J.S. Bach | Introducing Famous and Representative Works

Partita No. 2, BWV 826J.S.Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach – Piano Partita No. 2 In C Minor, BWV 826 – Martha Argerich

Composed around 1726, the Partita No.

2 in C minor, BWV 826, is one of Bach’s masterworks.

Consisting of six movements, it opens with a weighty introduction modeled on the French overture, then unfolds into a lively fugue.

This is followed by a gentle Allemande, a vigorous Courante, and a wistful Sarabande, culminating in a brilliant Capriccio.

The piece deftly fuses Bach’s characteristic, intricate counterpoint with elements of dance.

It is recommended not only for those interested in classical music, but also for anyone wishing to explore the history of music.

Christ was bound by the cords of deathJ.S.Bach

Bach Cantata No. 4, Movement 2 – Burg Bach Chamber Choir.wmv

Johann Sebastian Bach, the great composer hailed as the father of music.

Among his many masterpieces, his early church cantatas written for Easter are works that convey a profound spirituality.

This particular piece is suffused with a heavy atmosphere, as if bound by the snares of death, yet at the same time it overflows with the radiance of life and the joy of the Resurrection that shatters those bonds.

One of its greatest attractions is how the young Bach renders this dramatic struggle between death and life with masterful penmanship.

Said to have premiered in April 1707, the work can be savored in a beautifully transparent performance on Bach Collegium Japan’s acclaimed recording, Bach Cantatas Vol.

1.

Give it a listen when you want to immerse yourself deeply in a world of majestic music.

Lord, from the depths of the abyssJ.S.Bach

Ah, O Lord, Out of the Deep [Hymnal Second Volume No. 227] — Shuichi Toma, Symphonia Collegium OSAKA, Osaka H. Schütz Chamber Choir

This is a majestic work that turns a soul’s urgent cry, echoing from the depths of profound anguish, into music.

It is a church cantata by Johann Sebastian Bach, known as the father of music, premiered in Leipzig in October 1724.

Based on a hymn by Martin Luther, the piece explores the deep themes of confessing sin and the hope for forgiveness.

The four trombones doubling the choir create a weighty sonority that sets a solemn atmosphere and profoundly moves the listener.

This work is recommended for times when your heart feels heavy or on quiet nights when you want to face yourself.

Its powerful progression, which seems to find a sure light beyond suffering, gives you the courage to step forward into tomorrow.

The Art of FugueJ.S.Bach

Silent Tone Record / Bach: The Art of Fugue / Contrapunctus Nos. 1–9 / Glenn Gould / CBS (UK): SBRG 72045 / Silent Tone Records, a specialty classical LP shop

The main reason Bach is called the father of music is that, while preserving counterpoint—a traditional method of combining multiple melodies—he skillfully incorporated more human, freer, and harmonically oriented elements that later became the mainstream of classical music.

This is one of Bach’s late works.

The piece was published in an unfinished state.

The Musical Offering, BWV 1079J.S.Bach

JS Bach: Ricercare BWV 1079 — Bach: The Musical Offering — Trio Sonata, Ricercare

A piece that begins with a theme said to be the king’s theme—a melody that at first glance seems quite mysterious.

It’s astonishing that as many as sixteen works were composed from this theme.

The Musical Offering is the title of this collection of sixteen pieces.

There are various accounts of how this somewhat eerie work came to be, including the theory that Bach improvised on a theme specified by Frederick the Great on the spot and later compiled it.

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I, No. 4, BWV 849J.S.Bach

Bach / Wanda Landowska, 1949: Prelude and Fugue No. 4 in C sharp minor, BWV 849 – WTC, Book I

A performance by the Polish harpsichordist Wanda Landowska.

She was a pioneer who revived the harpsichord—a once-forgotten instrument—in the modern era.

The Well-Tempered Clavier consists of preludes and fugues written in all 24 keys.

Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068J.S.Bach

Bach Orchestral Suite no. 3 BWV 1068, Musica Antiqua Köln

A performance by Reinhard Goebel with Musica Antiqua Köln.

It consists of an overture, aria, gavotte, bourrée, and gigue.

The second aria is a widely beloved piece that is often performed on its own under the title “Air on the G String.”