John Smyth wrote:

>What I miss in Bach, (and it's not his fault), is orchestral
>color, and changes in meter and dynamics within single movements.  His
>music, *within movements,* is infused with what I would call a sort of
>"mono-emotionalism".  There is no sense of ambiguity and mystery.  The
>Baroque is characterized by logic, restraint, and understatement; and while
>one can always find exceptions, the era as a whole just doesn't turn me on.

Are you sure that your problem with baroque music isn't in fact a
problem caused by performances? I have never considered baroque music
to be unemotional.  Of course, there is a difference between Italian and
German composers, but I still think that Bach's music is very emotional.
One of the things which strike me for instance in Bach's b minor Mass is
the fact that it is a major piece of architecture and almost mathematical
precision, but at the same time a very emotional and expressive work.
These characteristics don't exclude each other.  But you are right that
baroque music is intellectual: you have to be reasonably well informed
to understand the intent of the music and to experience the emotional
depth *in* the notes.  Baroque composers use a very specific language to
communicate the emotional content of their music.  The period following the
baroque was different, and the composers *wanted* to be different: they
wanted their music to appeal to the general public in a very direct way.
That makes their music *sometimes* a little superficial.

Johan van Veen
Utrecht (Netherlands)
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