​by Rebecca Cochran
 
There are many quotes attributed to Bach. Probably one of the most well known is: “There's nothing remarkable about it. All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time and the instrument plays itself.”
 
Another is: “I was obliged to be industrious. Whoever is equally industrious will succeed equally well.”
 
And, although I wish I knew something of the context in which this one was used, it is certainly one of my favorites: “If I decide to be an idiot, then I'll be an idiot on my own accord.”

by Rebecca Cochran
 
‪I’ve just discovered The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach: A film about Johann Sebastian Bach & his wife. It was produced in 1968 by the French filmmaking duo of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet.
 
The film stars harpsichordist, Gustav Leonhardt as Johann Sebastian Bach and Christiane Lang as Anna Magdalena Bach. The orchestral music was performed by Concentus Musicus and conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

Enjoy the film in its entirety here.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
The immensely talented young mandolinist, Chris Thile is in the process of recording the Bach Violin Partitas and Sonatas. The first volume was released on Nonesuch Records in 2013. Thile’s interpretations sound, refreshingly, as if he is making things up as he goes. I think Bach would wholeheartedly approve!
 
Here’s a treat: Chris Thile live at the Alberta Rose Theatre in Portland, Oregon on 10/2/2013. Here he performs the complete suite of Bach's Partita No. 1 in B minor.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
In an earlier post, I’d shared that birds (and fish!) prefer Bach. Apparently, elephants love Bach, as well! Here’s proof:
 
Watch elephants dance to violinist, Eleanor Bartsch, as she warms up for a performance of the Bach Concerto for Two Violins.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Whether one is religious or not, there is no denying the magnitude and beauty of Bach’s Easter Oratorio (BWV 249). I find it interesting that Bach based this work on a secular cantata, the Shepherd Cantata (BWV 249a), now lost.
 
Enjoy this rendition of the Easter Oratorio by Ton Koopman and the Amsterdam Baroque Choir and Orchestra.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Okay, I’ve now heard (and seen) it all! I accidentally ran into this video of a group of five talented young musicians playing Bach's Prelude #1 on tubes musicaux, i.e., boomwhackers, tuned percussion tubes made of plastic.

The sound and the visual are impressive! Enjoy the video here.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Whether one is religious or not, there is no denying the magnitude and beauty of Bach’s St. Matthew Passion. He wrote the work for Good Friday vesper services at St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig, Germany.
 
Rather than attempting to write about it, I am happy to share this 2014 NPR Visitor's Guide To Bach's 'St. Matthew Passion.'  It is definitely worth an hour of your time.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
The keyboard Partitas are among the most popular of Bach’s works. They are also some of the most difficult to play.
 
The Partita No. 2 in C minor (BWV 826) is one of my personal favorites. It comprises six movements, including the usual opening sinfonia, and continuing with four customary French-inspired dance movements of the day.

However, rather than closing with a true gigue, the ever-experimenting Bach finishes with a rollicking capriccio, more closely related to the Italian style. True to form, this capriccio relies on fugal techniques, albeit lighter (more capricious?) in character than a “strict” fugue. Bach, in his genius, blends both worlds – the seriousness of a fugue with the light-hearted fun of a gigue!
 
Enjoy this recording of the Capriccio by the preeminent pianist, András Schiff.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
I’d reported in an earlier post that Bach is my favorite composer, hands down. When asked, “Who is your favorite composer?,” I don’t even have to think twice about it.
 
It was nice to see this YouTube video today, featuring violinist, Gil Shaham addressing this exact question. 

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Bach’s Trio Sonata in G Major (BWV 1039) for two flutes and continuo holds many wonderful memories for me. I have performed the work several times and have always enjoyed the experience.
 
I had the pleasure, early on, of being coached on this piece by my mentor, the flutist & pianist, Louis Moyse. I distinctly recall the day that we worked together on the brief 3rd movement, marked Adagio e piano. The two flutes play gentle, repeated arpeggios over a bass line of broken chords.
 
Louis stopped us almost immediately after our start. He suggested that we relax the tempo. “You must play this movement as if nothing is happening,” he said. He then added, almost as if he was telling us a secret, “But this is by Bach, so everything is happening!”
 
To this day, I couldn’t agree more.

Have a listen to the movement here, performed by Emmanuel Pahud and Silvia Careddu, flutes; Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord and Jonathan Manson, cello.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
The various overtures and sinfonias (instrumental movements) represent some of my favorite works by Bach. The sinfonia that introduces his secular Peasant Cantata (BWV 212) is a gem.

Written to celebrate the 36th birthday of the crown prince of Saxony, Bach intersperses popular dance tunes of the day and even pokes a bit of fun at farmers, peasants and other common folk. Bach’s original title of this cantata was Cantate burlesque. It is thought to be his latest cantata.
 
In celebration of Bach’s 331st birthday, enjoy this lively rendering of the sinfonia with Europa Galante, led by Fabio Biondi.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
The #BachInTheSubways2016 celebration continues through tomorrow, Bach’s actual 331st birthday. It is fascinating watching the thousands of comments, photos and videos being shared as performances take place around the world!
 
Click these links to view some of the action on Twitter and Facebook.

The long-awaited weekend is finally here! Thousands of musicians around the world are simultaneously bringing Bach to the people in celebration of Bach's 331st birthday.

