Soli Deo Gloria
Johann Sebastian Bach signed his compositions with three letters: SDG - Soli Deo Gloria, "To God alone the glory."
Bach saw his music as an act of worship. He wrote over 1,000 compositions - fugues, cantatas, masses, and orchestral works - each one dedicated to God's glory.
Music as Worship
"The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul," Bach wrote. When there is no such aim, "there is no true music but only a devilish bawling and twanging."
He taught his students to begin each composition with a prayer. He ended each manuscript with the same dedication: SDG.
Through Hardship
Bach's life wasn't easy. His first wife died suddenly. He raised 20 children, many of whom died young. He went blind in his final years.
But through it all, he composed. The music that flowed through him - especially works like the Mass in B Minor and the St. Matthew Passion - is considered among humanity's greatest artistic achievements.
The Immortal God of Harmony
Beethoven called him "the immortal god of harmony." But Bach would have preferred the dedication he wrote on every score: To God alone the glory.
