Bach A Passionate Life

John Eliot Gardiner goes in search of Bach the man and the musician The famous portrait of Bach portrays a grumpy 62yearold man in a wig and formal coat yet his greatest works were composed 20 years earlier in an almost unrivalled blaze of creativity We reveal a complex and passionate artist a warm and convivial family man at the same time a rebellious spirit struggling with the hierarchies of state and church who wrote timeless music that is today known worldwide Gardiner undertakes a Bach Tour of Germany and sifts the relatively few clues we have some newlyfound Most of all he uses the music to reveal the real Bach