MUS 163
Bach Spring 2015
Division I
This is not the current course catalog

Johann Sebastian Bach now enjoys the status of a cultural icon, transcending time and place. But who was Bach, and why do his musical creations continue to fascinate us? This course offers an introduction to the life and music of this iconic composer. We will explore aspects of cultural context (such as the social milieu in which Bach developed his art and the use and perception of his music by his contemporaries), as well develop our listening skills by exploring matters of purely musical content (the styles and forms of his prodigious oeuvre). Both instrumental and vocal music will be surveyed, including the Brandenburg Concerti, the Goldberg Variations, the Magnificat, and the B Minor Mass. The course will conclude with a consideration of Bach’s legacy in the 19th and 20th centuries.