The Greatest Lutheran Composer - Page 3
© James Sucha
In 1737, Bach resigned from the directorship and turned to keyboard music, working on the Well-Tempered Clavier and the third part of the Clavier-Ibung. He also devoted more time to private teaching. During his final years, Bach struggled with failing eyesight. In 1749 an English eye specialist performed an operation on him which was somewhat successful, but a second operation left him very weak.
He received his last Communion on July 22nd, and died six days later at home after a stroke. His second wife survived him by ten years, and then she died in poverty. Bach had left a modest estate, all of which was divided between his widow and the nine surviving children of both marriages.
Bach wrote hundreds of pieces of music, about half of them based on popular hymn tunes of the day, called chorales. Many of these chorales were used in his organ music, hymn harmonizations, passions, oratorios, and cantatas.
Today, Bach's hymn tune harmonizations are used throughout the world in many denominations and still inspire people. Unfortunately during the 1970's, many of the Lutheran bodies that produced new hymnbooks did not include Bach in them. One Lutheran hymnal of the 1970's passed two hymns off as Bach's harmony, but in reality they have been altered and are unrecognizable as his work. Organists and people in congregations have missed singing standards using such hymn tunes as WACHET AUF, PASSION CHORALE, SALTZBURG, and other Bach harmonies. To fill this need, we proudly present a healthy compilation of Bach's hymntune work for the new millenium in the Lutheran church. In Bach's own way - we dedicate these works to the glory of our God in heaven.
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