Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier

Jonathon Cohen, Computer Science, CC ’21

The first image that came to mind when listening to this piece was that of a ballerina. The short, high notes of the piano resemble the gentle pitter-patter and tip-toeing of the ballerina on the dance floor. The rhythm is relatively fast, constant, and consistent throughout the piece, just as the motion of the ballerina is constant during her routine. Lastly, the two parts being played by both hands of the pianist sometimes play in unison and sometimes play in discord, just as the two ballerinas in the video dance sometimes in parallel and sometimes in contrast to each other.