Bach : a musical biography / Peter Williams.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Williams, Peter, 1937 May 14-2016, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750.

Bach, Johann Sebastian.

Composers--Germany--Biography.

Composers.

Germany.

Genre:

Biographies.

Physical Description:

xiv, 704 pages ; 26 cm

Place of Publication:

Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 2016.

Summary:

"J.S. Bach composed some of the best-loved and most moving music in Western culture. In this book Peter Williams revisits Bach's biography through the lens of this music. Reviewing all of Bach's music, collection by collection, to reveal the development of Bach's interests and priorities. While a great deal has been written about the composer's vocal works, Williams gives the keyboard music its proper emphasis, revealing it as crucial to Bach's biography, as a young organist and a mature composer, as a performer in public and teacher in private, and as a profound thinker in the language of music."-- book jacket

Contents:

Life and works. Early years, 1685-1703: background, family, studies

First appointments, 1703-1708: a young musician's activities and early works

Weimar, 1708-1717: the gifted player at a ducal court

Cöthen, 1717-1723: other opportunities for the maturing composer

Leipzig, the first years: a cantor's life, his duties, cantatas, Passions, publications

Leipzig, the middle years: other activities

Leipzig, the final years: a concentration on the language of music

Observations on the life and works. What was said, what can be inferred

An epilogue.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

ISBN:

9781107139251

1107139252

OCLC:

919001514