“I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.” — J. S. Bach
by Rebecca Cochran
“I play the notes as they are written, but it is God who makes the music.” — J. S. Bach by Rebecca Cochran
The Sonata in G Major for viola da gamba and continuo (BWV 1027) is probably an arrangement Bach made of his Trio Sonata for two flutes and continuo (BWV 1039). Another version, a trio sonata for organ, also exists. In three movements instead of four, this version is probably not by Bach. Nonetheless, I love this trio sonata, in all its forms. Enjoy this version with cellist, Anner Bylsma and organist, Bob van Asperen. by Rebecca Cochran
The American Bach Society was founded in 1972 to “support the study, performance, and appreciation of the music of Johann Sebastian Bach in the United States and Canada.” ABS produces several publications, hosts meetings and conferences, and awards research grants and performance prizes, all to further its mission of sharing the genius of J.S. Bach. The ABS website is well crafted and includes a page of Links to Bach Resources. by Rebecca Cochran
“What I love about Casals is that he used to say he was, first of all, a human being; second, he was a musician; third, he was a cellist. I think those priorities were very much demonstrated in the way he lived his life. In an interview I heard when Casals was in his nineties, he was asked to choose the one piece he would want to play for the whole world. He selected the Sarabande from Bach’s Fifth Suite. So this is a self-chosen piece by Casals of the very music he had championed throughout his life.” — cellist, Yo-Yo Ma by Rebecca Cochran
This morning, my first listening experience was an arrangement for string quartet of the Fugue No. 16 (BWV 885) from Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier Book 2. The recording was by the famed Emerson String Quartet. It made my Monday! Listen here. by Rebecca Cochran
Bach’s Fugue in E flat major (BWV 552) that ends the Clavier-Übung III, has been nick-named the “St. Anne” fugue, as the theme resembles the St. Anne hymn, O God, Our Help in Ages Past. This is a triple fugue with each of the three sections having its own special character. In the third section, Bach writes a five-part double fugue for full organ. It is considered by many to be the most complex of all fugues ever written. The twentieth-century theologian, organist, philosopher and physician, Albert Schweitzer said of this work, “The triple fugue ... is a symbol of the Trinity. The same theme recurs in three connected fugues, but each time with another personality. The first fugue is calm and majestic, with an absolutely uniform movement throughout; in the second the theme seems to be disguised, and is only occasionally recognisable in its true shape, as if to suggest the divine assumption of an earthly form; in the third, it is transformed into rushing semiquavers as if the Pentacostal wind were coming roaring from heaven.” Enjoy this archival recording of the "St. Anne" fugue featuring organist, Helmut Walcha. by Rebecca Cochran
“Why waste money on psychotherapy when you can listen to the B Minor Mass? ” — composer, Michael Tork by Rebecca Cochran
Today would have been John Coltrane’s 90th birthday. An American jazz saxophonist and composer, Coltrane had a massive influence on jazz, both mainstream and avant-garde. Like J.S. Bach, Coltrane was a deeply spiritual musician. His best-selling studio album, A Love Supreme, is an ode to his faith. In the form of a four-part suite, the first track of A Love Supreme contains a four-note bass motif that structures the entire movement. The parallels between Bach and Coltrane are many. Both expressed profound religious devotion though their music. Both were incredible improvisers, Bach on the organ, and Coltrane on sax. Both managed to break the musical rules of their day, pioneering new idioms and paving the way for generations of musicians ever since. Hmm..I wonder about Trane’s four-note bass motif as the basis of A Love Supreme. If we could go back in time, what might Bach have done with that motif? And, if we hadn’t lost Trane at the young age of forty, what might he have done with the four-note Bach (B-A-C-H) motif? Listen to A Love Supreme here. by Rebecca Cochran
I just discovered a tour operator called Bach by Bike. The organizers guide Bach-lovers on bicycle tours to the places where J.S. Bach lived. Upcoming excursions include tours to the Bachfest Leipzig, as well as tours to Eisenach and Köthen. Learn more here. by Rebecca Cochran
About a year ago, two classically-trained Swedish musicians, organist Gunnar Idenstam and violinist Lisa Rydberg, began to explore correlations between the music of J.S. Bach and Swedish folk music. This resulted in their project, Bach på svenska, or Bach in Swedish. They wondered: How might an 18th-century Swedish folk fiddler have played Bach? Have a listen here. by Rebecca Cochran
I had the pleasure of hearing a recital by the American saxophonist, Chris Condon, last evening. He presented a program of works for solo alto saxophone. Although the sax did not yet exist in Bach’s day (it would appear nearly a century later), Condon nonetheless specializes in the music of J.S. Bach. Last evening’s recital opened with his performance of the Cello Suite No. 3 (BWV 1009). This was yet another superb example of the adaptability and transferability of Bach’s writing. Chris Condon’s playing was superb, as well. Listen here. by Rebecca Cochran
“Bach is a colossus of Rhodes, beneath whom all musicians pass and will continue to pass. Mozart is the most beautiful, Rossini the most brilliant, but Bach is the most comprehensive: he has said all there is to say. If all the music written since Bach's time should be lost, it could be reconstructed on the foundation which Bach laid.” — Charles Gounod by Rebecca Cochran
“I had no idea of the historical evolution of the civilized world's music and had not realized that all modern music owes everything to Bach.” — Niccolai Rimsky-Korsakov by Rebecca Cochran
