Aug 28, 2008
Pages tagged “Bach Family”
Jan Swafford in Slate discusses the new solo piano recording by Pierre-Laurent Aimard of Bachâs Art of the Fugue (Read Wikipedia): “Itâs as if you told a physicist that Einsteinâs General Theory of Relativity was topping the best-seller list. Itâs not supposed to happen. This is because the 14 fugues and four canons that make up The Art of Fugue constitute one of the most esoteric musical works ever written.”
Do We Know Johann Sebastian Bach?
Harold Fromm doesnât think we see Bach as a man, a personality. “Bach is in the very chemistry of Western musical blood, like red cells, white cells, and platelets in our material plasma. But if Bach is The Father, why hasnât he fired the popular imagination?”
Harold Fromm doesnât think we see Bach as a man, a personality. “Bach is in the very chemistry of Western musical blood, like red cells, white cells, and platelets in our material plasma. But if Bach is The Father, why hasnât he fired the popular imagination?”
Registration Open for Spring 2008 Classes
Iâve just added pages for Johnâs Spring 2008 Classes. There are three classes: Music of the Baroque Era (Tuesdays), Life and Works of Beethoven (Wednesdays), and Dvorak and the Rise of Musical Nationalism (Thursdays). Syllabus and recommended books, etc. will follow very soon.
Iâve just added pages for Johnâs Spring 2008 Classes. There are three classes: Music of the Baroque Era (Tuesdays), Life and Works of Beethoven (Wednesdays), and Dvorak and the Rise of Musical Nationalism (Thursdays). Syllabus and recommended books, etc. will follow very soon.
By Bach Or Not By Bach: That's (Not) The Question
The first session of my fall Bach class will feature three works whose authorship has been disputed. I personally think all three are by Bach, and it appears there is now a consensus in the case of the capriccio.
The first session of my fall Bach class will feature three works whose authorship has been disputed. I personally think all three are by Bach, and it appears there is now a consensus in the case of the capriccio.
A New (Old) Approach to Bach
The last time I taught a Bach class there were raised eyebrows when I used recordings of the major choral works conducted by Furtwangler (Matthew Passion), Klemperer (Matthew Passion as well) and Karajan (b minor mass). There may even have been a few smirks. Why did I use these recordings? Am I so out of touch? I used them because they are better than the recordings by Harnoncourt and Gardiner.
The last time I taught a Bach class there were raised eyebrows when I used recordings of the major choral works conducted by Furtwangler (Matthew Passion), Klemperer (Matthew Passion as well) and Karajan (b minor mass). There may even have been a few smirks. Why did I use these recordings? Am I so out of touch? I used them because they are better than the recordings by Harnoncourt and Gardiner.