Ursprung der musicalisch-Bachiscen Familie

The Ursprung der musicalisch-Bachischen Familie ("Origin of the Musical Bach Family") was a genealogy drafted by Johann Sebastian Bach around 1735. It traced his family's musical lineage back to his great-great-grandfather, Veit Bach, a Lutheran who was persecuted for his faith and fled from Hungary to Germany in the late 16th century. Veit Bach is credited with beginning the family's musical tradition by playing a cittern while working at his mill.1

Johann Sebastian Bach, born in 1685, became the most famous member of this extensive musical family, though he was initially recognized more for his skills as a harpsichordist and organist than as a composer. He is now considered one of history's greatest composers, known for works like the Brandenburg Concertos and the Mass in B Minor. While Johann Sebastian's branch of the family was not the most distinguished before his time, his sons, including Wilhelm Friedemann, Carl Philipp Emanuel, and Johann Christian, also became important musicians.1