Facebook Page of Bach in the Subways
Many people are scared of getting into the world of classical music, and this might be due to the stereotype of getting formally dressed and seated at the concert. However, no matter if you are a classical music fan or not, you might have heard of the great maestro JS Bach.
Ten years ago, when I was studying at Columbia, I bought rush tickets at the Met Opera or student tickets at Carnegie Hall every week. As a classical music fan since childhood, the operas and concerts on Saturday nights were my greatest enjoyment. Especially when I met those opera stars and pianists I have been admiring for a long time, the exciting and touching feelings were always lingering even after their performances.
One night around midnight, when New York City was snowy and the wind was blowing so heavily that the only thing I wanted was to go back home at the moment of stepping out of the library. When I went into the subway station, there was a sound of rising melody coming out of the station. I thought I was so tired that I heard it wrong, but I stopped for seconds and there was cello music coming from the station. I followed the music and walked down to the platform, and saw a man playing cello.
He was sitting on a folding chair, wearing a black shirt and black pants.
There was no stand and stage light, he held his cello with eyes closed. His shoulders sometimes moved forward and backward following the melodies. His left hand fingers were playing the strings up and down like ocean waves, and the fiddlestick in his right hand was moving on the strings like the wind blowing on the ocean. The wind blew, moved the strings, and created the most intriguing music on the New York Subway.
There were not many people on the subway at that time. Some people passing by gave a glance to the cellist and then quickly walked away, and some stopped and listened. And some people took out their cell phones to record this rare scene.
The cellist didn’t pay any attention to the surroundings. His music was classic and touching. There was no emotional showing off and no superfluous sadness. He kept playing. He brought the audience back to 17th century Italy. His music was like a noble man walking out from the grand Baroque palace, dressed in a silk white shirt and a red velvet cloak. The noble man had golden embroidery and pearl decorations on his cuffs. He walked out the magnificent palace in his heels. With a great attitude and elegant temperament, this noble man was steady and friendly, lively and charismatic.
This is the magic of Bach’s.
Even after hundreds of years, Bach is still able to make people obsessive, and attracts people with his beautiful music. No matter if it is men or women, young or elderly, noble or humble, and no matter if it is at the palace or a subway station, when there is Bach, there is music playing around.
After some light melodies, the music slowed down, it seemed something came up into the noble man’s mind. After all, everyone would be brought back to their memories when hearing this beautiful music.
No matter where you are, Bach always brings you back to the most glorious moment of history, and also, to your most valuable memory. Just like the noble man and his most romantic memory. The romance lit up the entire palace, like the music lit up your dream.
Then the music became swift again. The noble man seemed to find something. He walked quickly, and passed the huge mural decorations of the hall. He walked through the marble floor and the luxury rooms. The music was brisk and delightful like the sound of pearls on the suit of the noble man collided with each other. The sounds resonated in the palace, composed into the captivating music.
The noble man came to the palace gate. He opened the gate, letting the sunlight in. It was bright and dazzling. The whole palace looked even more magnificent in the shining golden rays. He saw the sunlight lit up the whole palace and the land. He knew: there will always be a whole new day.
The music ended gracefully after ten minutes. The listeners applauded. The cellist put down the fiddlestick, and packed the cello quietly. I glanced at the small sign on the floor: Bach in the Subways. Maybe Bach was still alive. He was still recruiting musicians from this century to play for him, and attracting people to become his admirers. With his music, Bach still makes people obsessive in the snowy days after three hundred years.
Bach in the subways.
I believe the cellist playing in the subway was the court musician of Bach in the 21st century. And us, these passengers stopping for music, are the most modern fans of Bach.
