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Synopsis
A fresh approach to the life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach.
Library Journal
Williams (The Organ Music of J.S. Bach, 2d ed.) has created a well-rounded portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach that leavens erudition with entertaining turns of phrase. Williams takes as his starting point the obituary notice published in 1754; relying chiefly on that and other contemporary accounts, he interweaves life stories with sparingly used but helpful musical examples in a chronological framework with more specific evaluative chapters at the end. Williams betrays his love for the organ by including many digressions on the construction and qualities of the instruments Bach encountered while detailing his relations with performers and methods of teaching and providing interesting tidbits about the locales in which he served as court or church musician. Williams wisely avoids idle speculation but does include comments phrased as questions to encourage more thought from the reader. A glossary, bibliography (almost exclusively devoted to primary-source material and historical titles), and indexes round out the volume. Williams's book falls between Martin Geck's recent exhaustive Johann Sebastian Bach: Life and Work and Christoph Wolff's earlier and still valuable Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. Highly recommended for academic and music collections and for public libraries with a knowledgeable clientele.-Barry Zaslow, Miami Univ. Libs., Oxford, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.