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1-29 of 29
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Lisa-Marie Koroll was born on 26 December 1997 in Eisenach, Germany. She is an actress, known for Paradise (2023), Wir sind jetzt (2019) and Aus Haut und Knochen (2019).- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Johann Sebastian Bach was born on March 21, 1685, in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany, into a large and distinguished family of professional musicians. His father, named Johann Ambrosius Bach, was a violinist and trumpeter, employed by the city of Eisenach. His uncles were church organists, court musicians and composers. His mother and father died before Bach was 10. As an orphan, he moved in with his eldest brother, J. C. Bach, an organist and composer, under whose tutelage Bach studied organ music as well as the construction and maintenance of the organ.
Education: At the age of 14, Bach received a scholarship and walked on foot 300 kilometers to the famous St. Michael's school in Luneburg, near Hamburg. There he lived and studied for 2 years from 1699-1701. It was there that he sang a Capella at the boys chorale. Bach's studies included organ, harpsichord, and singing. In addition he took the academic studies in theology, history and geography, and lessons of Latin, Italian, and French. Besides his studies of music by the local Nothern German composers, Bach had important exposure to the music of composers from other European nations; such as the French composers Jean-Baptiste Lully, Marais, and Marchand, the South German composers Johann Pachelbel and Froberger, and the Italians Arcangelo Corelli and Antonio Vivaldi.
Personality and character: Bach was 17 when he made a 4-month pilgrimage, walking on foot about 400 kilometers from Arnstadt to the Northern city of Lubeck. There he studied with 'Dietrich Buxtehude' and became so involved that he overstayed his leave by three months. Buxtehude being probably the best organist of his time became the living link between the founder of Baroque music Heinrich Schütz and the biggest Baroque genius, Bach. Back in Arnstadt, Bach wrote 'Toccata and Fugue in D Minor' (1702), his first masterpiece; which stemmed from his bold organ improvisations. At that time he was in love with his second cousin Maria Barbara; whom he was taking upstairs to the church organ, where her presence was inspirational for his creativity. Bach was punished for the violation of the restrictions on women's presence in the church and he was fired. However, he eventually married Maria Barbara.
Cross-cultural studies: Bach studied the orchestral music of Antonio Vivaldi and gained insight into his compositional language by arranging Vivaldi's concertos for organ. Six French suites were written for keyboard; each suite opens with 'Allemande' and consists of several pieces, including 'Courante', 'Sarabande', 'Menuet', 'Gavotte', 'Air', 'Anglaise', 'Polonaise', 'Bourree', and 'Gigue'. As suggested by their titles, the pieces were representing songs and dances from various cultures. From the music of the Italians Antonio Vivaldi, Arcangelo Corelli, and 'Giuseppe Torelli'; Bach adopted dramatic introductions and endings as well as vivacious rhythmical dynamism and elaborate harmonization. Bach also performed the music of English, French, and Italian composers; motets of the Venetian school, and incorporated their rhythmical patterns and textural structures in the development of his own style.
Teaching: Bach selected and instructed musicians for orchestras and choirs in Weimar and Leipzig. His work as a Cantor included teaching instrumental and vocal lessons to the church musicians and later to the musicians of the court orchestra. Bach was also a teacher of his own children and of his second wife. In 1730, Bach presented his second wife with a musical notebook for studies, known as the 'Notebook of Anna Magdalena Bach'. Compositions in the notebook were written in a form of minuete, polonaise, gavotte, march, rondeau, chorale, sonata, prelude, song, and aria; written mainly by Bach, as well as by his sons 'Carl Philip Emanuel Bach', Johann Christoph Bach, and composers 'Francois Couperin', Georg Bohm, and others.
Family: Bach married his second cousin, named Maria Barbara, who was the inspirational force for his early compositions. They had seven children, 4 of whom survived to adulthood. W. F. Bach, J. C. Bach, and C. P. E. Bach became composers. Maria Barbara died in 1720. On December 3, 1721, Bach married Anna Magdalena (bee Wilcke), a talented soprano, who was 17 years his junior. They had thirteen children. Bach fathered a total of 20 children with his two wives. His sons 'Friedemann Bach', Johann Christoph Bach, and 'Carl Philip Emanuel Bach' became important composers in the Rococo style. The descendants of Bach are living in many countries across the world.
