# Building A Basic J.S. Bach Collection



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

I was thinking about this for several composers but thought I might post this starting with Bach.

For the "Non-Completist" but more than just a "Casual Listener" to Classical Music, what works from J.S. Bach do you feel are essential?

Our Hypothetical Listener wants what I would call "a solid foundation" Bach collection with a little bit of everything.

This is a list from another website:

Art Of The Fugue, BWV 1080
Brandenburg Concertos, BWV 1046-1051
Cantatas, BWV 4, 78, 82, 140, 147, 202
Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue for Harpsichord, BWV 903
Concertos For Harpsichord, 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 772-801
Italian Concerto For Harpsichord, BWV 971
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
Cello Suites, BWV 1007-1012
Suites For Harpsichord (French & English) BWV 806-817
Orchestral Suites, 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

NOTE: Now there is a line that says Organ Works (Choral Preludes, Toccatas, Fugues) and later on, the Toccata & Fugue in D Minor for Organ which should be all be included on any 2 or 3 CD "Greatest Hits" set of Bach's Organ Works.

#1. Do you feel this is a fair list for someone who doesn't want everything from Bach but also wants more than just his 5 or 10 of his most popular works?

#2. Anything you feel is missing, or something you feel shouldn't be on the list.

Remember, our "Hypothetical Listener" wants "a little bit of everything", Keyboard Works, Sacred Works, Orchestral Works, etc, but at the same time he doesn't need every Organ Work or every Cantata.


----------



## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Frederik and Kh are the organists here, ought to be good for that part.

The WTC is a must, and so are the keyboard partitas, the English Concerto and the Goldbergs; whether on harpsichord or piano is (hah) debatable.

The sonatas and partitas for solo violin, and the suites for solo cello.

The Brandenburg concertos and the orchestral suites.

The Christmas Oratorio.

That's my limit, all the Bach I need. YMMV.


----------



## Bas (Jul 24, 2012)

Any listener should own and know all the works of J.S. Bach.


----------



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Bas said:


> Any listener should own and know all the works of J.S. Bach.


That's why I have the Hanssler & Brilliant Classics Bach Editions as well as a multitude of other recordings 

But sometimes I talk to folks who don't want everything but do want to expand out beyond just owning the Brandenburg Concertos or the Goldberg Variations. So I was just curious, what does a good solid foundation look like. Going beyond the basics without being a completist.


----------



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Ukko said:


> The Christmas Oratorio.


I'm surprised that wasn't mentioned in the list...


----------



## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Everything recorded by GG would be a good beginning. :tiphat:


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I'm not a fan of having a "basic" collection from any composer. To me, a collection is always evolving. Although Bach's my favorite composer and I have thousands of Bach recordings, I've never thought to myself that I now have an excellent Bach collection. I have what I have and I acquire more over time.


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

realdealblues said:


> I was thinking about this for several composers but thought I might post this starting with Bach.
> 
> For the "Non-Completist" but more than just a "Casual Listener" to Classical Music, what works from J.S. Bach do you feel are essential?
> 
> ...


I think that the idea behind the question is out of date. These days you don't build a collection, you just sample music on streaming services like spotify, where there is, no doubt, the complete works of JSB in multiple interpretations. So your Hypothetical Listener can easily make his own decisions about what's interesting and what's not.


----------



## TurnaboutVox (Sep 22, 2013)

Bas said:


> Any listener should own and know all the works of J.S. Bach.


:lol: A suitable penalty for non-compliance would be...?


----------



## GioCar (Oct 30, 2013)

# 1 yes

# 2 St. John Passion & Motetten in, French Suites out (English Suites are more interesting)


----------



## jtbell (Oct 4, 2012)

TurnaboutVox said:


> :lol: A suitable penalty for non-compliance would be...?


Being forced to listen to all of Haydn's baryton trios?


----------



## Guest (Dec 10, 2013)

realdealblues said:


> I was thinking about this for several composers but thought I might post this starting with Bach.
> 
> For the "Non-Completist" but more than just a "Casual Listener" to Classical Music, what works from J.S. Bach do you feel are essential?
> 
> ...


