Britannica
Sources used in this answer
How did Johann Sebastian Bach create the Musical Offering after visiting Frederick the Great?
Created from Britannica articles
using AI.
AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach.
In May 1747, Johann Sebastian Bach visited his son Emanuel in Potsdam and performed for Frederick II (the Great) of Prussia. During this visit, the king proposed a musical theme for Bach to improvise upon. By July of that same year, Bach had developed these improvisations into the collection of works known as the Musical Offering.1