J.S. Bach - Volume 1

By Albert Schweitzer

A fantastic little book about Bach and the musical climate before and during his life, with a look at his continuing influence in music. Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wren Press
• Release date: Apr 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781447485346

Albert Schweitzer

Albert Schweitzer is celebrated around the world as a European pioneer of medical service in Africa, a groundbreaking philosopher and musical scholar, and a catalyst of environmental and peace activism. He is the author of Out of My Life and Thought.

Reviews for J.S. Bach - Volume 1

[stephenbarkley · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you have some classical music training and a serious love for Bach, then this book's for you. I was surprised by this work. Before spotting it on the shelf of a second hand bookstore in Gravenhurst, Ontario, I had no idea that Mr. Quest-for-the-Historical-Jesus himself had written about Bach.I was even more surprised by the depth. Schweitzer begins with Bach's ancestors and doesn't stop until he's analyzed Bach's entire corpus in detail. I loved how the pages are rife with staves that illustrate the various motives Schweitzer explains.Schweitzer's critical at times, but respectful. Any artist a quarter as prolific as Bach is bound to write the odd stinker. Schweitzer praises Bach's genius and criticizes his lackluster efforts with an honest ear. The author's spirituality also plays an understated-yet-positive role in the book. You can tell that Schweitzer respects the religious milieu of the subject he's writing about.This work is meaty, with just under 1000 pages of detail. If you're up for the challenge, the payoff's great.