Ah, the Magnum Opus. Quote from the text next to the image: [snip] CPE Bach states explicitly in his Versuch to "Play from the Soul, not like a trained bird...endeavor to avoid everything mechanical and slavish". [end]
Posted on 03/21/2009 4:46:55 PM PDT by Pyro7480
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This is a GGG topic *not least* because of the Gregorian calendar adjustment noted in it:Johann Sebastian Bach (31 March 1685 [O.S. 21 March] - 28 July 1750) was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity. Although he introduced no new forms, he enriched the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation in composition for diverse instrumentation, and the adaptation of rhythms and textures from abroad, particularly Italy and France.That adjustment is complicated (changed different times in different parts of the world, and that's the tip of the iceberg). Regardless, JS Bach is a big fave of mine, second only to Schooly-D (fugue get about that joke) and I run the danged list, so, what could be just an easy to ignore topic that has been added to the catalog but not pinged, is now a show-stoppin' multi-category ping -- arts, music, renaissance, powdered wigs, gout, the Jewish Connection (do a search on pipe organs sometime)... |
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(I am a descendant of a Magaret Bach, from the German/Switzerland area, 1500’s time.)
So I claim his for an uncle. :)
Actually, many classical works are 2+ hours - oratorios, opera, some Masses. The question is does it engage the audience.
Ah, the Magnum Opus. Quote from the text next to the image: [snip] CPE Bach states explicitly in his Versuch to "Play from the Soul, not like a trained bird...endeavor to avoid everything mechanical and slavish". [end]
One of the most marvelous frivolities in history was the inclusion of the “murmurs of Earth” recording included on both Voyager spacecraft.
Bach opens the show.
Beethoven closes it.
Top that, alien mofos!
Nice. I didn't know about that. Let's hope the aliens get to listen to the music before they pick up the televised speech hitler made at the Munich Olympics...that's still floating 'out there' somewhere I believe.
;’) Yeah, that’s from another Sagan book. :’)
Well I must be ready for the men in the white coats because I just spent the entire day listening to Bach (commercial-free) on the Symphony Hall radio station on Sirius/XM radio. That station devoted the entire day's programming to Bach in honor of his birthday.
To me, Bach never gets tired. I've been listening to the Brandenburg concertos for 20 years now and something new is revealed with each listen. And the Brandenburgs are among Bach's "simpler" works. Compositions such as the "Art of Fugue" and "Goldberg Variations" can occupy one for a lifetime.
They would have to be well tempered.
He made an appearance in 1972?
1936
If the classical music station is playing Bach or Beethoven, I stay and listen. If not, change to Doo-Wop. ;-)
Mozart? Never could get past that silly laugh. Bach I like -- I could be a Bach (or Beethoven), Mozart never, ever...
Bach is far more mid Baroque than late. Handel, Pergolesi, etc. are late being in the 18th century rather than the 17th.
But what Venetians are you putting up against him?
Vivaldi for one. He had a much more delicate touch. Of course, the Chiesa della Pieta requires that. The acoustics in that room are very different than the gothic set-up (as I've soloed in the Pieta, I can say that). I've come to really enjoy a composer from across Venice more in the classical years named Gallupi. There are others.
Bach, Mozart and Beethoven stand alone and everyone else must walk respectively behind them.
Well, to an extent, yes, but not exactly. Beethoven absolutely stands by himself as no one did what he did and no one has done it since (for which we singers are eternally grateful. Composing for the voice was not his thing). Mozart instinctively knew how to write for every instrument. No one else has had or has done that. Bach wrote an enormous body of work, yes, and a great organist, no doubt, but it puts me to sleep. As for comparison, all should be compared within their own time period as techniques developed over the last 500 years very differently. You can't put Tye next to Verdi any more than you can compare Beethoven to Britten. It's all reflective of different periods.
Sam, I doubt you’re ready for white coats. I’m glad you’ve found Bach, but too much of any one thing can be bad for you.
No Rossini overtures? No Clar de Lune? No Carmina Burana? Oh, I think my heart just stopped.
Mozart? Never could get past that silly laugh. Bach I like -- I could be a Bach (or Beethoven), Mozart never, ever...
If, as a devout Catholic, I can get over that Mozart went freemason and ridiculed the Church on a regular basis...seriously, you don't know what you're missing. le Nozze di Figaro is every opera singer's favorite. The piano concertos are fabulous background music. The Requiem is a lot of fun to sing, but I wouldn't do it in church.
We're doing Beethoven 9 in May and I hope I stay awake during the 3rd movement. Wouldn't do to fall asleep on the stage.
You have your dates mixed up. Bach and Handel were both born in 1685. Pergolesi was born in 1710 but actually died 14 years before Bach.
The start of the Baroque is generally dated to the invention of Opera in the early 17th century. Bach was getting going a full century later. His ‘learned’ contrapuntal style was out of fashion by that time and his sons regarded him as an compositional old fogey.
The great composers of the Baroque were Bach, Handel and Domenico Scarlatti. Vivaldi wrote the same concerto 500 times! He had a very limited harmonic framework and he does not approach Bach or the other two I mentioned. All composers after Bach would attest to his superiority.
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