Hello! If you want to skip straight to a talk about his musical qualities, why his music is of great interest, and where you might want to start, skip to 9:34. The first part of this video (after the brief introduction) runs through his massive catalogue of works. I unfortunately realised a little too late that for some, this might come across as a bit tedious - so if you want to cut his life's works and get to the discussion about his musical qualities, skip to 9:34. Also - I missed out the Orchestral Suites - sorry. Oops. And God knows what else I missed out. As I said, you can barely scratch the surface in a single video... Lots of love
I've studied and played JSB for 40 years now, and his universe is infinite and beautiful. He is etenal and will be with us until the end. I regard him as a life-long friend, healing my soul. The father I never had.
His music is great only when performed the way it used to be in the past. The modern "historically correct" performances on small chamber orchestras are rubbish.
I think as people grow older, they tend to show greater interest in humanity and our universe and its forces, having lived a bit themselves. And classical music explores it in depth, as well as the greatest literature does.
@@Grisha_Goryachev same I'm 24 of age and I love older music more than today's music tbh and I appreciate instrumental music especially jazz/classical it stimulates your mind and brain.
I think Lizst wrote transcriptions of some of Bach's works. He transcribed "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" (BWV 12) for organ after the death of his daughter, Blandine. Like most composers in his day, Bach was staple to his musical education.
Many current scholars and classical music fans agree. It was recently selected as the greatest composion in the last 1000 years on SiriusXM, channel 76 "Symphony Hall." Yep, 1000 years! Wow!
The greatest thing about Bach is that underneath all the intellectualism and genius, there is a quiet but stirring melody of just simple notes that grab your soul and brings tears to your eyes. Like, you're listening to a piece, and underneath it, you hear pieces of a melody and realize it is the most beautiful thing you have ever heard. To experience that level of intimacy with Bach's music is like realizing that he's your soulmate and everything he tells you is everything you always thought you knew about yourself but you're learning about who you are for the first time. It is like, being a child and discovering yourself in the world around you but you have a higher cognitive ability to understand how beautiful that is... Bach's music is beyond magical.
me too, when my thoughts cross Bach, and that happens very very often each day, i am almost stuck and cant think of anything else. his genius and world he creates with his music is truly incomparable and not comprehensible for mankind, it floats over us all
The Chaconne from the 2nd Partita for violin is probably the greatest piece of music ever written for any instrument. It hits all of your points - extreme complexity, emotional depth, and intellectual stimulation. It's a work of unparalleled genius.
Agreed. I was going to say the same thing. It would be the once piece I would take to a deserted island. There is nothing more transcendent over every emotion in life than this piece. It is a shame he didn’t mention it at all.
The genius of Bach's music is its ability to make you want to weep or cry out in pleasure without forcing it on you like some romantic music does. The music is never overly melancholic, as if to say: "come now, you must go on." I started out as a melancholic Chopin fan boy early on in my musicianship, but noticed that as I grow older and experience more and more the banality and disillusions of life, I grow more and more fond of Bach. After all: he experienced all kinds of hardship his whole life through and still, despite dying wifes and continuous fighting with his employer(s) somehow found the strength to compose (and enjoy playing) tons of music, lovingly educate his kids and be a loving husband. He's a role model.
y a des gens qui peuvent se sentir des points communs avec lui sur certains aspect. c est mon cas. Vie dure , manque de reconnaissance pour mon art , et Foi. comme j' ai la Foi , je perçois aussi sa Foi. je pense qu elle l' a permis d' etre ce qu il était. d' avancer malgré l' adversité. " la musique est là pour servir la gloire de Dieu" pensait il cela quand il composait même sa musique profane (si belle) ? je me le demande .
I've noticed that in English, when people say "One of the greatest" they literary mean "The greatest", which he undoubtably was. I'm sure Mozart and Beethoven would have agreed too.
“I’m going to the place where music originates”....Some of his last words before he passed from this life. I will gladly support you Sir.Thank you so much for your presentation.
I can´t emphasize enough how important and valuable Bach´s music are! My 25 year old daughter (mezzo-soprano) is now studying opera singing at "Stockholms Konstnärliga Högskola". Her current project is "Erbarme dich" from S:t Matthew Passion. I´m profoundly proud of her! Stay calm and take care of each other!
@@herrbonk3635 Bach was not Christian by force, and is known for his true devotion. And no, I don't have a religious agenda, quite the contrary, I'm atheist and I stand for the point that religion is mostly disastrous and as of our 21st century it is obsolete, bloody and unnecessary, and should be abandoned, remembered only as a relic, as we remember old Greek and Egyptian mythology to understand the history and art of the time, without taking it seriously or ever putting it into practice. That said, I stand for facts. And the fact is that Bach was devotedly Christian and stood for it, and his religious feelings in religious pieces were genuine, not simply to evade the guillotine or to keep the Church as a prestigious client. By the way, let's keep this thread about Bach before people start an inflammated religious fight here.
@@kaioocarvalho Yes, but that someone "was christian" in the late 1600s Europe does not say much. That was my point. That's like saying someone famous is "not rasist" today. That's simply the only option.
As a superficially educated amateur, I'm always looking for a few things in Bach: 1. Modernity in harmonies. He sounds much more "modern" and creative than his contemporaries. 2. Melodic genius. No need to explain. 3. Total mastery in contrapunct. He made me pay attention and enjoy the art of intertwined melodic lines 4. Variety in forms. Is there anything he didn't do apart from opera? chamber music, orchestral suites, oratorio (passions), solo work, he composed for all the instruments of his time and the human voice 5. Spiritual enlightenment. His whole lifetime work revolves around praising God, making the listener feel a divine presence.
True! Bach's music is timeless, which includes not only the past and present but very much the future as well. When Brahms said "Study Bach! There you will find everything!", he literally meant everything. The great Max Reger comfirmed it when he said that "Bach is the beginning and end of all music"
@@cindyirvine7575 Well, after Mendelssohn's ressurection of Bach in the public sphere, it became "de rigeur" for all organists to study his music. Amongst musicians, his music was never forgotten: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert all studied Bach. Bach's numerous students spread is radically new finger technique throughout Europe.
Not necessarily. The best organists often improvised toccatas and fugues back then because they all understood the counterpoint. It was a different time for music. Also, Bach studied with and was heavily influenced by Buxtehude’s organ works which are no cakewalk either.
I like St. John's Passion the most. It touches me even more than St. Matthew's in my heart. I am so lucky that I can understand Bach in my native language, German. The text is such an important part of his cantatas and passions.
I can't believe you mentioned Bach's orchestral works and didn't mention Vivaldi's influence on him , Vivaldi is rarely mentioned anywhere and vastly under appreciated , please do a video on him
To me the moment I was hooked by bach was when I played some of his music on piano. Under your fingers you can feel his music in a different way than by listening. His chords just feel more resonant, the melodies are counterintuitive but perfect, removing a single note destroys the entire structure. It feels as if the music is outside of reality, as if they are a force of nature. There is this realm in music where chords and melodies get this extra shine, sometimes you grace that realm by accident or luck. Bach seemed to live in that realm.
As one who has performed numerous compositions of J.S. Bach in his solo, chamber music, and full orchestrations the one thing I can contribute to this delightful documentary is how every musician had an equal role in the music of J.S. Bach. None on the stage ever felt neglected or merely played an accompanying role. No boring lines for any of the musicians. Everyone is a soloist in the music of Bach!
Yes! Bach himself loved playing the viola, an instrument which did not receive the same level of virtuoso parts as the violin. His 6th Brandenburg Concerto probably began the ascent of the viola.
I haven’t listened to any of his music up to this point, but wow this video just the snippets of his music has made me feel lifted from the world and taken to another higher place, somewhere else where tears flow smoothly around smiling cheeks.
Every choir singer should sing each of Bach's four great choral works (St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio and B Minor Mass) at least once in his/her life.
When I was a young piano student I didn't like playing Bach. I thought it was too plunky and had no melody. Now, after much more musical maturity, I have realized that Bach does not 'have' melody, it 'is' melody. The melody is just so profuse and encompassing that it had been too completely pervasive for my juvenile faculties to recognize. Later in life, in my late teens, I finally developed an appreciation for the marriage of technical complexity and melodic intricacies that no other composer had achieved. Bach became very gratifyingly tactile when I played it, like no other composer, as if the music became an integral part of both my mind and body, and I enjoyed the sheer sensation of it. There are many "greatest composers", depending on the criteria and our personal preference (I don't think Bach's music could be called great in a Romantic sense), but with regard to emotional and intellectual intrigue Bach is the indisputable master. Still, he portrays emotions that are not entirely familiar to us - the consuming intellectual fascination of the Enlightenment poised beside the ineffable wonder of religious devotion - so that we have an experience unlike any in our contemporary lives. I think it is Bach's genius that he can so concisely and iconically relate to us in music the temperament and mindset of Western civilization over 250 years ago.
