Bach Piano Music Out of Fashion

J.S. Bach

Ludwig van Beethoven would have been decidedly unhappy in the 21st Century, I call back. He didn't take the highest opinion of humanity to brainstorm with, and all this social media influencing and posturing would accept driven him downright crazy. All the same, as nosotros explored last time, Beethoven did observe a new and heady home in the musical and cultural expressions of our fourth dimension. Johann Sebastian Bach as well constitute his fashion into the 21st Century, and while he might actually have enjoyed some musical expressions and innovations of modern times, he might merely have been somewhat repulsed by the overt secularization of Western club. Compared to Beethoven, nonetheless, Bach came to the 21st Century via a completely different road.

Jon Lord, 1976

You see, artistic experimentations at the end of the 19th and showtime of the 20th century left audience bewildered. In visual art representation was abandoned and colour and line completely liberated. Literature got rid of narrative structures and loosened meanings, and music used a technically avant-garde linguistic communication that eventually led to atonality and serialism. Music, to a good many listeners and observers, was in definite need of rescue. "There was just i man who could heal, regenerate and brainwash the musical world, and his name was Johann Sebastian Bach." Beethoven was rolled over, merely Bach was left standing. Bach's influence is not confined to dead classical composers, yet, simply he is an all-time favorite composer in the world of popular music as well. Not unexpectedly, the most frequently borrowed work appears to be his Toccata and Fugue in D minor, which resurfaces in roughly 40 new guises. Among them is an interpretation by Jon Lord, keyboardist of the famed rock band "Deep Royal" who used BWV 565 in his 1982 album Before I Forget.

Jon Lord: Earlier I Forget, "Bach onto this"

Astor Piazzolla, 1971

The Argentinian genius Astor Piazzolla is famous for incorporating elements from jazz and classical music into the traditional tango. He also introduced new forms of harmonic and melodic construction into the traditional tango ensemble, and integrated novel instruments, such as the saxophone and electric guitar. Notwithstanding, Piazzolla likewise included a broad range of recognizable Western music elements. And when it comes to counterpoint and passacaglia techniques, all paths lead to Johann Sebastian Bach. Juxtaposing the traditional tango with the music of Bach produced a new and unique musical style that transcended all earlier forms of expression. And of course, the bulk of his Bach remakes feature the bandoneón, a type of concertina popular in Argentina and Uruguay.

Johann Sebastian Bach/ Astor Piazzolla: Prelude No. sixteen in G pocket-size, BWV 861 (Duo Intermezzo)

Tina Harris, vocalist of Sweetbox

The pop music project "Sweetbox" formed in Germany in 1995. They released a number of singles in the mid 1990s, and experimented with several vocalists. Real success arrived with their third vocalist, Tina Harris. The Maryland-based rapper and vocalizer became the new face of Sweetbox, and the grouping changed their direction. They switched from Eurodance to hip-hop and to pop-meets-classical. And with "Everthing'south Gonna Exist Alright" they scored an international hitting. As you can hear, this hip-hop song comprehensively samples the "Air on the Chiliad string" from Bach's Orchestral Suite No. three. Since everybody loves and recognizes that melody, information technology reached Superlative x in European charts, and stayed number 1 on the Worldwide Airplay Chart for 10 weeks. Who would have thought that hip-hop and Johann Sebastian would brand such a successful couple?

Sweetbox: "Everything's gonna exist alright"

The Modern Jazz Quartet

The Modern Jazz Quartet, established in 1952, probably all-time embodied the creative synthesis of classical music and jazz. Featuring John Lewis (piano), Milt Jackson (vibes), Percy Heath (bass) and Connie Kay on drums, the group elegantly and effortlessly fused jazz, blues and classical music on a number of smashing recordings. The group's founder John Lewis firmly believed that "J.S. Bach and the blues were compatible, and it was natural to combine classical form with jazz improvisation and polyphony." At the centre of their success was a musical manner that fused composition with virtuosic improvisation. The group performed for over 40-years and received various honors and awards. Blues goes very nicely with Mr. Bach, don't you think?

The Modernistic Jazz Quartet: Blues on Bach

Jem

The Welsh vocalist Jemma Griffiths is known by her stage name Jem. She started writing songs at an early on historic period and worked as a DJ after graduating from university. Her musical way encompasses various genres such as trip hop, electronica, pop rock and new moving ridge, and by 2002 she started to collaborate with various producers. Her debut album "Finally Woken" was issued in 2004, and it includes the single "They." This song includes a 1963 sample of Bach's Prelude in F minor from the 2nd book of the Well-tempered Clavier past the Swingle Singers. It quickly became her most successful single, climbing the charts in the UK and in Europe. Jem contemplates about how order makes up rules, and no one e'er stops to think them through. "When I wrote this song," she explained, "I went to New York and I read in a guide volume to not await people in the eye on the subway as it implied that I would go shot. When I got there I was really scared and literally would non wait at anyone. Years subsequently I was on the subway every day going to Brooklyn and I idea, Oh my God, it's fine." Johann Sebastian liked a dominion or two, but non certain he would accept enjoyed the Brooklyn subway.

