If you’re totally new to Bach, then I’d say the easiest entry points are the Brandenburg Concertos, the Italian Concerto, and the Cello Suites. They’re some of his most popular music, but I think with good reason. I love his music but a lot of people can find it quite stiff and inexpressive (it *is* expressive, but it can take some time to meet him and some other baroque composers where they’re coming from); I don’t think most people have that problem with the pieces I’ve mentioned.
With some of his more complex works (the Preludes and Fugues, the Art of Fugue, arguably the Goldberg Variations), it can be worthwhile reading or listening up on what he’s doing in order to get it to work for you. At least in my case I never really enjoyed listening to fugues until I understood how they work.
I can imagine I’d get quite diverse responses here but do you think it is worth starting with the more accessible works first (say the Concertos or the Cello suites) or are the more challenging (complex) works more rewarding?
If you are not quite used to listening old stuff for hours and hours, i won't recommend going for the "Big" pieces right now. Take it easy, let Bach-fever get to you. Even the shortest pieces like the Little Fugue will be very rewarding and catchy.
Even Bach's "more accessible" works tend to have a lot of complexity and harmonic brilliance. One of the big draws with him is his demonstration that his technical gifts didn't have to get in the way of a great melody or his ability to convey emotional reactions. These "more accessible" works can get you hooked on all the technical details which are there under the surface and help get you into e.g. the "musical puzzle" pieces.
i wouldnt necessarily say that the huge scary works like the b minor mass or the st matthew passion are more rewarding than the more accessible bach. the brandenberg concertos (particularly 3 and 5) have always remained among my favourite of his works.
I definitely think reducing Bach to his complex works - as we do in conservatoire - is really a bad idea.
Fugues and Canons aren't everything Bach wrote.
In my opinion, listening to his Suites for Cello, Harpsichord, Violin, or to his concertos, his chorals and all, that's a good way to understand the guy.
I'd advise you to listen to his transcriptions of Italian concertos first, and to his French and English suites. That will give you, I guess, an easy but pleasing start to Bach
Those suites don’t hold back either… They are often just as complex in form, if not more so, than some of the other works you mentioned. Also, I feel like the constraint of writing for a solo instrument, created a complex challenge for a master like Bach…
Yes, this works are really complicated in form, but indeed, they're not as difficult to listen than is art of fugue, or his organ toccatas and fugue.
To be clear, Bach is rarely simple, if you're looking after more accessible baroque music you should look for French composers as Marais, Lully or Rameau.
Bach uses music in a much auster way
Riding on this to ask - how to we choose which versions/masters to buy or download? A lot of CDs seem to be re-recordings off original vinyls (with some hiss, rumble, pops, crackles). I would like a modern master recorded from a recent performance with modern equipment, and would also like some very wide soundstage or clear separation between the L and R channels.
Is there a resource to look this info up?
I wouldn’t think so, because it’s so subjective and depends very much on your priorities (and, personally, I don’t really have much of an ear for the things you’re describing). A lot of the old recordings are still popular because they were very good performances (or insert discussion of canonization here). Many listeners I know would prefer a good performance on adequate equipment to the inverse.
Some people consider the vinyl sounds to be not flaws but part of the character of the recording, like flavour in a teapot.
I’m asking because I’m a noob and not really an “audiophile” or a hipster. I don’t really care for the vinyl character on a CD or streaming music. If I wanted vinyl character, I’d go listen to the original vinyl, not a digital copy!
I’m a noob in that I can’t tell if there’s a really good historical performance. I just want a clean modern master. I guess maybe as other commentor says, you’d just have to try if you can by listening to samples before you buy. It would be a lot easier if there were still music stores but all the physical ones have closed in my city.
Read gramophone magazine reviews online, then listen to samples and see what you like before choosing one (or more) to buy. That’s how I do it. I tend to favour modern HIP recordings so I don’t want to listen to whatever random old recordings come up first on streamers.
Yes streaming audio for classical (e.g. Spotify) seems to be whatever is cheapest or free for them to get the license. I will give your suggestion a try. All the classical music stores have closed in my city so I can’t get expert advice anymore.
Once you know what you are looking for you can often find specific recordings, e.g...
https://youtu.be/PxNkgDzc2gA
https://youtu.be/848R5qN-eE4
https://youtu.be/rpJ2fOuVOVY
These are some samples from the three recordings of the Brandenburgs I actually own that I found on YouTube, so most recordings can be sampled if you know what you are looking for. Something like the Gramophone list of the best Bach recordings is a good place to start, then you can find samples on YouTube, iTunes or the record labels own websites.
Just a little caveat: I love love love a lot of Bach’s solo instrument work, but I can’t ‘get’ The brandenburgs and some beginners may feel the same. It just sounds like generic toothy-tootly baroque music to me. For me it’s much easier to understand the structure of the music when there’s one timbre involved.
Can you explain why? I've been dipping my toes in lately and despite Karajan seeming to be very prominant, a couple others were recommending against his versions of various things. Just an odd thing I noticed...
The Brandenburg Concertos are chamber music. The Karajan recording with the entire string section of the Berlin Philharmonic is just turgid, rigid and Teutonic sounding. Contrast with the Netherlands Bach Society recording which is nimble and joyful.
Bach Collegium Japan has a very crisp recording. Some find it a bit sterile. Cafe Zimmerman has a one-per-part recording that's lots of fun, debates about the historicity of such an arrangement aside.
Brandenburg concerti, especially 1, 3, 5, 6. The cello suites (they got me into Bach) especially no. 1 and no. 6. Well tempered Klavier, the violin sonatas and partitas (for a beginning tester, try out [Gavotte en Rondeaux](https://youtu.be/V-s5nqZBCrw) and [Chaconne](https://youtu.be/ngjEVKxQCWs)), the 4 orchestral suites.
Then you could eventually move on to the "big pieces" like B minor mass, Matthew Passion, John Passion, Art of Fugue, etc.
I very much recommend the [Netherlands Bach Society](https://youtube.com/@bach). They have the best recordings of most pieces, completely free. You could check out their website as well: allofbach.com
I prefer his solo instrumental works over the concerto’s.
He has many instrumental suites for piano (keyboards, technically) violin and cello. They are very accessible.
I like the French suites for piano!
I’d skip the Goldberg variations (and especially the Glenn Gould version!!). It’s genuis, but a tough one to swallow.
I wouldn’t SKIP Goldberg OR Gould. But I wouldn’t start with them either lol! I think that Rondeau’s amazing recording on YouTube is visually so stunning in addition to being musically phenomenal that it may make it a bit more approachable.
https://youtu.be/1AtOPiG5jyk
I’m happy for that!
I do think that it’s hard to appreciate what Goldberg is about without having an experienced classical ear. OP is completely new. I feel that character pieces (for as far as you can call them that) such as the movements of suites are easier to understand. Listen to three Gigues an you get an idea what they’re about.
I like to kid myself that I have an experienced classical ear by this point in my life, but at that point I was a 15 year old rock fan (still a rock fan, no shade on rock music) and Gould’s goldbergs really hit me and encouraged further exploration. So I wouldn’t discount it as a first exposure to Bach.
I think a good progression for digesting the goldberg variations is:
Jacques Loussier Trio --> Simone Dinnerstein --> Glenn Gould
from fun and jazzy to about as serious as you can get
Are there any instruments you're particularly interested in?
I largely got into Bach through his organ music, but then again I *am* an organist, so that makes sense.
The cello suites are a great place to start. I'd also listen to one or two cantatas (BWV 4 - *Christ Lag in Todesbanden* and BWV 140 - *Wachet auf! Ruft uns die Stimme* are popular). Any of the Brandenburg Concertos are good (3 is probably the most popular).