@@sativares I smell a common theme in your replies; 1. You critise a classical composer 2. You compare and praise a modern musician. Please perfect your pronouncements, or refrain from writing rather rubbish and rotten remarks!
His own humble opinion also (at least in terms of his contemporaries, maybe not saying he thought he was the best of all time) since he said if he couldn't be Bach, he would have wanted to be Handel...
By far the greatest. Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and the rest knew that they couldn't hold a candle to old Bach. All of them admitted it one way or another and they worshipped him like a God.
I can not even begin to describe accurately how beautiful and meaningful Bach's music has become in my life. My journey started by watching the PBS series hosted by Yo-Yo Ma which played and reenacting the Cello Suites around various artists as a motif.
Wherever you live, wherever you have lived, there is always a moment when you hear Bach for the first time. His musical thought is universal in the same way as mathematical logic is - all-pervading and absolute. His music is like a cathedral of eternity, around which some musicians roam and others timidly enter to admire its inner beauty. I'm not exaggerating at all. I remember in my early 20s, being a big fan (but not a connoisseur) of his music, I bought Mathews Passion - then on audio tapes. I had only read about the staggering beauty of this work, and how Bach had only heard it twice in his life ... From the first hearing, I was completely disappointed. I let the audio tapes mature - for several years, as it turned out - and tried again to listen to them. I have found that for that first time I obviously did not grow up to such music, and since then I do not look with condescension or pity on people who are incapable of perceiving the beauty of music - that of Bach or any other.
@@KKIcons I agree, but this was not the case - I've listened the same audiotapes with a several years difference in time and with complete opposite reactions - from indifference to admiration. About the recording - I recollect that was Chicago Symphonic Orchestra witn Sir Georg Solty. Speaking of interpretations, those days I was stunned by the beauty of Mozart's Requiem and the performance was so flawless that became for me, personally, a measure and an ideal how the Requiem should sound. Many years later I heard another interpretation - with Jose Carreras in the quartet of soloists. It sounded to me both technically immaculate, and tasteless and pretentious.
My favorite composer of all time... by far. St John Passion is sublime, his conciertos are breathtaking... I've been hooked on Bach since childhood, around 5 years old and I've listened to him ever since, not one day goes by without Bach for me, it's the only thing I'm almost fanatical about. Bach has been and will always be a part of my life. Great video! Thank you for acknowledging this true Master's work.
Not a week passes by without listening to Bach. His music is so rich, sophisticated, interesting and spirit lifting. He is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Saying that he is the greatest composer of all time doesn't do him justice.
I particularly appreciate you aim for the correct pronounciaton of Bach's name, as many english speakers ignore that and say the 'k' sound at the end, which bothers me
You are right but as if that is the only problem with English speakers. They mispronounce almost every European name. I've heard them pronounce Mozart with a buzzing Z, when the Z should pronounced as 'ts' like this Motsart -yes! And the list goes on and on.
I think you should sooner look at the French for mis-pronunciation of composers' names. Back, Mow-zar, Shoober.... I am British and have never heard wrong pronunciations of these in my home country. Then I went to France for 7 years!
My introduction to Bach was a cheap recording of the D minor Prelude and Fugue played by E Power Biggs. Then came Switched on Bach. I was hooked. I nearly wore out the LP. The Brandberg Concerto No 3 amazed me. As I have become older Bach has slowly made me realise just how brilliant and everlasting his music is. He is my favourite composer. Mozart and Beethoven aren't bad either. Mike in Oz
He is my favourite composer too. I didn’t know his Brandenburg concertos, so someone told me if I like Vivaldi’s four seasons. I should try it. Boy. He was right! Those are perfect
Some Bach pieces make me feel like I played every note on the fret board ! After going through a remarkable voyage that he takes you on , just as you think there is no place left to go , boom ! He is just getting warmed up and takes a musical idea to incredible places . His music is so good for the brain in particular
Switched On Bach could be another attractive perspective for some listeners. And don't forget his works for lute or lautenwerk; not too numerous, but equally beautiful. The Musical Offering, mentioned by someone else... and the indescribably beautiful organ trio sonatas! To me, his work is sacred geometry made music. A true reflection of the infinite within human soul.
I was going to mention Switched On Bach myself. Bach was instrumental in the development of electronic music because Wendy Carlos felt his was the most suitable to bring out the qualities of the new technology.
I am but a simple minded 66 year old, I only came to Bach a few days ago because the modern music I had been listening to was so depressing. I thought I’d listen to some classical by Bach to uplift me a bit, than I searched out an introduction to Bach wanting to know more about who and what I was listening to. Forgive me for I had no idea!!! I wept as I listened to this and as I came to the understanding how massive his works were, the qualities it had, and the person he was. It does lift me up, sometimes I imagine myself as a butterfly, fluttering and dancing around flowers. Thank you for this piece, thanks to all who have commented. Now I will continue my education in his enchanting music.
If you want a good intro to the more advanced side of Bach, I would recommend repeated listening to The Musical Offering. It takes one theme and explores it through various forms and variations. It’s incredible once you’re able to follow along and spot the theme in each piece of the cycle. The 6-voice fugue at the end (titled Ricercar a 6) is the high point of the entire work and has the most emotional and complex counterpoint you’ll find in Bach or anywhere else. The Musical Offering is also featured in Douglas Hofstadter’s famous book on cognitive science “Gödel, Escher, Bach.”
But they were very much in the style of the nationalities especially considering how different they are in style to his other pieces and how much they resemble the style of the composers in those nationalities. So one can presume that he chose to write them in those styles.
Bach has been part of my life since childhood. Even though I did not begin intense study of his work until years later, his most famous works accompanied many important periods of my upbringing. Back then, I accepted Bach as a master, because I liked his work. Now, I understand *why* Bach is, in my view, the greatest composer in Western history and one of the greatest minds in civilisation. His work combines several paradoxes: structured and yet creative, solemn and yet dramatic, spiritual and secular, catchy and yet profound, simple and complex. The depth of his spiritual expression and depictions of human emotions is indescribable. The Mass in B Minor is his greatest example of this. However, we must consider the magnificent Violin Sonatas and Partitas, of which the Chaconne is rightly revered by violinists to this day. I have no problem with reinventions of Bach and I enjoy them all. It stands as a compliment to this great composer that his work is so vibrant and adaptable that it stands head and shoulders above us all in any style. Thanks for the video! (P.S People had larger families in Bach's day for economic reasons and because of high infant mortality-- not purely for sexual reasons. That is a 21st century Western presumption, in an age where families are far smaller.)
Wow... that totally explains my enthrallment with Bach. His 5th cello prelude stabs me in the soul. It feels like it resonates with exactly who I am The first half being melancholy with the want to be happy, the second is happy, but there is still a touch of darkness in the under tones. Not to mention, it was a better example of not needing accompaniment for the instrumentation sounds nearly like two cellos playing together with all of the double notes.
I started at all 6 Cello suites and didnt move on to Concertos until I had the suites memorized by ear. Lol I listened to it hundreds of times and each time I heard something new that made each repeat worth listening to.
Johann Sebastian Bach is undoubtedly the greatest musical genius to ever walk the earth. He is to music what Newton is to science, DaVinci is to art, Shakespeare is to literature. The absolute pinnacle of perfection. The unassailable gold standard, the miracle of miracles. This intro hardly scratches the surface. I've been an avid Bach fanatic for 33 years and every time I hear a piece I've heard hundreds -- no, thousands -- of times, I still come away finding something fresh and new, as though hearing it for the first time. I can't say that for any other composer.
Absolutely. Whenever anyone says Beethoven is the greatest, it immediately tells me that they really don't know what they're talking about. The brilliance (and beauty) of Bach's music will forever be the staple of musical composition.
I thought I had heard everything until I heard the Sonatine from BWV 106. And then I heard a piano transcription of it. That got me into the cantatas. Which got me into Bachstiftung on YT with Rudolf Lutz.
Thanks for this very clear overview. It's quite mind boggling when you consider you didn't mention quite a few of his works, and also that some were lost. What an achievement, and what a gift Bach has given to humanity.
