“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.
Easiest Piano Pieces by J. S. Bach
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 756992
Adapted By Heribert Breuer
for: 3 saxophones (ATBar)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 1209516
for: 2 trumpets, organ
Item no.: 1631763
aus der Orchestersuite Nr. 3, BWV 1068
for: 2 violins, viola, basso continuo [string orchestra, basso continuo]
Score, parts (pdf download)
Item no.: 1028
Aria from the Birthday Cantata No. 208
for: Sopran, 2 Alt-Blockflöten (Flöten) und Basso continuo
Score, Parts
Item no.: 748821
für Soloinstrument in C (B) und Orgel
for: Melody instrument (C/B-flat), organ
Organ score, solo part
Item no.: 662126
Choral aus der Kantate "Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben", BWV 147
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 725148
based on BWV 1013
for: Oboe
Music score
Item no.: 780310
for: Flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon (wind quintet)
Score, Parts
Item no.: 629766
Originally written for Violoncello solo
for: Horn
Music score
Item no.: 244959
BWV 917, 918, 921, 922, 894-896, 903, 903a
Six Little Preludes BWV 933-938
Bärenreiter Urtext
for: Harpsichord [piano]
Music score (Urtext edition)
Item no.: 296553
Reconstruction based on BWV 1056 and 156
Edition for Oboe and Piano
for: Oboe, strings, basso continuo
Piano reduction, solo part
Item no.: 285058
Eine Sammlung von Arien und Sätzen
for: Oboe
Music score
Item no.: 284661
Acht Choralbearbeitungen von Johann Sebastian Bach
for: Trumpet (C/B-flat), organ
Organ score, solo part
Item no.: 286021
Freie Orgelwerke
Choralpartiten aus unterschiedlicher Überlieferung
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 374770
BWV 1004
for: Viola da gamba
Item no.: 430730
aus dem Dritten Teil der Clavierübung
BWV 802-805, 952, 953, 961
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 122037
Solostimme, Flöte und B.c. Band 2
for: GES-T (A) 2 FL BC
Score, Parts
Item no.: 165454
for: Guitar
Item no.: 456372
for: Organ
Item no.: 444687
(2 stimmig)
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 111861
Lautenwerk Im Urtext Bd 4
for: Guitar
Item no.: 216076
for: Flute
Item no.: 113289
for: Violin, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 404210
for: Recorder and Clavecimbal
Buch
Item no.: 132214
Bearbeitet für Flöte und Gitarre
for: Flute, guitar
Parts (2)
Item no.: 130983
Complete works for Lute 2
for: Lute
Music score
Item no.: 549759
for: Double bass
Score
Item no.: 484698
for: Tuba (E-flat), piano [organ]
Sheet music
Item no.: 1216019
Suite BWV 1006a
BWV 1006a
for: Lute
Item no.: 549752
für Orgel (aus der Partita II für Violine solo)
for: Organ
Score
Item no.: 605144
"Aus der Tiefen rufe ich, Herr, zu dir"
Cantata for a penitential service (Version in a minor)
Urtext Stuttgarter Bach-Ausgaben
for: 4 soloists (SATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra, basso continuo
Harmony parts (complete winds)
Item no.: 370795
for: Violin
Item no.: 583054
Solostimme, Flöte und B.c. Band 4
for: GES-T (A) FL BC
Score, Parts
Item no.: 158291
for flute and piano
for: Flute, piano
Piano score, solo part
Item no.: 404287
(Urtext)
for: Flute, basso continuo
Set of parts
Item no.: 478991
Flautando Edition
for: 2 treble recorders (duet)
2 Performance scores
Item no.: 775930
Sämtliche Orgelwerke (erweiterte Neuauflage 2010)
Band 1-11 im Schuber
for: Organ
Music score
Item no.: 557198
Az első Bach–tanulmányok
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 197440
C. Saint-Saens
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 552529
Himmelfahrt
for: 3 soloists (ATB), mixed choir (SATB), orchestra
Score
Item no.: 373368
Twentieth-century arrangements from choral and instrumental works
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 614577
Manuals only
for: Organ (manuals)
Music score
Item no.: 628240
for: 2 pianos
2 Piano reductions
Item no.: 359932
from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D BWV 1068 (Arr. for Piano)
for: Piano
Music score
Item no.: 382108
für Bratsche (original für Violine)
for: Viola
Music score
Item no.: 665864
aus der Partita für Violine solo BWV 1004
in der Klavierfassung von Busoni
for: 2 classical guitars
Score, Parts
Item no.: 241087
Easy Guitar
for: Guitar
Music score, online audio
Item no.: 602934