LDV302

ANDRÉ ISOIR 27 The options chosen here help to restore Bach’s humanity, often masked by his elevated aims, by the duality that is so typical of his work – a functional aspect, which brings the composer close to his fellowmen, and a lofty spiritual expression, elevating the composer and bringing him close to the divine. Acting as a revealing agent, the alternation of chorale preludes and pure harmonisations, and, more so, the superposing of choir and organ in original extrapolations of the principle of accompaniment, are signs of themoving forces of an alchemy that is henceforth detached from its liturgical function. Similarly, it was claimed that the formal gardens of theAge of Enlightenment, arranged in a precise and symmetrical manner, revealed the essential, secret laws of the universe. Here the foundations of a living art emerge from this demonstration, thanks to the setting in perspective of the texts that inspired these works, which are completely permeated with the composer’s concern ‘not to play the melody simply for its own sake, but to take into account the meaning of the words’. 3 3. J.G. Ziegler aux autorités ecclésiastiques de l’Eglise Notre-Dame de Halle , Halle, 1746, in Bach en son temps , op.cit., p. 205