, strings and basso continuo.

The rather more formal half dozen or so Motets include a memorable version of Psalm CXVII, "Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden", BWV 230.

Secular Cantatas include the light-hearted "Coffee Cantata", BWV 211, a father's attempt to stem his daughter's addiction to the fashionable drink, the "Peasant Cantata", BWV 212, in honour of a newly appointed official, two "Wedding Cantatas", "Weichet nur", BWV 202, and "O holder Tag", BWV 210.

"Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd", BWV 208, was written in 1713 to celebrate the birthday of the hunting Duke Christian of Saxe-Weissenfels and later reworked for the name-day of August III, King of Saxony, in the 1740s.

During the period Bach spent at C鰐hen he was able to devote his attention more particularly to instrumental composition for solo instruments, smaller groups or for the small court orchestra.

Particularly important are the three Sonatas and 3 Partitas for unaccompanied violin, BWV 1001 - 6, works that make great technical demands on a player, and the 6 Suites for unaccompanied cello, BWV 1007 - 1012.

- MIDI FILE - Chaconne from Partita for Solo Violin BWV 1004 (9'20'')

There are six Sonatas for violin and harpsichord, BWV 1014 - 1019, and an interesting group of three Sonatas for "viola da gamba" and harpsichord, sometimes appropriated today by viola-players and cellists, BWV 1027 - 1029.

Much of Bach's organ music was written during the earlier part of his career, culminating in the period he spent as court organist at Weimar.

- MIDI FILE - Choral from "Eine feste Burg ist unser Gott", BWV 80 (7'57'')

Among many well known compositions we may single out the "Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue" in D minor, BWV 903, the "Dorian Toccata, Fugue" in D minor, BWV 538, the "Toccata, Adagio and Fugue", BWV 564, "Fantasia and Fugue" in G minor, BWV 542, "Passacaglia and Fugue" in C minor, BWV 582, "Prelude and St. Anne Fugue", BWV 552, (in which the fugue theme resembles a well known English hymn), "Toccata and Fugue" in D minor, BWV 565, and the "Toccata and Fugue" in F, BWV 540.

- MIDI FILE - Toccata and Fuga in d-moll, BWV 555, for organ (7'57'')

The Chorale Prelude is a composition for organ that consists of short variations on simple hymn tunes for all seasons of the church year.

- MIDI FILE - Prelude and St. Anne Fugue, BWV 552 (15'06'')

Better known melodies used include the Christmas "In dulci jubilo", BWV 508, "Puer natus in Bethlehem", BWV 603, the Holy Week "Christ lag in Todesbanden", BWV 625, and Easter "Christ ist erstanden", BWV 627, with the moving "Durch Adam's Fall ist ganz verderbt", BWV 637, and the familiar "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme", BWV 645, and "Nun danket alle Gott", BWV 657.