The Significance of Bach

Of course, it is not my intention to deny the right to play Bach to musicians who have specialized in old instruments-particularty those in the realm of chamber music. I know that they consider what I have described as the "uneven" characteristics of their instruments to be especially delightful, and that they make use of them in their manner of playing. But I believe that the objecttve must be an interpretation based on the structure of the music and not on the way in which an instrument is constructed. Modern instruments as well are capable of being played softly, intimately, and with differentiation. And last, in the final analysis, it is the technical mastery and personality of the artist that are decisive, whether on old or new instruments.

The second way by which the interpreting musician can influence the sound of the music as it is written on the page is via dynamics. In his music, Bach used the full spectrum of dynamics from pianissimo to fortissimo. But what he obtained in the Leipzig churches, and what his listeners there heard, was either soft or loud. Our dynamic palette, however, is completely different. Not only are we familiar with Wagner and Stravinsky, but we are constantly surrounded by background noise that ranges from the engines of our cars to sonic booms. If we want to experience Bach's expressive desires in our time, then his forte must be loud to us and his piano soft to us. This seems to me once again to speak against the use of "old" performance forces, particularly when the performances take place in large halls with "dry" accoustics. There, the dissonant "Barrabas" chord in the St. Matthew Passion must possess the piercing sharpness that Bach intended. This becomes possible only with a forte that is extreme to our ears. Thus, in order for us to truly experience the expression Bach had in mind, a scale of dynamics is needed that corresponds to our contemporary capabilities and to what our ears are accustomed to hearing. I have already discussed the fact that one must not approach this question of dynamics from the standpoint of what one feets or likes, but rather from the point of view of the style and the structure of the individual work.

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