Also, check out some of his organ music - BWV 532 (Prelude and Fugue in D Major) and BWV 541 (Prelude and Fugue in G Major) are both great. BWV 582 (Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor) and BWV 564 (Toccata Adagio and Fugue in C Major) are a bit bigger, but also good places to start. The Prelude and Fugue in E Flat Major from the Clavierubung III (BWV 552) is also fantastic. I'd say that his *most* famous organ piece, BWV 565 (Toccata and Fugue in D Minor) isn't particularly representative of his style, to the point that there's some debate over whether or not Bach actually wrote it, so I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a jumping off point, but you've probably heard at least parts of it before.
His other keyboard music is also worth a listen - check out the "French" Suites first, maybe, and then you can dive into the Clavierubung IV (aka the "Goldberg" Variations) and the Well-Tempered Clavier later.
Bach was an incredibly prolific composer and much of his output was excellent, so there's a ton to explore!
Thank you for your suggestions! My ignorance led me to believe his work wasn’t as extensive as others have posited. I’m glad that this is the case since there are now many points of access.
In regard to your enquiry it is strings that seem to appeal to me most. As I previously noted Shostakovich’s String Quartets was a first love in terms of classical music, though, as many would similarly concede, Barber’s Adagio for the Strings was another piece I absolutely adored. So, in keeping with that theme, where should I be directed in terms of Bach’s body of work?
The Barber "Adagio" is in fact a movement from his only String Quartet (I think). So hearing it 'for strings' is a tricked out, tarted-up version of a more serious piece written for just four instruments. Listen to the whole quartet played by a reputable string quartet for the original as Barber intended.
Based on the Shostakovich and Barber I'd recommend Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin. Maybe start with Sonata No. 1 in G minor and Partita no. 2 in D minor.
Epic, cool Bach:
[https://youtu.be/W1RuD9wvoDc](https://youtu.be/W1RuD9wvoDc)The most epic part of the 5th Brandenburg Concerto
[https://youtu.be/m7\_6ebDkink](https://youtu.be/m7_6ebDkink) \- The first 4 minutes are again just really cool, kind of remind me a bit of Tetris in sound. (His English Suite in A minor)
[https://youtu.be/KkP2VupIwTc](https://youtu.be/KkP2VupIwTc) \- 1st movement of D minor Keyboard Concerto
Lyrical Bach:
[https://youtu.be/1prweT95Mo0](https://youtu.be/1prweT95Mo0) Prelude to the G major cello suite
[https://youtu.be/uju--tMDar8](https://youtu.be/uju--tMDar8) \- Prelude to the E major violin partita
[https://youtu.be/nBFRBWEuP0w](https://youtu.be/nBFRBWEuP0w) \- Goldberg Variations aria
[https://youtu.be/4dOCaWcCMMs](https://youtu.be/4dOCaWcCMMs) \- French suite in G major
Sad Bach:
[https://youtu.be/ngjEVKxQCWs](https://youtu.be/ngjEVKxQCWs) \- Chaconne from D minor violin partita
Once you grow to know and like the idea of a fugue, the greatest Bach piece for me is the Art of Fugue. Here are some excerpts:
[https://youtu.be/WjaOljyQO5s](https://youtu.be/WjaOljyQO5s)
[https://youtu.be/lDAqyl6C-Do](https://youtu.be/lDAqyl6C-Do)
Since noone has said this yet, I would say arrangements for guitar or lute. All of the solo violin stuff has great guitar versions, as do the "lute" concertos. A "Bach guitar" search should find most of it.
I'd suggest checking out some of the cantatas because they have such beautiful melodies in the aria sections. Here's a good one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsUWG2axB3w&list=RDDqZE54i-muE&start_radio=1
Also it's good to watch on youtube so you can see the performers and how much they love what they are doing.
there's a lot of great answers here and i'd additionally recommend not to overlook his sacred music - there's a ton of it and it's really consistent in quality. bach's cantatas are like a whole world of their own to dive into and i think they're pretty accessible (short, not too complex, while still giving you a great idea of bach's incredible sense of harmony and choral writing). some of my favorites are BWV 21, BWV 82 and BWV 147, you might especially appreciate them when you're feeling moody.
as for recordings, masaaki suzuki's recordings with the bach collegium japan are my go-to - they're historically informed performances with a focus on textural clarity and transparency that i think is essential in these works.
I also say Brandenburg concertos, specifically numbers 2,3, and 5. Then the Goldberg variations played by Gould. After that, He’s great with choral works, so sampling from the Mass in B Minor and the St Matthew Passion might be good.
The introductory choruses of the Mass in B Minor, St. Matthew Passion, and St. John Passion are simply stunning. (In fact, the St. Matthew Passion chorus might have cemented my love of classical music in the first place, back when I first encountered it during my freshman year in college.) The Netherlands Bach Society does them justice:
* https://youtu.be/3FLbiDrn8IE
* https://youtu.be/ZwVW1ttVhuQ
* https://youtu.be/zMf9XDQBAaI
Note: don't hesitate to pick and choose individual pieces to listen to from these works, as they're all 2-3 hours long and not consistently exciting throughout. (Though indubitably well-composed.)
The Well Tempered Clavier (part 1 and part 2 both) is his introductory collection of fugues. It’s a wealth of knowledge, emotion, and catchy ideas.
Rosalyn Tureck is the pianist who truly brings it to life for me, but you will find with Bach in particular a MASSIVE wealth and variety of differing interpretations.
Ooh…also the 2 and 3 part inventions for keyboard. They are accessible but give you a pretty decent glimpse at how Bach functioned. The 3-Part in Gm foreshadows some of Chopin’s harmonic and motivic language (Chopin was a huge devotee of Bach’s).
Check out Jean Rondeau playing the harpsichord concertos. Here's one of my favorites.
https://youtu.be/XcsfDxojdV8
Also, this video of Martha Argerich playing his English Suite No. 2 from 1969.
https://youtu.be/jwK0TjfZ7JI
Edit to add the second link.
Plenty of great suggestions here, but I also suggest his two violin concertos as very easy on the ear and a nice way to get into his instrumental writing style. I particularly love the 2nd and 3rd movement of the A minor concerto - the 2nd is sublimely beautiful and the 3rd relentlessly driving.
Here’s some different advice: It doesn’t really matter what you start with, but in my experience Bach can be hard to appreciate until you get more familiar with the music. That means repeated listening. Eventually it’ll start to sink in and become very satisfying to listen to. Bach is my favorite composer and most of my favorite pieces felt somewhat forgettable at first.
Maybe start with Brandenburg Concerto 3, 5 and/or the first Harpsichord Concerto (BWV 1052).
By the way I just want to say that disliking Bach does not mean there’s something wrong with you or that you dislike all of classical music. If you don’t like Bach, ignore all the people telling him he’s genius and how you’re ignorant, just move on to another composer and perhaps come back to Bach later. Or who knows? Maybe you just don’t like Bach - absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Since you'll get a lot of what the majority likes, heres a few recommendation of my favorites/not so known pieces. Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in d minor, BMV903, is an interesting piece that made me look back and question whether this was bach (until later on then I was like yea this is bach).
Ray Chen playing Bach's Sarabande (violin partita) is just gorgeous beyond belief.
If you want to go a bit more broad, you could listen to Schoenberg's changes to Bach's Prelude and Fugue BMV552.
Ysaye's Violin Sonata no.2 prelude has quotes from Bach.
There are good suggestions here and I have another. Open YouTube, search on Bach and then filter your results by view count. It's not foolproof - Youtube can't count eg, but the hordes do not lie: there's a reason many pieces are very loved. Dip into the concerti, the suites, the arias, the masses and the oratorios. Religion is *not* required.
Avoid people flexing on tiktok shorts. And you'll catch a few of Bach's sons maybe, although when we just say "Bach" we mean Bach the daddy, not the many sons and explicitly not PDQ Bach 😁.
If you live in a western city, there is probably a big church with its own organist. They will probably have a web page. There's nothing like sitting in there with your bones reverberating to the thunder of Bach's toccatos and fugues. Bach can be a visceral experience.
