He was a musical genius with thousands of musical compositions written in his lifetime. He spent his life in Germany, primarily Leipzig, and worked at a school for the city. He is considered to be one of the greatest musical composers, and composed till the day he died. An unruly youth who greatly disliked authority, he had a strong will and mind of his own. Well liked with many friends, yet no one really knew his inner workings, or how he thought. Of the thousands of musical pieces he composed, few were published in his life. This was a man who composed in great numbers, had reasons for doing so, and lived a rather simple, middle class life. Johann Sebastian Bach (J.S.) was born March 21st 1685, in Eisenach, Germany. His father was Johann Ambrosius, a court trumpeter for the Duke of Eisenach and the director of the musicians of the town of Eisenach. His family had been well known for many generations as a very musically talented family. He started school when he was eight and when he was nine he was sent to live with his older brother. His parents had died after losing two other children, a son and a daughter. His brother, Johann Christoph Bach, let J.S. live with him in Ohrdruf, Germany. Under the teachings of his brother Bach quickly mastered the organ and harpsichord. During his stay with his brother, Bach attended school and was encouraged by his older brother to study composition. Soon Bach could no longer stay with his brother, for his brothers family was getting too big. Bach traveled with a school friend, on foot, to a North-German musical center in Luneberg, Germany. At this time J.S. was 15-years-old, and had a beautiful soprano voice which helped him get into the school. It was his violin playing, which he developed while there, that kept him at the school after he lost his soprano voice. He stayed in Luneberg until he was nearly eighteen. He was now looking for a job. He wanted the post as organist of Arnstadt where a ne...
