Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a
German composer, organist, and harpsichord player of the Baroque era.
J.S. Bach was part of a large family of musicians, and many of his
children also became musicians. He was a master of counterpoint,
weaving together different melodies into complex compositions, and he
was also a highly skilled improviser at the keyboard. Bach composed
over 1000 pieces of music his lifetime, including concertos,
cantatas, chorales, oratorios, passions, masses, chamber music,
pieces for orchestra, and works for organ and harpsichord. The
beautiful and astonishing works he created continue to be favorites
for musicians and listeners alike. I have selected some of the best
of Bach for your listening exploration.
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books
1 and 2 – Each book contains 24 preludes and fugues in
every major and minor key.
English Suites, French Suites,
and Partitas
– Sets of pieces for solo keyboard.
Goldberg Variations – A
theme with 30 variations for solo keyboard.
Sonatas and Partitas for Solo
Violin – A set of six suites for solo violin.
Cello Suites – A set of
six suites for solo cello.
Violin Concerto in A-minor,
Violin Concerto in E-Major, and
the Concerto for Two Violins in D-minor.
Brandenburg Concertos –
A set of six concertos for various instruments and orchestra.
Orchestral Suites – A
set of four suites for orchestra.
B-minor Mass – For
vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra.
St. Matthew Passion –
For vocal soloists, double choir, and double orchestra.
The Musical Offering –
A collection of canons, fugues, along with a trio sonata.
The Art of the Fugue –
A collection of canons and fugues, with complex counterpoint
techniques. The last fugue was unfinished.
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