
Gods, Gurus, and the Search for the Holy Grail: Bach Recordings from 2018 - pseudolus
https://hudsonreview.com/2019/02/gods-gurus-and-the-search-for-the-holy-grail-bach-recordings-from-2018/
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maroonblazer
I have nothing concrete to base this on but I've always found it a source of
inspiration that perhaps what contributed most to Bach's genius is the fact
that his compositions were literally his work. I.e. he was paid to write and
perform music.

Literature on creativity stress that it's less about possessing some kind of
'gift' but rather the importance of simply showing up, whether you're feeling
inspired or not, and pushing through the resistance to just create something.
Anything.

I like to think that Bach's music is evidence of this.

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dbcurtis
I agree. Knocking out a mass a week at least ups your production and keeps
your creativity in good form.

Another case that I marvel at is Carl Stalling. During the heyday of the
Warner cartoon unit he did most of the scores. Yes, yes, not the same as Bach
-- Stalling cribbed a lot of well-know music and had access to the Warner
music catalog. But the production rate! Imagine: The Warner cartoon studio had
4 units. Each unit did one feature per month, so that they could deliver one
new animated short feature every week. Show up Monday with blank paper. Record
with the orchestra at a Warner sound stage on Friday. Repeat every week. Wow.

~~~
pseudolus
In a similar vein writers such as Dickens, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Dumas
were heavily serialized and required to produce content at a rate that few of
our contemporary writers could match [0].

[0]
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_(literature)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serial_\(literature\))

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mynameishere
My problem with Bach is that the best advice to a musician seems to be: Just
play the notes.

Most other composers can benefit from creative interpretation.

~~~
holri
Do you know "Play Bach" from Jacques Loussier Trio?

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jacquesm
I don't know if he does but I do and it is a favorite for many years, so long
that I had the original on vinyl.

