The Bach Hour  

 

 

Classical New England

About The Bach Hour


MORE ABOUT THE BACH HOUR

J.S. Bach's music offers both the foundation of classical music and an intimate window on the human condition.  Tune in each Sunday at 6am and 5pm on 99.5, listen here on demand, and feel free to leave comments.

The Bach Hour

Thomas Quasthoff Sings Bach


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The German bass-baritone sings the Cantata No. 56 (translation), and the Quebec Symphony Orchestra performs William Walton's suite from The Wise Virgins.

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The Bach Hour

Isabelle Faust's Bach


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ABOUT THE BACH HOUR
The German violinist performs J.S. Bach's Partita No. 3 for solo violin, and Sigiswald Kuijken conducts the Cantata No. 180, Schmücke dich, o liebe Seele (translation).
On-Demand on Classical New England


99.5 Host Notes

Oct. 17: Bach's Cantata No. 180


By Brian McCreath
Find a translation here.
The Bach Hour

Bach in the Back Bay


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Bach's music is performed by Boston legends past and present, and Ton Koopman conducts the Cantata No. 38 (translation).

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The Bach Hour

Bach's Reformation Monument


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John Eliot Gardiner conducts a piece as magnificent and everlasting as the ancient church in which it was performed.
The Bach Hour

Rachel Podger's Soulful Bach


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The British violinist contrasts "cascading arpeggios" and a "soulful melody," and the Boston Symphony Orchestra performs the "St. Anne" Prelude and Fugue.
99.5 Host Notes

Bach's Code


By Ray Brown
How the composer wrote his signature into the music.
The Bach Hour

A Bach Cantata Double Header


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John Eliot Gardiner conducts Bach's Cantata No. 60, Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Cantata No. 26, and the Ghielmi brothers of Milan tackle the Viola da Gamba Sonata in G.
The Bach Hour

Bach Through a British Lens


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Jonathan Plowright plays British transcriptions of Bach, John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 90, and Ton Koopman conducts the Cantata No. 116.
The Bach Hour

Catrin Finch's Goldbergs


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The Welsh harpist brings a new voice to Bach, and Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Cantata No. 61.
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Two Sides of Bach


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The Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin plays music for a Friday night out, and Bach Collegium Japan performs a work for Sunday morning, the Cantata No. 62, for Advent (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England

The Bach Hour

Simone Dinnerstein's Bach


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The pianist performs the French Suite No. 5, and Philippe Herreweghe conducts the Cantata No. 36 (translation).
The Bach Hour

Best Bach of 2010


SEE THE LIST
THE BACH HOUR
99.5 All Classical host Brian McCreath picks five great recordings of Bach's music from the last year.
The Bach Hour

Magnificat


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Philippe Herreweghe conducts the original Christmas version of Bach's masterpiece (translation).
The Bach Hour

Mouths Full of Laughter


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John Eliot Gardiner conducts a joyful cantata for Christmas.
99.5 Host Notes

Bach's Christmas Oratorio


By Brian McCreath
Hear Bach's masterpiece for the Christmas season.

The Bach Hour

Bach's New Year


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Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Cantata No. 41 (translation) for the New Year, and Murray Perahia performs the English Suite No. 4.
The Bach Hour

Following the Star


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The Sarasa Ensemble and Bach Collegium Japan perform two of Bach's cantatas for Epiphany.
Live from Fraser

Kim Kashkashian Plays Bach


MUSIC FOR FOOD FOR MUSIC, FEB. 11
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The Boston based viola virtuoso and colleagues visit with two of Bach's trio sonatas and conversation with 99.5 All Classical's Cathy Fuller.
The Bach Hour

Dual Messages and Strange Beauty


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Bach weaves together two sides of the inner life in a cantata recorded in Greenwich, and Simone Dinnerstein's new recording finds the unexpected.
The Bach Hour

The Richness of the Flute


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Joshua Smith plays a sonata by Bach, plus the Cantata No. 111 (translation) and German Brass.
The Bach Hour

The Stormy Sea of Bach's Cantata No. 81


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The storms of life expressed through music, plus transcriptions with the Brazilian Guitar Quartet and the Borromeo String Quartet.
The Bach Hour

Glenn Gould's State of Wonder


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ABOUT THE BACH HOUR
The legendary pianist performs Bach's Goldberg Variations, and Marcus Creed conducts the motet Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Karen Gomyo in Concert


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The violinist performs Bach's Partita No. 3 in Switzerland, and John Eliot Gardiner conducts the joyous Cantata No. 51 (translation).
99.5 All Classical

Ben Roe Named Managing Director of Classical Services


MORE ABOUT BEN ROE
Boston's All Classical Station to be led by Grammy Award winning producer and NPR veteran.
The Bach Hour

Maxim Rysanov's Cello Suites


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The Ukrainian violist lends his musical voice to bedrock repertoire for the cello, plus Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Cantata No. 92 (translation).
The Bach Hour

Vibrant Colors and Textures in The Art of the Fugue


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The Academy for Ancient Music Berlin brings one of Bach's masterpieces to life in new ways, plus John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 181 (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Bach's Coffee Cantata


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A young woman and her father clash over her love for java in the Cantata No. 211 (translation), and Philippe Herreweghe conducts the emotionally powerful Cantata No. 159 (translation).
The Bach Hour

The Mass in B Minor


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David Hoose, Music Director of the Cantata Singers, joins Brian McCreath for one of Bach's greatest masterpieces.

