We’re saying goodbye to a young kid – blond, maybe 13 years old, who is J. S. Bach. Everyone says goodbye and thank you, and I say – because I feel like I ought to say it – “Thanks for The Art of Fugue.” It’s not very sincere, and he seems to know that, and accepts my thanks awkwardly, nodding. (It’s an afterthought. I was just going to say “Thanks. Bye.” or something like that.) I feel like I probably should have said something like “the Brandenburg Concertos” instead.
Later the same day, I read Laeth's latest post. His posts typically end with some jazz, but this one was different:
today’s musical portion is not jazz. or is it.
my favorite JS Bach is the stuff people considered as academic, exercises good for teaching, but not real music. i must have student ears. The Art of the Fugue is at the top for me. the more involved it gets, the more i like it. i prefer the versions with organ, but couldn’t find this specific one, so string quartet it is (rather than piano, which doesn’t do it justice).
it sounds to me half Wayne Shorter half Villa Lobos. Bach really invented everything.
This shares with the dream the idea that you aren't really "supposed" to like The Art of Fugue, and that preferring a different work by Bach would be a sign of better musical taste.
I've never pretended to have good taste.
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