Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[nizeng]

Hello, everyone.
I'm a university student in China. Recently I found that Johann Sebastian Bach's music really beautiful. But I don't know too much about his life. Can anybody help me? Thank you!

[Brian S.W. Lee]

i have read the novel regarding J.S.Bach before..
the book's title is "the Last Cantata" which is Philippe Delelis's writing.
it is French novel...
even though it is fiction, i felt good to see Bach' musical backing..

what title of Bach's music did you hear ??
i like BWV 1079, "Die Kunst der Fuge" personally..

[coffeedecafe]

i have read that bach was the father of a family who had many many composers in his children and grandchildren.
the piano was still being improved when he was alive and i do not think there was a loud pedal yet. some of his music we now play on piano was first played on harpsichord. harpsichords plucked the strings instead of hitting them with a hammer.
he wrote for stringed instruments like violins and cellos also. he wrote a lot of music for choirs
he was the first person to tune the piano to play in any key instead of playing in only one key, and retuning it if you wanted to play in another. i have a book of his music written to show how that tuning worked. the book is called 'the well tempered clavier', and much of it is too difficult for me to play up to proper speed.
there is a lot of information about him, but i cannot think of much more right now.
_________________
coffeedecafe