Cover -- Half-title -- Title -- Copyright -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgments -- Chapter 1: Early years, 1685-1703 -- The Obituary begins -- 'Honourable Thuringians' -- Birth, Family -- Loss of Parents -- The 'Moonlight Episode' -- The Move to Luneburg -- Visits to Hamburg -- French Tastes -- Chapter 2: First appointments, 1703-8 -- The Arnstadt Appointment -- Further Influences -- From Arnstadt to Lubeck -- Buxtehude -- The Muhlhausen Appointment -- The Muhlhausen Organ -- First Marriage -- Letters And Writing -- Chapter 3: Weimar, 1708-17 -- Heard by a Duke -- The Weimar Appointment -- Weimar Organ Composition -- Other Development in Weimar -- The Halle Audition -- Music for Halle? -- The Weimar Promotion and Cantatas -- Pupils in Weimar -- The Competition with Marchand -- Chapter 4: Cöthen, 1717-23 -- The Call to Cöthen -- The Move to Cöthen -- The Cöthen Appointment -- The 'Brandenburg Concertos' -- Some Other Music at Cöthen -- Death of Wife Maria Barbara -- The Hamburg Recital (Audition?) -- Second Marriage -- Some Other Musical Activities -- The Family -- Chapter 5: Leipzig, the first years -- The Call to Leipzig -- The Appointment Procedure -- New Life in Leipzig -- The Place of Cantatas -- Some Other Music -- Further Cantata Cycles -- The Passions -- Other Musical Activities -- Chapter 6: Leipzig, the middle years -- The Collegium Musicum and Chamber Repertories -- The Frist Published Set of Pieces -- The Royal Title and Associated Music -- Organs and Organ Music -- Harpsichord Music -- Other Musical Developments -- Other Activities -- Chapter 7: Leipzig, the final years -- Concerning the Last Decade -- The Art of Fugue -- The Visit to Potsdam -- 'The B Minor Mass' -- Blindness -- Deathbed and Death -- Chapter 8: Observations, descriptions, criticisms -- Circumstances at the Thomaskirche.

The Letter to Geroge Erdmann, 28 October 1730 -- The Collegium Obsolescent? -- Organs and Harpsichords -- 'Hidden Secrets of Harmony' -- 'Serious and Profound Music' -- 'A Light and Playful Manner of Thinking' -- The Score-Reader -- The Keyboard Player -- The Organ Expert -- Scheibe's Criticism -- Character, Quarrels -- 'Theoretical Speculations' -- Tuning and Temperament -- The Teacher -- What was Taught -- A Note on the Four-Part Chorales -- A Speculation Concerning W. F. Bach -- Epilogue -- Concerning the Life -- Concerning the Music -- Texts, 'Appropriate' Music, Order-Plans, Parodies -- A Brief Note on Aesthetics -- Postscript -- Glossary -- References -- Index of works (BWV) -- Index of names.