Junichi Miyazawa wrote:
Dear fmns,This phrase: the plateau concept of Bach's music, would appear to be a reference to the term "terraced dynamics" used in some texts to describe the alternation of loud and soft in Baroque music. This layering approach (without crescendo or diminuendo) was typical of the alternation of tutti and solo in the concerto. My guess is that GG was saying the piano is capable of several dynamic layers, whereas the harpsichord is limited in this respect.I am now polishing my Japanese translation of
the GG letter to V. Krastins dated January 3, 1963
(English edition, pp.68-69).
This is one of the most interesting letter where
GG explains the necessity of playing Bach on the piano.Here, I have a question. Does anyone explain the phrase
"the plateau concept of Bach's music"?It appears in the fourth paragraph:
"I suppose that the logical extension of my attitude
would be to simply play the works on the harpsichord
and yet I cannnot help feeling that in many ways the
piano, with its range of sonority and the possibilities
it provides for effects of registration which are
quite within the plateau concept of Bach's music,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
but for purely mechanical reasons are impossible
on the harpsichord, is a perfectly sensible alternate;
and in so many ways the most practical keyboard
instrument for the performance of his music. I do
feel it requires a willingness to surrender what you
might call the glamour qualities of the piano and this,
it seems to me, happily is now being accepted more
and more widely in the present generation of musicians."Does it simply describe Bach's music as a plateau,
a large area of flat land, that is,
a music which progresses without dynamics?
Does GG think all the Bach's music are like plateaus
or some of them are like plateaus?
Does he think registration is effective for such music?Thank you in advance.
Regards,
Junichi
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Junichi Miyazawa, Tokyo
walkingtune@bigfoot.com
(alias for: farnorth@mbc.sphere.ne.jp)
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http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/3739