bach

bach it

1. To bach.

[Short for BACHELOR.]

German family of musicians. They lived and worked in central Germany, mainly Thuringia, from the 16th century to the 18th, and represent the most remarkable and consistent concentration of musical talent ever recorded in a single family. Some were fiddlers and town musicians; others were organists, court musicians, Kantors and Kapellmeisters. Over 70 Bachs at some time earned their livelihoods through music.

The family's ancestry has been traced back to Veit Bach, in the 16th century, though some early details are uncertain. Veit, an amateur musician, lived in Wechmar but probably came from Moravia or Slovakia with the expulsion of Protestants in about 1545. Most of the musicians came from the main, Wechmar line and lived and worked in such small towns as Erfurt, Eisenach, Arnstadt and Ohrdruf, many of them in the Lutheran church. The musicians in the family are listed below, in alphabetical order; those calling for fuller discussion have separate entries, which follow. The numeral in parentheses after each name represents the individual's position in the family genealogy (see pp. The Bach Family Tree), following the family tree drawn up in 1735 (with supplementary numbers; double numbers prefaced with 3 reflect an error in the 1735 genealogy).

The Bach Family Tree

46. Carl Philipp Emanuel. (b Weimar, 8 March 1714; d Hamburg, 14 Dec 1788). Son of Johann Sebastian (24); see below.

3/56. Caspar (b c 1570; d Arnstadt, after 1640). Possibly son of Hans (54). Court and town musician (bassoonist) in Gotha and Arnstadt.

3/58. Caspar (b c 1600). Son of Caspar (3/56). Educated as a violinist at the courts of Bayreuth and Dresden; probably went to Italy.

5. Christoph (b Wechmar, 19 April 1613; d Arnstadt, 12 Sept 1661). Son of Johann (2). Court and town musician in Weimar, Erfurt and Arnstadt.

81. Ernst Carl Gottfried (b Ohrdruf, 12 Jan 1738; d there, 21 June 1801). Son of Johann Christoph (42). Kantor in Wechmar and Ohrdruf.

82. Ernst Christian (b Ohrdruf, 26 Sept 1747; d Wechmar, 29 Sept 1822). Son of Johann Christoph (42). Kantor in Wechmar.

10. Georg Christoph (b Erfurt, bap. 8 Sept 1642; d Schweinfurt, 24 April 1697). Son of Christoph (5). Kantor in Themar and Schweinfurt; composed a vocal concerto.

-. Georg Friedrich (b Tann, 17 March 1793; d Iserlohn, 2 Oct 1860). Not of the Wechmar line; son of Johann Michael. A flautist and composer, music teacher to the Crown Prince of Sweden, later music director in Elberfeld and Iserlohn.

74. Georg Michael (b Ruhla, bap. 27 Sept 1703; d Halle, 18 Feb 1771). Son of Johann Jacob (68). Kantor at Halle.

48. Gottfried Heinrich. (b Leipzig, 26 Feb 1724; d Naumburg, bur. 12 Feb 1763). Eldest son of Johann Sebastian (24) and Anna Magdalena Bach. Feebleminded; but (according to C. P. E. Bach) he showed ‘a great genius, which however failed to develop’.

76. Gottlieb Friedrich. (b Meiningen, 10 Sept 1714; d there, 25 Feb 1785). Son of Johann Ludwig (3/72). Court organist and painter in Meiningen.

-. Hans: see under Johann below (unnumbered, 2 and 4).

3/62. Heinrich d Arnstadt, bur. 27 May 1635). Son of Caspar (3/56). Musically educated in Italy, known as ‘blind Jonas’.

6. Heinrich (b Wechmar, 16 Sept 1615; d Arnstadt, 10 July 1692). Son of Johann (2). Town musician in Schweinfurt, Erfurt and Arnstadt; composed chorales, motets, concertos, preludes and fugues.

-. Johann [Hans] (b Andelsbuch, c 1555; d Nürtingen, 1 Dec 1615). Not a member of the Wechmar line. He was a violinist at the Stuttgart court and later at Nürtingen, and is known to have composed a song. He is traditionally regarded as a member of the family but any relationship remains uncertain.

2. Johann(es) [Han] (b c 1550; d Wechmar, 26 Dec 1626). Son of Veit (1). Baker, carpetmaker and fiddler, the earliest professional musician among the Wechmar Bachs. Studied in Gotha and travelled as a musician to various Thuringian towns.

3/59. Johann(es) (b 1612; d Arnstadt, bur. 9 Dec 1632). Son of Caspar (3/56). Town musician in Arnstadt.

