The Story of Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (Composer), Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (Composer), Günter Kehr (Conductor), Mainz Chamber Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: Mainz Chamber Orchestra
• Conductor: Günter Kehr
• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach, Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville
• Audio CD (April 16, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Vox (Classical)
• ASIN: B000001KCL
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,132 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Variations > Passacaglias
  • #8 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Magnificats
  • #9 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Passions

Track Listings

1. Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049: Allegro (excerpt)

2. In Decachordo Psalterio: (excerpt)

3. Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, chorale prelude for organ (Schübler Chorale No. 1), BWV 645 (BC K22): Excerpt

4. Concerto for violin, strings & continuo No. 2 in E major, BWV 1042: Allegro (excerpt)

5. Toccata and Fugue, for organ in D minor, BWV 565 (BC J37): (excerpt)

6. Mass in B minor, for soloists, chorus & orchestra, BWV 232 (BC E1): Et Resurrexit (excerpt)

7. Two-Part Invention, for keyboard No. 14 in B flat major, BWV 785 (BC L55): (excerpt)

8. Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major, BWV 1050: Allegro (excerpt)

9. Cantata No. 57, 'Selig ist der Mann,' BWV 57 (BC A14): Selig ist der Mann (excerpt)

10. Italian Concerto, for solo keyboard in F major (Clavier-Übung II/1), BWV 971 (BC L7): Allegro (excerpt)

11. Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major, BWV 1047: Allegro assai (excerpt)

12. Prelude and Fugue, for keyboard No. 1 in C major (WTC I/1), BWV 846 (BC L80): (excerpt)

13. St. Matthew Passion (Matthäuspassion), for soloists, double chorus & double orchestra, BWV 244 (BC D3b): Chorale (excerpt)

14. Concerto for 2 violins, strings & continuo in D minor ('Double'), BWV 1043: Allegro (excerpt)

15. Passacaglia and Fugue, for organ in C minor, BWV 582 (BC J79): (excerpt)

16. St. Matthew Passion (Matthäuspassion), for soloists, double chorus & double orchestra, BWV 244 (BC D3b): Chorale (excerpt)

17. Cantata No. 211, 'Schweigt stille, plaudert nicht,' (Coffee Cantata), BWV 211 (BC G48): (excerpt)

18. St. John Passion (Johannespassion), BWV 245 (BC D2): I follow Thee Also My Saviour with Gladness (excerpt)

19. Magnificat, for 5 voices, 5-part chorus, orchestra & continuo in D major, BWV 243 (BC E14): Chorus (excerpt)

20. Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV 1048: Allegro (complete)

See all 23 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

This hour long CD intersperses about 30 minutes narration of the composer s life with his most important pieces of music, followed by about 30 minutes of uninterrupted music. Recommended by Laura Berquist Syllabus Grade 2Author: Music Masters SeriesGrade 1 - 8 Audio CD Publisher: Vox Music MastersUPC 0 47163 85002 8

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, June 30, 2006

By 

Kelly "kelly" (United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Story of Bach (Audio CD)

We are using this series of CDs in our homeschool music program - they are fantastic! We especially love this one about Bach - what an awesome man! The story of his life is told in a way that is very interesting and holds the children's attention while also using various pieces of his music in the narration. It is done VERY well! My children are gaining a tremendous amount of knowlege and appreciation for music through this CD and so are my husband and I!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Introduction, October 24, 2010

By 

Mandy Woodruff - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Story of Bach (Audio CD)

This CD was nice to listen to in the car with my children as an introduction, but it could have been so much better! The information is excellent. There is narration about the composer, then excerpts of music. It often tells what was going on in the composer's life at the time certain pieces were composed. The excerpts are short, but that works out fine for most children.
I do have a couple criticisms about this cd. Firstly, the narrator is so droll and monotonous. I mean dreadful. I would have given it a lower rating if there was some competition, however I don't believe there are other products along the same lines. Secondly, the quality of the recording is similar to a cassette tape. It's certainly tolerable for the price and information, however. I rented some different Bach cds to accompany or study on Bach, I would suggest that others do the same.
Overall, I think this is a nice introduction to a great composer. I just wish that someone with inflection would redo the narration!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Both enjoyable and practical, October 8, 2009

By 

Nuts4knits "DB" (Middle Tennessee) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Story of Bach (Audio CD)

I had heard about this series from other homeschool moms. The biographies are interspersed with related musical samples from the composers' more famous pieces, presented in chronological form. The narrator has an old-fashioned style that I like.

It's a great introduction for those of us who did not grow up listening to classical music. The narrator always includes details from the composers' childhoods, which never fails to draw the kids in. They like the stories, and surprise me later when they are able to recognize the pieces or composers when we sometimes hear them on the radio. The kids will often get up and dance around and generally act goofy when I put the CDs on, but at least they are finding the music engaging.

Music Masters is a very inexpensive, practical curriculum choice for parents who, when it comes to music, are more facilitators than teachers.