TRINITY COLLEGE DUBLIN
9th Biennial Conference on Baroque Music
ABSTRACT
Towards a Codification of J.S. Bach's Golden Sections
Tushaar Power
This paper follows on from 'J.S. Bach and Andreas Werckmeister's "Natural
Order",' originally presented at the 'Sixth Biennial Conference on
Baroque Music' in Edinburgh, 1994. Whilst that essay explored the
external evidence, documentary and literary, regarding Bach's putative
use of the Golden Section, this essay considers internal evidence, drawn
from Bach's works. After extensive observation and reflection, it
can be proposed that the appearance of the Golden Section in Bach's works
can be classified into several archetypes. This essay shall present
each archetype, with a corresponding musical example. Furthermore,
it will then be shown how these several archetypes are employed at different
architectural levels, both micro-, and macroscosmically. Finally,
the combinatory use of these archetypes will be illustrated, for they often
can co-exist, and indeed even co-operate, within a single work. The
ultimate aim of this paper is to illustrate that whilst the compositions
of Bach do indeed "display" the Golden Section, its appearance is so consistent
and formulaic that it is likely in fact an architectonic feature not merely
present in the final composition, but also in the composer's initial process
of conception.
Last updated on 22 March 2000 by Yo
Tomita