4. Johann(es) [Hans] (b Wechmar, 26 Nov 1604; d Erfurt, bur. 13 May 1673). Son of Johann (2). Town musician and organist in Erfurt; composed motets.

67. Johann (b Themar, 1621; d Lehnstedt, 12 Sept 1686). Son of Andreas (64) (b 1587; d Thoman, 21 April 1637). Kantor in Ilmenau.

8. Johann Aegidius (b Erfurt, bap. 11 Feb 1645; d there, bur. 22 Nov 1716). Son of Johann (4). Violinist in Erfurt, also director of town music and organist.

36. Johann Aegidius (b Erfurt, bap. 4 Aug 1709; d Gross-Monra, 17 May 1746). Son of Johann Christoph (19). Kantor of Gross-Monra.

11. Johann Ambrosius (b Erfurt, 22 Feb 1645; d Eisenach, 20 Feb 1695). Son of Christoph (5). Married Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt (b Erfurt, 24 Feb 1644; d Elisenach, bur. 3 May 1694) in 1668. Town musician in Arnstadt, violinist in Erfurt, court trumpeter and director of town music in Eisenach.

44. Johann Andreas (b Ohrdruf, 7 Sept 1713; d there, 25 Oct 1779). Son of Johann Christoph (22). Oboist in the military band in Gotha, later organist in Ohrdruf.

71. Johann Balthasar (b Eisenach, 4 March 1673; d there, 11 June 1691). Son of Johann Ambrosius (11). Stadtpfeifer apprentice to his father.

18. Johann Bernhard (b Erfurt, bap. 25 Nov 1676; d Eisenach, bur. 5 April 1749). Son of Johann Aegidius (8). He was organist at Erfurt, then went to Magdeburg, and in 1703 became town organist and court harpsichordist at Eisenach (where he knew Telemann). He wrote organ music and French-style orchestral suites that were highly valued; some were copied by Johann Sebastian.

41. Johann Bernhard (b Ohrdruf, 24 Nov 1700; d there, 12 June 1743). Son of Johann Christoph (22). Organist in Ohrdruf and composer.

7. Johann Christian (b Erfurt, bap. 17 Aug 1640; d there, bur. 1 July 1682). Son of Johann (4). Violinist in Erfurt, then in Eisenach; director of Erfurt town music.

32. Johann Christian (b Erfurt, 1696). Son of Johann Christoph (17). Musician in Sondershausen.

50. Johann Christian (b Leipzig, 5 Sept 1735; d London, 1 Jan 1782). Son of Johann Sebastian (24); see below.

77. Johann Christian (b Halle, 23 July 1743; d there, 24 June 1814). Son of Georg Michael (74). Studied with W. F. Bach and taught in Halle.

13. Johann Christoph (b Arnstadt, bap. 8 Dec 1642; d Eisenach, bur. 2 April 1703). Son of Heinrich (6); see below.

12. Johann Christoph (b Erfurt, 22 Feb 1645; d Arnstadt, 25 Aug 1693). Son of Christoph (5). Town musician in Erfurt and Arnstadt.

22. Johann Christoph (b Erfurt, 16 June 1671; d Ohrdruf, 22 Feb 1721). Son of Johann Ambrosius (11). Organist in Erfurt and Ohrdruf, gave instruction to his brother Johann Sebastian (24).

17. Johann Christoph (b Erfurt, bap. 13 Jan 1673; d Gehren, bur. 30 July 1727). Son of Johann Christian (7). Kantor in Erfurt and Kantor and organist in Gehren.

28. Johann Christoph (b Eisenach, bap. 29 Aug 1676; d ?). Son of Johann Christoph (13). Harpsichordist in Erfurt, travelled to England and Rotterdam.

19. Johann Christoph (b Erfurt, bap. 17 Aug 1685; d there, bur. 15 May 1740). Son of Johann Aegidius (8). Member, later director, of the Erfurt town music.

26. Johann Christoph (b Arnstadt, 13 Sept 1689; d Blankenhain, bur. 28 Feb 1740). Son of Johann Christoph (12). Organist in Keula and Blankenhain.

42. Johann Christoph (b Ohrdruf, 12 Nov 1702; d there, 2 Nov 1756). Son of Johann Christoph (22). Kantor in Ohrdruf.

49. Johann Christoph Friedrich (b Leipzig, 21 June 1732; d Bückeburg, 26 Jan 1795). Son of Johann Sebastian (24); see below.

83. Johann Christoph Georg (b Ohrdruf, 8 May 1747; d there, 30 Dec 1814). Son of Johann Andreas (44). Organist in Ohrdruf.

