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J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

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Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#51

Post by iron0013 »

psilocipher wrote: post #44
braythwayt wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is everything beyond fundamental physics, not just HN. You can argue that laws are an absolute joke, morality is an absolute joke, society is an absolute joke, nations are an absolute joke, company cultures are an absolute joke (to be sure!), relationships are an absolute joke (evnen an absurd joke) and so on. Nothing of interest to humans has immutable laws that are so objective to never require judgement. I st…

Utter BS. Bach would be flagged, first because he's a white male, and second because he was a "rebel". Of course that wig would win him points, he's clearly cross-dressing.

Do we really have to get this kind of reactionary BS in every single thread? Can it and enjoy the Bach, pal.

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#52

Post by luckynumber007 »

motohagiography wrote: post #4

Seems tendentious to secularize Bach. There's something to be said for deistic awe for creating great art. If you were just getting interested, here are some contemporary performances: BWV 1006 by Nigel Kennedy: https://youtu.be/nWx4pIe7FoE?t=179 BWV 988 (goldberg variations) Glenn Gould https://youtu.be/p4yAB37wG5s?t=169 from BWV 816, Gigue, Andreas Schiff: https://youtu.be/f_U0lm6HZMk?t=777

I'm not religious at all but this is one of my favourite pieces: Erbarme dich, mein Gott https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBeXF_lnj_M

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#53

Post by psilocipher »

iron0013 wrote: post #51
psilocipher wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Utter BS. Bach would be flagged, first because he's a white male, and second because he was a "rebel". Of course that wig would win him points, he's clearly cross-dressing.

Do we really have to get this kind of reactionary BS in every single thread? Can it and enjoy the Bach, pal.

Every thread.... Absolutely. I'll have to set aside some extra time, but if that's what you want, every thread. Coming right up.

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#54

Post by criddell »

psilocipher wrote: post #36
mikorym wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Downvoting opinions just because you disagree is specifically discouraged in the HN guidelines.

HN guidelines are an absolute joke. "Anything that would satisfy intellectual curiosity" basically means "whatever we decide it is at the moment".

And yet it pretty much works.

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#55

Post by wglb »

mikorym wrote: post #32
mikorym wrote: post #16

Maybe he was a dissident, but his music is still boring to me. Or maybe his predecessors were just so boring that he was the first step away? I usually don't understand from his music why he is celebrated. Is it that he is just historically important? Like the discovery of logarithmic tuning of sqrt_12(2)? It could also be that I am just moved more by the romantic era. Mozart generally gets relegated lower in my list…

Downvoting opinions just because you disagree is specifically discouraged in the HN guidelines.

No, the word 'vote' or 'downvote' does not appear in the guidelines. Further, pg has said that it is ok to use downvotes to indicate disagreements.

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#56

Post by mastazi »

tim333 wrote: post #38
jacquesm wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also frankly the harpsichord is a much better instrument for WTC Books 1&2, especially with the added focus on video. Maybe. Personally, I love listening to the harpischord but for limited periods of time whereas I can listen to piano all day long.

You kind of miss the variation in volume. I think Bach used harpischords partly for technical reasons - the piano hadn't been invented - and preferred the clavichord but that was too quiet for performing to many people.

Bach knew about pianos, he even worked as a “piano salesman” for a period of time

> Bach went on to become an agent for Silbermann, selling his pianos in Leipzig. There’s even a receipt signed by Bach on May 9, 1749, selling a “Piano et Forte” to a Polish count, Jan Casimir von Branitzky.

From https://notanothermusichistorycliche.blogspot.com/2016/07/di...

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#57

Post by lordleft »

Bach is my favorite artist & composer. There are times when I listen to a cantata of his and I feel as if I am in possession of a total understanding of life that departs me as soon as the music ends. It's a mystical and intellectual pleasure that has been among the chief joys of my adult life.

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#58

Post by jacquesm »

mastazi wrote: post #56
tim333 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You kind of miss the variation in volume. I think Bach used harpischords partly for technical reasons - the piano hadn't been invented - and preferred the clavichord but that was too quiet for performing to many people.

Bach knew about pianos, he even worked as a “piano salesman” for a period of time > Bach went on to become an agent for Silbermann, selling his pianos in Leipzig. There’s even a receipt signed by Bach on May 9, 1749, selling a “Piano et Forte” to a Polish count, Jan Casimir von Branitzky. From https://notanothermusichistorycliche.blogspot.com/2016/07/di...

Bach's criticism of Silbermann's earlier pianos led to substantial improvements.

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#59

Post by jacquesm »

psilocipher wrote: post #53
iron0013 wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do we really have to get this kind of reactionary BS in every single thread? Can it and enjoy the Bach, pal.

Every thread.... Absolutely. I'll have to set aside some extra time, but if that's what you want, every thread. Coming right up.

You better not.

Re: J.S. Bach the Rebel: The subversive practice of a canonical composer

#60

Post by prvc »

Nothing about the arguments in the article are convincing. It seems he merely shoehorning a collection of disparate anecdotes into a predetermined (probably politically motivated) thesis. One which does not have a precise meaning, to boot. What does it mean, anyway, to be "subversive", simpliciter?
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