This list is fairly large, and would probably cost more than $200 to obtain everything on it. For that kind of money, why not be a completist? On Amazon, the Hanssler Bach edition is selling for ~$230. If they are willing to spend that kind of money, they can get them all and decide for themselves which is their favorite.

If you want a smaller core collection, that is a different matter.


----------



## Gilberto (Sep 12, 2013)

realdealblues said:


> #1. Do you feel this is a fair list for someone who doesn't want everything from Bach but also wants more than just his 5 or 10 of his most popular works?
> 
> #2. Anything you feel is missing, or something you feel shouldn't be on the list.
> 
> Remember, our "Hypothetical Listener" wants "a little bit of everything", Keyboard Works, Sacred Works, Orchestral Works, etc, but at the same time he doesn't need every Organ Work or every Cantata.


#1 - this a good list if that is your aim

#2 - I wouldn't say there is anything there that doesn't belong but I prefer the St. John to the St Matthew if driven to chose between them.

You can start out with this list but you may run into problems. Take the T&F in D minor. Next thing you know, you hear Ormandy's orchestrated version. You can get a suitable recording of violin partitas and sonatas and leave it at that, if you wish. Then you hear a transcription from a guitarist that blows your socks off. It is possible for some to pick a few pieces and be satisfied. For me it is impossible...I have version fever when it comes to Bach.


----------



## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

You're going to need more than six of the cantatas, even if all you're wanting are the popular favorites.


----------



## science (Oct 14, 2010)

The St. Matthew Passion is the more famous, more popular passion, evidently, and probably for very good reasons. But I like the St. John Passion very much too. I'm not sure why it's less popular. 

I'm just a tiny bit surprised the motets weren't on the original list. 

I'm a fan of the viola da gamba sonatas as well.


----------



## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Bas said:


> Any listener should own and know all the works of J.S. Bach.


I can barely get through the handful of CDs I have. Any listener shouldn't have to feel like they must own and know all the works of any composer.


----------



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

science said:


> I'm a fan of the viola da gamba sonatas as well.


Are we talking recordings here? The viola da gamba sonatas (on cello) are played by Glenn Gould and Leonard Rose. Nothing to compare! Oh, and the violin sonatas too, GG and Jaime Laredo.

http://www.amazon.com/Sonatas-Violi...d=1386744422&sr=1-1&keywords=bach+cello+gould


----------



## DavidA (Dec 14, 2012)

science said:


> The St. Matthew Passion is the more famous, more popular passion, evidently, and probably for very good reasons. But I like the St. John Passion very much too. I'm not sure why it's less popular.
> 
> I'm just a tiny bit surprised the motets weren't on the original list.
> 
> I'm a fan of the viola da gamba sonatas as well.


The St John is marvellous. Just because the St Matthew is even greater should not detract from the utter genius of the St John.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Are we talking recordings here? The viola da gamba sonatas (on cello) are played by Glenn Gould and Leonard Rose. Nothing to compare! Oh, and the violin sonatas too, GG and Jaime Laredo.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Sonatas-Violi...d=1386744422&sr=1-1&keywords=bach+cello+gould


Those sonatas on piano? I'm keeping my distance.


----------



## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

I'll put a plug in for the motets also... good choral tunage.


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

KenOC said:


> Are we talking recordings here? The viola da gamba sonatas (on cello) are played by Glenn Gould and Leonard Rose. Nothing to compare! Oh, and the violin sonatas too, GG and Jaime Laredo.
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Sonatas-Violi...d=1386744422&sr=1-1&keywords=bach+cello+gould


It's remarkable how they play as a team - I mean Rose and Gould, not Loredo. Presumably Gould, who was the money spinner, did what he felt like and Leonard Rose just said "yes sir", but Rose does go the whole hog in his complicity. But it's just too irritating the way they play. There are much much more satisfying and stimulating recordings.


----------



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

I think that the idea behind the question is out of date. These days you don't build a collection, you just sample music on streaming services like spotify, where there is, no doubt, the complete works of JSB in multiple interpretations. So your Hypothetical Listener can easily make his own decisions about what's interesting and what's not.

Is that a fact? Well this collector has Spotify, YouTube, etc... and still prefers to own the actual discs.


