- by Arthur David Sulit
Music Timeline Author and Artist
Revised August 2005
To many people, Bach's organ Preludes, Passacaglia, Toccatas and Fugues are a glimpse into Heaven itself. There can be no doubt that his music has drawn billions of people (of all faiths or no faiths) into churches and cathedrals worldwide over the centuries. How else can we explain that the young Bach was himself drawn to walk his famous 200 miles to Rome, to hear the organ music of his beloved predecessor, Dietrich Buxtehude? Surely, Bach had a calling, with his internal antennae increasingly receptive; and he responded with great music in return.
Despite all the human history of witchhunts, crusades, jihads, holocausts and pogroms, people of all walks are still mysteriously drawn to Bach's music,as if it were written by God himself. This universal quality seems to have embedded itself into the genetics of much modern music today, from jazz to rock and film soundtrack music. We are profoundly indebted to Bach for his refinement of melodic polyphony, with ostinato bass lines and rich harmonies inseparable or implied from the melodies.
Bach seems to have had a special link on a higher plane of existence with his Creator, which few composers achieved before or since. I know first-hand that great music can come in a dream, when you wake up, as if deposited there by some mysterious force or intelligence. (ref. Carl Jung).
An extremely prolific composer, he was also a highly procreative one, having fathered twenty children by two wives (the first wife died early). Bach clearly had an intense desire to make a difference for humanity, through his faith expressed in music, and fidelity expressed to his wife and family, and community. Although certainly he suffered abuse at the hands of some of his royal employers, ostracized, fired, and even jailed for disobedience, he remained true to his art. Perhaps he felt also that his music are his children, so there was, as we might say, "a whole lot of lovin' goin' on".
Bach's musical motifs were intertwined ingeniously like that of a master basket-weaver. He also knew the science of acoustics, able to judge a room's sonic response upon walking in, examining the dimensions, the materials, the acoustic cavities hewn in the rock. His musical Inventions are very mathematical, and his tunings very perceptive. His book, ' The Well-Tempered Clavier' explored the human perception of alternate tunings, the tempered scales, where certain notes, particularly the third and the fifth, were slightly de-tuned to achieve more even tone in certain keys.
Many scientists since then have based their sound experements on the publications of Bach. Indeed, we owe much of our understanding of technology, radio frequencies, cell phones, musical structure, as well as musical technology (soundwaves, tone generators, etc.) to the early experements of Bach.
Albert Einsten, the great physicist and a violinist himself, attributed his discovery of general relativity, to his immersement in physically playing Bach on his violin. St. Augustine once said that great music leads the mind to higher things, as apparently was the case with Einstein. So perhaps Economists, with their credit given thus far only to scientists and inventors and themselves, should take note, and include Bach and other composers among the great contributors to our technology, our education, our productivity, and therefore our Economy.
Bach's pipe organ works are probably the best ever written. As a sensitive, perceptive musician, he saw so many people asleep, slaves to greed and avarice, diabolos (tearing apart), vanity and sloth, simpletons swearing mindlessly left and right, not on their guard aginst the Devil. His music has long been regarded as "extroverted", with meaning in plain sight. Unlike an artist such as, say, George Lucas, the introverted filmmaker who's power lies in the obscured and the under-stated, Bach came right out and said it.
And so he spoke, creating a tremendous body of work designed to inspire a "closeness" to God , to awaken people from their sleep (Sleepers Awake - "Wachet Auf"). That was his ultimate charity to us, showing us a glimpse of the heavenly Kingdom through his majestic organ works (hear 'Tocatta, Adagio and Fugue in C major'), and praying for us wretched souls by offering up his chorale music (hear ' When Adam Fell, the Human Race'). His own bodily sacrifice was his breathtaking labor of music on our behalf, for God. And so he walked the example of Christ, offering up his own body, sacrificing many comforts and securities, so that mankind can get a glimpse of the Heaven that he saw.
