Many people consider Bach (BAHkh) the greatest musician who ever lived, and his family the greatest musical family the world has ever known. Johann (YO-hahn) Bach wrote more music than most composers ever think of writing. He also had more children (twenty) than most composers ever think of having! All of his children loved music and many became accomplished musicians. 4 became famous composers. In Germany, where Bach was born, the name Bach became synonymous with "musician."

Before Bach was ten years old, his parents died and he went to live with an older brother. The brother taught Johann to play the clavichord, an instrument much like the piano. Once, his brother refused to let him use a big book of difficult music. Johann secretly took the book and copied it in his attic room by moonlight. Although Bach played many instruments, he was known primarily as a superb organist, one of the greatest who has ever lived. Bach was not appreciated as a great composer until a century after his death.

Some of Bach's greatest music was written for the organ. The Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is an organ composition. Toccata comes from the Italian word toccare, which means to touch. The keys are touched very quickly! You can think of a fugue as similar to a round in singing. An organist playing a fugue often has the theme going with both hands and feet simultaneously.

A composition written in a minor key will usually sound sad or spooky. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor is often played in department stores at Halloween. Next Halloween you can surprise your friends by telling them that they are listening to Bach. You can also hear it on Fantasia and Phantom of the Opera.

During his lifetime, Bach was better known as an organist than as a composer. He was one of the most skilled organists who ever lived. People would come from many miles to hear him play. Bach also improvised a lot of music that was never written down, much as jazz musicians do today. Unfortunately, we'll never be able to hear this music. Bach became ill in 1749 and became nearly blind. He died in 1750 after two unsuccessful operations on his eyes for cataracts.