The WTF Bach Podcast

Experience the music of Bach as you never have before. For music lovers, to professional musicians, let WTF Bach guide your mind through a contrapuntal journey.

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Episodes

Special Guest: Robert Hill. How does he play Bach?

Guest Interview: Robert Hill, Harpsichordist I had the privilege of speaking to Robert Hill, one of the foremost harpsichordists alive. Our discussion spans many different topics including harpsichord tuning and repair, clavichords, piano actions, lute-harpsichords, early Bach, old Bach, figured bass, inaudible sounds, metronomes, partimento, and anything else listed here: People / Topics Covered: Keith Hill (Instrument maker, Robert’s Brother) Jaap Schröder (Dutch violinist Hill heard in Michig...

Jun 15, 2020•1 hr 36 min

The 6th Fugue in The Art of Fugue: ’In Stylo Francese’

The second ‘stretto’ fugue: “Contrapunctus 6, in the French Style” now gives us the theme flying at two different speeds in both directions. We see the theme overlapped, coming both inverted and ‘rectus’, and now at 1x AND 2x speeds! Where will Bach go from here?! Topics covered: What does it mean to play in the ‘French style?’ What does ‘diminution’ mean? Pianists mentioned: Zoltán Kocsis, Tatiana Nikolayeva, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Harpsichordists (organists) mentioned: Helmut Walcha, Davitt Mo...

May 29, 2020•31 min

The 5th Fugue in The Art of Fugue: Our theme finally overlaps itself!

Here we are on a new chapter! The stretto fugues have begun. We uncover the extensive use of stretto at various 'lengths:' 12 beats, 6 beats, 4 beats, 2 beats even down to a single beat. Entrances are now flying both upside down and right-side up without warning. Topics covered: Bach's cousin taught a 12-year old prince about fugues? 'Fleshing out' our Art of Fugue theme, Canons within fugues, The Art of Fugue orchestrated E.H. Gombrich's 'Little History of the World' https://en.wikipedia.org/wi...

May 21, 2020•34 min

Special Guest: Brad Mehldau. Why does he like Bach?

This is an interview with pianist/composer/arranger Brad Mehldau . Our conversation on May 12, 2020 spanned many diverse topics from what he is reading at the moment, what he keeps on his piano, when and how he practices, the connection between bebop and Bach, his favorite video game and more. Bach's Table of Ornaments: http://www.pennuto.com/music/jsb_ornm.htm Hear the music mentioned (in the order we mention it) here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5iP9EMbyCBoB6hEyK5waK4?si=ukZQ0wy2T62vjGIm...

May 14, 2020•1 hr 5 min

The First Canon in The Art of Fugue: Where do these pieces belong, and how do they get much more complicated than this?!

Rather than moving on to the fifth fugue, we have a brief visit to the first of four canons from "The Art of Fugue" by J.S. Bach: Canon in Hypodiapason (Canon at the octave). Topics covered: What is an octave? Who is 'The Great One'? Why do musicians love Bach so? So... you can play a canon with a delay pedal? Find a playlist of the music here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ha250UDFktGqZjpt1hk7L?si=fIqZwtTUQJmzB9SYwskeYA Follow Evan on Instagram for even more content about Bach: www.instagr...

Apr 28, 2020•27 min

Bonus: Bach in Revision: How does Bach improve upon himself?

This is the second bonus episode. In it, you will hear the first three fugues from “The Art of Fugue” in their 'early versions', meaning, the versions which Bach conceived before he sent them to be published. This is a rare moment to observe Bach making improvements or corrections on his own compositions. Noticing how Bach revises his own work is a pretty rare and- may I say?- exclusive look into the mind of the great genius. The 'Original Print', as I said, is found here: https://imslp.simssa.c...

Apr 17, 2020•24 min

The 4th Fugue in The Art of Fugue: Where is the golden section? Exchanging the Dux and the Comes

The final piece in the first 'quartet' of fugues from "The Art of Fugue" by J.S. Bach: Contrapunctus 4. With this episode we have covered all of the 'simple fugues' in this sprawling work. Topics covered: A blind organist from Leipzig... Helmut who? The official Latin terms for the first two entering voices. A fugue made entirely of a subject and a two-note motif? What on earth is a golden section and how does one go about finding one? Find a playlist of the music here: https://open.spotify.com/...

Apr 05, 2020•37 min

The 2nd/3rd Fugues in The Art of Fugue: What is a Clavichord? Our first countersubject!

We discuss the second and third fugues from "The Art of Fugue" by J.S. Bach. We hear them played on a clavichord and a piano, then both arranged electronically with some new insights. Topics covered: How quiet is a clavichord? So... what's the vibe in general of The Art of Fugue? Countersubjects, inverted entrances, and the subject beginning to change. Find a playlist of the music here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ha250UDFktGqZjpt1hk7L?si=fIqZwtTUQJmzB9SYwskeYA Support us: https://www.pat...

Mar 22, 2020•37 min

Bonus: Contrapunctus I: all screwed up... 11x

This is the first bonus episode. In it, you will hear the first contrapunctus from “The Art of Fugue” (which, by now, you can tell your friends is called, ‘Die Kunst der Fuge’ in German) in eleven different ways. Eleven is an important number in ‘Die Kunst der Fuge', and this first counterpoint- or fugue- or contrapunctus has eleven entrances. If you hear the entirety of this bonus episode, you will have mastered the first counterpoint and could recognize it even if you heard an ice-cream truck ...

Mar 15, 2020•36 min

The First Fugue in The Art of Fugue: What is a Harpsichord? Eleven entrances?

We discuss the first fugue from "The Art of Fugue" by J.S. Bach. We hear it played first on a harpsichord, then on a piano with 'voice-over analysis' then by a computer with the voices panned hard left/right. Topics covered: How does a harpsichord work?, Must one bring out, or even hear every entrance of the subject?, What about authenticity vs. modern approaches to Bach?, Was Evan really called Slim-E? Find a playlist of the music here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ha250UDFktGqZjpt1hk7L?s...

Mar 11, 2020•31 min

What is a fugue? Who was J.S. Bach? Introductory podcast

The introduction to baroque composer J.S. Bach. Also, what is a fugue? What is counterpoint? We answer these questions and prepare ourselves for a journey into Bach's great work, 'The Art of Fugue.' -- Find a playlist of the music in this podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1Ha250UDFktGqZjpt1hk7L?si=fIqZwtTUQJmzB9SYwskeYA Support us: https://www.patreon.com/wtfbach https://www.paypal.me/wtfbach https://venmo.com/wtfbach https://cash.app/$wtfbach Suggestions? Want Evan to analyze a sp...

Mar 01, 2020•23 min

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