Bringing back Bach

By Aline Boyd

If I could, I would practice Bach’s music every single day. I am completely fascinated by the wonderful and magnificent structure of his music.

From my perspective, his music is a perfect mixture of technical mastery and emotional expression. His music shows not just his singular genius but also his mathematical sense. In other words, his music presents both great emotions and passion, in addition to being hyper-intellectual. His technical skills with counterpoint and harmony are unmatched and his pieces are masterpieces. What a genius?!?

I love one of Frédéric Chopin’s quotes about Bach: “Bach is like an astronomer who, with the help of ciphers, finds the most wonderful stars.” Chopin also wrote that his style was influenced by two great composers: Mozart and Bach, and he made his students practice Bach every day.

Bach is essentially a lyrical vocal composer. He wrote many vocal pieces for church, like the cantatas (which are works to be sung). As he was a vocal composer, the approach on the piano should be melodic. As a pianist, it is very important to develop a cantabile style of playing because playing what is written in the music score is not enough. Bach calls us to be creative, so the imagination plays an important role. As the great Romantic artist Delacroix said: “The source of genius is imagination alone, the refinement of the senses that sees what others do not see or sees them differently.”

I really believe that playing Bach makes us better musicians and human beings. His music is much more that beautiful – it is extraordinary!

I would like to bring out a wonderful explanation by the great pianist András Schiff on Bach’s music. According to Schiff playing Bach is very satisfying from an intellectual point of view because polyphonic music gives him all he needs psychologically, spiritually, musically, emotionally, and physically speaking. Schiff also compared Bach’s polyphony with a society in which everyone is equally important. I could not agree more with Mr. Schiff! Playing Bach always lifts my spirits!

“Music owes as much to Bach as religion to its founder.” Robert Schumann

“There is one God – Bach – and Mendelssohn is his prophet."  Hector Berlioz 

“Study Bach, there you will find everything.” Johannes Brahms

“In Bach, the vital cells of music are united as the world is in God.” G.Mahler

“Bach is the beginning and end of all music.” Max Reger

                                                                                                                                        - Revised by Mason McDermaid