A Complete Introduction to J.S. Bach 

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.

Dont know why I'm taking a sudden interest in classical music and composers out of nowhere but my eyes have been opened.

"Bach's Mass in B minor is the highest peak in western music" - Franz Liszt

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.

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.

God, I can’t go a day without listening/playing Bach. I’m addicted

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.

“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.

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'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 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!

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.

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

The greatest composer to date. The father of Western music.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Mass in B Minor: Greatest Hits of Bach.

The double violin concerto is probably my favourite Bach work. Especially that sublime slow movement!

Bach is the true musical chad. What a legend. Thank you for the vid!

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.

Well done. Have been a Bach aficionado for 60 years and enjoyed this intro very much. Thank you.

Short answer: yes. Long answer: yes.

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!

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

As Wagner said regarding Bach, “The most stupendous miracle in all music.”

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.

As Bach would have said: soli deo gloria.

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.

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.”

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.

This is really great. I love Bach so much.

No Musical Offering? That's probably the most intellectual Bach has ever gotten!

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.

One of the truly great people. A monolith for humanity to gather around.

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.

He explored opera. It was about coffee. Literally about coffee

I prefer the St. Matthew Passion over the John, more dramatic.

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!

@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.

Bach is the father of the music 👍🏻

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

This is a fantastically, helpful overview! I’m a huge fan of Bach, and yet this offers clarity. Thank you!

Thank you so much for making this video! You're doing a wonderful service for us all

I was waiting for you to make this video. Bach is my all time favorite

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.

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.

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.

Thanks so much - great! There is also The Musical Offering, from which the trio sonata is among my favourites.

This is an excellent introduction to the music of Bach! I've been listening to Bach all my life and you expertly summarized many of the qualities that make his music so profound. I'll be sure to use this video as a starting point to introduce others to his music.

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.

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.

Brilliantly done! This video is a wonderful resource for educators, performers, and students alike. So happy to have found this. Thank you for your careful work!

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.

Bach stands peerless, on a different plane, no other composer comes close. Heard his music on my TV in childhood and life was never the same after that, only found out his name years later.

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 love your videos so much, as a relatively new listener (1 year) I find your videos extremely interesting and helpful. Keep up the good work, I'll be here :)

I ADORE these videos you put out, Inside the Score. Very informative, captivating, interesting, and extremely important. Thank you for keeping the genius heroes of music ( and beyond) in a world so close to forgetting them.

Thank you so much for this video! We love hearing about the great BACH!!

Bach wasn't just one of the best. He IS the best.

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 for this video! I adore Bach's music! You used the word " surprises." I am always enchanted by the musical changes and variations. I truly love numbers as well and the number 3 especially! I had to subscribe! Bravo!

Excellent information on JS Bach! I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation.

15:30 - Remember "Switched-On Bach" - This record introduced me to Bach back in 1968! The stand-out was Brandenberg Concert No. 3.

Thank you for this informative and illuminating video! I would love to see more in such type.

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!

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.

Wonderful rediscovery. Thank you.

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.

Keep going man, love your work. You help people understand therefore feel and enjoy the classical music better.

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!

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.)

I’ve been a Bach junkie for over 20 years. This is top shelf, good sir. New sub now. Excited to see anything else you do. 🤘

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! 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...

Did you or I miss the two part inventions? Just amazing!

That was so interesting. Thanks for posting. Thumbs up.

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!

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

Bach is the GOAT of music.

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 RU-vid decided to recommend your channel

Your channel is precious. Thank you!

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.

Bach was a Super Genius, my favorite composer of all time.

What a helpful, brisk and enlightening presentation! I've spent most of my life with J.S. Bach without a fraction of the understanding you've given here.

Awesome video! I haven't listened to those transcriptions, so I'll definitely be checking them out.

I always adored bachs works, never had to ge used to it or anything

Total Bach moment

Great, fantastic and immortal Johann Sebastian Bach!!! Respect forever!!! 👍👍👍

Nice job. Such a huge subject. It's never easy to find a place to start. Well done.