After leaving his post in Halle, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach's life was marked by deteriorating living conditions, and he spent his later years in great poverty in Berlin.
Compositional Technique
The cantatas on this album demand technical difficulties from singers and instrumentalists that are far above average, indicating Friedemann Bach's skill in building an efficient ensemble.
Composer Biography
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, the eldest son of Johann Sebastian Bach, was born in Weimar in 1710 and received tuition in violin from Herr Graun, concertmaster of the royal Prussian court.
Composer Biography
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach was reprimanded by the church council in 1761 for his 'often unseemly behavior and his neglect of due subordination,' leading him to quit his post in 1764.
Composer Biography
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach studied composition, organ, and clavier playing under his father, Johann Sebastian Bach, and pursued humanities at the Thomasschule in Leipzig.
Composer Biography
Wilhelm Friedemann Bach's duties as music director and organist in Halle (1746-1764) were similar to his father's position in Leipzig, and he often used his father as a model.
Composition History
As part of his appointment in Halle, Friedemann Bach was obligated to perform a cantata every three weeks and on all festival Sundays, though not always his own compositions.
