h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

(I've noticed that I've used that subject line in an earlier journal. well, this is Germany, and Bach keeps on coming back again....) I'm immersing myself in the Matthew Passion this evening. Not because I'm singing it any time, but my son is. His choir put it on at Easter as a choral concert, but in June, they are doing it in a dramatised version. Which means they are having to learn the whole thing off by heart! Mind you, listening to it this evening, I find I can sing along quite happily although it may be 30 years since I actually sang it. Anyway, our son gave us tickets for this theatrical version of the Passion as Christmas presents, so we shall be going to Bonn to see it. Here are pictures and a review of the concert version, in German: http://www.kreuzkirche-bonn.de/musik/choere-orchester/vox-bona/ I think my son is the middle one in the back row in the second picture in the top row, you can just see his jaw! The pictures aren't from the concert, however, because, according to the review, they already sang the concert without scores. As from Friday I am joining in with a project where we shall be singing Vivaldi's Gloria (which we did in 2004: https://www.h2g2.com/dna/h2g2/classic/F56786?thread=451207&skip=0&show=20 ). The other work, because the Gloria isn't very long, is Schubert's mass in G. Have sung parts of this before as part of a church service. Rather staid, I think, but we shall see.

I joined choir where I live now. It took some getting used to: no warming up, no cues, no -- just the text.

We're singing evergreens and Schlager music.

Das ist gut.

Forgive my German, or lack of same.

Shortly after World War II, it was thought that descendants of Bach's penultimate son were still alive in East Germany. No additional mention of that has been made anywhere, as far as I know. The only probable Bach descendants are those Americans who trace their descent from a daughter of Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (Johann Sebastian's oldest son). Actor Kyle MacLachlan claims to be a Bach descendant. Turns out his great-grandmother was Henrietta Bach, a descendant of Johann Christoph Bach. There are numerous Johann Christoph Bachs, one of whom was the brother of J S Bach, so who knows?

Anyway, I love "Saint Matthew Passion. More power to your son <ok.

I've been listening to a fair bit of Bach (JS) recently. No real change there because I think that it is the most perfect music ever written.

But I was recently in Frankfurt and we stumbled upon a 2nd hand record shop and bought a load of bargain bin records. One was the Coffee Cantata which I didn't yet have a recording of, and another was a collection of different Bach pieces rendered by electronic instruments. Very 70s. Very interesting.

The Coffee Cantata shows a distinct sense of humor, albeit a wry one.

Another humorous Bach cantata is the peasant cantata.

..."a collection of different Bach pieces rendered by electronic instruments"--was that the iconic 1968 record "Switched-on Bach" played on a Moog synthesizer by Wendy Carlos? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Switched-On_Bach

I've probably heard that album. I was at that tender age when I still wanted to try whatever was new or different.

I remember enjoying "Swingle Singers a go-go."

In 1984, Bob James released an electronic album of Rameau music. I loved it.

it is indeed called Switched-on-Bach - Electronic realizations and performances by Walter Carlos with the assistance of Benjamin Folkman.

Blimey - there is more than one of them!!!

so I finally clicked your link - yes, same person. The cover of mine is slightly different, the room & furniture seem the same but he's standing up.