Music Meter Explained - It is NOT a DEMOCRACY! - Flute Tube Note

I have received some requests to talk about performance practice of early music (Classical and Baroque genres). In today's short video, I mention one very important aspect of preparing this early music: observing the intended metric stress. There was a known and respected hierarchy of beats in this early music. The downbeat ruled everything, routinely receiving the greatest stress. A series of strong-weak, strong-weak beats was expected in 4/4 and similar meters. In groups of three, strong-weak-weak was observed. In meter - especially for this early music - THIS IS NOT A DEMOCRACY! NOT ALL NOTES OR BEATS ARE CREATED EQUAL!

The music in this video is J.S. Bach's famous Prelude in C Major, BWV 846, written in the early 1720s. It perfectly illustrates the concept of strong-weak, both within the meter and within each individual beat.

In this video I'm virtually standing in front of the Haydnhaus Museum in Vienna. Haydn lived here 1797-1809.

Join our "Flute Tube In Practice" Facebook group here--
  / 705758100402714  
For more information about me, in case you want to know, here's my website:
https://www.aprilclayton.com/