155 Days With Bach and Me

Although this is fine music, well played by Leon Berben, I’m just not diggin’ it. Don’t get me wrong. It’s clever music. I like the Fuga pieces from each composition as they twist and turn and tie knots around the theme. However, overall, I prefer the Preludes & Fugues on the first CD of The Well-Tempered Clavier.

One composition on today’s CD that immediately caught my attention (that I’d love to hear Glenn Gould play) is Prelude & Fugue No. 15 in G major, movement one (“Praeludium”). That piece is a veritable rocket ship, immediately blasting off in a flurry of notes and never looking back.

Another fun composition is Prelude & Fugue No. 21 in B flat major, the first movement (“Praeludium”). Its melody is familiar, like some musician in the 1950s, 60s or 70s picked it up and used it in his song.

If I had to say which of the two pieces from each Prelude & Fugue that I most enjoyed, I’d say 90% of the time it’s the Praeludium. Those tend to be more briskly played. For some reason, when a harpsichord plays lots of trills and a zillion notes I can handle it. But when a harpsichord plays a mid-tempo piece it sounds like a dirge to me. It grates on my nerves.

But, as I wrote yesterday, what do I know?

All I know is The Well-Tempered Clavier is exceptional music that transcends (especially when played on the piano) its time. It will be music people will listen to for as long as there are people to listen.

These are the compositions on today’s CD:
BWV 846-870 (The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I)
Published in 1722 when Bach was 37 years old.