Music Appreciation
I am adrift this morning in the music of Bach. The Brandenburg Concertos, 1, 3, and 4. I confess, however, I have no idea, without looking, when each one starts or ends. They play on my turntable, and at some point I will get up and flip the record over. It occurs to me that it might be time to take a deeper dive into the music, and really learn it. I’m retired. It’s too hot to work outside, and why not?
I also like listening to music with purpose. Hearing it as it was intended, raptly. Thinking perhaps of how the musicians looked as they played and what it must have been like to hear it in person, perhaps for the first time, 300 years ago. Think about that. 300 years. I can even pretend I’m a prince sitting in my castle. And I wonder how those princely folks of yesteryear would feel about us commoners having access to their divine music.
Of course, all I know is this. Almost everyone knows Bach’s name. While only scholars know the unpronounceable Prussian name of the prince for whom it was written. That seems fitting. Although, being a patron of the arts surely must carry some reward, and perhaps it’s a little harsh to think otherwise. Afterall, they had the taste to appreciate Bach’s work and the willingness to bring its beauty into the world.