Overview

In this companion volume to his Pulitzer Prize—finalist biography, Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician, leading Bach scholar Christoph Wolff contextualizes 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 centers 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.

Full Product Details

9780393050714

Table of Contents

Reviews

If Wolff's first book, could be described in its simplest terms as Bach in his world ', his second is Bach in eternity . -- Lindsay Kemp - Gramophone

Nobody writes about Bach with more authority, knowledge, and passion than does Christoph Wolff. This book--a great gift to all music lovers--is remarkable for showing how the largely self-taught composer set himself on a clear path to attain musical perfection.--Angela Hewitt, concert pianist Many of the finest musical minds have devoted themselves to Bach scholarship, none as comprehensively as Christoph Wolff. In his new book, he bears down on the music itself, following it wherever it leads, from the smallest secrecies to the largest designs.--John Harbison, principal guest conductor of Emmanuel Music, Boston, and institute professor at MIT Bach's Musical Universe is an exhilarating tour de force of erudition. The product of a lifetime of reflection, it is imaginatively conceived: comprehensive and abundantly detailed yet admirably coherent and clear, permeated throughout by keen, illuminating insights--a splendid achievement, indispensable for anyone fascinated by Bach.--Robert L. Marshall, Sachar Professor of Music Emeritus, Brandeis University Bach's Musical Universe is an exhilarating tour de force of erudition. The product of a lifetime of reflection, it is imaginatively conceived: comprehensive and abundantly detailed yet admirably coherent and clear, permeated throughout by keen, illuminating insights--a splendid achievement, indispensable for anyone fascinated by Bach.--Robert L. Marshall, Sachar Professor of Music Emeritus, Brandeis University

If Wolff's first book, could be described in its simplest terms as Bach in his world ', his second is Bach in eternity . -- Lindsay Kemp - Gramophone ...a very welcome and scholarly complement to the earlier biography that focuses more intensely on the music itself, the thought and compositional processes that created it... As we have come to expect from Professor Wolff, the book is meticulously prepared, supported by numerous tables, footnotes, and extensive bibliography. Readers will be particularly drawn to the detailed chronology, clearly set out for easy reference and fascinating reading in itself. -- Margaret Steinitz - Journal of the London Bach Society

Nobody writes about Bach with more authority, knowledge, and passion than does Christoph Wolff. This book--a great gift to all music lovers--is remarkable for showing how the largely self-taught composer set himself on a clear path to attain musical perfection.--Angela Hewitt, concert pianist Many of the finest musical minds have devoted themselves to Bach scholarship, none as comprehensively as Christoph Wolff. In his new book, he bears down on the music itself, following it wherever it leads, from the smallest secrecies to the largest designs.--John Harbison, principal guest conductor of Emmanuel Music, Boston, and institute professor at MIT Bach's Musical Universe is an exhilarating tour de force of erudition. The product of a lifetime of reflection, it is imaginatively conceived: comprehensive and abundantly detailed yet admirably coherent and clear, permeated throughout by keen, illuminating insights--a splendid achievement, indispensable for anyone fascinated by Bach.--Robert L. Marshall, Sachar Professor of Music Emeritus, Brandeis University

Author Information

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.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available