Bach

Peter Washington's Bach calls on contemporary memoirs and the composer's few surviving letters to draw the portrait of a strong, warm, vigorous, and humorous character who yet remains a creative enigma equalled only by Shakespeare. Washington describes the political, religious, and social conditions of early-eighteenth-century Germany, and the musical and cultural influences that helped to shape Bach and his work. Particular attention is given to changing attitudes toward the composer over the last hundred years, reflected in the contrasting styles of performance illustrated on the three CDs, which juxtapose superb historic performances by Schweitzer, Lan-dowska, and Casals with fine modern versions in the authentic manner.