# Which are the five greatest works by Johann Sebastian Bach in your opinion?



## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

The works are ordered more or less chronologically. Define "greatest" as you wish. If you choose _Other(s)_, please tell us here in the comments section which work(s) you had in mind.

You may change your vote later.


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Top ten most voted works that belong to Johann Sebastain Bach's five greatest according to the poll at the moment (in case of tie, later work gets priority in the ordering):

1. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (22 votes)
2. Mass in B minor, BWV 232 (18 votes)
3. The Well-Tempered Clavier [Book II], BWV 870-893 (18 votes)
4. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (17 votes)
5. The Well-Tempered Clavier [Book I], BWV 846-869 (16 votes)
6. Cello Suites (14 votes)
7. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 (11 votes)
8. Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051 (10 votes)
9. Violin Concertos, BWV 1041-1043 (8 votes)
10. Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006 (8 votes)

Total voters at the moment: 37.

Last update: 09/08/2022.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

WTC I
WTC II
Goldbergs
Cello suites
Brandenburg concertos

I am aware that many lists will include the B minor mass and/or St. Matthew Passion and I understand those choices. Granted, these works contain beautiful passages and Bach's extraordinay penmanship but religious music just does not do it for me, for the most part.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

I think that I love, like and appreciate around 1000+ works of Bach , but I picked these five:

Johannes-Passion BWV 245
Matthäus-Passion BWV 244
Die Kunst der Fuge BWV 1080
Clavier-Übung III ("Orgelmesse") BWV 552 et al
Trio Sonatas für die Orgel BWV 525-530

These works take me on a journey that I wish would never stop.

(But leaving out all the other journeys was tough.)


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## Waehnen (Oct 31, 2021)

Die Brandenburgischen Konzerte
Cello Suites
Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I & II
Violin concertos

Those I find myself listening to the most!


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Matthäus-Passion 
Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I & II 
Cello Suites 
Cantata "Ich Habe Genug"

I followed the rules, but I would have loved to vote for the Johannes-Passion as well. And it pains me that I could not vote for any of his amazing organ works.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

Art Rock said:


> Matthäus-Passion
> Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I & II
> Cello Suites
> Cantata "Ich Habe Genug"
> ...


It's a good thing that a super moderator follows the rules! 

I.c. the amazing organ works:
You could have voted for f.i. the Passacaglia, the trio sonatas, the Organ Mass and the Leipzig Chorales in this poll.
Which is quite a broad selection, considering the 'fact' that organ music tends to be a bit forgotten among classical music lovers, and not really taken into consideration or looked upon as being an acquired taste (well, that's my experience at least).

(I took advantage of the opportunity anyway!)


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Marc said:


> I.c. the amazing organ works:
> You could have voted for f.i. the Passacaglia, the trio sonatas, the Organ Mass and the Leipzig Chorales in this poll.
> Which is quite a broad selection, considering the 'fact' that organ music tends to be a bit forgotten among classical music lovers, and not really taken into consideration or looked upon as being an acquired taste (well, that's my experience at least).


In theory, yes, but not with the practical limitation of five votes. The five works I selected took priority over any of the organ works.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

Art Rock said:


> In theory, yes, but not with the practical limitation of five votes. The five works I selected took priority over any of the organ works.


Yeah. These polls are rough and tough.
To get rid of my personal feelings of guilt, I have planned a listening session this evening with a.o. BWV 542, 544, 546 and 548, and at work I will be listening (on headphones) to the Brandenburg Concertos.


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## Yabetz (Sep 6, 2021)

Impossible to do, because then there will be another equally stupendous 5 that you can't choose, and then another and then another and then another. I can think of 5 individual cantatas that can fit right along with everything else on the list.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

Yabetz said:


> [..] I can think of 5 individual cantatas that can fit right along with everything else on the list.


Oh yes. No question about that.
I will have to expand my listening session this evening.


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## haziz (Sep 15, 2017)

1. Cello Suites
2. Goldberg Variations


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## SanAntone (May 10, 2020)

The Well-Tempered Clavier, I & II, should be considered one work even though its composition was separated in time. Pianists call it "The 48" since they consider it one work. The poll is problematic because it splits the WTC into two works, denying me one choice, hence I was unable to cast my votes as I wished.

