2008-11-14T06:06:00.000-08:00

Cantata No. 80: A Might Fortress Is Our God ("Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott")

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQOJzjz7pwY

There are 8 movements in this Cantata. The section I like best is the choral fugue.

I like this piece because tt is extremely elaborate and imitative in all the voice parts and a dense polyphonic texture can be heard between the chorus (the people singing), and the orchestra.

There is also a Canon on the chorale tune which is heard in the instruments. The instruments play mostly running notes: legato.

This piece sounds extremely vibrant and lively (vivace). It gives a simple yet grand impression.

The violin provides decoration to the piece by the addition of ornaments (trills).

In terms of dynamics, there is a wide contrast. At many points of the piece,[loud, suddenly followed by soft] is observed by orchestra. The sudden changes in dynamics create an unexpected atmosphere.

PICTURE OF THE ALBUM + ME

Why i recommend this piece ?

Actually, I do reccommend all of his pieces! Why so ? Classical pieces are good for your health as they are soothing as compared to modern day music! [I am serious!]

The music relaxes and calms you down after a long day at work or even play!

This album comes together with a textbook and i purchased it from my piano teacher. However, this book and album might be found online from major online stores and from major book stores in Singapore. [I hope!]

2008-11-14T02:38:00.000-08:00

Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany on 31st March 1685. Bach’s father taught him to play the violin and harpsichord. His uncle introduced him to the art of organ playing.

J.S Bach
(credits = http://www.classicalforums.com/articles_content/images/1/Johann_Sebastian_Bach.jpg)

J.S Bach (credits = http://www.hiru.com/musika/erreportaiadidaktikoak/40111/bach_3.jpg)

Bach’s mother, Maria Elisabetha Lämmerhirt Bach passed on in 1694, whilst his father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, passed on eight months later. The 10-year old orphan moved in with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach. His brother exposed him to many works of the great South German composers of the day. J.S Bach copied, studied and performed music, receiving valuable teaching from his brother, who instructed him on the clavichord.

A Clavichord (credits = http://www.earlymusicshop.com/uia/images/Morley%20clavichord%205617%27.jpg)

At the age of 14, Bach and George Erdmann, his older school friend, were awarded a choral scholarship to study at St. Michael’s School in Lüneburg, where he spent 2 years there. During this 2 years, he was exposed to a wider variety of European culture. In addition, he sang in a cappella choir and also played the School’s three-manual organ and its harpsichords.

A Harpsichord
(credits = http://homepages.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~goble/homepage/photos/harpsichord.jpg)

An Organ
(credits = http://web.mit.edu/~cjoye/www/music/organ/img/Organ_1.jpg)

In January 1703, shortly after graduating, Bach took up a post as a court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar, a large town in Thuringia. In August 1703, he accepted the post of the organist at St Boniface’s Church in Arnstadt (image below, credits = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bachkirche_Arnstadt.JPG). At this point of time, Bach was composing organ preludes. These works, showed tight motivic control in the North German tradition of virtuosic, improvisatory preludes.

For several months in Arnstadt, Bach visited Dieterich Buxtehude and his Abendmusik (German for “evening music”) in the northern city of Lübeck.

Year 1706, Bach needed to move on to further his career. He became an organist at St. Blasius’s in Mühlhausen. 4 months later, he married his second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach and had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood.

1707, he took up a senior post. This post significantly improved pay and conditions, and provided him with a good choir.

Bach left Mühlhausen to become the court organist and concertmaster at the ducal court in Weimar. He composed keyboard and orchestral works with dramatic openings and sunny dispositions, dynamic motor-rhythms and decisive harmonic schemes.
He also wrote fugues, the largest collection of his fugal writing is “The Well-Tempered Clavier” (Clavier meaning keyboard instrument), each containing a prelude and fugue in every major and minor key.

Prince Leopold of Anhalt – Cöthen hired Bach from 1717 – 1723 to serve as his director of music. Prince Leopold was a musician himself and appreciated Bach's talents. He paid him well and gave him considerable latitude in composing and performing. The well – known Brandenburg Concertos date from this period.

On 7th July 1730, Maria Barbara, Bach’s wife, died suddenly. During the following year, Bach met Anna Magdalena Wilcke and they married on 3rd December 1721. Together, they had 13 more children, 6 of whom survived till adulthood.

In 1723, Bach was appointed the Cantor of Thomasschule in Leipzig, and the Director of Music in the principal churches in the town. This final post was held for 27 years till his death.

During Bach's last few years (credits = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Bach_1750.jpg)

Bach's final resting place @ St. Thomas' Church, Leipzig (credits = http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HPIM4669.jpg)

During his life, he composed more than 1,000 works.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Cantata No. 80: A Might Fortress Is Our God ("Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott")