Johann Sebastian Bach (pronounced ) (21 March 1685 O.S. – 28 July 1750 N.S.) was a prolific German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra and solo instruments drew together the strands of the baroque genre and brought it to its ultimate maturity. Although he introduced no new forms, he enriched the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, a control of harmonic and motivic organisation from the smallest to the largest scales, and the adaptation of rhythms and textures from abroad, particularly Italy and France. Many people consider him to be the greatest Baroque composer, and one of the greatest composers of all time. He was one of the leading figures, along with the likes of George Frideric Handel, in the transition from baroque to Classical music.

Revered for their intellectual depth, technical command and artistic beauty, J.S. Bach's works include the Brandenburg concertos, the keyboard suites and partitas, the Mass in B Minor, the St. Matthew Passion, The Musical Offering, The Art of Fugue and a large number of cantatas, of which about 220 survive. An example of some of these stylistic traits appears below, in the chorus Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe from the Christmas Oratorio, written in 1734 during his mature period.

More on [ Johann Sebastian Bach ]

NYT > Music

At Both Conventions, a Band Salutes Anarchy
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:42:58 -0000
Rage Against the Machine, a rap-metal band formed in 1991 and known for its big noise and ferocious politics, formed an ad-hoc convention in opposition to both major parties.
Music: Like Opera Inspiring It, ‘Rent’ Is Set to Endure
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:42:44 -0000
With the closing of the Broadway production, the phenomenon that is “Rent” will start to fade, but the work of its composer, Jonathan Larson, will endure.
Music Review | Tricky: Darkness, Onstage and in Song
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:52:15 -0000
Tricky, the English trip-hop pioneer, plunged listeners into his bleary, ominous songs at the Fillmore New York on Thursday night.

NPR Topics: Music

Two Soul Men, Reunited For The First Time
Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:00:00 -0400
Steve Cropper shaped the Memphis soul sound as a guitarist and songwriter for Stax Records. Felix Cavaliere fronted the hit-making group The Rascals. They ran in the same music circles for decades, but only now have they made their first album together.
The Ting Tings: Sassy Electro-Pop
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 10:15:00 -0400
The Ting Tings' debut album, We Started Nothing, has propelled the British duo to worldwide fame on the strength of some of the catchiest pop songs in recent memory. The British duo layers together synths, powerful drum beats and catchy melodies in a session from WXPN.
The Gits' Mia Zapata Resurrected In Film
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:54:00 -0400
Kerri O'Kane's new film The Gits succeeds as a documentary—she makes the viewer fall in love with her subject—and then some. Working with sparse footage from the 1980s and '90s, O'Kane still manages to make us fall head over heels for the rag-tag bunch of punk rock misfits better known as the Gits.

Ultimate-Guitar.Com [News]

Muse Not Ready To Record New LP
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:39:54 -0000
Muse don't look likely to release any new material soon, according to bassist Chris Wolstenholme.
Alice In Chains To Enter Studio In October
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:35:14 -0000
Alice In Chains will enter the studio in October to begin recording its first all-new studio effort since 1995's self-titled third album.
Warrior Soul's 'Chinese Democracy' Due In October
Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:28:40 -0000
Warrior Soul, the band fronted by legendary singer Kory Clarke, announced that it has selected "Chinese Democracy" as the title of its new album.

Y! Music Unlimited Top Songs

#1: Big Girls Don't Cry (Personal) - Fergie
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:43:17 -0000
(C) 2006 Will I Am / A&M.
#2: Umbrella - Rihanna
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:43:17 -0000
(C) 2007 Island Def Jam.
#3: Electric Worm - Beastie Boys
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:43:17 -0000
(C) 2007 Capitol.
#4: Home - Daughtry
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:43:17 -0000
(C) 2006 RCA.
#5: Icky Thump - The White Stripes
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:43:17 -0000
(C) 2007 Third Man/Warner Bros..
#6: Hey There Delilah - Plain White T's
Tue, 17 Jul 2007 21:43:17 -0000
(C) 2005 Fearless Records.

Subscribe to Music RSS feed