History Music / JohannSebastianBach

** According to his son C.P.E. Bach and his biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel, Bach had a special love for the viola and strongly preferred playing the viola in chamber music. This is quite evident in his music as the viola parts in much of his music are almost equally as important as the violin parts, which was quite odd during the baroque period as the viola usually played backup harmonies to the violin or kept the beat with the bass part. Additionally, Bach lets the viola shine forth in a solo aspect, which was virtually unheard of during the Baroque period. His sixth Brandenburg Concerto completely does away with the violin parts, instead using two violas as the soloists, two arias from two separate cantatas ("Ergieße dich reichlich, du göttliche Quelle" from ''Wo soll ich fliehen hin'' (BWV 5) and "Ich, dein betrübtes Kind" from ''Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut'' (BWV 199)) have a solo viola accompany the vocalist, and finally, ''Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt'' (BWV 18) in its original score has the string section composed [[UpToEleven solely of four separate viola parts]].

** Perhaps Bach's most jarring example comes from the deceptively peaceful Adagio in C Major (BWV 564). Not only is the Adagio not actually positive-sounding, as its name would suggest, it has a short but incredibly aggressive ending portion that can only be described as OminousPipeOrgan taken UpToEleven. And, of course, the last chord is a Picardy Third. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRV_vFrWq-o Listen here.]]

* TheAce: UsefulNotes/FrederickTheGreat gave Bach a tricky chromatic theme and challenged him to [[ImpossibleTask improvise a fugue on it]]. Bach obliged. Frederick asked if Bach could [[MovingTheGoalposts improvise a three-part fugue]] using the same theme, knowing that Bach probably couldn't. Bach did. Frederick asked if he could [[WithThisHerring improvise a six-part fugue]] on the theme. Bach replied, in effect, "Leave it with me", and after tweaking the theme to make it easier to work with, wrote exactly that and sent it to Frederick, along with a bunch of other pieces based on the same theme. The collection is known as the ''Musical Offering'' and it's regarded as one of Bach's greatest achievements.

* DeadArtistsAreBetter: Bach was better known as an organist than a composer during his lifetime. It was only when Music/FelixMendelssohn rediscovered his compositions in the 1800s that Bach became widely known as "[[TropeCodifier The Father of]] ClassicalMusic."

* OvershadowedByAwesome:
** A strange case. From Bach's death until his music's rediscovery, historians and musicians considered his sons' accomplishments more noteworthy than his; [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]] said of Bach's second son C.P.E. Bach, "He is the father, we are the children." This was historically justified, in that Bach's sons were considered to be more innovative and experimental than their father. Things changed when composers decided that they wanted some of that [[OlderIsBetter old-school contrapuntal wizardry]] that Bach had, but which his sons weren't interested in.
** Another example would be that of his good friend Music/GeorgPhilippTelemann, who was more or less a celebrity composer in his day. In modern times, this is [[InvertedTrope reversed]] with Bach being considered one of the best, if not ''the'' best, composers while Telemann is generally considered to be just good or average and isn't too well known outside of the early music music scene.

* RealMenLoveJesus: A devout Lutheran who wrote a lot of church music.

* SincerestFormOfFlattery: Name any great composer of ClassicalMusic. Odds are that, at some point in their education, they studied from and imitated the works of J.S. Bach. Bach's fugues and chorales are still required studying in most music conservatories to this day. Most freshman music theory classes heavily reference the chorales, and Eighteenth-Century Counterpoint classes use Bach's contrapuntal works as their model.

Interestingly, Bach shares not only a year of birth with Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (who was born a mere 37 days before Bach in a town just under 200km away by road--130 as the crow flies), but also a possible cause of death: they were both unsuccessfully operated on by the same eye surgeon -- an "oculist" called the Chevalier John Taylor, often referred to as "the poster child for 18th century medical quackery." (Taylor may also have killed or at least severely reduced the quality of life of the English historian Edward Gibbon, author of the famous ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire''.) Both Bach and Handel are honoured (with 17th-century English composer Henry Purcell) on July 28 (the day of Bach's death) in the [[UsefulNotes/PatronSaints calendar of saints]] used by most Anglican and Lutheran churches, as composers of sublime Protestant sacred music.

Interestingly, Bach shares not only a year of birth with Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (who was born a mere 37 days before Bach in a town just under 200km away by road--130 as the crow flies), but also a possible cause of death: they were both unsuccessfully operated on by the same eye surgeon -- an "oculist" called the Chevalier John Taylor, often referred to as "the poster child for 18th century medical quackery." (Taylor may also have killed or at least severely reduced the quality of life of the English historian Edward Gibbon, author of the famous ''The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire''.) Both Bach and Handel are honoured (with 17th-century English composer Henry Purcell) on July 28 (the day of Bach's death) in the [[UsefulNotes/PatronSaints calendar of saints]] used by most Anglican and Lutheran churches, as composers of sublime Protestant sacred music.

