#hilary hahn
- Johann Sebastian Bach was a baroque composer born on the 31st of March 1685. His music is particularly known for its structural supremacy. He mastered the art of polyphony at a young age.
- His pieces for solo violin are known for having challenging double stops, string crossing, etc. which are difficult to play without contact issues and with beautifully.
Hilary Hahn, the violin virtuoso said in 1999: “Bach is, for me, the touchstone that keeps my playing honest. Keeping the intonation pure in double stops, bringing out the various voices where the phrasing requires it, crossing the strings so that there are not inadvertent accents, presenting the structure in such a way that it’s clear to the listener without being pedantic - one can’t fake things in Bach, and if one gets all of them to work, the music sings in the most wonderful way.”
- Bach is one of the greatest composers for baroque instruments like the organ, harpsichord, etc. too. Some of his most famous works include ‘toccata and fugue’ and his Brandenburg concertos.
- Bach taught a boys’ choir in the last few years of his life. This choir survives to this day.* His son, Johann Christian Bach was an eminent classical period composer, but did not attain the fame of his father. He also was not able to master the art of polyphonic composing.
- Bach became blind around the age of 30. His last work was the Mass in B minor, which contains all his skills and knowledge, much like Mozart’s Requiem in D minor.
- Bach remains the greatest composer in the eyes of many even today, and even Mozart said Bach was his best teacher, even though they never met.
