J.S. Bach | Introducing Famous and Representative Works
The songs that are popular today—across not only classical music but also pop and jazz—are deeply influenced by past composers.
Among them, classical music is often called the foundation of music, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Johann Sebastian Bach, known as the “Father of Music,” was one of the figures who laid that very groundwork.
Bach’s music, while carrying a religious hue, is characterized by philosophical depth and intricately refined structure down to the finest details, with melodies of exceptional beauty.
Please take a look into the world of Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest composers in history.
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J.S. Bach | Introducing Famous and Representative Works (161–170)
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No. 1, BWV 846, PreludeJ.S.Bach
The Well-Tempered Clavier, a collection of works for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Among the two volumes consisting of preludes and fugues in all 24 keys, the piece most frequently heard is the Prelude No.
1 in C major, BWV 846, included in the first volume.
This piece is also known as the accompaniment to Charles Gounod’s Ave Maria.
While neither reading the score nor performing it is particularly difficult, precise finger control is crucial to achieve a beautiful performance.
For the performer, it might be considered a work that carries a certain sense of tension.
Toccata and Fugue in D minorJ.S.Bach
Composed by Bach at the age of 21, this is a famous organ piece.
The intro is often played in comedy sketches and anime.
I imagine some of you have found yourselves humming it when you want to gloss over something that went wrong or turn tragedy into laughter.
It’s one of those pieces everyone—from children to the elderly—knows, yet few know the title.
Fugue in D minorJ.S.Bach
This piece, affectionately known as the “Little Fugue in G Minor,” is surely one of the most popular works by Bach, the father of music.
Structured as a four-voice fugue, it is meticulously crafted using counterpoint.
With its strong role as music dedicated to God in church, its solemn and majestic sonority becomes ever more magnificent the more you listen, and it never grows tiresome.
Jesu, Joy of Man’s DesiringJ.S.Bach
This is a church cantata said to have been composed by Bach in 1723 for the Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
It consists of ten movements, and the final chorale is widely known as “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.” Many people today may recognize it as background music in classical settings.
Bach, often called the father of music, wrote many works employing refined counterpoint.
Unaccompanied Partita “Chaconne”J.S.Bach
The “Chaconne,” the fifth piece of the Sonata and Partita No.
2 for Solo Violin.
A “chaconne” is the name of a dance-form piece in which a brief, set melodic and harmonic pattern appears at the outset and is then repeated persistently while developing in various ways.
In this piece as well, the theme is presented in the opening eight measures, and over the course of 30 repetitions of that structure, music of a grandeur scarcely believable for an unaccompanied violin unfolds.
Gavotte from Partita No. 3 in E major, BWV 1006, for Solo ViolinJ.S.Bach
In the DyDo Blend Coffee commercial “Let’s Go Elegantly,” Ken Yasuda, Arata Iura, and Shinnosuke Mitsushima pilot a spaceship.
The ad features “Gavotte” from J.S.
Bach’s Partita No.
3 in E major, BWV 1006, a piece by the famous German composer.
The violin’s graceful, refined melody perfectly matches the commercial’s theme and leaves a strong impression.
Although a piano line can also be heard in the CM, the original piece is for solo violin.
If you’d like to enjoy an elegant afternoon tea time with your coffee, why not choose this piece?
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: First MovementJ.S.Bach
This commercial leaves a strong impression with Ayami Nakajo, whose appearance evokes a European lady—the same image used in the Afternoon Tea logo.
The girl who appears in the “Unsweetened Milk Tea” segment is the model Ange N., and her interaction with Nakajo is adorable.
There’s a heartwarming punchline at the end that will make you chuckle, so be sure to watch all the way through.
The BGM features Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No.
3: First Movement, which fits the world of the commercial perfectly.
Mass in B minorJ.S.Bach
It is said that this was the first and only complete Mass that Bach composed in his lifetime.
He finished it the year before his death.
It is known that the Kyrie and Gloria had already been written once in 1733.
Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, BWV 1007 (Unaccompanied)J.S.Bach
A performance by Pablo Casals from Catalonia, Spain.
Casals was the leading figure who brought the Cello Suites for solo cello to worldwide recognition.
The work is believed to date from Bach’s Köthen period, and a manuscript copy by his wife, Anna Magdalena, survives.
English Suite No. 2 in A minor, BWV 807J.S.Bach
The reason why they are called English is unknown.
It is also said that they were written for a certain noble Englishman.
Compared to the French Suites, they give the impression of being solid and well-rounded pieces.
They require a certain level of performance technique, but their vibrant, dynamic character is very appealing.