SKU: AP.49119
UPC: 038081563497. English.
This version of Where Stand the Dauntless by Vince Gassi is part of our Alfred FLEX offerings and is designed with maximum flexibility for use by any mix of instruments---wind, strings, and percussion, including like- or mixed-ensembles with as few as 5 players. The suggested instrumentation and a customizable Teacher Map will help you plan out how to best assign parts to suit your ensemble's needs. It also comes with supplemental parts for maximum flexibility. With the purchase of this piece, permission is granted to photocopy the parts as needed for your ensemble. A percussion accompaniment track is also available as a free download. String parts have been carefully edited with extra fingerings and appropriate bowings to support students in mixed ensembles playing in less familiar keys. A fanfare, a lyrical theme, and driving energy embody the spirit of the dauntless---the brave and amazing young musicians of Dolphin Senior Public School in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. Where Stand the Dauntless by Vince Gassi is an exciting work---and a perfect concert opener and contest piece. (2:35) Percussion Accompaniment Track Downloads: with click without click.This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
SKU: AP.49119S
UPC: 038081563503. English.
SKU: AP.45857S
UPC: 038081528892. English.
Enjoy the fantasy and thrills of the adventures from J. K. Rowling in this delightful setting from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Very simple, elegant, and beautiful, this is also a great piece to work on shifting. The violins use 3rd position while the cellos use both 3rd and 4th positions. There are spots that will work nicely in positions other than those marked for the violas and basses if you want to have all sections work on shifting. Featuring Newt Says Goodbye to Tina and Jacob's Bakery. (3:20) This title is available in MakeMusic Cloud.
SKU: HL.226377
ISBN 9781495091506. UPC: 888680674618. 8.5x11.0x2.3 inches.
Composed in both traditional and blended choral stylings, this cantata weaves the historic symbolism of both the Lion of Judah and the Lamb of God into the Christmas story. Through original songs and traditional carols, singers and listeners are reminded that this story is not just an event in history, but a living story that still impacts the world today. Narration, solos, congregational participation and optional children's voices, along with gorgeous orchestrations by Keith Christopher, all work together to make this service a time of both celebration and worship. Songs include: Overture/Sing Christmas!; And So We Wait; It Came upon a Midnight Clear; Who's the Little Baby?; Sleep Little Lion, Sleep Little Lamb; Where Is Peace Tonight?; In This Moment; Angels from the Realms of Glory; Carol of the King. Score and Parts (fl 1-2/pic, ob, cl 1-2, bn, tpt 1-3, hn 1-2, tbn 1-2, tbn 3/tba, perc 1-2, timp, hp, pno, rhy, vn 1-2, va, vc, db) available as a Printed Edition and as a digital download.
SKU: CF.PO192S
ISBN 9781491157367. UPC: 680160915927.
Program note: Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas. The Composer: Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation. At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee. To the Conductor: You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability.  .Program note:Christmas Fugue, like the charming English folk tune on which it is based, is full of the spirit and fun that is Christmas. After a slow shimmering introduction which imparts an impression of Christmas morning, the fugue subject is abruptly introduced. The fugue subject: We Wish You a Merry Christmas. The work develops through a series of playful musical episodes which afford satisfying opportunities for the various sections of the orchestra. The fugue culminates in a combination of motifs which find the brass heralding the unmistakable arrival of Christmas.The Composer:Dr. Robert Bennett Brown has devoted much of his professional teaching career to musical compositions and arrangements for young orchestral enthusiasts. Christmas Fugue, like other of Dr. Drown's published works, was written in and for the actual teaching situation.At the present time, Robert Bennett Brown is District Supervisor of Music for the Levittown, N.Y. Public Schools. Previously, for some nineteen years, he taught in Bronxville, N.Y. where, as Chairman of Music, he brought about an extremely high level of school orchestral achievement. he was educated at New York University and Teachers College, Columbia University. He has served as a field supervisor of student teaching for New York University and as a general music consultant. For the past two years he has been a member of the New York State Music Regents Committee.To the Conductor:You will find this work to be the conductor's dream. Parts are easy but impressive sounding. The total effect will give your orchestra that typical classical sound so satisfying to performer and listener alike. Full or exact instrumentation is not a must; cross-cues will carry critical areas where a specified instrument may be lacking. Piano, tuba, and saxophone parts are written to accommodate those players where they exist. These parts are not essential to the instrumentation. Though Christmas Fugue is well suited to the interests of high school orchestra pursuits, its grade of difficulty is easily handled by any junior high school group of average ability. .