WTC
GV
Mass in B Minor
St. Matthew Passion
Art of Fugue


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

St. Matthew Passion
Magnificat
Easter Oratorio
Brandenburg concertos
"St. Anne" Prelude and Fugue BWV 552
Six Keyboard Partitas
Toccata Adagio and Fugue BWV 564
Cantata BWV 56, 71 and 78
Four Orchestral Suites
Double Concerto BWV 1060
Triple Concerto BWV 1044
Keyboard Concertos Nos. 1 and 3


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

as a guitarist, I am appalled that the Lute suites are not on that list. 

for me the 5 greatest Bach works are the suites for Lute 1 thru 4 and then pick anything you want for #5


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## Yabetz (Sep 6, 2021)

Nate Miller said:


> as a guitarist, I am appalled that the Lute suites are not on that list.
> 
> for me the 5 greatest Bach works are the suites for Lute 1 thru 4 and then pick anything you want for #5


They really are beautiful and I think sound best on guitar. I fool around a little with CG (along with too many other things) and would love to learn to play this:


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

that was a nice clip. the recording I'm most familiar with is John Williams and he plays it quicker. I liked the pace of that. 

The Bouree from the e minor suite is in the Fredrick Noad Baroque anthology, so almost everyone who plays a guitar has had a go at it when they were starting out. I love the prelude in the e minor suite. The presto section is a real bear, but its worth the time you have to put into it. The prelude of the 4th (e major) has one of my favorite long ideas in any Bach work. He really did understand my instrument and he takes full advantage of how the instrument is tuned. 

The g minor lute suite is actually Bach's own transcription of Cello Suite no 5. That one is interesting because it isn't often that you get a piece that is a composer's transcription of another of his own works.

and so there's alot going on in these lute suites. Quite alot for a set of pieces that didn't even make the hot 20


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## ORigel (May 7, 2020)

I chose the Mass in B Minor, The Art of Fugue, The St. Matthew Passion, The WTC Book II, and the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. 

However, there is A LOT of Bach I haven't listened to yet, or haven't listened to in depth. That includes nearly all the cantatas.


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Nate Miller said:


> as a guitarist, I am appalled that the Lute suites are not on that list.
> 
> for me the 5 greatest Bach works are the suites for Lute 1 thru 4 and then pick anything you want for #5


Of course two of the suites are on the list already, but the two suites written for lautenwerck, BWV 996 and 997 along with the Prelude, Fugue and Allegro BWV 998 (also written for lautenwerck) deserve to be on the list


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

Bwv 1080 said:


> Of course two of the suites are on the list already



the cello suites are listed, and since the g minor lute suite is a transcription of one of the cello suites, I guess that means there is a lute suite listed, but to me that is like me telling everyone I performed 2 Bach suites because I played the g minor lute suite. Maybe put it in the program as a two-for -one 😄 

but I might have just missed it, too


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Nate Miller said:


> the cello suites are listed, and since the g minor lute suite is a transcription of one of the cello suites, I guess that means there is a lute suite listed, but to me that is like me telling everyone I performed 2 Bach suites because I played the g minor lute suite. Maybe put it in the program as a two-for -one 😄
> 
> but I might have just missed it, too


yes and BWV 1006a, the 4th lute suite is an arrangement of 1006, the violin partita.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

Die Brandenburgischen Konzerte
Cello Suites
Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I & II
Tocatta & Fugue in D minor BWV 565
St Matthew Passion


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

WTC I & II
The works for lautenwerck (lute-harpsichord) BWV 996-8 (later arranged for lute, maybe by Bach himself)
Italian Concerto
Art of Fugue
Brandenburg Concertos


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## Nate Miller (Oct 24, 2016)

Bwv 1080 said:


> yes and BWV 1006a, the 4th lute suite is an arrangement of 1006, the violin partita.



