Johann Sebastian Bach(1685 - 1750) One of the greatest musicians of the world. He was Born at Eisenach of a family of noted musical talent the influence of several members of which upon their relative was in some degree responsible for the great result, Before Bach was 10 his father, Ambrosius died.

The boy was brought up by his brother Christoph, an organist at Ohrudruf who withheld from him a MS. of organ compositions by great masters, perhaps from jealously, but possibly only for some misguided disciplinarian reason. However, Bach obtained access to the book, and copied it by moonlight. But the copy was taken from him when it was discovered, although the work had taken the boy 6 months to accomplish. His beautiful soprano voice gained him a place in the choir at St Michael's school at Luneberg, where he practice as an accompanist on the harpsichord and after his voice broke as a violinist.

This was in 1700, and 3 years later he obtained a royal appointment at the court of Weimar, where he became acquainted with Italian music. The same year he became organist at the new church of Arnstadt, and here he began to compose. His brother's enlistment with the Swedish Guard, led to the composition in 1704 of the "Capriccio on the departure of a Brother", which was followed and also preceded by several of his church cantatas. At this time Bach obtained permission to go to Lubeck in order to hear the great Danish organist, Buxtehude, then 68 years old. In his enthusiasm, he over-stayed his leave, and this, with other reasons, led to a fresh appointment at Muhlhausen in 1707. He stayed here only a year, during which he married a cousin, Maria Barbara Bach. In 1708, aged 23 he returned to Weimar as court organist.

Here he spent 9 years, and composed a number of church cantatas, while a close study of Italian masters gave him a thorough mastery of their style, the foundations being thus formed for his later instrumental work. On one journey from Weimar in 1717 a quarrel arose between the supporters of Bach and those of the French organist Marchand, and a contest was arranged at Dresden. On the day fixed for the trial the French musician was nowhere to be found, genuine acknowledgment of Bach's superiority rather than jealousy or fear being the causes of his flight. In 1717 Bach, left Weimar for the service of the Duke of Anhalt-Cothen, and in 1720 his wife died, in the following year he married Anna Magdalena Wilcken, who assisted him by copying his musical scores. It was then that Bach began the composition of his suites, and the first half of the Forty-eight Preludes and Fugues was also written at Cothen, though many years separated the first from the complemental portion.