Julia Orosz

November 24, 2015

HLM 212

Writing Assignment 2

Johann Sebastian Bach has had the most influence on modern

music studies. From his The Well-Tempered Clavier to his Vocal music,

everyone can learn something from Bachs pieces.

Bachs structures were all based off of composers before him. For

example, he was not the first person to write a fugue. Many other

composers have written fugues before. However, Bachs fugues were

made better. Also, Bachs preludes were perfected.

One of Bachs most famous works for keyboard is The Well-

Tempered Clavier. It is so famous that most theory and history classes

in modern music studies use it to study preludes and fugues because

his pieces always have a clearly defined melodic character and a

prominent rhythmic profile. (CHWM 278) His normal fugue structure is

that there is a subject and then the second part answers in the

dominant. Together the main key of the piece is defined.

Bach wrote five Passions, two of which survive; they tell the

story of Jesuss crucifixion. (CHWM 284) These types of settings of the

Passions replaced older forms composed by different composers. The

older form was a combination of plainsong narration with polyphony.

Bachs Passions are narrated by a tenor who tells the biblical story in

recitative.

Bachs compositions are necessities for the study of modern

music. He has influenced all composers after his time and is essential

in the study of the Baroque period.