The Bach Hour

Sundays 6-7am, Mondays midnight-2am

Hosted by Brian McCreath

The virtually limitless well of music by J.S. Bach has always had a prominent place on radio airwaves in Boston. Whether it’s an iconic work like the Toccata and Fugue in D minor or a rarely heard but emotionally riveting church cantata, Bach’s music is a touchstone, returning listeners to a foundation on which so much subsequent music has been built.

Hear The Bach Hour each Sunday at 6am on 99.5 WCRB, as well as Mondays, midnight-2am. And listen on demand for two weeks after broadcast.

Faust Plays Bach's Third Partita

Sunday at 6am on The Bach Hour, one of the composer's most vibrant works comes alive in the hands of violinist Isabelle Faust, and Sigiswald Kuijken conducts the luminous Cantata No. 180.

Bach's 5th Brandenburg, with Bezuidenhout

On The Bach Hour, one of today's most brilliant harpsichordists is joined by colleagues at the Boston Early Music Festival in an iconic piece of music.

St. Michael's Battle, through Bach's Music

Listen

Listening...

56:29

On the program:

English Suite No. 1 in A, BWV 806 - Murray Perahia, piano

Cantata BWV 130 Herr Gott, dich loben alle wir (translation) - Malin Hartelius, soprano; James Gilchrist, tenor; Peter Harvey, bass; Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor

Italian Concerto, BWV 971 (arr. Greg Steinke) - Corona Guitar Quartet

Hilary Hahn's Bach

On The Bach Hour, one of today's finest violinists joins WCRB's Brian McCreath to talk about - and perform - Bach's music for solo violin.

Grosvenor's Partita No. 4

On the program:

Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D, BWV 1069 (arr. Brazilian Guitar Quartet - Brazilian Guitar Quartet)

Cantata BWV 96 Herr Christ, der einge Gottesohn (translation) - Deborah York, soprano; Franziska Gottwald, alto; Paul Agnew, tenor; Klaus Mertens, bass; Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra and Choir, Ton Koopman, conductor

Partita No. 4 in D, BWV 828 - Benjamin Grosvenor, piano