SKU: CF.PO192F
ISBN 9781491157374. UPC: 680160915934.
SKU: BA.BA07569
ISBN 9790006523375. 32.9 x 23.9 cm inches. Text Language: French/German. Preface: Soury, Thomas. Louis de Cahusac.
Rameau's “Les Fêtes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour†was long considered second-rate because its première was associated with a political event. Yet this ballet abounds in novel dramaturgical effects that foreshadow his later operas, such as “Zaïsâ€, “Zoroastre†and “Les Boradesâ€. Working together with his librettist Cahusac, Rameau sought to weave the dance numbers, choruses and stage machinery more tightly into the main plot. He also experimented with stylistic devices unique to this work, the most famous being unquestionably the scene in which the Nile overflows its banks (an impressive ten-voice double chorus with solo voices and orchestra) and the sextet from “Arurisâ€, a scoring found nowhere else in his uvre.For the first time, this scholarly-critical edition of “Les Fêtes de l'Hymen et de l'Amour†presents a reference version of the work that is based on all the major sources for both the libretto and the music, including two recent musical discoveries. As most of the performance material for the première has vanished, our edition is based on the version prepared for the Acadmie Royale de Musique in 1748.
About Barenreiter Urtext
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MUSICOLOGICALLY SOUND - A reliable musical text based on all available sources - A description of the sources - Information on the genesis and history of the work - Valuable notes on performance practice - Includes an introduction with critical commentary explaining source discrepancies and editorial decisions ... AND PRACTICAL - Page-turns, fold-out pages, and cues where you need them - A well-presented layout and a user-friendly format - Excellent print quality - Superior paper and binding
SKU: PR.11641867S
UPC: 680160683208.
Contextures: Riots -Decade '60 was commissioned by Zubin Mehta and the Southern California Symphony Association after the successful premiere of the Concerto for Four Percussion Soloists and Orchestra. It was written during the spring and summer months of 1967. Riots stemming from resentment against the racial situation in the United States and the war in Vietnam were occurring throughout the country and inevitably invaded the composer's creative subconscious. Contextures, as the title implies, was intended to exploit various and varying textures. As the work progressed the correspondence between the fabric of music and the fabric of society became apparent and the allegory grew in significance. So I found myself translating social aspects into musical techniques. Social stratification became a polymetric situation where disparate groups function together. The conflict between the forces of expansion and the forces of containment is expressed through and opposition of tonal fluidity vs. rigidity. This is epitomized in the fourth movement, where the brass is divided into two groups - a muted group, encircled by the unmuted one, which does its utmost to keep the first group within a restricted pitch area. The playful jazzy bits (one between the first and second movements and one at the end of the piece) are simply saying that somehow in this age of turmoil and anxiety ways of having fun are found even though that fun may seem inappropriate. The piece is in five movements, with an interlude between the first and second movements. It is scored for a large orchestra, supplemented by six groups of percussion, including newly created roto-toms (small tunable drums) and some original devices, such as muted gongs and muted vibraphone. There is also an offstage jazz quartet: bass, drums, soprano saxophone and trumpet. The first movement begins with a solo by the first clarinetist which is interrupted by intermittent heckling from his colleagues leading to a configuration of large disparate elements. The interlude of solo violin and snare-drum follows without pause. The second movement, Prestissimo, is a display piece of virtuosity for the entire orchestra. The third movement marks a period of repose and reflection and calls for some expressive solos, particularly by the horn and alto saxophone. The fourth movement opens with a rather lengthy oboe solo, which is threatened by large blocks of sound from the orchestra, against an underlying current of agitated energy in the piano and percussion. This leads to a section in which large orchestral forces oppose one another, ultimately bringing the work to a climax, if not to a denouement. Various thematic elements are strewn all over the orchestra, resulting in the formation of a general haze of sound. A transition leads to the fifth movement without pause. The musical haze is pierced gently by the offstage jazz group as if they were attempting to ignore and even dispel the gloom, but a legato bell sound enters and hovers over both the jazz group and the orchestra, the latter making statements of disquieting finality. Two films were conceived to accompany portions of Contextures. The first done by Herbert Kosowar, was a chemography film (painting directly into the film using dyes and various implements) with fast clips of riot photographs. The second was a film collage made by photographically abstracting details from paintings of Reginald Pollack. The purpose was to invoke a non-specific response - as in music - but at the same time to define the subject matter of the piece. The films were constructed to correspond with certain developments in the piece and in no way affect the independence and musical flow of the piece, having been made after the piece was completed. Contextures: Riots - Decade '60 is dedicated to Mehta, the Southern California Symphony Association and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. The news of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King came the afternoon of the premiere, April 4, 1968. That evening's performances, and also the succeeding ones, were dedicated to him and a special dedication to Dr. King has been inserted into he score. All the music that follows the jazz group - beginning with the legato bell sound playing the first 2 notes to We shall overcome constitutes a new ending to commemorate Dr. King's death.