39. Johann Elias (b Schweinfurt, 12 Feb 1705; d there, 30 Nov 1755). Son of Johann Valentin (21). Lived with Johann Sebastian (24) as secretary pupil and tutor of his later children; Kantor in Schweinfurt.

25. Johann Ernst (b Arnstadt, 5 Aug 1683; d there, 21 March 1739). Son of Johann Christoph (12). Organist in Arnstadt, succeeding Johann Sebastian (24). In 1705-6 he deputized for Johann Sebastian during the latter's journey to Lübeck.

34. Johann Ernst (b Eisenach, bap. 30 Jan 1722; d there, 1 Sept 1777). Son of Johann Bernhard (18). He studied at the Leipzig Thomasschule under Johann Sebastian; then he assisted his father at Eisenach, succeeding him and later serving as court Kapellmeister. He was also an administrator. His works include cantatas, motets, violin sonatas and pieces for organ and harpsichord.

29. Johann Friedrich (b Eisenach, c 1682; d Mühlhausen, bur. 8 Feb 1730). Son of Johann Christoph (13). Succeeded Johann Sebastian (24) as organist in Mühlhausen; he wrote an organ fugue.

35. Johann Friedrich (b Erfurt, bap. 22 Oct 1706; d Andisleben, bur. 30 May 1743). Son of Johann Christoph (19). Organist in Quedlinburg and by 1735 schoolmaster in Andisleben.

78. Johann Georg (b Eisenach, bap. 2 Oct 1751; d there, 12 April 1797). Son of Johann Ernst (34). Succeeded his father as court and town organist and titular Kapellmeister in Eisenach.

-. Johann Georg (b Güstrow, c 1786; d Elberfeld, 6 Dec 1874). Not of the Wechmar line, son of Johann Michael and music teacher in Elberfeld.

47. Johann Gottfried Bernhard (b Weimar, 11 May 1715; d Jena, 27 May 1739). Son of Johann Sebastian (24). A pupil of his father; organist in Mühlhausen and Sangerhausen; an unstable character who incurred debts.

15. Johann Günther (b Arnstadt, bap. 17 July 1653; d there, bur. 10 April 1683). Son of Heinrich (6). Assistant organist in Arnstadt, active as a keyboard and violin maker.

33. Johann Günther (b Gehren, 4 April 1703; d Erfurt, bur. 24 Oct 1756). Son of Johann Christoph (17). Town musician (tenor and viola player) in Erfurt.

43. Johann Heinrich (b Ohrdruf, 4 Aug 1707; d Oehringen, 20 May 1783). Son of Johann Christoph (22). Copyist at Leipzig Thomasschule, later assistant organist in Ohrdruf and appointed Kantor in Oehringen.

53. Johann Heinrich (b Hamburg, bap. 4 Nov 1709; d ?). Son of Johann Christoph (28). According to genealogy, ‘a good keyboard player’.

3/68. Johann Jacob (b Wolfsbehringen, 13 Sept 1655; d Ruhla, 11 Dec 1718). Son of Wendel (66) (b Wechmar, 1629-31; d Wolfsbehringen, 18 Dec 1682). Organist and Kantor in Thal, Steinbach, Wasungen and Ruhla.

16. Johann Jacob (b Erfurt, bap. 14 Aug 1668; d Eisenach, bur. 29 April 1692). Son of Johann Christian (7). Apprentice town musician in Eisenach.

23. Johann Jacob (b Eisenach, bap. 11 Feb 1682; d Stockholm, 16 April 1722). Son of Johann Ambrosius (11). Studied in Eisenach and became oboist with the Swedish guard; chamber musician at the Stockholm court. About 1704 Johann Sebastian (24) wrote a Capriccio (bwv992) on Johann Jacob's departure.

38 Johann Lorenz (b Schweinfurt, 10 Sept 1695; d Lahm in Itzgrund, 14 Dec 1773). Son of Johann Valentin (21). Pupil of Johann Sebastian (24), organist and Kantor in Lahm; wrote an organ fugue.

3/72. Johann Ludwig (b Thal, 4 Feb 1677; d Meiningen, bur. 1 May 1731). Son of Johann Jacob (3/68). He worked at the Meiningen court, becoming Kantor and later Kapellmeister. He wrote cantatas (several of which Johann Sebastian performed at Leipzig), motets and other sacred works; also orchestral music, most of which is lost.

