Transcript Wer ist das? Guten tag, Herr Bach!

Wer ist das?
Guten tag, Herr Bach!
Learning Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
To explore the life of the German
composer Johann Sebastian
Bach;
To think about why Bach
sometimes wrote music with
Latin words instead of German;
To ask and answer questions in
German relating to Bach’s life.
Key Words:
Die Orgel (Organ)
Die Stelle (Post, Position,Job)
Das Gefängnis (Prison)
Die Messe (Mass)
Die Sängerin (Female Singer)
Die Kirche (Church)
Der Komponist (Composer)
Starter:
In German write down a set of questions you could
ask Bach about his life. For example, “Woher
kommen Sie?” (“Where do you come from?”)…
Born March 21st
1685 in Eisenach,
Germany into a very
musical Lutheran
family.
The Life, Work and Music of
Johann Sebastian Bach
1723 – 1750 Moved to
Leipzig – a centre of
(1685-1750)
Lutheranism- as
Top of his class at
school in Ohrdorf.
Learning to play
the organ.
Mother dies in
1694 when
Johann
Sebastian is 9
years old.
1685
1690
Father dies - JSB is 10
years old. Family has
to split up. JS goes to
live with eldest
brother in Ohrdorf.
1707: new job
as organist in
Mühlhausen.
Now 18 years
old. (1703)
Organist in
Arnstadt.
1700
Married Maria
Barbara on
October 17th. 1707
Director of Music at
the Thomaskirche..
Offered post in Cöthen
but not allowed to
break his Weimar
contract. Put in prison
for 4 weeks. After
dispute settled, took up
job as court composer
and teacher in Cöthen.
1720
1710
His wife Maria
Barbara dies
while he is away
on tour with the
Duke. She was
35.
1708: new job as Organist and
Court Chamber Musician at court
of Duke of Weimar. Salary of
150 florins, 18 bushels of corn, 12
of barley and 30 buckets of beer!
A stroke and death
on July 28th 1750.
His music was
largely ignored
until the 19th
century.
1730
1740
1750
1721 - Bach marries
Anna Magdalena, a
professional singer.
B Minor Mass finished
in about 1749; it is now
considered one of the
greatest choral works of
all time!
Bach the Celebrity
In his lifetime, Bach was famous as an organist
(musician).
• Imagine Bach is a modern day celebrity.
• In pairs, choose one person to be Bach and the
other person will be an interviewer for a German
TV show. Use the timeline and the questions you
wrote at the beginning of the lesson to ask Bach
questions in German about his life.
• Extension: choose a year in Bach’s life – your partner
has to try to guess which year you have chosen, by
asking “ja” and “nein” questions.
Bach and Religion
Discuss the following questions in groups and
write down your answers.
Bach set one of his most famous pieces, the B-Minor Mass, to
Latin words, not German!
Why? Because the best way to get ahead in a music career at
the time was to write for the Catholic church, which used
Latin.
How would you feel if you were asked to write music lyrics in
a different language? Would it be easy / difficult? Can you
try to make up a song in German?
Bach was Protestant but he wrote the B-Minor Mass for
Catholic Worship.
How would you feel if you believed in one religion
but to help your career you had to write music for
another religion? Would you do it? Why / why not?
Bach wrote
“SDG” (Soli Dei
Gloria – to the
glory of God) at
the end of many
cantatas.
Plenary
• Complete the crossword by answering the
questions about Bach’s life.