SKU: AP.38492S
UPC: 038081433653. English.
With the same sparkle and energy of its predecessor, Adra's Dance, this new companion piece adds a touch of maturity as Adra's creator, the composer's daughter, has grown into a young lady. Celebrate where we are, where we're going, and how thankful we are to have this one life to live, love, and grow as your students and audiences enjoy the optimism and joy in this music.
SKU: AP.45887S
UPC: 038081529660. English. Traditional African-American Spiritual.
Beginning string players will delight in playing this energetic rendition of the well-known Christmastime spiritual, Go Tell It on the Mountain. Paired with the equally familiar Children Go Where I Send Thee, this arrangement by Andrew H. Dabczynski shares interesting melodies among all sections. An upbeat bass line, along with plenty of finger-snapping rhythms will make this a Christmas concert favorite for students and audiences alike.
SKU: KN.9206
UPC: 822795092066.
Where energy, humor, dance, a tinge of sorrow, and the joy to be alive meet -- that's where you'll find Klemzer music. This soulful melody with its spirited rhythms will animate your orchestra and bring your audience to its feet. The Junior (grade 2+) and Senior (grade 4) editions interlock to create a wonderful multi-level edition that's perfect for all-district concerts and festivals. Duration ca. 2:35. An interlocking score can be downloaded for free here. Available in SmartMusic.
SKU: HL.14003801
ISBN 9788759882498. Danish.
'Beggars' Palace' is the name of a fictive railway station, a metaphor that can evoke many associations, for example as a place from which one journeys on, where one is forced to stay for a short or long period, or a place where one simply gets stuck and must watch others journey on. The fictive station has something worn-out and shabby about it, but the worn and shabby can have its own poetry and beauty. At the end the music stands still for a minute or two, while a voice talks about Beggars' Palace. 'Beggars' Palace' was composed in January 2000 for the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra. Anders Nordentoft.
SKU: HL.290094
ISBN 9788759840054. UPC: 888680922122.
The name or title alone says it all: a piece of music where courtly elegance embraces soulful melancholy, a world where velvety symphonic twilight and the majestically striding dance of the Baroque, the Sarabande, sweep along, hand in hand.
SKU: BA.BA06861
ISBN 9790260104211. 34.3 x 27 cm inches.
LeoÅ¡ Janácek’s symphonic fragment Dunaj (The Danube) dates from the period of the composition of “Katya Kabanovaâ€. The composer was not concerned with a musical-picturesque description of a river landscape, but with the mythical link between women’s destinies and water.“Pale green waves of the Danube! There are so many of you, and one followed by another. You remain interlocked in a continuous flow. You surprise yourselves where you ended up – on the Czech shores! Look back downstream and you will have an impression of what you have left behind in your haste. It pleases you here. Here I will rest with my symphony.†Thus LeoÅ¡ Janácek described the idea behind the composition project which occupied him in 1923/24. However, after further work, it remained incomplete in 1926. His “symphony†entitled Dunaj has survived as a continuously-notated, four-movement bundle of sketches in score form. It is one of the works which occupied him until his death. The scholarly reconstruction by the two Brno composers MiloÅ¡ Å tedron and LeoÅ¡ Faltus closely follows the original manuscript.A whole conglomeration of motifs stands behind the incomplete work. What at first seems like a counterpart to Smetana’s Vltava, in fact doesn’t turn out to be a musical depiction of the Danube. On the contrary, the fateful link between the destiny of women, water and death permeates the range of motifs found in the work. It seems to be no coincidence that Janácek, whilst working on the opera Katya Kabanova, in which the Volga, as the river bringing death plays an almost mythical role, planned a Danube symphony, and that its content was linked with the destiny of women: in the sketches, two poems were found which may have provided the stimulus for several movements of the symphony. He copied a poem by Pavla Kriciková into the second movement, in which a girl remarks that whilst bathing in a pond, she was observed by a man. Filled with shame, the young naked woman jumps into the water and drowns. The outer movements likewise draw on the poem “Lola†by the Czech writer Sonja Å pálová, published under the pseudonym Alexander Insarov. This is about a prostitute who asks for her heart’s desire: she is given a palace, but then goes on a long search for it and is finally no longer