----------



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

This list is fairly large, and would probably cost more than $200 to obtain everything on it. For that kind of money, why not be a completist? On Amazon, the Hanssler Bach edition is selling for ~$230. If they are willing to spend that kind of money, they can get them all and decide for themselves which is their favorite.

The simple reason to avoid such complete box sets is that no single conductor, performer, or record label is likely to offer top-notch recordings of everything. Such sets might be good for the obsessive collector who wants to fill in any gaps... and certainly smaller box sets such as complete cycles of Beethoven's Symphonies are quite useful and a great value. Honestly, however, I think one would be far better of getting a highly-regarded top-notch recording of the major works... and then branching out from there.

For Bach, I would include the following:


----------



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Of course there are great alternatives to any disc I have suggested here. In most instances, I have several alternatives myself. What I have tried to offer is a variety of interpretations: Gould, Schiff, Perahia, Hewitt, and Kirkpatrick (on clavichord) for the keyboard works. Gardiner, Richter, Herreweghe, Suzuki, etc... for the choral/vocal works, etc...


----------



## Mandryka (Feb 22, 2013)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> I think that the idea behind the question is out of date. These days you don't build a collection, you just sample music on streaming services like spotify, where there is, no doubt, the complete works of JSB in multiple interpretations. So your Hypothetical Listener can easily make his own decisions about what's interesting and what's not.
> 
> Is that a fact? Well this collector has Spotify, YouTube, etc... and still prefers to own the actual discs.


Why?

.........


----------



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Mandryka said:


> Why?
> 
> .........


Not speaking for StlukesguildOhio, but just as a separate comment.

Out of probably 200 people that I personally know and communicate with in person on a semi-regular basis, 3 or 4 may even know what Spotify is. A dozen may have used Pandora a few times. Most know what Youtube is, but don't use it to listen to music. At home or in their vehicles almost everyone I know listens to CD's or LP's or the Radio.


----------



## realdealblues (Mar 3, 2010)

Thanks for the input StlukesguildOhio, very thorough. And thanks to those who actually followed the idea and spirit behind the post, your input will help aid others greatly.

This post was not only about collecting albums but it also serves as a recommended listening for those wishing to move beyond the basics. Having a nice broad list of some of the more popular works that moves beyond just half a dozen of his most popular works but doesn't go into completist territory.


----------



## KenDuctor (Mar 7, 2014)

Did you mention his English and French suites? I prefer the piano over the harpsichord. But that's personal preference.


----------



## classifriend (Mar 9, 2014)

a list of what i have (physical or digital) that i'd reccomend

1936 - Thirteen Chorale Preludes (Albert Schweitzer)
1956 - The Goldberg Variations (Glenn Gould)
1957 - Partita No. 5 in G major; Partita No. 6 in C minor (Glenn Gould)
1959 - Passio secundum Matthaeum (Karl Richter/Münchener Bach-Orchester/Münchener Bach-Chor)
1961 - Mass in b minor (Karl Richter, Münchener Bach-Orchester)
1961 - Sechs Suiten für Violoncello Solo BWV 1007-1012 (Pierre Fournier)
1962 - The Art of the Fugue (Glenn Gould)
1964 - The Two and Three Part Inventions (Inventions & Sinfonias) (Glenn Gould)
1965 - The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book I Complete (Preludes and Fugues 1-24) (Glenn Gould)
1968 - Johannes-Passion BWV 245 (Karl Richter/Munich Bach Choir)
1977 - Glenn Gould Plays: Bach The English Suites (Glenn Gould)
1979 - Musikalisches Opfer · Verschiedene Canones (Reinhard Goebel/Musica Antiqua Köln)
1980 - Preludes, Fughettas and Fugues (Glenn Gould)
1982 - Suiten für Violoncello solo (Pablo Casals)
1985 - Cello Sonatas (Mischa Maisky/Martha Argerich)
1989 - 6 Partitas, BWV 825-830 (Scott Ross)
1989 - Sonaten und Partiten (Yehudi Menuhin)
1993 - 6 French Suites BWV 812-817 (András Schiff)
1993 - Albert Schweitzer Plays Bach, Volume I (Albert Schweitzer)
1993 - Albert Schweitzer Plays Bach, Volume II (Albert Schweitzer)
1993 - Bach: Werke für Orgel (Albert Schweitzer)
1995 - Brandenburg Concertos 1-6 (Benjamin Britten/English Chamber Orchestra)
1998 - Die Kunst der Fuge (Keller Quartett)
1999 - Matthäus-Passion (Philippe Herreweghe/Collegium Vocale Gent)
1999 - The Art of Fugue BWV 1080 (Evgeni Koroliov)
2003 - Goldberg Variations (András Schiff)
2005 - The Sonatas and Partitas for Violin Solo (Gidon Kremer)
2009 - Johann Sebastian Bach: The Complete American Columbia Records (Albert Schweitzer)

