Bach’s Invention: The Divine Trickery of J.S. Bach

Gresham College

October 23

Behind the sublime precision and expressive power of Bach’s music lies a mischievous spirit. From puzzle canons (where the performer must solve a riddle to reach the score), melodies that run upside-down and backwards against themselves, hidden symbols, endless loops, to the embedding of numbers and names into the music, this lecture explores Bach’s ingenious trickery. Unravelling this thread enhances an appreciation – and sense of humanity and playfulness – to his transcendent music.

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