[Music] I need some good harpsichord music.

[Kalyyn]

I realize it's a very odd and random craving, but I'm looking for some good harpsichord music. Something really fast and epic. Anything come to mind?

[Deleted]

Not sure if fast enough but yeah.

Daym, that's some good shit right there.

[Lefeng]

Any of the Bach prelude-and-fugues will do ya.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYw7UgO2usI

[Kalyyn]

Yes. All of it is excellent!

[Deleted]

This is fast, but not sure if it's epic enough:

[Kalyyn]

This is fast, but not sure if it's epic enough:

The only thing that kind of puts me off about this piece is that thing that a lot of classical composers like to do where they take these awkward pauses during their music as if they're thinking about what to play next.

My take on it is that once you build up a good momentum in your music, you shouldn't dissipate that momentum until the song ends.

[Lefeng]

The only thing that kind of puts me off about this piece is that thing that a lot of classical composers like to do where they take these awkward pauses during their music as if they're thinking about what to play next.

My take on it is that once you build up a good momentum in your music, you shouldn't dissipate that momentum until the song ends.

That's not printed in the music, it's the performer taking artistic license.

[Deleted]

The only thing that kind of puts me off about this piece is that thing that a lot of classical composers like to do where they take these awkward pauses during their music as if they're thinking about what to play next.

My take on it is that once you build up a good momentum in your music, you shouldn't dissipate that momentum until the song ends.

Sadly, there's truth to this. I have a collection of L/F Couperin harpischord pieces which feature those same "pauses" frequently. Most of the short interlude pieces have a much faster tempo though. I'll see if I can find anything with a bit more momentum in my collection.

[Kalyyn]

That's not printed in the music, it's the performer taking artistic license.

Why would they do that?

[Lefeng]

Why would they do that?

The same reason so many "artists" butcher the national anthem, the same reason rap "music" exists (don't get me started), and the same reason Solti's interpretations of Haydn symphonies are superior to Bernstein's. It's a form of expression and is completely subjective.

[Kalyyn]

The same reason so many "artists" butcher the national anthem, the same reason rap "music" exists (don't get me started), and the same reason Solti's interpretations of Haydn symphonies are superior to Bernstein's. It's a form of expression and is completely subjective.

It gets frustrating for me because literally like 9 of every 10 recordings of classical compositions has the performer doing that crap. I'm just like "PLAY THE GODDAM MUSIC THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN!" and they're like "no! I have to take arbitrary pauses for reasons that aren't entirely clear!"

[Lefeng]

Artistic interpretation is rarely arbitrary. Those pauses or stretches in the tempo are the universally accepted "correct" way to perform that particular passage, based on how it has been performed historically since the composer's time. Especially with Baroque music such as this, printed music forms a framework to which commonly accepted musical choices are made. Certain choices are up to the performer, but a good performer still interprets the music according to those commonly accepted standards.