Even for pop songrwriters today, I do believe that the best among them have been ardent students of Bach at one point or another. Notice, for insance, how richly-textured much of Billy Joel's work is, or how largely orchestrated is Christina Aguilera's arrangement of 'Reflections' (from the movie 'Mulan'). Even in hip-hop circles, there seems to be a rise in classical-inspired polyphony, and this music by and large, sounds better to my ears harmonically than the early hip hop coming out in the 80's. The hit song, 'Beth' by the 70's super-group Kiss, is a timeless masterpiece, and has a beautifully orchestrated contrapuntal cello solo in the middle, which seems to tip its hat to Bach.
From my viewpoint, it is relatively easy to detect the songwriter who lacks tutelage under Bach--for their works seem bland by comparison. Whereas the students of Bach (Chopin and Mozart included) tend to possess the "mysterious" marriage or richness of melody and harmony which makes a work truly beautiful and timeless.
If anything is to be gleaned from this bio, then perhaps here are some words of advice to the persons seeking to understand Bach's music. Firstly, all aspiring songwriters should take the time to learn to actually play some of Bach's works. I'd start with the "easy" Anna-Magdalena Bach songbook, which is a collection of tiny works such as Menuets written for Bach's little children, compiled by his second wife Anna. One can adopt these easily to guitar, woodwinds, brass just as easily as for piano, harpsichord or organ. That was one of the first books my organ teacher, Margerie Seils, gave me, at the age of eight; and I am forever grateful. I will post my own performances on this site for you to preview. Only by playing, can you really get inside the notes, and hear the inner parts. Playing develops your inner ear, which is vital for songwriting. Those are your "golden antennae" which will heighten your hearing and intellectual perceptions across other disciplines as well.
Secondly, try to "get inside" of Bach's primary source material, the Bible. Bach claimed, as I do, that God was a primary source of inspiration, and that is an inexhaustable range--full of Light and Dark topics, not everything "pious". But one cannot be "attuned" to this type of inspiration unless they believe in something. You have to believe in someone, be it your President, your mother, your father, a friend, and be willing to sacrifice a large chunk of your life or livelihood towards that person. Even if you do not believe in a God, at least most people have friends they can turn to. Use that as source material, and keep on pushing your limits of understanding by challenging others as you do yourself.
In Bach's, Mozart's and Chopin's music, I hear a distinct submssion of their own ego to God's. Therefore, their work is mostly devotional art. As Pope John Paul II puts it, the artist's work, even when it reflects the darkest human conditions, is "a valid form of apostolate". The closest parallel in the atheist world is that of "letting your subconscious" do all the work for you. But even that takes a leap of faith, that the subconscious works inexplicably, as if by magic. It is not very scientific. It cannot be proven or shown how the exact mechanism works. It just happens...and all the more awesome that it does.
Thirdly, love your fellow man with all your might, and pray for thine enemies. You don't have to like them, and can even love them while doing combat with them. Nothing like a good fist in the mouth as a sign of brotherly love, aye mate? Life is a pot of suffering, and the wise one gets up and learns from it, or tries to make a difference. Pray, or meditate daily, 15 minutes to an hour each morning. This is how you "become attuned" to yourself and your surroundings, and elevate yourself closer to your true potential. Have Bach music playing softly in the background. Things will come to you that you never thought possible.
Fourthly, share your newfound knowledge of Bach, as I am sharing with you now. Instead of buying perishable toys or clothing as gifts for loved ones (which will only get thrown away), why not buy them something of more permanent life-value, such as Bach-oriented CD's. This will help support today's Bach-aware artists, so that they in turn, can bring this best music of Christ to more people. What you are reading here, and across the whole Music Timeline, is part of my Musical Missionary Catalog--bringing classical music education to the masses with music videos and exciting animations. Literally and figuratively, it is spiritual food for the soul, and has profound healing powers.
Such knowledge, when shared in greater numbers, has inherent power to transform our world for the better, for his music is like God's Word sent from heaven, overflowing with love for one another, and esteem & respect for one's self.
I hope with these words, I have summarized the musical essence of Bach.