Classical Sprouts: Switched-On Bach | Interlochen Public Radio

What do you think Bach would think if he heard his music played on a synthesizer?

If he was still alive, he’d have the chance, because American musician and composer Wendy Carlos created several albums of Bach’s music – all played on the Moog synthesizer.

Switched-On Bach, the first of these albums, came out in 1968 and signaled a dramatic shift for electronic music.

Now, when we hear “electronic music,” we might think of 80s pop or electronic dance music (EDM), but electronic music hasn’t always been so popular.

Electronic music used to exist largely in academic spheres, and it was expensive, unusual and difficult to access.