Dear Folks and John Blyth,
Thank you John for such a rich reply. I don't need to defend myself
because your shouting sits well with my opinion. As you say Bach's music
remains superlative and you point out yourself that the voice is not
submerged
but right out there for all to hear. This only validates what I wrote: He
is not
particularly concerned about the singer and his vulnerability, but expects
musicianship that matches his. Great if you can do it but no rest
for the wicked if you fail. You are to be commended.
In the same vein, Haydn's string quartets become
equally transparent when played on old instruments with the same
vibrato-less style as you so well describe.
If I recall correctly, Haydn, not Bach, was Mozart's favourite composer.
And who was the greatest composer who ever lived??? Mozart or Bach?
Silly contest eh? Wasn't Mozart a rebellion against musical rigidity yet
Bach's music reveals fresh layers of brilliance to any listener who cares
to make the effort.
Not to lose track of the subject, we were talking tonal
substitution of counter-tenor relative to castrati. I have this feeling
that castrati performance was a Flemish/English/Italian taste and not
applicable to Bach's society, which, whether he liked it or not demanded
outward rejection of music related to Catholic origins. Though it seems
not to have restricted his appreciation of Vivaldi.
Baroque to my mind includes the whole European scene
but Bach appears to have had female voices at his disposal while the
others were restricted. Assuming he knew of, and had heard castrati:
did he reject them on the grounds of religious aesthetics or because
he felt that the female voice provided a more pleasing and acceptable
combination? Referring back to your harpsichord and gut violin
sonatas of Bach: if we ignore the restrictions of inter-changing
violin with counter-tenor, and substitute the voice into these sonatas,
which would more likely match Bach's tonal choice, a counter-tenor
or a female alto? The female I would think!
So if we could commission Bach to write for counter-
tenor, what may his instrumental combination have been?
My son is a great harpsichord fan. He just completed his
high school work experience in Carey Beebe's harpsichord factory.
Very excited. It may be interesting to hear something with his violinist
friend attempting this combination, and as you say, listening to this
form of presentation opens the ears to aspects neglected by many
present day listeners. But this also supports the view I was
suggesting in relation to castrato. The stuff of myth made more
mysterious by its unavailability.
I see nothing to maintain the contention that present
day counter-tenors would be as tonally suitable to the composer as
substitutes, where-as reconstructions of these known combinations of
instruments most likely would.
There is simply more known about the stringed instruments.
By the way John, JSBach was a bass-baritone so that may be a clue
as to who he had in mind while writing that work!
Regards Reg.
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