The Way of Bach: Three Years with the Man, the Music, and the Piano

A tale of passion and obsession from a philosophy professor who teaches himself to play Bach on the piano.

Dan Moller grew up listening to heavy metal in the Boston suburbs. But something changed when he dug out his mother's record of The Art of the Fugue, inexplicably wedged between 16 ABBA Hits and Kenny Rogers. Moller became fixated on Bach and his music, but only learned to play it for himself as an adult.

In The Way of Bach, Moller draws us into the strange and surprisingly funny world of the composer and his scene. Did you know The Goldberg Variations contain a song about having to eat too much cabbage? Or that Handel nearly died in a duel he fought while conducting an opera?

Along the way, Moller takes up such questions as, just what is so special about Bach’s music? What can Americans—steeped in pop culture—learn from European craftsmanship? And why do some people see a connection between Bach's music and God?

By turns witty and thought-provoking, Moller infuses The Way of Bach with insights into music, culture, and philosophy alike.

Dan Moller is professor of philosophy at the University of Maryland.