At a wedding last weekend, my son was playing the piano for the guests. The piano had seen better days, and the C sharp wasn't working. As one piece (Chopin) was in C sharp minor, this did cause a few problems. It did make us wonder that maybe Chopin's piano wasn't up to much, and had a dodgy C, leading him to compose a lot in C sharp minor. It conjures up images of a bewigged Chopin thumping the broken note and going 'Doh!', tearing up his draft Fantaisie Imprompu in C major, throwing the bits over his shoulder, and starting again.
Was Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor a result of a local church organ needing a repair on the D pipe? Had he been bugging the verger to get it repaired for months and then become bored waiting and tried D minor instead?
What would Bach do when he got bored?
Ask Mrs Bach if she needs help putting the rubbish out? (What would he be humming when he did this?)
Did she ever shout, 'Stop that infernal racket Johann and get yourself in here for your tea'?
Did Mrs Bach sit at her neighbour's kitchen table complaining that she didn't know what to do with him as he spent too much time at his harpsichord?
Did his children need nagging to get their violins out and start practising scales?
Maybe it wasn't all perfect harmony in those geniuses' households.
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1 comment:
My musical theory is a bit rusty, but surely a piece in D minor uses the D note as much as a piece in D major?
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