Well said Ortho. I play classical guitar, Bach being my favorite to play. I can look back quite a few years and reflect on how his music has changed me in so many ways spiritually. Bach, Dowland, and Narvaez are 3 composers I play the most, and hold very dear.
You are also right on about many Bach performances. It can be easy to get so caught up in the technical aspect of his music that one can begin to play it like a computer rather then an instrument.
Have you heard of the story where Bach challenged Handel to a contest, and Handel 'smartly' turned it down? He was certainly known in his days for being superb with improvising. I would like to think how great it would have been to witness that, but then again, maybe we did witness it!
I would love to learn the organ though, one of these days!
Here are a few versions of art of the fugue contrapunctus 1, written later in Bachs life.
Winds
Strings
Harpsichord
Quote:
Originally Posted by orthodoxymoron
Phtha: Thank-you for the quotes.
Perform Bach yourself...if you can. There is something profound which emerges when one actually goes through the discipline of learning some very difficult music. I've tended to do a lot of spiritual reflection while sitting at the console of a pipe organ...playing Bach.
Beware of dry and sterile performances of Bach. They are everywhere. A proper performance of Bach should sound like a very skillful improvisation. Bach spent hours improvising. Observers have stated that his improvisations were even more impressive than his written works. This is difficult to imagine.
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