A few weeks ago, before the Corona Virus had an official name or threatened New York City, I started composing Preludes and Fugues. I have several large projects holding their fire for a little while, and wanted to keep working. I decided to respond to the Well Tempered music of Bach I play almost daily on the piano. I have many times started and abandoned little fugues purely as mental calisthenics, but this time, I decided actually to compose; and as Bach did, to write in different tonalities and styles across many small pieces. It’s absolutely exhilarating, not only because each one is done fairly quickly, but also because my attention is drawn to the tiniest details. Three pairs in, under virtual lockdown, I feel that I’ve hit on the perfect occupation while most everything else in life is on hold; an occupation also well suited for this season of reflection and self-examination known as Lent.

On March 21, 2020   /   News