Bach and the Baroque

Bach and the Baroque

Apple Music Classical

Updated 3 days ago

Baroque music tends to be known for its clarity and concision: Think Pachelbel and Purcell, or J.S. Bach. Spanning the 17th century through the beginning of the Classical era around the mid-1700s, the compositions here also chart the emergence of forms like the concerto, sonata and oratorio. This playlist is regularly refreshed by our classical editors. If you like a piece, add it to your library.

No. 39, Chorus. Ruht wohl, ihr heiligen Gebeine

Raphaël Pichon, Ensemble Pygmalion

7:32

Befiehl du deine Wege Variation (After Matthäuspassion, BWV 244, No. 53: Befiehl du deine Wege) [Arr. for Violin & String Quintet by Tim Allhoff]

Eldbjørg Hemsing, Norwegian String Quintet

1:33

Keyboard Sonata in D Minor, Kk. 9

4:03

II. [Sonata II]

Bojan Čičić, The Illyria Consort

1:46

IV. Gavotta

Rachel Podger, Brecon Baroque

1:37

I. Adagio (Arr. for Clarinet, Cello, and Bass by Martin Fröst, Anastasia Kobekina and Sebastien Dubé)

Martin Fröst, Sébastien Dubé, Anastasia Kobekina

1:53

I. Allegro

Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi

2:08

Var. 3. Canone all'Unisono a 1 Clav. (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 2025)

2:02

II. Allegro

Evgeny Sviridov, Concerto Köln

2:40

III. Sarabande (Orch. Equilbey) [Homage to "Barry Lyndon"]

Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey

2:29

Autre Fantaisie

Thibaut Roussel, Anna Lachegyi, Myriam Rignol, Philippe Pierlot, Mathias Ferré, Lucile Boulanger, Jean Rondeau

1:35

I. Prélude

Anastasia Kobekina

2:58

No. 13, L'amante modesto (Arr. for String Quartet by Alex Fortes)

Brompton Quartet

4:16

I. Allegro

Howard Griffiths, Martin James Bartlett, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg

7:09

II. Adagio

Gli Incogniti, Amandine Beyer

3:31

Gigue (Transcr. for Piano Left Hand by Paul Wittgenstein)

3:05

No. 1, Chorus. Herr, unser Herrscher

Ensemble Pygmalion, Raphaël Pichon

7:48

III. Allegro assai

Ensemble Masques, Olivier Fortin, Sophie Gent, Kathleen Kajioka

2:51

IV. Menuet

Jeneba Kanneh-Mason

3:56

II. Gloria in excelsis Deo

Michael Alexander Willens, Kölner Akademie

5:35

I. Preludio

Renaud Capuçon

3:29

III. Presto

Bernhard Forck, Isabelle Faust, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

1:36

III. Largo

Mayumi Hirasaki, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

3:00

I. Affettuoso

Peter Spissky, Camerata Øresund

2:14

IV. Sarabande

Anastasia Kobekina

4:17

I. [...]

Rachel Podger, Brecon Baroque

1:28

V. Gavotte I

Francesco Tristano

1:40

Aria. Where'er You Walk (Jupiter)

Jakub Józef Orliński, Michał Biel

4:48

III. Allegro

Marcello Gatti, Alessandro Tampieri, Ottavio Dantone, Accademia Bizantina

5:31

I. Kyrie, Gloria: No. 7, Gratias agimus tibi

Raphaël Pichon, Ensemble Pygmalion

3:20

II. Air (Arr. Siloti for Solo Piano)

5:04

I. [Allegro] [Live]

Gottfried von der Goltz, Freiburger Barockorchester, Marie Deller

2:46

IV. Allegro

Evgeny Sviridov, Concerto Köln

2:59

I. Le Coucou

1:49

Aria (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 2025)

4:04

I. Sinfonia

Lionel Meunier, Vox Luminis

1:42

Toccata seconda arpeggiata

2:34

III. Adagio

Alessandro Tampieri, Accademia Bizantina, Ottavio Dantone

3:06

I. Adagio

Isabelle Faust, Bernhard Forck, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

3:02

Keyboard Sonata in D Minor, Kk. 1

2:14

No. 3, Minuet in F Major, BWV Anh. 113

Alessandro Simonetto

1:59

Sonata IV: IV. Menuet 1711

Eva Saladin, Daniel Rosin, Johannes Keller

3:40

Alle Menschen müssen sterben, BWV 262 (Perf. by String Quartet)

