Bach Again. A LIFE Institute Course Spring 2018 Bob Fabian LIFEcourses.ca

Transcription

1 Bach Again A LIFE Institute Course Spring 2018 Bob Fabian LIFEcourses.ca

2 J S Bach s Patterns

3 Motivation I ve been drawn to Bach s music since I was a teenager (many years ago) What is it that makes this music so appealing? Examine: Ways to perform the music; ways other musicians use the music Goals Deeper appreciation Enjoyable experience Engaging discussion

4 Your Motivation? Why did you sign up for the course? What would make the course personally successful? are there compositions or performances that we really, really need to consider?

5 High-Level: Course Plan Session 1: Introduction Session 2: Counterpoint (2 part inventions) Session 3: Authentic instruments, performance Session 4: Great alternative performances Session 5: Jazzed up Bach Session 6: Personally meaningful

6 Session One Plan Biographical information Range of compositions Bach as (organ) techie Bach as pattern master Christmas Oratorio Authentic performance Jazzed up performance conclusions?

7 Biographical Details Born March 21, 1685 (old calendar) New calendar March 31, 1685 Music was his family business Began as master of the keyboard Mostly worked for the Lutheran church Died July 28, 1750 (new calendar) Never left Germany, 20 children, 2 wives

8 Known Likeness Goldberg Variations

9 Video Biographies 3 min min -

10 Periods of Bach s Life Began employment as an organist Weimar ( ) [Bach was 23] Kothen ( ) [Bach was 32] Court appointment, much secular music Senior court appointment Leipzig ( ) [Bach was 38] Cantata cycle ( ) Establishment ( Culmination ( )

11 Only 172 CDs and many manuscripts were lost

12 BWV - Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis From Wikipedia

13 Bach Organ Specialist Organs were High Tech in Bach s day!

14 How to Make Pipe Organs 5 min How to Make Pipe Organs

15 Practical Musician Music was the trade of the Bach family for generations back Serving the town, the court and the church Johann Sebastian followed the trade of his father, his uncle and his grandfather Making music required instruments, Bach understood how they were made Making music required inventions, Bach knew how to discover them

16 Inventions & Variations Dreyfus quoting Bach in the first Chapter (What is an Invention?)

17 Humans & Patterns Patterns are at the foundation of how we recognize our environment We automatically group colors and shapes into objects We use patterns to understand and to predict Our instinct is to group, to organize, to find the pattern An oriental carpet and a Bach fugue are the combination of patterns and their interaction

18 Meaningful Patterns The Clark 'Sickle-Leaf', vine scroll and palmette carpet, probably Kirman, 17th century

19 In Bach The patterns and their expression have almost independent existences His keyboard music works on the organ, the harpsichord, the piano, Performances work with widely different performers, numbers, performance styles, Much less true for the music of his successors

20 Christmas Oratorio BWV248 First performed at Christmas in 1734, next performance in December 1857 Cycle of six cantatas based on previously written works The first part (for Christmas Day) describes the Birth of Jesus, the second (for December 26) the annunciation to the shepherds, the third (for December 27) the adoration of the shepherds, the fourth (for New Year's Day) the circumcision and naming of Jesus, the fifth (for the first Sunday after New Year) the journey of the Magi, and the sixth (for Epiphany) the adoration of the Magi. (From Wikipedia)

21 Christmas Oratorio Nikolaus Harnoncourt Concentus Musicus Wien Peter Schreier - Tenor Robert Holl - Bass Soloists of the Tolzer Knabenchor 80 min, Part I 74 min, Part II

22 Something Different Jazz treatment of the same music Respectful, but very different Less complex less engaging?

23 WDR Big Band Sound 10 min, Part 1

24 The Point For me: Much of the beauty survives this treatment The key patterns are all present, but The texture is less thick Not as ultimately rewarding What do you think?

25 Next Week Bach uses counterpoint to play one idea against other ideas, and fugue to play an idea against itself The music is more interesting and engaging when you can hear the interplay The 2-part Inventions Bach s teaching exercises Great music, great performances Goal: enjoyment & enlightenment