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Subject:
From:
Ulvi Yurtsever <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 15 Mar 1999 22:00:55 +0000
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John Dalmas writes about Rameau vs. Bach:

>His [Rameau's] imagination and daring harmonies make his contemporary Bach
>look like a museum curator...  [and other similar comments]

The interesting thing here is that we have yet another list member trying
to convince the rest of us that Bach is overrated, the emperor has no
clothes, etc...

The simple fact is this: there are a *very* large number of people
well-versed in music (and there were in every age after about 1800) who
consider Bach a pinnacle creative genius, not just in music but in the
entire history of human civilization.  If you don't "get" Bach (and there
is nothing wrong with it if you don't; not every creative mind "connects"
to every member of its audience), it is very, very highly improbable that
this is because Bach's music is deficient (and, consequently, that this
diverse group of music lovers through the ages are and have been a bunch of
fools).  In this case, to insist otherwise, and to search for explanations
for your failure to "connect" in Bach's supposed inferiority relative to
his contemporaries is, for lack of a better word, just plain silly.  It
certainly will not challenge those who disagree with you into changing
their minds; at most it will simply annoy them.

Ulvi Yurtsever
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

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