I'll be participating, performing works for flute alone. (More info here)

Learn more about #BachInTheSubways2016 and find a performance happening in your area here.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
J.S. Bach did not write tuba sonatas. I’m sure he would have, but the instrument didn’t even appear until the mid 19th-century.
 
I’ve known several great tuba players over the years and, for some reason, they seem infatuated with the flute repertoire. (I think they just like to show off!)

When I chanced upon this recording of tubist, Alexander Lapins, performing Bach’s Flute Sonata in E-Flat Major, I couldn’t resist sharing it here.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
It’s St. Patrick’s Day and I can’t resist sharing this performance of Bach in Ireland featuring Shawn Wyckoff (flute), Maria Millar (violin) and Nan-Cheng Chen (cello). Maria Millar’s arrangements / adaptations of well-known works by Bach will have you dancing all day!

Enjoy the video here.

 by Rebecca Cochran
 
Max Reger adored Bach. The German organist and composer said of his idol, “For me, Sebastian Bach is the be-all and end-all of music; true progress lies and resides in him alone.”
 
Reger created a large body of work (including arrangements of some 93 works by Bach), from choral and orchestral compositions to pieces for solo piano, organ or strings. Probably, his best known organ work is the Fantasie and Fugue on B-A-C-H, Op. 46, composed in 1900 as his homage to Bach.

Listen to organist, Rosalinde Haas’ imposing performance here. 

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Yesterday’s post focused on the number 14. Today, being the Ides of March, I’m concentrating on the number 15.
 
Of course, Bach’s Two- and Three-Part Inventions come immediately to mind. Comprised of 15 inventions (in two contrapuntal parts) and 15 sinfonias (three contrapuntal parts), they were originally written as exercises for his students. The two groups of 15 pieces are neatly arranged in order of ascending key, each group covering the eight major and seven minor keys.

Hmmm…perhaps the inventions and sinfonias were exercises for Herr Bach, as well!

by Rebecca Cochran
 
As I wrote in an earlier post, Bach was fond of the number 14. Using gematria, an ancient form of substituting numbers for letters, the letters B-A-C-H add up to 14. This number and its mirror, 41, are tucked away in the musical structure of many of Bach’s works.
 
Surprisingly, Bach’s personal, published copy of his Goldberg Variations was just discovered in 1974. With it, in Bach’s own hand, was found an appendix in the form of 14 canons based on the first eight bass notes from the opening aria of the Goldbergs, representing a clear reference to the number 14.
 
I find this fascinating stuff. Surely, Bach’s affinity for musical (and mathematical) riddles made him the life of any party!

by Rebecca Cochran
 
The Flute Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033, may actually have been composed by C.P.E. Bach, rather than by his father, Johann Sebastian. Another theory is that this sonata could be a work of two different composers: Father and son? Or, teacher and pupil?
 
Furthermore, some scholars feel that the work is not a sonata for flute and continuo but, perhaps, a work for flute alone. The demanding flute part offers no rest for the soloist.
 
One of the reasons I receive so much enjoyment from the music of Bach is that none of us alive today truly knows what was going on in Bach’s day. It is fun and enlightening to consider various scenarios for why, how and when Bach made the decisions that he did. And, as far as the C Major Flute Sonata, no matter who composed it and under what circumstances, it (luckily) survives for our playing and listening pleasure!
 
Enjoy this wonderful interpretation by Emmanuel Pahud, flute and Trevor Pinnock, harpsichord.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Spanish musician, Publio Delgado, pieced together his own unique version of Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1. Over the course of nearly one year, he recorded himself singing two pitches a day as he traveled to more than 25 cities across the world.
 
The result is a stunning travelogue, doubling as an amazing example of performance art. Enjoy his video here.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
BACH & friends, the 2010 documentary by Michael Lawrence Films is a gem. In it, Lawrence profiles a diverse lineup of renowned musicians who share their reflections on Bach and his music. The interweaving between the interviews and the performances is exquisitely done!

Enjoy viewing the trailer here.

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Call me late to the table, but I’ve just discovered the “24/7 Bach” Internet Radio Station hosted by The Global Bach Community, a non-profit organization “Dedicated to linking and supporting local Bach organizations worldwide.”

What a wonderful resource! Access the station here.

by Rebecca Cochran
​
As one might imagine, there's a wealth of trivia about Bach online. I recently stumbled upon a site called funtrivia.com with pages upon pages of fun content about JSB. Whether all of the content is completely accurate, we may never know, but the site would probably offer loads of fun for young music students. And, if I let myself, I could spend all day there.

Here's the link. Have fun!

by Rebecca Cochran
 
Yesterday, I attended a solo piano recital given by a friend. His program opened with the Rachmaninoff Prelude in D Minor and concluded with selections from the Paderewski Variations and Fugue on an Original Theme in E-flat Minor. Both Rachmaninoff and Paderewski were, no doubt, inspired by J.S. Bach.
 
The encore was none other than Bach’s Chaconne from the Partita in D minor for solo violin, transcribed for piano, left hand, by Johannes Brahms. According to Berthold Litzman, editor of Letters of Clara Schumann and Johannes Brahms, 1853–1896, Brahms said of the Chaconne:
 
“On one stave for a small instrument, the man writes a whole world of the deepest thoughts and most powerful feelings. If I imagined that I could have created, even conceived the piece, I am quite certain that the excess of excitement and earth-shattering experience would have driven me out of my mind.”