Great Composers

J.S. Bach occupies a pivotal place in the history of music. His compositions represent both the height of the Baroque and the beginning of the Modern Age of music. Filmed in Leipzig, London and America this documentary, both fascinating and authoritative, features specially-filmed extracts with John Eliot Gardiner conducting the Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, performing the Mass in B minor, András Schiff playing the Goldberg Variations, Jacques Loussier improvising on the Toccata and Fugue in D minor as well as demonstrations by Ton Koopman, Tini Mathot, Joanna MacGregor and the Thomanerchor of Leipzig. Biographical and critical commentary is provided by leading Bach scholars, Christoph Wolff and Robert Marshall, while Charles Rosen and Jonathan Miller discuss Bach’s masterpiece the St Matthew Passion.