J.S Bach is undoubtedly one of the greatest composers to ever exist on the face of the earth. His composed music was truly mesmerizing. The individual threads composed by him blended together in pure perfection. The common question that arises here is what is so unique about his music? Here are some points which we think are the answer to our question:
Why J.S. Bach might be the greatest composer (or one of them)
He was among those people who are absolutely obsessed with perfection. His motivation helped him to write amazingly complex pieces. There are no flaws nor gaps in his music. Bach has produced solid music unlike other composers. All of the notes are present there for a *very* good reason.
The Fugue that he is a master of is definitely not an easy musical form to write in. Famous composers such as Mozart practiced this art in the later years of their life. This shows his devotion and hard work which proved to be fruitful later.
I partially disagree with the point that he was well known in his time. A perfectionist and a complete workaholic like him wouldn’t normally have many friends but still his sheer skills earned him a lot of prestige and fame. Frederick the great of Prussia (the most powerful monarch in Europe at the time), insisted that CPE Bach bring ‘old’ Bach i.e. his father to his palace to demonstrate his talent.
Mozart’s work represents elegance, Beethoven’s work represent struggle but the music of Bach represents sheer *POWER*. The themes he used are very profound to the ear and his music is outright astounding in its grandeur. Saint-Saens said and I quote: “He never sacrificed function for form” He didn’t make the mechanics behind his music any easier.
His natural talent was another factor contributing to his success. He didn’t have much of a formal education but still he continued his road to success. He copied works of various composers (Scarlatti, Corelli, Buxtehude, Vivaldi) at the start. He learned the Italian, English, French and other European styles of music. You can imagine the hard work young Bach had put in copying to prove that he was a great composer.
Bach was, is and will be one of the greatest composers ever.
If you’re interested in learning classical music on any instrument, call Kathryn Brickell Music for private lessons. We teach classical artists like Bach and many more. Contact us here.