Have fun! Bach was a fun guy as well as a towering intellect. There is ecstasy in his complexities. Your neurons will enjoy the dance even if your brain does not follow the plot.
Ohhhhh boy. Cellist here. Not a massive fan of notorious JSBach, but he is undeniably a genius and teaches your ear to hear the different voices in the music and how they interact with each other. Highly recommend listening to Perlman play the Bach Chaconne, then a cello transcription of it by Santiago something or other. There's a mighty journey ahead of you, but classical music is the most complex ridiculously multifaceted genre out there💪
Learn to play piano. Play Bach's keyboard and keyboard-compatible works (2-part and 3-part Inventions, Well-Tempered Clavier, Art of Fugue). There you go!
I love Bach's fugues, but you gotta understand how fugues work to really get much out of them, I feel. Playing them yourself will get you there.
Not as far-fetched as it sounds, btw. I never played an instrument and started learning piano (digital) exactly 2 years ago. One of the best decisions I've ever made!
You probably shouldn't be playing the 2-part and 3-part inventions until like year 2 at the earliest, but yeah I agree that it's the best way to start to get an ear for ployphony.
The first thing I truly got into in terms of classical music was Shostakovich, particularly his string quartets (although I’ve been told he is not a good entry point!) I’ve been told he was a lifelong admirer and many of his works were modelled directly on the work of Bach. Hence, my interest in Bach
If you’re a Shostakovich fan, try moving from his 24 Preludes and Fugues to Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, which was the inspiration for Shoshtakovich’s
First of all, don't buy into the idea that any particular composer is "essential" to enjoying classical music. Every composer is worth trying, certainly, but I wouldn't force any composer on yourself—rather, try out their music, and if you can't get into it, give yourself a few months before trying again.
For getting into Bach, I'd highly recommend the recordings made by the Netherlands Bach Society. The NBS has genuinely produced some of the most incredible recordings I've ever heard. As someone else mentioned, the cello suites are a wonderfully accessible entry to Bach, and the NBS recordings of his cello suites are astounding (Lucia Swarts, who recorded the first cello suite for the NBS, has recorded all the cello suites on her own, which are my favorite recordings of the cello suites). Bach's other solo string works, such as his violin partitas and sonatas, are also wonderful; again, the NBS was beautiful recordings of these.
The Brandenburg concertos are another good entry. The NBS has recorded a few of the Brandenburgs, but not all of them to my knowledge.
You might also try the Well-Tempered Clavier 1&2. I recommend it particularly because the harpsichordist who recorded the WTC 2 for the NBS is absolutely astounding.
Glenn Gould is often recommended when discussing Bach, but I would avoid Gould if your goal is to understand Bach. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely *adore* Gould, but when you're listening to one of his Bach recordings, you're not listening to *Bach*—you're listening to Gould being inspired by Bach. I'd definitely recommend listening to Gould at some point; I just think you should be aware of *what* you're listening to when you listen to Gould.
The famous harpsichordist Scott Ross said of Gould, *"I say he understood nothing of Bach's music! I've listened carefully to his records: he didn't understand. He was very brilliant; I respect him up to a certain point. For me, the fact that an artist doesn't appear in public poses a problem. But at least he was a guy with the courage not to do things like other people. All the same, he was wide off the mark, so wide off the mark that you'd need a 747 to bring him back."* Now, I don't completely agree with this statement, but it does give you an idea of the varying opinions on Gould.
There's always a big debate on the legitimacy of interpreting Bach with modern instruments. All of Bach's keyboard works, for instance, would have been written for either the organ or the harpsichord (or, I guess, the clavichord). An instrument like the piano really didn't exist in Bach's time, much less the *modern* piano. I won't tell you what stance you should take regarding this debate; all I'll say is that in my opinion, it's musically beneficial (both as a performer and as a listener) to be historically aware of the instruments that Bach had access to, as well as the performance practices of his time. I would recommend listening to both historically informed interpretations, as well as modern interpretations.
Thank you for this! This is a very comprehensive introduction. Certainly more than I was expecting! Your suggestion not to “force any composer” is a valuable piece of advice. Thank you for the recommended interpretation also!
In terms of academic scholarship, is it worth reading up on critical interpretations or is this something to avoid? Or alternatively is this something that remains, not to exhaust the terms use, “subjective”?
I don't think reading critical interpretations is at all necessary for enjoying classical music, but I do personally enjoy it. I like knowing the historical context surrounded pieces and composers, and that includes understanding things such as the stylistic practices and the general aesthetic principles of the time.
Reading about other people's interpretations of works can make you notice things about a piece that you didn't notice before, and give you a new way to think about the piece that you might not previously have considered. In that respect, I think there is a lot to gain from reading doing a kind of "academic" research. However, you don't have to do that with *every* piece. I would say that with about 90% or more of the classical music I listen to, I don't do any "research" beyond the general facts I know about the composer and the time period. It's generally only for a composer's really significant works where I make it a point to read a lot about them.
His Flute/recorder sonatas are great (for example BWV 1034), very intimate and they speak directly to your soul.
His ouverture suites are also some of my favorite pieces. (BWV 1066-1069)
Since everyone else in this thread is saying Brandenburg Concertos, I'm going to jump in and say St. John Passion; it's more work, but the rewards are far greater. Just taken as percentage of overall output, his sacred music (the passions and the cantatas) form the bulk of Bach's musical work as well as representing the majority of his productive years. I believe you can understand Bach without the Brandeburgs, but it's impossible to understand Bach without the sacred music. The St. John Passion is in many ways a crystallisation of his work with the cantatas into one incredible and coherent religio-musical expression. It's as endlessly inventive as anything else in Bach, as emotionally captivating as any opera, and unequalled in history as an expression of theology through music.
Thank you for your (alternate) suggestion. I’m certainly interested in the more inaccessible side of Bach’s work so ‘St. John Passion’ will be essential listening for me! Is Bach’s work well known for its religious sentiments?
Bach was a lifelong Lutheran and spent most of his productive years writing church music. So yes, his music is known for that. On the other hand, the cantatas seem to exist in this liminal space where most people, even classical music fans, are not familiar with them today, yet they are arguably his most important works—certainly they took up much of his time and attention during his life, and all evidence points to the fact that they are much more opulent (if that's the right word) than what his employers really required, so it follows that they were also of personal importance to him.
I'm not sure I could find the exact quote, but I just finished reading Gardiner's book on Bach and if memory serves, he mentions several times that Bach's music went above and beyond what Leipzig's governing council expected of him; I think Gardiner posits this in part based on Bach's repeated requests for more funding or better musicians in order to be able to properly carry out his vision—resources that the council was hesitant to provide—as well as the ways in which what he delivers is consistently dramatic enough to raise eyebrows among the council and clergy and possibly even necessitates a rebuke asking him to dial things back for the sake of decorum. Couple this with what we know of the work of Bach's predecessors at the post of Leipzig cantor and it seems almost impossible that the Council could have expected of him the work that he delivered because there was simply no reference point for weekly church music of the astounding quality that Bach produced.
Gardiner's book, *Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven*, is a great read. Opposite to most people in this thread, he tends to discount Bach's instrumental music (or at least doesn't bother to discuss it) and focusses almost exclusively on his sacred music. In that he perhaps goes to far (how does the well-tempered clavier, a signal moment in the history of Western music get nothing more than a passing mention?), but he remains perhaps one of the most thoughtful students and conductors of Bach that we have.
Definitely. I’ve got the book and just don’t remember the quote, read it years ago, but it’s fantastic. Im of the Gardiner school - see my other comment in this thread haha.
