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Classical Fact

During the time that he was in Cothen as Music Master to Prince Leopold, Johann Sebastian Bach's first wife died suddenly, leaving him with four children. A short time later, Bach married his second wife, Anna Magdalena Wilcke. Bach's family continued to grow and he was looking for other means of income. Bach presented six new concerti to Christian Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg. They were a not-so-subtle effort to gain employment. The Margrave never offered Bach a job, nor did he ever thank him for his generous gift, but the world inherited the Brandenburg Concertos, considered among the finest Baroque music ever written.