J.S. BACH MUSIC EXPLAINED
A Seminar by Asst. Prof. Alberto Firrincieli
11th October 2026 | 14.00 - 15.00 hrs.
Steinway Thailand is delighted to present “J.S. Bach Music Explained,” a seminar by Asst. Prof. Alberto Firrincieli, author of A Methodo-logical Approach to J. S. Bach Two-part Inventions, exploring the musical structures and ideas behind the keyboard works of J.S. Bach. During the seminar, selected examples from Bach’s keyboard works will be performed, re‑composed, and analytically discussed. Beginning with the bass line, progressing through the underlying harmonic structures, and culminating in the complete composition.
Designed for music students, teachers, and enthusiasts, the seminar invites participants to look beyond the notes and discover how understanding the architecture of Bach’s music can inspire a more informed and expressive performance on the modern piano.
The seminar will be held live at Steinway Thailand and broadcast in real time to audiences across the Southeast Asia Pacific region through Steinway SpirioCast technology.
SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS
The seminar will explore selected works by J.S. Bach through three key perspectives:
1) From cadences to the complete composition
The importance of figured bass as basement of each composition
2) How to improvise on harmonies
How to apply diminutions and ornamentations to a given structure
3) How to articulate intervals properly according to their quality, and how to produce a cantabile style on the modern piano
Bach music excerpts will be chosen from Little preludes, Two- or Three-part inventions, Prelude and fugues from WTC, English and French Suites
SEMINAR ASPECTS
Articulation and Phrasing: these aspects deserve the highest attention, especially when we take into consideration music written in the “pre-metronomic era”. However, the target will be not to mimic or to restore the (supposed to be authentic) harpsichord sound. The approach would be the same that every performer should have in front of any other music score: to understand music meaning and (re)act accordingly. The main aspect would focus on the identification of the most appropriate articulation required in the piece as well as in this or that specific passage on the basis of Baroque style, conventions, character and meaning of the piece. Aspects like fingering movement and key depression and release would be analyzed accordingly.
Contrapuntal awareness: the study of music intervals and the understanding of their correct direction and meaning is another crucial aspect that will be investigated extensively, and deeply interconnected with the previous point.
Improvisation and Composition: these are essential aspects that will be deeply explored. Though a process called “deconstruction” and “reconstruction”, structures of the pieces will become visible and it will be possible to acquire necessary awareness of music meaning and architecture. Among other benefit, this approach helps student to speed up enormously Bach music learning, as learning should never be based on a memorization of notes only but on understanding of music and its rules.
Why a seminar about Bach on the piano?
A necessary historical foreword from Alberto Firrincieli
It is now a matter of fact that the name of Bach should not be associated with the Piano. It’s now very well known – especially in academic renowned institutions – that the choice of the proper instrument is not anymore a simple matter of esthetic or taste, it is necessary. Harpsichord has been often wrongly considered as a sort of piano without dynamics, an instrument incapable of reproducing subtle nuances of the piano. Therefore, generations of musicians have been genuinely persuaded that the modern piano has been not simply THE romantic keyboard instrument, but the natural prosecution and obvious replacement of harpsichord. As direct consequences in the opinion of many, Bach, Handel and Scarlatti keyboard works sound obviously better on the modern piano. However, on the basis of the most recent studies published in the last 20-30 years, nowadays the new historically informed approach must drive us into different conclusions and – more importantly - cannot be ignored. Is it possible to replicate or imitate, copy, mimic the sound of a harpsichord on the piano? Not even remotely.
Therefore, what could be the sense of a Bach piano masterclass? To find another “new” or newer way to play Bach on piano? No. Great pianists left already their indelible footprint in Bach music. No need to replicate them. The answer is simple: to understand his music. Simply. If music were only a matter of sound, it would be a non-sense to replace the original instrument. However, music is much more. Especially – and specifically in the case of Bach – music is also a matter of improvisation, composition, counterpoint, phrasing, articulation, dissonances and consonances, tensions and resolutions, intervals. And then theoretical knowledge, numerology, proportion. Not to mention all hidden religious implications (Yes, to understand Bach we could not ignore these aspects as well). I am intentionally mentioning all these points because in here we could find the essence and spirit of Bach music. Sadly, these aspects are often neglected in regular piano classes. More than one time I did notice that students’ attention was driven essentially to memorization and notes accuracy and regularity, without having any consistent preparation in the abovementioned music elements. Not to mention that in order to explore Bach and baroque music properly, the key to access this music before any discussion about style and baroque interpretation, should be the improvisation and the understanding of music patterns and structures: aspects always underestimated and often neglected and ignored.
LOCATION
Steinway & Sons Showroom
#1F-04 Gaysorn Center, 1st Floor
999 Phloen Chit Rd., Lumpini, Bangkok
For your information and etiquette
- This is a free-seating event.
- Strictly no liquids or food should be brought into the showroom.
- Kindly maintain decorum upon entry and be conscious of your belongings (e.g., bags, rings, watches, cameras) around the instruments.
- During the performance, kindly wait for the conclusion of a piece or an intermission to enter the audience seating area.
- Parking validation has to be done directly with the Gaysorn Concierge.