HELEN 7/24: I hope we’ve all made it to the end, or almost to the end! I just finished no. 24 — all six pages of the fugue. I wasn’t all that excited about it, although I love the sequences in that fugue created by the extrapolation of the second subject.
I’m curious, besides improved sight reading and held ties, what the experience is of playing — and hearing — Book 1 is for others. I know it’s taken me several summers to start recognizing more and more of the preludes and fugues, and I’m only now beginning to understand what there is to learn about key relationships and tonicity, from playing these annually and also from playing the other composers’ works in comparison.
How is everyone feeling about this summer’s project? Would you like to have a zoom session next week, say Wednesday night the 28th to visit about Book 1 and get motivated for Book 2? Or would you like to wait until the end of August and visit about the two books? I am always, as you might guess, ready to talk about Bach. Love, Helen
GRACE 7/25: I am currently still just as behind, but I think I can be all caught up in time to chat on Wednesday evening! I’m available after about 7:15 PM EST. Happy to discuss now or to wait according to whatever the group decides!
KATIE 7/25: We had family visiting this week, so I’m now a week behind, but I should be able to catch up by Wednesday if that works for everyone else! I’ll be free pretty much anytime on Wednesday or I’m happy to wait until after Book 2 as well.
STEVEN 7/25: I’m in the same boat as Grace and Katie: behind, but catching up as fast as I can. Wednesday after 8:00ish EST works for me, if we’re meeting this month.
SABRINA 7/25: I’ve also been playing along but am a bit behind. We’re on vacation right now so unfortunately I won’t be able to join on Wednesday.
CRAIG 7/25: Done. Did it! Even kept up during the 24 days, for the most part.
Thanks so much for including me in the WTC1 club. I had not played nor listened to Bach much until now. Admittedly a glaring omission– so thank you!
What a nice break from the usual routines of meetings and deadlines to go into the other room, switch the brain, and put the eyes and fingers through the paces of “reading” a prelude and a fugue.
In looking back at this experience, it’s easiest just to list the ones I keep coming back to. Consider this list based mainly on my experience of the preludes, mainly, which the fugues tagging along. (Sorry, fugues.)
#3 C-sharp major (Just the prelude — it’s beautiful, even if I can’t play it that quickly, as I know it should be. The three voices of the Fugue are still throwing me. I’m not hearing voices, and that’s not a good thing.)
#4 C-sharp minor
#9 E major (Gerald my partner interjected after I played prelude #9 on my rather ill-tempered piano in the desert and said, “Play it again! I like that one!” That was enough to encourage me…and he was right. This is a nice one.)
#22 B-flat minor (!!!YES!!!)
And then the ones I would like to come back to:
#12 F minor
#16 G minor
#18 G-sharp minor
#19 A major
Playing these also compelled me to reopen the Shoshtakovich Opus 34 Preludes. Don’t they seem easy now? And is there something special about the number “22”?
CELIA 7/26: I had a great time playing through Book 1 and would love to talk about it!