Bach Archives

317: Brad Mehldau, the Beato Interview

“The greatest living artist”

005: Glenn Gould, Toccata in Cm (J.S. Bach)

Old Jack Bach’s jazz.
Glenn Gould’s utter engagement.

December 28, 2023 by jeff Classical Song Of the week 1

113: J.S. Bach, ‘Prelude to Suite #2 for Unaccompanied Cello’ (Casals)

Yom Kippur is when we Jews face up to the way we lead our lives. The cantor uses the liturgy to break open our hearts and try to pry open God’s. But if there were going to be a secular soundtrack, it would have to be Bach’s Cello Suites.

September 28, 2022 by jeff Classical Song Of the week 7

077: J.S. Bach, ‘The Art of The Fugue’ (The Emerson Quartet, ‘Contrapunctus 9’)

Listening to Bach isn’t so different from prayer. They are both human attempts to impose an artificial order upon an inherently chaotic world.

January 13, 2022 by jeff Classical Song Of the week 7

161, The Swingle Singers, ‘Sinfonia from Partita No.2 in C Minor’

The 2013 Swingle Singers are great. The 1963 Swingle Singers weren’t bad, either. (Caution: This posting contains a clip of Glenn Gould practicing which may not be suitable for younger audiences.)

January 25, 2013 by jeff A Cappella Classical Song Of the week 5