Bach Again

A LIFE Institute CourseSpring 2018

Bob Fabian – LIFEcourses.ca

J S Bach’s Patterns

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

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?

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

Session One Plan

● Biographical information● Range of compositions● Bach as (organ) techie● Bach as pattern master● Christmas Oratorio

– Authentic performance

– Jazzed up performance

– … conclusions?

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

Known Likeness

Goldberg Variations

Video Biographies

3 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvyLebqTtW4

12 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JRGQaDemlI

Periods of Bach’s Life

● Began employment as an organist● Weimar (1708-1717) [Bach was 23]

● Court appointment, much secular music

● Kothen (1717-1723) [Bach was 32]● Senior court appointment

● Leipzig (1723-1750) [Bach was 38]● Cantata cycle (1723-1729)● Establishment (1730-17390● Culmination (1740-1750)

“Only” 172 CDs

… and many manuscripts were lost

BWV - Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis

From Wikipedia

Bach Organ Specialist

Organs were High Tech in Bach’s day!

How to Make Pipe Organs

5 min – How to Make Pipe Organshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBskjhd076o

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

Inventions & Variations

Dreyfus quoting Bach in the first Chapter (What is an Invention?)

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

Meaningful Patterns

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

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

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)

Christmas Oratorio

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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98UjjwzJBFE74 min, Part IIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5SHDTNy_rUM

Something Different● Jazz treatment of the same

music● Respectful, but very

different● Less complex … less

engaging?

WDR Big Band Sound

10 min, Part 1https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zeWQA7bsF0

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?

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