很多人對於古典樂是避之唯恐不及，或許多少跟對於聆聽古典音樂時，必須正襟危坐、穿戴整齊的印象有關。但是，不管你是不是古典樂迷，大概都聽過音樂之父—巴赫。
我還在紐約的時候，經常搶大都會歌劇院的rush ticket還有卡內基音樂廳的學生票，從小就是古典樂迷的我，週六晚上的一場歌劇或是音樂會，就是我在紐約最大最奢侈的享受，尤其當我目睹愛慕已久的歌劇明星或是鋼琴家時，那種興奮又感動的心情更是讓我在演出結束後，還經常徘徊在劇院附近，希望沈浸在更多音樂的氛圍中。
有一天晚上大約快十二點，外面大雪紛飛，紐約陣風大的讓人意志力薄弱，我從學校圖書館要回住處時，在地鐵裡聽到遠處傳來一陣悠揚的大提琴聲，當時地鐵人不多，我以為是我聽錯了，但是停下腳步，卻真的聽到有人在拉大提琴，我順著音樂的方向快步走去，然後在月台中間，看到一個男子陶醉地拉著大提琴。
他坐在簡單的摺疊椅上，穿著簡單的黑色襯衫搭黑色休閒褲，沒有譜架也沒有舞台燈光，他環抱著心愛的大提琴，雙眼輕閉，雙肩跟著旋律，時而前傾，時而後仰，他的左手在琴弦上如海上的波浪般來回挑動，右手的琴弓像是吹動海浪的風，推移著海水，拂動了琴弦，創造了紐約地下最醉人的樂音。
當時地鐵人已不多，沒有早晨的忙碌與匆忙，路過的行人，或許投以目光，或許回頭觀望，或許停下腳步靜靜地聽著，也有人拿出手機拍照，或是錄下這難得的時刻。
大提琴家似乎對周遭人的反應不為所動，他的音樂古典動人，沒有賣弄情感的無病呻吟，也沒有矯揉造作的哀傷悲情，他專注地演奏著，他的琴聲彷彿帶著聽眾回到十七世紀的義大利，他的旋律就像從古典宮廷中走出來的貴族男子，穿著白色絲質襯衫，披著紅色天鵝絨披風，搭配上蓬鬆的袖口與金色刺繡上鑲滿珍珠的墜飾，踏著高高的鞋跟走出富麗堂皇的宮廷，在氣宇軒昂與精緻典雅之間，這位貴族男子穩重又不失風度，高雅又不失活潑。
這就是巴赫的魔法。
即便穿越數百年，他依舊能讓人陶醉，依舊能用他美麗的音樂俘虜人心，無論男女老少，無論尊卑貴賤，無論是在華麗的宮廷或是平凡的地鐵月台，只要有巴赫，處處都是宮殿，處處都有音樂的悠揚。
一段輕快的旋律過後，現在的樂音慢了下來，彷彿是貴族男子思索著什麼似的，音樂也跟著他的思緒開始思考，畢竟，誰聽到這樣美麗的音樂，不會想到自己過去的回憶呢？巴赫就是這樣，即使音樂並不悲傷，卻能領你走進宮廷裡最長最華麗的長廊，他帶你走進歷史中最金碧輝煌的時光，也帶你走進自己最珍貴的回憶，就像貴族男子與心上人的戀情，華美閃耀如掛在頂上的水晶燈，時時照亮著整座廳堂，也映照著你最真實的自己。
漸漸的，音樂又輕快了起來，彷彿是貴族男子發現了什麼，他稍稍加快步伐，挺著背脊向前走去，經過牆上的壁飾，走過腳下的大理石地面，穿過美輪美奐的走廊與臥房，旋律活潑也高貴，像是貴族男子身上華服一串又一串的珍珠在輕輕碰撞著，聲音迴盪在華麗的宮廷內，再串成美好的樂聲。
貴族男子來到宮廷正門口，他打開大門，外頭的陽光照進廳內，顯得明亮刺眼，整棟建築在金黃色的光亮下顯得更加璀璨奪目，他看見陽光照亮整個宮殿，照亮整個大地，他知道，永遠都有全新的一天。
音樂優雅地結束了，二十分鐘過去，聽眾紛紛給予掌聲與目光，大提琴家放下琴弓，安靜地站起身收拾樂器，我瞄到他放在地上的小牌子寫著： Bach in the Subways，或許，巴赫依舊活著，他依舊在現代招募所有信仰他的音樂家為他演奏，與所有仰慕他的樂迷傾聽每一場演出，巴赫就是這樣讓巴洛克音樂在四百年後的今天，在外頭冰天雪地的琉璃世界裡，依舊讓人心醉。
Bach in the Subways，我相信，這位今天在地鐵演奏的音樂家，就是巴赫在現代的宮廷樂師，而我們，這些駐足聆聽的路人，就是巴赫最當代的樂迷。
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