Now that I think about it, I seem to recall the Goethe quote (toward the end of the episode) stemming from his hearing nightly performances of (maybe it was) the Matthew Passion. Grateful to anyone who can properly pinpoint it!
First of all I admire the things you do and the way in which you go about in this world!
Wondering if there are any more conventional channels in which to contact you (email etc..)?
I think we might have a lot to talk about (am a fellow Music Academy of the West alumni, Jerry Loewenthal fan, Renaissance keyboard music fanatic, etc...), and would be very happy to send some materials you might find interesting (Bach related, duh)!
Great to hear the preliminary drafts of the prelude. One of my favorite things about it is the opening’s division of 8 bars into 5 + 3 (arpeggios then scales) -- a lesser composer would have defaulted to 4 X 4, which would not be as compelling.
When you get to Bk. 1’s C-major prelude: I believe it’s a “tuning” piece, whose utter simplicity (unmatched anywhere else in Bach) allows the player to check the temperament. The fact that the right hand in each measure is repeated -- perhaps on a second keyboard -- could be a way to double-check the tuning. Another feature that suggests this is a “sound check” of the temperament setting is the inclusion of all five accidentals (the black keys), so that we hear how all 12 notes fare in the home key. The use of the full chromatic also foreshadows and emblematizes the full cycle of 12 major and 12 minor keys, now available in one tuning without having to stop and reset before moving to remote keys.
Now that I think about it, I seem to recall the Goethe quote (toward the end of the episode) stemming from his hearing nightly performances of (maybe it was) the Matthew Passion. Grateful to anyone who can properly pinpoint it!
Hi Evan,
First of all I admire the things you do and the way in which you go about in this world!
Wondering if there are any more conventional channels in which to contact you (email etc..)?
I think we might have a lot to talk about (am a fellow Music Academy of the West alumni, Jerry Loewenthal fan, Renaissance keyboard music fanatic, etc...), and would be very happy to send some materials you might find interesting (Bach related, duh)!
Let me know, and keep doing what you're doing!
Certainly! Bach@wtfbach.com - I look forward to that.
Great to hear the preliminary drafts of the prelude. One of my favorite things about it is the opening’s division of 8 bars into 5 + 3 (arpeggios then scales) -- a lesser composer would have defaulted to 4 X 4, which would not be as compelling.
When you get to Bk. 1’s C-major prelude: I believe it’s a “tuning” piece, whose utter simplicity (unmatched anywhere else in Bach) allows the player to check the temperament. The fact that the right hand in each measure is repeated -- perhaps on a second keyboard -- could be a way to double-check the tuning. Another feature that suggests this is a “sound check” of the temperament setting is the inclusion of all five accidentals (the black keys), so that we hear how all 12 notes fare in the home key. The use of the full chromatic also foreshadows and emblematizes the full cycle of 12 major and 12 minor keys, now available in one tuning without having to stop and reset before moving to remote keys.
Looking forward to this survey.
Spoiler alert!!! :)