Interestingly, Bach shares not only a year of birth with Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (who was born a mere 37 days before Bach in a town just under 200km away by road--130 as the crow flies), but also a possible cause of death: they were both unsuccessfully operated on by the same eye surgeon -- an "oculist" called the Chevalier John Taylor, often referred to as "the poster child for 18th century medical quackery." Both Bach and Handel are honoured (with 17th-century English composer Henry Purcell) on July 28 (the day of Bach's death) in the [[UsefulNotes/PatronSaints calendar of saints]] used by most Anglican and Lutheran churches, as composers of sublime Protestant sacred music.

Interestingly, Bach shares not only a year of birth with Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (who was born a mere 37 days before Bach in a town just under 200km away by road--130 as the crow flies), but also a possible cause of death: they were both unsuccessfully operated on by the same eye surgeon -- an "oculist" called the Chevalier John Taylor, often referred to as "the poster child for 18th century medical quackery."

[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/JohannSebastianBach.jpg]]

German composer and virtuoso organist (21 March 1685 – 28 July 1750) whose works represent the culmination of the BaroqueMusic era and whose death is generally considered to mark the point of transition into the ClassicalMusic era. Bach, [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]], and [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven]] are seen as the three main contenders for "Most Sublime Music in Western History," and not without reason.

German composer and virtuoso organist (21 March 1685 – 28 July 1750) whose works represent the culmination of the BaroqueMusic era and whose death is generally considered to mark the point of transition into the Classical era. Bach, [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]], and [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven]] are seen as the three main contenders for "Most Sublime Music in Western History," and not without reason.

[[UsefulNotes/DichterAndDenker German composer and virtuoso organist]] (21 March 1685 – 28 July 1750) whose works represent the culmination of the BaroqueMusic era and whose death is generally considered to mark the point of transition into the Classical era. Bach, [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]], and [[Music/LudwigVanBeethoven Beethoven]] are seen as the three main contenders for "Most Sublime Music in Western History," and not without reason.

Though today he is considered [[SincerestFormOfFlattery one of the most influential composers]] in history, in his lifetime he was better known as an organist than a composer; particularly towards the end of his career, his work was deemed outdated by his contemporaries. He did maintain CultClassic status among professional composers who studied his work for technique, including such admirers as Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart and Music/LudwigVanBeethoven. But among the musical public he was generally not seen as one of the great composers until his works were re-popularized by composer Music/FelixMendelssohn in the early 1800s, and has since been VindicatedByHistory as one of the greatest musical artists of human history. No better evidence of that can be of the Voyager Golden Records on both deep space probes, Voyagers 1 and 2, which has three pieces by him, intended to be an introduction to any intelligent alien civilization who can figure out how to play it.

Though today he is considered [[SincerestFormOfFlattery one of the most influential composers]] in history, in his lifetime he was better known as an organist than a composer; particularly towards the end of his career, his work was deemed outdated by his contemporaries. He did maintain CultClassic status among professional composers who studied his work for technique, including [[BigNameFan such admirers]] as Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart and Music/LudwigVanBeethoven. But among the musical public he was generally not seen as one of the great composers until his works were re-popularized by composer Music/FelixMendelssohn in the early 1800s, and has since been VindicatedByHistory as one of the greatest musical artists of human history. No better evidence of that can be of the Voyager Golden Records on both deep space probes, Voyagers 1 and 2, which has three pieces by him, intended to be an introduction to any intelligent alien civilization who can figure out how to play it.

** A VideoGame/{{Touhou}} [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nfvo-xyq_zQ music arrange]] for Kanako Yasaka's theme, Suwa Foughten Field, begins with the opening.

Though today he is considered [[SincerestFormOfFlattery one of the most influential composers]] in history, in his lifetime he was better known as an organist than a composer; particularly towards the end of his career, his work was deemed outdated by his contemporaries. He did maintain CultClassic status among professional composers who studied his work for technique, including [[BigNameFan such admirers]] as Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart and Music/LudwigVanBeethoven. But among the musical public he was generally not seen as one of the great composers until his works were re-popularized by composer Music/FelixMendelssohn in the early 1800s, and has since been VindicatedByHistory.

* Music/PDQBach owes his artist's name to Bach. [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis The story goes]] that P.D.Q. was the 21st and least well-regarded of Bach's 20 children, disowned by the Bach family because his music was too stupid.

