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Early Life and Musical Roots

Born in Eisenach, Germany, into a dynasty of musicians, Johann Sebastian Bach was immersed in music from childhood. Orphaned at age 10, he moved in with his organist brother Johann Christoph. At Lüneburg's St. Michael's School, the teenage Bach studied voraciously, walking over 30 miles to hear renowned organist Dietrich Buxtehude play—an early testament to his relentless dedication to musical mastery.

Career Journey: From Churches to Courts

Bach's professional path unfolded through key positions across Germany:

• Arnstadt & Mühlhausen (1703-1708): First roles as church organist

• Weimar (1708-1717): Court organist and concertmaster, composing groundbreaking organ works

• Köthen (1717-1723): Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold, creating instrumental masterpieces

• Leipzig (1723-1750): Cantor at St. Thomas Church, producing monumental sacred works

His employers often found him stubborn—Bach once jailed for a month after demanding resignation from Weimar's court.

Pioneering Compositions and Innovations

Bach revolutionized Baroque music through technical brilliance and emotional depth:

• Sacred Works: St Matthew Passion, Mass in B Minor, and 200+ cantatas

• Instrumental Genius: Brandenburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations, and The Well-Tempered Clavier

• Pedagogical Legacy: Inventions and Sinfonias for keyboard students

His mastery of counterpoint reached its zenith in works like The Art of Fugue, demonstrating unparalleled structural complexity.

Enduring Influence and Rediscovery

Despite limited fame during his lifetime, Bach's legacy exploded posthumously. The 19th-century Mendelssohn-led revival of St Matthew Passion sparked global recognition. Today, he's celebrated for:

• Bridging Renaissance polyphony with emerging Classical styles

• Establishing equal temperament tuning standards

• Influencing composers from Mozart to modern jazz artists

His manuscripts, meticulously preserved by wife Anna Magdalena, continue to define Western musical education.

• Bach married his cousin Maria Barbara in 1707; after her death, he wed soprano Anna Magdalena Wilcke who copied scores and bore 13 children.
• Of Bach's 20 children, only 10 survived infancy. Four sons became celebrated composers: Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel, Johann Christoph Friedrich, and Johann Christian.
• Blind from botched eye surgeries in 1750, Bach dictated his final chorale 'Before Thy Throne I Now Appear' on his deathbed. The cause of death was likely stroke complications.
• Bach's remains were exhumed in 1894; forensic reconstruction revealed a robust man with thick eyebrows and prominent jaw—physical traits matching contemporary descriptions of his strong-willed personality.