10251 The Music of Johann Sebastian Bach

Credits: 6 intermediate credits in Music

Prerequisites: none

Recommended: Introduction to Music or corresponding knowledge of music.

Authors: Judith Cohen, Daniel Sandler, Ido Abravaya

The music of Johann Sebastian Bach is considered the culmination of Baroque music and one of the peaks of music in general. The course gives an introduction to Bach’s music, its different genres and forms, and the musical language of the Baroque period. It analyzes some of Bach’s most representative works, the religious implications of the text and the relationship between text and music. The materials include scores, recordings and a collection of articles.

Topics: Bach and the language of the Baroque (introduction); Bach as a pedagogue; The chorale and its adaptation; From the solo to the concerto; The Mass in b minor; Art and craftsmanship in Bach’s music: the Goldberg Variations; The music of young Bach; An introduction to Bach’s St. Matthew Passion.