Try this. Play for someone a random selection of classical music and ask him or her to identify a given piece. Now do the same with Joy to the World by Johann Sebastian Bach, The Messiah: Hallelujah Chorus by George Frederic Handel, and The Magic Flute by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Undoubtedly, the second group was more recognizable to the listener. And for good reason. These are three of the most accomplished composers in history, each contributing vastly to the music of the last four centuries. Each came from different circumstances and approached their career from a different angle.
             Johann Sebastian Bach was born and died in Germany. He grew up the son of a church organist, studied organ in the church, and spent the rest of his life employed by various churches as a German organmeister, in charge of playing, fixing and tuning the organ. He also supervised and instructed the choirboys' education. In the few moments he had between church meetings, organ tunings, and teaching he would write page after page of music to be performed at congregations or in lessons. Throughout his life, Bach seemed to be driven to explore all the possibilities of a given style or genre. The Brandenburg Concertos were put together as a kind of a musical résumé in a desperate attempt to get out of his routine position. Sadly, he didn't get the job and it was back to the church for poor old Bach. As you might expect, Bach died in relative obscurity and poverty, yet his death in 1750 heralded the end of an Era, and his life was a monument to creativity: In addition to his innumerable volumes of musical compositions, he also had twenty children-Bach truly was a master organ player.
             Unlike Bach, George Frideric Handel was not born into a musical family, and was forced to study music in secrecy to avoid upsetting his father. Of the three composers under dissection, music was the least accessible to Handel. His talent would not go unnotic...