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 2012 Bach Month celebration online, with Bach Minutes, video, and more.
Genius Out of Intolerance: the Cantata No. 126
Genius Out of Intolerance: the Cantata No. 126
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
On the program:
Arioso, from Keyboard Concerto No. 5 in F minor, BWV 1056 (arr. Alfred Cortot) - Stephen Hough, piano
Cantata BWV 126 Erhalt uns, Herr, bei deinem Wort - Robin Tyson, alto; James Gilchrist, tenor; Stephan Loges, bass; Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner, conductor
Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F, BWV 1046 - Les Concert des Nations, Jordi Savall, director
Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 (arr. Alfred Cortot) - Stephen Hough, piano
A Concerto with Murray Perahia, and the Cantata No. 155
A Concerto with Murray Perahia, and the Cantata No. 155
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
Tackling the Enigmatic Fourth Cello Suite
Tackling the Enigmatic Fourth Cello Suite
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey talks about and performs the Cello Suite No. 4.
On the program:
Cantata BWV 32 Liebster Jesu, mein Verlangen - Caroline Weynants, soprano; Patrick van Goethem, countertenor; Il Gardelino, Marcel Ponseele, director
Suite No. 4 in E-flat for solo cello, BWV 1010 - Pieter Wispelwey, cello
The Christmas Oratorio, Part 6, in Concert
The Christmas Oratorio, Part 6, in Concert
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
On the program:
Brandenburg Concerto No. 8 (after BWV 74, 99, and 65; arr. Bruce Haynes) - Montreal Baroque Band, Eric Milnes, conductor
Preludes and Fugues from Book I of The Well-Tempered Clavier: No. 1 in C major, BWV 846; No. 2 in C minor, BWV 847; No. 7 in E-flat major, BWV 852; No.21 in B-flat major, BWV 866 - Andras Schiff, piano
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, Part VI - Christine Schäfer, soprano; Bernarda Fink, alto; Werner Güra, tenor (Evangelist); Christian Gerhaher, bass; Arnold Schoenberg Choir and Concentus Musicus of Vienna, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
The Christmas Oratorio, Part 5, in Concert
The Christmas Oratorio, Part 5, in Concert
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
On the program:
Prelude and Fugue in G, BWV 541 - Hans Fagius, organ (Nils-Olof Berg organ of the Mission Church Uppsala, Sweden)
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, Part V - Christine Schäfer, soprano; Bernarda Fink, alto; Werner Güra, tenor (Evangelist); Christian Gerhaher, bass; Arnold Schoenberg Choir and Concentus Musicus of Vienna, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
Orchestral Suite No. 3, BWV 1068 - Ensemble Sonnerie, Monica Huggett, director
Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her BWV 606 (trans. Max Reger) - Markus Becker, piano
(photo from the Musikverein courtesy of the Musikverein, Vienna)
The Christmas Oratorio, Part 4, in Concert
The Christmas Oratorio, Part 4, in Concert
The Bach Hour | Classical New England
On the program:
Aria Variata 'alla Maniera Italiana' BWV 989 - Angela Hewitt, piano
Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, Part IV - Christine Schäfer, soprano; Bernarda Fink, alto; Werner Güra, tenor (Evangelist); Gerald Finley, bass; Arnold Schoenberg Choir and Concentus Musicus of Vienna, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor
Concerto in D minor, BWV 1059 - Erik Bosgraaf, recorder; Ensemble Cordevento
(photo from the Musikverein courtesy of the Musikverein, Vienna)
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