Anna Magdalena Bach (1701 - 1760)

Anna Magdalena Wilcke was born on September 22, 1701 in Zeitz in the south of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. She and her sister Christina were schooled as singers. Anna, a soprano, became a quite popular performer already in her teens. Beginning in 1721 she was engaged as a court singer by Prince Leoopld in Köthen.

It was in Köthen that she met her future husband, Johann Sebastian Bach, who had been working for the prince since 1717 as a conductor. Bachs wife, Maria Barbara had died on July 7, 1720. Anna Magdalena and Johann Sebastian married in 1721 whereupon she took the name Bach. She became a loving mother to the 4 surviving Bach children, Catharina Dorothea, Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Gottfried . She continued as a professional singer until 1723 when Johann Sebastian Bach was offered and accepted his position in Leipzig. Anna would give birth to 13 children during the period 1723 and 1742 of whom 6 would survive beyond infancy, Gottfried Heinrich, Elisabeht Juliana, Johann Christoph, Johann Christian, Johanna Carolina and Regina Susanna.

Johann Sebastian Bach grew to musical “immortality” through his achievements in Leipzig, but Anna Magdalena, although she continued to sing privately, was largely lost in her husbands gigantic shadow. Her name has, however, continued to have semi-independent recognition due to a musical notebook dedicated to her by her husband, Notenbüchlein für Anna Magdalena Bach. Anna transcribed her husband’s compositions on a regular basis and may have made some contributions to his music.
Anna died in Leipzig on February 27, 1760 after her husband’s death ten years earlier. She was virtually penniless at the time of her death.

Die deutsche Musikerin Anna Magdalena Bach lebte von 1701 bis 1760. Ihr Name wird hauptsächlich mit zwei Musikvolumen, bekannt als “Anna Magdalena Notizbuch” in Verbindung gebracht. Sie enthalten überwiegend einfache Klavierstücke sowie einige Lieder. Anna Magdalena war Sängerin und trat unter anderem während Gottesdiensten auf. 1721 heiratete sie Johann Sebastian Bach und brachte 13 Kinder zur Welt, von denen 6 überlebten.