- Johann-Sebastian Bach
- Giuseppe Tartini
Johann-Sebastian
Bach
(Eisenach 1685 - Leipzig 1750)
 Johann-Sebastian
Bach was born into a family of musicians at Eisenach in Thuringia
on 21st March 1685. He received a sound musical education from
his father, who taught him very early on how to play the
stringed instruments; his uncle, who taught him to play
the organ; and his older brother, Johann Christoph, an organist
and pupil of Pachelbel’s, who introduced Johann-Sebastian to
the harpsichord and composition. At the age of 18, when he was
an organist in Arnstadt, Bach composed his first cantate. Later
he studied with Dietrich Buxtehude, a German organist and composer
whose music had a particular influence on Bach. In 1707, when
he was employed as an organist at the Church of Saint Blaise
in Mühlhausen, he married his cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, who
was to give him 7 children.
In
1708 Johann-Sebastian left Mühlhausen for the court of the Duke
of Weimar, where he was appointed organist, violin soloist
and composer. There he was to compose a good part of his numerous
works for the organ, including the famous "Toccata and fugue"
in D minor (1716).
In
1717 Bach left the court of Weimar for the court of Prince Leopold
of Anhalt-Köthen (1717-1723), with whom he was to strike up
a true friendship. This gave Bach the advantage of excellent
material working conditions for a period in his life that was
to prove most fruitful. He composed his "English Suites" (1724-1725),
"French Suites" (1722), some "Partitas" (1726-1731), overtures
for orchestra, the "Six Brandenburg Concertos" (1721) and his
keyboard work "The Well-Tempered Clavier" (1722).
In
1721, one year after Maria Barbara’s death, Bach remarried a
singer, Anna Madgalena Wilcken. They were to have 13 children,
10 of whom died in early childhood. In 1723 Bach was off to
a new start: he left the court of Köthen to fill the post of
cantor at St.Thomas’ Church in Leipzig. Despite some problems
and tense situations, Bach overflowed with energy. Of the 300
cantatas he composed, only 200 have come down to us, but his
works also included passions, motets, a mass, chorals
and works for the harpsichord.
Eventually
Bach went blind, and seriously ill, he died in Leipzig on 28
July 1750.
Prelude
of the Partita in E major.
Through
one of his sons we know that Johann-Sebastian played the
violin in a clear and moving manner until old age. He wrote
some of the most beautiful pages of music for the violin, and
his works are an important basis for the violin student.
Besides the wonderful Concertos in E major and A
minor, and the magnificent Concerto for two violins in D
minor, the fourth Brandenburg Concerto in G major is
a true violin concerto integrating two harmonious C-flutes.
The six "Soli a violino solo senza basso", composed in
Köthen around 1720, surpass in technical difficulty everything
that had appeared until then. Mention should also be made of
the "Chaconne" (from the second Partita, in D
minor), a monumental work, extremely deep, almost religious,
and the famed Prelude of the third Partita, in E major.
To these and other works we have not made mention of here, should
be added the innumerable and most interesting violin soli,
as well as his many vocal works.
Jean-Sébastien BACH (1685-1750), Partita en Ré mineur
pour violon seul, Sarabande, violin: Andrée
Armène Stakian, © 1991 VDE-GALLO
Jean-Sébastien BACH (1685-1750), Partita en Ré mineur
pour violon seul, Chaconne, violin: Andrée Armène
Stakian, © 1991 VDE-GALLO
Bach,
an ingenious yet methodical spirit, led the art of counterpoint
(the superimposition of several melodic lines, as well as the
rules governing it), to its apogee.
Giuseppe
Tartini
(Pirano 1692 - Padua 1770)
 Tartini,
considered as one of the greatest violin masters, did
his studies in Assisi and founded a violin school in Padua in
1728. He is accredited with the discovery of the acoustics phenomenon
known as "resulting sounds"; it was he who noticed that a third
note ("terzo suono", third sound) is audible each time
that two notes are produced regularly... He also improved the
violin bow by lengthening it.
Tartini
left a vast repertoire for violinists: almost 150
concertos and 100 sonatas for the violin, the most famous
being "The Devil’s Trill". He also wrote several theoretical
treatises.
|
