Don Satz wrote:

>But, there must have also been some restrictions on Bach with his audience
>being in a church.  Write some sacrilegious music and you're out the door.

I'm not so sure Bach had any restrictions of the kind you imply.  Bach
wrote plenty of sacred music but also found the time to write a very
impressive amount of music in the secular vein.  I think Bach had enough
elbow room to do what he wanted in both arenas but being assured of a
regular audience for his secular music might have been much more difficult
to come by.  Whatever the "real" truth may be, Bach wrote many pieces which
are light and some which are so light that I really can't bear to listen to
them.  He may be my absolute favorite but he still wrote a few pieces I
could live forever without.

On the flip side, Handel wrote some pieces which are quite deep and
expressive in my opinion.  To name a couple of my favorites:

1.  Adagio e staccato (2nd movement) from the Water Music suite in F.
This reminds me very much of Corelli.

2.  Sarabande from harpsichord suite no. 7 in g minor.

Handel's oratorios and operas (as you certainly know) also contain plenty
of deep, moving pieces.  I always like reading your posts Don.  I love to
hear people state their adoration of the man!  My adoration for Bach is
bottomless, limitless...well almost.

--Wes Crone