The Best of Bach: 10 Great Baroque Compositions

Though not limited to these 10, the German composer’s expansive musical legacy has reverberated for generations.

A bust of composer Johann Sebastian Bach at the Cadet Chapel at West Point, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2023. Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times

“When in doubt, cite Grout,” my mother said. She was referring to Donald Jay Grout’s “A History of Western Music.” First published by W.W. Norton in 1960, it has gone through 10 editions and is considered the definitive single-volume book on the subject.

Grout is gospel among music historians, and, in the eighth edition, we encounter this proclamation: “Posterity has raised Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) to the pinnacle of composers of all time.”