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 […]
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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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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