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In the Forum: Playback Listening
In the Thread: Accuracy vs. Musicality (and YMMV)
Post Subject: WordsPosted by rowuk on: 1/12/2026
Relevance as I understand it, is not a transient thing.
In the case of Bach, Relevance1) a new direction for composition was created by him, arguably still unmatched today. This blended the old church rules, performing practices, usage of key signatures, etc., with new things like "well tempered pitch" allowing compositions to modulate and still be relatively in tune. He also proved that mathematics could be musical. No composer today could do what they do without this milestone.
Relevance2) Getting in side someone elses head (especially if they are dead), can be a life long journey. My last trumpet teacher, Heinz Zickler was actually an organist and had devoted his life to the study of Bach and his works. He died at 103 years old and even in his last years, he was working on a treatise covering BWV 769/769a the Canonical Variations on Vom Himmel Hoch. He was able to document things previously undiscovered and in certain cases even VERY wrong as found in other revered publications.
Relevance3) Bachs works continue to be a magnet for concertgoers all over the world.
Relevance4) Historically Informed Performance Practice (HIP) has very much focussed on what Bach (and other historical musical figures)would have heard in terms of pitch (almost ½ tone lower than modern pitch). This can be proved by examining the historical instruments that he played and still exist today. The baroque organ tuners made marks on the pipes and modern technicians can use them. The effect of this difference in pitch is HUGE when we consider what the human voice does at this lower pitch. Even in the case of organs and historically "correct" instruments, resultant tones (sum and difference tones) create a hugely different spectrum for the listener.
Relevance5) Bach Cantata works cover the whole church year, Sunday for Sunday shedding light on his understanding of the Gospel and supporting literature as he understood it. I can say that the stars lined up for him as the composing talent, the financing, the musical forces necessary to get this performed and of course his ability to rehearse and get the performances ready in a very short period of time.
So, we have continuous historical relevance, we have music theory relevance, we have music performance relevance and religious relevance as well as many other facets.
If I had to identify what Bach has done for my playback, the first thing would be pitch definition, the second would be articulation and timing, the third would be the distinction between intimate and massive. If you want a piece of this, I can recommend a recording:Deutsche Grammophon: 4836028Bach 333: 4-Part Chorales (Vol. 3) Vocalconsort Berlin & Daniel Reuss
This is a collection of 60(!) 4 part Chorales offering a huge cross section for what I call "Gemeinschaft der Gläubigen" (Community of believers). This for me is the very base of any discussion about Bach.Rerurn to Romy the Cat's Site