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Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach
Dates
1685–1750
Era
Baroque (1600–1750)
Recognition
essential popular
Wikipedia

Where to start with Bach

Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles
  1. Orchestral
    Brandenburg Concerto no. 2 in F major, BWV.1047
  2. Vocal
    Cantata no. 140, "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme", BWV.140
  3. Chamber
    Cello Suite no. 1 in G major, BWV.1007
  4. Keyboard
    Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV.582
  5. Orchestral
    Brandenburg Concerto no. 3 in G major, BWV.1048
  6. Vocal
    Cantata no. 147: Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben
  7. Orchestral
    Orchestral Suite no. 3 in D major, BWV.1068
  8. Vocal
    Passion According to St. Matthew, BWV.244
  9. Keyboard
    Toccata and fugue in D minor, BWV.565
  10. Orchestral
    Violin Concerto in A minor, BWV.1041
  11. Keyboard
    Fugue in G minor, BWV.578, "Little Fugue"
  12. Chamber
    Art of the Fugue, BWV.1080
  13. Orchestral
    Brandenburg Concerto no. 1 in F major, BWV.1046
  14. Orchestral
    Brandenburg Concerto no. 4 in G major, BWV.1049
  15. Orchestral
    Brandenburg Concerto no. 5 in D major, BWV.1050

Listening guide

Hand-curated paths into Bach's catalogue
  1. Brandenburg Concertos (complete)
  2. Well-Tempered Clavier Books 1 & 2
  3. Goldberg Variations
  4. St. Matthew Passion
  5. Cello Suites (complete)

Most Acclaimed

  1. Art of Fugue
  2. Musical Offering
  3. Mass in B minor
  4. Goldberg Variations
  5. The Well-Tempered Clavier

Most Weird

  1. Art of Fugue
    ends mid-fugue at the moment Bach spelled out B-A-C-H in notes — whether this is intentional or because he died remains debated
  2. Musical Offering
    puzzle canons on a theme by Frederick the Great — includes a crab canon that reads identically backwards
  3. Canonic Variations on Vom Himmel hoch BWV 769
  4. The Bells (Capriccio sopra la lontananza BWV 992)
    program music depicting his brother leaving for war — each movement labeled
  5. Contrapunctus XIV from Art of Fugue
    the fugue that stops — 3 subjects combined; the 4th, B-A-C-H, never arrives

Similar composers

Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinity

Works 981