Bach
JOHANN SEBASTIAN, a celebrated musician, born at Eisenach, upper Saxony, March 21, 1685. When he was 10 years old his father, who was a musician at Eisenach, died, and Bach sought the protection of an elder brother, who, dying soon after, he was again left destitute, and, to earn a livelihood, entered the choir of St. Michael's, Lüneburg, as a soprano singer. In 1703 he became court musician at Weimar, the following year organist at Arnstadt, and in 1708 court organist at Weimar. While holding this office he labored to make himself master of every branch of music.
In 1717 he was made Director of Concerts, and six years afterward Director of Music and Cantor to St. Thomas' School, Leipsic, an appointment which he held to his death. About 10 years later the distinctions of kapellmeister to the Duke of Weissenfels and court composer to the King of Poland were conferred upon him. Bach, who had a son in the service of Frederick the Great, received a pressing request to visit Potsdam, on the occasion of a concert there. He went, and acquitted himself to the satisfaction of that mo monarch, some of whose music he played at first sight.
Bach's close studies affected his eyes, and an operation left him totally blind and hastened his death, in Leipsic, July 28, 1750. With the exception of Handel, Bach had no rival as an organist.