The Life and Works of Bach

By: Jeremy Siepmann

Narrated by: Jeremy Siepmann, John Shrapnel, Trevor Nichols, Ruth Sillers, David Timson

Although now beloved and revered by millions as the greatest composer who ever lived, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) was best known in his lifetime as an organist, and was eclipsed in fame as a composer by two of his twenty children. For the last twenty-seven years of his life he was a schoolteacher and choir director whose duties extended to meal supervision and dormitory inspection. Yet throughout his career he composed a vast body of music which is amongst the most joyful, dancing and enrapturing ever written. This portrait-in-sound includes many examples of the music that made him immortal. With compelling narration by Jeremy Siepmann, character portrayals by acclaimed actors, and the interpolation of over twenty-five substantial musical extracts reflecting the development of one of music’s most enduringly awe-inspiring composers, we are transported back three centuries straight into the life of Johann Sebastian Bach. This innovative sense of immediacy is at the heart of this comprehensive audio-biography, depicting the life of a composer whose music is universally admired.

Download the accompanying reference guide.©2002 Naxos AudioBooks (P)2002 Naxos AudioBooks

I wish there were less music and more life stories.

However, it is what it is - maybe there’s not enough material since so much time has passed. 5 stars for the effort.

Very well produced musical biography

This book comes across as slightly dated and occasionally lacking in musical inside, but this is more than compensated for by the very high-quality audiobook production, with excellent readers of the various characters and very enjoyable musical examples. This is a great example of how the audiobook format can in some cases be better than any written word when the subject is music. I’m grateful for the producers and putting this together, and wish there were a much broader library of such types of productions.

Interesting

Very interesting
Not to long
Lot of musical performance
Some new information
Clear voice and easy to understand

A morsel of enchanting music

Come for a brief introduction to his life and stay for the music. Very effective narration. It leaves you wanting to know more detail about his life but for me the 21 hour audiobook alternative was too daunting. Highly recommend this as a great place to start.

Excellent introduction to Bach.

This is an excellent introduction to J.S. Bach. It recognizes his faith, passion, skill, and timelessness. The narrator, text, and music dovetail nicely. Highly recommended.

A good introduction to Bach's Life and Work

I am very fond of J S Bach
I cannot read music. I find the format of the Naxos Life and Works series well tailored to my needed
There is narration that moves the story along , but there is the words of JS Bach and other members of his family. One learns of his great appetite for work, and his various quarrels with students, town councils and Church administrators.
The focus is Bach and his work-- from his childhood to his death.
There is good linking between the narrative and the other extended musical examples
A first class introduction.
I also like the other volumes in the series

Thanks Audible

I've been an Audible customer for years. This book production is one of my favorites by far! If you are even slightly interested in J.S. Bach then you won't be disappointed (I never learned about much of his bio in music classes...but should have). I listened to the whole book in just two sittings. The musical excerpts are good but the even more interesting readings of his correspondences to friends and Nobles as well as legal and newspaper excerpts collectively recreates the life of a genius from over 250 years ago. It leaves you wanting to search and friend him on Facebook or IG and sub' him on YouTube right away.

Good if you need to get acquainted with JS Bach

The review title pretty much says it all. If you know little about Bach and are curious about him, this book is a good first step. However if you want something deeper, look elsewhere. This production narrates the broader points of Bach's life and play excerpts from his works. That is both the strength and weakness of the production. Portions of the works are played and called masterpieces, but it doesn't go any deeper than that. Why, I found myself asking, is this piece a masterpiece? There is no musical analysis, nor does it comparatively situate these work excerpts in the broader history of western music... leaving the impression that the authors feel that JS Bach was a genius (and what does that term really mean?); ergo: all his frequently performed works must therefore be masterpieces.
So.. this production is good as far as it goes; whether it works for you depends on what you are looking for.

Didn’t feel like I knew Bach at the end

Would like to have heard more about Bach’s life. Half the book was music; which was nice to listen to in sequential order. But would have liked to feel like I knew what he was like more