Why Is Bach Considered A Genius?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

, , , ,

Bach was a master of virtually every musical form of his day. He

mastered the church organ and the scoring and presentation of German church chorales

. We see this in the able and often brilliant chorale-based cantatas he churned out weekly over several years during his tenure in Leipzig.

What’s so special about Bach?

Johann Sebastian Bach is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. He is celebrated as

the creator of many masterpieces of church and instrumental music

. His compositions represent the best of the Baroque era.

How much of a genius was Bach?

While we can’t measure exactly what Johann Sebastian Bach’s IQ was, the IQ score that is widely accepted amongst studies is

165

. Going by today’s IQ measurements, this would land him in the ‘very superior’ IQ classification. In other words, he was scientifically classified as a genius.

What Beethoven said about Bach?

Beethoven was an admirer of Bach. He often played the preludes and fugues of Bach’s

Well-Tempered Clavier

. Beethoven called Bach the “Urvater der Harmonie” (“Original father of harmony”) and, in a pun on the literal meaning of Bach’s name, “nicht Bach, sondern Meer” (“not a brook, but a sea”).

Was Bach a perfectionist?

Bach the obsessive

‘It’s hard to improve on the simplicity of Pergolesi’s original design, but Bach just couldn’t keep his fingers off it. He couldn’t resist tinkering, even down to the smallest detail. He seems to have had an obsessive streak;

he was obviously a perfectionist

, striving for some impossible goal. ‘

How did Bach get so good?

An extremely important reason that Bach is so good is

his intense study of music itself

. He referenced so many composers, both older and contemporary. … Listen to the use of melody and phrasing in his organ works to see how Bach developed his own take in due course.

Did Bach go deaf?


Johann Sebastian Bach was not deaf

, but another famous composer was: Ludwig van Beethoven.

What was Mozart’s IQ?

Some were very bright. Thus, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s IQ was estimated to be

somewhere between 150 and 155

– clearly at a genius level.

Who was the most intelligent composer?

Re: Most Intelligent Composers


Bach and Mozart

as being probably the smartest too. Schoenberg didn’t seem like a dummy either, nor Copland.

Is Bach the greatest musician of all time?

Johann Sebastian Bach has been voted as

the Greatest Composer of All Time

by 174 of the world’s leading composers for BBC Music Magazine.

Who’s better Beethoven or Mozart?

With 16 of the 300 most popular works having come from his pen, Mozart remains a strong contender but ranks second after Ludwig van Beethoven, overtaking Amadeus with 19 of his works in the Top 300 and three in the Top 10. …

What did Mozart say about Beethoven?

One biographer tells us Mozart heard the young Beethoven play, and afterwards said:

“Mark that young man, he will make a name for himself in the world.

” So they must have had a lot in common, to recognise each other’s talent. But Beethoven is simply on a different plane, when it comes to grandeur and the sublime.

Did Mozart know Bach?

In

1764 Bach met with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

, who was aged eight at the time and had been brought to London by his father. … Bach is widely regarded as having a strong influence on the young Mozart, with scholars such as Téodor de Wyzewa and Georges de Saint-Foix describing him as “The only, true teacher of Mozart”.

Was Bach the greatest composer?


JS Bach

is the greatest composer of all time, say today’s leading composers for BBC Music Magazine. Johann Sebastian Bach has been voted the greatest composer of all time by 174 living composers for BBC Music Magazine’s December 2019 issue.

Who is the greatest composer of all time?


Ludwig van Beethoven

(1770–1827)

The German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven is widely regarded as the greatest composer who ever lived.

Emily Lee
Author
Emily Lee
Emily Lee is a freelance writer and artist based in New York City. She’s an accomplished writer with a deep passion for the arts, and brings a unique perspective to the world of entertainment. Emily has written about art, entertainment, and pop culture.