GG: Just More Stuff...

["John P. Hill" <jphill@frank.mtsu.edu>]

Hullo to the Collective!

Re:  Neural Activity and the Goldbergs

Of course, you can also attempt to *play* the Goldbergs or the
Inventions or Sinfonias or the 48 if you have some keyboard skills.
If you haven't given the keyboard at try, what a great to time to
dive in.  Take it slow....maybe some short prelude items to start?

I'm no virtuoso (using *either* of Bradley's definitions), but one
of the things I love about playing Bach is how the music comes into
focus more and more over time as both your fingers and your brain
get more familiar with the piece.  Kind of like those JPEGS which
start as a mass of big rectangles and then gradually resolve into
a nice clear image (digital audio anyone?).

It takes me quite a while to go through reading, marking in fingerings,
slow practice, gaining faster tempo, memorizing, etc.  I find that I often
come back months or even years later and find something new and
eye-opening in an alto or tenor voice, where I'd thought there were just
notes before.

Re:  Bradley's Goldberg Novella
I have to admire the sheer intensity of the homework done here
and it makes me think that I need to do the same listening exercise
with all the versions played back-to-back (that's a lot of Goldberg
in one sitting, kids).  I have to also admire anyone who has played the
work through on piano and harpsichord both in concert and in private for
the sake of analysis.

I guess for the moment we can agree to disagree (or at least until I can
muster a decent rebuttal on key points).  The discussion is a bit
reminiscent of GG and Bruno M. arguing over middle-period Beethoven.
What's that saying en francais....."a chacun son gout".

cheers,

jh