Suite for Orchestra No. 3 in D major, BWV 1068: II. Air, commonly referred to as “Air”, is the second movement of Bach’s Third Orchestral Suite and is one of the most famous pieces of baroque music. The suite is from the third of Ouvertures BWV 1066–1069 - a set of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, probably composed between 1725 and 1739 in Leipzig. The word ouverture refers to an opening movement in which a section of slow dotted-note rhythm is followed by a fugue; at the time, this name was also used to refer to a whole suite of dance-pieces in the French baroque style. An arrangement of the piece by German violinist August Wilhelmj (1845–1908) has come to be known as Air on the G String.

Air (French for “aria”; also ayr, ayre), a variant of the musical song form, is the name of various song-like vocal or instrumental compositions.

Who was Bach? A Fast and Friendly Guide

Bach's Biography

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was music's most sublime creative genius. Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist of the Baroque Era.

Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21st 1685 in Eisenach, Germany.
The young Bach was offered a choral scholarship to the prestigious St Michael's School in 1699.
1703 saw Bach become the organist at St Boniface's Church in Arnstadt - a role that saw him on a regular salary and expanding his skills at the keyboard.
Bach composed the cantata Gott ist mein König in 1708 - he was paid handsomely, and it helped him cement his early career.
The Brandenburg Concertos were composed in 1721 as a sort-of musical job application for the Margrave Ludwig of Brandenburg - it was unsuccessful.
In his later years Bach faced harsh criticism. During the 1720s and 1730s when he was composing his most important works - the Passions and the Goldberg Variations among them - a new Italian style invaded Germany, making his work appear outdated.
The Well Tempered Clavier, a quintessential student text, was finished in 1744 and comprised two volumes of piano music in every musical key.
With the notable exception of opera, Bach composed towering masterpieces in every major Baroque genre: sonatas, concertos, suites and cantatas, as well as innumerable keyboard, organ and choral works.
Bach died on July 28th 1750 in Leipzig. It is still disputed whether it was a botched eye operation or a stroke caused by pneumonia were to blame for his death.
Bach's popularity was decaying until 1829, when Mendelssohn performed the St Matthew Passion and rescued Bach from oblivion.

Did you know?

Bach once walked two hundred and thirteen miles to hear a performance by an organist whom he admired. Once he had heard the concert, he turned round and walked the same distance home again. 

Johann Sebastian Bach Music

WatchBach - Prelude No. 1 in C Major

One of the most famous movements from J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, this prelude has become a standard piece not only for students but for concert pianists as well. But what's the story behind it?