What the Bach?

Relation: Great-uncle of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Claim to Fame: Early Baroque composer and organist.

Think of Heinrich as the elder statesman of the family. Born in the small German town of Wechmar, he was one of the earliest professional musicians in the Bach family and set the tone (pun intended) for generations to follow. He served as organist in Arnstadt, a town that would later become J.S. Bach’s early stomping ground.

Fun Fact: Heinrich’s music is relatively unknown today, but his cantatas and choral works show early Baroque craftsmanship and were probably a major influence on the young Bachs growing up around his legacy.

Relation: Grandson of Heinrich’s brother; great-nephew of Heinrich.
Claim to Fame: Composer of the Mass in B Minor, Brandenburg Concertos, and about a thousand other masterpieces (basically the face of the Baroque era).

J.S. Bach is the star of the family tree. He didn’t invent the Bach musical legacy but he definitely perfected it. Born in Eisenach, orphaned by age 10, and raised by his older brother, J.S. went on to define the high Baroque style with dizzying complexity, spiritual depth, and unmatched musical architecture.

Fun Fact: Johann Sebastian fathered 20 children and several of them became composers.

Relation: Fifth surviving son of J.S. Bach.
Claim to Fame: The “Berlin” or “Hamburg” Bach, trailblazer of the Classical style.

C.P.E. Bach came after J.S. and reinvented everything. He was hugely influential in his time. Mozart even said, “[C.P.E] Bach is the father. We are the children.” C.P.E. worked for Frederick the Great in Berlin and later took over his godfather Georg Philipp Telemann’s job in Hamburg. His music bridges the high Baroque and early Classical styles, full of sudden shifts, expressive nuance, and innovation.

Fun Fact: He wrote an entire book on keyboard playing – Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments – that became the gold standard for 18th-century musicians.

Relation: Second cousin to J.S. Bach.
Claim to Fame: Composer and court musician in Meiningen.

Johann Ludwig was a prolific composer, serving as Kapellmeister (music director) at the court in Meiningen. His sacred cantatas were admired for their structure and emotional depth. J.S. Bach performed Johann Ludwig’s cantatas in Leipzig and even copied them out himself (which has led to some confusion over who actually wrote what).

Fun Fact: For a while, scholars thought some of Johann Ludwig’s works were lost J.S. Bach pieces.