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The Bach Hour

Richard Egarr and The Well-Tempered Clavier


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JOIN US FOR BACH AROUND THE CLOCK, MAR. 16
The Music Director of the Academy of Ancient Music takes you inside Bach's masterful works for harpsichord.
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The Bach Hour

Gidon Kremer's Solo Bach


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ABOUT THE BACH HOUR
The Latvian violinist performs Bach's Sonata No. 1, and Konrad Junghänel conducts the Missa Brevis in A.
The Bach Hour

Jeremy Denk's Bach


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The pianist gives a ravishing performance of the Partita No. 3, and Konrad Junghänel conducts the Missa Brevis in G minor.
The Bach Hour

The Chaconne Through The Orchestral Prism


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Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony Orchestra give a blazingly intense account of Bach's music, and Konrad Junghänel conducts the Missa Brevis in G.
The Bach Hour

A Cantata for Palm Sunday


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ABOUT THE BACH HOUR
John Eliot Gardiner conducts the joyful Cantata No. 182 (translation), written for Palm Sunday, and Pieter Wispelwey performs the Cello Suite No. 5.

On-demand at Classical New England
Boston Symphony Orchestra

Suzuki Conducts Bach


NOTES AND TRANSLATION
INTERVIEW WITH SUZUKI
Masaaki Suzuki, one of the great Bach interpreters of our time, leads Bach's St. John Passion.
Saturday, April 23 at 7pm on 99.5 All Classical
The Bach Hour

The Joy and Transcendence of Easter


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ABOUT THE BACH HOUR
Ton Koopman and Amsterdam Baroque perform the Cantata No. 31 (translation), written for Easter.  The program also features pianist Angela Hewitt in a concerto and Yuko Hayashi at the organ at Boston's Old West Church.
The Bach Hour

Philippe Herreweghe Conducts Cantata No. 42


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The Belgian conductor leads a post-Easter cantata with a dual personality.
The Bach Hour

The Bach Experience


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Mary Greer previews the Handel and Haydn Society's upcoming program with selections from the Cantatas Nos. 37, 92, and 97.
The Bach Hour

Two Masterpieces From Altenburg, Germany


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By Brian McCreath
This week's program takes you to the Schloßkirche in Altenburg to hear an instrument Bach himself performed on when it was built.
The Bach Hour

David Fray's Poetic Interpretation


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The French pianist performs Bach's Partita No. 4, and Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Cantata No. 108 (translation).
The Bach Hour

Luminous Bach From Ensemble Sonnerie


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ABOUT THE BACH HOUR
Monica Huggett leads the Orchestral Suite No. 1, and Collegium Vocale performs the Cantata No. 43 (translation).

The Bach Hour

One Chorale, Three Masterpieces


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A single chorale connects the organ prelude "Komm, Heiliger Geist," the Violin Sonata No. 3, and the Cantata No. 172 (translation).

On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Riccardo Chailly's New Way


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The conductor of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra leads the Brandenburg Concerto No. 6, and John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 129 (translation).
The Bach Hour

CSI: Bach


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Violinist Midori Seiler performs her reconstruction of a lost concerto, and Craig Smith directs the Cantata No. 39 (translation).
The Bach Hour

Bach In Boston


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The Boston Early Festival Orchestra takes the stage with the Orchestral Suite No. 3, and Boston's Emmanuel Music performs the Cantata No. 2 (translation).

On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Grace And Bouyancy From A Solo Cello


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Jean-Guihen Queyras performs the Cello Suite No. 6, and John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 135 (translation).
The Bach Hour

The Joy Of Devotion


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John Eliot Gardiner conducts Bach's Cantata No. 9 (translation), and Masaaki Suzuki leads the Orchestral Suite No. 2 in concert.

The Bach Hour

Suzuki's Brandenburg, In Concert


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Masaaki Suzuki and Bach Collegium Japan perform the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in concert, and the Cantata No. 186 (translation).
The Bach Hour

The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II


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Richard Egarr performs Preludes and Fugues from Book II of the Well-Tempered Clavier, and John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 45 (translation).

