BBC Bach Marathon

[Chaszz]

The BBC Radio 3 Christmas Bach Marathon, which will last about 10 days and broadcast every work of the composer, began today. It can be heard over the internet at the BBC radio site.

[Peter]

Yes and here is the link for you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/bach/index.shtml?rhpimage

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
The BBC Radio 3 Christmas Bach Marathon, which will last about 10 days and broadcast every work of the composer, began today. It can be heard over the internet at the BBC radio site.

I've been listening to it, endless fuges for the organ with little variation. Really hard work after 25 minutes...

------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
I've been listening to it, endless fuges for the organ with little variation. Really hard work after 25 minutes...

You lasted 25 minutes?! Actually a glance at today's schedule shows a great deal of variety with just a couple of organ fugues. Since they are playing the complete works one would expect more than organ fugues.

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Rutradelusasa]

Originally posted by Peter:
You lasted 25 minutes?! Actually a glance at today's schedule shows a great deal of variety with just a couple of organ fugues. Since they are playing the complete works one would expect more than organ fugues.

There is much more than the organ fugues. I've been listening to it for several hours now (counting last day too) and I've heard several cantatas, several keyboard pieces with marvellous harpsichordists and, yes, organ works. Even the brandenburgs have already made their appearence (I caught the 3rd and 4th).
Don't be fooled by Rod's animosity against Bach, it's wonderful music at play here, and I wish I could do without 9 nights of sleep.



------------------
"Wer ein holdes weib errungen..."

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
You lasted 25 minutes?! Actually a glance at today's schedule shows a great deal of variety with just a couple of organ fugues. Since they are playing the complete works one would expect more than organ fugues.

I saw part of the Christmas oratorio on BBC TV 4 last night, with more of it tonight I think. Well at least John Gardiner seemed to be enjoying himself...


------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rod]

Originally posted by Rutradelusasa:

Don't be fooled by Rod's animosity against Bach, it's wonderful music at play here, and I wish I could do without 9 nights of sleep.

Well the Christmas Oratorio that I heard last night would make a good recomendation for those suffering from insomnia as it totally failed to stimulate me, and JS Bach is Gardiner's favourite so I'm sure he gave it his best.

Never mind. For those interested in Baroque with rather more 'oomf', I have just uploaded so tracks to my Handel site from the oratorio Joshua. Have a look:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/handelforum/


------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 12-19-2005).]

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
Well the Christmas Oratorio that I heard last night would make a good recomendation for those suffering from insomnia as it totally failed to stimulate me, and JS Bach is Gardiner's favourite so I'm sure he gave it his best.

Never mind. For those interested in Baroque with rather more 'oomf', I have just uploaded so tracks to my Handel site from the oratorio Joshua. Have a look:

The christmas oratorio isn't to my mind Bach's greatest work - I'm sure we could equally select one of the less successful Handel operas such as 'Arminio' or 'Berenice' to induce morpheus.

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Rod:
Well the Christmas Oratorio that I heard last night would make a good recomendation for those suffering from insomnia as it totally failed to stimulate me, and JS Bach is Gardiner's favourite so I'm sure he gave it his best.

Never mind. For those interested in Baroque with rather more 'oomf', I have just uploaded so tracks to my Handel site from the oratorio Joshua. Have a look:
http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/handelforum/

It has already been established here many times that you simply do not 'get' Bach so your reaction to the BBC marathon is to be expected.

And purusant to the contest between Bach and Handel that you are often promoting, a harpsichordist was being inteviewed on the BBC about a suite of six Bach chamber works. Unfortunately I do not remember the exact genre of work, whether it was trio sonatas or duo sonatas or something else similar, I've forgotten. She said that Bach's variety of aproaches and use of the most distant-reaching harmonies was notable; that Handel's works in the same genre were lovely, but couldn't be compared to Bach's in depth and imagination.

[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited 12-20-2005).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by Peter:
The christmas oratorio isn't to my mind Bach's greatest work - I'm sure we could equally select one of the less successful Handel operas such as 'Arminio' or 'Berenice' to induce morpheus.

Well, I'll put some tracks from Arminio at my site next. See what you think then!


------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chaszz:

....She said that Bach's variety of aproaches and use of the most distant-reaching harmonies was notable; that Handel's works in the same genre were lovely, but couldn't be compared to Bach's in depth and imagination.

[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited 12-20-2005).]

Well, one could say Beethoven wasn't the most harmonically adventurous composer either. It is the musicality that is the important thing. In this respect I find bach strangely lacking, from a Handellian or Beethovenian perspective.


------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[This message has been edited by Rod (edited 12-20-2005).]

[Chaszz]

Originally posted by Rod:
Well, one could say Beethoven wasn't the most harmonically adventurous composer either. It is the musicality that is the important thing. In this respect I find bach strangely lacking, from a Handellian or Beethovenian perspective.

Bach's harmonic adventures give enormous musical pleasure to many listeners who, unlike yourself, are able to 'get' the music. As for Beethoven, Peter in another thread recently referred to Beethoven's several changes of key on the space of one or two measures (I cannot find the posting right now for an exact quote).

And Beethoven called Bach 'the immortal father of harmony'! This shows that when you argue against Bach from a 'Beethovenian perspective', Beethoven himself would have disagreed with you! As he was one of the legions of listeners who have 'gotten' Bach, which you have not.

Now, who is right, Rod or Ludwig? Do you set yourself up as a better judge of music than LvB? Yes or no?




[This message has been edited by Chaszz (edited 12-20-2005).]

[Rod]

Originally posted by Chaszz:
Bach's harmonic adventures give enormous musical pleasure to many listeners who, unlike yourself, are able to 'get' the music. As for Beethoven, Peter in another thread recently referred to Beethoven's several changes of key on the space of one or two measures (I cannot find the posting right now for an exact quote).

And Beethoven called Bach 'the immortal father of harmony'! This shows that when you argue against Bach from a 'Beethovenian perspective', Beethoven himself would have disagreed with you! As he was one of the legions of listeners who have 'gotten' Bach, which you have not.

Now, who is right, Rod or Ludwig? Do you set yourself up as a better judge of music than LvB? Yes or no?

Calm down, calm down. Typically I get the impression Beethoven is pretty steady in terms of 'key wandering'. Regardless my point is the same, there's much more to music than this.

By Beethovenian perspective I did not mean Beethoven's own. I mean from the point of view of considering Beethoven's music, which I much prefer to Bach's. Beethoven was never in such a position to look at his own output in the scheme of things as we can do today.

------------------
"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin

[Peter]

Originally posted by Rod:
Well, I'll put some tracks from Arminio at my site next. See what you think then!

No doubt you'll select the best from that work, but I'm sure you'd agree it's far from being Handel's most successful opera? I don't say that to knock Handel (who I admire greatly) but to illustrate judging from a few works isn't sensible. To be frank I wouldn't think a great deal of Beethoven if I'd only heard Wellington's victory or the Rage over a lost penny!Obviously Bach is not to your taste, fair enough, but you'll have to admit that few if any great musicians past, or present (including Beethoven) shared your views. Not only musicians, but such great figures as Goethe and Einstein have seen something in Bach you evidently do not. Therefore it seems a little silly to continually knock a musician of Bach's stature, as though doing so somehow enhances the stature of Handel.

------------------
'Man know thyself'

[Joy]

And don't forget Mendelssohn who brought the music of Bach to the public's notice, from its position of relative obscurity at that time. In particular, a performance of Bach's St. Matthew Passion in 1829 under Mendelssohn's direction was a great success. I believe it was the first performance of the work since Bach's death.

------------------
'Truth and beauty joined'