
| Short Name: | Johann Sebastian Bach |
| Full Name: | Bach, Johann Sebastian, 1685-1750 |
| Birth Year: | 1685 |
| Death Year: | 1750 |
Born at Eisenach into a musical family and in a town steeped in Reformation history, he received early musical training from his father and older brother, and elementary education in the classical school Luther had earlier attended.
Throughout his life he made extraordinary efforts to learn from other musicians. At 15 he walked to Lüneburg to work as a chorister and study at the convent school of St. Michael. From there he walked 30 miles to Hamburg to hear Johann Reinken, and 60 miles to Celle to become familiar with French composition and performance traditions. Once he obtained a month's leave from his job to hear Buxtehude, but stayed nearly four months. He arranged compositions from Vivaldi and other Italian masters. His own compositions spanned—and, for later generations, defined—almost every musical form then known (Opera was the notable exception).
In his own time, Bach was highly regarded as organist and teacher, his compositions being circulated as models of contrapuntal technique. Four of his children achieved careers as composers; Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Brahms, and Chopin are only a few of the best known of the musicians that confessed a major debt to Bach's work in their own musical development. Mendelssohn began re-introducing Bach's music into the concert repertoire, where it has come to attract admiration and even veneration for its own sake.
After 20 years of successful work in several posts, Bach became cantor of the Thomas-schule in Leipzig, and remained there for the remaining 27 years of his life, concentrating on church music for the Lutheran service: over 200 cantatas, four passion settings, a Mass, and hundreds of chorale settings, harmonizations, preludes, and arrangements. He edited the tunes for Schemelli's Musicalisches Gesangbuch, contributing 16 original tunes. His choral harmonizations remain a staple for studies of composition and harmony. Additional melodies from his works have been adapted as hymn tunes.
-John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)
| Tunes by Johann Sebastian Bach (100) | As | Instances |
|---|---|---|
| [A Boy was born in Bethlehem] | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| ACH BLEIB BEI UNS | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685 - 1750 (Arranger) | 5 |
| ACH GOTT UND HERR | J. S. Bach (Arranger) | 14 |
| SALZBURG (Hintze) | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 46 |
| ALLE MENSCHEN MÜSSEN STERBEN | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Arranger) | 2 |
| ALLEIN ZU DIR | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| ALLES IST AN GOTTES SEGEN | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| AUCTOR OMNIUM BONORUM | J. S. Bach (Adapter) | 2 |
| AUS TIEFER NOT (Luther) | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 3 |
| BEHOLD THE LAMB (Bach) | J.S. Bach (Adapted from a setting by) | 3 |
| CHRIST DER DU BIST DER HELLE TAG | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| CHRISTE, DER DU BIST TAG UND LICHT | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| CHRIST LAG IN TODESBANDEN | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 10 |
| CHRISTUS, DER IST MEIN LEBEN | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 3 |
| FREU DICH SEHR | J. S. Bach (Adapted, harmonized) | 8 |
| COMMEMORATION | Johann Sebastian Bach (Arranger) | 3 |
| DARMSTADT | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 20 |
| DAS NEUGEBORNE KINDELEIN | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 5 |
| DAS WALT' GOTT VATER | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 7 |
| SCHMÜCKE DICH | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| DER GEIST | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 3 |
| DIE ZEIT | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 2 |
| DU FRIEDENSFÜRST, HERR JESU CHRIST | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 5 |
| EIN FESTE BURG | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 12 |
| EISENACH | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Adapter, Harmonizer) | 13 |
| ERHALT UNS, HERR | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 9 |
| ERMUNTRE DICH | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 27 |
| LUTHER'S HYMN | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685 - 1750 (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| [Eternity, O thund'rous word] | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| FAITHFUL (Bach) | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 10 |
| GERMANY | J. S. Bach (Composer) | 1 |
| GOTT DER VATER WOHN UNS BEI | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Harm. based on) | 1 |
| GOTT DES HIMMELS | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| GOTTLOB, ES GEHT NUNMEHR ZU ENDE | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 10 |
| GREEN FIELDS | J. S. Bach (Composer) | 4 |
| HEART EVER FAITHFUL | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 2 |
