The “Switched-On Bach” Story

Wendy (Walter) Carlos at her Moog synthesizer.

A 1969 article telling the story of Wendy Carlos’ “Switched-On Bach” seminal album. A collection of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach performed on the Moog modular synthesizer, “Switched-On Bach” legitimized the electronic synthesizer as a real musical instrument and changed forever the public perception of electronic music, showing that it could be something very different from ” the academy approved ‘ugly’ music, “as Carlos put it.

Wendy Carlos

Wendy Carlos

Wendy Carlos is an American composer and electronic musician. She was one of the first famous performers of electronic music using synthesisers. Wendy Carlos (born Walter Carlos, November 14, 1939 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island) is an American composer and electronic musician. Wendy Carlos was one of the first famous performers of electronic music using synthesisers. […]