Person

Bach, Johann Christian, 1735-1782

1735-1782

A German composer of the Classical era, the eighteenth child of Johann Sebastien Bach. An age gap of fifty years between them is exemplified by their very different styles even though his father taught him. He enjoyed a promising career, first as a composer then as a performer playing with a well-known viola de gamba player. He composed cantatas, chamber music, keyboard and orchestral works, operas and symphonies.

Starting in 1750 Bach lived in Italy for many years. He became organist at the Milan cathedral in 1760. During his time in Italy, he converted to Catholicism and composed much Church music. In 1762, Bach travelled to London to première three operas at the King’s Theatre and became known as “the London Bach” or “the English Bach”. Through friendship he became music master to Queen Charlotte and he performed symphonies and concertos at the Hanover Square Rooms, London’s premier concert venue.
In 1764 Bach met with Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and is widely regarded as having a strong influence on him. Bach then taught the eight- year old Mozart in composition for several months. Mozart arranged three sonatas from Bach's Op. 5 into keyboard concertos.

By the late 1770s, both his popularity and finances were in decline and at the time of his death in 1782, Queen Charlotte stepped in to cover the expenses of the estate and a life pension for Bach's widow.