The Bach Hour

From Fear To Confidence In The Cantata 105


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Amsterdam Baroque and conductor Ton Koopman perform the Cantata No. 105 (translation), and Alison Balsom plays a concerto for trumpet.

On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

The Mystery And Intimacy Of The Lute


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Rolf Lislevand performs a suite for lute, and Masaaki Suzuki conducts the fearsome Cantata No. 46 (translation).
The Bach Hour

Pain and Transcendence in Morimur


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Violinist Christoph Poppen and the Hilliard Ensemble combine for a performance that's both searing and consoling.
The Bach Hour

Ryan Turner On Cantata No. 12


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The Artistic Director of Emmanuel Music joins Brian McCreath for one of Bach's most gripping works, the Cantata No. 12 (translation), and a preview of the upcoming season.
The Bach Hour

Jeremy Denk Plays Bach


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The American pianist performs Bach's Partita No. 4, and John Eliot Gardiner conducts the effervescent Cantata No. 17 (translation).

The Bach Hour

Harnoncourt and the Ebulliant Cantata 29


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Nikolaus Harnoncourt leads Concentus Musicus in Bach's celebratory Cantata No. 29 (translation), in concert at the Musikverein.

On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Helen Callus's Bach on Viola


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The British violist performs the Cello Suite No. 1, and Philippe Herreweghe conducts the Cantata No. 161 (translation).
The Bach Hour

Mark Padmore Sings Bach


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The British tenor navigates the dramatic emotional terrain of Bach's music in the Cantata No. 114 (translation) with conductor John Eliot Gardiner.
The Bach Hour

One Work, Two Worlds: The Cantata No. 169 and Harpsichord Concerto in E


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Bernarda Fink sings the Cantata No. 169 (translation), and Christophe Rousset performs the cantata's sister concerto for harpsichord.
The Bach Hour

Koopman Conducts a Reformation Cantata


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Ton Koopman and Amsterdam Baroque perform Bach's Cantata No. 79 (translation), and the American Bach Soloists perform the Brandenburg Concerto No. 1.
On-Demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Bach's Tapestry of Sound


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J.S. Bach's Cantata No. 109 uses the interlacing of sound to create a picture of belief in a performance conducted by John Eliot Gardiner.
On-demand at Classical New England
99.5 Host Notes

Happy Birthday, Robert J!


READ MORE AND HEAR LURTSEMA INTERVIEW ISAAC STERN
By Benjamin K. Roe
Did you hear what Robert J. played this morning?
The Bach Hour

Bach on Guitar


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Stephan Schmidt performs the Prelude, Fugue, and Allegro, and Christophe Coin directs the Cantata No. 115 (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Bach's Music for the Season, on a Legendary Organ


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Hear one of Bach's favorite pipe organs in variations on an Advent hymn, and the Cantata No. 132 (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

An Explosion of Joy for Christmas


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Philippe Herreweghe conducts Bach's Christmas Cantata No. 63 (translation), and Angela Hewitt performs the English Suite No. 4.
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

An Epiphany Cantata At St. Nicholas, Leipzig


John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 123 (translation) at a church with a remarkable history.
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Perahia Plays Bach


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Murray Perahia is soloist and director for the Keyboard Concerto No. 3, and Ton Koopman directs the Cantata No. 155 (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Salonen Conducts Schoenberg's Vision


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Esa-Pekka Salonen and the L.A. Philharmonic paint a vibrant Bach Prelude and Fugue, and Masaaki Suzuki conducts the Cantata No. 73 (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Andreas Scholl Sings Ich habe genug


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The German countertenor talks with host Brian McCreath about music, life, and Bach, and sings Ich habe genug (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

A Modern Transcription for an Ancient Instrument


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Recorder soloist Erik Bosgraaf performs a concerto by Bach, and John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 144 (translation).
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The Bach Hour

Albrecht Mayer Creates a New Bach Concerto


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The Principal Oboist of the Berlin Philharmonic finds solo music in a Bach cantata, and Philippe Herreweghe directs the Cantata No. 127 (translation).

On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Simone Dinnerstein's "Something Almost Being Said"


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The pianist talks about her new recording with host Brian McCreath, and Vocalconsort Berlin performs Jesu, meine Freude (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers in Bach's Double


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Meyers uses two Stradavarius violins in one of Bach's instrumental masterpieces, and Thomas Gropper conducts the Cantata No. 131 (translation).
On-demand at Classical New England
The Bach Hour

A Month of Bach Videos

Classical New England celebrates Bach during the month of March with special reports, live performances and daily videos. 
The Bach Hour

Lara St. John and Marie-Pierre Langlamet


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The violinist and harpist bring new colors to Bach's Violin Sonata No. 1, and John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Cantata No. 150 (translation)
On-demand at Classical New England

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