overview of the life and times of the great Baroque composer, means `brook' in German.

The genius who spent most of his life as the over-worked, under-paid and certainly under-appreciated cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig, indeed proved to be the well-spring of western music, influencing such giants as Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Mendelssohn.

This programme, devised by Bach scholar and accompanying harpsichordist John Butt in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the composer's death, tended toward the cerebral, concentrating on the man's vast store of music rather than his life which, when it was not humdrum, was tinged with sadness: having fathered 20 children, nearly half died before adulthood.

Internationally renowned cellist Raphael Wallfisch took centre stage on this musical journey, underlining the fact that the prolific composer produced an astonishing output of music for solo instruments.

With Butt providing the underpinning continuo, the evening began with the sonorously rich adagio from Bach's Sonata in G major which ran seamlessly into the altogether brighter allegro, as Wallfisch's magic bow sang with lucid and, at times, soaring fluidity.

Two of his best known works for cello are the two Suites, one in G major, the other in D minor. Again, these contrasting pieces, the first being brightly cheerful, the second far darker, highlighted this soloist's understated virtuosity.

Timothy West, a household name in Britain as one of the country's most versatile actors, took on the task of narrator in this fascinating glimpse of the great man's life: while not dwelling on autobiographical details -- mainly because, unlike Beethoven and Mozart, comparatively little is known -- the actor gave us some illuminating moments through both prose and poetry: his fondness for tobacco, his heavy teaching timetable which included Latin ("he was not, it must be said, a good schoolmaster''), his unhappy relationship with the town council, and most of all, his prevailing modesty.

Amazingly, Bach, during his lifetime, was unfavourably compared with his contemporary, Telemann. As Butt demonstrated in the solo Fantasia for Harpsichord, with his predictable and orderly melodies, was far more to the public's liking.

As West related, 40 years after his death, it was Mozart who recognised his genius: listening to a choir sing Bach, "Mozart sat up, startled and cried out `What is this?' and sat himself down and did not get up again until he had looked at every thing of Bach's that was there.'' It would be Mendelssohn, however, who, as conductor of Bach's profound St. Matthew Passion, would re-kindle a great revival and appreciation of the composer that has since, never dimmed.

Reflecting this cheering anecdote, Bach's Gavottes, Gigue and Sarabande from the glorious Suite in C minor, were played with joyful vigour, Wallfisch obviously relishing the virtuosic demands of the almost jaunty dance rhythms.

There was another view of J.S. Bach by the 19th century composer Debussy.

Describing him as an "elegant writer'', West related that he commented on the prevailing popularity of most German music "not as serious as an epidemic although it makes more noise''; only Bach won the praise of the impressionist successor who continued music's odyssey into the 20th century.

For the 5th Cello Suite, Wallfisch tuned his instrument down to provide a darker colour of a piece echoing with plaintive resonance and in the lighter Sarabande, transforming this wondrous instrument, with gloriously defined fingerwork, into one of freshness and freedom.

Although these biographical narratives always end, of course, with the death of the hero (in this case hastened by an eye operation by a comically inept surgeon), the programme ended with the happy notes of the vivace movement from Bach's Sonata in G minor, Wallfisch and Butt playing in virtuosic and felicitous union.

Odyssey: World-famous cellist Raphael Wallfisch was joined by harpsichordist John Butt and actor Timothy West in Odyssey: Bach and the Cello at City Hall last night.