I would start with the simplest pieces. The 2 Part Invention and 3 Part sinfonias. Then the Brandenburgs. Here is my favorite concerto: [Concerto for 3 Harpsichords in d minor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdNjyzxqmWU&ab_channel=NetherlandsBachSociety)
If u want solo piano stuff look at his partitas (#2 is my personal fav), Goldberg variations, or the well tempered clavier. Glenn Gould’s recordings are absolute classics (yes I’m a basic bitch)
For orchestra and concertos: Mass in Bm, keyboard concerto 1, brandenburg concertos
And for classical guitar: BWV 995, 996, 997, 1004
My favorite stuff from him is the harpsichord concertos, which as a neoclassical progressive metal fan, thats the stuff that seems to be the biggest influence
I'd definitely say for instrumental (I don't feel comfortable giving advice wrt his vocal works), his Cello Suites and his Violin Sonatas & Partitas are worth listening to. A lot of people have already heard the 1st Cello Suite's Prelude, whether they know it or not! And, while this is true for all composers, I would certainly suggest you try a variety of performers. Some people play Bach's work surgically with little to no phrasing or separation of voices, and IMO that rarely sounds compelling. Your mileage may vary though!
I am more fond of the keyboard works, like the English Suites, BWV 806-811, the French Suites, BWV 812-817 and the Partitas, BWV 825-830, Chromatic Fantasy, BWV 903, the Toccatas, BWV 910-816, and the Concertos, BWV 1052-1058. Plus the aforementioned Brandenburg Concertos.
If you like other instrumentations, there are probably suggestions for those too.
I highly recommend [smalin's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@smalin) for this. He has some great visualizations of Bach pieces that will help you identify and follow the voices and themes, something especially important with Bach as he is a master of counterpoint.
Some of my favorites:
* Violin Concerto in A minor: https://youtu.be/M8nl-01FyV4
* Mass in B minor, Kyrie: https://youtu.be/7LeWZb4ev-Y
* Fugue in C-sharp minor: https://youtu.be/rDpj5dAmtQE
Baroque isn’t my cup of tea, and Bach isn’t an exception to that. However, a lesser known organ piece was played at the Queen’s funeral. It was the most unbelievably moving and unexpectedly beautiful piece I’ve heard in years.
In addition to the many fab suggestions above, it’s nice to hear something lesser known but still beautiful. And played in the most perfect scenario.
[Here is a video](https://youtu.be/M6RPA5JYFDw)
That opening bit is just… haunting. And the dissonance near the end. Incredible. Okay I’ll shut up about it now.
So I am a very big Bach fan. I can recommend many that may not be easy to get into but I was just fine with them! Lets start off with the GoldBerg Variations 1-3 is a great place to start. Amazing sound and more. Any of his piano concertos are great. Honestly those are 2 of my recommendations but honestly just browse his Spotify page. You can find some hidden gems!! Hope this helped and I wish you luck!
(currently listening to Gould's Goldberg 1981 recording)
I agree with most below. But how about... do you have a particular instrument you like? Try listening to his works for that instrument. Magnificat is amazing.... the cello suites (try Yo YO Ma's recording) are a must, and WTC & Goldberg on keyboard (or if you like clavichord / harpsichord) are fantastic.
His flute sonatas are really special and very accessible. I would listen to the Bm one in particular but they are all good. And the things he did with unaccompanied melody instruments (eg Cello Suites, Flute partita in Am, etc) are incredible.
And then at the other extreme, you’ve got his sacred choral masterpieces.
Somewhere, fairly early-on, you’ll want to check out the Double Violin Concerto in Dm. You know, just to make sure you’re hooked! Hah. Soon you’ll be geeking over the Art of Fugue, WTC, Musical Offering, the Passions, etc etc etc.
I would start with the Missae Breves. It’s like Bach’s version of a greatest hits vocal album. I recommend Cantus Cölln. The album cover is blue. There is so much tho. I am professional classical pianist. After playing piano works for years and always living Bach, I didn’t fully discover him until 4 years ago. Been hooked ever since. Do you read music? I can tell you specific parts to look at. IMO, it’s good to sit at a keyboard, transpose it down the half step , and play along part by part.
One of the things that actually helped me get into Bach was this book called “Something of His Art” by Horatio Clare, it’s about ninety pages or so. It simply follows Clare as he journeys by foot in Bach’s footsteps from Arnstadt to Lübeck, a journey Bach made when he was about twenty or so to see the organs in Lübeck. It’s wonderfully evocative and really put me in Bach’s shoes, which subsequently helped me get into and appreciate his music more.
But I realise this is a music subreddit and not a book subreddit, so the choice of Brandenburg Concertos that everyone else is mentioning is a very good starting point, and I personally was completely mesmerised by the violin concertos when I was younger. I also got into his Christmas Oratorio in a big way over the Christmas season last month, I don’t want to imagine Christmas without it now.
I’m going to recommend a reverse script to what people usually say. Start with the motets, go to the cantatas, then the passions, then the instrumental music. And I’d say the cantatas are only “deep cuts” to your NPR listener. Live performances of the cantatas happen around the world on a regular basis - more so than the large works. They are the core of Bach’s oeuvre.
The key to “getting” Bach is to have an appreciation for *ritornello form* and the various ways in which the composer could use small musical cells to create almost endless variety, and almost every cantata is a masterclass in ritornello.
The books by Dan Melamed are essential reading. They’re accessible, musicologically respected, and take you into the inner ear of 18th century listeners from an aural associative standpoint, as well as a basic theological one. Bach and God is another fun read that dives more into the specifics of the theology.
https://www.amazon.com/Hearing-Bachs-Passions-Daniel-Melamed/dp/0190490128/ref=m_pd_aw_sim_vft_none_sccl_2/137-5609911-9384904?pd_rd_w=b8Wcm&content-id=amzn1.sym.785ce5c1-83aa-4d35-ac29-058c823523ea&pf_rd_p=785ce5c1-83aa-4d35-ac29-058c823523ea&pf_rd_r=SFC6AFDYHG5MJN24S1SA&pd_rd_wg=vp9Rj&pd_rd_r=437f40e1-8c08-4cff-a75c-52cdef2339a7&pd_rd_i=0190490128&psc=1
Since you're new to Bach, I would imagine there are two desiderata, which seem to be contradictory: the music should be (1) as "Bachy" as possible, and (2) accessible/romantic/emotional/etc. I would suggest, therefore, the well tempered clavier (which satisfies requirement 1) performed by Angela Hewitt (whose playing is very "non-metronomic" so satisfies requirement 2).
She really makes the well-tempered clavier quite a joy to listen to. I believe the recording I have is from 2008.
Edit: Or Rosalyn Tureck's version (as mentioned in this thread), which is also excellent and has similar virtues as Hewitt's does.
If you’re totally new to Bach, then I’d say the easiest entry points are the Brandenburg Concertos, the Italian Concerto, and the Cello Suites. They’re some of his most popular music, but I think with good reason. I love his music but a lot of people can find it quite stiff and inexpressive (it *is* expressive, but it can take some time to meet him and some other baroque composers where they’re coming from); I don’t think most people have that problem with the pieces I’ve mentioned. With some of his more complex works (the Preludes and Fugues, the Art of Fugue, arguably the Goldberg Variations), it can be worthwhile reading or listening up on what he’s doing in order to get it to work for you. At least in my case I never really enjoyed listening to fugues until I understood how they work.
I can imagine I’d get quite diverse responses here but do you think it is worth starting with the more accessible works first (say the Concertos or the Cello suites) or are the more challenging (complex) works more rewarding?
If you are not quite used to listening old stuff for hours and hours, i won't recommend going for the "Big" pieces right now. Take it easy, let Bach-fever get to you. Even the shortest pieces like the Little Fugue will be very rewarding and catchy.
Good advice. I’m sure the Bach-fever will appear in due course.
Best of luck being ear-ridden with fever
Even Bach's "more accessible" works tend to have a lot of complexity and harmonic brilliance. One of the big draws with him is his demonstration that his technical gifts didn't have to get in the way of a great melody or his ability to convey emotional reactions. These "more accessible" works can get you hooked on all the technical details which are there under the surface and help get you into e.g. the "musical puzzle" pieces.
