The Worlds of Johann Sebastian Bach

by Raymond Erickson

The Worlds of J.S. Bach offers both traditional and new perspectives on the life and work of the man who is arguably the central figure in the Western musical tradition. It appears at a time when, because of the fall of the Iron Curtain, extraordinary new discoveries are being made about Bach and his family at an increasing rate - thus this book is able to incorporate important information and images not available even in the recent anniversary year of 2000. After making the case for the universality of Bach's art as an epitome of Western civilization, The Worlds of J.S. Bach considers in broad terms the composer's social, political, and artistic environment, its influence on him, and his interaction with it. Renowned specialists in history, religion, architecture, literature, theater, and dance offer the perspectives of these disciplines as they relate to Bach's milieu, while leading Bach specialists from both the U.S. and Germany focus on the man himself. The book is an outgrowth of the "celebrated" (Boston Globe) multidisciplinary Academies sponsored by the Aston Magna Foundation for Music and the Humanities with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. * Makes accessible in English much recent German-language scholarship on Bach * Incorporates the latest important discoveries concerning Bach, including, with illustrations, an unkown aria and the oldest known autograph manuscript (by the composer at age 15) * Contains biographical information not found in any of the standard reference works and other biographies * Over 200 black-and-white and color illustrations with detailed captions both support and extend the content of the essays

512 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2009

Reviews

[Theresa Leone Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only was Bach one of the best composers of classical music, he was also an accomplished singer and musician, playing many instruments, including the violin and the viola. A lot of his personal life is included, including his two marriages and his something like twenty children (most of whom sadly, but not uncommonly for that time, died in infancy) but there are other aspects I have read about Bach's life that are not discussed in length, including his heavy drinking and frequent use of prostitutes (he has been described as the rock star before there were rock stars). Perhaps Erickson could not find corroboration, perhaps none of that is even true, and in either case Erickson did the responsible thing by not dwelling on it. However, there is a lot here, mostly because, as I understand it, with the Berlin wall gone and East Germany and its contents accessible, we now know more about Bach than ever before. Certainly, I am a fan of his, listening to his music often at home and even more often in my classroom; however, I do not see how someone could really appreciate the book if they were not a fan of Bach's. If you are, though, I would highly recommend!

[Rusty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most interesting read about one of our most popular classical music composers.

[BJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of great information. Fabulous pictures. Dense reading