Sic Semper Tyrannis

Juxtaposition

This week I got the Wendy Carlos CD Switched On Bach 2000 from the library. She has been making electronic music since the 60s and was one of the original users of the Moog synthesizer and made a name for herself by “performing” famous works by Bach on the Moog. In those days, it was a time-consuming process, having to program the synth for each sound and then record each line separately onto a multi-track. This album was recorded about 30 years after her original experiments, utilizing newer MIDI technology, (Musical Instrument Device Interface), making the process a lot quicker.

At first I was a little disappointed that this wasn’t the original album with all those crazy Moog noises. It sounds more “new-agey” than the quirky stuff that was in my head. But two pieces redeemed this disc for me—the ubiquitous Toccata and Fugue in D minor and the last movement of the Brandenburg Concerto #3. I had an “a-ha” moment while listening to her treatment of the Brandenburg. The original orchestration was all strings and I think that choosing from a new palette of sounds is what really makes this process fun for Carlos. Anyway, one of the hallmarks of baroque music is a dearth of cadences—in other words the music written in the era of Bach avoids “resting,” it sounds like it’s just going to go on and on forever, unraveling like a huge paper scroll from a typewriter. And this movement from the Brandenburg is no exception.

At first, I thought that Carlos’ approach is a little unorthodox and anachronistic—taking this music from the 1700s that is close to sacred, (and in some instances is sacred, or at least it was used for the church), and souping it up with weird electronic textures. But then I realized that in the case of this particular continuously unfolding piece a mechanistic, 20th century treatment is a valid realization. Those unflagging 16th notes kind of sound like robots working to me.

So, even though J.S. Bach would have probably choked on his pudding had he ever seen a robot, I think Carlos’ version of his music is interesting and in a strange way, makes me reflect on Bach’s compositional aims.

Old message, new delivery.

posted by Mike @ 1:14 PM