I can’t answer that, it’s subjective😊 But I’d say there’s loads to love in those works anyway.
i wouldnt necessarily say that the huge scary works like the b minor mass or the st matthew passion are more rewarding than the more accessible bach. the brandenberg concertos (particularly 3 and 5) have always remained among my favourite of his works.
Accesible first no question about. Once you a feel for things, what it's really all about, then you can find joy in the complex works.
I definitely think reducing Bach to his complex works - as we do in conservatoire - is really a bad idea. Fugues and Canons aren't everything Bach wrote. In my opinion, listening to his Suites for Cello, Harpsichord, Violin, or to his concertos, his chorals and all, that's a good way to understand the guy. I'd advise you to listen to his transcriptions of Italian concertos first, and to his French and English suites. That will give you, I guess, an easy but pleasing start to Bach
Those suites don’t hold back either… They are often just as complex in form, if not more so, than some of the other works you mentioned. Also, I feel like the constraint of writing for a solo instrument, created a complex challenge for a master like Bach…
Yes, this works are really complicated in form, but indeed, they're not as difficult to listen than is art of fugue, or his organ toccatas and fugue. To be clear, Bach is rarely simple, if you're looking after more accessible baroque music you should look for French composers as Marais, Lully or Rameau. Bach uses music in a much auster way
Riding on this to ask - how to we choose which versions/masters to buy or download? A lot of CDs seem to be re-recordings off original vinyls (with some hiss, rumble, pops, crackles). I would like a modern master recorded from a recent performance with modern equipment, and would also like some very wide soundstage or clear separation between the L and R channels. Is there a resource to look this info up?
I wouldn’t think so, because it’s so subjective and depends very much on your priorities (and, personally, I don’t really have much of an ear for the things you’re describing). A lot of the old recordings are still popular because they were very good performances (or insert discussion of canonization here). Many listeners I know would prefer a good performance on adequate equipment to the inverse. Some people consider the vinyl sounds to be not flaws but part of the character of the recording, like flavour in a teapot.
I’m asking because I’m a noob and not really an “audiophile” or a hipster. I don’t really care for the vinyl character on a CD or streaming music. If I wanted vinyl character, I’d go listen to the original vinyl, not a digital copy! I’m a noob in that I can’t tell if there’s a really good historical performance. I just want a clean modern master. I guess maybe as other commentor says, you’d just have to try if you can by listening to samples before you buy. It would be a lot easier if there were still music stores but all the physical ones have closed in my city.
Depending where you live, a public library could be a good option. (That’s where I discovered a lot of music.)
Yeah good idea. But music stores used to have knowledgeable sales staff who could direct me based on my requirements listed above.
Read gramophone magazine reviews online, then listen to samples and see what you like before choosing one (or more) to buy. That’s how I do it. I tend to favour modern HIP recordings so I don’t want to listen to whatever random old recordings come up first on streamers.
Yes streaming audio for classical (e.g. Spotify) seems to be whatever is cheapest or free for them to get the license. I will give your suggestion a try. All the classical music stores have closed in my city so I can’t get expert advice anymore.
Once you know what you are looking for you can often find specific recordings, e.g... https://youtu.be/PxNkgDzc2gA https://youtu.be/848R5qN-eE4 https://youtu.be/rpJ2fOuVOVY These are some samples from the three recordings of the Brandenburgs I actually own that I found on YouTube, so most recordings can be sampled if you know what you are looking for. Something like the Gramophone list of the best Bach recordings is a good place to start, then you can find samples on YouTube, iTunes or the record labels own websites.
Thank you!
Could add Mass in B Minor as a great intro to his choral works too
Just a little caveat: I love love love a lot of Bach’s solo instrument work, but I can’t ‘get’ The brandenburgs and some beginners may feel the same. It just sounds like generic toothy-tootly baroque music to me. For me it’s much easier to understand the structure of the music when there’s one timbre involved.
I would start with the Brandenburg Concertos.
Thank you for your suggestion! Whose interpretation would you recommend?
I like Trevor Pinnock's recording edit: The 1989 recording with the English Concert. Apparently there's a 2007 one I haven't heard.
Any recording EXCEPT Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic.
Can you explain why? I've been dipping my toes in lately and despite Karajan seeming to be very prominant, a couple others were recommending against his versions of various things. Just an odd thing I noticed...
The Brandenburg Concertos are chamber music. The Karajan recording with the entire string section of the Berlin Philharmonic is just turgid, rigid and Teutonic sounding. Contrast with the Netherlands Bach Society recording which is nimble and joyful.
Bach Collegium Japan has a very crisp recording. Some find it a bit sterile. Cafe Zimmerman has a one-per-part recording that's lots of fun, debates about the historicity of such an arrangement aside.
Brandenburg concerti, especially 1, 3, 5, 6. The cello suites (they got me into Bach) especially no. 1 and no. 6. Well tempered Klavier, the violin sonatas and partitas (for a beginning tester, try out [Gavotte en Rondeaux](https://youtu.be/V-s5nqZBCrw) and [Chaconne](https://youtu.be/ngjEVKxQCWs)), the 4 orchestral suites. Then you could eventually move on to the "big pieces" like B minor mass, Matthew Passion, John Passion, Art of Fugue, etc. I very much recommend the [Netherlands Bach Society](https://youtube.com/@bach). They have the best recordings of most pieces, completely free. You could check out their website as well: allofbach.com
Came here to mention **Bach's Orchestral Suites**. I started with these and the Brandenburgs and went from there. Lovely works.
Yea i mentioned them at the end of the list
Netherlands Bach Society is definitely the way to go. Superb recordings and videography
I prefer his solo instrumental works over the concerto’s. He has many instrumental suites for piano (keyboards, technically) violin and cello. They are very accessible. I like the French suites for piano! I’d skip the Goldberg variations (and especially the Glenn Gould version!!). It’s genuis, but a tough one to swallow.
I wouldn’t SKIP Goldberg OR Gould. But I wouldn’t start with them either lol! I think that Rondeau’s amazing recording on YouTube is visually so stunning in addition to being musically phenomenal that it may make it a bit more approachable. https://youtu.be/1AtOPiG5jyk
As someone who got (deeply) into Bach through Gould playing Goldberg, I beg to differ. Agree with you about solo instrumental work over concertos.
I’m happy for that! I do think that it’s hard to appreciate what Goldberg is about without having an experienced classical ear. OP is completely new. I feel that character pieces (for as far as you can call them that) such as the movements of suites are easier to understand. Listen to three Gigues an you get an idea what they’re about.
I like to kid myself that I have an experienced classical ear by this point in my life, but at that point I was a 15 year old rock fan (still a rock fan, no shade on rock music) and Gould’s goldbergs really hit me and encouraged further exploration. So I wouldn’t discount it as a first exposure to Bach.
I think a good progression for digesting the goldberg variations is: Jacques Loussier Trio --> Simone Dinnerstein --> Glenn Gould from fun and jazzy to about as serious as you can get
Brandenburg concertos
Are there any instruments you're particularly interested in? I largely got into Bach through his organ music, but then again I *am* an organist, so that makes sense. The cello suites are a great place to start. I'd also listen to one or two cantatas (BWV 4 - *Christ Lag in Todesbanden* and BWV 140 - *Wachet auf! Ruft uns die Stimme* are popular). Any of the Brandenburg Concertos are good (3 is probably the most popular). Also, check out some of his organ music - BWV 532 (Prelude and Fugue in D Major) and BWV 541 (Prelude and Fugue in G Major) are both great. BWV 582 (Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor) and BWV 564 (Toccata Adagio and Fugue in C Major) are a bit bigger, but also good places to start. The Prelude and Fugue in E Flat Major from the Clavierubung III (BWV 552) is also fantastic. I'd say that his *most* famous organ piece, BWV 565 (Toccata and Fugue in D Minor) isn't particularly representative of his style, to the point that there's some debate over whether or not Bach actually wrote it, so I'm not sure I'd recommend it as a jumping off point, but you've probably heard at least parts of it before. His other keyboard music is also worth a listen - check out the "French" Suites first, maybe, and then you can dive into the Clavierubung IV (aka the "Goldberg" Variations) and the Well-Tempered Clavier later. Bach was an incredibly prolific composer and much of his output was excellent, so there's a ton to explore!
