Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Back to Bach, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Music for reflection in a world full of pain and suffering
Bach
The year is winding down. What do we think of when we look back ? Personally, some of us have had good, joyful experiences---births, marriages, success in careers but, on a global perspective, there is the other side.
The havoc of the tsunami in South Asia
Massacre in Darfur
President Bush's war in Iraq ("I am a war president", "Bring 'em on")
Atrocities in Beslan, Madrid, Moscow, Abu Ghraib
The march of AIDS
Millions of people died horrible deaths, lost their homes, and are facing starvation and disease.
Bach composed Cantata No.131 (said to be his first cantata) in 1707 in memory of the victims of the devastating fire in Arnstadt. He was 22 years old. I think it is especially appropriate for these times as it was then.
“Aus der Tiefe rufe Ich, Herr, zu dir” (Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord). The CD that I like is by Virgin Classics, Collegium Vocale Ghent conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Great voices and music.
I am not religious; I do not pray. Hard to explain my attachment to Bach’s music. A major part of his compositions consists of choral music, sacred and secular. The sound of Bach soothes my spirits, makes me look at the world in a hopeful way. Some of the songs written by the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel laureate 1913) also give me a peaceful feeling. However, for me Bach is No.1
A few other CDs I would recommend:
The Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) by the late, great Canadian pianist Glenn Gould
The Well Tempered Clavier. I have Book I performed by the pianist Andras Schiff,and Book II performed by Glenn Gould. Both excellent
Die Kunst der Fuge BWV 1080(The Art of the Fugue), Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel. Archiv Produktion
Toccatas, BWV 910-916, played by Glenn Gould
The Complete Cello Suites (BWV 1007-1012) by Yo Yo Ma. The recording by Mstislav Rostropovich is said to be superior. The CD of Pablo Casal‘s performance is also great.
And two oddities (bits of pop):
Percussion transcriptions of Bach’s English & French Suites by the Safri Duo (Chandos Records)
New transcriptions for guitar by Philip Hi (1995 GSP Recordings)
**********************************************
“You are the music while the music lasts.”
----T.S. Eliot
Bach
The year is winding down. What do we think of when we look back ? Personally, some of us have had good, joyful experiences---births, marriages, success in careers but, on a global perspective, there is the other side.
The havoc of the tsunami in South Asia
Massacre in Darfur
President Bush's war in Iraq ("I am a war president", "Bring 'em on")
Atrocities in Beslan, Madrid, Moscow, Abu Ghraib
The march of AIDS
Millions of people died horrible deaths, lost their homes, and are facing starvation and disease.
Bach composed Cantata No.131 (said to be his first cantata) in 1707 in memory of the victims of the devastating fire in Arnstadt. He was 22 years old. I think it is especially appropriate for these times as it was then.
“Aus der Tiefe rufe Ich, Herr, zu dir” (Out of the depths I cry to thee, O Lord). The CD that I like is by Virgin Classics, Collegium Vocale Ghent conducted by Philippe Herreweghe. Great voices and music.
I am not religious; I do not pray. Hard to explain my attachment to Bach’s music. A major part of his compositions consists of choral music, sacred and secular. The sound of Bach soothes my spirits, makes me look at the world in a hopeful way. Some of the songs written by the Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore (Nobel laureate 1913) also give me a peaceful feeling. However, for me Bach is No.1
A few other CDs I would recommend:
The Goldberg Variations (BWV 988) by the late, great Canadian pianist Glenn Gould
The Well Tempered Clavier. I have Book I performed by the pianist Andras Schiff,and Book II performed by Glenn Gould. Both excellent
Die Kunst der Fuge BWV 1080(The Art of the Fugue), Musica Antiqua Köln, Reinhard Goebel. Archiv Produktion
Toccatas, BWV 910-916, played by Glenn Gould
The Complete Cello Suites (BWV 1007-1012) by Yo Yo Ma. The recording by Mstislav Rostropovich is said to be superior. The CD of Pablo Casal‘s performance is also great.
And two oddities (bits of pop):
Percussion transcriptions of Bach’s English & French Suites by the Safri Duo (Chandos Records)
New transcriptions for guitar by Philip Hi (1995 GSP Recordings)
**********************************************
“You are the music while the music lasts.”
----T.S. Eliot
Comments:
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BAch has nothing to do with religion. He's beyond religion. I had a tape of "Jesu" for my wedding and I'm a Buddhist. :)
No bettah stuff.
hugs, f
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No bettah stuff.
hugs, f
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