14. Johann Michael (b Arnstadt, bap. 9 Aug 1648; d Gehren, 17 May 1694). Son of Heinrich (6). He studied under his father and Jonas de Fletin in Arnstadt, where he became organist; later he was organist and instrument maker at Gehren. He wrote motets and other sacred works, as well as many organ chorales; his chorale motets are notable for their word-setting and their command of both new and traditional styles, while his vocal concertos are richly orchestrated with virtuoso obbligato parts. His youngest daughter, Maria Barbara (1684-1720), was Johann Sebastian's first wife.

30. Johann Michael (b Eisenach, bap. 1 Aug 1685; d ?). Son of Johann Christoph (13). Active in Stockholm as an organ builder.

-. Johann Michael (b Struth, 9 Nov 1745; d Elberfeld, 1820). Not of the Wechmar line but from a Hessian one thought to be linked with it. He travailed to the Low Countries, England and the USA, practiced law, and became Kantor in Tann and later a teacher at Elberfeld. He published a theoretical work and six keyboard concertos and also wrote cantatas.

9. Johann Nicolaus (b Erfurt, bap. 5 Feb 1653; d there, bur. 30 July 1682). Son of Johann (4). Erfurt town musician (violist). 27. Johann Nicolaus (b Eisenach, 10 Oct 1669; d Jena, 4 Nov 1753). Son of Johann Christoph (13). He studied at Jena, travelled to Italy, and became organist of the town and eventually the university church in Jena; he was also an instrument maker. He was a skilful composer in various forms but little of his music is extant.

85. Johann Philipp (b Meiningen, 5 Aug 1752; (d there, 2 Nov 1846). Son of Gottlieb Friedrich (76). Court organist and painter in Meiningen.

31. Johann Samuel (b Niederzimmern, 4 June 1694; d Gundersleben, 1 July 1720). Son of Johann Christoph (17). Musician and teacher in Sondershausen, and Gundersleben.

24. Johann Sebastian (b Eisenach, 21 March 1685; d Leipzig, 28 July 1750). See below.

3/70. Johann Stephan (b Ilmenau, before 1665; d Brunswick, 10 Jan 1717). Son of Johann (67). Kantor at the Cathedral in Brunswick.

21. Johann Valentin (b Themar, 6 Jan 1669; d Schweinfurt, 12 Aug 1720). Son of Georg Christoph (10). Town musician in Schweinfurt.

65. Lips [Philippus] (b Wechmar, c 1590; d there, 10 Oct 1620). Son of the carpetmaker Lips (3/57) (b c 1552) who was a son of Veit (1); he was a musician.

3/60. Melchior (b 1603; d Arnstadt, bur. 7 Sept 1634). Son of Caspar (3/56). Town musician in Arnstadt.

3/61. Nicolaus (b Arnstadt, 6 Dec 1619; d there, bur. 1 Oct 1637). Son of Caspar (3/56). Town musician in Arnstadt.

73. Nicolaus Ephraim (b Wasungen, bap. 26 Nov 1690; d Gandersheim, 12 Aug 1760). Son of Johann Jacob (3/68). Organist at Meiningen and Gandersheim.

80. Philipp Christian Georg (b Ohrdruf, 5 April 1734; d Werningshausen, 18 Aug 1809). Son of Johann Christoph (42). Kantor in Ohrdruf.

75. Samuel Anton (b Meiningen, bap. 26 April 1713; d there, 29 March 1781). Son of Johann Ludwig (3/72). Studied with Johann Sebastian (24), later court organist in Meiningen.

40. Tobias Friedrich (b Ohrdruf, 21 July 1695; d Udestedt, 1 July 1768). Son of Johann Christoph (22). Organist in Ohrdruf, later Kantor in Gandersheim, Pferdingsleben and Udestedt.

79. Tobias Friedrich (b Udestedt, 22 Sept 1723, d Erfurt, 18 Jan 1805). Son of Tobias Friedrich (40). Kantor in Erfurt.

1. Veit (b ?Bratislava; d Wechmar, before 1578). The earliest member of the family to show musical proclivities.

45. Wilhelm Friedemann (b Weimar, 22 Nov 1710; d Berlin, 1 July 1784). Son of Johann Sebastian (24); see below.

84. Wilhelm Friedrich Ernst (b Bückeburg, bap. 27 May 1759; d Berlin 25 Dec 1845). Son of Johann Christoph Friedrich (49). He studied with his father, lived briefly with his uncle Carl Philipp Emanuel in Hamburg and then with his uncle Johann Christian in London, where he taught and played the piano. After a concert tour, he became music director in Minden; later he moved to Berlin with court posts. He wrote much music, but its style is generally vapid. He was the last musician of the Bach family and lived to see the dedication of the Leipzig Bach monument in 1843.

The verb has one meaning:

Meaning #1: lead a bachelor's existence
  Synonym: bachelor