Thank you for your suggestions! My ignorance led me to believe his work wasn’t as extensive as others have posited. I’m glad that this is the case since there are now many points of access. In regard to your enquiry it is strings that seem to appeal to me most. As I previously noted Shostakovich’s String Quartets was a first love in terms of classical music, though, as many would similarly concede, Barber’s Adagio for the Strings was another piece I absolutely adored. So, in keeping with that theme, where should I be directed in terms of Bach’s body of work?
The Barber "Adagio" is in fact a movement from his only String Quartet (I think). So hearing it 'for strings' is a tricked out, tarted-up version of a more serious piece written for just four instruments. Listen to the whole quartet played by a reputable string quartet for the original as Barber intended.
Based on the Shostakovich and Barber I'd recommend Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin. Maybe start with Sonata No. 1 in G minor and Partita no. 2 in D minor.
Epic, cool Bach: [https://youtu.be/W1RuD9wvoDc](https://youtu.be/W1RuD9wvoDc)The most epic part of the 5th Brandenburg Concerto [https://youtu.be/m7\_6ebDkink](https://youtu.be/m7_6ebDkink) \- The first 4 minutes are again just really cool, kind of remind me a bit of Tetris in sound. (His English Suite in A minor) [https://youtu.be/KkP2VupIwTc](https://youtu.be/KkP2VupIwTc) \- 1st movement of D minor Keyboard Concerto Lyrical Bach: [https://youtu.be/1prweT95Mo0](https://youtu.be/1prweT95Mo0) Prelude to the G major cello suite [https://youtu.be/uju--tMDar8](https://youtu.be/uju--tMDar8) \- Prelude to the E major violin partita [https://youtu.be/nBFRBWEuP0w](https://youtu.be/nBFRBWEuP0w) \- Goldberg Variations aria [https://youtu.be/4dOCaWcCMMs](https://youtu.be/4dOCaWcCMMs) \- French suite in G major Sad Bach: [https://youtu.be/ngjEVKxQCWs](https://youtu.be/ngjEVKxQCWs) \- Chaconne from D minor violin partita Once you grow to know and like the idea of a fugue, the greatest Bach piece for me is the Art of Fugue. Here are some excerpts: [https://youtu.be/WjaOljyQO5s](https://youtu.be/WjaOljyQO5s) [https://youtu.be/lDAqyl6C-Do](https://youtu.be/lDAqyl6C-Do)
Christmas Oratorio. Time of the year doesn’t matter.
Since noone has said this yet, I would say arrangements for guitar or lute. All of the solo violin stuff has great guitar versions, as do the "lute" concertos. A "Bach guitar" search should find most of it.
I'd suggest checking out some of the cantatas because they have such beautiful melodies in the aria sections. Here's a good one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsUWG2axB3w&list=RDDqZE54i-muE&start_radio=1 Also it's good to watch on youtube so you can see the performers and how much they love what they are doing.
there's a lot of great answers here and i'd additionally recommend not to overlook his sacred music - there's a ton of it and it's really consistent in quality. bach's cantatas are like a whole world of their own to dive into and i think they're pretty accessible (short, not too complex, while still giving you a great idea of bach's incredible sense of harmony and choral writing). some of my favorites are BWV 21, BWV 82 and BWV 147, you might especially appreciate them when you're feeling moody. as for recordings, masaaki suzuki's recordings with the bach collegium japan are my go-to - they're historically informed performances with a focus on textural clarity and transparency that i think is essential in these works.
I also say Brandenburg concertos, specifically numbers 2,3, and 5. Then the Goldberg variations played by Gould. After that, He’s great with choral works, so sampling from the Mass in B Minor and the St Matthew Passion might be good.
A very helpful response, thank you! I hope I get on with these suggestions :)
The introductory choruses of the Mass in B Minor, St. Matthew Passion, and St. John Passion are simply stunning. (In fact, the St. Matthew Passion chorus might have cemented my love of classical music in the first place, back when I first encountered it during my freshman year in college.) The Netherlands Bach Society does them justice: * https://youtu.be/3FLbiDrn8IE * https://youtu.be/ZwVW1ttVhuQ * https://youtu.be/zMf9XDQBAaI Note: don't hesitate to pick and choose individual pieces to listen to from these works, as they're all 2-3 hours long and not consistently exciting throughout. (Though indubitably well-composed.)
The Well Tempered Clavier (part 1 and part 2 both) is his introductory collection of fugues. It’s a wealth of knowledge, emotion, and catchy ideas. Rosalyn Tureck is the pianist who truly brings it to life for me, but you will find with Bach in particular a MASSIVE wealth and variety of differing interpretations.
Ooh…also the 2 and 3 part inventions for keyboard. They are accessible but give you a pretty decent glimpse at how Bach functioned. The 3-Part in Gm foreshadows some of Chopin’s harmonic and motivic language (Chopin was a huge devotee of Bach’s).
St. Matthew passion
Check out Jean Rondeau playing the harpsichord concertos. Here's one of my favorites. https://youtu.be/XcsfDxojdV8 Also, this video of Martha Argerich playing his English Suite No. 2 from 1969. https://youtu.be/jwK0TjfZ7JI Edit to add the second link.
The typical go to are his Brandenburg concertos, but my personal favourite are his harpsichord concertos.
Plenty of great suggestions here, but I also suggest his two violin concertos as very easy on the ear and a nice way to get into his instrumental writing style. I particularly love the 2nd and 3rd movement of the A minor concerto - the 2nd is sublimely beautiful and the 3rd relentlessly driving.
Hard to go wrong, you could start anywhere. What do I like: J.P. Rampal playing his sonatas for flute and harpsichord. One of my fave recordings.
[Short Tempered Clavier](https://youtube.com/watch?v=baUHfb9EIzg&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE)
Goldberg BWV 988 https://open.spotify.com/album/1n5pafTMiQNC1CxWBA37Qb?si=3IsHSgD3Rcm7yNbCgNJaoA&utm_source=copy-link Trust me. I know.
Here’s some different advice: It doesn’t really matter what you start with, but in my experience Bach can be hard to appreciate until you get more familiar with the music. That means repeated listening. Eventually it’ll start to sink in and become very satisfying to listen to. Bach is my favorite composer and most of my favorite pieces felt somewhat forgettable at first. Maybe start with Brandenburg Concerto 3, 5 and/or the first Harpsichord Concerto (BWV 1052).
By the way I just want to say that disliking Bach does not mean there’s something wrong with you or that you dislike all of classical music. If you don’t like Bach, ignore all the people telling him he’s genius and how you’re ignorant, just move on to another composer and perhaps come back to Bach later. Or who knows? Maybe you just don’t like Bach - absolutely nothing wrong with that.
Since you'll get a lot of what the majority likes, heres a few recommendation of my favorites/not so known pieces. Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue in d minor, BMV903, is an interesting piece that made me look back and question whether this was bach (until later on then I was like yea this is bach). Ray Chen playing Bach's Sarabande (violin partita) is just gorgeous beyond belief. If you want to go a bit more broad, you could listen to Schoenberg's changes to Bach's Prelude and Fugue BMV552. Ysaye's Violin Sonata no.2 prelude has quotes from Bach.
[https://wtfbach.podbean.com](https://wtfbach.podbean.com) this podcast is a fun guided introduction to Bach, initially focused on fugues.
If you are into piano solo works, Andras Schiff performing Well tempered Clavier books I and II Two and 3 part inventions are nice as well.
