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This question is intriguing, but obviously unanswerable. I'd refute that Bach's influence has been greater than any other composer (that claim's been bandied around), since he really marked the pinnacle of a period. After his death he quickly slid into obscurity, coinciding more or less with the death of the baroque style.
I often think that one of the reasons for the sudden, sharp alteration in style between the baroque and classical period (which appears much more discernable than the classical-romantic divide) is that the ever-increasing complexity of counterpoint forced musicians to start afresh. There simply weren't enough people who could do it.
Bach's life must have been a terribly frustrating one, considering his genius. To write something as brilliant as the Brandenburg concerti as a gift, and then not even receive aknowledgement?
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