Essay on The Masters of the Piano

Submitted By vishnu1980
Words: 1990
Pages: 8

Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart Paper

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on the March 21st, 1685, at Eisenach. He died July 28, 1750. He was a German Baroque composer. During his life Bach's mastery of the keyboard attracted the attention of many important people. In 1708 he went to Weimar where his successes were crowned by his appointment, in 1714, at the age of twenty-nine, as Hofkonzertmeister to the duke of Weimar. Where he then composed beuatifully sacred melodies daily. In which the great cantata, Ich hatte viel Bekümmerniss. In 1717 Bach visited Dresden in the course of a concert tour, and was induced to challenge the arrogant French organist J.-Louis Marchand. Bach was first given an opportunity of listening secretly to Marchand's playing, then a competition on the organ was proposed, and a day was arranged for the tournament to take place where everyone through out the town could observe the two musical geniuses battle it out. All to observe nothing less than the issue between French and German music. Marchand took up the challenge contemptuously, but it would appear that he also was allowed to listen secretly to Bach's playing, for on the day of the tournament the only news of him was that he had left Dresden by the earliest coach.
This triumphant moment was followed by Bach's appointment as Kapellmeister to the duke of Cöthen, a post which he held from 1717 to 1723. The Cöthen period is that of Bach's central instrumental works, such as the first book of the Wohltemperirtes Klavier, the solo violin and violoncello sonatas, the Brandenburg concertos, and the French and English suites. While achieving success during the Baroque period, Bach ultimately showed perfection in just about 1,100 works in every musical genre. How can one describe Bach's work's but to be pure genius and very important. Bach is frequently compared to Shakespeare in literature. Isaac Newton in science, and Michelangelo in art. I could say his pieces are intricately woven out of Heaven's thread of light. I do think Bach evolved with radical formal and harmonic innovations. I think the fans of Bach would contribute their positive energy towards the works of Beethoven and Mozart. Being just a fan has no comparison to the genius work of art that Beethoven and Mozart offered to the world. How could one have anything negative to say towards the ultimate brilliance of these musical masters who contributed their life to their love of music. In 1706, four months after arriving at Mühlhausen, Bach married Maria Barbara Bach his second cousin. They had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood, including Willhelm Friedmann Bach and Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach who both became important composers as well. One other relationship was also formed with Leopald, Prince of Anhalt- Kothen who hired Bach to serve as his Kapellmeister(director of music) in 1717. Prince Leopold, himself a musician, appreciated Bach's talents, paid him well, and gave him the freedom in composing and performing. Also in 1723, Bach was appointed Cantor of the Thomasscule at Thomaskirche in Leipzig, and Director of Music in the principal churches in the town, namely the Nickolaikirche and the Paulinerkirche, the church of the University of Leipzig where he made many relationships with the students giving lessons on singing and providing music for the church. Two musical composers who followed up on Bach's work during the 20th century were Wendy Carlos who made an album by the name of Switched-On Bach which was produced by Carlos and Rachel Elklind and released in March 1968 by Columbia Masterworks Records. It played a key role in popularizing classical music performed on electronic synthesizers, which had until then been relegated to experimental and "pop" music. This fostered a significant increase in interest in electronically rendered music in general, and the Moog synthesizer in particular. Another composer would be Uri Caine who was born in America