Johann Sebastian Bach

Donald Macleod journeys through Johann Sebastian Bach’s
relationship with the organ.


Johann Sebastian Bach is often acknowledged as one of the
greatest composers of all time and yet, during his lifetime, he
was often more famous as an organist. Bach became very much in
demand as a performer and a teacher. He was often asked to advise
on the design and renovation of expensive church instruments. He
composed a great deal of music for organ and was particularly
productive during his twenties and early thirties when working at
the court in Weimar. All this week Donald Macleod examines Bach’s
life and music through the lens of his life-long fascination with
the organ, focusing particularly on his time in Weimar and
exploring his role as performer organist, teacher, servant,
entrepreneur and composer.


Music Featured: Brandenburg Concerto No 3, BWV 1048 (ohne
Satzbezeichnung) Sonata No 2 in C minor, BWV 526 Prelude and
Fugue in G major, BWV 550 Christen, ätzet diesen Tag, BWV 63
Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Concerto for Harpsichord in
G minor, BWV 1058 Cantata No 162 ‘Ach, ich sehe, itzt, da ich zur
Hochzeit gehe’, BWV 162 Concerto in A minor, BWV 593 Fantasia and
Fugue in G minor, BWV 542 Concerto for two violins and strings in
D minor, BWV 1043 Toccata and Fugue in D minor (Dorian), BWV 538
St Matthew Passion, BWV 244 Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor, BWV
582 Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564 Brandenburg
Concerto No 2, BWV 1047 The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1
(Prelude and Fugue in C major), BWV 867 The Well-Tempered
Clavier, Book 1 (Prelude and Fugue in C minor), BWV 847 Lute
Suite in E minor, BWV 996 Concerto in D minor, BWV 596 (Vivaldi
Violin Concerto Op 3 No 11) Mass in B minor, BWV 232 (Osanna in
excelsis, Agnus Dei, Dona Nobis Pacem) Prelude and Fugue in D
major, BWV 532


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Luke Whitlock for BBC
Wales


For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details,
and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after
broadcast) head to the series page for J S Bach
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000l1dm


And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve
featured on Composer of the Week here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z