# The long shortlist of Bach's best



## Texas Chain Saw Mazurka (Nov 1, 2009)

Bach wrote too much good music for me to keep up with, can you help narrow it down a little? I'm trying to come up with a manageable list of essentials for regular rotation that goes beyond his most well-known works but stops short of including everything that's survived. I've listened to Brilliant's complete Bach boxed set beginning to end just so I didn't miss anything, can't say I noticed any misses but it's still a bit much to chew on.

I found the following repertoire list on http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/baroque.php and it seems reasonable enough, although at a glance I can see it omits the St. John Passion, the motets, and some others I wouldn't want to miss. Including all his organ music seems like a bit of a cheat too. (The asterisks are meant to indicate that a work is "fundamental and a good starting point" in their words).

* Art of the Fugue BWV 1080
* Brandenburg Concertos BWV 1046-1051
Cantatas (BWV 4, 78, 82, 140, 202)
Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue for Harpsichord BWV 903
* Concertos for Harpsichord(s) (BWV 1052, *1056)
* Concertos for Violin BWV 1041, 1042
* Concerto in d for 2 Violins BWV 1043
Fantasia and Fugue in G minor for Organ BWV 542
* Goldberg Variations for Harpsichord BWV 988
Inventions for Harpsichord BWV 772-8013-Part Invention #1, BWV 787
Italian Concerto for Harpsichord BWV 971
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (from Cantata BWV 147)
Magnificat BWV 243
* Mass in B minor BWV 232
Musical Offering BWV 1079
Organ Music (Choral Preludes, Toccatas and Fugues)
Partitas for Harpsichord BWV 825-830
* Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor for Organ BWV 582
* St. Matthew Passion BWV 244
Sonatas and Partitas for Violin BWV 1001-1006
Sonatas and Partita for Flute and Continuo BWV 1030-1035, 1013
Suites for Cello BWV 1007-1012
Suites for Harpsichord (English and French) BWV 806-817
* Suites for Orchestra BWV 1066-1069
Toccatas for Harpsichord BWV 910-916
Trio Sonatas BWV 525-530 and 1036-1040
* Toccata and Fugue in D minor for Organ BWV 565
Well-Tempered Clavier BWV 846-893


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Some desert-island favorites: 

Gamba Sonatas (Frisch & Quintana)
Art of Fugue (Leonhardt 1969; Rosen)
Sonatas and Partitas (Szeryng 1955)
Goldberg Variations (Gould - 1955, 1981, and Salzburg Concert; Beatrice Rana)
Well-Tempered Clavier (Gould, Richter, Gulda, Tureck)
Concerti for 2 and 3 Pianos (Casadesus)
Inventions; Preludes, Fughettas & Fugues (Gould)
Italian Concerto & selections (Gould, Tureck, Brendel)
Brandenburg Concertos, Orchestral Suites (Pinnock)
Selected Organ Works (Anton Heiler)
Mass in B Minor (Herreweghe - 3rd recording; Karajan's 1st Kyrie)
Magnificat (Herreweghe)


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

St Matthew Passion - Leonhardt, Muller-Bruhl
WTC - Evelyn Crochet, Gould
Organ Works - Marie Claire-Alain, E. Power Biggs
Cantatas - 21, 140, 147 Ton Koopman
Brandenburg Concertos - Neville Marriner
A Musical Offering - Ensemble Sonnerie


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## Brahmsianhorn (Feb 17, 2017)

That’s funny, the first missing two that jumped to my mind were the St John Passion and the motets

My desert island Bach recordings are:

Brandenburg concertos/Orchestral suites - Busch Chamber Players
Keyboard concertos - Edwin Fischer
Violin concertos - Menuhin/Enescu
Cello suites - Casals
Violin sonatas and partitas - Enescu ‘49
Organ works - Walcha
Chromatic fantasia & fugue/Italian concerto - Schnabel
Goldberg variations - Gould ‘81
Well-tempered Clavier - Edwin Fischer
Cantatas Nos 4, 78, 140/Magnificat - Prohaska
Cantata No. 82 - Hotter
Mass in B minor - Scherchen ‘59
St Matthew Passion - Mengelberg


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Texas Chain Saw Mazurka said:


> Bach wrote too much good music for me to keep up with, can you help narrow it down a little? I'm trying to come up with a manageable list of essentials for regular rotation that goes beyond his most well-known works but stops short of including everything that's survived. I've listened to Brilliant's complete Bach boxed set beginning to end just so I didn't miss anything, can't say I noticed any misses but it's still a bit much to chew on.
> 
> I found the following repertoire list on http://www.classical.net/music/rep/lists/baroque.php and it seems reasonable enough, although at a glance I can see it omits the St. John Passion, the motets, and some others I wouldn't want to miss. Including all his organ music seems like a bit of a cheat too. (The asterisks are meant to indicate that a work is "fundamental and a good starting point" in their words).
> 
> ...


You need to create your own list for regular rotation; the above list reflects a different person's preferences.

With that out of the way, here are a three works not on the list that deserve consideration: French Overture, French Suites, and English Suites.

As you noted the Organ Music entry is way too big - needs to be broken down into Leipzig Chorals, Clavierubung III, specific works.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Bulldog said:


> With that out of the way, here are a three works not on the list that deserve consideration: French Overture, French Suites, and English Suites.


Curious if you have any particular favorite recordings of these. I know you've collected a lot of Bach keyboard recordings. I basically just listen to Gould play them all the time--but that's not a recommendation, it's an obsession :lol:


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Blancrocher said:


> Curious if you have any particular favorite recordings of these. I know you've collected a lot of Bach keyboard recordings. I basically just listen to Gould play them all the time--but that's not a recommendation, it's an obsession :lol:


French Overture - Suzuki
French Suites - Curtis, Cates, Cera
English Suites - Gould, Leonhardt


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