About the composer
Johann Sebastian Bach
- Years of life
- 1685–1750
- Period
- Baroque
A German Baroque composer, organist and teacher. His keyboard music brings independent melodic voices together in a single musical texture.
Explore their musicLife and music
Bach came from a family of professional musicians. His work as an organist, court music director, and Leipzig cantor involved various tasks: church services, a court ensemble, teaching, and city concerts. Therefore, his legacy includes not only keyboard pieces, but also cantatas, passions, concertos, and chamber music. Instructional collections show how he combined performance practice with composition.
What the music sounds like
In the inventions, the melody does not belong to one hand: a short motif passes between voices and changes. Dances in suites are grouped into cycles, and preludes and fugues explore different tonalities and types of motion. On the modern piano, it is especially important to differentiate voices by phrasing and articulation.
What to listen for at the piano
Notes for independent practiceFirst, play each voice separately and find the recurring motif. Combine the voices at a tempo that allows you to hear the beginning and end of each phrase. Speeding up makes sense only after the texture has become clear to the ear.
Music in our catalogue
Open a score and start practising
Sources and further reading
Biographical information is checked against the materials listed here. The performance notes are editorial guidance from Vibe Piano.