Complete Encyclopaedia of Music/B/Bach, John Christian
Bach, John Christian, called Bach of Milan, and afterwards Bach of London, was a son of Sebastian by his second wife. He was very early in life deprived of the instructions of his father, and was for some time a scholar of his alder brother, Emmanuel, under whom he became a fine performer on keyed instruments. He subsequently went to Italy, where his chief study was the composition of vocal music ; here he added new lustre to his name and family, by his several dramatic compositions, and was appointed, by the empress queen, organist of the Duomo of Milan. In 1763 he was engaged by Mattel to compose for the opera in London, and he soon afterwards arrived in that country. His first opera in England, "Orione," was extremely applauded for the richness of its harmony, the ingenious texture of its parts, and, above all, for the new and happy use the composer had made of wind instruments; this being the first time clarinets had admission in the opera orchestra. Soon after this, J. C. Bach and Abel, uniting, opened a subscription for a weekly concert ; and as their own compositions were new and excellent, and the best performers of all kinds enlisted under their banners, this concert was better patronized and longer supported than perhaps any one that had ever been established in that country, having continued for at least twenty years in uninterrupted prosperity. While C. Bach was in Italy he made little use of his piano-forte, hut to compose for or accompany a voice ; but when he arrived in England, his style of playing was so much admired, that he recovered many of the losses his hand had sustained by disuse, and by being constantly cramped and crippled by a pen ; but he never was able to re-instate it in force and readiness sufficient for great difficulties ; and, in general, his compositions for the piano-forte are such as ladies can execute with little trouble, and the allegros rather resemble bravura songs than instrumental pieces for the display of great execution ; on which account they lose much of their effect when played without the accompaniments, which are admirable, and so masterly and interesting to the audience, that want of execution or complication in the harpsichord part is never discovered. There are many admirable airs in the operas he composed for the stage that long remained in favor. The richness of the accompaniments, perhaps, deserve more praise than the originality of the melodies ; which, however, are always natural, elegant, and in the best taste of the Italian school, at that time. The Neapolitan school, where he studied, is manifest in his "Cantilena," and the science of his father and brother, in his harmony. J. C. Bach had the merit of giving a more dramatic effect to his opera airs by not bringing back after the allegro the slow movement of the commencement, as all the Italian composers before him had done. Bach seems to have been the first composer who observed the law of contrast as a principle. Before his time there frequently was contrast in the works of others, but it seems to have been accidental. Bach, in his symphonies and other instrumental pieces, as well as his songs, seldom failed, after a rapid and noisy passage, to introduce one that was slow and soothing. His symphonies seemed infinitely more original than ther his songs or harpsichord pieces, of which e harmony, mixture of wind instruments and
general richness and variety of accompaniment, are certainly the most prominent features. J. C. Bach remained in London almost constantly till his death, which took place in the year 1782.