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Johann Sebastian Bach is generally thought of as one of the greatest composers of all time. He was born in Eisenach, Germany in 1685, and he learned to play many instruments throughout his life. He was especially well-known as a composer and as an organist. He is probably the most famous musician from the "Baroque" era. (This term applies to music written in the 1600s and the first half of the 1700s.)

Listen to this Toccata (the first section from "Toccata and Fugue in D minor.") Have you heard this piece before? (It's often heard at Halloween!) Pay attention to the organ; notice how the sound changes whenever the performer activates a "stop" (one of the big switches). Also notice how many different keyboards the performer has to use (including one for his feet)!

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Bach worked for many years as the music director at Lutheran churches in Germany. In addition to teaching students how to sing or play instruments, Bach was responsible for composing music for the musicians at the church to perform each Sunday. Some of Bach's most beautiful music is written for small orchestras (such that a church in that time might have had) and soloists or choirs. Here's a famous moment from a Cantata that he wrote for one of these church services.

Have you ever been inside a cathedral? Imagine this music filling the cathedral where Bach worked! (See the picture below of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig, Germany.)

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You might have noticed that many of the instruments in the videos you watched are not instruments you see very often nowadays! (Most importantly, you haven't heard any pianos in these videos!). Remember: the piano hadn't even been invented yet when Bach was born!

Bach wrote a lot of music for the harpsichord, and many people play that music on the modern piano now. But the piano sounds very different and changes the way the music sounds. Listen to these two versions of the same piece; first listen to how it might have sounded when Bach played in on the harpsichord. Then compare that to the sound when you listen to it performed on a modern piano!

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Musicians often love performing Bach's music because it is beautiful and complex. This piece is another famous one; his Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor. This composition, like most concertos, is in 3 movements. (Remember, a concerto is a piece for a soloist accompanied by orchestra. In this case, there are two soloists!) Notice how complicated all the different instrumental parts are but how they all come together to create beautiful music.

One other thing to notice is the importance of the harpsichord in this style of music. The harpsichord is almost like the "engine" for the orchestra; it keeps the music moving forward!

You've learned about Johann Sebastian Bach! His music is so beautiful that I wish I had more than a month to share it with you!