Johann Sebastian Bach

Series

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

2008

The Apprentice, Bach In The 1700s

20080714

Donald Macleod concentrates on some of Bach's earliest surviving works, including his first published cantata, Gott ist mein Konig.

Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft, BWV 50

The Monteverdi Choir

The English Baroque Soloists

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor)

Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo, BWV 992

Kenneth Gilbert (harpsichord)

Prelude in G minor, BWV 535a

Peter Hurford (organ)

Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 739

Toccata in D, BWV 912

Andreas Staier (harpsichord)

Gott ist mein Konig, BWV 71

Joanne Lunn (soprano)

William Towers (countertenor)

Kobie van Rensburg (tenor)

Peter Harvey (bass)

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).

Donald Macleod focuses on Bach's earliest surviving works, including Gott ist mein Konig.

2008

Early Mastery

20080715

Donald Macleod explores Bach's output during the 1710s, much of which the composer spent at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar. The Music includes Bach's earliest extant chamber work, a key work of the organ repertoire as well as two strongly contrasting cantatas.

Gottes Sohn ist kommen (also known as Gott durch deine Gute, BWV 600)

Christopher Herrick (organ)

Fugue in G minor for violin and continuo, BWV 1026

Elizabeth Wallfisch (violin)

Richard Tunicliffe (cello)

Paul Nicholson (harpsichord)

Toccata in F, BWV 540

Simon Preston (organ)

Widerstehe doch der Sunde, BWV 54

Nathalie Stutzmann (contralto)

The Monteverdi Choir

The English Baroque Soloists

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor)

Concerto in G, BWV 973 - after Vivaldi, Op 7 No 2

Richard Egarr (harpsichord)

Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152

Gillian Keith (soprano)

Daniel Taylor (countertenor)

James Gilchrist (tenor)

Peter Harvey (baritone)

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).

Donald Macleod explores Bach's output during the 1710s.

2008

One Fearsome Cantor, Bach In The 1720s

20080716

Donald Macleod looks at what was probably Bach's most fertile decade - the 1720s - one which marked the beginning of his 27-year spell as Cantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig. The music includes the little-known cantata Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, in a pre-release airing of a recording from John Eliot Gardiner's critically praised Bach Cantata series, made available exclusively to this programme.

Prelude (Cello Suite No 1 in G), BWV 1007

Steven Isserlis (cello)

Ouverture (Orchestral Suite) No 4 in D, BWV 1069

The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

Ton Koopman (conductor)

Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 869 (Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Bk I)

Bob van Asperen (harpsichord)

Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, BWV 178

Robin Tyson (alto)

Christoph Genz (tenor)

Bridley Sherrat (bass)

The Monteverdi Choir

The English Baroque Soloists

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).

Donald Macleod looks at what was probably Bach's most fertile decade - the 1720s.

2008

Years Of Consolidation, Bach In The 1730s

20080717

Donald Macleod examines Bach's musical activities during the 1730s, when on top of his regular job keeping Leipzig's four main churches supplied with cantatas, he took on a secular concert-giving role as director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. Somewhere along the way, he invented the keyboard concerto.

Badinerie (Ouverture/Orchestral Suite No 2 in B minor, BWV 1067)

Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

Ton Koopman (conductor)

Concerto in D minor for two harpsichords, BWV 1061

Kenneth Gilbert (harpsichord)

The English Concert

Trevor Pinnock (director/harpsichord)

Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112

Katharine Fuge (soprano)

William Towers (countertenor)

Norbert Meyn (tenor)

Stephen Varcoe (baritone)

Monteverdi Choir

English Baroque Soloists

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor)

Concerto in the Italian Style, BWV 971

Elizabeth de la Porte (harpsichord)

Fugue in E flat, BWV 552 No 2 (St Anne)

Christopher Herrick (organ).

Donald Macleod looks at Bach's many different musical activities during 1730s.

2008

05 LAST

The Last Decade: Bach In The 1740s

20080718

Donald Macleod concludes his survey of Bach's music with excerpts from three of what are considered to be the musical masterpieces of the composer's final decade.

Sonata for flute, violin and continuo (The Musical Offering, BWV 1079)

Barthold Kuijken (transverse flute)

Sigiswald Kuijken (violin)

Wieland Kuijken (viola da gamba)

Robert Kohnen (harpsichord)

Fugue subject (Contrapunctus I - The Art of Fugue)

Davitt Moroney (harpsichord)

The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 (excerpts)

Charles Rosen (piano)

Credo (Mass in B minor, BWV 232) (excerpts)

Monteverdi Choir

English Baroque Soloists

O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34

Lisa Larsson (soprano)

Nathalie Stutzmann (contralto)

Christoph Genz (tenor)

Panajotis Iconomou (bass-baritone)

John Eliot Gardiner (conductor).

Donald Macleod concludes his survey of Bach with excerpts from three key works.

Episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
2008	01	The Apprentice, Bach In The 1700s	20080714	Donald Macleod concentrates on some of Bach's earliest surviving works, including his first published cantata, Gott ist mein Konig. Nun ist das Heil und die Kraft, BWV 50 The Monteverdi Choir The English Baroque Soloists John Eliot Gardiner (conductor) Capriccio sopra la lontananza del fratello dilettissimo, BWV 992 Kenneth Gilbert (harpsichord) Prelude in G minor, BWV 535a Peter Hurford (organ) Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 739 Toccata in D, BWV 912 Andreas Staier (harpsichord) Gott ist mein Konig, BWV 71 Joanne Lunn (soprano) William Towers (countertenor) Kobie van Rensburg (tenor) Peter Harvey (bass) John Eliot Gardiner (conductor). Donald Macleod focuses on Bach's earliest surviving works, including Gott ist mein Konig.
2008	02	Early Mastery	20080715	Donald Macleod explores Bach's output during the 1710s, much of which the composer spent at the court of Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar. The Music includes Bach's earliest extant chamber work, a key work of the organ repertoire as well as two strongly contrasting cantatas. Gottes Sohn ist kommen (also known as Gott durch deine Gute, BWV 600) Christopher Herrick (organ) Fugue in G minor for violin and continuo, BWV 1026 Elizabeth Wallfisch (violin) Richard Tunicliffe (cello) Paul Nicholson (harpsichord) Toccata in F, BWV 540 Simon Preston (organ) Widerstehe doch der Sunde, BWV 54 Nathalie Stutzmann (contralto) The Monteverdi Choir The English Baroque Soloists John Eliot Gardiner (conductor) Concerto in G, BWV 973 - after Vivaldi, Op 7 No 2 Richard Egarr (harpsichord) Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn, BWV 152 Gillian Keith (soprano) Daniel Taylor (countertenor) James Gilchrist (tenor) Peter Harvey (baritone) John Eliot Gardiner (conductor). Donald Macleod explores Bach's output during the 1710s.
2008	03	One Fearsome Cantor, Bach In The 1720s	20080716	Donald Macleod looks at what was probably Bach's most fertile decade - the 1720s - one which marked the beginning of his 27-year spell as Cantor at the Thomasschule in Leipzig. The music includes the little-known cantata Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, in a pre-release airing of a recording from John Eliot Gardiner's critically praised Bach Cantata series, made available exclusively to this programme. Prelude (Cello Suite No 1 in G), BWV 1007 Steven Isserlis (cello) Ouverture (Orchestral Suite) No 4 in D, BWV 1069 The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Ton Koopman (conductor) Prelude and Fugue in B minor, BWV 869 (Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, Bk I) Bob van Asperen (harpsichord) Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns halt, BWV 178 Robin Tyson (alto) Christoph Genz (tenor) Bridley Sherrat (bass) The Monteverdi Choir The English Baroque Soloists John Eliot Gardiner (conductor). Donald Macleod looks at what was probably Bach's most fertile decade - the 1720s.
2008	04	Years Of Consolidation, Bach In The 1730s	20080717	Donald Macleod examines Bach's musical activities during the 1730s, when on top of his regular job keeping Leipzig's four main churches supplied with cantatas, he took on a secular concert-giving role as director of the Collegium Musicum in Leipzig. Somewhere along the way, he invented the keyboard concerto. Badinerie (Ouverture/Orchestral Suite No 2 in B minor, BWV 1067) Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra Ton Koopman (conductor) Concerto in D minor for two harpsichords, BWV 1061 Kenneth Gilbert (harpsichord) The English Concert Trevor Pinnock (director/harpsichord) Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt, BWV 112 Katharine Fuge (soprano) William Towers (countertenor) Norbert Meyn (tenor) Stephen Varcoe (baritone) Monteverdi Choir English Baroque Soloists John Eliot Gardiner (conductor) Concerto in the Italian Style, BWV 971 Elizabeth de la Porte (harpsichord) Fugue in E flat, BWV 552 No 2 (St Anne) Christopher Herrick (organ). Donald Macleod looks at Bach's many different musical activities during 1730s.
2008	05 LAST	The Last Decade: Bach In The 1740s	20080718	Donald Macleod concludes his survey of Bach's music with excerpts from three of what are considered to be the musical masterpieces of the composer's final decade. Sonata for flute, violin and continuo (The Musical Offering, BWV 1079) Barthold Kuijken (transverse flute) Sigiswald Kuijken (violin) Wieland Kuijken (viola da gamba) Robert Kohnen (harpsichord) Fugue subject (Contrapunctus I - The Art of Fugue) Davitt Moroney (harpsichord) The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 (excerpts) Charles Rosen (piano) Credo (Mass in B minor, BWV 232) (excerpts) Monteverdi Choir English Baroque Soloists O ewiges Feuer, o Ursprung der Liebe, BWV 34 Lisa Larsson (soprano) Nathalie Stutzmann (contralto) Christoph Genz (tenor) Panajotis Iconomou (bass-baritone) John Eliot Gardiner (conductor). Donald Macleod concludes his survey of Bach with excerpts from three key works.