I chose the Mass in B Minor and the Art of Fugue. But there are multiple canidates for the third spot. I chose WTC Book II, but I could have chosen The Musical Offering, St. Matthew Passion, or Goldberg Variations.
I listened again last night to Netherlands Bach Society's "St. John Passion". I posted their All of Bach website here earlier. The performers are all under 35 (except conductor and leaders) and what splendid musicians they are. This work has increasing appeal to me and I'm now thinking it's a more varied and dramatic work than the "St. Matthew Passion". I absolutely love this: a story of betrayal and guilt - a shining light for humanity and a profoundly moving narrative. 32:53 here, and following:
Does anybody know if Bach set entirely new texts to the Chorales used here? Those melodies would have been familiar to the Lutheran congregations of the time. Possibly still so today.
The incredible complexity, counterpoint and melismas in this work are just phenomenal.
My other is the Gambe sonatas and lute suites. I had to put on St. John Passion now though. Bach is my #2 favorite composer (after Mozart). What I call my favorite pieces are the ones I've listened the most to, but I always love to hear any music by Bach!
Not really. There's probably not a "best Bach", to me anyway, but Bach's style of writing is such that there's no big difference among genres. If there *is* a "best Bach", it would be his choral music.
I'm maybe a bit of an oddball in that I listen to the keyboard suites the most: the English suites first for it's pure joy and dance and virtuosity. Then the cello suites have some of the deepest, most profound music ever written, plumbing emotions that I can't even express. And finally something from the cantatas, which is the third genre of Bach's that I explore the most, perhaps BWV 140 "Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme" with its mystical, gorgeous, utterly gorgeous chorales.
My favourite single Bach piece is probably the Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor. Otherwise, the two Passions (joint first) and the Violin Sonatas/Partitas... although what I put in the "bronze medal" position was a really tough call!
I voted for the Brandenburg Concertos (especially love #4). the Goldberg Variations, and that wonderful Keyboard Concerto in C-minor, one of my very favorite concertos.
So many great works very difficult choice. I like to see both books of WTC grouped together, but if forced to choose between books I'm in the minority that prefers book I - more gravitas! Hard to beat the perfection of the C major prelude, a priceless gift to all the unvirtuosic pianists of the world to be able to play such a masterpiece. Listen to that monumental fugue in C# minor, or compare the concluding B minor preludes and fugues from both books, the B minor pair from Book I is so much more substantial in my view. Book I starts and concludes in a more convincing fashion, I think.
That said over all both books are very close. I also chose the organ trios and 'other' because I can't really decide which other work I like best.
All of the works on the list are amazing.
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