A good portion of the soundtracks to the two Evangelion movies, Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion are comprised of Bach's works and they couldn't have been more appropriate for the tone of those movies. I think this video finally gives me the argument for why that is. The movies required music that both fit the pathos, the inner emotional turmoil of the characters and the logos, the psychological , the grand vision / message the director was trying to convey. Bach's works were perfect for providing both in a masterfully beautiful way. To Evangelion's credit I am extremely grateful for it introducing me to classical music, including Bach. Credit also goes to Lars von Trier and tangentially to Tarkovsky, by whom Lars von Trier was inspired, for introducing me to Ich ruf zu dir Herr Jesu Christ. Seligmann's musings on Bach's counterpoint in Nymphomaniac and the theme of Solaris show Bach's music is alive and well in the 21st century. He definitely left his mark!
Yes, Mozart was a failed Bachian counterpoint imitator. He tried to learn counterpoint from Bach after he recognized that Bach was technically and musically superior to him.
Bach - Greatest Musical Genius Ever. I can't stop listening to his Music. Sounds crazy but I never heard his mass in Bm, I was more around his violin concertos, partitas etc... going to fix that immediately. Thank you for this video!
The way you describe WHY these composers write what they write has actually given me the perspective to begin writing music again. I wrote a pretty neat song over the weekend and I had so much fun. When people focus too much on music theory it's just disheartening because I don't understand it at all. I just write what sounds good to me, with help from some of the tips I've learned from you and others who connect the music to the feeling. So thanks!
The first music I listened to and enjoyed was the Brandenburg Concertos. My Dad had the Concertos on the old 70 rpm records. It was incredible the beauty of the blending of the delights of genius in the sound of music.
I love you mentioned the B minor Mass. This masterpeice is my absolute favorite of all the music I've heard so far in my life. If, for example, "Gloria" doesn't open up your heart you don't understand music or, unfortunately, don't have access to "old music". In addition, the composition can hardly be surpassed in terms of complexity.
Yes : J.S.Bach the Big One ...and it's a very great emotion ( surely the best..) to play J.S.Bach , whatever kind of performer we are ( amateur or professional..)..playing J.S.Bach an incomparable honor ..
Bach is a forest. From a moderately near distance, it's cluttered and unfocused. From a distance you truly absorb the enormity of its beauty. From up close, you see every detail of the wood and all of the natural perfection that went into creating what you are witnessing.
A possibly forgotten genre of bach's music are his concertos. They are in my opinion one of the most popular of bach's work in concerts yet one forgets about his concertos while talking about bach His d minor keyboard concerto is the most incredible keyboard concerto before mozart arrived and clearly comes into the top 10 piano concertos of all time
Thank you! Most instructive! Perfectly documented! This should be given to 16 year old students at school to know who JSB is, and introduce them to the infinite world of harmonious sounds.... again Sir, thank you! I enjoyed every word of your most useful and interesting tutorial, documentary...
Hm... Meh, I don't know. I enjoy other composers (Beethoven, Chopin, Mahler, Rachmaninoff) and they show sadness and tragedy in their own manner. That's why I doubt your point. Still, I'll explore more from Bach.
@@justin_64 I agree. That comment is just... Eh... How to say that without sounding mean... Close-minded. I know people who like Bach, they doesn't seem to have gone through "a lot" in their lifes.
My first experiences of music was in the "real music" ie. classical when I was put in music school and started playing violin around -78. My friends, who also played violin, father was cantor of the church aside the street where I was born. Beside the studies (same teacher, same junior orchestra) we used to practice together some Bach's simple violin duets and performed them also for the elderly around Christmas. Warm, innocent and enlightfull memories. Then I was drawn into rock playing drums with another friend and abandoned classical all together. Not that it was anything wrong with that, just went that way. Years later I found Bach again and started practicing some easy pieces with guitar. Bourré in Em, Jesu joy etc. and lately a bit harder Prelude BWV 998. Playing them gives peace and joy to my ❤ Such beautiful harmonies.
If I could choose the music of only one composer to take with me to a desert island it would be an easy choice. The more of Bach's music I listen to, the more I'm in awe of this musical genius. Studying pieces in detail only serves to increase my reverence for him. But you have to listen. His music is rarely easy-peasy like that of Haydn, for example. Bach makes even single melodic lines serve more than one purpose. Genius. To be able to pen music which can thrill both heart and mind is a rare gift which was profoundly influenced by his conviction that he was serving God by doing so. Talent and conviction produced what is arguably the pinnacle of western music. This is music which rewards diligent listening. Almost always deeply complex and masterful and often achingly beautiful.
I can not describe in words how greatly I respect Bach. The only thing I can do is play his music to the best of my ability... I only wish I could have spoken to him and let him know what his music did for our universe in the future. Thanks Bach for your timelessness.
And the entire suite written part time in a few weeks. And no borrowing of old works because of the new and unique subject given to him by the KIng. It's also pretty clear the subject was made very awkward by the King on purpose, to try and make Bach look bad during his initial live improvisation in front of the King and his court. It didn't work, thanks to the genius of Bach. Lastly, the King was a big fan of the new style galant form, a far simpler music form than the more complex music by Bach. So as a kind of hidden insult to the King, when the Musical Offering score was sent to the King, Bach put a written dedication to the King on the front. If you take the first letter of each word in that dedication, it spells out "RICERCARE", the old Baroque name for a fugue. lol
Bach's musical genius is so hard to put into few words, but the best I can do is this. 1 - Bach displays absolute harmonic and rhythmic mastery. Given ANY set of harmonic and rhythmic limitations implicit to any given phrase, section, or entire piece of music, Bach can weave the absolute strongest possible exploitation of the remaining notes and rhythms that are "allowed" at any given time. 2 - In Bach's music, absolutely every note is IMPORTANT, not just in the context of that isolated line, but also in the context of the entire piece. Replacing or altering any single note would be just as devastating as doing the same to any other note. 3 - There is an ever present "drive" in his music. There is always a sense of momentum towards the conclusion, and always within the harmonic context that both hearkens back towards the beginning of the piece while simultaneously looking towards the conclusion. It's just all so... perfect. It's like a grand mathematical puzzle that Bach could always find the solution to
This is a good video. I enjoyed it. One thing lacking here, and in many places, is any mention of his theological brilliance. Though he lacked freedom to move and work where he wanted, he was not an unwilling composer for the Lutheran Church, but a devoted student of God's word as well as the Lutheran Confessions (Book of Concord). While this is documented well in his personal copy of the Calov Bible, I suppose it can only truly be appreciated by one who takes the sacred texts to heart.
New to this style of music normally into hip hop drum and bass grime. However, after hearing Jordan b. Peterson speak so fondly of j.s bach led to my discovery and love for the complexity and beauty of bach's music and then led to me finding chopin listen to both before bed or when reading thank the most high for bach
Hey, how funny, Bach didn't appeal to me either before. It eventually clicked with cd I had bought on a recommendation of a friend. A collection of songs from Cantata on Teldec. At first I didnt like it at all XD But I went on a trip and it was the only Cd available so It was the only music I had. So I listen to it several times. It was only weeks later when I played the cd again the it clicked. Apparently my brain had processed it and now loved it! :D He's now my favorite composer.
How did his congregation manage to appreciate with only one listening. After about 10 listenings one can begin to appreciate a piece of his music. I started the same way as you with one record of preludes and fugues. It was my only record. That was over 50 years ago.
Kypchu ... I have noticed that some people can hear a piece of music just once and appreciate its beauty. I rarely can. It takes repeated listening before I am able to love something. I think I know why. Only after repeated hearings do I know what notes are coming next. In a good musical work, I begin to anticipate those notes. And the satisfaction of that anticipation is a large part of why I find pleasure in hearing the piece.
A grand salute from Pakistan, I named my son Johann Sebastian Bach as my love towards his contributions to music, moreover running a self help based BACH music academy. I request to all BACH lovers that if you can help me by sharing Bach work , if you can help us online by delivering lessons or whatever help you could do.. because in our country Western classic is not famous ., and I pledged that I will definitely introduce these legends to my people as well
There is so much to admire in Bach, but if I had to choose just one attribute, it might be the educational dimension. By giving us such works as his WTC or his Inventions and Sinfonias, he helps us to develop our ear and our understanding through study. These works, to me, embody a generosity of sharing and a desire to enrich our capacity for beauty. What makes these all the more amazing is that they are not just dry tutorials but a richness of texture, harmony, tension, dissonance and resolution.
