By 1740, Bach's eyesight was failing. Two eye operations resulted in Bach's complete blindness; these operations also damaged his health and may have hastened his death. He died of a stroke on July 28, 1750. Bach is buried at St. John's cemetery, Leipzig. Bach's widow Anna lived for another ten years, dying in poverty in 1760. Bach's death in 1750 marked the end of the Baroque period in music.
Bach's works were soon forgotten. In March, 1829 (almost 100 years after Bach's death), the composer Felix Mendelssohn performed Bach's St. Matthew Passion, spurring a world-wide interest in Bach. Soon, Bach's works were appreciated by the world - essentially for the first time.