wanted by anyone. She suffers, feels cold and just wants a warm fire. Janácek adds his remark “she jumps into the Danube†to the inconclusive ending.To these tangible literary models is added Adolf Veselý’s verbal account which reports that the composer wanted to portray “in the Danube, the female sex with all its passions and driving forcesâ€. The third movement is said to characterise the city of Vienna in the form of a woman.It is evident that in his composition, Janácek was not striving for a simple, natural lyricism. The River Danube is masculine in the Slavic language – “ten Dunaj†– and assumes an almost mythical significance in the national character, indeed often also a role bringing death. The four movements are motivically conceived. Elements of sound painting, small wave-like figures in the first movement, motoric, driving movements in the third are obvious evocations of water. And the content and the literary level are easy to discover. The “tremolo of the four timpaniâ€, which was amongst Janácek’s first inspirations, appears in the second movement. It is not difficult to retrace in it the fate of the drowning bather. The oboe enters lamentoso towards the end of the movement over timpani playing tremolo, its descending figure is taken over by the flute, then upper strings and intensified considerably. The motif of drowning – Lola’s despair – returns again in the fourth movement in the clarinet, before the work ends abruptly and dramatically.One special effect is the use of a soprano voice in the motor-driven third movement. The singer vocalises mainly in parallel with the solo oboe, but also in dialogue with other parts such as the viola d’amore, which Janácek used in several late works as a sort of “voice of loveâ€.
SKU: HL.51489062
UPC: 840126951950. 6.75x9.5x0.263 inches.
The twelve “London Symphonies†comprise the sublime final statement of Haydn's symphonic oeuvre. They were written for the London impresario Johann Peter Salomon, and Haydn himself conducted their premieres during his lengthy stays in the English metropolis in 1791/92 and 1794/95. To this day, the G-major symphony, first performed in March 1792, numbers among Haydn's most popular works. It owes its English nickname “Surprise†to the striking tutti chords in the Andante, which apparently caught the audience off guard. Haydn had consciously incorporated this effect at a later stage - and was thus subsequently also perfectly willing to authorize this nickname that had been dreamt up by a London musician. This popular work also spread rapidly through German-speaking countries, where it is still firmly established in the repertoire as the “symphony with the drumbeat.†This study edition adopts the musical text of the Haydn Complete Edition, thereby guaranteeing the highest scholarly quality. An informative preface and a brief Critical Report make the handy score an ideal companion for all current and soon-to-be Haydn fans.
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SKU: BR.EOS-20472-00
Today, it is hard to believe that Bedrich Smetana kept receiving rejections when he tried to get his enormously popular Moldau printed.
ISBN 9790004780008. 10 x 12.5 inches.
What is also amazing is that the first text-critical edition prepared by the Czech Smetana expert Milan Pospisil in 1999, which had entailed an exhaustive evaluation of the sources and been given a full text-critical editorial treatment as a Eulenburg study score, had no resonance of any kind among performers since no performance material had been published. After 15 years, Pospisils edition is finally being completed in a manner suitable for practice: with a conducting score and orchestral parts which will ensure that all future performances are based on a musical text that is as reliable as can be.
The work depicts the course of the river Vltava, beginning with its first two sources, the cold and warm Vltava, and the confluence of the two streams that join to form a single river; then the course of the Vltava through forests and meadows, and through open countryside where a peasant wedding is being celebrated; water-sprites dance by the light of the moon; on the nearby cliffs castles, mansions and ruins rise proudly into the air; the Vltava eddies in the St John's Rapids, then flows in a broad stream as it continues its course towards Prague, where the Vysehrad appears, before the river finally disappears into the distance as it flows majestically into the Elbe.Vltava (The Moldau), Smetana's best-known and most frequently performed orchestral work, was written between 19 November and 8 December 1874, at a time when Smetana was already completely deaf. The world premiere took place in Prague on 4 April 1875, but the score was not published until 1880.
