Bach: Italian Concerto

[quixoticcafe]

Hi Group,

What is your impression of this piece--the last movement in particular. I think it all fits under one's hands nicely, but a strange thing happens to me.  Some days the last movement is as easy as pie to play; the next day I F*** it all up. I guess if one makes a memory slip in this piece Bach is quite unforgiving. What are your thoughts on this venerable compostion of the great master? I preface this by saying people generally love or hate this work...

quixoticcafe

[keys]

I love it! I thought I hated Bach till I played this piece. I only learned the first movement (I was working towards an exam and it was too long for my program.) So I can't really say what is going on with that last movement. But you are completely right, Bach does have a way of revealing weakness, especially in memory!

[BoliverAllmon]

ahhh yes bach and memory is quite something of a pain.

[Allan]

It is such wonderful music!  Along with Bach's chorales and trio sonatas for the organ they represent such lofty art.  No wonder Bach is best.  The Concerto you mentioned is so "exposed" that mistakes are accentuated (you can't hind behind some muddled chords).  I find the biggest challenges to be the most rewarding.  Bach is, ultimately, the most challenging and, thus, the most rewarding for me.

[donjuan]

Italian Concerto is one of the only Bach works I listen to with any sense of regularity.  I find reading the sheetmusic along with listening to a recording very fascinating because their are so many voices, it is impossible to listen to them all at once.  But when you can see[i/] the genius inthe sheetmusic, only then can you appreciate it.

donjuan