Agreed. I think that Bach wrote on one of these works that they were for the "musical youth desirous of learning". From the testimonials that Bach left, we can see his generosity towards students whom he deemed hardworking and full of promise.
Gardiner in his lovely biography says this. That he is, quite simply, the greatest musician humanity has ever produced. I believe this is true.... within a generation or two there were two more contenders, Mozart and Beethoven, (all in the German speaking cultural milieu), but Bach is on a different plane.
When little, I wanted to play music like on the radio, but first found Bach in print. In it, the more you look, the more you find: A beautiful journey.
George Bernard Shaw reviewed a performance of a Bach work( I think the St Matthew Passion) and wrote-paraphrasing-: “The audience listened and yawned, and came away with a hint of something deep and profound, but no desire to repeat the experience. If they believe that this is the fault of Bach, they are most unspeakably mistaken.” Shaw, despite his love of Wagner, Mozart and Beethoven, ranked Bach as the greatest-and deepest- of all composers of all time.
Fantastic video! ... but I'm not sure about the "one of the" greatest. Bach is by far the greatest musical genius that ever lived. Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Liszt, etc. all admitted one way or another that they couldn't hold a candle to Bach. Mozart is unthinkable without Bach's sons, etc.
@@BodilessVoice Yes, he is undoubtedly the greatest. What composer would someone even dare put before Bach? Mozart? Wagner? Stravinsky? Beethoven? You'd be an idiot to even suggest it. No other composer comes close.
I think it’s important to remember there have been very significant stylistic changes throughout the centuries, so I don’t think it’s very useful to rank composers from different ages. I think most people would agree that Bach was the greatest master of counterpoint and the Baroque style in general, but I don’t think it’s fair to say he’s better than Mozart, Beethoven, etc because they were simply going for a very different style of music with different priorities.
Like the video mentioned, Bach probably didn't know that he would become such a giant in the history of Western music. The composers you listed also probably didn't foresee the impact of their music after their deaths, so it would make sense for these composers to not consider themselves on Bach's level, who's already a hall of fame figure. Still true that Bach made a lot of the building blocks for later composers.
To the list of great modern interpretations of Bach I would certainly add Jacques Loussier "Play Bach" series of albums using piano, double bass and drums - a jazz trio - to deliver at times faithfully, at times playfully but always with great respect fascinating jazz renditions of Bach's greatest work. I think it is totally fitting that Jacques Loussier reinterpreted Bach through jazz and added his own perspective and improvisation because Bach himself was great improviser and there are many links between Bach's harmonic ideas and jazz.
This video on Bach brings tear to my eyes, as I am reminded of the effort required to yield such beautiful works, and how greatful we should be we are able to endure in the struggle which at great suffering rewards us with such beautiful results. I could not possibly imagine how much of him went into composing his masterpieces, but I am glad men like him give it their all for the world to witness in awe.
Thank you as always for the informative videos, especially this introduction to my favourite composer. I was always drawn to his music written or adapted for single instruments (the partitas for violin, flute etc., and their modern adaptations for guitar) as they allow for a single instrument to create both the harmonic “architecture” as well as expressive voices that inhabit them. In my view, Bach’s music allows a single person to create a very three dimensional world, sometimes even with one voice (ie the A minor flute partita).
I've been trying to figure out bach for a little while, and just searching his name on spotify is so confusing and not well organized, and no one I know can explain his works at all. This was so helpful and I'm so glad RUclips decided to recommend your channel
SkiingxMoose here is the link on Spotify I referred to above www.spotifyclassical.com/2011/06/complete-works-of-js-bach-hanssler.html Good luck with that, I don't know how to work Spotify. Let me know how you go! Best wishes.
Hello! If you want to skip straight to a talk about his musical qualities, why his music is of great interest, and where you might want to start, skip to 9:34. The first part of this video (after the brief introduction) runs through his massive catalogue of works. I unfortunately realised a little too late that for some, this might come across as a bit tedious - so if you want to cut his life's works and get to the discussion about his musical qualities, skip to 9:34.
Also - I missed out the Orchestral Suites - sorry. Oops. And God knows what else I missed out. As I said, you can barely scratch the surface in a single video...
Lots of love
wow thank you 😍
this is what im waiting for
J.S. Bach is the best
Please make a video on the great George Frederick Handel...
Please please please please
@@benngoma7353 Bach and Handel, born in 1685 in Germany. Proof that lightning really does strike twice.
Thank you! Could you make a video about Beethoven?
I recalled my A Level and Uni days studying mathematics and physics with Bach playing in the background. Always kept me going...
I've studied and played JSB for 40 years now, and his universe is infinite and beautiful. He is etenal and will be with us until the end. I regard him as a life-long friend, healing my soul. The father I never had.
Jo, Bach ist der optimale Kumpel für alle Lebenslagen.
Hear hear
His music is great only when performed the way it used to be in the past.
The modern "historically correct" performances on small chamber orchestras are rubbish.
@@Bodamann boa ey Mann bist Du cool
@@FriendlyCroock THEY SOUND PRETTY GOOD THOUGH!
Dont know why I'm taking a sudden interest in classical music and composers out of nowhere but my eyes have been opened.
I think as people grow older, they tend to show greater interest in humanity and our universe and its forces, having lived a bit themselves. And classical music explores it in depth, as well as the greatest literature does.
@@Grisha_Goryachev same I'm 24 of age and I love older music more than today's music tbh and I appreciate instrumental music especially jazz/classical it stimulates your mind and brain.
Be careful with Bach. He will take over your life.
@@nathanjones6421 There is nothing wrong with Bach being your whole life, it's rather amazing if he does.
Bach just keeps on getting better.
"Bach's Mass in B minor is the highest peak in western music"
- Franz Liszt
Und wo der Franz recht hat, hat er recht.
I think Lizst wrote transcriptions of some of Bach's works. He transcribed "Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen" (BWV 12) for organ after the death of his daughter, Blandine. Like most composers in his day, Bach was staple to his musical education.
Many current scholars and classical music fans agree. It was recently selected as the greatest composion in the last 1000 years on SiriusXM, channel 76 "Symphony Hall." Yep, 1000 years! Wow!
He was partly wrong. The larger portion of the B minor Mass was borrowed from his cantatas.
@@shnimmuc Splitting hairs.... Bach endlessly borrowed from himself with his Cantatas. He had to deliver to feed his many children.
The greatest thing about Bach is that underneath all the intellectualism and genius, there is a quiet but stirring melody of just simple notes that grab your soul and brings tears to your eyes. Like, you're listening to a piece, and underneath it, you hear pieces of a melody and realize it is the most beautiful thing you have ever heard. To experience that level of intimacy with Bach's music is like realizing that he's your soulmate and everything he tells you is everything you always thought you knew about yourself but you're learning about who you are for the first time. It is like, being a child and discovering yourself in the world around you but you have a higher cognitive ability to understand how beautiful that is... Bach's music is beyond magical.
I get that with Pearl Jam - coincidentally, Eddie once said the only magic he knows is music
If you're a musician who learned any of JSB's music, you know he was indeed a genius.
My life would not be the same without Johann Sebastian Bach.
If you are very slow at reading
Same. Many nights solving problems, painting, writing and contemplating have been done to Bach.
@@ChowmutLe Don't worry. Your wife will be just fine...
Without Daniel Smith you wouldn't even exist
Ikr life will not be the same if classical music ever existed in general.
God, I can’t go a day without listening/playing Bach. I’m addicted
me too, when my thoughts cross Bach, and that happens very very often each day, i am almost stuck and cant think of anything else. his genius and world he creates with his music is truly incomparable and not comprehensible for mankind, it floats over us all
Same and the people who say that bach's music is overrated never listened to him. @@L1102
The Chaconne from the 2nd Partita for violin is probably the greatest piece of music ever written for any instrument. It hits all of your points - extreme complexity, emotional depth, and intellectual stimulation. It's a work of unparalleled genius.
I tend to agree. It's hard to believe there's only one violin playing! I also love Busoni's transcription for piano.
Agreed. I was going to say the same thing. It would be the once piece I would take to a deserted island. There is nothing more transcendent over every emotion in life than this piece. It is a shame he didn’t mention it at all.
Though if I were on a deserted island I would probably want Chopin’s preludes with me.
