ah! bach …

I love the M.A.S.H. episode in which Hawkeye and Trapper coach Radar on dating. 

“If she wants to talk about music, all you have to say to impress her is Ah!  Bach…” 

Radar goes on the date.  The subject of music comes up, and Radar charms the young lady by saying,

“Ah!  Bach….”

She looks deeply into his eyes and probes,

“But what do you mean when you say,  Ah!  Bach….”

Cornered, Rader blushes, stutters and repeats louder,

“AAH!  BACH…”

 delighting his date, who recognizes Radar’s profound understanding of music.

I’ve taught the Bach Prelude in C Major (BWV 846) many times.  Students love it, parents love it, and even I do not tire of it.  Yesterday a new adult student was thrilled to put her fingers on the keys and have this music come from under her fingers.  As she played the piquant dissonances that resolve into consonance, she sighed, “It’s such a pretty little thing.”

When Marilyn Keiser was a new music teacher, one of her older students suffered from short-term memory loss.  Inevitably, sometime during each lesson the student would ask, “Do you know Bach’s prelude in C?  Could you play it for me?”  Dr. Keiser would play the music for her, and inevitably, a few more times in the lesson the student would ask, “Do you know Bach’s prelude in C?  Could you play it for me?”

“Ah!  Bach…”

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1 Response to ah! bach …

  1. Lorna Cahall says:

    I really like this. Just like a fine cup of tea.

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