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Piano et forte has nothing to do with sustain, it's to do with attack.

I don't agree. I think the phrasing is much more subtle and that in this case there is no example of a characteristic shared ending/beginning of phrase. The phrase structure is 4x7x8x4(*)x12 - at least that's what the harmonies say. The 12-bar phrase at the end is one huge perfect cadence with a subdom decoration of the last tonic.

(*this would be 5 with the additional bar)


John

Maybe, more likely it's phrase structures within phrase structures.

So which version of the French suites should one play? There are two, both of which are Bach's.

As for duty to great minds, who's to say that's what they would've wanted? Why do people assume that the great composers would want us to do exactly what's in the score?

As I've mentioned in other threads, many composers did not agree with their own scores and often made revisions. Chopin, Scriabin, Liszt, Schumann, Rachmaninoff, etc...

I also find it odd that most people think nothing of changing dynamics, tempo, rubato, and phrasing, but when it comes to the notes, everybody freaks out. Since when are the notes more sacred than anything else?

it's all because notes in the music are more represented as the authenticity of an original composition. any note change would mean that one is changing a composer's composition. of course, it's more serious than changing dynamics/tempo/phrasing etc.

if i were Bach, i'd hate it if someone would add to or delete some notes from my composition, unless you name it as your own arrangement.

Maybe it's because the notes are specific and definite, whereas dynamics are more indefinite or ambiguous? There's a certain amount of latitude in determining where the cutoff between p and pp is... and unless there's a metronome marking given, an indicated tempo marking refers to a fairly wide range. Similarly, just saying to play something with rubato doesn't tell you EXACTLY which notes to hold a tad longer. But if a note on a score is a middle C, there's nothing ambiguous about it.

Kreisler, since when? A piece of music IS its dynamics, tempo and phrasing. If most people think nothing of changing these then most people think nothing about music.

btb, well my clavichord arrived less than an hour ago. I've un-crated, tuned a couple of notes and here we are: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2iq18nDEkg
I've never played the clavichord before so my touch isn't quite there.

Most interesting is the reverse of what btb says of sustain. You are in total charge of it. The sustain only happens as long as you are putting pressure on the keys. It's a beautiful feeling.

Next I shall learn to tune it (sorry about that).

We mustn’t disturb klutz when he is tuning his new clavichord ... we don’t know as yet whether it is fretted or unfretted clavichord ... if its fretted (which means that the notes share strings) he will then be limited to C or C#, D, Eb or E, F or F#, G or G#, A and Bb or B ...
which means that the two linked notes can’t be played together ... not that this eventuality would occur in the playing of Bach WTC Prelude 1
where the maestro kicks off with a single-note profile that works through all 12 basic keyboard notes separately ... maybe klutz has sought a broader canvas and acquired an unfretted clavichord which has a separate string/s for each of the 12 basic notes.

But when klutz has finished his tuning ... which from all accounts is a frequent labour of love whether by ear or with an electronic device ...
we can be sure to hear more of the delicate touch necessary to make this glorious anachronism speak ... congratulations on the purchase.

unfretted

Keyboardklutz, I really enjoyed that video. Thanks for sharing that.

Whilst I was there I noticed this related video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UsPaiGUCss

Now that is wierd.

That was very entertaining. Each to his own.

I can't wait to see the fugue played on 3 electric guitars.