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March 26, 2020 10:05 AM Subscribe
Bach's Invention no. 1 in C major: An analysis Here is the sheet music.. An overview of the Inventions and Sinfonias.
"For his pupils, the most attractive part of Bach's character was not his teaching materials or his distinguished performance techniques; rather it was his sincere attitude to pupils and his thoughtful personality. Bach used to say, 'Everything must be possible', and he would never hear of anything 'not feasible'. This statement was presumably given to encourage a pupil who was in low spirits for not being able to make sufficiently rapid progress. It is also said that one day, Bach offered to come up to Kirnberger's room for his lesson when he had a high fever. Kirnberger later gave his master to understand that he could never adequately repay him for his kindness and his pains, Bach said, 'Do not, my dear Kirnberger, speak of gratitude. I am glad that you wish to study the art of tones from its roots up, and it depends only on you to learn for yourself so much of it as has become known to me. I require nothing of you but the assurance that you will transplant that little in turn in the minds of other good students who are not satisfied with the ordinary lirum-larum, etc.'"
"For his pupils, the most attractive part of Bach's character was not his teaching materials or his distinguished performance techniques; rather it was his sincere attitude to pupils and his thoughtful personality. Bach used to say, 'Everything must be possible', and he would never hear of anything 'not feasible'. This statement was presumably given to encourage a pupil who was in low spirits for not being able to make sufficiently rapid progress. It is also said that one day, Bach offered to come up to Kirnberger's room for his lesson when he had a high fever. Kirnberger later gave his master to understand that he could never adequately repay him for his kindness and his pains, Bach said, 'Do not, my dear Kirnberger, speak of gratitude. I am glad that you wish to study the art of tones from its roots up, and it depends only on you to learn for yourself so much of it as has become known to me. I require nothing of you but the assurance that you will transplant that little in turn in the minds of other good students who are not satisfied with the ordinary lirum-larum, etc.'"
My goodness, I literally walked over to the piano an hour ago and played the first dozen or so measures of this before my wife said, "Hey, I thought we were going for a walk." My 12 year old son rushed over to see what I was playing, and I told him we'd look at it together later. This will be great expanded study material. This has been one of my favorite pieces for years.
posted by vverse23 at 10:59 AM on March 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by vverse23 at 10:59 AM on March 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
My oldest brother participated in a documentary called Bach and Friends by Michael Lawrence about 10 years ago. Here is his segment where he talks about what elements makes Bach so timeless. He's playing the Fugue in G BWV 577, aka the Gigue Fugue. I'm fairly certain that he chose that as a tribute to our mother who was a talented pianist in her own right and introduced us to this piece via a recording by E. Power Biggs.
I learned piano after a fashion. As an adult, I tried to learn to play pieces from the Well Tempered Clavier as well as a collection little preludes and fugues. I can handle the preludes. The fugues are a struggle. Playing them is great when I'm doing the first voice but when the second voice comes in, it's like I've hit a processing overload and rather than getting two voices at the same tempo, I can two voices at half the tempo. It only gets worse if there's a third voice.
And just for grins, here is an obvious theft of Bach style in the music played in the pinball machine Swords of Fury when you get the high score, a three voice fugue written by Brian Schmidt.
posted by plinth at 12:20 PM on March 26, 2020 [4 favorites]
I learned piano after a fashion. As an adult, I tried to learn to play pieces from the Well Tempered Clavier as well as a collection little preludes and fugues. I can handle the preludes. The fugues are a struggle. Playing them is great when I'm doing the first voice but when the second voice comes in, it's like I've hit a processing overload and rather than getting two voices at the same tempo, I can two voices at half the tempo. It only gets worse if there's a third voice.
And just for grins, here is an obvious theft of Bach style in the music played in the pinball machine Swords of Fury when you get the high score, a three voice fugue written by Brian Schmidt.
posted by plinth at 12:20 PM on March 26, 2020 [4 favorites]
What a nice coincidence - I'm just trying to learn how to play this. At this point, I can hit the correct succession of keys at approximately half the required speed, but who knows, considering the current state of affais.... I find Bach very soothing, although as a not especially gifted player, I tend to mangle him even more than others. But I have a feeling he's exactly what the doctor ordered for me right now.
posted by sohalt at 3:19 PM on March 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by sohalt at 3:19 PM on March 26, 2020 [2 favorites]
I'm in the same boat, sohalt. I don't always get it right and it's definitely not up to tempo, but for the most part I can stay in the flow and it's both invigorating and soothing to play. I've been playing an hour a night after the kid goes to bed, and it's helping to keep me sane.
posted by vverse23 at 4:08 PM on March 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
posted by vverse23 at 4:08 PM on March 26, 2020 [5 favorites]
I decided in January to play more piano and bought two books: a Beethoven collection and a collection of Bach's two-part inventions. I can almost do this one usually and I was totally in exactly the right headspace for this great technical discussion. Thanks!
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 8:20 PM on March 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by fantabulous timewaster at 8:20 PM on March 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
Awesome to be in the company of fellow Bach strugglers! The standards set by the professional performers are so high, and my flailings seem so futile. I try to cultivate a tiny little clutch of good-sounding measures under the patient tutelage of my piano teacher. Such reward from such a thin crop :)
posted by storybored at 8:45 PM on March 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by storybored at 8:45 PM on March 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
I was fortunate to be able to take classical guitar lessons for a bit as a student, and I had such a difficult time getting my head/hands around a Bach piece (I don't remember offhand the title, but it was nowhere near as complex as this Invention). It may have been the only one by Bach in my lessons.
I remember feeling like there must be something wrong with me because it was simple-looking piece in a beginner's book, and I didn't have that level of trouble with other pieces before (or after) it. I felt validated when a friend -- who was taking lessons from the same teacher -- also expressed frustration with that particular piece. I was so happy to move on to the next one.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 9:54 PM on March 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
I remember feeling like there must be something wrong with me because it was simple-looking piece in a beginner's book, and I didn't have that level of trouble with other pieces before (or after) it. I felt validated when a friend -- who was taking lessons from the same teacher -- also expressed frustration with that particular piece. I was so happy to move on to the next one.
posted by rangefinder 1.4 at 9:54 PM on March 26, 2020 [1 favorite]
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posted by mattamatic at 10:32 AM on March 26, 2020 [1 favorite]