Amazon.com Review
It is next to impossible to cover the mighty legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach's keyboard works adequately with one compact disc and 30-odd pages of text. Because of this limitation, this entry in the Black Dog Music Library's collection of classical music can't offer much more than a perfunctory introduction to the work. Still, it includes some of Bach's most deservedly famous works for organ and harpsichord and introduces the beginner to the great composer's life, music, and family, as well as to five well-known performers. One might fault EMI and Black Dog for some of the recordings here (evidently, EMI's back catalog is somewhat thinner in this repertoire than in some of the other classical music basics). Maria Tipo is a fine pianist, but a modern grand piano does not really present Bach's music as it ought to be heard; Albert Schweitzer was a great humanitarian and helped boost the presentation of Bach earlier in this century, but he was not a full-time musician and not as precise in his playing as one might have hoped; Wanda Landowska was a truly phenomenal artist, but this recording was made in 1936, and the technology was, by today's standards, decidedly primitive. Nonetheless, this book and CD provide a good overview and sample of works from which to proceed on to further exploration. The time line in the back, tracing the Bach family tree--heavily laden with musicians--from the 16th century through Bach's sons, is a nice touch. --Sarah Bryan Miller