Where to start with J. C. Bach?

[hornteacher]

I need some suggestions on where to start with getting into J. C. Bach.  What are some of his more well known pieces and can someone suggest good recordings?

[Grazioso]

I've recently been discovering and enjoying this composer, so admired by Mozart. I don't know what his better-known pieces are, but I can strongly recommend the boxed sets of orchestral works recorded by Anthony Halstead and the Hanover Band for CPO. The symphonies concertantes are probably the most interesting works, as a group, that I've heard from this composer so far.

[Franco]

I'd say something from the keyboard works, e.g. Two & Three Part Inventions; Well Tempered Clavier (Glenn Gould is a good place to start) and also dip into the cantatas (there are many recordings of individual cantatas, but I have recently been enjoying the Kuijken discs). 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I'd say something from the keyboard works, e.g. Two & Three Part Inventions; Well Tempered Clavier (Glenn Gould is a good place to start) and also dip into the cantatas

Wow, it sounds like JC was one really unoriginal chip off the old block 

[MN Dave]

Franco must have read it as JS. 

[Franco]

Oops,  yes - there's only one Bach for me.

[DavidW]

I second the sinfonias.  Go for it.

[Bunny]

If you can get hold of it, the Carus-Verlag series "Sons of Bach" is an excellent starting point for JC Bach.


I believe it's listed at the Freiburger Barockorchester website, the Carus-Verlag website and Presto Classical (UK) which ships to the US at very reasonable rates.

[Bunny]

I almost forgot!  There is also this excellent recording of Sinfonias and Concerti by the Akademie für alte Musik Berlin:

[Cristofori]

Why not start any ol' where?

He is a Bach after all!

[Clever Hans]

Oops,  yes - there's only one Bach for me.

C.P.E. Bach!
Avant-garde before avant-garde

Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven all admired him for good reason.

[val]

The CD with Symphonies and Concertos played by the Academie für Alte Musik Berlin seems to me a very good start.

There is also a splendid CD by The English Concert with Quintets and a Sextet.

[Cristofori]

There is a wonderful Bassoon Concerto by J.C. Bach on this excellent sounding CD, not to mention several other obscure Baroque composers:

[hornteacher]

The CD with Symphonies and Concertos played by the Academie für Alte Musik Berlin seems to me a very good start.

Just ordered that one.