On April 26, 2019, I had the opportunity to perform a 50-minute concert as part of the Oregon State University Music à la Carte series. The majority of the pieces performed were premiers of my own compositions, and I want to share a little bit about the experience with you! Today I want to discuss […]
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Records tell us that Johann Sebastian Bach had 20 children over the course of his life (he did have two wives). But what most people don’t know is that he actually had a 21st child: His name was P.D.Q. Bach. Biography Born in Leipzig, Germany, on April 1, 1742, P.D.Q. was called a “pimple on the […]
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Whether you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus or you prefer to search for colorful eggs, Easter is celebrated in many forms worldwide. One of the oldest holidays, Easter has been around since the 2nd century! This has led to an endless amount of music written for the special day, so here is a list of […]
Read MoreHappy birthday, Bach! (Well, according to the Old Style calendar. Nowadays we would probably celebrate his birthday on March 31st due to the shift in the New Style calendar. But hey, there’s no reason we can’t celebrate early!) Please enjoy my second music vlog, which is a three-part series discussing his life, his musical style, […]
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I had the wonderful opportunity last Friday to watch local pianist Sunghee Kim perform a concert at Oregon State University’s free Friday lunch concert series. Kim presented three pieces: Bach’s Partita No. 1 in B-flat Major, Sonata No. 23 in F minor by Beethoven, and Ballade No. 1 in G minor by Chopin. While I […]
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It’s almost Halloween! I’m not usually one to celebrate this particular holiday, but I thought it would be fun to look at some creepy classical music in today’s post. Toccata and Fugue in D minor by Bach This fun little organ piece (okay, this hugely enormous organ piece) is believed to have been written by […]
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Background When we say Baroque music, we typically think of composers like Bach and Handel. These composers – and this musical era in general – were vital in shaping music as we know it today. Beginning around 1600, the Baroque era was instrumental (pun definitely intended) in the normalization of tonality (harmony as we know […]
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The violin is a string instrument widely used since its development in 16th century Italy. From that point on, composers have written incredible music for this instrument in solo and group form. Let’s explore some of that music in today’s post. Bach Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor In 1720, Johann Sebasian Bach composed […]
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