Johann Sebastian Bach

The mandolin virtuoso talks with host Brian McCreath about the rich musical environment of his childhood, what led him to the mandolin, and the role Bach's music plays in his artistic life.

On The Bach Hour, Bach Collegium Japan performs the composer's "Trauerode," written to mourn the passing of a royal princess who embodied the values and hopes of her time.

On The Bach Hour, the Principal Oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic explores the expressive terrain of the composer's cantatas, transformed into a concerto.

On The Bach Hour, John Eliot Gardiner conducts an artistically riveting work with roots in the cultural fears and biases of the composer's time and place.

On The Bach Hour, Helmut Rilling conducts the composer's Cantata No. 84 and selections from the Mass in B minor, and guitarist Jason Vieaux and German Brass each offer distinctive interpretations in two of Bach's instrumental works.

On The Bach Hour, one of the composer's frothier musical creations tells the story of a father, his daughter, and a hot caffeinated beverage that causes a minor rift in family relations.

On The Bach Hour, when a king throws a vexing musical challenge at the composer, it sparks a dazzling response in "The Musical Offering," and an equally dazzling interpretation by Jordi Savall and The Concert of Nations.

On WCRB In Concert with the Boston Early Music Festival, the Belgian ensemble Vox Luminis joins the BEMF Orchestra in Handel's "Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day" and Bach's "Magnificat" at Jordan Hall.

On The Bach Hour, the Finnish conductor leads the Los Angeles Philharmonic in Arnold Schoenberg's lush orchestration of the "St. Anne" Prelude and Fugue, and Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Cantata 73.

On The Bach Hour, the Italian-born, U.S.-based pianist performs rich, deeply textured arrangements of works Bach originally wrote for single string instruments, created a century ago by the legendary Leopold Godowsky.