NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/rec/music/early/1808

Internet Message Format | 1992-12-22 | 1.6 KB

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Newsgroups: rec.music.early
Subject: RE: Recordings of Bach's harpsichord concertos
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From: JAMES QUINN <[e-mail]>
Date: 21 Dec 1992 13:56:00 -0700 (PDT)
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> Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1992 21:12:47 GMT
> From: Lee Ridgway <[e-mail]>
> Subject: RE: Recordings of Bach's harpsichord concertos
>
> I contend that J. S. Bach, being first and foremost a keyboard player, having
> sons who were first and foremost keyboard players, as well as teaching other
> keyboard players, would have had no trouble composing original keyboard
> concertos. Sure, they may sound stylistically similar to what other instrument
   s
> might do, but face it, most music of that period does - even JSB's!

I second this -- I was visiting a friend out of town once, where the
only keyboard available to us at the time was a pretty sophisticated
sampling keyboard -- can't remember exactly what, but it loaded all the
programs off 3 1/2" floppies, and he had hundreds of separate programs
for the thing.  Anyway for fun we did the g min. sonata for flute and
obligato with a very convincing choir in the keyboard, and we were both
astounded at how much it sounded like a cantata.  I don't think it is
possible to deduce much from any superficial similarities between Bach's
keyboard music and techniques he might employ in writing for voices and
other instruments.

James Quinn
[e-mail]