Johann Sebastian Bach Masterpieces
German composer (1685–1750)
41
Commemorations 2025 (Birth: Johann Sebastian Bach)
- organ, harpsichord, violin, viola
- Baroque music, classical music
- Saxe-Eisenach, Holy Roman Empire
- composer, organist, harpsichordist, violinist, violist, conductor, choir director, concertmaster, musicologist, music teacher, virtuoso, school teacher
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Johann Sebastian Bach: most famous pieces
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) left a body of work of more than 1300 compositions. To discover his repertoire, the question is: where to start? Perhaps with his main compositions and most famous works. But what are best known or most important works of Johann Sebastian Bach? How do they fit into his career, throughout his creative activity? Which genre dominates: instrumental music, vocal music or other? And beyond that, in what artistic and musical context: what other composers were at the same time, famous contemporaries of Bach?
soclassiq offers you here, without bias, a selection of 5 major works to discover and listen to, like “Brandenburg concertos” or “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”. This selection is completed by 5 other compositions that are also quite famous. For sure the best of Johann Sebastian Bach, to make you want to go further with his other pieces or with the work of other composers who have significant similarities with the work of Bach.
Creative activity
based on dated works only
Duration of the works
(average or estimed)
Number of works
1524
226 years
1749
Number of works
Duration of the works (average or estimed)
Work for choir (480)
Song, lied (81)
Work for soloist (535)
Work for chamber orchestra (82)
Work for orchestra (4)
Other renowned works
1742 - The Well-Tempered Clavier II
1725 - 6 Suites for cello
1723 - Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben
1722 - The Well-Tempered Clavier I
This selection of works is not the result of personal preferences or artistic opinion. Selected works come from an exclusive data analysis method developed by soclassiq.
The dating of the works can be precise or sometimes approximate. It may correspond to the premiere date or publication year or completion of the composition (that can be several years after its first public execution).
1680 .. 1750 : the essential composers
1685-1750 Johann Sebastian Bach °
1732-1809 Joseph Haydn °
1685-1759 George Frideric Handel °
1678-1741 Antonio Vivaldi °
1714-1787 Christoph Willibald von Gluck
1681-1767 Georg Philipp Telemann
1685-1757 Domenico Scarlatti
1653-1713 Arcangelo Corelli °
1743-1805 Luigi Boccherini
1719-1787 Leopold Mozart
1735-1782 Johann Christian Bach
1637-1707 Dietrich Buxtehude
° : Masterpieces listed
On stage or recorded, listen these essential works Johann Sebastian Bach
Meet the greatest works of classical music
Currently, 25000+ works are listed for a small selection of 101 composers among thousands listed here. Many composers are missing of which some are essential: J. Rodriguo, C. Franck, H. Gorecki, C. Nielsen, J.Corigliano, P. Hindemith, C. Ives, A. Webern ... New catalogues will be processed later to complete this experience of the discovery of the classical music masterpieces. Thus this selection of works will be updated.
Vocal music
Incidental music
Through the ages
Some major genres or forms among the 150 listed
Concerto, Symphony, Rhapsody, Sonata, Lied, Mass, Suite, Trio, Quartet, Quintet, Waltz, March, Operetta, ...
Composed for piano, harpsichord, organ, violin, cello, viola, flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, string orchestra, string quartet, ...
The purpose of these pages is to point out few relevant works only among tens of thousands and to provide some chronological references.