We could consider the Chaconne a dirge for his recently deceased beloved wife Maria Barbara
It's the best music that could ever been done on a single violin
The genius of Bach's music is its ability to make you want to weep or cry out in pleasure without forcing it on you like some romantic music does. The music is never overly melancholic, as if to say: "come now, you must go on." I started out as a melancholic Chopin fan boy early on in my musicianship, but noticed that as I grow older and experience more and more the banality and disillusions of life, I grow more and more fond of Bach. After all: he experienced all kinds of hardship his whole life through and still, despite dying wifes and continuous fighting with his employer(s) somehow found the strength to compose (and enjoy playing) tons of music, lovingly educate his kids and be a loving husband. He's a role model.
y a des gens qui peuvent se sentir des points communs avec lui sur certains aspect. c est mon cas. Vie dure , manque de reconnaissance pour mon art , et Foi. comme j' ai la Foi , je perçois aussi sa Foi. je pense qu elle l' a permis d' etre ce qu il était. d' avancer malgré l' adversité. " la musique est là pour servir la gloire de Dieu" pensait il cela quand il composait même sa musique profane (si belle) ? je me le demande .
I've noticed that in English, when people say "One of the greatest" they literary mean "The greatest", which he undoubtably was. I'm sure Mozart and Beethoven would have agreed too.
They did
He is *the* one of the greatest.
@@artemasgray the greatest ever and always will be.
They did corroborate that belief. Beethoven also loved Handel
Western music history is divided into two eras - before Bach and after Bach.
“I’m going to the place where music originates”....Some of his last words before he passed from this life. I will gladly support you Sir.Thank you so much for your presentation.
I can´t emphasize enough how important and valuable Bach´s music are!
My 25 year old daughter (mezzo-soprano) is now studying opera singing at "Stockholms Konstnärliga Högskola". Her current project is "Erbarme dich" from S:t Matthew Passion. I´m profoundly proud of her!
Stay calm and take care of each other!
The greatest composer to date. The father of Western music.
Well, a Lutheran. I won't hold that against him. He's still the greatest and the father!
@delosombres Everbody was "christian" at the time, unless you preferred the giljotine.
@@herrbonk3635 Bach was pious on his own accord.
@@herrbonk3635 Bach was not Christian by force, and is known for his true devotion. And no, I don't have a religious agenda, quite the contrary, I'm atheist and I stand for the point that religion is mostly disastrous and as of our 21st century it is obsolete, bloody and unnecessary, and should be abandoned, remembered only as a relic, as we remember old Greek and Egyptian mythology to understand the history and art of the time, without taking it seriously or ever putting it into practice.
That said, I stand for facts. And the fact is that Bach was devotedly Christian and stood for it, and his religious feelings in religious pieces were genuine, not simply to evade the guillotine or to keep the Church as a prestigious client.
By the way, let's keep this thread about Bach before people start an inflammated religious fight here.
@@kaioocarvalho Yes, but that someone "was christian" in the late 1600s Europe does not say much. That was my point. That's like saying someone famous is "not rasist" today. That's simply the only option.
As a superficially educated amateur, I'm always looking for a few things in Bach:
1. Modernity in harmonies. He sounds much more "modern" and creative than his contemporaries.
2. Melodic genius. No need to explain.
3. Total mastery in contrapunct. He made me pay attention and enjoy the art of intertwined melodic lines
4. Variety in forms. Is there anything he didn't do apart from opera? chamber music, orchestral suites, oratorio (passions), solo work, he composed for all the instruments of his time and the human voice
5. Spiritual enlightenment. His whole lifetime work revolves around praising God, making the listener feel a divine presence.
Even to non believers!
True! Bach's music is timeless, which includes not only the past and present but very much the future as well. When Brahms said "Study Bach! There you will find everything!", he literally meant everything. The great Max Reger comfirmed it when he said that "Bach is the beginning and end of all music"
@@Arnoudbr How one can not believe in the presence of a miracle is beyond.
@@jaikee9477 how one can believe in miracles is insane.
@@JD-jl4yy That's just your opinion, and its neither sophisticated nor reasonable.
I recently learned that Bach's organ music wasn't played for 100 years after his death because no one else could play it until then.
Im not quite sure, but I resemble it was because baroque music went out of fashion. Yes, that was a thing back then, too.
@@guidojansen6720 Then why are people still playing it and listening to it?
@@cindyirvine7575 Well, after Mendelssohn's ressurection of Bach in the public sphere, it became "de rigeur" for all organists to study his music. Amongst musicians, his music was never forgotten: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert all studied Bach. Bach's numerous students spread is radically new finger technique throughout Europe.
Not necessarily. The best organists often improvised toccatas and fugues back then because they all understood the counterpoint. It was a different time for music. Also, Bach studied with and was heavily influenced by Buxtehude’s organ works which are no cakewalk either.
BS
I like St. John's Passion the most. It touches me even more than St. Matthew's in my heart. I am so lucky that I can understand Bach in my native language, German. The text is such an important part of his cantatas and passions.
I can't believe you mentioned Bach's orchestral works and didn't mention Vivaldi's influence on him , Vivaldi is rarely mentioned anywhere and vastly under appreciated , please do a video on him
To me the moment I was hooked by bach was when I played some of his music on piano. Under your fingers you can feel his music in a different way than by listening. His chords just feel more resonant, the melodies are counterintuitive but perfect, removing a single note destroys the entire structure. It feels as if the music is outside of reality, as if they are a force of nature. There is this realm in music where chords and melodies get this extra shine, sometimes you grace that realm by accident or luck. Bach seemed to live in that realm.
As one who has performed numerous compositions of J.S. Bach in his solo, chamber music, and full orchestrations the one thing I can contribute to this delightful documentary is how every musician had an equal role in the music of J.S. Bach. None on the stage ever felt neglected or merely played an accompanying role. No boring lines for any of the musicians. Everyone is a soloist in the music of Bach!
Yes! Bach himself loved playing the viola, an instrument which did not receive the same level of virtuoso parts as the violin. His 6th Brandenburg Concerto probably began the ascent of the viola.
Passacaglia and Fugue in c is what opened Bach for me in a very young age and is what shall remain with me up until the end.
Same with me!
I haven’t listened to any of his music up to this point, but wow this video just the snippets of his music has made me feel lifted from the world and taken to another higher place, somewhere else where tears flow smoothly around smiling cheeks.
toccata and fugue in d minor is a great starting point, but dont forget to pay a visit to jesus, joy of man's desiring
Every choir singer should sing each of Bach's four great choral works (St. Matthew Passion, St. John Passion, Christmas Oratorio and B Minor Mass) at least once in his/her life.
When I was a young piano student I didn't like playing Bach. I thought it was too plunky and had no melody. Now, after much more musical maturity, I have realized that Bach does not 'have' melody, it 'is' melody. The melody is just so profuse and encompassing that it had been too completely pervasive for my juvenile faculties to recognize. Later in life, in my late teens, I finally developed an appreciation for the marriage of technical complexity and melodic intricacies that no other composer had achieved. Bach became very gratifyingly tactile when I played it, like no other composer, as if the music became an integral part of both my mind and body, and I enjoyed the sheer sensation of it.
There are many "greatest composers", depending on the criteria and our personal preference (I don't think Bach's music could be called great in a Romantic sense), but with regard to emotional and intellectual intrigue Bach is the indisputable master. Still, he portrays emotions that are not entirely familiar to us - the consuming intellectual fascination of the Enlightenment poised beside the ineffable wonder of religious devotion - so that we have an experience unlike any in our contemporary lives. I think it is Bach's genius that he can so concisely and iconically relate to us in music the temperament and mindset of Western civilization over 250 years ago.
Bach is the true musical chad.
What a legend.
Thank you for the vid!
Hahah... stupid piece of shit. Even Guns'n Roses knows what real music is. Get lost boy!
@@sativares I smell a common theme in your replies;
1. You critise a classical composer
2. You compare and praise a modern musician.
Please perfect your pronouncements, or refrain from writing rather rubbish and rotten remarks!
@@sativares -said by a non classical ever lmao
Well done. Have been a Bach aficionado for 60 years and enjoyed this intro very much. Thank you.
As Wagner said regarding Bach, “The most stupendous miracle in all music.”
I don't know.. I could be wrong. But in my humble opinion.. he's the greatest composer of all time and most definitely the King of Counterpoint.
His own humble opinion also (at least in terms of his contemporaries, maybe not saying he thought he was the best of all time) since he said if he couldn't be Bach, he would have wanted to be Handel...
IMO he’s obviously the greatest composer ever and it’s not close
By far the greatest. Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin and the rest knew that they couldn't hold a candle to old Bach.
All of them admitted it one way or another and they worshipped him like a God.
