Johann Sebastian Bach: His Life, Art, and Work |
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Page 96
... night when I cannot sleep ; it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly . Whence and how they come , I know not ; nor can I force them . Those ridiculed as ' Harpsichord Knights . ' In the second 96 JOHANN ...
... night when I cannot sleep ; it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly . Whence and how they come , I know not ; nor can I force them . Those ridiculed as ' Harpsichord Knights . ' In the second 96 JOHANN ...
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Common terms and phrases
A. T. B. Soli Arias and Recitativi Arnold Schering Arnstadt Author of Libretto B.G. XXXVI Bach-Jahrbuch Bach's Berlin C. P. E. Bach Cantor Carl Philipp Emmanuel Choral Cantata Choral Preludes Christian Weiss Clavier Clavierübung composer compositions Concerto Cöthen D minor Ditto Dresden Easter Eisenach Fantasia flat major Forkel Friedrich Fughetta Fugue G major G minor Geist genius Handel harmony Heiland Herr Gott Herr Jesu Christ Herren Herz Himmel hymn are set instrument J. S. Bach Johann Christoph Johann Sebastian Bach Kirchencantaten komm Leben Leipzig libretto original Liebe major bk melody minor bk Motet Mühlhausen Novello Organ Organist original form pedal Philipp Emmanuel Picander play player Prelude and Fugue Psalm published pupils rest of libretto rest original Salomo Franck Schweitzer Seele senr soll Solo Sonatas Spitta Stanza stanzas are paraphrased supra Town Musician Trinity Variations Violin Weimar Wilhelm Friedemann Wilhelm Rust Wustmann
Popular passages
Page 95 - When I proceed to write down my ideas, I take out of the bag of my memory, if I may use that phrase, what has previously been collected into it in the way I have mentioned. For this reason the committing to paper is done quickly enough, for every thing is, as I said before, already finished ; and it rarely differs on paper from what it was in my imagination.
Page 95 - All this fires my soul, and, provided I am not disturbed, my subject enlarges itself, becomes methodised and defined, and the whole, though it be long, stands almost complete and finished in my mind, so that I can survey it, like a fine picture or a beautiful statue, at a glance. Nor do I hear in my imagination the parts successively, but I hear them, as it were, all at once (gleich alles zusammen).
Page 94 - When I am, as it were, completely myself, entirely alone, and of good cheer, say, traveling in a carriage, or walking after a good meal, or during the night when I cannot sleep ; it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how they come I know not, nor can I force them.
Page 68 - Sometimes I regret my ignorance, yet, when I think of the ghastly heap of platitudes for which that unfortunate piano is made the daily excuse — insipid, shameless productions, that would be impossible if their perpetrators had to rely, as they ought, on pencil and paper alone — then I thank the fates for having forced me to compose silently and freely by saving me from the tyranny of finger-work, that grave of original thought.
Page 242 - Er rufet seinen Schafen mit Namen. 176. Es ist ein trotzig und verzagt Ding. 177. Ich ruf zu dir, Herr Jesu Christ. 178. Wo Gott der Herr nicht bei uns hält.
Page 95 - I cannot sleep; it is on such occasions that my ideas flow best and most abundantly. Whence and how they come I know not, nor can I force them. Those ideas that please me, I retain in memory, and am accustomed, as I have been told, to hum them to myself. If I continue in this way, it soon occurs to me, how I may turn this or that morsel to account, so as to make a good dish of it, that is to say, agreeably to the rules of counterpoint, to the peculiarities of the various instruments, &c.
Page 235 - Christmas — 5. Puer natus in Bethlehem. 6. Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ. 7. Der Tag, der ist so freudenreich. 8. Vom Himmel hoch, da komm
Page 239 - Das ist je gewisslich wahr. 142. Uns ist ein Kind geboren. 143. Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele. 144. Nimm, was dein ist, und gehe hin.
Page 25 - Before Thy throne, my God, I stand, Myself, my all, are in Thy hand ; Turn to me Thine approving face, Nor from me now withhold Thy grace.
Page 95 - I used to rack my brains for a long time, but now I scarcely ever scratch out a note. It all comes from within, and I often feel as if I could go on playing without ever coming to an end