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Bach Story
Saturday, March 21, 2009
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(BACH, PIANO)
SS: Is this Bach?
GK: Yes.
SS: Are you sure?
GK: Yes.
SS: It sure sounds like Bach.
GK: That's because it is Bach. We used to like going to concerts, remember?
SS: Yes.
GK: Why don't we go to concerts anymore?
SS: We have children.
GK: We could get a babysitter.
SS: Wouldn't help. We're too tired. Every night around eight thirty I'm ready to go to bed. And every week they bring home a new virus. They get over it in about twenty-four hours and we're sick as dogs for ten days.
GK: Johann Sebastian Bach had 20 children. Think of that. His organ had no stops.
SS: Amazing. That someone with 20 kids wrote something this peaceful.
GK: Do you ever wish we hadn't had kids?
SS: No, of course not. Do you?
GK: No.
SS: You can tell me. It's all right.
GK: I don't.
SS: Sure, you do. I know you do.
GK: Don't be silly. What would we do without kids? (BIG PIANO GLISS, INTO TANGO) O you fabulous woman— O you intoxicate me—
SS: Hold me, thrill me—
GK: The night is young. Dance, gypsy, dance!
SS: You drive me mad with desire. Mad, I tell you.
GK: I know. And I'll do it again. Again and again and again.
(SFX: INFANT CRYING. STAGE ONE. STAGE TWO.)
(MUSIC OUT)
(FOOTSTEPS)
SS: Where are you going? (DOOR SHUT, INFANT CRYING GONE)
GK: It's good for them to cry. They've shown that. They did tests on babies.
(PIANO, BACH)
SS: Is this still Bach?
GK: Yes.
SS: It sounds like Chopin.
GK: No, it's polyphonic. Polyphony comes from people with kids. Chopin had no kids.
SS: No kids?
GK: No, he had a lot of lovers but no kids. He just traveled all over in a black cape and played the piano in palaces with big candelabras and women threw themselves at him and he coughed blood into a handkerchief.
SS: And Bach was a church musician, right?
GK: Right. Got up early Sunday morning to play the service, and then he had to wait around all afternoon to play the evening service and what are you going to do on a Sunday afternoon in Leipsig in winter except have more kids?
SS: Speaking of which—
GK: I'll go check. (FOOTSTEPS) (DOOR OPEN)
(INFANT CRYING: STAGE THREE) (DOOR CLOSE) (FOOTSTEPS)
SS: Should I go put her to sleep?
GK: No, I'll take the Bach in. (BACH FADES AS CD PLAYER IS CARRIED AWAY) (DOOR OPEN, INFANT CRYING. INFANT STOPS CRYING. BACH PLAYING. INFANT STARTS VOCALIZING WITH BACH.)
Go to sleep, kiddo. Goodnight. (FOOTSTEPS, DOOR CLOSE, FOOTSTEPS)
SS: Let's go to a concert sometime.
GK: Let's.
SS: They have them in the afternoons sometimes, you know.
GK: Great. You okay?
SS: Sure.
GK: What's wrong?
SS: You know something? I'm really tired.
GK: So am I.
SS: I'm going to turn out my light.
GK: So am I.
SS: You don't mind if I just go to sleep? (PAUSE) I say, you don't mind if I just go to sleep? (PAUSE) Are you awake? (PAUSE) Good night.
(MUSIC BUTTON)
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