* DawnOfAnEra: 1685, the year Bach was born, is widely held to be the year when tonality in music (as we know it today) found its footing, thanks to Arcangelo Corelli. 1750, the year Bach died, is widely held to be the year when the Baroque period in music history ended and the Classical period began.

** According to his son C.P.E. Bach and his biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel, Bach had a special love for the viola and strongly preferred playing the viola in chamber music. This is quite evident in his music as the viola parts in much of his music are almost equally as important as the violin parts, which was quite odd during the baroque period as the viola usually played backup harmonies to the violin or kept the beat with the bass part. Additionally, Bach lets the viola shine forth in a solo aspect, which was virtually unheard of during the baroque period. His sixth Brandenburg Concerto completely does away with the violin parts, instead using two violas as the soloists, two arias from two separate cantatas ("Ergieße dich reichlich, du göttliche Quelle" from ''Wo soll ich fliehen hin'' (BWV 5) and "Ich, dein betrübtes Kind" from ''Mein Herze schwimmt im Blut'' (BWV 199)) have a solo viola accompany the vocalist, and finally, ''Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt'' (BWV 18) in its original score has the string section composed [[UpToEleven solely of four separate viola parts]].

* DawnOfAnEra: 1685, the year Bach was born, is widely held to be the year when tonality in music (as we know it today) was found its footing, thanks to Arcangelo Corelli. 1750, the year Bach died, is widely held to be the year when the Baroque period in music history ended and the Classical period began.

* BaroqueMusic: One of the most famous composers of this era; his pieces are often seen as the archetypal Baroque sound. Many people claim the genre died out with him, too.

* StrictlyFormula: Necessary, but subverted: he had to compose a new church cantata just about every week for three years, but within the canatata form they vary enormously in mood and tone, and Bach scholars tend to consider his cantatas to be the foundation of his achievement.
* SincerestFormOfFlattery: Name any great composer of ClassicalMusic. Odds are that, at some point in their education, they studied from and imitated the works of J.S. Bach. Bach's fugues and chorales are still required studying in most music conservatories to this day.

* ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'' starts off with Toccata and Fugue in D minor, which, true to the music's fashion, is a series of abstract images.

Interestingly, Bach shares not only a year of birth with Music/GeorgeFredericHandel (who was born a mere 37 days before Bach), but also a possible cause of death: they were both unsuccessfully operated on by the same eye surgeon -- an "oculist" called the Chevalier John Taylor, often referred to as "the poster child for 18th century medical quackery."

* LastNoteNightmare: The "Great" Fugue in G minor (BWV 542) is quite soft and quiet for its first half. In the second half, the piece shifts toward being slightly more upbeat and louder, but still not too loud. Then at the very end, the piece shifts toward being loud and angry for a few seconds, contrasting with the light and soft qualities of the rest of the piece.

* The six Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046–1051, used widely in period dramas and various other works. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMSwVf_69Hc&t=1m26s harpsichord solo from the fifth concerto]] could quite reasonably be considered the great-great-great-grandfather of metal. The second, with its high, treacherous trumpet part (played in Bach's day [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEJ-xcblCMo on a ''valveless'' instrument]], no less) is the first piece of Earth music aliens will hear should they manage to acquire and decipher one of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_golden_record Voyager golden records]]. Some suggested having ''only'' Bach on the record; Creator/CarlSagan said "that would just be showing off."

** According to his son C.P.E. Bach and his biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel, Bach had a special love for the viola and strongly preferred playing the viola in chamber music. This is quite evident in his music as the viola parts in much of his music are almost equally as important as the violin parts, which was quite odd during the baroque period as the viola usually played backup harmonies to the violin or kept the beat with the bass part. Additionally, Bach lets the viola shine forth in a solo aspect, which was virtually unheard of during the baroque period. His sixth Brandenburg Concerto completely does away with the violin parts, instead using two violas as the soloists, two arias from two separate cantatas (''Ergieße dich reichlich, du göttliche Quelle'' from the BWV 5 cantata and ''Ich, dein betrübtes Kind'' from the BWV 199 cantata) have a solo viola accompany the vocalist, and finally, the BWV 18 cantata, ''Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt'' in its original score has the string section comprised [[UpToEleven solely of four separate viola parts]].