Jem: "They"

Beatles go Baroque

I am not sure this notwithstanding holds true, but at one time "The Beatles" were the best-selling music act of all time. The "Fab Iv" were certainly one of the most influential Bands of all time, and they simply loved Johann Sebastian Bach. Both Paul McCartney and John Lennon sang in Liverpool church choirs and knew all almost Bach'southward sacred and organ music. In addition, the band's producer George Martin also had a deep dear and cognition of Bach and Baroque forms. Information technology's hardly surprising that Bach's music keeps creeping upwardly in a big number of Beatles songs. Traces of Bach are found in such hits as "Yesterday," "Blackbird," "Penny Lane," "In My Life," and "All Yous Demand is Love." Joshua Rifkin and Peter Breiner have taken these kinds of quotations a step farther. In his "Beatles Get Baroque," Breiner takes us on a Magical Mystery Bout where music in the style of Bach is suddenly infused and combined with a variety of songs by "The Beatles." Can you identify all the tunes?

Peter Breiner: Beatles go Baroque, "Beatles Concerto Grosso No. 3" (in the fashion of J.South. Bach) (Peter Breiner Sleeping room Orchestra; Peter Breiner, cond.)

Jacques Loussier

For the conservatoire-trained pianist Jacques Loussier (1934-2019), "combining jazz and classical music create a new kind of energy." At a competition at the solarium he played a prelude by Bach, simply when his memory failed, he began to improvise. He later explained that he was "merely following a tradition, because musician of the 18th century were great improvisers, and Bach probably the greatest of them all." Together with cord bass player Pierre Michelot and drummer Christian Garros he created a trio that recorded jazzed-up interpretations of works by Johann Sebastian Bach. Audiences effectually the earth loved the initial recording, and they were considered commercial successes. Critical reception was much less enthusiastic. A New York Times critic wrote, "At that place is a certain sort of sensibility that is actively appalled past the very notion of popularizing Bach—or any classical composer, for that thing. This listener's sensibility is ane of those, and so he institute the Tuesday evening performance at a sparsely attended Carnegie Hall by the Jacques Loussier Trio tiresome and offensive." Not sure what that critic had for lunch or what was ailing him, considering I simply honey the tremendous free energy the trio generates. Just listen to them fusing Bach and jazz at St. Thomas in Leipzig. Practise y'all think Bach would like it?

Jacques Loussier: Bach Suite No. three in D Major, "Gavotte I and II"

Sky

Playing Bach improvisations at St. Thomas in Leipzig is one thing, only how near transporting the composer into a discotheque? That's what the British/Australian ring Sky achieved in its 2d album "Sky Ii." The final track is an electronic version of the famed Toccata in D minor and information technology stormed the British charts. This instrumental stone group specialized in combining a variety of musical style, including stone, classical and jazz. And in that location was something else exciting about this Band, as classical guitarist John Williams was a member between 1978 and 1984. Williams is said, "to perhaps be the most technically accomplished guitarist the world has always seen." He gave his first professional performance as a virtuoso classical guitarist at Wigmore Hall in 1958, and it sounds to me that Bach is in serious good hands.

Sky: Toccata and Fugue in D pocket-sized

Grandpamini

The 21st Century is in dearest with mash ups. It's usually created past blending 2 or more than-pre-recorded songs and superimposing a vocal track of one song seamlessly over the instrumental rails of another. Believe it or non, merely it is considered artistic work and protected from copyright claims, at least in the United States. A good many of these creations seem to originate in clubs and belatedly-night venues, and that'southward certainly seems to accept been the example with this mash upwardly of Bach and the Jackson five. The French-Chilean producer & DJ Grandpamini started his soundculture with salsa and hip hop just quickly changed into new African & Latin-American sounds. A former DJ at the legendary "Ghetto Tiers Monde" parties, he is famous for his mashup blend of rough sounds with unknown tunes. And what you lot know, he'south discovered Bach.

Grandpamini: I want you Bach (Jackson five vs Bach)

Lady Gaga

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta is amend known professionally as "Lady Gaga." She started performing equally a teenager and by 2014 she had sold 124 one thousand thousand records. One of world's acknowledged music artists she has won 12 Grammy Awards, 18 MTV Video Music Awards, and Adult female of the Year in 2015, among countless others. While touring extensively, she wrote eight songs for "The Fame Monster," a reissue of "The Fame." The new songs were released as standalones, and the single "Bad Romance" skyrocketed in the charts. The video for "Bad Romance" received more than ane billion views on YouTube and won All-time Female Pop Song Functioning and All-time Brusk Course Music Video at the 53rd Almanac Grammy Awards. I am certain you have probably seen that video, and you probably also noticed that it begins and ends with some eerie harpsichord music? If you know your Bach, you immediately recognize that information technology is the subject from the Fugue in B minor from Bach's first book of the Well-tempered Clavier. Musical styles from iv centuries autonomously collide in this baroque meets techno.

Lady Gaga: "Bad Romance"

Merely expect, the bike hasn't finished all the same, as the opening melody of "Bad Romance" was subsequently turned into a Fugue! As you tin can tell, Bach is live and well in the 21st century. There is no doubt in my mind that his music will continue to find its way into various musical expressions for centuries to come up.

For more of the best in classical music, sign up to our E-Newsletter

Lady Gaga Fugue