Whether Handel meant this or no, the
interpretation put upon the passage fits the feeling of the air.
John Sebastian Bach
It is imputed to him for righteousness that he goes over the heads of
the general public and appeals mainly to musicians. But the greatest
men do not go over the heads of the masses, they take them rather by
the hand. The true musician would not snub so much as a musical
critic. His instinct is towards the man in the street rather than
the Academy. Perhaps I say this as being myself a man in the street
musically. I do not know, but I know that Bach does not appeal to me
and that I do appeal from Bach to the man in the street and not to
the Academy, because I believe the first of these to be the sounder.
Still, I own Bach does appeal to me sometimes. In my own poor music
I have taken passages from him before now, and have my eye on others
which I have no doubt will suit me somewhere. Whether Bach would
know them again when I have worked my will on them, and much more
whether he would own them, I neither know nor care. I take or leave
as I choose, and alter or leave untouched as I choose. I prefer my
music to be an outgrowth from a germ whose source I know, rather than
a waif and stray which I fancy to be my own child when it was all the
time begotten of a barrel organ. It is a wise tune that knows its
own father and I like my music to be the legitimate offspring of
respectable parents.
Pages:
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179