I didn't know that, thanks!

the Fugue BWV 1000 is another one of those that there is a version for violin, piano and lute. The violin is in g minor, but the piano and lute versions are in a minor

this makes me want to look into the violin partitas. I've never really looked at those, but they have all been transcribed for guitar like the cello suites


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## Bwv 1080 (Dec 31, 2018)

Yabetz said:


> They really are beautiful and I think sound best on guitar. I fool around a little with CG (along with too many other things) and would love to learn to play this:


Although they also sound great on the instrument for which they were written


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## bagpipers (Jun 29, 2013)

1.Mass in H moll (B minor)

2.Brandenburgh Concerto's (especially no.1 in F)

3.St Mathew's Passion 

4.Violin partita no.2 in D minor (Chaconne)

5.Well Tempered Clavier


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## Josquin13 (Nov 7, 2017)

1. Cantata BWV 19, which is one of Bach's 'Michaelmas' Cantatas. I'd like to choose the whole group of "Michaelmas" Cantatas--they are BWV 50 (a one movement fragment for double choir), 130, 19, 149--but I guess not? During his live Bach pilgrimage tour, John Eliot Gardiner had the "Michelmas" Cantatas marked in bright red on his calendar. That's how excited he was to conduct them in concert. For example, the opening to the 1st movement of BWV 19 contains some of the most mind blowing fugal writing in all of Bach. I also love the opening to BWV 130, as well, which contains a wonderful series of violin slurs or graces (which is a series of short, quick pick ups or thrusts on the violins)--that is, if an oversized, cumbersome choir doesn't bog them down (in which case they won't work as Baroque graces). I'd suggest that you turn up the volume,

--One-voice-to-a-part, Eric Milnes, Montreal Baroque, BWV 19:





--John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists, & 24 member Monteverdi Choir--BWV 50, 130, 19, 149:





2. Mass in B minor--along with Handel's Messiah, Bach's "Great Mass" is one of the two greatest choral works composed after the Middle Ages & Renaissance, IMO:














3. Brandenburg Concertos 1-6:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F Major, BWV 1046: I. Allegro

Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B-Flat Major, BWV 1051: I. Allegro

4. Violin Concertos--especially the slow movements to his Double Concerto for two violins, BWV 1040, and the Concerto for violin & oboe, BWV 1060:

Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043: I. Vivace
J.S. Bach - Concerto for 2 Violins in D Minor, BWV 1043 / Hilary Hahn - Margaret Batjer (HQ - HD)

J.S. Bach Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C minor BWV 1060, Kremer Holliger
Concerto for Violin and Oboe in C Minor, BWV 1060R: I. Allegro

5. The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 & 2

AFANASSIEV, Bach "THE WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER" BOOK Ⅰ (1)
AFANASSIEV, Bach BWV869 Fugue 24 version2 "Well-Tempered Clavier BookⅠ"

Das wohltemperierte Klavier I, Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 845: I. Prelude
The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major, BWV 846: I. Prelude

Although I'm hoping that Pascal Dubreuil will record the WTC at some point, since he's presently my favorite Bach harpsichordist. Of course I like others too, but Dubreuil plays Bach extremely well and he is exceptionally well recorded, too.

Honorable mention (my next five):

--Christmas Oratorio--the opening of the Christmas Oratorio is one of my favorite passages in all of Bach (though I could have easily listed either the St. Matthew or St. John Passion, as well): Bach Christmas Oratorio BWV 248(Peter Schreier 1987)
--6 Partitas for keyboard: Partita No. 1 in B-Flat Major, BWV 825: I. Praeludium
--Cantata BWV 106 "Actus Tragicus" (though I could have easily listed his Cantatas BWV 4, 80 & 140, instead:
Bach Cantata BWV 106 Actus Tragicus Ricercar Pierlot
Johann Sebastian Bach - Actus Tragicus, Cantatas BWV 4, 12, 106 & 196 (2000)
--4 Orchestral Suites: Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C Major, BWV 1066: I. Ouverture
--Magnificat, BWV 243: Magnificat in D Major, BWV 243: Chœur “Magnificat anima mea Dominum”


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

It speaks of the immense breadth and versatility of Bach's music that we have people like me who don't care, for the most part, about his cantatas or masses or passions or any of his keyboard music played on harpsichord yet still consider Bach among my favorite composers.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> It speaks of the immense breadth and versatility of Bach's music that we have people like me who don't care, for the most part, about his cantatas or masses or passions or any of his keyboard music played on harpsichord yet still consider Bach among my favorite composers.


Maybe it's also possible that it speaks a lot about yourself? 

When one looks at the composition styles and characteristics, Bach's choral music and harpsichord music is very much... Bach-like.
But not every music lover likes the same instruments or ensembles or musical genres.

