On May 13, 3:39 pm, "Tom Hens" <tom.h...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
wrote:
> sagespath <sagesp...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote...
> > From earlier composers (Palestrina and Frescobaldi to Buxtehude) Bach
> > learned rigorous craftsmanly standards that were later codified into
> > the five species of counterpoint in 'Gradus ad Parnassum' of J.Fux, a
> > Viennese kapellmeister. This manual was assimilated later by Haydn,
> > Mozart and Beethoven and some later composers. I learned it from
> > Normand Lockwood (1906-2002) who studied with Respighi.
>
> Apparently, Bach himself didn't much care for it. C.P.E. Bach, who never
> had a composition teacher other than his father, wrote about his
practice
> in teaching composition:
>
> "In der Composition gieng er gleich an das N=FCtzliche mit seinen
Scholar=
en,
> mit hinweglassung aller der trockenen Arten von Contrapuncten, wie sie
in
> Fuxen u. anderen stehen." (Bach-Dokumente III/803)
>
> My translation:
>
> "In [teaching] composition, he immediately started his pupils on
> practical work, leaving out all the dry distinctions between types of
> counterpoint, as they can be found in Fux and other authors."
We might distinguish between Bach's genial first lessons to young
students and his passionate pursuit of conveying fugal and canonic
technique to future generations. Those who have never been through
the Gradus (I spent a year on it) or call it "dry as dust" cannot be
aware of the 'mission critical' nature of the Gradus to fugue writers.
Only so much can be gained from a study of the historical sources.
The rest must come from a knowledge of Bach's complete work and the
experience of learning to compose original work in that language.
Did Mizler annotate Fux? Wasn't it Bach who said: "Never send a
boy to do a man's job"
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