| HEREFORD (Wesley) | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| HERR CHRIST, DER EINIG GOTTS SOHN | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Arranger) | 1 |
| HERR, ICH HABE MISGEHANDELT (Bach) | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Composer) | 2 |
| HERR JESU CHRIST | J. S. Bach (Arranger) | 15 |
| HERR JESU CHRIST, DU HÖCHSTES GUT | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| HERR JESU CHRIST, MEINS (1116) | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| PASSION CHORALE (Hassler) | Johann S. Bach (Adapter and Harmonizer) | 83 |
| HERZLIEBSTER JESU | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685 - 1750 (Harmonizer) | 7 |
| [Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hosts] (Bach) | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Ascribed to) | 2 |
| HOSANNA (J. S. Bach) | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)(1685-1750) (h. d'après) | 2 |
| ICH HALTE TREULICH STILL | J. S. Bach (Composer (attr.)) | 9 |
| ICH HALTE TREULICHE STILL | Johann S. Bach (Composer (attributed to)) | 2 |
| ICH STEH AN DEINER KRIPPEN | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 3 |
| IN DIR IST FREUDE | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Adapter) | 1 |
| INNSBRUCK | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 21 |
| JEJUNIA | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| WERDE MUNTER | J. S. Bach (Arranged, harmonized) | 14 |
| JESU, MEINE FREUDE | J. S. Bach (Adapted, harmonized) | 14 |
| JESUS, MEINE ZUVERSICHT | J. S. Bach (Arranger) | 4 |
| KOMM, SÜSSER TOD | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Composer) | 2 |
| LIEBSTER IMMANUEL | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 5 |
| LIEBSTER JESU | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 7 |
| LOBT GOTT IHR CHRISTEN | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 10 |
| MACH'S MIT MIR, GOTT | J. S. Bach (Adapted, harmonized) | 3 |
| MEINE HOFFNUNG | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Adapter and Harmonizer) | 2 |
| MEINHOLD | J. S. Bach (Composer) | 2 |
| MINDEN | Johann Sebastian Bach (Arranger) | 2 |
| NEUMARK | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 5 |
| NICHT SO TRAURIG (Bach) | Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer) | 9 |
| NUN DANKET | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| NUN KOMM | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685 - 1750 (Harmonizer) | 4 |
| NUN KOMM, DER HEIDEN HEILAND | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 8 |
| NUN RUHEN ALLE WALDER | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| NURNBERG | J. S. Bach (Composer) | 2 |
| O GOTT DU FROMMER GOTT | Johann Sebastian Bach (Harmonizer) | 3 |
| O JESULEIN SÜSS | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Arranger) | 10 |
| O HERZENSANGST | J. S. Bach (Composer) | 2 |
| O JESUS, DEIN KREUZ | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Composer) | 2 |
| O MENSCH, BEWEIN DEIN SÜNDE GROSS | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Arranger) | 2 |
| O WELT, ICH MUSS DICH LASSEN | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 8 |
| [Of Thee, Jehovah, is our singing] | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 2 |
| OLD 112th | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685 - 1750 (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| POTSDAM | J. S. Bach (Composer) | 10 |
| RINKART (KOMMT SEELEN) | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Melody and bass by) | 3 |
| IHR GESTIRN, IHR HOHLEN LÜFTE | Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| SEBASTIAN (Hodges) | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685 - 1750 (Composer (attributed to)) | 1 |
| SEBASTIAN (Freylinghausen) | J. S. Bach (Composer (bass)) | 1 |
| SEGNE UNS | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 4 |
| SO GIEBST DU | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 3 |
| SPIRES | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 4 |
| ST. THEODULPH (Teschner) | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 5 |
| STEADFAST | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 5 |
| VATER UNSER | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 21 |
| VERLEIH UNS FRIEDEN | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| VON HIMMEL HOCH | Johann S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 2 |
| WACHET AUF (Nicolai) | J. S. Bach (Adapted, haromonized) | 39 |
| WAS MEIN GOTT WILL | J.S. Bach (Arranger) | 4 |
| WIE LIEBLICH IST DER MAIEN | J. S. Bach (Arranger) | 1 |
| [We offer our gifts and ourselves] | Johann Sebastian Bach, 1685-1750 (Composer) | 2 |
| [We wait for the eternal light] | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 4 |
| WEISSE | J. S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Harmonizer) | 1 |
| WIE SCHÖN LEUCHTET | Johann S. Bach, 1685-1750 (Adapter and Harmonizer) | 22 |
| VOM HIMMEL HOCH | J. S. Bach (Harmonizer) | 10 |
| ZUM FRIEDEN | Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer) | 3 |