In Response to Steve Schwartz's email in which he says that no music of
Bach was widely known in the eighteenth century, at least in the sense that
Vivaldi's, Handel's, and Telemann's music was I would like to maintain my
position that the well tempered clavier was very well known to key board
players of the time.  As for Mozart he was introduced to the WTC by Baron
Von Sweiten when he was twenty six but did not come into contact with
Bach's motets until 1789 when he as 33 years old.  His friend Rochlitz was
sitting next to him in the church at leipsic when the choir began to sing
"Singet dem Herrn".  Rochlitz says that "Scarcely had the choir sung a
couple of measures when Mozart started.  After a couple more measures he
cried out`What is that? At last something from which we can learn.` He was
able to obtain the scores to all six motets and treasured them for precious
jewels for the rest of his short life.

As for Beethoven, he knew Bach's keyboard music thoroughly although I admit
he never sounded like Bach and his counterpoint is perhaps more Handelian,
however I maintain that he gained valuable experience in counterpoint from
Bach.

I was remiss in not mentioning Schumann's canonic studies for two pianos
and I can't forgive myself for failing to mention Brahms who I agree was
the greatest contrapuntal master since Bach.

"Jeff Langlois " <[log in to unmask]>