Music of the Bach Family

On Sunday, April 2, the Calgary Bach Choir features music of the Bach family featuring works of Johann Sebastian (J.S.) Bach and some of his sons.

J.S. Bach (1685-1750) is one of the best-known composers of all time, but did you know his talented sons and relatives were also composers? Each of them comes with their own story, their own home town and their own relationship with their father’s music.

Out of the twenty children he had (sadly, only half of those children survived to adulthood), four of his six sons became respected composers: the two eldest—Wilhelm Friedemann ("Dresden Bach") and Carl Philipp Emanuel ("Berlin or Hamburg Bach") and their half brothers Johann Christoph Friedrich ("Buckeburg Bach") and Johann Christian ("The London Bach").

Interestingly, during the second half of the 18th century, Bach's second son, Carl Philipp Emanuel was more popular than his father. It's because J.S. Bach was regarded as an old fashioned master, and Carl Philipp Emanuel's music was easier to listen to. Johann Sebastian was not interested in writing "modern" music.

The programme also features music by Johann Ernst Bach - a student of J.S. Bach and the son of Johann Bernhard Bach (a second cousing of J.S. Bach), as well as works by Haydn and Mozart including the Alleluja from Regina coeli with soprano Jonquil Koddo.

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Now in its 35th season, the Calgary Bach Choir specializes in the music of Baroque composers such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and beyond. They present outstanding Choir and Orchestra Concerts in November, March, and June with Artistic Director Terry Edwards.