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==Biography==
==Biography==
Bach came from an extremely musical family, which had been supported by local governments and churches throughout Germany for many years. After graduating from the St. Michael's School in Lüneburg, he became a court musician in Weimar, where his fame as a keyboardist began to spread. Later in the year, Bach became the organist at St. Boniface's Church in Arnstadt with help from some family connections, where he often clashed with authorities over the quality of the choir and a long, unauthorized leave of absence where he visited the great composer Buxtehude, who became an important musical influence. After leaving the church and serving as the Kapellmeister and court organist in various cities, Bach ended up in [[Leipzig]] in 1723, where he spent the rest of his life.
Bach came from an extremely musical family, which had been supported by local governments and churches throughout Germany for many years. After graduating from the St. Michael's School in Lüneburg, he became a court musician in Weimar, where his fame as a keyboardist began to spread. In this time, he also began a career as organ inspector, which he kept up in some form for the remainder of his life. Later in the year, Bach became the organist at St. Boniface's Church in Arnstadt with help from some family connections, where he often clashed with authorities over the quality of the choir and a long, unauthorized leave of absence where he visited the great composer Buxtehude, who became an important musical influence. After leaving the church and serving as the Kapellmeister and court organist in various cities, Bach ended up in [[Leipzig]] in 1723, where he spent the rest of his life.
As Cantor of the Thomasschule in Leipzig, Bach took on a greater variety of responsibilities, including teaching Latin and supervising the dormitories, and was never entirely respected by the authorities. Indeed, when he was hired, the council remarked "because the best men for the job could not be procured, we have been forced to accept a mediocre one instead."<ref>''New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians'', "J.S. Bach."</ref> Bach also simultaneously took the job of Director of Music in all of Leipzig's churches. In this capacity, he produced a stunning output of cantatas: between 1723 and 1729, he had produced close to three whole yearly cycles, or 300 cantatas.<ref>ibid.</ref>
After 1729, Bach also wrote much of his [[chamber music]], orchestral music, and keyboard works. He published many of the latter in his lifetime at his own expense,<ref>ibid.</ref> though most of his compositional output remained unpublished after his death.
Although Bach was always famous as an organist and his works have constantly been viewed as pedagogically important, his reputation among the general public was fairly low until several of his works were revived by the composer [[Felix Mendelssohn]], most importantly an 1829 performance of the [[St. Matthew Passion]].
Although Bach was always famous as an organist and his works have constantly been viewed as pedagogically important, his reputation among the general public was fairly low until several of his works were revived by the composer [[Felix Mendelssohn]], most importantly an 1829 performance of the [[St. Matthew Passion]].