Humanities Homework Help

On July 22nd, Music critic, Mark Swed published a commentary in the Los Angeles Times, entitled Bach wrote BWV 82 to transcend tragedy. It’s a lullaby for our times too. Click here for a PDF of the article.

Here is a link to a live performance sung by Christian Gerhaher on YouTube.

Here is a spotify list of two performances, Lorraine Hunt Lieberson as a soloist, and a recording by the Oxford Schola Cantorum with an uncredited soloist. (The Oxford recording uses Baroque tuning and will sound a half step lower than Hunt Lieberson’s recording.)

Assignment:

1) Read the article and listen to the music. If you can’t access Spotify or YouTube, a search of “BWV 82” will lead you to a recording.

2) Reflect on your own response to the music in light of Mark Swed’s commentary. How are your responses similar and how are they different?

3) Reflect on the music you have been listening to the past 4 months (since mid-March). Select one piece that has somehow brought you peace of mind, catharsis, or an emotional outlet. Identify that piece and the artist(s) who created/produced it. Write about the way in which the music affected you, and, assuming that you have listened to this music more than once, whether you ritualized it into your life routines or just reach for it when you have a specific need. In either case, talk about that need.

Response:

1) In your response to a classmate, compare your own response to the Bach with theirs.

2) Listen to the music that they shared (assuming you can find it) and reflect on what role it might play in your life. If you can’t find a recording focus on how they use the music and whether you use music in the same way.

classmateA post?

Although I do not understand any of the lyrics besides the three (“Ich habe genug”) that Mark Swed defined as “I am content,” I feel like this BWV 82 piece is a perfect example of why classical music is so beloved even after centuries of musical evolution. I found it to be elegant, calming, and perhaps the only piece I would listen to the entirety of without noticing that it’s 25 minutes long. I agree with Swed that it really makes me feel like an angel who has transcended death and has reached a point where suffering has ended and I can finally be at peace. When Mark Swed says that Bach is “taking us somewhere” with this piece, I think he refers to heaven, and if that was his intention, I couldn’t help but agree. From the calming orchestra to the rich and passionate voice of the singer, I feel like all is well, and for about half an hour, I forgot about everything I worry about in everyday life; I forgot about the pandemic, school, and various other stresses that are commonplace nowadays. Referring to this piece as a lullaby for our time is an understatement, as this piece really shows us that being content, or even just understanding that we have “enough” is important during this hard time. Differing from but adding on to Swed, my response to this piece includes learning that being grateful for what we have is perhaps a silver lining of a lesson that we could embrace from this pandemic, and this piece by Bach really helps me to understand that, especially since its depiction of angelic themes allows me to feel like after death, the hardships are worth it, and that many things we have may not be things we need.

In the past 4 months, a piece that has never failed to bring me catharsis and an emotional outlet is “Los Angeles”by The Midnight. This song makes me feel like I am driving through empty streets on a cool and late night with no worries and only feelings of youth, fun, and peace of mind. It has vibes of the 80’s, which is a time period of music that I grew up with since my family would listen to love songs from that time. The mix of these themes and my experience with the genre has really allowed me to feel calm during times of anxiety with this song. Every time I listen to it, I forget about my worries and it puts me in my peaceful place. I have indeed ritualized it into my life in that I listen to it when I am stressed out. It helps calm me down and feel like the work I’m doing isn’t as stressful or the deadlines I’m worrying about are not as close as they seem. Overall, this song is my go-to for when I’m stressed, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants an outlet that takes them back in time and to a place where stress does not exist.

Classmate Breply to A:

Hi A,

Your response was great, but it was funny to see ow we both specified Swed’s statement on Bach trying to take us somewhere, where you had stated that you agree, while I had stated that I disagree. Although, while reading your response, your description actually made some sense, so I totally get where you’re coming from! Additionally, I totally agree with you on how this piece was extremely calming; it brought some form of solemness to the air and just made you sit there and listen to it. Your response was also nice to take a look at!

As for the piece you’ve been listening to, I gave it a listen and immediately recognized it to be similar to the tunes and vibes of Stranger Things and The Weeknd’s newer songs. Although, as the song carried through, I noticed it wasn’t as similar as I thought to those, but rather like the vibes you’d expect from a scene in a movie with teens dancing and driving down a wet road on Halloween night in slow motion. Haha, sorry if that’s cringe, lol, but you get the picture. The song’s really good by the way!

Classmate C reply to A:

I totally agree with what you said. I think your understanding of the article and the music is very similar to mine. When I listen to this song, I also feel very calm, the setting can temporarily forget all the troubles, although the song is 25 minutes, but when I calm down to listen to it, I feel it is very short. But I don’t think death is the end, it’s just a turning point. Contentment is very important for people nowadays, it can improve our happiness in life, it can make us feel more things.

I went to listen to the Los Angeles you shared. I think these two songs really bring me a happy and relaxed mood. I think if I have a chance, I will listen to this song when I travel or drive alone in the future. I think he is very suitable for driving on a summer night, with the Windows open, accompanied by the cool night breeze, will have a very positive mood. It can let me completely relax, forget all the troubles, just immersed in the travel out of the relaxed and happy.

Classmate 1 post;

As many of Bach’s works, this piece is absolutely beautiful. While listening to the music, you can interpret the various instruments and understand each part’s purpose, although, the most noticeable instrumental dialect was that of the oboe. Perfectly described by Swed, “the oboe continues over the voice, not in dialogue but in dance,” you can transcribe the primary roles of the song; the soloist’s lyrics and the oboe’s melody. Swed was able to describe the piece nearly perfectly, additionally allowing for the reader to adjust their intuition on the piece based on his descriptions and influencing the reader to like and dislike various aspects of the piece. Although, the one detail that I disagree with Swed on is his perspective that “he is not showing us anything. He is not even, however much it might seem so, unveiling the emotions laden in the text. He is taking us somewhere”. Personally, I believe that Bach isattempting to unveil some forms of emotion, and with this, trying to convey particular feelings and relate them to current-day dilemmas, regardless of the era.

Despite my heavy love for R&B, soul, and afrofuturistic music, I have always found some form of comfort in indie folk alternative music. In particular, the Paper Kites’s album “Woodland” has recently been a huge interest of mine, in spite of the fact that I had first listened to them many years ago. Although, now that I can truly understand the meanings of the songs within this album, particularly the songs “Bloom” and “Woodland,” I have found a huge solemn solace when listening to them. I cannot describe the feelings exactly, but it feels exactly like a nice smile 🙂 The pieces haven’t aided me in any particular fields of my life, but simply have provided me with a soft joy that I haven’t felt in a while :)) I highly recommend it to anyone!!

Classmate 2 reply to 1:

Hi 1,

I thought it was interesting that while I agreed with Swed in Bach bringing the listener “somewhere” with the piece, you disagreed and mentioned that Bach was indeed trying to show specific feelings that would transcend time. I also thought it was neat that you analyzed the different parts of the piece, from the soloist’s lyrics to the melody of the oboe. I went with a broader approach and focused on how the piece made me feel as a whole of a piece. So cool!

I love the songs you chose to share! Both “Bloom” and “Woodland” have such peaceful yet longing vibes, and I agree that it was very calming to listen to. They brought me to what I imagined to be a field with people I care about and without a worry in the world. I certainly see why those songs bring you solace. The instrumental in the background like the guitar and the soothing voice of the lead singer who doesn’t sound like he’s straining his voice to sing hard really make the pieces sound like they’re for chilling out and calming down. I would definitely use it during times of stress (like studying for an exam) to help bring me peace.