@@jaikee9477 Chopin would always travel with a book of Bach compositions and told all of his students to practice Bach regularly.
I hear ppl with conviction say Beethoven. Couldn’t disagree more. How could Beethoven hold a candle to Bach
I can not even begin to describe accurately how beautiful and meaningful Bach's music has become in my life. My journey started by watching the PBS series hosted by Yo-Yo Ma which played and reenacting the Cello Suites around various artists as a motif.
Wherever you live, wherever you have lived, there is always a moment when you hear Bach for the first time. His musical thought is universal in the same way as mathematical logic is - all-pervading and absolute. His music is like a cathedral of eternity, around which some musicians roam and others timidly enter to admire its inner beauty. I'm not exaggerating at all.
I remember in my early 20s, being a big fan (but not a connoisseur) of his music, I bought Mathews Passion - then on audio tapes. I had only read about the staggering beauty of this work, and how Bach had only heard it twice in his life ... From the first hearing, I was completely disappointed. I let the audio tapes mature - for several years, as it turned out - and tried again to listen to them. I have found that for that first time I obviously did not grow up to such music, and since then I do not look with condescension or pity on people who are incapable of perceiving the beauty of music - that of Bach or any other.
Interpreter and recording make a huge difference too. Maybe you just haven't found "your" Mathews Passion yet...
@@KKIcons I agree, but this was not the case - I've listened the same audiotapes with a several years difference in time and with complete opposite reactions - from indifference to admiration. About the recording - I recollect that was Chicago Symphonic Orchestra witn Sir Georg Solty.
Speaking of interpretations, those days I was stunned by the beauty of Mozart's Requiem and the performance was so flawless that became for me, personally, a measure and an ideal how the Requiem should sound. Many years later I heard another interpretation - with Jose Carreras in the quartet of soloists. It sounded to me both technically immaculate, and tasteless and pretentious.
My favorite composer of all time... by far. St John Passion is sublime, his conciertos are breathtaking... I've been hooked on Bach since childhood, around 5 years old and I've listened to him ever since, not one day goes by without Bach for me, it's the only thing I'm almost fanatical about. Bach has been and will always be a part of my life.
Great video! Thank you for acknowledging this true Master's work.
Mass in B Minor: Greatest Hits of Bach.
"Best Of Bach"
@@KKIcons Bach's best of according to Bach himself. I dare to disagree with Bach. I love everything he did.
Not a week passes by without listening to Bach. His music is so rich, sophisticated, interesting and spirit lifting. He is truly the gift that keeps on giving.
Saying that he is the greatest composer of all time doesn't do him justice.
I particularly appreciate you aim for the correct pronounciaton of Bach's name, as many english speakers ignore that and say the 'k' sound at the end, which bothers me
You are right but as if that is the only problem with English speakers. They mispronounce almost every European name.
I've heard them pronounce Mozart with a buzzing Z, when the Z should pronounced as 'ts' like this Motsart -yes!
And the list goes on and on.
verbumsat and the Liszt goes on and on
Or choppin showpan
@@verbumsat can't talk for speaker of American English, but British folk say /-ts-/ not /-z-/ for Mozart
I think you should sooner look at the French for mis-pronunciation of composers' names. Back, Mow-zar, Shoober.... I am British and have never heard wrong pronunciations of these in my home country. Then I went to France for 7 years!
My introduction to Bach was a cheap recording of the D minor Prelude and Fugue played by E Power Biggs. Then came Switched on Bach. I was hooked. I nearly wore out the LP. The Brandberg Concerto No 3 amazed me. As I have become older Bach has slowly made me realise just how brilliant and everlasting his music is. He is my favourite composer. Mozart and Beethoven aren't bad either. Mike in Oz
He is my favourite composer too. I didn’t know his Brandenburg concertos, so someone told me if I like Vivaldi’s four seasons. I should try it. Boy. He was right! Those are perfect
And I love love love the B Minor Mass. I don't think any other piece of music has moved me to tears like that one.
Wait until they find your wife...
Some Bach pieces make me feel like I played every note on the fret board ! After going through a remarkable voyage that he takes you on , just as you think there is no place left to go , boom ! He is just getting warmed up and takes a musical idea to incredible places . His music is so good for the brain in particular
Switched On Bach could be another attractive perspective for some listeners.
And don't forget his works for lute or lautenwerk; not too numerous, but equally beautiful.
The Musical Offering, mentioned by someone else... and the indescribably beautiful organ trio sonatas!
To me, his work is sacred geometry made music. A true reflection of the infinite within human soul.
I was going to mention Switched On Bach myself. Bach was instrumental in the development of electronic music because Wendy Carlos felt his was the most suitable to bring out the qualities of the new technology.
I am but a simple minded 66 year old, I only came to Bach a few days ago because the modern music I had been listening to was so depressing. I thought I’d listen to some classical by Bach to uplift me a bit, than I searched out an introduction to Bach wanting to know more about who and what I was listening to. Forgive me for I had no idea!!! I wept as I listened to this and as I came to the understanding how massive his works were, the qualities it had, and the person he was. It does lift me up, sometimes I imagine myself as a butterfly, fluttering and dancing around flowers. Thank you for this piece, thanks to all who have commented. Now I will continue my education in his enchanting music.
This is really great. I love Bach so much.
One of the truly great people. A monolith for humanity to gather around.
As a guy who listens to classical during a workout, whenever bach comes on i just gotta stop and listen. His music is just too good
If you want a good intro to the more advanced side of Bach, I would recommend repeated listening to The Musical Offering. It takes one theme and explores it through various forms and variations. It’s incredible once you’re able to follow along and spot the theme in each piece of the cycle. The 6-voice fugue at the end (titled Ricercar a 6) is the high point of the entire work and has the most emotional and complex counterpoint you’ll find in Bach or anywhere else. The Musical Offering is also featured in Douglas Hofstadter’s famous book on cognitive science “Gödel, Escher, Bach.”
Small correction 4:10 Bach had wasn't influenced by other nationalities in his suites, the "english" and "french" titles were added after his death.
But they were very much in the style of the nationalities especially considering how different they are in style to his other pieces and how much they resemble the style of the composers in those nationalities. So one can presume that he chose to write them in those styles.
Bach has been part of my life since childhood. Even though I did not begin intense study of his work until years later, his most famous works accompanied many important periods of my upbringing. Back then, I accepted Bach as a master, because I liked his work. Now, I understand *why* Bach is, in my view, the greatest composer in Western history and one of the greatest minds in civilisation.
His work combines several paradoxes: structured and yet creative, solemn and yet dramatic, spiritual and secular, catchy and yet profound, simple and complex. The depth of his spiritual expression and depictions of human emotions is indescribable. The Mass in B Minor is his greatest example of this. However, we must consider the magnificent Violin Sonatas and Partitas, of which the Chaconne is rightly revered by violinists to this day.
I have no problem with reinventions of Bach and I enjoy them all. It stands as a compliment to this great composer that his work is so vibrant and adaptable that it stands head and shoulders above us all in any style. Thanks for the video!
(P.S People had larger families in Bach's day for economic reasons and because of high infant mortality-- not purely for sexual reasons. That is a 21st century Western presumption, in an age where families are far smaller.)
Klasse Beitrag, danke!
Wow... that totally explains my enthrallment with Bach. His 5th cello prelude stabs me in the soul. It feels like it resonates with exactly who I am
The first half being melancholy with the want to be happy, the second is happy, but there is still a touch of darkness in the under tones. Not to mention, it was a better example of not needing accompaniment for the instrumentation sounds nearly like two cellos playing together with all of the double notes.
I am a cellist and this piece is my favorite of all the cello suites. It is a mind blowing composition.
I started at all 6 Cello suites and didnt move on to Concertos until I had the suites memorized by ear. Lol I listened to it hundreds of times and each time I heard something new that made each repeat worth listening to.
I prefer the St. Matthew Passion over the John, more dramatic.
Both are soooooooo great! 💛
Why no one mentions his weihnachts Oratorium? 😢
Yes Yes!!! St. Matthew Passion !!! I love this amazing work, which has no analogues in the world, it is absolutely famous! 🙏💖🌟❤️🌟👍
před 1 týdnem
I loveee John's beginning..
Same
Thanks so much - great! There is also The Musical Offering, from which the trio sonata is among my favourites.
And the Art of Fugue, arguably right up there with the WTC.
@@AntPDC probably above it
the five movement sonata has to be a strong point, particularly its first Allegro movement and the concluding Canone Perpetuo
@@thinkitsimpossible8718 Oh I wouldn't say that! No no.
