Johann Sebastian Bach died over 260 years ago. Like every single one of us, he was at the center of his own private, man-made universe. But JSB left us detailed charts of a few small landscapes in that universe, which allows us to explore those lost terrains.

Watch a great navigator, Glenn Gould, embark on one of these voyages of discovery. There’s plenty more Gould and Bach on this youtube page. Lose yourself for a while in Bach’s universe, and mayby see for yourself a little bit of Gould’s while you’re there.

As far as I can tell, the ability to make music serves absolutely no practical or useful purpose, or for that matter, has nothing to do with the physical reality we inhabit and share.
But it is a universe of precision and consistency, of infinte variation, hidden lands and forbidden dimensions. I think that qualifies it as an alternate reality, as valid and real as any other.

The universe comprises everything which can be perceived, and everything which can be imagined.