incredible recordings that include Bach's performances

1993 - The Columbia Recordings with Piano (Bronislaw Huberman/Siegfried Schultze) - "Nun komm'der Heiden Heiland" is incredible
2002 - Bach - Beethoven - Schoenberg (Yehudi Menuhin/Glenn Gould) - the Sonata for Piano and Violin No. 4 in C minor is magnificent

there are a lot of works missing, but i recommend all of those in the list
ps: yeah, i like Gould playing Bach


----------



## aeschylus (Jun 25, 2015)

I've been listening to Bach almost daily for 40 years- he is so life-enhancing.

I couldn't do without the complete cantatas (I have Leusink and Rilling) which are full of glittering gems. The B minor Mass, St Matthew and St John Passions are the Shakespeare tragedies of western music.

The Goldberg variations, piano partitas, violin sonatas and partitas, and the 48 preludes and fugues are full of truth and surprises. The violin concerti (especially D minor for two violins) are beautiful. Brandenburg concerti 1&2 and the orchestral suites are fun.

I have a particular fondness for Busoni's transcriptions of Bach chorale preludes. There is a transcendent disc of some of these by Samuil Feinberg.

I play the piano, but don't sing. But, for me, Bach is at his very best when writing for voices. Believe me, those cantatas are a treasure trove which will last a lifetime.

If you want one piece of Bach, try the bass aria "Mache Dich, mein Herze, rein"- almost at the end of the St Matthew Passion. Try the Stephan McLeod/Philippe Herreweghe performance on you tube.


----------



## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> Of course there are great alternatives to any disc I have suggested here. In most instances, I have several alternatives myself. What I have tried to offer is a variety of interpretations: Gould, Schiff, Perahia, Hewitt, and Kirkpatrick (on clavichord) for the keyboard works. Gardiner, Richter, Herreweghe, Suzuki, etc... for the choral/vocal works, etc...


There isn't much variety on your list for keyboard works if you totally omit any harpsichord recordings.


----------



## joen_cph (Jan 17, 2010)

Ten remarkable recordings, with a very varying approach, that generally stand out, IMO:

- St. Matthew / Ericson

- Motets / Harnoncourt

- Magnificat / Richter, or Gardiner, or Christophers

- Coffee Cantata / Ameling, Collegium Aureum 

- Brandenburg Concertos / Pommer

- Violin Concertos / Kennedy

- WTC / Feinberg

- English Suites 2+3 / Pogorelich

- Sonatas & Partitas / Poulet

- Cello Suites, incl. Flute Partita / Zeuthen


----------



## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

The big Brilliant Classics 155 CD box set of "J. S. Bach - Complete Edition" is rather so affordable at present that everyone interested in Bach should probably procure a set.









From there one can explore Bach's music. If you find you like a certain piece, you might want to explore other interpretations of the work. You may end up collecting Brandenburg Concerti sets, when you come to realize just how much difference there is intepretively, sonically, emotionally from one reading to the next. And that is part of the joy of being a fan of classical music.

I sometimes wonder -- if the old shack were to catch fire, what of my music collection might I try to salvage. The answer always comes back to one thing -- the Brilliant Classics box set of Bach. I just hope I don't trip down the stairs while I'm carrying it out of the house.


----------



## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Bulldog said:


> There isn't much variety on your list for keyboard works if you totally omit any harpsichord recordings.


I'm not overly fond of of the harpsichord as a solo instrument, although I quite like this recording:


----------