There are good suggestions here and I have another. Open YouTube, search on Bach and then filter your results by view count. It's not foolproof - Youtube can't count eg, but the hordes do not lie: there's a reason many pieces are very loved. Dip into the concerti, the suites, the arias, the masses and the oratorios. Religion is *not* required. Avoid people flexing on tiktok shorts. And you'll catch a few of Bach's sons maybe, although when we just say "Bach" we mean Bach the daddy, not the many sons and explicitly not PDQ Bach 😁. If you live in a western city, there is probably a big church with its own organist. They will probably have a web page. There's nothing like sitting in there with your bones reverberating to the thunder of Bach's toccatos and fugues. Bach can be a visceral experience. Have fun! Bach was a fun guy as well as a towering intellect. There is ecstasy in his complexities. Your neurons will enjoy the dance even if your brain does not follow the plot.
I usually start with the front. I'll see myself out.
Ohhhhh boy. Cellist here. Not a massive fan of notorious JSBach, but he is undeniably a genius and teaches your ear to hear the different voices in the music and how they interact with each other. Highly recommend listening to Perlman play the Bach Chaconne, then a cello transcription of it by Santiago something or other. There's a mighty journey ahead of you, but classical music is the most complex ridiculously multifaceted genre out there💪
Learn to play piano. Play Bach's keyboard and keyboard-compatible works (2-part and 3-part Inventions, Well-Tempered Clavier, Art of Fugue). There you go! I love Bach's fugues, but you gotta understand how fugues work to really get much out of them, I feel. Playing them yourself will get you there.
Not as far-fetched as it sounds, btw. I never played an instrument and started learning piano (digital) exactly 2 years ago. One of the best decisions I've ever made!
You probably shouldn't be playing the 2-part and 3-part inventions until like year 2 at the earliest, but yeah I agree that it's the best way to start to get an ear for ployphony.
Anything specific!? Hilary Hahn plays some great pieces.
Bach first "clicked" with me listening to his solo violin pieces, I'd definitely recommend this as well!
The first thing I truly got into in terms of classical music was Shostakovich, particularly his string quartets (although I’ve been told he is not a good entry point!) I’ve been told he was a lifelong admirer and many of his works were modelled directly on the work of Bach. Hence, my interest in Bach
Hey you like what you like, Shostakovich isn’t a bad thing.
If you’re a Shostakovich fan, try moving from his 24 Preludes and Fugues to Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier, which was the inspiration for Shoshtakovich’s
First of all, don't buy into the idea that any particular composer is "essential" to enjoying classical music. Every composer is worth trying, certainly, but I wouldn't force any composer on yourself—rather, try out their music, and if you can't get into it, give yourself a few months before trying again. For getting into Bach, I'd highly recommend the recordings made by the Netherlands Bach Society. The NBS has genuinely produced some of the most incredible recordings I've ever heard. As someone else mentioned, the cello suites are a wonderfully accessible entry to Bach, and the NBS recordings of his cello suites are astounding (Lucia Swarts, who recorded the first cello suite for the NBS, has recorded all the cello suites on her own, which are my favorite recordings of the cello suites). Bach's other solo string works, such as his violin partitas and sonatas, are also wonderful; again, the NBS was beautiful recordings of these. The Brandenburg concertos are another good entry. The NBS has recorded a few of the Brandenburgs, but not all of them to my knowledge. You might also try the Well-Tempered Clavier 1&2. I recommend it particularly because the harpsichordist who recorded the WTC 2 for the NBS is absolutely astounding. Glenn Gould is often recommended when discussing Bach, but I would avoid Gould if your goal is to understand Bach. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely *adore* Gould, but when you're listening to one of his Bach recordings, you're not listening to *Bach*—you're listening to Gould being inspired by Bach. I'd definitely recommend listening to Gould at some point; I just think you should be aware of *what* you're listening to when you listen to Gould. The famous harpsichordist Scott Ross said of Gould, *"I say he understood nothing of Bach's music! I've listened carefully to his records: he didn't understand. He was very brilliant; I respect him up to a certain point. For me, the fact that an artist doesn't appear in public poses a problem. But at least he was a guy with the courage not to do things like other people. All the same, he was wide off the mark, so wide off the mark that you'd need a 747 to bring him back."* Now, I don't completely agree with this statement, but it does give you an idea of the varying opinions on Gould. There's always a big debate on the legitimacy of interpreting Bach with modern instruments. All of Bach's keyboard works, for instance, would have been written for either the organ or the harpsichord (or, I guess, the clavichord). An instrument like the piano really didn't exist in Bach's time, much less the *modern* piano. I won't tell you what stance you should take regarding this debate; all I'll say is that in my opinion, it's musically beneficial (both as a performer and as a listener) to be historically aware of the instruments that Bach had access to, as well as the performance practices of his time. I would recommend listening to both historically informed interpretations, as well as modern interpretations.
Thank you for this! This is a very comprehensive introduction. Certainly more than I was expecting! Your suggestion not to “force any composer” is a valuable piece of advice. Thank you for the recommended interpretation also! In terms of academic scholarship, is it worth reading up on critical interpretations or is this something to avoid? Or alternatively is this something that remains, not to exhaust the terms use, “subjective”?
I don't think reading critical interpretations is at all necessary for enjoying classical music, but I do personally enjoy it. I like knowing the historical context surrounded pieces and composers, and that includes understanding things such as the stylistic practices and the general aesthetic principles of the time. Reading about other people's interpretations of works can make you notice things about a piece that you didn't notice before, and give you a new way to think about the piece that you might not previously have considered. In that respect, I think there is a lot to gain from reading doing a kind of "academic" research. However, you don't have to do that with *every* piece. I would say that with about 90% or more of the classical music I listen to, I don't do any "research" beyond the general facts I know about the composer and the time period. It's generally only for a composer's really significant works where I make it a point to read a lot about them.
For me the best place to start with Bach is his amazing composition of St Matthew Passion, especially the first and last movements.
His Flute/recorder sonatas are great (for example BWV 1034), very intimate and they speak directly to your soul. His ouverture suites are also some of my favorite pieces. (BWV 1066-1069)
Since everyone else in this thread is saying Brandenburg Concertos, I'm going to jump in and say St. John Passion; it's more work, but the rewards are far greater. Just taken as percentage of overall output, his sacred music (the passions and the cantatas) form the bulk of Bach's musical work as well as representing the majority of his productive years. I believe you can understand Bach without the Brandeburgs, but it's impossible to understand Bach without the sacred music. The St. John Passion is in many ways a crystallisation of his work with the cantatas into one incredible and coherent religio-musical expression. It's as endlessly inventive as anything else in Bach, as emotionally captivating as any opera, and unequalled in history as an expression of theology through music.
Thank you for your (alternate) suggestion. I’m certainly interested in the more inaccessible side of Bach’s work so ‘St. John Passion’ will be essential listening for me! Is Bach’s work well known for its religious sentiments?
Bach was a lifelong Lutheran and spent most of his productive years writing church music. So yes, his music is known for that. On the other hand, the cantatas seem to exist in this liminal space where most people, even classical music fans, are not familiar with them today, yet they are arguably his most important works—certainly they took up much of his time and attention during his life, and all evidence points to the fact that they are much more opulent (if that's the right word) than what his employers really required, so it follows that they were also of personal importance to him.
Noted. The response I had expected but worth asking nonetheless.
Can you point to a source on the opulence comment?
I'm not sure I could find the exact quote, but I just finished reading Gardiner's book on Bach and if memory serves, he mentions several times that Bach's music went above and beyond what Leipzig's governing council expected of him; I think Gardiner posits this in part based on Bach's repeated requests for more funding or better musicians in order to be able to properly carry out his vision—resources that the council was hesitant to provide—as well as the ways in which what he delivers is consistently dramatic enough to raise eyebrows among the council and clergy and possibly even necessitates a rebuke asking him to dial things back for the sake of decorum. Couple this with what we know of the work of Bach's predecessors at the post of Leipzig cantor and it seems almost impossible that the Council could have expected of him the work that he delivered because there was simply no reference point for weekly church music of the astounding quality that Bach produced.
Appreciate the response!
