100: Derek Remeš

Nikhil Hogan Show

My guest today is Music Theorist, Organist and Composer, Derek Remeš. He is known for his research into the pedagogy behind Johann Sebastian’s Bach method of composition and improvisation. He also is the admin for Facebook group that he started,”Composition and Improvisation in J.S. Bach’s Germany”.

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0:36 What is your musical background? 2:37 Has anyone in Bach research looked at his craft of improvisation? 4:47 Do all organists have to improvise? 5:47 Did you have a background in improvisation before learning the organ? 6:45 The terminology of thoroughbass 7:49 Would Bach have used the term thoroughbass? 7:58 What do we know of Bach the teacher? Did he have many students and how long did he teach in his career? 10:09 How does thoroughbass relate to Counterpoint and did they talk about Counterpoint much? 15:18 CPE Bach mentioning that JS Bach avoided the “dry” exercises of species counterpoint 16:43 LM 4665, the anonymous manuscript that contained thoroughbass fugues 19:04 How did Bach begin teaching new students? 19:53 Did Bach expect strict counterpoint in thoroughbass? 21:06 How about parallel movement in the middle voices? 22:40 Did he stay with 4 voices or did he eventually shrink down to 3 or 2 voices? 25:17 Was there any instruction in how to write melodies? Like how the Italians practiced Solfeggio. 26:49 The Italian partimenti eventually had no figures, was that the same for Bach? 28:27 Did Heinichen, Niedt and Bach share the same conception of thoroughbass? 31:51 Heinichen updated treatise, after his trip to Italy and the connection to Bach 33:07 What are the differences between Heinichen’s first treatise and his later updated version? 39:35 Is Heinichen an innovator? 42:03 After thoroughbass, the student moves on to chorales 43:40 The same melody in chorales but multiple, different basses with figures 45:37 Did they use solfeggio syllables like Do, Re Mi, Fa Sol, La? 49:01 Modes vs Major/Minor 49:35 What temperament are we supposed to play Bach’s music in? 50:44 Going from chorales to fugues, when does the study of imitation happen? 53:56 Does being good at thoroughbass prepare you well for fugues? 54:51 Do you find that the study of thoroughbass has helped you in understanding tonal music of other eras? 56:09 What’s the best way in your opinion, to learn counterpoint? 57:46 How would you reform music education? 1:02:22 On the modern use of “tonal” as a flippant, pejorative 1:03:43 Wrapping Up