Social activity: Bach replaced his friend Georg Philipp Telemann as the director of the popular orchestra known as Collegium Musicum, which he led from 1729-1750. It was a private secular music society that gave concert performances twice a week at the Zimmerman's Coffeehouse near the Leipzig market square. Bach's exposure to such a secular public environment inspired him to compose numerous purely entertainment pieces for solo keyboard and several violin and harpsichord concertos.
Politics: Being the undisputed musical genius, Bach still suffered from ugly political machinations. Although the Leipzig Council had enough money, they never honored the promised salary of 1000 talers a year; promised to Bach by the Mayor of Leipzig, Gottlieb Lange, at the hiring interview. Bach worked diligently, in spite of being underpaid for 27 years until his death. On top of that local political factions in the Leipzig Council manipulated Bach's educational work as well as his compositions and public performances. They were pressuring him as the Cantor and Composer and interfering his creative efforts by imposing restrictions on his performances because of their ugly political games. Bach prevailed as he composed and played his "Mass in B Minor" to the monarch of Saxony and was appointed the Royal Court Composer of Saxony.
King Frederick the Great invited Bach to Potsdam in 1747. There the king played his own theme for Bach and challenged the composer to improvise on it. Bach used the 'royal theme' and improvised a three-part fugue on the king's piano. Later Bach upgraded the king's theme to a more sophisticated melody, and composed an array of pieces based on the improved 'royal theme', which he titled "Musical Offering" and later presented this composition to the king.
Legacy: Bach wrote over eleven hundred music compositions in all genres. In Leipzig alone he wrote a cantata for every Sunday and feast day of the year, of which 224 cantatas survive. Some of his compositions were written on the same theme at different times in his life, like choral cantatas and organ works on similar themes with significantly reworked arrangements. The complete list of Bach's works, BWV, has 1127 compositions for voice, organ, harpsichord, violin, cello, flute, chamber music for small ensembles, orchestral music, concertos for violin and orchestra, and for keyboard and orchestra. His music became the essential part of the education for every musician. Bach influenced such great composers as Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, Felix Mendelssohn, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Sergei Prokofiev and many other prominent musicians.
Bach is by far the most performed and recorded composer in history. His 'Das Wohltemperierte Clavier' (The well-tempered keyboard, or The well-tuned piano, in modern terminology) is the definitive work for all students as well as concert musicians. Bach's 'Orgebuchlein' (The little organ book) is a staple in the repertoire of organists and pianists, and some pieces from it were arranged for ensembles. Bach's many chorales, especially the "Mass in B Minor" are considered the best works in the genre. His last work 'The Art of Fugue' is best known for it's acclaimed performance by Glenn Gould. Bach's music was used in hundreds of films, thousands of stage productions, and continues being played all over the world.
The definitive biography of J. S. Bach was written by the Nobel Prize Laureate Albert Schweitzer.- Actor
- Soundtrack
Frithjof Vierock was born on 28 August 1943 in Eisenach, Germany. He was an actor, known for Münchner Geschichten (1974), Bratkartoffeln inbegriffen (1967) and Der Strafverteidiger (1961). He died on 4 July 2020.- Make-Up Department
- Special Effects
- Art Department
Sebastian Lochmann was born in Eisenach, Germany. He was raised in Thuringia and went to school there and in Bavaria, where he graduated. Educated as a Dental Technician and specialized in Gingival Aesthetics. Sebastian started his first freelance work as an illustrator for the Scientific Faculty in Erlangen and sculptor for Alien creator H.R.Giger in Switzerland. Sebastian moved in 2002 to Berlin to begin his work as a concept illustrator and sculptor, specializing in character and creature design.- Marlene Marlow was born on 14 December 1970 in Eisenach, German Democratic Republic [now Thuringia, Germany]. She is an actress, known for Rote Rosen (2006), The Air Rescue Team (1997) and Alarm Code 112 (1996).
- Production Designer
- Art Department
- Art Director
Harry Lange was born on 7 December 1930 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. He was a production designer and art director, known for 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Moonraker (1979). He was married to Daisy. He died on 22 May 2008 in Headington, Oxford, England, UK.- Producer
- Script and Continuity Department
Helga Mauersberger was born on 23 April 1931 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. She was a producer, known for Achtung Zoll! (1980), Motiv Liebe (1972) and Hamburg Transit (1970). She died on 23 May 2021 in Hamburg, Germany.- Johannes Achtelik was born in 1949 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. He is an actor, known for The Distance Between You and Me and Her (1988), Austern ohne Schale (2009) and Für die Liebe noch zu mager? (1974).
