Johann Sebastian Bach

Donald Macleod travels alongside J S Bach as he moves from place to place throughout his life.

Donald begins with Bach’s early years in the towns of Eisenach and Ohrdruf, where his excellence as a singer and organist was first recognised. He first moved to Weimar at the age of 18, to work as a court musician, and later as an organist and concertmaster – it was here that he would write most of his organ repertoire, but also spent his time trying to please two antagonistic Dukes. Then we move to the city of Köthen, where Bach was employed at the court of Prince Leopold. The royal court offered Bach exactly what he had been denied in Weimar – the chance to build a really exceptional instrument ensemble. We arrive in Leipzig, where Bach was a public servant again, having to satisfy a plethora of different bodies and individuals. Although his time there was peppered with disputes and discontent, it was his home for 27 years and it is where he composed the bulk of the work that lives on. Finally, Donald explores the afterlife of Bach’s music, including his propulsion into outer space aboard the Voyager spacecraft’s Golden Record.

Music featured: Magnificat Brandenburg Concerto No.3 in G major Concerto in C major for organ Partita No 1 for violin Widerstehe doch der Sunde Capriccio on the Departure of his Most Beloved Brother Komm, Jesu, Komm Toccata and Fugue in D minor for organ Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor Tritt auf die Glaubensbahn The Art of Fugue Cello Suite No 1 in G Major Sonata for Violin and Piano No 3 Concerto No 2 in F major Well-Tempered Clavier, No 1 in C major Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring Violin Sonata No 1 in G minor Orchestral Suite No 4 in D major Musical Offering Mass in B minor Partita for Violin No 3 in E major Capriccio in E major St Matthew Passion Goldberg Variations

Presented by Donald Macleod Produced by Martin Williams for BBC Wales

For full tracklistings, including artist and recording details, and to listen to the pieces featured in full (for 30 days after broadcast) head to the series page for Johann Sebastian Bach https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0002l9v

And you can delve into the A-Z of all the composers we’ve featured on Composer of the Week here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3cjHdZlXwL7W41XGB77X3S0/composers-a-to-z