* GodIsLoveSongs: Being a devout Lutheran who was mostly employed by churches, he wrote a lot of religious pieces for church performance, among them the ''Johannes Passion'', ''Matthäus Passion'', the ''Mass in B Minor'' and, most spectacularly, over 300 sacred cantatas, of which about 200 survive. These include many of his most famous pieces, such as "Jesu Bleibet Meine Freude" ("Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring"), which is a chorale from cantata BWV 147 ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben''. This trope is averted inasmuch as Bach's cantatas aren't ''disguised'' as secular works; they're completely up-front about their religious content -- sample titles (translated) include ''Christ lay in Death's bonds'', ''God's time is the best time of all'' and ''Praise the Lord, the mighty king of honour''. But then again, they're very often performed in secular concert halls where you wouldn't expect much religious content.

* OminousPipeOrgan: His ''Toccata and Fugue in D minor'' has become a cliché of Halloween music, when played on a organ.

* ''Music/ToccataAndFugueInDMinor'', BWV 565,[[note]]"BWV" stands for '''B'''ach-'''W'''erke-'''V'''erzeichnis, the standard catalogue of Bach's complete works.[[/note]] the opening of which has become a StandardSnippet for OminousPipeOrgan moments. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FXoyr_FyFw Here]]'s the whole thing played on the most awesome pipe organ in Australia.[[note]]However, there has been some debate as to whether he wrote the piece at all; it has a number of stylistic anachronisms that suggest it may have been written after 1750. Another school of thought holds that it may have been originally written for violin (possibly by Bach but likely by another unknown composer), and then transcribed to organ by Bach.[[/note]]

* The ''Mass in B minor'', BWV 232, and the ''St. Matthew Passion'', BWV 244, two breathtaking works that are cornerstones of Western sacred choral music.
* The six ''Brandenburg Concertos'', BWV 1046–1051, used widely in period dramas and various other works. The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMSwVf_69Hc&t=1m26s harpsichord solo from the fifth concerto]] could quite reasonably be considered the great-great-great-grandfather of metal. The second, with its high, treacherous trumpet part (played in Bach's day [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEJ-xcblCMo on a ''valveless'' instrument]], no less) is the first piece of Earth music aliens will hear should they manage to acquire and decipher one of the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_golden_record Voyager golden records]].
** Some suggested having ''only'' Bach on the record; Creator/CarlSagan said "that would just be showing off."
* "Air on the G String", the colloquial title given to the 2nd movement of Bach's ''Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major'', BWV 1068.[[note]]The nickname comes from a [[CoveredUp particularly famous arrangement]][[invoked]] by August Wilhelmj, which transposes the melody down a ninth so that it can be played entirely on a violin's lowest string, which is tuned to G.[[/note]] Even if you don't follow classical music, and don't know Bach from Bono, it's a certainty you've heard it many times as background music in movies, TV shows, and commercials. A strong contender for "Most Sublimely Beautiful 5 Minutes of Music Ever Composed."
* The ''Six Suites for Unaccompanied Cello'', BWV 1007–1012, are some of the most widely known cello pieces ever. The [[https://youtu.be/mGQLXRTl3Z0?t=9 prelude to the first suite]] is the best known from them. Pretty good considering there isn't even an original copy.
* "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring", a melody used for two movements of the cantata ''Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben'', BWV 147, and probably Bach's most well-known cantata-based piece of music.

* AuthorAppeal: Bach's devout Lutheran faith clearly inspires his cantatas, chorales, and service music. He was also a master of counterpoint, which can be found in virtually all of his compositions even though it was falling out of fashion in his day for the more spare Early Classical style. And [[TheLastOfTheseIsNotLikeTheOthers his fondness for]] [[MustHaveCaffeine drinking coffee]] inspired the humorous "Coffee Cantata," ''Music/SchweigtStillePlaudertNicht''.
** According to his son C.P.E. Bach and his biographer Johann Nikolaus Forkel, Bach had a special love for the viola and strongly preferred playing the viola in chamber music. This is quite evident in his music as the viola parts in much of his music are almost equally as important as the violin parts, which was quite odd during the baroque period as the viola usually played backup harmonies to the violin or kept the beat with the bass part. Additionally, Bach lets the viola shine forth in a solo aspect, which was virtually unheard of during the baroque period. His sixth ''Brandenburg Concerto'' completely does away with the violin parts, instead using two violas as the soloists, two arias from two separate cantatas (''Ergieße dich reichlich, du göttliche Quelle'' from the BWV 5 cantata and ''Ich, dein betrübtes Kind'' from the BWV 199 cantata) have a solo viola accompany the vocalist, and finally, the BWV 18 cantata, ''Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee vom Himmel fällt'' in its original score has the string section comprised [[UpToEleven solely of four separate viola parts]].

* DawnOfAnEra: 1685, the year Bach was born, is widely held to be the year when tonality in music (as we know it today) was found its footing, thanks to Archangelo Corelli. 1750, the year Bach died, is widely held to be the year when the Baroque period in music history ended and the Classical period began.

