The Whole Music Experience

Iconoclast Glenn Gould, an interpreter of Bach When music experts discuss the healing power and potential of classical music, they always include the music of J.S. Bach. And I admit I felt intimidated the first few times I listened to Bach's concertos and then later, a mass. It didn't help that the people introducing me to Bach's compositions were academics. And it didn't help that people who spoke about Bach in my distant past, did so in a condescending manner. Then once I was on the Bach train, metaphorically speaking, I would tout the Goldberg Variations performed by Glenn Gould to people I met. They often said that they couldn't listen to Bach because their stern parents did. Or the really good response was that Bach reminded them of church music and a detested religious upbringing. I guess for those folks the healing power of Bach's music is lost.  And this brings up the question that if Bach's music triggers bad memories and even panic attacks ...

Classical   Freiburger Barockorchester Von Der Goltz/Müllejans/Schreiber J.S. Bach Violin Concertos Harmonia Mundi I find it ironic that during the Romantic Era J.S. Bach’s works fell out of favor because the musicians and music audiences of that time thought that Bach’s work lacked virtuosity (as mentioned in the liner notes of Violin Concertos ).  I listen to the dazzling performances of Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins (BWV 1043), Violin Concerto (BWV 1042), Violin Concerto (BWV 1041) and Concerto for Three Violins (BWV 1064R) by Freiburger Barockorchester and I hear nothing but heroic virtuosity.  Certainly, any musician from contemporary times would agree at the complexity and difficulty of Bach’s musical architecture, but not only that, but the emotional palette that becomes necessary when performing any of Bach’s works. The recording opens on a fiery yet playful note, Vivace of the Concerto for Two Violins featuring Petra Müllejans (Art...