Bach is ANYTHING but mechanical. In fact his music is so emotional sometimes it makes Chopin’s look like a broken aleatoric machine. Let me take you on a journey.
…starting with not the piano. Bach didn’t write for the piano, and he was introduced to an early version of the fortepiano and didn’t like it. Not surprisingly, most of his music is written for some sort of church setting, and it is here that you’ll find what Bach has to say.
- Organ Chorale Prelude on “O Mensch…” – I don’t often try to copy Youtube comments, but the top one there captures my feeling exactly. This piece reduces me, humbles me so much, each and every time.
- Keyboard Partita No. 1 – IV. Sarabande – very much like the Goldberg aria, in just a few measures, without Romantic excess, Bach is able to reach into your heart. Note how sparse the texture is. There is no need for artificial alberti bass or blurry, pedaled arpeggios that later composers are addicted to. Also see the liberties the performer takes with the printed score, which are completely in line with Baroque music philosophy. Many people believe Baroque to be some kind of restrictive, daresay mechanical period, but in fact it’s one of the most free and liberating music to play.
- Violin Partita No. 2 – V. Chaconne – this is required listening. Perlman is generally considered the master of this incredible piece, that requires so much energy to both perform and listen to. In 15 minutes, on a single staff, for a single instrument, Bach writes down on paper the whole range of human emotion (quoted from someone). (the preceding movement is also great VI. Gigue)
Okay, enough with the sappy stuff. I don’t need to sell that anymore because I’m sure you’re already on the floor weeping at the beauty. Let’s take an excursion into the different moods of Bach:
- Harpsichord Concerto No. 1, BWV 1052 – I. Allegro – if Bach wrote music to be blasted at the gym in the weight room, this would be it. It. is. so. Hard. Rihanna just don’t even know.
- Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 – I. Allegro – fast-paced and cheerful, but anything but aloof, is a lot of Bach music to me. Listen to this movement all the way through, and as a pianist you might enjoy what the harpsichord ends up doing about halfway through. It might surprise you…
Yeah. Let me remind you that these last two things are all harpsichord. I don’t know about you but that particular instrument never ranked super high on my “super hip and sexy instrument” list, but after learning some Bach, it’s up there.
And finally, my all-time favorite piece of Bach:
- “Great” Fugue in g minor, BWV 542 – this piece did me in. After hearing this, I knew I was a Bach convert for life. Since you’re familiar with fugues, you’ll know how to listen. But.. did you catch the subject at 3:13??? OMGWTFFFFFF HOW????!!
Ahem. Excuse me, that’s just my normal reaction whenever I hear anyone’s interested in taking the dive into Bach. Now to your actual question: Bach wrote so so so much keyboard music it’s impossible to “begin” really. Get a recording of the entire Well-Tempered Clavier (both books) from the library or something and just have it on play the rest of the day. Some you will just gloss over. But others will capture you and amaze you. Some of my personal favorites are:
If I go on anymore I might as well just list the whole WTK. 🙂
One thing that might speak to your feeling that Bach is mechanical – at all times avoid rubato, in the sense that “time is elastic”. You can and should emphasize cadences with a very brief ritard or pause even, but Bach played with rubato proper is a very poor interpretation.
Good luck!