How do you play Bach?

One of the most debated questions throughout history in the field of organ is how to play Bach. The contrapuntal music of Bach is extremely complicated and has always sparked debates about how to “correctly” play Bach. Since there is no written account from the time on how to play, scholars have had to use other clues such as the organs that Bach would have played and the environment that these organs were in. An example of the use of these clues is the theory that Bach should only be played with toes. This conjecture was drawn because when inspecting organs Bach played, the pedalboard was too small to allow the use of a heel. This has inspired the current popular method of playing only with toes. However, when it comes to manuals, the answer is not nearly as direct. The popular touch of today is ordinary touch, or baroque touch, this style of playing is somewhere between legato and staccato and allows a listener to hear each distinct voice. However, organists did not always play like this. There have been periods where playing extremely detached was believed to be the correct way to play Bach and there have also been times when legato was favored. The evidence that supports legato touch comes from C.P.E Bach and makes for a convincing argument. In his treatise on keyboards, C.P.E Bach states that an impeccable legato is vital to playing any instrument. While this can be interpreted many ways, the fact that J.S Bach was his mentor leads many to believe that is how J.S Bach’s organ music should be played. While I have been taught to play legato, and later, ordinary touch, I believe that there is no “correct” way to play Bach. While ordinary touch can provide clarity on an American or electronic organ, when playing a more historical instrument, detached notes can sound choppy. There is also acoustic to consider. In drier rooms it is better to play more legato. On the other hand, in resonant rooms, legato playing sounds muddled, and an organist should detach more. All these factors can, and should, affect how one plays a piece and especially in the polyphonic music of Bach, these factors should be taken into even greater consideration to allow the audience to hear every voice.

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