@@AntPDC what did AoF ever do to you
As Bach would have said: soli deo gloria.
:-)
“Glory to God alone.”
..Who wrote a Catholic mass..
@@O.Z.13 And this commitment to God is, as far as I can tell, is an underlying reason for it all.
Amen!
Johann Sebastian Bach is undoubtedly the greatest musical genius to ever walk the earth. He is to music what Newton is to science, DaVinci is to art, Shakespeare is to literature. The absolute pinnacle of perfection. The unassailable gold standard, the miracle of miracles. This intro hardly scratches the surface. I've been an avid Bach fanatic for 33 years and every time I hear a piece I've heard hundreds -- no, thousands -- of times, I still come away finding something fresh and new, as though hearing it for the first time. I can't say that for any other composer.
Absolutely. Whenever anyone says Beethoven is the greatest, it immediately tells me that they really don't know what they're talking about. The brilliance (and beauty) of Bach's music will forever be the staple of musical composition.
I thought I had heard everything until I heard the Sonatine from BWV 106. And then I heard a piano transcription of it. That got me into the cantatas. Which got me into Bachstiftung on YT with Rudolf Lutz.
Thanks for this very clear overview. It's quite mind boggling when you consider you didn't mention quite a few of his works, and also that some were lost. What an achievement, and what a gift Bach has given to humanity.
A good portion of the soundtracks to the two Evangelion movies, Death and Rebirth and End of Evangelion are comprised of Bach's works and they couldn't have been more appropriate for the tone of those movies. I think this video finally gives me the argument for why that is.
The movies required music that both fit the pathos, the inner emotional turmoil of the characters and the logos, the psychological , the grand vision / message the director was trying to convey. Bach's works were perfect for providing both in a masterfully beautiful way.
To Evangelion's credit I am extremely grateful for it introducing me to classical music, including Bach.
Credit also goes to Lars von Trier and tangentially to Tarkovsky, by whom Lars von Trier was inspired, for introducing me to Ich ruf zu dir Herr Jesu Christ. Seligmann's musings on Bach's counterpoint in Nymphomaniac and the theme of Solaris show Bach's music is alive and well in the 21st century. He definitely left his mark!
Yes, Mozart was a failed Bachian counterpoint imitator. He tried to learn counterpoint from Bach after he recognized that Bach was technically and musically superior to him.
I suddenly came across this video on Bach. A very quick but fine summary of the works by the greatest composer of all time.
Good job!
Bach - Greatest Musical Genius Ever. I can't stop listening to his Music.
Sounds crazy but I never heard his mass in Bm, I was more around his violin concertos, partitas etc...
going to fix that immediately.
Thank you for this video!
@Leonhard Euler Thanks, i'll give it a serious try
The way you describe WHY these composers write what they write has actually given me the perspective to begin writing music again. I wrote a pretty neat song over the weekend and I had so much fun. When people focus too much on music theory it's just disheartening because I don't understand it at all. I just write what sounds good to me, with help from some of the tips I've learned from you and others who connect the music to the feeling. So thanks!
Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes.
Have you met Sylvia
Why is Bach a genius? yes
The first music I listened to and enjoyed was the Brandenburg Concertos. My Dad had the Concertos on the old 70 rpm records. It was incredible the beauty of the blending of the delights of genius in the sound of music.
78 rpm not 70.
This is a super video.Bach is getting better and better for eternity.Thank you for this video.
Iam going to listen to his Mass now.
Bach is dead and so are you. Even Infected Mushroom are 1000x more complex and beautiful than this old shit bag!
@@sativares stop taking drugs bro
@@Ray_TheRebel Dude! We're not living in the 1700. Time to wake up!
I love you mentioned the B minor Mass. This masterpeice is my absolute favorite of all the music I've heard so far in my life. If, for example, "Gloria" doesn't open up your heart you don't understand music or, unfortunately, don't have access to "old music". In addition, the composition can hardly be surpassed in terms of complexity.
Thank you so much for making this video! You're doing a wonderful service for us all
This is a fantastically, helpful overview! I’m a huge fan of Bach, and yet this offers clarity. Thank you!
Yes : J.S.Bach the Big One ...and it's a very great emotion ( surely the best..) to play J.S.Bach , whatever kind of performer we are ( amateur or professional..)..playing J.S.Bach an incomparable honor ..
Great, fantastic and immortal Johann Sebastian Bach!!! Respect forever!!! 👍👍👍
Bach is a forest. From a moderately near distance, it's cluttered and unfocused.
From a distance you truly absorb the enormity of its beauty.
From up close, you see every detail of the wood and all of the natural perfection that went into creating what you are witnessing.
Agree, Bach is organic, like the universe
He is the greatest. He is in his own category by himself. A genius of the kind that only emerges once every few hundred years.
Bachs music embodied everything great intellect complexity spirituality to 50th power
I always adored bachs works, never had to ge used to it or anything
A possibly forgotten genre of bach's music are his concertos. They are in my opinion one of the most popular of bach's work in concerts yet one forgets about his concertos while talking about bach
His d minor keyboard concerto is the most incredible keyboard concerto before mozart arrived and clearly comes into the top 10 piano concertos of all time
My love of Bach started when I was a teenager with "Switched on Bach". I loved the way I could, at last, follow each part.
Thank you! Most instructive! Perfectly documented! This should be given to 16 year old students at school to know who JSB is, and introduce them to the infinite world of harmonious sounds.... again Sir, thank you! I enjoyed every word of your most useful and interesting tutorial, documentary...
Js Bach... A lifetime isn't enough to explore all the beauty of his music.
@14:21 - If Bach sounds boring or old, it means you have not gone thru life much. Alot of Bach's music is about profound solitude, sadness, grieve.
Hm... Meh, I don't know. I enjoy other composers (Beethoven, Chopin, Mahler, Rachmaninoff) and they show sadness and tragedy in their own manner. That's why I doubt your point. Still, I'll explore more from Bach.
Diego A. Loaiza Acosta same man
Julio César Yáñez Santander lets say music is kinda subjekiv like even if you like classic you may not like rachmaninov because he is too agressive
@@justin_64 I agree. That comment is just... Eh... How to say that without sounding mean... Close-minded.
I know people who like Bach, they doesn't seem to have gone through "a lot" in their lifes.
Diego A. Loaiza Acosta yes man I really have the same thoughts about that topic
I can not hear even a short snippet of air on a g string without crying. Not from sadness but from joy.
I was waiting for you to make this video. Bach is my all time favorite
You're stuck like all the other people who is stuck in the 70's. Move on. Much has happened since then!
My first experiences of music was in the "real music" ie. classical when I was put in music school and started playing violin around -78. My friends, who also played violin, father was cantor of the church aside the street where I was born. Beside the studies (same teacher, same junior orchestra) we used to practice together some Bach's simple violin duets and performed them also for the elderly around Christmas. Warm, innocent and enlightfull memories. Then I was drawn into rock playing drums with another friend and abandoned classical all together. Not that it was anything wrong with that, just went that way. Years later I found Bach again and started practicing some easy pieces with guitar. Bourré in Em, Jesu joy etc. and lately a bit harder Prelude BWV 998. Playing them gives peace and joy to my ❤ Such beautiful harmonies.
Thank you so much for this video! We love hearing about the great BACH!!
If I could choose the music of only one composer to take with me to a desert island it would be an easy choice. The more of Bach's music I listen to, the more I'm in awe of this musical genius. Studying pieces in detail only serves to increase my reverence for him. But you have to listen. His music is rarely easy-peasy like that of Haydn, for example. Bach makes even single melodic lines serve more than one purpose. Genius. To be able to pen music which can thrill both heart and mind is a rare gift which was profoundly influenced by his conviction that he was serving God by doing so. Talent and conviction produced what is arguably the pinnacle of western music. This is music which rewards diligent listening. Almost always deeply complex and masterful and often achingly beautiful.
Did you or I miss the two part inventions? Just amazing!
and the wonderful orchestra suites (famous "air" containing), the "das musikalische Opfer" piece
I can not describe in words how greatly I respect Bach. The only thing I can do is play his music to the best of my ability... I only wish I could have spoken to him and let him know what his music did for our universe in the future.
Thanks Bach for your timelessness.
No Musical Offering? That's probably the most intellectual Bach has ever gotten!
And the entire suite written part time in a few weeks. And no borrowing of old works because of the new and unique subject given to him by the KIng. It's also pretty clear the subject was made very awkward by the King on purpose, to try and make Bach look bad during his initial live improvisation in front of the King and his court. It didn't work, thanks to the genius of Bach.
