Anna Magdalena Bach

An accomplished singer and the second wife of composer J.S. Bach.

Little is known of her career as a vocalist but she certainly knew J.S. Bach professionally at Köthen, where he was Kapellmeister from 1717. They married on 3 December 1721, a year and a half after the death of the composer's first wife, Maria Barbara Bach, and settled in Leipzig in 1723. Together they raised the 4 children from Johann's first marriage and had 13 children of their own from 1723 to 1742, 7 of whom died at a young age.

Anna Magdalena continued to sing professionally after her marriage. The Bachs shared interest in music contributed to their happy marriage. She regularly worked as a copyist, transcribing her husband's music.

When he died in 1750, J.S. Bach left no will and his modest estate was evenly split between Anna Magdalena Bach and the nine surviving children from both marriages. She spent the rest of her life scraping by on charity. Why her able-bodied children did nothing to alleviate her poverty is not known. She died 22 February 1760 at age 58 in an almshouse and was buried in an unmarked pauper's grave at Leipzig.