So I guess that your conclusion also has got a lot to do with your own preferences and/or (dis)like for certain instruments or vocal/instrumental combinations/ensembles/genres, than to the versatility of Bach.
For instance: suppose that I did not like the sound of a solo keyboard instrument and vocal ensembles (or solo voices), then I could still very much appreciate and admire Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky, Händel, Debussy, Buxtehude, Purcell, Saint-Saëns, Vivaldi, well... the list could be endless, despite the fact that they composed operas, choral works and/or works for solo piano/keyboard. Because they are all composers, like Bach, who were very broadly talented, broad minded and very versatile, and they composed lots of great works for other ensembles/combinations. In this way, Bach does not differ all that much from many other composers.

I think it's very well possible that there are many Beethoven lovers who say "I love Beethoven, he's one of my favourites, but I don't care for his Fidelio, Missa Solemnis and his songs".
It would be more difficult though to meet people who say "I love Chopin, he's one of my favourites, but I don't care for his piano works." 

(I do realize that this is all easy for me to say: I don't have much dislikes for any instrument and genre... I'm a lucky b*st*rd.)


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

My voting:


St. Matthew Passion and
Mass B minor

for the vocal works. Here, Bach went to the limits of his time. In staffing of the St. Matthew Passion with the Leipzig forces, in harmonics in the Mass B minor, in dozens of small connections and relations between the parts of these large-scale works. Just take the opening choir of St. Matthew ... do you know any other baroque work with similar grandeur?

- The Well-tempered Clavier Book II

Could have been choosing Book I as well ... the pieces in Book II are maybe more elaborated, more artificial.
Bach proves that playing in all keys was possible on keyboards. And he delivered a survey on composing fugues ...

- Sonatas and Partitas for Violin solo

I prefer the violin works to the works for Cello solo due to their chutzpa of writing fugues for unaccompanied violin. I think Reger was the first composer to follow Bach in this task. And the Ciacona ... of course.

- The Art of Fugue

Another survey on writing fugues.


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## Marc (Jun 15, 2007)

Philidor said:


> - Sonatas and Partitas for Violin solo
> 
> I prefer the violin works to the works for Cello solo due to their chutzpa of writing fugues for unaccompanied violin. I think Reger was the first composer to follow Bach in this task. And the Ciacona ... of course.
> 
> [...]


I picked 5 others, but I share your preference for the violin solo works, which is kinda 'weird', because, sound-wise, I (slightly) prefer the deeper sound of the cello.
It's probably the comination of sonatas and suites/partitas that I like. There is more diversity within the 6 pieces.
I remember that, after my first listening to the 1st sonata (long long time ago), I was completely sold.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Marc said:


> Maybe it's also possible that it speaks a lot about yourself?
> 
> When one looks at the composition styles and characteristics, Bach's choral music and harpsichord music is very much... Bach-like.
> But not every music lover likes the same instruments or ensembles or musical genres.
> ...


Well, yes, Chopin is the piano so if you don't like the sound of the piano then it'd be impossible to like Chopin. Bach, fortunately, had a lot more varied output than Chopin. One can, and does in my case, focus on his keyboard output alone and find that it offers a lifetime of intellectual and emotional enjoyment. 

And I really don't care for Fidelio. Missa Solemnis or his songs at all, even though Beethoven is among my top 3 composers.


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## Gallus (Feb 8, 2018)

Art Rock said:


> Matthäus-Passion
> Das Wohltemperierte Klavier I & II
> Cello Suites
> Cantata "Ich Habe Genug"
> ...


Entirely this, except Wachet auf instead of Ich habe genug.

And yes, I was sorely tempted to vote for the Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes, but felt I had to take both WTC books together.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> Well, yes, Chopin is the piano so if you don't like the sound of the piano then it'd be impossible to like Chopin. Bach, fortunately, had a lot more varied output than Chopin. One can, and does in my case, focus on his keyboard output alone and find that it offers a lifetime of intellectual and emotional enjoyment.
> 
> And I really don't care for Fidelio. Missa Solemnis or his songs at all, even though Beethoven is among my top 3 composers.


It's funny, but so very many of *Bach's* works have been transcribed for other instruments and ensembles.

