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Bach's Musical Universe
The Composer and His Work
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Format: Hardback
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Bach's Musical Universe
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?
This volume is ideal for classical music enthusiasts, Bach scholars, musicians, and anyone interested in a deeper understanding of Bach's artistry and influence, from amateur listeners to professional virtuosi.
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See moreA comprehensive and fascinating study of the overall creative output of Johann Sebastian Bach, capturing the essence of his art.
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Description
In this companion volume to his Pulitzer Prize-finalist biography, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, leading Bach scholar Christoph Wolff contextualises his famous subject by delving deeply into the composer's rich collection of music. Emerging from this complex and massive oeuvre, Bach's Musical Universe is a focused discussion of a meaningful selection of compositions—from the famous Well-Tempered Clavier, violin and cello solos, and Brandenburg Concertos to the St. Matthew Passion, Art of Fugue, and B-Minor Mass.
Unlike any study undertaken before, this book details Bach's creative process across the various instrumental and vocal genres, and centres on what the composer himself judiciously presented in carefully designed benchmark collections and individual works—all consequential to Bach's musical art. Tracing Bach's evolution as a composer, Wolff compellingly illuminates the ideals and legacy of this giant of classical music in a new, refreshing light for everyone, from the amateur to the virtuoso.
Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?
Acclaimed for being a scholarly and meticulous study, critics praise Wolff's work as a profound complement to his earlier biography. Lindsay Kemp of Gramophone describes it as "Bach in eternity," while Margaret Steinitz of the Journal of the London Bach Society highlights the book's detailed chronology, extensive bibliography, and insightful treatment of Bach's compositional thought processes.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780393050714
Publisher: WW Norton & Co
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 24 March 2020
Country: United States
Imprint: WW Norton & Co
Illustration: 85 illustrations
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 36.0mm
Width: 165.0mm
Height: 244.0mm
Weight: 734g
Pages: 432
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About the Author
Christoph Wolff is Adams University Professor Emeritus at Harvard University, where he taught from 1976 to 2012. A former director of the Bach Archive in Leipzig, Germany, he is the author of numerous works of music history including Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Biography, and Mozart at the Gateway to His Fortune: Serving the Emperor, 1788–1791, winner of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award. Wolff lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
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