Is J. S. Bach's greatest work the St Matthew Passion?

The other form in which Bach wrote the archetypal piece is the oratorio. The piece, as I'm sure you've guessed, was the St. Matthew Passion. There have been other maybe-equally important oratorios (Handel's Messiah, Mendelssohn's Elijah), but the St. read more

But suffice it to say that if you don't think the Saint Matthew Passion is Bach's greatest work, it's purely a matter of taste. read more

This monumental St Matthew Passion is hailed as the greatest setting of the Passion story in western music, but surprisingly it was not until almost 100 years after its premiere that Bach’s music got the recognition it deserved. read more