5/5. On 21 March 1750, Bach was 65 years old, and within months of dying. He continued to compose even as his eyesight deteriorated. Donald Macleod ends his exploration of the astonishing sequence of masterpieces from the end of Bach's life with the Art of Fugue, which stands as an encyclopaedia or compendium of all Bach's vast knowledge of counterpoint. Canonic Variations on Vom Himmel hoch, BWV769 Christopher Dearnley (organ)
Contrapunctus I; Contrapunctus VI (Art of Fugue, BWV1080) Bell'Arte Ensemble; Canon at the octave (Art of Fugue, BWV1080) Hedwig Bilgram (harpsichord); Contrapunctus XI (Art of Fugue, BWV1080) Bell'Arte Ensemble; Canon at the twelfth (Art of Fugue, BWV1080) Hedwig Bilgram , Egino Klepper (harpsichords)
Contrapunctus XIV (completed Tovey) (Art of Fugue, BWV1080) Delme Quartet. Repeated on Thursday at 12 midnight