Ravel transcribed *Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition* from piano solo to orchestra.

I''m somewhat surprised that no one has tackled *Chopin's* piano works.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

pianozach said:


> It's funny, but so very many of *Bach's* works have been transcribed for other instruments and ensembles.
> 
> Ravel transcribed *Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition* from piano solo to orchestra.
> 
> I''m somewhat surprised that no one has tackled *Chopin's* piano works.


Yes, I am very thankful that virtually all of Bach's organ works have been recorded by top artists on the piano. 

I don't think Chopin works in any other medium than the piano.


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

pianozach said:


> I''m somewhat surprised that no one has tackled *Chopin's* piano works.






Chopin/Elgar - Op.35/iii


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

hammeredklavier said:


> Chopin/Elgar - Op.35/iii


Bravo

Any more?


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## hammeredklavier (Feb 18, 2018)

pianozach said:


> Any more?






Chopin/Britten - Op.18

Op.32 No.2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIj7TvnglsA
Op.28 No.7: www.youtube.com/watch?v=filbx71tIew
Op.70 No.1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCSk8YKx_OY
Op.33 No.2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQLde6QJXvM
Op.67 No.3: www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZDWFOPSZn4
Op.64 No.2: www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqyBcbyyHEY


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## Kreisler jr (Apr 21, 2021)

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:


> And I really don't care for Fidelio. Missa Solemnis or his songs at all, even though Beethoven is among my top 3 composers.


Do you like any classical vocal music as you don't care for Bach's, Beethoven's and Wagner's?


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## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I voted for the 5 I listen to most frequently...

Brandenburg Concertos
Cello Suites
Sonatas & Partitas for solo Violin
Concertos For Single Harpsichord (although I listen to them on piano 99% of the time and not harpsichord)
Goldberg Variations


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Kreisler jr said:


> Do you like any classical vocal music as you don't care for Bach's, Beethoven's and Wagner's?


I actually do like it but it's not my favourite. I find that many (all?) classical vocal music has exciting parts but many long stretches of tedium as well. A lot of classical vocal music is either religious (Bach's masses, cantatas and passions, Beethoven's Missa Solemnis, for example) or narrative-focused, such as operas. I love parts of Wagner's operas - the first 5 or so minutes from each of the 3 acts from Die Walkure are as good as music gets to me but the rest of the acts contain long stretches that don't do much for me. There are beautiful orchestral passages here and there and very occasionally some singing that appeals to me but 90% of it is music that I want to skip.

I also enjoy parts of Bach's masses and passions and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis but on the whole, I can't listen to any of those works in their entirety.

A couple of classical vocal works i really like that come to mind are Orff's Carmina Burana and Handel's Zadok the Priest. There are others, likely, but memory is failing me at the moment.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Top ten works of Johann Sebastian Bach according to the poll at the moment (in case of tie, later work gets priority in the ordering):

1. St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244 (21 votes)
2. Mass in B minor, BWV 232 (17 votes)
3. The Well-Tempered Clavier [Book II], BWV 870-893 (17 votes)
4. Goldberg Variations, BWV 988 (16 votes)
5. The Well-Tempered Clavier [Book I], BWV 846-869 (15 votes)
6. Cello Suites (14 votes)
7. The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080 (11 votes)
8. Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051 (10 votes)
9. Violin Concertos, BWV 1041-1043 (8 votes)
10. Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001-1006 (8 votes)

Total voters at the moment: 36.

Last update: 08/26/2022.


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## Couchie (Dec 9, 2010)

Surprised there isn't more love for the Harpsichord Concertos. The First in D is probably the greatest ever in the genre.

Anyways, this whole poll is like being asked to pick your 5 favorite stars in the night sky.


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## TwoFlutesOneTrumpet (Aug 31, 2011)

Couchie said:


> Surprised there isn't more love for the Harpsichord Concertos. The First in D is probably the greatest ever in the genre.
> 
> Anyways, this whole poll is like being asked to pick your 5 favorite stars in the night sky.


The Sun is number one. Then, in no particular order, Proxima Centauri, Rigil Kentaurus, Sirius and 2MASS J1151-0313.


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## Xisten267 (Sep 2, 2018)

Bumping the poll so that more members may see it (and vote).


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