- Claus Clausen was born on 15 August 1899 in Eisenach, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach [now Thuringia], Germany. He was an actor, known for Burning Hearts (1945), Der Feuerteufel (1940) and Our Flags Lead Us Forward (1933). He died on 25 November 1989 in Essen, Germany.
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Kurt Held was born on 4 November 1897 in Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach [now Thuringia], Germany. He was a writer, known for Die schwarzen Brüder (2013), Die rote Zora (2008) and Die rote Zora und ihre Bande (1979). He died on 9 December 1959 in Sorengo, Switzerland.- Andreas Conrad was born in 1960 in Eisenach, German Democratic Republic. He is an actor, known for Speer und er (2005), The Council of Birds (2014) and Tatort (1970).
- Rahel Zansara was born on 9 February 1894 in Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach [now Thuringia], Germany. She was an actress, known for Der Fall Routt...! (1917). She was married to Walter Davidsohn. She died on 8 February 1936 in Berlin, Germany.
- Kati Pfau was born in 1968 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. She is an actress, known for Märkische Forschungen (1982), Der Staatsanwalt hat das Wort (1965) and Police Call 110 (1971).
- Gordon Hopkirk was born on 20 April 1884 in Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach [now Thuringia], Germany. He was an actor, known for Tense Moments from Great Plays (1922), Tense Moments from Opera (1922) and The Blue Carbuncle (1923). He died in 1956 in Thailand.
- Director
- Writer
Michael Schindhelm was born on 1 October 1960 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. He is a director and writer, known for Outland (2021), In Lichtgeschwindigkeit zum Impfstoff (2021) and The Chinese Lives of Uli Sigg (2016). He has been married to Meryl Yeo Yawen since 17 October 2019.- Heiko Senst was born in 1968 in Eisenach, East Germany [now Thuringia, Germany]. He is an actor, known for Die Gang (1997), Das Versprechen (1994) and Tatort (1970).
- Petra Ehlert was born on 28 October 1966 in Eisenach, German Democratic Republic. She was an actress, known for Tatort (1970), The Legend of Rita (2000) and Superstau (1991). She died on 2 March 2021 in Dresden, Saxony, Germany.
- Sabine Bergmann-Pohl was born on 20 April 1946 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. She has been married to Jürgen Bergmann since 1990. She was previously married to Ulrich Pohl.
- Rainer Hohberg was born on 18 May 1952 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany.
- Art Department
Isolde Schmitt-Menzel was born on 11 April 1930 in Eisenach, Germany. She is known for Kinderstunde (1951) and Frag doch mal die Maus (2006). She died on 4 September 2022 in Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany.- Konstanze Grobe was born on 13 December 1878 in Weimar, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach [now Thuringia], Germany. She is known for Die Radio Heirat (1924) and Tischlein deck dich, Eselein streck dich, Knüppel aus dem Sack (1921).
- Botho Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Hohenstein was born on 16 February 1927 in Eisenach, Germany. He died on 27 January 2008 in Bad Reichenhall, Germany.
- Ludwig Bechstein was born on 24 November 1801 in Weimar, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Holy Roman Empire [now Thuringia, Germany]. He was a writer, known for The Little Broomstick Rider, Vom Knaben, der das Hexen lernen wollte (1988) and Der Hasenhüter (1977). He was married to Johanne Therese Schulz and Karoline Wiskemann. He died on 14 May 1860 in Meiningen, Saxe-Meiningen [now Thuringia, Germany].
- August von Kotzebue was born on 3 May 1761 in Weimar, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Holy Roman Empire [now Thuringia, Germany]. August was a writer, known for Die Stricknadeln (1916), Der Wirrwarr (1919) and Papas Knoten (1918). August died on 23 March 1819 in Mannheim, Baden [now Baden-Württemberg, Germany].
- Actress
Ruth Hohmann was born on 19 August 1931 in Eisenach, Thuringia, Germany. She is an actress, known for NVA (2005) and Lebensläufe (1995).