A young friend recently introduced me to the world of Minecraft. (Yeah, I know, I’m a late bloomer.) Minecraft is a video game where players build things out of textured cubes in a 3D-generated world. Activities include exploration, resource gathering, crafting and going on adventures. As I’ve explored Minecraft further, I’ve found that music plays an important role in the game. Although there is a musical soundtrack provided, I’ve learned that many players turn down the soundtrack and stream their own music while they play. Players even create their own soundtracks using note blocks. Do a YouTube search and watch and listen to some of these creations. A particular video caught my eyes (and ears)! The gamer painstakingly created a Minecraft experience to visually and aurally show the genius of the first canon from The Musical Offering by J.S. Bach. I’ve written several posts on this work. Nicknamed the “crab canon,” Bach intended for it to be played forwards by one instrument and backwards by another – at the same time, of course. (This is Bach, after all!) Some call this game “Mindcraft.” Watch this video entitled, Minecraft Crab Canon: A Musical Palindrome, and you’ll see why. by Rebecca Cochran
“His feet flew over the pedals, as if they had wings, and mighty sounds rumbled and filled the whole church.” — Frederick II, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel, speaking of J.S. Bach by Rebecca Cochran
The variety and breadth of material relating to J.S. Bach, available online and off, is truly fascinating to me! First thing this morning, I chanced upon a little video entitled Bach’s Windmills. It is a short film depicting windmills in western Germany set to a recording of the Prelude from Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G with cellist, Yo-Yo Ma. This simple little film made my morning. Enjoy it here. by Rebecca Cochran
“Bach is thus a terminal point. Nothing comes from him; everything merely leads to him.” — Albert Schweitzer by Rebecca Cochran
When Bach was working as cantor of the main churches in Leipzig during the 1700’s, part of his responsibility was to perform a church cantata every Sunday and for every major holiday. Therefore, during his early years in Leipzig, he composed a new work every week! In today’s world, that seems impossible… Last evening, however, I heard a live performance by the American mandolin virtuoso, Chris Thile. His one-man show covered a multitude of genres including progressive bluegrass, folk, country, blues, jazz and classical. And, yes, he includes an impressive dose of Bach in his repertoire, most notably the Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin. I was entranced with his performance of the Presto from the Sonata No. 1 in G minor (BWV 1001). I was equally taken with the fact that Thile will be assuming the role of host on the radio show, A Prairie Home Companion when Garrison Keillor retires in October. Last night, Thile announced that he will be writing a new song every week for the show. Maybe it’s not so impossible after all! Enjoy this video recording of Thile performing the Presto from Sonata No. 1. by Rebecca Cochran
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of hearing a live performance of Cantata 135, Ach, Herr, mich armen Sünder (Ah Lord, I am a poor sinner). The cantata, first performed in Leipzig in 1724, includes the recognizable chorale tune, “O Sacred Head Now Wounded.” Most notably for me was the bass aria, Weicht, all ihr Übeltäter (Hence, all you evildoers). This final aria is the liveliest movement of the cantata. It is an excellent example of what Bach’s son, Carl Philipp Emanuel referred to as his father’s “strange” melodies that were “like no others.” Hear for yourself this “strange” and beautiful melody in a live recording by John Eliot Gardiner, as part of his Bach Cantata Pilgrimage project. by Rebecca Cochran
“O you happy sons of the North who have been reared at the bosom of Bach, how I envy you.” — Giuseppi Verdi by Rebecca Cochran
I continue to read the results of studies showing that listening to the music of Bach while driving is dangerous. Researchers claim that since Bach’s music is so complex and all encompassing, the driver’s attention is more focused on listening and decoding than on actually driving. Sigh… I don’t know if I can change my evil ways. Bach gets me through traffic slowdowns, boring stretches of road, storms and then some! If I get pulled over for speeding while listening to my favorite cantata, partita or suite, I’ll just have to confess: “Yes, officer, I admit it. I've been driving under the influence of J.S. Bach.” by Rebecca Cochran
“Bach is like an astronomer who, with the help of ciphers, finds the most wonderful stars.”— Frédéric Chopin by Rebecca Cochran
First thing this morning, while driving, I found myself listening to the ending Gigue from the French Suite No. 5 in G major (BWV 816). It is one of those all-encompassing movements that I can get lost in. The complexity and sheer beauty of Bach’s writing never ceases to lure me in completely. My focus is absolute. I am lost in a sea of Bach. When the Gigue ended and I reluctantly exited my car, I slowly began to find myself again. And, that is the beauty of J.S. Bach — his music allows me to find myself! Find yourself in this recording of the Gigue by pianist Simone Dinnerstein. by Rebecca Cochran
“Bach is the supreme genius of music. This man who knows everything and feels everything cannot write one note, however unimportant it may appear, which is anything but transcendent. He has reached the heart of every noble thought, and has done it in the most perfect way.” — Pablo Casals by Rebecca Cochran
The sarabande, a dance in triple meter, dates back to 16th century Spain. Originally a lively dance considered to be indecent, it later evolved into a slow court dance in Italy and France. Bach included the sarabande in many of his works, most notably in the French Suites for Harpsichord, the six Cello Suites, the Partitas for Keyboard and the Violin Partitas. The sarabande also plays an important role in The Goldberg Variations, being the form Bach chose for the theme. This morning I had the pleasure of hearing a recording of the sarabande from the French Suite No. 5 in G major (BWV 816). Enjoy the recording by pianist, Simone Dinnerstein here. |
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