Why it’s good to remember that Bach could be a tedious old windbag

When I was first learning about classical music, 50 years ago, the scene was more streamlined than it is now. Beethoven was king, with Brahms and Mozart next in line, and Haydn slowly establishing himself. Mahler was the new kid on the block; Bruckner was largely unknown and mistrusted. If one wanted the full symphony orchestra experience in late romantic music, it was to Tchaikovsky that most promoters turned. Tchaikovsky cycles, Beethoven cycles, Haydn’s ‘London’ symphonies, Mozart’s last three symphonies were the way to guarantee a crowd, with general knowledge of all Beethoven’s music — string quartets, piano trios, Lieder — at an all-time high.

Now Bach is king. In fact, he is more than king: he is pope and emperor rolled into one, speaking for sacred and secular music enthusiasts alike. Never before has a composer from the past so completely dominated the classical music scene. Where Beethoven was once found to be manageably romantic, his deafness and tousled hair playing into the persona, Bach is seen as a superman, an Übermensch, whose impeccable technique delivered every time.