Playing Bach with Emotions

[superdominus]

My teacher always tells me not to play Bach with emotions, i.e. don't play with dynamics. I disagree, and I do get annoy. She says "Bach is a German, and he keeps his feelings all inside. It's German philosophy" I find her comments asinine. I don't think his identity matters much in the expression of his music. It's also absurd to think there's this "German philosophy" that forces everybody to bottle one's feelings. If this philosophy does exist, coundn't there be a German that doesn't follow this?

If she wants a historically-informed performance, she needs to get rid of modern tuning, and get a harpsichord or a clavichord, as the modern piano as we know it didn't exist then.

There is also the freedom of interpretation. As long the interpreter doesn't do anything too radical, i.e. change the rhythm of every bar in the music, and most importantly, plays convincingly, I think he would done a great job.

What do you guys think?

[pianowolfi]

If Bach had kept all his feelings inside he wouldn't have written one single note.
That opinion about "German philosophy" is rather cliché (I am half German btw.)

[pianist1976]

It's a shame that many of these pointless and baseless stereotypes still rules into many classrooms in the world

It's not by chance that Bach preferred the clavichord to the harpsichord (in this case because of the greater expressive devices and dynamics, although the clavichord volume is tiny). It isn't also by chance that Bach was highly expectant about the first Silberman's pianofortes' expressive promises (expectations that disappointed him a bit when he finally could try them, he loved the dynamic range and the higher sound volume but he complained a lot about the imprecise and difficult mechanism). But he finally approved enthusiastically the 1748 perfected model!

So in brief, I think that the orders by your teacher about not playing Bach with expression and/or dynamics are based only in a silly prejudice (just my humble opinion)  

[keyboardclass]

Your teacher is talking jibberish, though Bach was no Expressionist.

[mistermoe]

Great post by pianist1976.
I just like to add that of course he also played the organ which has huge dynamic ranges and not to forget, the violin which is of course a very expressive instrument. He was able to play all of his pieces he wrote for that instrument himself (like the sonatas, partitas, the one with the chaconne...). So he was used to a huge dynamic range.
I'm asking myself if your teacher ever listened to anything else by bach not written for the piano. How can she say such things if she has just once listened to any of his 2 passions or any cantata?

[birba]

I think your teacher should be boycotted. 

[gyzzzmo]

Depends how you see it.
Some young enthousiasts tend to play Bach romantically, and maybe your teacher uses the word 'emotion' because you might usually link that with a Chopinistic aproach.

Bach's music shouldnt be played in romantic style, it is baroque music and should be played in that fashion. That does not mean though you cannot show emotion in the music, emotion is just expressed in another fashion.

Gyzzzmo

[birba]

Right you are!  I don't think the teacher explained himself (or herself) succintly enough.  Style is one thing.  Emotion, another.  Emotion should always accompany any music, but within the style of the period, of course.  For this reason, Bach is especially difficult to convey, because wearing your heart on your sleeve is not the way to arrive at his particular emotion.  But I mean, really, can you imagine the fugue to the Chromatic fantasy played without emotion?  Or the prelude in e-flat minor from the first book of the WTK?  Or anything, for that matter?  His music is so crystal clear and revealing of EVERY type of human emotion.  Well, at least this is what I hear when I listen to Bach.  My god, the b minor mass!  And he wasn't even  Catholic! (And the difference between his secular and religious music is SO distinct.)

[superdominus]

Thanks for everyone's replys! =D I know what what to do now!