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Sound of Nature
Have you ever stopped and listened intently to the sound of nature; wind howling, rain drops falling on the roof of the car, ocean waves on the beach, rushing water on a river, wind chime in the wind. Sometimes it is random, sometimes you can discern a sort of a pattern, and often can have a soothing, peaceful relaxing effect on you.
Lately as part of my piano lessons, I listen intently to Bach. There are volumes written about Bach’s music having a mathematical symmetry and pattern aspect to it as found in nature and I think when you listen to his piano pieces, you are listening to the beauty of raw nature at play, kind of similar to what you might find in the sound of nature like ocean waves crashing against the shore if you listen intently enough. But with Bach, there is a sense of human creativity harnessing the power of nature. So much feeling, beauty and longing is expressed.
It is also widely stated that no other classical composer has had as much influence on the 60s rock/pop music as Bach, from the Beatles to the Beach Boys to Simon and Garfunkle to the Kinks etc, and admirers of Bach from John Sebastian to George Martin, and I’m sure I’m just scratching the surface. That is why I find Bach so intriguing.
Here is one of my favourites from Bach. You can feel the steady build up until there is a release, like water building up behind a damn of debris until it finally releases, and many other examples that can found in nature.
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27 Replies
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Another beauty
These are little short pieces like many of the 60’s songs.
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Jung,
Very great to read this post. One of my bucket lists is to learn to play the piano. Would love to do that someday. For me, I have XM radio and have been listening to Christmas Music from great Artists like Nat King Cole, Tony Bennet , Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald etc…and I just sit back and close my eyes and enjoy the beauty of this classic music. But to answer your question Jung, I agree the sound of the wind , the rhythm of the rain on my roof of my home is great to me and just love music so much don’t know what I would do if I did not have music and the Mona Lisa Twins
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Hi Bill. Learning the piano and to be able to play something just adequately is on my bucket list too. I encourage you to fulfill your piano bucket list too!
Music can be so beautiful and powerful, and Mona and Lisa are the brightest shining stars in creating beautiful music today, and I wish and hope for them to fill that night sky void with their beautiful brilliance for the whole world to see! Go super Nova!
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Speaking of piano/nature combo, you have reminded me of the CD series that my buddy , the piano/keyboardist from Glass Tiger had out awhile back, ( I think it’s still available to get) that was just that, nature sounds intertwined with piano, quite relaxing, though the thunderstorm CD wasn’t my keen favorite as I’m not a thunderstorm fan…
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Hi Jacki, your mention of the thunderstorm CD reminded me of the time I went to Las Vegas for the first time and went into the Aladdin hotel. In the mall of the huge hotel shopping complex, it would go dim, and you could suddenly hear thunder and see flashes of lightening from the ceiling, just before a river of water would come crashing down along a water spillway in the middle of the mall. I remember it was 100 degrees outside, but the sound of thunder and lightening felt really good. I thought they should have added rain drops to the effect and it would have been perfect. 🙂
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These next two Bach piano pieces are so melodic. It’s hard to escape it’s pull.
As you can see all these are performed by Glenn Gould. That is because in the classical music circle Gould is considered to be the greatest Bach piano interpreter ever! Maybe even as good or better than Bach himself, who knows. When I first heard of Glenn Gould I was skeptical. I thought it’s a solo piano piece, and if played as written by Bach, it should sound quite the same. Over the years I would realize I was so wrong. I’ve heard other iconic pianists play Bach, and while they are good, Gould brings a touch and, I don’t how else to put it but a feel and bounce that other interpretations don’t have. He knows when to go light, when to play strong etc. His Bach comes alive compared to anyone else I’ve heard. Sound familiar?
When it comes to interpretation of rock music, man Mona and Lisa are the Glenn Gould of the Beatles and the legendary sounds of the 60s bar none! They make it all their own, that for me I don’t want to listen to the original interpretation after MLT, their version becomes my gold standard.  “Wait, wait a minute Mr Postman!!….”. “We’re walking in the air…..”
Gould gets so into the music and his playing, sometimes you can hear his humming.
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Jacki, here is a a nice one with nature sounds (birds) blended in with flute. Zamfir’s beautiful Greensleeves which I like.
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Very calming and a Celtic vibe to 8t, I love this Jung, Thankyou for the link, and the bird chirps and flute compliment each other beautifully….
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Let’s not forget our favorite ladies singing “I don’t know birds that well” with the bird songs in it. Also Sir Pauls “Blackbird”
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In these Bach piano pieces composed for piano practice lessons in Bach’s foundational “Well Tempered Clavier” Book 1, (nearly 100 years before Beethoven) there is such tender and elegant emotions evoked from every note of the piano. And to think Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven likely studied these pieces for the keyboard as children, and influenced their own compositions years later is quite fascinating. The influence echoes for generations through great musical minds Schubert > Chopin > Liszt (Lisztomania) > Beatles (Beatlemania) > MonaLisa Twins (MonaLisamania)
Have a listen to the foundation and ancestor of modern and rock music:
Bach gave the title Das Wohltemperirte Clavier to a book of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys, dated 1722, composed “for the profit and use of musical youth desirous of learning, and especially for the pastime of those already skilled in this study”. Some 20 years later Bach compiled a second book of the same kind, which became known as The Well-Tempered Clavier, Part Two. Â
Modern editions usually refer to both parts as The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I (WTC I) and The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book II (WTC II), respectively.[1] The collection is generally regarded as being among the most important works in the history of classical music.[2]
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Good point Michael, I love these 2 MLT videos.
Blackbird has a Bach influence per Paul McCartney. Love the MLT heartwarming intro to the video, always puts a smile on my face. Guitar playing and the singing are so soothing.
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