In 1720, Bach's wife suddenly died, leaving him with four children (three others had died in infancy). Owing to politics between the Duke and his officials, Bach left Weimar and secured a post in December 1717 as Kapellmeister at Cöthen. He wrote many organ compositions during this period, including his Orgel-Büchlein. He next took a post for the Duke of Sachsen-Weimar in 1708, serving as court organist and playing in the orchestra, eventually becoming its leader in 1714. Bach composed his famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor (BWV 565) and his first cantatas while in Mühlhausen, but quickly outgrew the musical resources of the town. Blasius in Mühlhausen as organist, beginning in June 1707, and married his cousin, Maria Barbara Bach, that fall. He returned to Arnstadt long after he was expected and much to the dismay of the council. One account describes a four-month leave granted Bach, to travel to Lubeck where he would familiarize himself with the music of Dietrich Buxtehude. His relationship with the church council was tenuous as the young musician often shirked his responsibilities, preferring to practice the organ. After taking a short-lived post in Weimar in 1703 as a violinist, Bach became organist at the Neue Kirche in Arnstadt (1703-1707). His voice changed a short while later, but he stayed on as an instrumentalist. Because of his excellent singing voice, Bach attained a position at the Michaelis monastery at Lüneberg in 1700. He was taken in by his recently married oldest brother, Johann Christoph, who lived in Ohrdruf. Young Johann was not yet ten when his father died, leaving him orphaned. He was taught to play the violin and harpsichord by his father, Johann Ambrosius, a court trumpeter in the service of the Duke of Eisenach. Many consider him the greatest composer of all time.īach was born in Eisenach in 1685. Bach's use of counterpoint was brilliant and innovative, and the immense complexities of his compositional style - which often included religious and numerological symbols that seem to fit perfectly together in a profound puzzle of special codes - still amaze musicians today. His sacred music, organ and choral works, and other instrumental music had an enthusiasm and seeming freedom that concealed immense rigor. Alternatively, from Proto-Slavic bachati ("to chatter") or bach ( “ impact sound ” ).Johann Sebastian Bach was better known as a virtuoso organist than as a composer in his day.