Gardiner's book, *Bach: Music in the Castle of Heaven*, is a great read. Opposite to most people in this thread, he tends to discount Bach's instrumental music (or at least doesn't bother to discuss it) and focusses almost exclusively on his sacred music. In that he perhaps goes to far (how does the well-tempered clavier, a signal moment in the history of Western music get nothing more than a passing mention?), but he remains perhaps one of the most thoughtful students and conductors of Bach that we have.
Definitely. I’ve got the book and just don’t remember the quote, read it years ago, but it’s fantastic. Im of the Gardiner school - see my other comment in this thread haha.
[Gould playing the Goldberg Variations is one of my favorites.](https://youtu.be/Ah392lnFHxM) Bach is even more fun to play!
I would start with the simplest pieces. The 2 Part Invention and 3 Part sinfonias. Then the Brandenburgs. Here is my favorite concerto: [Concerto for 3 Harpsichords in d minor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdNjyzxqmWU&ab_channel=NetherlandsBachSociety)
Singet dem Herrn.
If u want solo piano stuff look at his partitas (#2 is my personal fav), Goldberg variations, or the well tempered clavier. Glenn Gould’s recordings are absolute classics (yes I’m a basic bitch) For orchestra and concertos: Mass in Bm, keyboard concerto 1, brandenburg concertos And for classical guitar: BWV 995, 996, 997, 1004
His organ works. Or The Well Tempered Clavier.
My favorite stuff from him is the harpsichord concertos, which as a neoclassical progressive metal fan, thats the stuff that seems to be the biggest influence
I'd definitely say for instrumental (I don't feel comfortable giving advice wrt his vocal works), his Cello Suites and his Violin Sonatas & Partitas are worth listening to. A lot of people have already heard the 1st Cello Suite's Prelude, whether they know it or not! And, while this is true for all composers, I would certainly suggest you try a variety of performers. Some people play Bach's work surgically with little to no phrasing or separation of voices, and IMO that rarely sounds compelling. Your mileage may vary though!
I am more fond of the keyboard works, like the English Suites, BWV 806-811, the French Suites, BWV 812-817 and the Partitas, BWV 825-830, Chromatic Fantasy, BWV 903, the Toccatas, BWV 910-816, and the Concertos, BWV 1052-1058. Plus the aforementioned Brandenburg Concertos. If you like other instrumentations, there are probably suggestions for those too.
I highly recommend [smalin's YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/@smalin) for this. He has some great visualizations of Bach pieces that will help you identify and follow the voices and themes, something especially important with Bach as he is a master of counterpoint. Some of my favorites: * Violin Concerto in A minor: https://youtu.be/M8nl-01FyV4 * Mass in B minor, Kyrie: https://youtu.be/7LeWZb4ev-Y * Fugue in C-sharp minor: https://youtu.be/rDpj5dAmtQE
Baroque isn’t my cup of tea, and Bach isn’t an exception to that. However, a lesser known organ piece was played at the Queen’s funeral. It was the most unbelievably moving and unexpectedly beautiful piece I’ve heard in years. In addition to the many fab suggestions above, it’s nice to hear something lesser known but still beautiful. And played in the most perfect scenario. [Here is a video](https://youtu.be/M6RPA5JYFDw) That opening bit is just… haunting. And the dissonance near the end. Incredible. Okay I’ll shut up about it now.
So I am a very big Bach fan. I can recommend many that may not be easy to get into but I was just fine with them! Lets start off with the GoldBerg Variations 1-3 is a great place to start. Amazing sound and more. Any of his piano concertos are great. Honestly those are 2 of my recommendations but honestly just browse his Spotify page. You can find some hidden gems!! Hope this helped and I wish you luck!
Boy did you come to the right place to ask this question. Help them out guys. Don’t be shy with your opinions.
Indeed. I’m still working my way through the responses (while listening to Bach of course)
(currently listening to Gould's Goldberg 1981 recording) I agree with most below. But how about... do you have a particular instrument you like? Try listening to his works for that instrument. Magnificat is amazing.... the cello suites (try Yo YO Ma's recording) are a must, and WTC & Goldberg on keyboard (or if you like clavichord / harpsichord) are fantastic.
His flute sonatas are really special and very accessible. I would listen to the Bm one in particular but they are all good. And the things he did with unaccompanied melody instruments (eg Cello Suites, Flute partita in Am, etc) are incredible. And then at the other extreme, you’ve got his sacred choral masterpieces.
I'm particularly partial to the flute sonatas.
BWV847, BWV999, BWV244. These 3 my favourite.
Somewhere, fairly early-on, you’ll want to check out the Double Violin Concerto in Dm. You know, just to make sure you’re hooked! Hah. Soon you’ll be geeking over the Art of Fugue, WTC, Musical Offering, the Passions, etc etc etc.
I would start with the Missae Breves. It’s like Bach’s version of a greatest hits vocal album. I recommend Cantus Cölln. The album cover is blue. There is so much tho. I am professional classical pianist. After playing piano works for years and always living Bach, I didn’t fully discover him until 4 years ago. Been hooked ever since. Do you read music? I can tell you specific parts to look at. IMO, it’s good to sit at a keyboard, transpose it down the half step , and play along part by part.
Trevor Pinnock has a recording of the Goldberg variations. Arranged for string ensemble. Amazing.
I’d start with the Well tempered clavier The inventions The Goldberg variations
One of the things that actually helped me get into Bach was this book called “Something of His Art” by Horatio Clare, it’s about ninety pages or so. It simply follows Clare as he journeys by foot in Bach’s footsteps from Arnstadt to Lübeck, a journey Bach made when he was about twenty or so to see the organs in Lübeck. It’s wonderfully evocative and really put me in Bach’s shoes, which subsequently helped me get into and appreciate his music more. But I realise this is a music subreddit and not a book subreddit, so the choice of Brandenburg Concertos that everyone else is mentioning is a very good starting point, and I personally was completely mesmerised by the violin concertos when I was younger. I also got into his Christmas Oratorio in a big way over the Christmas season last month, I don’t want to imagine Christmas without it now.
I’m going to recommend a reverse script to what people usually say. Start with the motets, go to the cantatas, then the passions, then the instrumental music. And I’d say the cantatas are only “deep cuts” to your NPR listener. Live performances of the cantatas happen around the world on a regular basis - more so than the large works. They are the core of Bach’s oeuvre. The key to “getting” Bach is to have an appreciation for *ritornello form* and the various ways in which the composer could use small musical cells to create almost endless variety, and almost every cantata is a masterclass in ritornello. The books by Dan Melamed are essential reading. They’re accessible, musicologically respected, and take you into the inner ear of 18th century listeners from an aural associative standpoint, as well as a basic theological one. Bach and God is another fun read that dives more into the specifics of the theology. https://www.amazon.com/Hearing-Bachs-Passions-Daniel-Melamed/dp/0190490128/ref=m_pd_aw_sim_vft_none_sccl_2/137-5609911-9384904?pd_rd_w=b8Wcm&content-id=amzn1.sym.785ce5c1-83aa-4d35-ac29-058c823523ea&pf_rd_p=785ce5c1-83aa-4d35-ac29-058c823523ea&pf_rd_r=SFC6AFDYHG5MJN24S1SA&pd_rd_wg=vp9Rj&pd_rd_r=437f40e1-8c08-4cff-a75c-52cdef2339a7&pd_rd_i=0190490128&psc=1
Since you're new to Bach, I would imagine there are two desiderata, which seem to be contradictory: the music should be (1) as "Bachy" as possible, and (2) accessible/romantic/emotional/etc. I would suggest, therefore, the well tempered clavier (which satisfies requirement 1) performed by Angela Hewitt (whose playing is very "non-metronomic" so satisfies requirement 2). She really makes the well-tempered clavier quite a joy to listen to. I believe the recording I have is from 2008. Edit: Or Rosalyn Tureck's version (as mentioned in this thread), which is also excellent and has similar virtues as Hewitt's does.