What would it be like to study music with a legendary composer in his prime? The latest novel by author and filmmaker James Runcie, “The Great Passion,” deftly evokes the rigors and rewards of studying with Johann Sebastian Bach. Crafted with storytelling “both earnest and exuberant,” it’s a symphonic, contemplative pleasure.

Runcie is no stranger to tales well told. He’s the author of the “Grantchester Mysteries” series that inspired the hit British TV show. Nor is Runcie a stranger to Bach, having written a documentary as well as a radio and a stage play about the composer. 

“The Great Passion” opens in early 18th-century Germany. Shy, solitary Stefan Silbermann, grieving the recent death of his mother, is shunted off to school in faraway Leipzig by his well-meaning father, a tradesman who builds and tends church organs. Hoping the change will prod the reluctant 13-year-old from his gloom, the senior Silbermann urges his son to make the most of his budding musical talents at the school – Stefan sings and plays the harpsichord and organ – before bidding him farewell.

The bullying at St. Thomas’ school begins immediately, with jeering peers, severe administrators, and punishing instructors ensuring Stefan’s days are unbearable. It’s distressing stuff that may deter some readers, but the rewards of pressing on are many. 

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