This four-part mini-series details the adult life of the composer Bach. Bach is shown here as a human being - not as some demigod - who actually even removes his wig every now and then to drive home the fact that he's a flesh and blood mortal like you and me. The series traces the stations of his career and concentrates not only on the music but on his family life as well. It also provides a unique insight into the early half of the eighteenth century, bringing things to light that we as post-industrial Bach admirers never really consider when we contemplate the genius of this great musician. For example, we see his deep genuflections when confronted with royalty, the tribulations of riding in a coach or, especially chilling, his eye operation being performed without an anaesthetic while the doctor's assistants holds him in a chair near an open window. The series builds on several anecdotes giving it flow and interest. The camera work is at times brilliant - unique camera angles, movement and unusual positioning round this series out. In summary, we see Bach the man confronted with the turmoils of everyday life in his age, and leave appreciating his genius all the much more.
Review of Johann Sebastian Bach
