astian's childhood he was a prodigy who showed interest and promise." (The J.S. Bach Home Page) "Most of his achievements was probably due to his genius; but without this environment his works would not have been half as influential." (J.S. Bach Archive and Bibliography)
             Elsewhere in Germany, "Georg Friedrich Handel was born in Halle on the 23rd of the February, just 26 days before. Also in the same year Dominico Scarlatti was born, though they are not to meet until very much later. At this time a lot of the music was still in the early Baroque style, crisp and simple."(Bach Central Station) In Theuringia, the region Bach was living in, there were not much in the way of opera-buffs, for this brings in the fashionable Italian influence. They were rightly proud of being the true "German" baroque - instrumental music and sacred vocal music of a thicker texture, serious tone. The advent of the chorale (German Hymn) had certainly contributed to this trend of conservative musicians. "From the very beginning Johann Sebastian
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