Activity

Someone posted a nice performance of the Passacaglia and Fugue in C minor a few days ago. I know I’ve posted this before, but this is my favorite performance online right now, by Markus Wargh. It’s right up there in my opinion with that of E. Power Biggs many decades ago: just the right registrations, and paying attention to the score and getting the drama of the piece. This piece – like most organ music of Bach and Buxtehude, is positively LOADED with Affektenlehre, and that “cold calculation” that Mattheson said was characteristic of the Baroque masters. For a VERY deep dive into just how densely packed this piece is (including significant numerological codes), see this study by David Rumsey: http://www.davidrumsey.ch/Passacaglia.pdf LISTEN (and/or watch) first, then read, then go back and listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HeensSPJUiA