So... what's so great about Bach?

[mcgillcomposer]

I don't agree at all that the best way to appreciate Bach is to "read books" about him, that's as ridiculous as suggesting that the best way to enjoy French cuisine is to read the recipes.

Nice point, although books can certainly guide someone who is totally lost listening to the music.

[nicco]

Day 1: Nicco thinks Bach is OK
Day 2: Nicco analyzes and studies the Bach Bb minor 5-Voiced fugue from WTC book 1.
Day 3: Nicco understands that Bach was, without a single doubt, the most genius intellectual man in piano composing history.

[alwaystheangel]

Well, prometheus and steveie, both your replies have certainly given me a great deal to consider and work on. *Brain explodes*

[prometheus]

https://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/wtc/wtc.html

[steveie986]

Well, prometheus and steveie, both your replies have certainly given me a great deal to consider and work on. *Brain explodes*

I just threw out some casual thoughts, hardly thought through. But you're welcome to think about them, though.

[arensky]

I found Bach to be an acquired taste.

Me too. I never hated it, but didn't warm up to playing it (preferring to play Ravel, Mozart, Chopin , Scriabin etc.) until I was an older and more experienced musician. When I was younger it just seemed like an endless interlocking chain of notes. I think there are people who respond naturally to contrapuntal music, I 'm not one of them. I had to come to appreciate this extraordinary genius (probably the greatest musician produced by western civilization) in my own time. Glad that time came around. Once I was on my own and no longer had a teacher, studying and playing Bach was my teacher. And a very good one, to understate the case.