OTS OF PEOPLE purchase music by Britney Spears, but that doesn’t prove—in my humble opinion—that she’s a great musician. On the other hand, certain people, who are virtually unknown, had a tremendous impact on the world. Consider the case of VASILY ARKHIPOV (d. 1998), who single-handedly saved the world from a nuclear holocaust in October of 1962. How many people even know his name? On the other hand, sometimes people do receive recognition for their achievements. SEBASTIAN BACH (d. 1750) would certainly be one example, although immediately after his death his music wasn’t played much during public concerts—mainly because it wasn’t considered “fashionable” in those days to play music by dead composers.
Johann Sebastian Bach • I’ve listened to Bach’s compositions every day of my life since I was 17 years old, and I have no plans to stop. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart learned counterpoint by “copying” (writing out by hand) the compositions of Sebastian Bach. We know from contemporaneous newspapers that Ludwig van Beethoven performed Bach’s WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER in public from memory before he was a teenager. Indeed, when the young Franz Liszt played for Beethoven in Vienna, the elderly composer insisted he perform—and then transpose into a different key!—a fugue by Sebastian Bach. The young Ignaz Friedman had both books of Bach’s WELL-TEMPERED CLAVIER memorized, and could play them in any key. Sebastian Bach was favorite composer of Frédéric Chopin (who was an organist in addition to being the greatest1 composer of piano music). Bach is normally referred to by his middle name. That’s done to distinguish him from his sons who for a while were more famous as composers than their father.
Bach At Mass • The singers in my choir have many “favorites.” In other words, they enjoy immensely much of the music we sing. On the other hand, many of them seem to enjoy Bach’s ALLELUIA more than any other piece. The altar boys (and some of our priests) talk about this piece constantly, believe it or not. Now that I think about it, the a cappella SANCTUS by Sebastian Bach is also a piece they persistently request. Here’s a ‘live’ recording by our volunteer choir (sung on 27 April 2024):
* PDF Download • “SATB Alleluia” by J.S. Bach
—Arranged by the choirmaster of Saint Benignus Cathedral (Dijon, France).
Was Bach The Greatest? (1 of 3) • Was Sebastian Bach the greatest composer of all time? As far as I’m concerned, he’s certainly in the TOP FIVE. Father Cristóbal de Morales was an incredible composer. So, too, was Palestrina. In terms of contrapuntal expertise, it would be difficult to concede that Father Francisco Guerrero was inferior to anyone—even the magnificent Sebastian Bach. It’s undeniable that Bach had the power to “transport one’s mind to a different universe” in a matter of seconds. During the various sessions of my seminar, I featured numerous compositions which demonstrate Sebastian Bach’s complete mastery of counterpoint. I think it might be fair to maintain that Sebastian Bach was reigned supreme vis-à-vis contrapuntal instrumental music, whereas Father Guerrero reigned supreme vis-à-vis contrapuntal choral music.
Was Bach The Greatest? (2 of 3) • My seminar explored many techniques used by the great Renaissance composers. Sebastian Bach had an advantage over the Renaissance composers, because he could get “twice the mileage” from a theme by using a technique that the Renaissance composers didn’t have at their disposal. I’m referring to the fact that Bach usually switches his theme from MAJOR to MINOR (or vice versa). In other words, when it comes to fugues in a MINOR key, Bach often changes their subjects to MAJOR during the piece’s middle section. When it comes to fugues in a MAJOR key, Bach will change those subjects to MINOR during the middle section of the piece. I could cite hundreds of examples. For the time being, one will have to suffice: viz. what Bach does in his resplendent Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor. As I said before, the great Renaissance masters were at a disadvantage in this regard since they weren’t allowed to utilize that technique. It was “off-limits” to them because changing the modality in that way violated the affect (spelled with an “a”).
Was Bach The Greatest? (3 of 3) • The genius of Sebastian Bach was virtually limitless. I wouldn’t argue if somebody made the claim that Sebastian Bach was “the most musical person who ever lived.” Indeed, I can think of at least sixty pieces by Bach which I would die for. Consider the following PRELUDE (Well-Tempered Clavier #23, Book I), in which Bach transforms a single melodic gesture into a masterpiece. Right readily would I give my life for this piece, and the following interpretation—by the incomparable GLENN GOULD—is fabulous. Notice in particular the way Gould carefully emphasizes that melodic gesture in measure 16 by means of a slight pause:
Inverted Theme • About halfway through that PRELUDE, notice how Sebastian Bach flips the melodic gesture upside down. That technique (“inversion”) is something I talk about a lot in my seminar because the Renaissance composers employed it constantly.
P.S.
The majestic and spellbinding
fugue (Mp3) that goes along with
that PRELUDE is one of my favorites!
1 As Ignaz Friedman said so well: “Chopin opened the piano, and he closed it.”
