Bach

[minimozart007]

I had to ask

[Goldberg]

Love him! I'm not confident enough to play pieces by him, though, or at least not his better works (had a really enlightening, although ultimately frustrating, run-in with the Goldberg Variations--see my name; it's all that remains from my efforts!).

As composers go, he is a "god" to me.

[Lance Morrison]

i chose, "he is good"

i would rank no composer above good. i would love to, but have never found someone who i liked THAT much. I am critical by nature, and I find what are to me major flaws in the oeuvre of every composer.

bach did used to be my favourite composer, however. now, I don't like to hear his music anymore than once a week.

[viking]

As I previously posted in another thread, I believe that by playing bach's songs, it can vastly improve the playing of your other songs, even if you dont practice them.  It seems that his inventions, preludes, fugues, etc... relax your muscles so you can hammer the liszt octaves, etc... "He is God" was my response.  Probably the smartest composer of all time. 
SAM

[Rach3]

As I previously posted in another thread, I believe that by playing bach's songs, it can vastly improve the playing of your other songs, even if you dont practice them.

They are not songs. And they are not warm-ups for Liszt either - WTC is way better than Liszt.

[Lance Morrison]

And they are not warm-ups for Liszt either - WTC is way better than Liszt.

Tried listening to book 1 WTC, which I used to love so much, a couple weeks ago. Wish I wouldn't have--so I could still ignorantly feel affection towards them. I guess they just aren't my kind of music anymore. Of course, very few of the preludes had ever appealed to me, but I treasured the fugues....yet now they mostly make me feel ill.  So now I dislike the WTC and the Goldberg Variations quite a bit, but at least I can still enjoy the organ works and Brandenbergs

[keys]

Everything Bach composed was for the glory of God; he downplayed his own talent, saying there was nothing remarkable about it, to emphasize that it was God working through him. You have completely missed the meaning of all of Bach’s works if you come away with the impression that he is God. He’d roll over in his grave if he heard you say that!

My opinion of Bach would probably be ‘good’. I definitely appreciate his genius, and his attitude towards the keyboard instruments. But the critics have somewhat marred his reputation by putting his work on a pedestal and making it inaccessible to those who could really benefit from learning his pieces. Why do we make everything so elitist? And then we wonder why so few people are interested in classical music. I doubt so many of Bach’s children would’ve taken up composing if he walked around saying he had achieved ultimate greatness.

[viking]

They are not songs. And they are not warm-ups for Liszt either - WTC is way better than Liszt.

I believe that playing WTC improves other pieces, works, songs, etc.. without practicing them.  Not that there warm - ups, but it improves playing liszt, chopin, rachmaninoff, beethoven, etc...
SAM

[pseudopianist]

He is my 3rd favourit composer after Liszt and Chopin. I just love his music, his toccatas, WTC, Suites and who can forget the Matthew Passion

[Chrysalis]

He is good is the option i chose...

great composer!

[stormx]

I voted GOOD.

I was between "VERY GOOD" and "GOOD", but realizing that i really enjoy him in SMALL doses, i finally opted for "GOOD".

I personnaly like both Beethoven and Chopin more than Bach.

[sznitzeln]

He is usually ranked as the greatest composer, isnt he?
Sometimes Mozart is ranked higher, but probably not Beethoven.

It pretty fun to read a ranking of composers, although such a ranking can never be "correct".

[klavierkonzerte]

simply he's the greatest composer ever lived
what's unbelivable to me is that all of his works are intresting and every time i listen to them i like them more and his works always sound fresh
bach is never boring to me.

[ligurian]

He is God (in terms of composers). And no, just because Liszt wrote the hardest music ever for the piano doesn't make him "a great composer". Not even mediocre. He wrote music to be bombastic and to show off. Bach on the other hand was a pure composer. His music was on the highest level. I would say a good way to rate composers is in their efficiency, whic generally entails good music. Composers like Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert were very efficient composers, and never used extranious notes. On the other hand, Liszt just stuffed as many notes as he could onto a score to impress the ladies.

[Lance Morrison]

i can't worship him like i used to. now I view him as the equal of any other good-great composer. so many works of his that i used to love now make me ill.....

[jhon]

Bach is genius as he is able to create very difficult piano masterpieces using ONLY 4 octaves of the keyboard - 2 ocatves down and 2 octaves up from the middle DO.  Have you noticed it?  I assure you, his compositions would not exceed these 4-octaves - unless it's a transcription or arrangement).  During his time (15th~16th Century/Baroque), the Harpsichord/Clavichord is merely of that span (so as the organ).

I can even practice WTC on my electric/portable Yamaha!

[donjuan]

I understand why Bach is considered a God because his work is so fascinating.  However, I am just not smart enough/dont have the attention span to thouroughly get everything I could out of the music.  My teacher tries to get me on to Bach, and I understand why, but most of it just flies over my head.
*puts on dunce cap*

[musicsdarkangel]

Although he has instances that prove otherwise, for the most part I consider Bach a "cool" mathmatical (and theoretical) composer.


Now, different instances would be his violin partitas, and double concerto.


These are phenominal, and beautiful.  I think that he is good, but I prefer romantic music.


Some of his works really do sound similar.

The WTC is excellent, and has its moments, but it just doesn't cut it emotionally for me.

By the way, I think that Mozart is considered the most popular composer, followed by Beethoven, and then Bach, but I might be incorrect.

Beethoven was HUGE because he wrote not only so much solo piano, but famous symphonies, piano trios, etc.

[Barbosa-piano]

 For me he is the God of music that shaped it forever. He developed his own style and technique, although his was born in a musical family. It is simply abnormal to write church music for every Sunday. He is the one that made the music endless, and still beautiful... The king of variations and musicality, his music aproximate us to God, since his melody is always glorious and dedicated to the religious cause...
His music is one of treasures of this world...

Mario Barbosa