Great Performances

Now Hear This “The Riddle of Bach”

Scott Yoo goes to Germany to learn Bach’s sonatas and partitas, widely considered among the greatest works ever written for solo violin. There, he discovers a riddle Bach left behind in his portrait. In trying to solve it, Scott discovers that Bach based his melodic style on Vivaldi and his rhythms on the music of the French court, which leads to a spectacular finale in Paris.

Now Hear This | Preview

30s

Join Scott Yoo, renowned violinist and conductor of the Mexico City Philharmonic, in Now Hear This, a new four-part documentary miniseries presented by Great Performances that merges music, storytelling, travel and culture, as he chases the secret histories of some of the greatest music ever written.

Previews + Extras

  • An Ambiguous Key: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    An Ambiguous Key

    S47 E2 - 3m 48s

    Scott Yoo heads to Germany to cross "play the Bach partitas for solo violin" off his bucket list, and play a duet with renowned concert pianist Alice Sara Ott.

  • The Riddle of Bach | Preview: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    The Riddle of Bach | Preview

    S47 E2 - 30s

    Scott Yoo goes to Germany to learn Bach’s sonatas and partitas, widely considered among the greatest works ever written for solo violin. There, Yoo discovers a riddle Bach left behind in his portrait. In trying to solve it, Yoo and his wife, leading flutist Alice Dade, discover that Bach based his melodic style on Vivaldi and his rhythms on the music of the French court.

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