Johann Sebastian Bach

Donald Macleod travels alongside J S Bach as he moves from place
to place throughout his life.


Donald begins with Bach’s early years in the towns of Eisenach
and Ohrdruf, where his excellence as a singer and organist was
first recognised. He first moved to Weimar at the age of 18, to
work as a court musician, and later as an organist and
concertmaster – it was here that he would write most of his organ
repertoire, but also spent his time trying to please two
antagonistic Dukes. Then we move to the city of Köthen, where
Bach was employed at the court of Prince Leopold. The royal court
offered Bach exactly what he had been denied in Weimar – the
chance to build a really exceptional instrument ensemble. We
arrive in Leipzig, where Bach was a public servant again, having
to satisfy a plethora of different bodies and individuals.
Although his time there was peppered with disputes and
discontent, it was his home for 27 years and it is where he
composed the bulk of the work that lives on. Finally, Donald
explores the afterlife of Bach’s music, including his propulsion
into outer space aboard the Voyager spacecraft’s Golden Record.


Music featured: Magnificat Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major
Concerto in C major for organ Partita No 1 for violin Widerstehe
doch der Sunde Capriccio on the Departure of his Most Beloved
Brother Komm, Jesu, Komm Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ
Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn The
Art of Fugue Cello Suite No 1 in G Major Sonata for Violin and
Piano No 3 Concerto No 2 in F major Well-Tempered Clavier, No 1
in C major Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Violin Sonata No 1 in G
minor Orchestral Suite No 4 in D major Musical Offering Mass in B
minor Partita for Violin No 3 in E major Capriccio in E major St
Matthew Passion Goldberg Variations


Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Martin Williams 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 Johann Sebastian Bach
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002l9v


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