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.
The Bach Hour grows out of a tradition begun in the early 1970's by Robert J. Lurtsema of WGBH 89.7 FM. As one of the earliest sets of the complete Bach cantatas on record (Leonhardt and Harnoncourt) was being released, they became a regular fixture on each Sunday's edition of Morning Pro Musica, Lurtsema's unique daily program. Now, on The Bach Hour, those cantatas, with the rich and diverse range of performances now available, are heard on the calendar days for which they were written. Combined with recent and classic recordings of Bach's instrumental masterpieces and occasional interviews with significant interpreters, each week's program offers a chance to connect more deeply with this bedrock composer.
More about The Bach Hour
For more Bach, visit our 2013 Bach Month celebration online, with Bach Minutes, video, and more.
Riccardo Chailly's New Way and the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
Riccardo Chailly's New Way and the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
Violin Sonata No. 3, Cantata No. 172
Violin Sonata No. 3, Cantata No. 172
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
A Struggle Against Darkness in the Cello Suite No. 2
A Struggle Against Darkness in the Cello Suite No. 2
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey talks with host Brian McCreath about the Cello Suite No. 2 by Bach.
On the program:
Aria variata in A minor (Italian Variations), BWV 989 (arr. Tim Jackson) - Alison Balsom, trumpet; Alistair Ross, harpsichord
Cantata BWV 87 Bisher habt ihr nichts gebeten in meinem Namen - Robin Blaze, counter-tenor; Makoto Sakurada, tenor; Peter Kooij, bass; Bach Collegium Japan, Masaaki Suzuki, conductor
Suite No. 2 in D minor for solo cello, BWV 1008 - Pieter Wispelwey, cello
(photo of Pieter Wispelwey by Benjamin Eagoleva, courtesy of the artist)
Brasil Guitar Duo's French Suite and the Cantata No. 166
Brasil Guitar Duo's French Suite and the Cantata No. 166
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
On the program:
Trio Sonata in D minor, BWV 527 - Robert Quinney, organ (Frobenius organ at The Queen's College, Oxford, England)
Cantata BWV 166 Wo gehest du hin? - Robin Tyson, alto; James Gilchrist, tenor; Stephen Varcoe, bass; Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Chorale Prelude: Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, BWV 647 - Martin Roscoe, piano
French Suite No. 3, BWV 814 - Brasil Guitar Duo
(photo of Brasil Guitar Duo by Janette Beckman)
Cantata No. 12, and Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
Cantata No. 12, and Brandenburg Concerto No. 4
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
Harvard University's Christoph Wolff describes Bach's approach to transforming works by other composers.
On the program:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G, BWV 1049 - Daniel Stepner, violin; Christopher Krueger and Roy Sansom, recorders; Boston Baroque, Martin Pearlman, conductor
Cantata BWV 12 Weinen, Klagen, Sorgen, Zagen - Daniel Taylor, alto; Mark Padmore, tenor; Peter Kooy, bass; Collegium Vocale Gent, Philippe Herreweghe, conductor
Concerto in A minor, BWV 593 (after Vivaldi) - Balint Karosi, organ (Richards, Fowkes, & Co. organ at First Lutheran Church, Boston)
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