Biography
In 1750, as Johann Sebastian Bach's condition worsened markedly, the eldest surviving son born to J. S. and Anna Magdelena accepted an appointment in Buckeburg that he would retain for the rest of his days. Once the Seven Years War ended, Christoph Friedrich instituted two weekly concerts at which he programmed music by other composers, his own pieces having found little favor. During his time at court he formed a close association with Herder and began setting the writer's poetry to music. Although his technical command as a performer was outstanding, his gifts as a composer never attained their fullest development; nevertheless, the works of his final period plainly reflect the example of both Haydn and Mozart. Keyboard pieces accounted for most of Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach's production, while his oratorio and choral scores displayed a firm grasp of the architecture required for weighty undertakings.