Triosonata nr 5, BWV 529, 3rd movement

After having played the first two movement of this Triosonata in the previous two weeks, I had to try the third movement as well. And where the first two movements were already quite a challenge to master, this third movement is excruciatingly difficult.

In fact, I hate this movement.

Well, that's not true of course. It is a magnificent piece, it's just that it is very hard to play. And I spend many hours a day for the last 9 days trying to get it into my fingers and feet. For three days my wife and children patiently endured hearing me practicing this piece. The fourth day however I was kindly asked to play something else or use the headphones.

This third movemen is so full of litlle details and nuances of phrasing and articultation to pay attention to that there is hardly room left in my brain to pay attention to the actual notes that should be played. And vice versa, if I pay close attention to play the correct notes, there is hardly room left for playing them with the right articulation.

Now I understand why it is said that to learn to play Bach's Triosonatas is to truely learn how to play the organ. And it turns out I've only just begun.

Playing this piece without error is hard, and for me at the moment almost impossible. I really admire the organists that dare to play one or more of these Triosonatas in concert. It takes the utmost concentration and ability to play this third part of the fifth sonata. And it is not even the most difficult movement out of the 6 Triosonatas.


As I want to really learn to play the organ, my personal challenge for 2020 is clear: keep practising this fifth Triosonata and try amd master at least three more of them. I'll start with the first Triosonata next. The third movement of that Triosonata has always been one of my favorites, so it's time to learn it.