Quora: James Thomson's answer to Why is Bach so good?
Counterpoint, consistency, and variety.
The New York Times: Favorite Intermissions
Secret recordings of intermissions. "It opens with an audience murmur and a clarinet flourish, then a few quiet whumps from a bass drum and a repeated glockenspiel note. A woman laughs. A man says, “Excuse me.” Snare-drum rolls swell..."