Written by Robert Greenberg,
Format: MP3

''I would vote for Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space. We would be bragging, of course.'' Biologist Lewis Thomas, on what message to send to an extraterrestrial civilization

Underappreciated in his own time, Johann Sebastian Bach has ascended to Olympian heights in the estimation of generations of music lovers.

But what is it about his music that makes it great? Composer and musicologist Robert Greenberg helps you hear the extraordinary sweep of Bach's music and understand his compositional language whether you're a devoted admirer or a casual listener.

How Did Bach Become Bach?

Professor Greenberg sets Bach in context by tracing the musical traditions and composers from whom he drew his inspiration, and explaining how Bach absorbed these influences to become the transcendent composer of the High Baroque. According to Professor Greenberg, no other composer is more representative of the period and its aesthetic of emotional extravagance and technical control.

You will also learn how Bach's background at least 42 of his relatives were professionally involved with music and his strong German Lutheran heritage shaped his development as an artist.


32 Lectures
45 minutes / lecture