The Story of Classical: Part II

The Story of Classical is your essential nine-part companion guide to classical music. In each of our commentaries, we unlock the mystery and beauty of every musical period—from the Middle Ages to the present day—by chronicling an encounter between vital figures in music history. We begin our classical voyage with an exploration of the Baroque era. In the closing months of 1705, a 20-year-old Johann Sebastian Bach embarked on his own journey, trekking 275 miles across Germany to hear the organist and composer Dietrich Buxtehude. But why was Bach, revered by many as the greatest ever composer, so desperate to meet him? We explore how these two composers fit into the Baroque period and introduce other major figures of the era, zooming in on Vivaldi and Handel. Enjoy the commentary in full on the first track, and on subsequent tracks explore all of its featured music.