SKU: BR.PB-4371
Handel composed his Water Music for none other than King George I who requested a concert for guests invited to his pleasure cruise on the Thames.
ISBN 9790004202920. 9 x 12 inches.
According to the Daily Courant, the premiere took place as follows: On Wednesday Evening, at about 8, the King took to Water at Whitehall in an open Barge, wherein were Dutchess of Bolton, The Dutchess of New Castle, the Countess of Godolphin, Madam Kilmaseck, and the Earl of Orkney. And went up the River towards Chelsea. Many other of Barges with Person of Quality attended, and so the great Number of Boats, that the whole River in a manner was couver'd; a City Company's Barge was employ'd for the Musick, wherein were 50 Instruments of all sorts, Who play'd all the way from Lambeth (while the Barges drove with the Tide without Rowing, as far as Chelsea) the finest Symphonies, compos'd express for this Occasion, by Mr Hendel: which his Majesty liked so well, that he caus'd it to be play'd over three times in going and returning. At Eleven his Majesty came again into Barge, and return'd the same Way, the Musick continuing to play till he landed.Handel composed his Water Music for none other than King George I who requested a concert for guests invited to his pleasure cruise on the Thames.
SKU: HL.14032192
ISBN 9788759858394. 12.0x16.5x0.78 inches. International (more than one language).
Symphony No. 6 for orchestra, 1997-99. Preface / Program Note:... with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day(New Testament, 2 Peter 3:8)My SYMPHONY NO. 6 was commissioned by the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Gteborg Symphony Orchestra and the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, to be premiered at the millenium 2000.The subtitle AT THE END OF THE DAY can be understood literally or it can mean when all is added up. However, in my opinion, nothing ever quite adds up, there is always something missing, any ending will be provisional ...This symphony appears to end only a few minutes into the first movement, the first passage, as the music fades away to almost-silence, after a start of flying colours. But then there is still something, a small motive (first heard in the initial sound-waves) which reappears, hesitant, but persistent, and this embryo is what leads on the musical progression. An agitated section of many instrumental voices comes next, until all the voices become obsessed with the same phrase, a see-saw motive based on thirds. This section evolves into almost martial ferocity, when broken off by a tutti descent into an extreme bass-world (a bass-world which actually permeates the whole symphony, emplyoing instruments that I have never used before: double-bass tuba, double-bass trombone, double-bass clarinet, and bass flute).The second movement, the second passage, apparently takes off where the first passage ended, but now the events are more ambiguous, and the same music may be perceived as fast-moving one moment and slow-moving the next. This section is a kind of passacaglia, the characteristic baroque bass-variation.Without a break follows the third and last passage, in a contrasting high register. The music is rhythmically knotty as well as freely flowing. As in the beginning of the symphony, a never-ending descent or fall breaks off the events, and at the very end a delta of new beginnings, of other worlds, is revealed ....The symphony is dedicated to Helle, my wife. - Per Norgard.
SKU: AP.31608S
UPC: 038081353883. English.
On a tour of America in 1833 and 1834, the Franco/Flemish violin virtuoso Henri Vieuxtemps heard Yankee Doodle. On returning to Europe, he produced the violin and piano barnburner that was the inspiration for this string orchestra arrangement. Everyone in the orchestra gets a crack at the melody and some alternate notes are provided for those with acrophobia. This is a must-have for those who enjoy programming patriotic music where the fireworks are in the string parts. (3:20).
SKU: AP.44805S
UPC: 038081517360. English. French Carol.
Realms of Endless Day is a fantasy setting of the hymn tune melody, Picardy. This melody, thought to have been named for the region in France where it is believed the melody originated, is also the melody for the hymns Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence and Christians, Let Us Love One Another, as well as the Hymn of Saint James. This enduring and tuneful melody is given three contrasting statements that gradually build to an exciting conclusion. This piece is scored for full orchestra by arranger Michael Kamuf, but will work quite effectively with strings alone. (3:30).
SKU: AP.45876S
UPC: 038081523828. English.
Upon hearing the words Big Sky Country, one typically thinks of the western states; Montana in particular. This piece, however, depicts any place where the sky is vast, the view expansive, and the setting natural. The elements of the music, with sweeping melodic phrases and a few key changes (G, C, D), suggest a spirit of adventure, freedom, the outdoors, and the beauty of the land. This lively piece with melodic parts for all was arranged by Susan H. Day. It uses slurs, accents, divisi, syncopation, and accidentals, and will capture the enthusiasm of players and audience! (4:10).
