Bach s Music Embodies a Transcendent Expressive Quality
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For over two centuries now, some critics have said Bach's music lacks emotion. I believe these critics have not understood his use of complex counterpoint (the use of multiple simultaneous melodies), or the intellectual and logical elements of his music, hence deeming it "unemotional". According to Bach's son Carl Phillip Emmanuel, Bach's most important rule which he taught all his students was first technical mastery, and second expression and emotion. This expresses the core of Bach's beliefs that music should be intellectually stimulating and emotionally expressive. While Bach was a music student he was influenced by German, Italian, and French styles, known for their emotional qualities, from which he took the best to create his own unique style.
Are emotions simple? Of course not. Emotions are often thought of as simple mental reactions, but in reality they are a mixture of feelings, memories, and often physiological experiences. Emotions are complex experiences. Through counterpoint and the rich texture of his music, Bach's music embodies this complexity thus making it a fuller realization of emotion...