* LastNoteNightmare: "Great" Fugue in G minor (BWV 542) is quite soft and quiet for its first half. In the second half, the piece shifts toward being slightly more upbeat and louder, but still not too loud. Then at the very end, the piece shifts toward being loud and angry for a few seconds, contrasting with the light and soft qualities of the rest of the piece.

* NonIndicativeName: Unlike every other prelude in the collection of preludes and fugues known as ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', the Prelude in E flat major BWV 852 from Book 1 is actually a fugue in itself.

* OvershadowedByAwesome: A strange case. From Bach's death until his music's rediscovery, historians and musicians considered his sons' accomplishments more noteworthy than his; [[Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart Mozart]] said of Bach's second son C.P.E. Bach, "He is the father, we are the children." This was historically justified, in that Bach's sons were considered to be more innovative and experimental than their father. Things changed when composers decided that they wanted some of that [[OlderIsBetter old-school contrapuntal wizardry]] that Bach had, but which his sons weren't interested in.
** Another example would be that of his good friend GeorgPhilippTelemann, who was more or less a celebrity composer in his day. In modern times, this is [[InvertedTrope reversed]] with Bach being considered one of the best, if not ''the'' best, composers while Telemann is generally considered to be just good or average and isn't too well known outside of the early music music scene.

* ''Music/PDQBach'' owns his artist's name to Bach. [[LiteraryAgentHypothesis The story goes]] that P.D.Q. was the 21st and least well-regarded of Bach's 20 children, disowned by the Bach family because his music was too stupid.
* ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}'' starts off with "Toccata And Fugue In D. Minor", which, true to the music's fashion, is a series of abstract images.
** ''WesternAnimation/IlEtaitUneFois... L' Homme'' started off with "Toccata And Fugue In D. Minor" as its theme music.

** "Golbez, Clad in Darkness" from VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV quotes it as well.

** The ''VideoGame/{{Civilization}}'' series have J.S. Bach's Cathedral as a Wonder you can build. In ''Civ. II'', [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=621tO6N1nQA the cutscene that plays upon finishing its construction]] features "Toccata And Fugue In D. Minor" as background music.

* Apollo 100's song "Joy" is a rock version of "Jesu, The Joy Of Man's Desiring."
** Music/TheByrds' song "She Don't Care About Time" has a guitar solo based on "Jesu, The Joy Of Man's Desiring".
** Music/{{Muse}}'s "Plug-in Baby" starts off with the opening of "Toccata And Fugue in D Minor".
** Music/TheKinks' "Wicked Annabella" briefly quotes "Jesu, The Joy Of Man's Desiring" in a bass fill.
* Sweetbox's ''Everything's Gonna Be Alright'' is based around ''Air on the G String'', from Bach's Orchestral Suite No.3.
* Live versions of ''Heartbreaker'' by Music/LedZeppelin often include a snippet of Bach's ''Bourrée in E minor''.
* Similarly, the Music/JethroTull song ''Bourrée'' opens with Ian Anderson playing ''Bourrée in E minor'' on the flute.
* Music/{{Megadeth}}'s ''Symphony Of Destruction'' has a piece of Mozart's ''Requiem (K. 626) - Domine Jesu Christe'' at the start. Also ''Last Rites'', based on Music/JohannSebastianBach's ''Toccata and Fugue in D minor'' (BWV 565).
* ''Repent Walpurgis'' by Music/ProcolHarum contains an excerpt of Music/JohannSebastianBach's ''Prelude No. 1 in C major'' (BWV 846).
** Music/ProcolHarum's greatest hit was ''A Whiter Shade of Pale'' - based on Bach's ''Air on the G String''
* Music/SymphonyX samples, among other pieces, Bach's "Mass in B Minor" in "Divine Wings of Tragedy". Further on the album "V-The New Mythology Suite" we also hear excerpts from Bach's ''Concerto for Harpsichord in D minor'' (BWV 1052) and the cantata ''Ich habe meine Zuversicht'' (BWV 188).

* The long fade-out of The Beatles' "All You Need is Love" includes a snippet of one of the Two-Part Inventions.
* ''Franchise/ShinMegamiTensei: VideoGame/DevilSummoner'' plays an organ version of "Two Part Invention No.13" as background music in the Hotel Goumaden. Its sequel, ''VideoGame/SoulHackers'', features a piano version in the same location, but only after you perform a fusion or let the first piece of music finish.

* "Sheep May Safely Graze", the ninth movement of the "Hunting Cantata", ''Was mir behagt, ist nur die muntre Jagd'', BWV 208, which is often used at weddings alongside LohengrinAndMendelssohn.