Schirmer's edition actually ends it on a minor chord: apparently Schirmer feels that the major chord ending for a minor piece seems "forced" or artificial. I didn't learn until years after I had already learned the piece that Schirmer took it upon themselves to edit Bach's work ... and by then, the minor ending seemed natural to me. Ending with a major chord--even though that's the way Bach wrote it--seems to come out of nowhere.
@ToddGates Using the minor as a tonic is forced and artificial in the first place, yet that is where some of the greatest ideas in music work out of. Excitement in music is all about artificialities (temporary tonics, secondary dominants, etc), and ending in the major chord is going back to the pure tonic rather than the artificial minor tonic because the cadence is stronger that way. It is definitely something to get used to, and it has to be applied tastefully, but there is logic behind it.
> in the case of using a dominant 7th that you should usually go to major unless you are going to continue in the music. If using minor such as in the middle of a piece or ending of a non-final movement, usually it is better to leave out the 7th or make it less pronounced in the voicing.
From a music theory point of view, that makes sense—although I confess to abandoning that type of thought once I left college! (I was a music major at Queens College.)
>[The Picardy third] is definitely something to get used to, and it has to be applied tastefully, but there is logic behind it.
Agreed—but because I played this fugue for years before studying theory or music history or knowing that Schirmer had edited Bach, the minor ending became what sounded "right" to my unsophisticated ears.
(This is ToddGates, BTW, writing from my ToddAllenGates channel.)
@ToddAllenGates I haven't even gone through music theory since that's not what I'm studying now in college, but I spend at least an hour most days listening to Bach so I have a real intuitive understanding of a lot of it / am used to it in addition to what I looked up. A lot of it could be arbitrary but there is surely merit to most of his types of harmonies because of what possibilities they allow for variations. I love the highly chromatic yet creatively (rather than loosely) structured music.
@ToddGates I believe that especially in the case of using a dominant 7th that you should usually go to major unless you are going to continue in the music. If using minor such as in the middle of a piece or ending of a non-final movement, usually it is better to leave out the 7th or make it less pronounced in the voicing. I used to not like picardy thirds, but then at the same time most of the whole WTC was far beyond my ear's understanding. Within that framework, Bach uses it well.
Yes, or at least it's a little slower than it's usually performed ... yet I don't think Bach gave specific instructions on where to set the metronome. My copy of Well-Tempered Clavier doesn't even have as much as an "Allegro" on it.
Shortened, yes, but why did you change the last chord?
parquar 1 year ago
@parquar
> why did you change the last chord?
Schirmer's edition actually ends it on a minor chord: apparently Schirmer feels that the major chord ending for a minor piece seems "forced" or artificial. I didn't learn until years after I had already learned the piece that Schirmer took it upon themselves to edit Bach's work ... and by then, the minor ending seemed natural to me. Ending with a major chord--even though that's the way Bach wrote it--seems to come out of nowhere.
ToddGates 1 year ago
@ToddGates Using the minor as a tonic is forced and artificial in the first place, yet that is where some of the greatest ideas in music work out of. Excitement in music is all about artificialities (temporary tonics, secondary dominants, etc), and ending in the major chord is going back to the pure tonic rather than the artificial minor tonic because the cadence is stronger that way. It is definitely something to get used to, and it has to be applied tastefully, but there is logic behind it.
parquar 1 year ago
@parquar
1 of 2:
> in the case of using a dominant 7th that you should usually go to major unless you are going to continue in the music. If using minor such as in the middle of a piece or ending of a non-final movement, usually it is better to leave out the 7th or make it less pronounced in the voicing.
From a music theory point of view, that makes sense—although I confess to abandoning that type of thought once I left college! (I was a music major at Queens College.)
ToddAllenGates 1 year ago
2 of 2:
>[The Picardy third] is definitely something to get used to, and it has to be applied tastefully, but there is logic behind it.
Agreed—but because I played this fugue for years before studying theory or music history or knowing that Schirmer had edited Bach, the minor ending became what sounded "right" to my unsophisticated ears.
(This is ToddGates, BTW, writing from my ToddAllenGates channel.)
ToddAllenGates 1 year ago
@ToddAllenGates I haven't even gone through music theory since that's not what I'm studying now in college, but I spend at least an hour most days listening to Bach so I have a real intuitive understanding of a lot of it / am used to it in addition to what I looked up. A lot of it could be arbitrary but there is surely merit to most of his types of harmonies because of what possibilities they allow for variations. I love the highly chromatic yet creatively (rather than loosely) structured music.
parquar 1 year ago
@ToddGates I believe that especially in the case of using a dominant 7th that you should usually go to major unless you are going to continue in the music. If using minor such as in the middle of a piece or ending of a non-final movement, usually it is better to leave out the 7th or make it less pronounced in the voicing. I used to not like picardy thirds, but then at the same time most of the whole WTC was far beyond my ear's understanding. Within that framework, Bach uses it well.
parquar 1 year ago
I think it lacks a peace.
rodriguezia 1 year ago
@rodriguezia
> I think it lacks a peace.
If you mean I cut out half of it, yes, guilty as charged. That's why the Description Box describes this as the "short attention span" version.
ToddAllenGates 1 year ago
this is impressive! i play Bach's Little Fugue in G minor on my violin...it's my favorite piece.
PapaRoachGirl18 1 year ago
@PapaRoachGirl18
> this is impressive!
Thank you.
> i play Bach's Little Fugue in G minor on my violin...it's my favorite piece.
Playing a fugue on a violin sounds difficult!
ToddGates 1 year ago
@ToddGates it is rather difficult, but once i learned it, it's a ton of fun to play!!!
PapaRoachGirl18 1 year ago
This reminds me of a great CD called 'Short music for short people' it's great, and has a 7 second song called, 'short attention span'.
BayerLexan 3 years ago
Have you left a part?
doctorkozi 3 years ago
Yes, I did leave out about half the piece--this is the "short-attention span" version.
- Todd
ToddAllenGates 3 years ago
Is that fugue comes from the WTC (Well-tempered Clavier)???
By the way...great performance!!
Good Job!!!
salamence47 3 years ago
> Is that fugue comes from the WTC (Well-tempered Clavier)??? By the way...great performance!!
Yes, it's from the WTC, and thanks!
ToddGates 3 years ago
hmm.. Too slow perhaps? And IMO this piece continues?
gouppi 4 years ago
> hmm.. Too slow perhaps?
Yes, or at least it's a little slower than it's usually performed ... yet I don't think Bach gave specific instructions on where to set the metronome. My copy of Well-Tempered Clavier doesn't even have as much as an "Allegro" on it.
> And IMO this piece continues?
True--this is the "short-attention span" version!
ToddAllenGates 4 years ago
Bach didn't put tempo markings on any of his pieces.
incrediblub 4 years ago
whoa, stop trying to sound so perfessional.
just give the guy some credit, it was good.
There's no exact tempo dude.
sportygurl040394 4 years ago
Nice... Is that a book in the backround? Hmmmmmmmmmm, curious...... lol
mzsexie 4 years ago
If your question is "Is that book a product placement: a shameless self-promotion of your book?" . . . then my answer is "Guilty as charged."
- Todd (writing from my author-channel)
ToddAllenGates 4 years ago