Who was Anna Magalena?

Answer 1

Anna Magdalena Bach (1701-1760) was the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), who some argue was the greatest composer who ever lived. They were married in 1721 and had 13 children, among whom Johann Christian (the "London Bach") became one of the foremost Classical composers. She was a professional singer (which is how Bach may first have noticed her), copied (and possibly even composed) some of her husband's works, and was the dedicatee of his two Notebooks for Anna Magdalena Bach, which are collections of pieces including between them most of the French Suites for harpsichord (from the 1722 book) and several of the keyboard partitas, the Minuet in G major (actually by Christian Petzold) that most young pianists will have come across, the first Prelude from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier and the keyboard aria that constitutes the subject of the Goldberg Variations (from the 1725 book). She died in poverty; none of her sons and stepsons seem to have helped her out financially after Bach's death.