Switched-on Bach (music)
"Switched-on Bach" is a groundbreaking album released in 1968 by Walter Carlos, an innovator in electronic music and a collaborator with synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog. The album features electronic interpretations of classical compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, including famous works such as "The Well-Tempered Clavier," the Brandenburg concertos, and "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." Utilizing the early modular synthesizers in his Manhattan apartment, Carlos created a distinctive sound characterized by a frenetic tempo and a unique hollow quality that blended the traditional aesthetics of Bach's music with modern electronic elements.
The album achieved significant acclaim, winning three Grammy Awards and becoming the first classical music album to reach platinum status, marking a notable milestone in the acceptance of electronic music. Critics and listeners praised "Switched-on Bach" for its innovative approach and the way it transformed classical music into a new, accessible format. Following this success, Carlos transitioned to become Wendy Carlos, reflecting a personal journey that included significant advancements in both music and technology. The album remains influential, paving the way for future explorations in electronic music.
Switched-on Bach (music)
Released 1968
Performer Walter Carlos
The first electronically produced album to scale the pop charts. It modernized baroque music and popularized electronic music.
Key Figures
Walter Carlos (1939- ), performer
The Work
Walter Carlos, who had degrees in both physics and music, was one of a number of musicians experimenting with electronic music in the 1960’s. He was a client and collaborator of Robert Moog, the inventor of the modular synthesizer. Although most electronic compositions were modernistic and atonal, Carlos produced electronic renditions of classical pieces. Using bulky and primitive equipment in his Manhattan apartment, Carlos laboriously programmed music by the baroque master Johann Sebastian Bach, including selections from The Well-Tempered Clavier, the Brandenburg concertos, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and “Wachet Auf.” Columbia Records released the recordings as Switched-on Bach in 1968.
Impact
Switched-on Bach won three Grammy Awards, and was the first classical music album to reach platinum. Moog called the album “the most stunning breakthrough in electronic music to date.” Its frenetic tempo and eerily hollow sound, combined with the stately associations of Bach’s music, produced a result that many listeners found exciting and modern. A pioneer in electronic music, Carlos later became a pioneer in another field of technology: sex-change surgery. Walter Carlos became Wendy Carlos, and later editions of Switched-on Bach identify Wendy Carlos as the artist.
Related Work
Carlos’s soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick’s film A Clockwork Orange (1971), with music by Beethoven and others, was also a commercial success.
Additional Information
Herbert Russcol, in The Liberation of Sound: An Introduction to Electronic Music (1972), assesses the creation and reception of Switched-on Bach. Joel Chadabe’s Electronic Sound (1997) provides a broader historical context for Carlos’s work.