| Preface | | viii | |
| Acknowledgments | | x | |
| Map of Northern Germany in the time of J.S. Bach | | xi | |
| Map of Thuringia and Saxony in the time of J.S. Bach | | xi | |
| 1 Early years 1685-1703 | | 1 | |
| | 5 | |
| | 8 | |
| | 11 | |
| | 16 | |
| | 20 | |
| | 25 | |
| | 29 | |
| 2 First appointments 1703-8 | | 32 | |
| | 35 | |
| | 42 | |
| | 46 | |
| | 49 | |
| The M��hlhausen appointment |
| | 54 | |
| | 59 | |
| | 62 | |
| | 65 | |
| 3 Weimar 1708-17 | | 70 | |
| | 70 | |
| | 71 | |
| | 79 | |
| Other development in Weimar |
| | 85 | |
| | 93 | |
| | 96 | |
| The Weimar promotion and cantatas |
| | 100 | |
| | 110 | |
| The competition with Marchand |
| | 117 | |
| 4 C��then 1717-23 | | 122 | |
| | 122 | |
| | 124 | |
| | 126 | |
| The 'Brandenburg Concertos' |
| | 132 | |
| Some other music at C��then |
| | 136 | |
| Death of wife Maria Barbara |
| | 145 | |
| The Hamburg recital (audition?) |
| | 147 | |
| | 153 | |
| Some other musical activities |
| | 157 | |
| | 158 | |
| 5 Leipzig, the first years | | 161 | |
| | 161 | |
| The appointment procedure |
| | 165 | |
| | 170 | |
| | 178 | |
| | 183 | |
| | 186 | |
| | 193 | |
| | 202 | |
| 6 Leipzig, the middle years | | 206 | |
| The Collegium musicum and chamber repertories |
| | 206 | |
| The first published set of pieces |
| | 214 | |
| The royal title and associated music |
| | 217 | |
| | 224 | |
| | 228 | |
| Other musical developments |
| | 232 | |
| | 237 | |
| 7 Leipzig, the final years | | 245 | |
| Concerning the last decade |
| | 245 | |
| | 248 | |
| | 252 | |
| | 258 | |
| | 262 | |
| | 266 | |
| 8 Observations, descriptions, criticisms | | 270 | |
| Circumstances at the Thomaskirche |
| | 270 | |
| The letter to Georg Erdmann |
| | 274 | |
| The Collegium obsolescent? |
| | 275 | |
| | 277 | |
| 'Hidden secrets of harmony' |
| | 284 | |
| 'Serious and profound music' |
| | 287 | |
| A light and playful manner of thinking' |
| | 291 | |
| | 297 | |
| | 301 | |
| | 307 | |
| | 310 | |
| | 317 | |
| 'Theoretical speculations' |
| | 328 | |
| | 333 | |
| | 338 | |
| | 341 | |
| A note on the four-part chorales |
| | 349 | |
| A speculation concerning W.F. Bach |
| | 353 | |
| Epilogue | | 358 | |
| | 358 | |
| | 361 | |
| Texts, 'appropriate' music, order-plans, parodies |
| | 367 | |
| A brief note on aesthetics |
| | 371 | |
| Postscript | | 375 | |
| Glossary | | 377 | |
| List of references | | 387 | |
| Index of works (BWV) | | 392 | |
| Index of names | | 397 | |
