More Thoughts About Bach

Today I would like to share some of my thoughts on changing dynamics in the repeated sections of the second movement, Allemande, of this great work.

In my lesson with Mr. Cosmo last week he mentioned that varying the dynamics on the repetitions can be highly effective. Thus in the Allemande we can think of the music as divided into two large sections—the first half and the second half—each with its own repeat.

Mr. Cosmo suggested playing the first half the first time (before the repeat) with a stronger dynamic, and on the second time through the first half (after the repeat) with a softer one. For the second half, he recommended the opposite approach: playing the first time through more softly, and the second time through (after the repeat) gradually growing louder.

In the video, I am playing only the first half, but I follow this approach.

We also discussed something quite interesting: most performers play the repeated sections at exactly the same tempo, but he wondered whether slightly easing the tempo when moving into a softer dynamic might create a more expressive effect. There is, of course, no definitive answer and no way to know Bach’s exact intention, but I found the idea appealing and experimented with it after the repeat.

One important principle is to avoid being predictable.

You can choose louder–softer, softer–louder, a sequence such as louder–softer–louder–softer, or even maintain a consistently strong dynamic if you want to create a dramatic atmosphere. What truly matters is that the choices serve a musical purpose. I try to study the score carefully to understand the composer’s intent and then ask myself what my heart wants to express: Do I want to create contrast? Build toward a climax? What emotion am I aiming for? What color do I need? By considering not only what to change but why, I believe my playing can grow into a more meaningful form of art.

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