Johann Sebastian Bach

Spitta's monumental study of Johann Sebastian Bach is one of the great classics of musicology. Since it was first published in 1873-1880, it has remained the basic work on Bach and the foundation for later research and study. It may never be superceded as the most ambitious coverage of its subject, since Spitta combined a genius for historical scholarship, great musical understanding and an incredible energy in gathering source material that has seldom been matched.