JS Bach

Musical period: Baroque

The sheer mathematical force of Bach’s music alone is enough to mark him out as an awe-inspiring force of classical music. The great German is known above all for his mastery of counterpoint- the mathematical puzzle of playing several melodies simultaneously while preserving the harmonious sound of the music. But there's more to him. Bach's work, particularly the instrumental, is a celebration of the richness of the Baroque era of music, in which he operated- its maturity, precision and expressiveness. He is also of great historical importance, with echoes of his work found in composers from Beethoven to Shostakovich.

Easy

Violin Partita in E major, Prelude, arranged for electric guitar- The nice thing about Bach is that he sounds good on almost any instrument, and this joyous work, originally written for the violin, is no exception. It works beautifully on the guitar, which lends it an almost Carnatic aura in some passages.
Cello Suite in G major, Prelude, arranged for guitar –Tranquil and meditative. Again, the guitar shows off the music just as well as the original cello version, which can sound a little harsh in some passages for newcomers to the music.
Brandenburg Concerto No 5, 3rd movement- A happy little romp of a piece, of little serious intent. Listen to all the layers in the music- the overlapping melodies, the swapped voices.
Brandenburg Concerto No 3, 1st Movement- Another celebratory piece, though this time with more serious undertones.
French Suite in G major- A lovely bit of keyboard music, sunny and thoughtful. I decided to offer you Christophe Rousset’s recording on the harpsichord, which was the instrument it was originally written for; the harpsichord’s timbre is particularly effective when expressing joy. Look out, again, for hidden voices in the music, buried in the left hand, right from the beginning.
Violin Partita in D minor, Allemande- By no means the most famous movement of this partita, but I have a soft corner for the rise and fall of its grieving tone.
Keyboard Concerto in F minor- A cheeky, swaggering piece. The first movement always reminds me of a king marching down a corridor inspecting his guards, stopping now and then to lift a visor.

Intermediate (?)

French Suite No 4 in E-flat major, Allemande- I wasn’t sure how to rate this in difficulty; to my ear its insistent tranquillity (like the pulsation of the sea at midday, to steal an image from Octavio Paz), has a greatly democratic charm, but a newcomer to Bach may feel differently. The entire suite (not just the Allemande) is here if you would like to listen to more.
Cantatas- Warm and intricately layered pieces; Bach wrote over a hundred during his lifetime. Try this or this or this for starters.

Harder

Bach’s greatest contrapuntal works are immensely rewarding, but can be a little hard to grasp for newcomers to classical music. Do try them, though; there’s an excellent chance you’ll eventually be seduced by the intricate interweaving of melodies.

The Great Contrapuntal Keyboard Works:

The Goldberg Variations*/The Art of Fugue* (on the piano or this beautiful orchestration or Glenn Gould’s Tetris-like organ recording; also don’t miss Gould’s beautiful 1957 performance of extracts from it on the piano)./ The Six Keyboard Partitas* (the playlist doesn’t include the first, with which I’d start, nor Glenn Gould’s earth-shattering recording of the E minor partita, which is something anyone exploring Bach should listen to at least once in a lifetime). The Well-Tempered Clavier (you may recognise the famous opening, but the rest can be more demanding to listen to)

The French and English suites are also delightful works, though not all are as easy as the 4th and 5th French suites listed above.

The Brandenburg Concertos- if you like metal, don’t miss Karl Richter’s performance of the 5th, especially the cadenza.

*That link goes to Murray Perahia's elegant but sensitive recording, but the 1955 recording by legendary Bach pianist Glenn Gould is a great, if slightly eccentric, introduction to the piece. Gould famously re-recorded the piece in 1981, shortly before he died. The contrast between the two interpretations is striking; the 1955 is full of youthful vigour and swagger, the 1981 achingly slow, contemplative.

**The great scholar and pianist Charles Rosen wrote that 'There is no more deeply moving music" than the Art of Fugue. On most days I find it hard to disagree.