2:36

II. Largo ma non tanto

Gli Incogniti, Amandine Beyer

5:42

IV. Presto

Renaud Capuçon

3:32

III. Sarabande

Víkingur Ólafsson

2:38

I. Kyrie, Gloria: No. 2, Christe eleison

Ensemble Pygmalion, Julie Roset, Raphaël Pichon, Beth Taylor

4:32

I. Sonata. Grave - Allegro

Jonathan Cohen, Arcangelo

2:58

IV. Aria

The Illyria Consort, Bojan Čičić

1:04

II. Largo

Beatrice Rana, Amsterdam Sinfonietta

2:39

Prelude and Fugue No. 19 in A Major, BWV 888: I. Prelude

1:26

IV. Menuet I - V. Menuet II

4:48

VII. Sarabande, G. 51

3:54

III. Adagio

Adrian Chandler, La Serenissima

2:38

I. [no tempo indication] - Adagio - Fuga. Allegro - Adagio

Francesco Tristano

2:43

Keyboard Sonata in B Minor, Kk. 27

4:12

Variation XXI. Canone alla settima

Thibaut Garcia, Antoine Morinière

2:39

III. Allegro

Adrian Chandler, La Serenissima

3:53

Coro "Gloria in excelsis Deo"

Paul Agnew, Les Arts Florissants

2:14

Var. 25. a 2 Clav. Adagio (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 2025)

8:34

I. Canon (From "Ordinary People")

Insula Orchestra, Laurence Equilbey

4:19

VII. Danse du grand calumet de la paix en rondeau pour les sauvages

Michi Gaigg, L'Orfeo Barockorchester

2:01

Allein Gott in der Höh sei Her, BWV 676

5:19

Si dolce è il tormento (Perf. on Sheng, Viola & Double Bass)

Janne Saksala, Martin Stegner, Wu Wei

3:20

II. Largo

Europa Galante, Fabio Biondi

3:12

Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ, BWV 639 (Arr. for Clarinet and Theorbo by Martin Fröst and Jonas Nordberg)

Martin Fröst, Jonas Nordberg

2:25

III. Cantabile ma un poco adagio

Ilya Gringolts, Francesco Corti

6:23

II. Air

Baroklyn, Simone Dinnerstein

4:51

Prelude No. 9 in E Major, BWV 854

Víkingur Ólafsson

1:44

I. Prélude. Fantasia (Transcr. in A Minor for 2 Viols by Salomé Gasselin and Mathias Ferré)

Salomé Gasselin, Mathias Ferré

3:47

I. [Allegro]

Baroklyn, Simone Dinnerstein

7:59

III. Allegro

Fabio Biondi, Europa Galante

2:41

Sinfonia (Arr. Diluka for Piano)

1:32

Var. 15. Canone alla Quinta a 1 Clav. Andante (Live at Carnegie Hall, New York, 2025)

5:39

IV. Presto

Adrian Chandler, La Serenissima, Tabea Debus, Katy Bircher

2:55

II. Siciliano (Transcr. for Piano Left Hand by Paul Wittgenstein)

2:56

No. 1, Symphony

3:03

III. Allegro

Daniel Pioro, Manchester Camerata

3:28

I.

Kristian Bezuidenhout, Kristin von der Goltz, Isabelle Faust

1:30

Var. VIII. a 2 claviere

1:53

Corrente con le sue spezzate

2:02

I. Prelude in E Minor BWV 855

1:48

Prelude and Fugue No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 871: I. Prelude

2:44

I. —

Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya

2:10

III. Allegro

Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Beatrice Rana

5:46

IV. Sarabande

Anastasia Kobekina

4:08

II. Largo e pianissimo sempre

Daniel Pioro, Manchester Camerata

2:53

II. Adagio

Georg Kallweit, Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin

2:15

VI. Gigue

2:42

Scene 3, Chorus. O Glorious Prince! Thrice Happy They

William Christie, Les Arts Florissants

4:56

I. Adagio

Olivier Stankiewicz, Theo Plath, Armand Djikoloum

3:32

Sarabanda

Sébastien Daucé, Ensemble Correspondances

4:08

No. 1, Contrapunctus 1

3:08

II. Aria. Komm, Jesu, komm zu deiner Kirche

Les Arts Florissants, Paul Agnew

2:31