Lastly, the King was a big fan of the new style galant form, a far simpler music form than the more complex music by Bach. So as a kind of hidden insult to the King, when the Musical Offering score was sent to the King, Bach put a written dedication to the King on the front. If you take the first letter of each word in that dedication, it spells out "RICERCARE", the old Baroque name for a fugue. lol
@@PointyTailofSatan wow. I feel like I’m in a new world and I love it.
Bach's musical genius is so hard to put into few words, but the best I can do is this. 1 - Bach displays absolute harmonic and rhythmic mastery. Given ANY set of harmonic and rhythmic limitations implicit to any given phrase, section, or entire piece of music, Bach can weave the absolute strongest possible exploitation of the remaining notes and rhythms that are "allowed" at any given time.
2 - In Bach's music, absolutely every note is IMPORTANT, not just in the context of that isolated line, but also in the context of the entire piece. Replacing or altering any single note would be just as devastating as doing the same to any other note.
3 - There is an ever present "drive" in his music. There is always a sense of momentum towards the conclusion, and always within the harmonic context that both hearkens back towards the beginning of the piece while simultaneously looking towards the conclusion. It's just all so... perfect. It's like a grand mathematical puzzle that Bach could always find the solution to
This is a good video. I enjoyed it. One thing lacking here, and in many places, is any mention of his theological brilliance. Though he lacked freedom to move and work where he wanted, he was not an unwilling composer for the Lutheran Church, but a devoted student of God's word as well as the Lutheran Confessions (Book of Concord). While this is documented well in his personal copy of the Calov Bible, I suppose it can only truly be appreciated by one who takes the sacred texts to heart.
Theological brilliance is an oxymoron, if ever I've heard one...
New to this style of music normally into hip hop drum and bass grime. However, after hearing Jordan b. Peterson speak so fondly of j.s bach led to my discovery and love for the complexity and beauty of bach's music and then led to me finding chopin listen to both before bed or when reading thank the most high for bach
Hey, how funny, Bach didn't appeal to me either before. It eventually clicked with cd I had bought on a recommendation of a friend. A collection of songs from Cantata on Teldec. At first I didnt like it at all XD But I went on a trip and it was the only Cd available so It was the only music I had. So I listen to it several times. It was only weeks later when I played the cd again the it clicked. Apparently my brain had processed it and now loved it! :D He's now my favorite composer.
How did his congregation manage to appreciate with only one listening. After about 10 listenings one can begin to appreciate a piece of his music. I started the same way as you with one record of preludes and fugues. It was my only record. That was over 50 years ago.
Kypchu ...
I have noticed that some people can hear a piece of music just once and appreciate its beauty.
I rarely can.
It takes repeated listening before I am able to love something.
I think I know why.
Only after repeated hearings do I know what notes are coming next.
In a good musical work, I begin to anticipate those notes.
And the satisfaction of that anticipation is a large part of why I find pleasure in hearing the piece.
A grand salute from Pakistan, I named my son Johann Sebastian Bach as my love towards his contributions to music, moreover running a self help based BACH music academy. I request to all BACH lovers that if you can help me by sharing Bach work , if you can help us online by delivering lessons or whatever help you could do.. because in our country Western classic is not famous ., and I pledged that I will definitely introduce these legends to my people as well
Bach was a Super Genius, my favorite composer of all time.
There is so much to admire in Bach, but if I had to choose just one attribute, it might be the educational dimension. By giving us such works as his WTC or his Inventions and Sinfonias, he helps us to develop our ear and our understanding through study. These works, to me, embody a generosity of sharing and a desire to enrich our capacity for beauty. What makes these all the more amazing is that they are not just dry tutorials but a richness of texture, harmony, tension, dissonance and resolution.
Agreed. I think that Bach wrote on one of these works that they were for the "musical youth desirous of learning". From the testimonials that Bach left, we can see his generosity towards students whom he deemed hardworking and full of promise.
Bach wasn't just one of the best. He IS the best.
I was going to say that but you did. The Klaus Eidam bio The True Life of JS Bach is wonderful. And Eidam is amusing as he sets the record straight.
He cant be one of the best and the best at the same time
Exactly. Forget just music, Bach is one of the greatest human minds that we've known.
Gardiner in his lovely biography says this. That he is, quite simply, the greatest musician humanity has ever produced. I believe this is true.... within a generation or two there were two more contenders, Mozart and Beethoven, (all in the German speaking cultural milieu), but Bach is on a different plane.
No, im pretty sure snoop dog is better
When little, I wanted to play music like on the radio, but first found Bach in print. In it, the more you look, the more you find: A beautiful journey.
George Bernard Shaw reviewed a performance of a Bach work( I think the St Matthew Passion) and wrote-paraphrasing-: “The audience listened and yawned, and came away with a hint of something deep and profound, but no desire to repeat the experience. If they believe that this is the fault of Bach, they are most unspeakably mistaken.”
Shaw, despite his love of Wagner, Mozart and Beethoven, ranked Bach as the greatest-and deepest- of all composers of all time.
I‘m a synthesizer nerd and often wonder what Bach would have done with these instruments. I guess his work would have become even more revolutionary.
Probably, Bach would have used modern tech to do even more than he already did
Fantastic video! ... but I'm not sure about the "one of the" greatest. Bach is by far the greatest musical genius that ever lived. Mozart, Beethoven, Wagner, Liszt, etc. all admitted one way or another that they couldn't hold a candle to Bach. Mozart is unthinkable without Bach's sons, etc.
Sure. Not one of the greatest - but the greatest
100% correct.
@@BodilessVoice Yes, he is undoubtedly the greatest. What composer would someone even dare put before Bach? Mozart? Wagner? Stravinsky? Beethoven? You'd be an idiot to even suggest it. No other composer comes close.
I think it’s important to remember there have been very significant stylistic changes throughout the centuries, so I don’t think it’s very useful to rank composers from different ages. I think most people would agree that Bach was the greatest master of counterpoint and the Baroque style in general, but I don’t think it’s fair to say he’s better than Mozart, Beethoven, etc because they were simply going for a very different style of music with different priorities.
Like the video mentioned, Bach probably didn't know that he would become such a giant in the history of Western music.
The composers you listed also probably didn't foresee the impact of their music after their deaths, so it would make sense for these composers to not consider themselves on Bach's level, who's already a hall of fame figure.
Still true that Bach made a lot of the building blocks for later composers.
Very sweet. Thank you all!
Bach is the father of the music 👍🏻
Thank u
To the list of great modern interpretations of Bach I would certainly add Jacques Loussier "Play Bach" series of albums using piano, double bass and drums - a jazz trio - to deliver at times faithfully, at times playfully but always with great respect fascinating jazz renditions of Bach's greatest work. I think it is totally fitting that Jacques Loussier reinterpreted Bach through jazz and added his own perspective and improvisation because Bach himself was great improviser and there are many links between Bach's harmonic ideas and jazz.
15:30 - Remember "Switched-On Bach" - This record introduced me to Bach back in 1968! The stand-out was Brandenberg Concert No. 3.
I got Bach from the Swingle Singers '63
Jethro Tull's Bourree
BrandenBURG not Berg, i have relatives there,
I grew up the child of musicians. I was four years old when the album came out. It was very pivotal for me throughout my life.
This video on Bach brings tear to my eyes, as I am reminded of the effort required to yield such beautiful works, and how greatful we should be we are able to endure in the struggle which at great suffering rewards us with such beautiful results. I could not possibly imagine how much of him went into composing his masterpieces, but I am glad men like him give it their all for the world to witness in awe.
Thank you as always for the informative videos, especially this introduction to my favourite composer. I was always drawn to his music written or adapted for single instruments (the partitas for violin, flute etc., and their modern adaptations for guitar) as they allow for a single instrument to create both the harmonic “architecture” as well as expressive voices that inhabit them. In my view, Bach’s music allows a single person to create a very three dimensional world, sometimes even with one voice (ie the A minor flute partita).
I've been trying to figure out bach for a little while, and just searching his name on spotify is so confusing and not well organized, and no one I know can explain his works at all. This was so helpful and I'm so glad RUclips decided to recommend your channel
SkiingxMoose here is the link on Spotify I referred to above www.spotifyclassical.com/2011/06/complete-works-of-js-bach-hanssler.html
Good luck with that, I don't know how to work Spotify. Let me know how you go! Best wishes.