(1685-1750) German composer. A master of counterpoint, his music epitomizes the Baroque polyphonic style. His orchestral music includes the six Brandenburg Concertos 1721, other concertos for keyboard instrument and violin, four orchestral suites, sonatas for various instruments, six violin partitas, and six unaccompanied cello suites. Bach’s keyboard music, for clavier and organ, his fugues, and his choral music are of equal importance. He also wrote chamber music and songs.
Born at Eisenach, Bach came from a distinguished musical family. At 15 he became a chorister at Lüneburg, and at 19 he was organist at Arnstadt. His appointments included positions at the courts of Weimar and Anhalt-Köthen, and from 1723 until his death he was musical director at St Thomas' choir school in Leipzig.
He married twice and had over 20 children (although several died in infancy). His second wife, Anna Magdalena Wülkens, was a soprano; she also worked for him when his sight failed in later years.
Bach’s sacred music includes 200 church cantatas; the Christmas and Easter oratorios 1734 and 1736; the two great Passions, of St John and St Matthew, first performed 1723 and 1729, and the Mass in B minor 1749. His keyboard music includes a collection of 48 preludes and fugues known as Das wohltemperierte Clavier/The Well-Tempered Clavier 1742, the Goldberg Variations 1742, and the Italian Concerto 1735. Of his organ music the finest examples are the chorale preludes. Two works written in his later years illustrate the principles and potential of his polyphonic art—Das Musikalische Opfer/The Musical Offering 1747 and Die Kunst der Fuge/The Art of Fugue, published posthumously 1751.

To live as a bachelor — often used with it.

Množina: bachelors

ETYM Old Fren. bacheler young man, French bachelier (cf. Pr. bacalar, Spanish bachiller, Portu. bacharel, Italian baccalare), Late Lat. baccalarius the tenant of a kind of farm.
A man who has never been married; SYN. unmarried man.
1. A young knight who follows the banner of another.
2. A person who has received what is usually the lowest degree conferred by a 4-year college, university, or professional school ; also; the degree itself.
3. An unmarried man; A male animal (as a fur seal) without a mate during breeding time.

Množina: bachelor apartments

Množina: bachelor flats

Množina: bachelor girls

An unmarried girl who lives alone.

Množina: Bachelor of Arts

A bachelor's degree in arts and sciences; Also called: BA, Artium Baccalaurens, AB.

Množina: bachelor parties

Stag party held for a bachelor (usually on the night before he is married).

Množina: bachelordoms

Množina: bachelorhoods

1. The state of being an unmarried man.
2. The time of a man's life prior to marriage.