“WHY?! Why you did this to me? The first 8 bars is expressing his anger to God. It followed by the different color in bar 9, saying, ‘yes, God, I will accept the fate’ …”
Prof. Lohmann was explaining Bach’s Fantasia in G Minor BWV 542. I was taking part at Thüringische Orgelakademie last summer.
My organ Prof. said. My score arrived, the first thing I did was look at the choral and read,
“Was Gott tut, das ist wohl getan… “
Wohl? Are you sure Mr. Liszt? I thought you’re a grieving father? May be my German is not that good, may be “wohl” has various meaning. I looked it up in dictionary:
1. Happy 2. Well 3. Good
How can this be?
During the time I was thinking about this question. I was also reading a book – Walking with God through pain and suffering by Timothy Keller. I read this:
“I’ve never had a big tragedy in my life – never really had to depend on God.”
Then the tragedy happened.
“My image now is me just completely collapsed, and him carrying me – and it is awesome.”
Suddenly, the music notation of Liszt emerged in my mind, I got the score and turned to this page.
Do you see the going down notation with dying away sound, and the choral is holding it – What God does, is done well …
And I read the book again, “My image now is me just completely collapsed, and him carrying me – and it is awesome.”
So good to have music.
Bach told me, it is ok to have negative feeling.
Liszt told me, God is carrying me through every suffering.
Appendix:
Thüringische Orgelakademie, Altenburg, August 2019.
I’m really small in front of the pipe organ. This was how I feel last summer. What a privilege to play on the giant organ builder –Trost‘s organ, having lesson with very fine interpreter Prof. Lohmann and learning the giant composer – J.S. Bach‘s Prelude and Fugue in G Major (BWV 541). Yes, I am indeed just a little tiny ant.