Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel

1714 - Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was born 8th of March in Weimar Thuringia, Germany.

1724 - When he was ten years old he entered the St. Thomas School at Leipzig.

1723-1735 - Continued his education as a student of jurisprudence at the universities of Leipzig and of Frankfurt (Oder).

1738 - He took his degree, but at once abandoned all prospects of a legal career and determined to devote himself to music.

1740 - Summoned to become harpsichordist to the Prussian crown prince, moving to Berlin when his employer became King Frederick.

1740 - Obtained an appointment in the service of the Frederick II of Prussia ("Frederick the Great"),the crown prince, and upon Frederick's accession Carl Philipp became a member of the royal household.

1746 - Promoted to the post of chamber musician, and for twenty-two years shared with Carl Heinrich Graun, Johann Joachim Quantz, and Johann Gottlieb Naumann the continued favour of the king.

1749 - Wrote a fine setting of the Magnificat in which he shows more traces than usual of his father's influence.

1753-1762 - The most important of his compositions of this period were his keyboard sonatas; he also wrote his famous Essay on the True Art of Keyboard Playing, which established him as the leading keyboard teacher and theorist of his time.

1960-1968 - Composed the set Mit veränderten Reprisen and a few of those für Kenner und Liebhaber.

1768 - Bach succeeded Georg Philipp Telemann as Kapellmeister at Hamburg, and in consequence of his new office began to turn his attention more towards church music.

1769 - Produced his oratorio Die Israeliten in der Wüste.

1788 - Bach died in Hamburg on 14th of December.