The organist seated at the king of instruments with thousands of pipes rising all around him, his hands busy at the manuals and his feet patrolling the pedalboard, is a symbol of musical self-sufficiency yielding musical possibilities beyond that of any other mode of solo performance. In this book, David Yearsley presents a new interpretation of the significance of the oldest and richest of European instruments, by investigating the German origins of the uniquely independent use of the feet in organ playing. Delving into a range of musical, literary and visual sources, Bach's Feet demonstrates the cultural importance of this physically demanding mode of music-making, from the blind German organists of the fifteenth century, through the central contribution of Bach's music and legacy, to the newly-pedaling organists of the British Empire and the sinister visions of Nazi propagandists.
• Investigates the symbolic power of the organ and organ performance in creating a sense of German national identity, presenting new readings of organ works by Bach and others • Provides a fresh perspective on the importance of the organ for J. S. Bach's legacy, re-imagining Bach as a performing musician making music at the organ • Places the organ - the oldest and richest of European instruments - back at the centre of musical discourse, giving a clear sense of the complexity, excitements, difficulty and majesty of organ performance
Contents
Introduction; 1. Inventing the organist's feet; 2. Harmonies of the feet, visions of the body; 3. Walking towards perfection: pedal solos and cycles; 4. The pedal in the cosmopolitan age of travel; 5. Treading the globe: the world-wide expansion of the German pedal ideal; 6. Bach's feet.
Review
'There is much to enjoy in this compelling study.' Early Music
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