A few months back I had the pleasure of interviewing Ton Koopman. If you’re at home in the Baroque, you’re no stranger to his work. Please enjoy this interview, marking the 100th episode of The WTF Bach Podcast! Thanks for your support, thanks to all those who make this work possible. Here’s looking forward to 100 more!
Topics Covered (Chronologically)
Works of doubtful authenticity (Violin Sonata, BWV 1025)
Continuo playing (Figured bass, Improvisation, Ornamentation)
Legato in the Baroque
Wanda Landowska (“I play Bach his way”)
Tuning (Meantone and Werckmeister)
Student copies with different ornaments
Tempo and the connection with ornamentation
Heinrich Schütz
Bach’s repertoire in concerts
Pedal harpsichord and pedal clavichord
Bach’s toccatas on organ without pedals
Bach ‘counting’ bars (Kabbalah and numerology in Bach)
The ending of ‘The Art of Fugue’ BWV 1080
The Fuga a 3 Soggetti’s inclusion in ‘The Art of Fugue’
Koopman as pianist
The touch on piano vs. harpsichord
Beginning organist repertoire (pianists learning organ)
Pedal technique
Gustav Leonhardt (also as organist)
’Touch’ on harpsichord and organ (quick and slow attack)
Performing and musicology
Early fingering
My Lady Neville’s Book
Book collecting (and indexing)
L'art de toucher le clavecin (Couperin)
Roger North’s comments on musical performance practice
Prefaces by Frescobaldi
N.B. BWV 1025 was played by Robert Hill and Reinhard Goebel.
The charming piece around min 39 is Giles Farnaby’s (1560-1640) ‘Up Tails All.’
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