How to Assemble a Bach CD Collection

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 to 1750) was the greatest composer of the Baroque period, and arguably the greatest in the history of Western music. He produced masterpiece after masterpiece in nearly every musical genre of his day: orchestral music, keyboard and organ works, sacred choral and vocal music, sonatas, partitas and suites for solo stringed instruments. Because Bach’s body of work is so large, it’s difficult to know where to start when building a collection of his greatest music. For that reason, this article is hardly the definitive word on the topic, but most of the pieces listed here are unquestionably among Bach’s finest.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Several hundred dollars
• A passion for classical music

1. Shop for your recordings online, or at a discount bookstore or music store like Half Price Books (see Resources below). If you go to a highbrow store that specializes in classical music, you might find a better selection but you’ll most likely end up paying top dollar.

2. Check out the Brandenburg Concertos and the Orchestral Suites. Among Bach’s orchestral music, these are probably the most famous works. Out of the set of six Brandenburg Concertos, the three that your collection shouldn’t be without are no. 2 in F major BWV 1047, no. 3 in G major BWV 1048, and no. 5 in D major BWV 1050. Of the four Orchestral Suites, the most famous are no. 2 in B minor BWV 1067 and no. 3 in D major BWV 1068 (which includes the so-called “Air on the G-string.”)

3. Listen to one of the many wonderful concertos for instrumental soloists and orchestra Bach wrote. Of these, my favorites are Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A minor BWV 1041, Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra in D minor BWV 1043, Concerto no. 1 for Keyboard and Orchestra in D minor BWV 1052, and Concerto no. 2 for Keyboard and Orchestra in E major BWV 1053.

4. Include Bach's keyboard music in your collection. Bach was a phenomenal organist and harpsichord player, and he wrote a tremendous amount of keyboard music. Among the most famous pieces are the Toccata and Fugue for Organ in D minor BWV 565, the English Suite no. 3 in E minor BWV 808, and the massive Goldberg Variations BWV 988.

5. Make sure you don't miss Bach's vocal and choral classics. As well-known as Bach’s instrumental compositions are, his sacred vocal and choral music is arguably even more brilliant in its originality, craftsmanship and sheer beauty. He wrote six stand-alone motets for choir. If you’re a choral enthusiast, by all means buy all six. If you’d rather pick and choose, try “Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied” BWV 225 and “Der Geist hilft unserer Schwachheit auf” BWV 226.

6. Sample Bach's larger works for choir and orchestra. These are even more groundbreaking and historically significant than the motets, and include masses, passions, oratorios and more than 200 cantatas. Of the cantatas, “Wachet Auf” BWV 140 and “Ich habe Genug” BWV 82 are justifiably famous examples.

7. Spare no expense to obtain the moving, monumental “St. Matthew Passion” BWV 244. It's a cornerstone in Bach’s musical oeuvre, and no library of his music would be complete without it. Buy the best recording you can find, and ask for recommendations if necessary.

8. Buy the soaring, two-hour Mass in B minor BWV 232, considered by many to be Bach’s single greatest accomplishment. Again, search for the best recording you can find--you won’t regret it.