I love J.S. Bach’s Cantata #54. Widerstehe doch der Suende. Translated it means something like “Stand firm against sin.” It’s for an alto voice. I read that the late Canadian pianist Glenn Gould who made a video of it with counter-tenor Russell Oberlin, wanted Barbra Streisand to do it with him. It never happened. Either he never asked her or she turned him down. We don’t know. In any case, he gave me an idea.
I asked my son if he thought my granddaughter, who is a college sophomore and also a voice student might be interested. My son’s reaction was “sure, give her a project to do.” So, I asked her if she wanted to do it with me. Without ever hearing it, she accepted in a minute. I sent her a copy of the score adapted for piano and she said she would work on it with her voice teacher.
Now, the problem is mine. The piano score is difficult so I created a project for myself, that is, to learn it. But, it’s a labor of love. First because I love the piece and second I look forward to working on it with her. Finally, if it goes well, I’d like to make a video and at my age, I think of that as a family legacy. Not that I’m ready to “shuffle off this mortal coil” just yet. I promised myself that I would at least try to see my youngest granddaughter graduate from college which would keep me here until age 99. It’s too much to hope that I can see my 2 year old great-grandson get drafted by the Knicks.