SKU: PR.416415760
UPC: 680160636532. 9 x 12 inches.
The 1712 Overture stands out in P.D.Q. Bach's oeuvre for two reasons, among others: it is by far the most programmatic instrumental piece among those by the minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein so far unearthed, and 2) its discovery has led to a revelation about the composer's father, Johann Sebastian Bach, that has exploded like a bombshell on the usually serene musicological landscape. The overture is based on an anecdote told to P.D.Q. Bach by a cousin, Peter Ulrich. Since P.U. Bach lived in Dudeldorf, only a few miles down the road from Wein-am-Rhein, he was P.D.Q.'s closest relative, and he was, in fact, one of the few members of the family who was on speaking terms with P.D.Q. The story, related to P.D.Q. (fortunately for us posterity types) in a letter, may be summarized thus: The town of Dudeldorf was founded by two brothers, Rudi and Dieter Dudel, early in the 18th century. Rudi remained mayor of the newborn burg for the rest of his long life, but Dieter had a dream of starting a musicians' colony, an entire city devoted to music, which dream, he finally decided, could be realized only in the New World. In 1712, he and several other bagpipers sailed to Boston, never to return to Germany. (Henceforth, Rudi became known as der deutscher Dudel and Dieter as the Yankee Dudel). Unfortunately, the head of the Boston Musicians' Guild had gotten wind of Dudel's plans, and Wilhelm Wiesel (pron. VEE-zle), known none too affectionately around town as Wiesel the Weasel, was not about to share what few gigs there were in colonial America with more foreigners and outside agitators. He and his cronies were on hand to meet Dudel's boat when it pulled into Boston Harbor; they intended to prevent the newcomers' disembarkation, but Dudel and his companions managed to escape to the other side of the bay in a dinghy, landing with just enough time to rent a carriage and horses before hearing the sound of The Weasel and his men, who had had to come around the long way. The Germans headed West, with the Bostonians in furious pursuit. soon the city had been left far behind, and by midnight so had the pursuers; Dieter Dudel decided that it was safe for him and his men to stop and sleep until daybreak. When they awoke, they found that they were in a beautiful landscape of low, forested mountains and pleasant fields, warmed by the brilliant morning sun and serenaded by an entrancing variety of birds. Here, Dudel thought, her is where I will build my colony. The immigrants continued down the road at a leisurely pace until they came upon a little church, all by itself in the countryside, from which there suddenly emanated the sounds of a pipe organ. At this point, the temptation to quote from P.U. Bach's letter to P.D.Q. cannot be resisted: They went inside and, after listening to the glorious music for a while, introduced themselves to the organist. And who do you think it was? Are you ready for this -- it was your old man! Hey, no kidding -- you know, I'm sure, that your father was the guy to get when it came to testing new organs, and whoever had that one in Massachusetts built offered old Sebastian a tidy sum to go over there and check it out. The unexpected meeting with J.S. Bach and his sponsors was interrupted by the sound of horse hooves, as the dreaded Wiesel and his men thundered on to the scene. They had been riding all night, however, and they were no spring chickens to start with, and as soon as they reached the church they all dropped, exhausted, to the ground. The elated Germans rang the church bells and offered to buy everyone a beer at the nearest tavern. There they were taught, and joined in singing, what might be called the national anthem of the New World. The melody of this pre-revolutionary patriotic song is still remembered (P.D.Q. Bach quotes it, in the bass instruments, near the end of the overture), but is words are now all but forgotten: Freedom, of thee we sing, Freedom e'er is our goal; Death to the English King, Long live Rock and Ross. The striking paucity of biographical references to Johann Sebastian Bah during the year 1712 can now be explained: he was abroad for a significant part of that year, testing organs in the British Colonies. That this revelation has not been accepted as fact by the musicological establishment is no surprise, since it means that a lot of books would have to be rewritten. The members of that establishment haven't even accepted the existence of P.D.Q. Bach, one of whose major works the 1712 Overture certainly is. It is also a work that shows Tchaikowsky up as the shameless plagiarizer that some of us have always known he was. The discovery of this awesome opus was made possible by a Boston Pops Centennial Research Commission; the first modern performance took place at the opening concert of the 100th anniversary season of that orchestra, under the exciting but authentic direction of John Williams.
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