Who was listening to Bach's compositions in his lifetime?

1. Who was Bach's primary audience?
2. What composers did Bach admire?
3. Was Bach appreciated in his time?
4. Why is Johann Sebastian Bach important?

Who was Bach's primary audience?

Bach's works, like much great art, operate on many levels. He had to appeal to a very diverse audience, as do we today in our technical presentations. Bach's audience included the clergy, merchants, city folk, and professors at the prominent Leipzig University.

What composers did Bach admire?

During his lifetime, Bach was better known as an organist than a composer. Few of his works were even published during his lifetime. Still Bach's musical compositions were admired by those who followed in his footsteps, including Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven.

Was Bach appreciated in his time?

Bach's abilities as an organist were respected throughout Europe during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognized as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.

Why is Johann Sebastian Bach important?

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.