Heinrich Bach (1615 – 1692) was a German organist,
composer and a member of the Bach family. He was born
at Wechmar, and is the father of the so-called Arnstadt
Line. After the early death of his father, his older
brother Johannes Bach continued his music education and
taught him organ playing. They moved to Suhl and
Schweinfurt. From 1635 to 1641, he was Ratsmusikant in
the Erfurt Ratsmusikanten-Compagnie led by Johannes.
From 1641, he became organist in Arnstadt's St. Mary's
Church and the U...(+)
Heinrich Bach (1615 – 1692) was a German organist,
composer and a member of the Bach family. He was born
at Wechmar, and is the father of the so-called Arnstadt
Line. After the early death of his father, his older
brother Johannes Bach continued his music education and
taught him organ playing. They moved to Suhl and
Schweinfurt. From 1635 to 1641, he was Ratsmusikant in
the Erfurt Ratsmusikanten-Compagnie led by Johannes.
From 1641, he became organist in Arnstadt's St. Mary's
Church and the Upper Church, a post he kept until his
death. In 1642, he married Eva Hoffmann, the younger
daughter of Suhl Stadtpfeiffer Hoffmann. Bach died in
Arnstadt.
Distinguished first of all as one of the few male Bachs
not to be named Johann, Heinrich Bach, third son of
Hans (Johannes Bach, "der Spielmann"), started out as a
town musician and organist at St. Johannis Church in
Schweinfurt in 1629 when he was 14 years old. He had
already studied music with his father and an elder
brother named Johann. Heinrich moved on to Erfurt in
1635 to live with a brother, but there's no evidence of
any professional activity there. Ultimately he moved to
Arnstadt in 1641. That was the year he became organist
at Arnstadt's Liebfrauenkirche, where he remained until
his death 51 years later. Like his most famous
relative, Heinrich wrote a number of organ pieces,
chamber works, and cantatas, although very few of them
survive. Upon his death, he was eulogized as "an
organist who touched the heart." Three of his sons,
Johann Christoph Bach, Johann Michael Bach and Johann
Günther Bach, were musicians.
"Christ lag in Todesbanden" (also "... in Todes
Banden"; "Christ lay in death's bonds") is an Easter
hymn by Martin Luther. Its melody is by Luther and
Johann Walter. Both the text and the melody were based
on earlier examples. It was published in 1524 in the
Erfurt Enchiridion and in Walter's choral hymnal Eyn
geystlich Gesangk Buchleyn. Various composers,
including Pachelbel, Bach and Telemann, have used the
hymn in their compositions.
Although originally composed for Organ, I created this
interpretation of "Christ lag in Todesbanden" (Christ
lay in death's bonds) for String Quartet (2 Violins,
Viola & Cello).
PARTITION