In previous years, I usually inserted a lengthy explanation about the actual date of Bach's birth, the problems about the adoption of the (Roman Catholic) Gregorian Calendar by the protestants of Saxony, and so on. But today, following our illustrated leader, president T, let's ignore the science and the mathematics. (I might just Tweet this post if I get the urge; it'll probably take about 5 tweets! Don't forget; we're not doing serious mathematics today!)
To celebrate the day, Google (which also considers March 21st Bach's birthday like me {just let it go; it doesn't matter}) has put up a Doodle on their main search engine page, which is ingenious. When you click on it, it takes you to another page, where (after a short break, while they load up some coding) they tell you to type in a short tune. Their interface does not allow anything too fancy, but still, there's a degree of flexibility. They then harmonize your tune automatically, using a database that has distilled some 300 Bach tunes. The result is quite nice, though a tiny bit goofy!
They give you an example, which they then proceed to harmonize, and Hoo Hah! It comes out perfectly harmonized in the style of Bach!
Now, it turns out, their example is an actual hymn-tune that Bach harmonized, called Ach, wie fluchtig, ach wie nichtig! No need to look up the translation; it means something like, "Oh, how fleeting." (All flesh is as grass, etc, etc.)
(You realize that you can play their Doodle yourselves, so what I'm about to do is redundant: I'm going to insert a little video clip of their example tunelet right here.)
How close is their Artificial Intelligence harmonization to Bach's own? Hang on; I have to go look this up . . .Well, it's (very) close, but not identical. (At least, they're not cheating!) Here they are, one below the other:
As you can see, they are very close! This doesn't prove anything, really; the algorithm that harmonizes your tune is very clever, but the more 'Bachian' your tune is, the better it is likely to do. If you want to push the program to its limits, give it a tune that is wildly un-Bach-like, and you might be amused with what you get!
This might interest you: as my own tune, I gave it the second half of the line from the hymn they used as an example. And, predictably, it supplied the harmony from the Bach chorale. (The tune I thought I knew is just slightly different.)
An interesting treat
Bach, as you know, made numerous cantatas---around 200 of them---to be sung in Church, about half of which were based on, or were enormous elaborations of, existing, famous (at that time) hymn-tunes. Cantata number 26 is based on precisely this tune: Ach wie fluchtig. Its opening chorus (full choir and orchestra, and probably the organ as well), is one of the most awesome choruses Bach wrote, and here it is. The hymn melody comes in a few seconds after that really fast orchestral introduction.
Bach, as you know, made numerous cantatas---around 200 of them---to be sung in Church, about half of which were based on, or were enormous elaborations of, existing, famous (at that time) hymn-tunes. Cantata number 26 is based on precisely this tune: Ach wie fluchtig. Its opening chorus (full choir and orchestra, and probably the organ as well), is one of the most awesome choruses Bach wrote, and here it is. The hymn melody comes in a few seconds after that really fast orchestral introduction.
Here's a completely instrumental version, arranged by the late Sir William Walton, as a scene for a ballet:
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