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        As German family of musicians and composers, the Bachs achieved the height of their fame in the 17th and 18th centuries. Seven Bach generations achieved greater or lesser prominence in music from 1580 to about 1800. Of the group, Johann Sebastian Bach has been acclaimed as one of the giants of musical history.         Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, on March 21, 1685. Or-phaned when he was ten, he was cared for by his eldest brother. In 1700 …

…French and Italian orchestral styles, and baroque organ music, Bach produced the `Brandenburg' concertos (1721) for orchestra, `The Well-Tempered Clavier' (1722-44) for keyboard, the `St. John' (1723) and `St. Matthew' (1729) passions, nearly 200 cantatas, the `Mass in B Minor' (completed about 1738), and hundreds of others.         Married twice, Bach fathered 20 children. In 1723 he accepted the posts of cantor of the Thomaskirche school and director of church music for the city of Leipzig, Germany. He died in Leipzig on July 28, 1750.