V.1 Des origines à Jean-Sébastien Bach -- V.2 Du XVIII siècle à nos jours.

General synthesis essay trying to consider, as an example, the causes of the notoriety of Johann Sebastian Bach, particularly in comparison whit his contemporary Vivaldi. Is the notoriety of the greats composers due to the real musical interest of their masterpieces for the people or to the result of a complex alchemy in which ideology mainly intervenes ? The name of Bach seems particularly to illustrate the influence of extra-musicals factors in the recognition of genius, real or supposed. The comparison with his contemporary Vivaldi allow to show the importance of such factors.