Instrumental Music

Unlike the choral music, the instrumental music of Bach has not suffered the same kind of neglect.  The reasons for this are that the music for orchestra and other instrumental ensembles is often not occasion specific, does not include any vocal aspects and therefore no foreign languages are involved and, because of the popularity of certain works – the Brandenburg Concertos are an example – have brought this music to many as its inherent quality has engaged musicians of all stripes for generations.  Thus a good amount of this music has become a part of the standard classical repertoire.  This section will focus not just on the well-known works, but many of the other lesser known compositions that, when viewed together, give a much more complex and, therefore, interesting account of Bach’s great genius.