Bach's Keyboard Music

[Boneman]

His music is like Lennon and McArtney's in so much that it is very adaptable for various instruments.

[bassistah]

Please please please listen to Glen Gould playing the Goldbergs. Just bliss. If you can ignore Glen´s occasional habit of singing along to himself... He does some amazing things with the tempi. A really original and beautifully played performance.

For something a bit more conventional, Andreas Schiff is hard to beat. His Well Tempered Klavier is kick ass too.

[Thorolf]

Originally Posted by reith

I've rarely heard anything as powerful as the Passacaglia and Fugue in Cm, bwv 528. Because of Bach I came to love the sound (and philosophy) of the Silbermann organs.

If you like that one, you may be intrigued by the Passacaglia from Shostakovich’ 1st Violin Concerto, that is the 3rd movement. Imagine the gravity and completeness of Bach’s BWV 528 translated to 20th century tonalities…

Regards

[LethalBunny]

To be honest, I really don't see what is so great about bachs music.. his piano music tends to bore me, that is, the music of his that I have heard so far. Parts of it entertain me but well hmm in general I find myself quite bored whilst listening to his music, to the point where I really can't motivate myself to learn his music since it bores me so much. So when you guys are talking about it so passionately it really does bemuse me, so, as a humble request, is there anyone out there who would kindly explain why Bach really is loved so much? It's always confused me.. =/

=)

[PeterG]

Hi Bunny,

I can understand you comments here. Personally I like the complexity of Bach's works, the fuga's, the melodies that fit into each other 4, 5 times over. It has a mathematical beauty. But does it "move" you? Well, not in the way that a Mozart could do that or Beethoven. I guess you're missing that..

[LethalBunny]

Originally Posted by PeterG

Hi Bunny,

I can understand you comments here. Personally I like the complexity of Bach's works, the fuga's, the melodies that fit into each other 4, 5 times over. It has a mathematical beauty. But does it "move" you? Well, not in the way that a Mozart could do that or Beethoven. I guess you're missing that..

no.. it does nothing for me.. well.. I tell a lie, lol, it bores me! okay seriously now, there are some parts that do move me, where it seems to be so full of energy, you know, where both hands are playing semi quaver runs up and down the piano in contrary motion or however you want to call it, I can't explain it, but it just feels.. awesome.. but that's the only part that really gets to me, in any of his music, those specific moments. I just listened to some recordings by Glen Gould, one of them was of him at his house just playing one of the Goldberg Variations, and I think that his humming.. and his.. actions.. actually made me see what the music was all about.. it was more like.. watching a musical actor.. the humming really did help, which is interesting since most people hate the way that he hums but to be honest I love it, it's hilarious and it makes me understand the music more! =)

Yeah, well beethoven moves me, Mozart does but only with certain piano songs and concertos etc but Bach, zilch =/

Yeah I guess I can relate with you to the melodies flowing with each other, those tend to be the sections that I truly adore. The rest simply.. agitates me.

[Silverfin]

Originally Posted by LethalBunny

So when you guys are talking about it so passionately it really does bemuse me, so, as a humble request, is there anyone out there who would kindly explain why Bach really is loved so much? It's always confused me..

Is it ever possible to really explain why one loves a certain piece of music?

I can't explain why the Goldbergs (for example) move me, but then, neither could I explain with any coherence why the Eroica does, or Siegfried's funeral march. They just do.

Maybe that just means I'm rubbish at explaining when it comes to music...

[stevel]

Originally Posted by sneekymum

the Little Notebook

The pieces in the Little Notebook (assuming you mean the one for Anna Magdelena) are not all by Bach.

See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noteboo...Magdalena_Bach

for details.

FYI
Steve

[Ron Ofir]

But does it "move" you? Well, not in the way that a Mozart could do that or Beethoven. I guess you're missing that..

Funny you say that, Bach moves me more than Mozart and Beethoven... But, like Silverfin said, it just can't be explained. I love his suites, concerti, keyboard works (that I've heard), and his six motets that I've just heard live sung by a wonderful boys choir. That was probably one of my best experiences with music! Then again, some rock music moves me just as well (so does blues, jazz, metal...)