Davids first book, bach and the meanings of counterpoint cambridge, 2002 explodes longheld notions about the status of counterpoint in the mideighteenth century, and illuminates unexpected areas of the musical culture into which bach s most. Yearsleys delineation of bachs music is written in a sprightly, informative fashion, and whilst at time being very dense, pulls of its virtuosity of discovery and novelty of ideas with compelling grace. To be sure i would want a successful program of music education in which. Harvard university press, 1996 david yearsley, bach and the meanings of counterpoint cambridge. Bach and the meanings of counterpoint new perspectives in music history and criticism yearsley, david on. Bach had ceased to be just a master of oldfashioned counterpoint. Visit buyerland net media bookstore and buy all the books you love bach and the meanings of counterpoint yearsley david title. Bach and the meanings of counterpoint by david yearsley. Yearsley, music, first encountered the music of johann sebastian bach as millions of people doas a young piano student, learning from bach s notebook for anna magdalena bach. For a summary of scholarship on the source for bwv 668, see russell stinson, j. The rules of counterpoint can be used for 2, 3 or 4 voices counterpoint. Both dreyfus and david yearsley in his estimable bach and the meanings of counterpoint further elucidate the potential unspoken musical narrative bach s work may have been intended as protest or dissent, as dreyfus puts it, composing against the grain, of the prevailing and musically regressive tastes of his time, a mid18th century stalinist. Title of a book, article or other published item this will display to the public.
David yearsley, the author of bach and the meanings of counterpoint 2012 and bachs feet 2015, is one of the most original and stimulating bach scholars on the present scene. This book offers new interpretations of many of bach s late compositions which include complex musical techniques such as canon. These techniques held great significance for bach and his contemporaries not only on account of the great skill they demanded but because of the meanings attached to them. Bach and the meanings of counterpoint, new perspectives in music history and criticism cambridge, 2002 princes of war and peace and their most humble, most obedient court composer, in. New perspectives in music history and criticism, ed. Bach and the meanings of counterpoint david yearsley. Alchemy and counterpoint in an age of reason journal of. Room 266, everson hall david yearsley was educated at harvard college and stanford university, where he received his phd in musicology in 1994. Johann sebastian bach trained his many sons to be the finest organists of their time, yet hardly any organ music survives from them. Anna magdalena bach and her musical notebooks, is as provocative and important as its predecessors. Great collection of the best classical symphonies of johann sebastian bach. It is among the characteristic elements of western musical practice.
Bach, and many classical giants, were master improvisors, and jimmy was a modern master of spontaneously composing two line counterpoint during spontaneous guitar solos. Yearsley progressed to more complex music in bach s keyboard repertoire, and as a teenager, he began playing the organ, discovering the composers large body of incredible organ music and a doorway into. Bach and the meanings of counterpoint yearsley, david gaynor 2002 bach, johan sebastian, 16851750 counterpoint ml410. Articles by david yearsley counterpunch journalist. A range of theological, cultural, social and political. A counterpoint interpretation of the death metal innovators hammer. David yearsley is the author of bach and the meanings of counterpoint 4. Counterpoint, yearsley reveals, was anything but an abstract and recondite technique. Its a great first example because the lines are very clear helped by the fact that gould is hands down one of the best interpreters of bach and it readily showcases one of the mainstays of bach s counterpoint. Writing contrapuntal music is a worthy effort, but building up technique and chops to take solos over jazz standards in multiple contrapuntal lines is amazing. Review of david yearsley, bach and the meanings of counterpoint.
We enable digital transformation that connects our clients operations from the back office to the front end and everything in. Through transcription, improvisation, and other acts of imaginative recreation this recording reunites bach and his boys for a program that recaptures the virtuosic panache, commanding counterpoint, impressive poise, and exuberant excess of this first. This is not properly correct, since polyphony refers generally to music consisting of two or more distinct melodic lines while counterpoint refers to the compositional. Book reveals life and times of anna magdalena bach. He is author of the widelypraised bach and the meanings of counterpoint cambridge university press, 2002, bach s feet cambridge, 2012, and sex, death and minuets. In bachs germany musical counterpoint was an art involving much more than the sophisticated use of advanced compositional techniques. Counterpoint, art of combining different melodic lines in a musical composition. Bach and the meanings of counterpoint new perspectives in. Both dreyfus and david yearsley in his estimable bach and the meanings of counterpoint further elucidate the potential unspoken musical narrative bachs work may have been intended as protest or dissent, as dreyfus puts it, composing against the grain, of the prevailing and musically regressive tastes of his time, a mid18th century stalinist proscription against formalism in favor of lighter fare. David yearsley, bach and the meanings of counterpoint.
Bach symphony for android free download and software. A playful nudge in the ribs across the centuries from the king of counterpoint. Learning counterpoint on your own art of composing. Yearsley progressed to more complex music in bachs keyboard repertoire. The word counterpoint is frequently used interchangeably with polyphony. Bach and the meanings of counterpoint new perspectives in music. The nook book ebook of the sex, death, and minuets.
Bach and the meanings of counterpoint similarly,pfeiffernotedin antimelancholicus thatinthe. Yearsley presents a multifaceted picture of bach, revealing the composers. Bach s most obsessive and complicated musical creations were released. History, music faculty earn guggenheim fellowships. David yearsley s first book, bach and the meanings of counterpoint cambridge, 2002 explodes longheld notions about the status of counterpoint in the mid18th century, and illuminates unexpected areas of the musical culture into which j. Anna magdalena bach and her musical notebooks university of. David yearsley was educated at harvard college and stanford university, where he received his ph. Anna magdalena bach and her musical notebooks university. A range of theological, cultural, social and political meanings attached themselves to the use of complex. Laurence dreyfus, bach and the patterns of invention cambridge, ma.
The above video is of glenn gould playing a twopart invention from a set of fifteen written by bach. Chopins birthday is celebrated on the 1 st of march and j. Alchemy and counterpoint in an age of reason jstor. Bachs fugue, bonhoeffers fragments, and the prelude to.