Description
Why do we play games? Because they're fun? Or is it because they give us a sense of structure and a clear goal, a refreshing contrast to our real lives, which are messy, unpredictable, and complicated?
In the same way, we listen to Bach to give a much-needed feeling of structure and clarity to our hectic, messy lives.
But sometimes, he doesn't quite give us what we expect. He breaks the patterns. And it's at those moments when we can catch a glimpse of the angels in the architecture.
Italian Concerto, BWV 971, second movement, as performed by Christine Schornsheim for the Netherlands Bach Society
"Wandering Flame", from the soundtrack to Final Fantasy X; this track is by the composer Masashi Hamauzu
Link to chapter 1 of "Travels in Hyperreality" by Umberto Eco; the discussion on Disneyland mainly takes place on pages 43-48 of this document
Our fourth season was the best year yet for our downloads. Thank you for your listenership! And we still welcome your listener "moments" of Bach as ideas for future episodes.
For this season closer, we invite Reverend Eric Clausen, a Lutheran pastor, to help us unpack the background of BWV 80 (A...
Published 10/07/24
Martin Luther, J.S. Bach, and Reformation Sunday -- this most Lutheran of all cantatas is our subject for today. "Ein feste Burg" was the battle-cry of the Reformation: "A mighty fortress is our God!" Bach's cantata weaves in all 4 stanzas of Luther's strong hymn.
We marvel at movement 1 with...
Published 09/30/24