SKU: PR.165001000
ISBN 9781491129241. UPC: 680160669776. 9 x 12 inches.
Commissioned for a consortium of high school and college bands in the north Dallas region, FOR THEMYSTIC HARMONY is a 10-minute inspirational work in homage to Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon,patrons of the Fort Worth Symphony and the Van Cliburn Competition. Welcher draws melodic flavorfrom five American hymns, spirituals, and folk tunes of the 19th century. The last of these sources toappear is the hymn tune For the Beauty of the Earth, whose third stanza is the quatrain: “For the joy of earand eye, For the heart and mind’s delight, For the mystic harmony, Linking sense to sound and sight,â€giving rise to the work’s title.This work, commissioned for a consortium of high school bands in the north Dallas area, is my fifteenth maturework for wind ensemble (not counting transcriptions). When I asked Todd Dixon, the band director whospearheaded this project, what kind of a work he most wanted, he first said “something that’s basically slow,†butwanted to leave the details to me. During a long subsequent conversation, he mentioned that his grandparents,Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon, were prime supporters of the Fort Worth Symphony, going so far as to purchase anumber of high quality instruments for that orchestra. This intrigued me, so I asked more about his grandparentsand was provided an 80-page biographical sketch. Reading that article, including a long section about theirdevotion to supporting a young man through the rigors of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition fora number of years, moved me very much. Norwood and Elizabeth Dixon weren’t just supporters of the arts; theywere passionate lovers of music and musicians. I determined to make this work a testament to that love, and tothe religious faith that sustained them both. The idea of using extant hymns was also suggested by Todd Dixon,and this 10-minute work is the result.I have employed existing melodies in several works, delving into certain kinds of religious music more than a fewtimes. In seeking new sounds, new ways of harmonizing old tunes, and the contrapuntal overlaying of one tunewith another, I was able to make works like ZION (using 19th-century Revivalist hymns) and LABORING SONGS(using Shaker melodies) reflect the spirit of the composers who created these melodies, without sounding likepastiches or medleys. I determined to do the same with this new work, with the added problem of employingmelodies that were more familiar. I chose five tunes from the 19th century: hymns, spirituals, and folk-tunes.Some of these are known by differing titles, but they all appear in hymnals of various Christian denominations(with various titles and texts). My idea was to employ the tunes without altering their notes, instead using aconstantly modulating sense of harmony — sometimes leading to polytonal harmonizations of what are normallysimple four-chord hymns.The work begins and ends with a repeated chime on the note C: a reminder of steeples, white clapboard churchesin the country, and small church organs. Beginning with a Mixolydian folk tune of Caribbean origin presentedtwice with layered entrances, the work starts with a feeling of mystery and gentle sorrow. It proceeds, after along transition, into a second hymn that is sometimes connected to the sea (hence the sensation of water andwaves throughout it). This tune, by John B. Dykes (1823-1876), is a bit more chromatic and “shifty†than mosthymn-tunes, so I chose to play with the constant sensation of modulation even more than the original does. Atthe climax, the familiar spiritual “Were you there?†takes over, with a double-time polytonal feeling propelling itforward at “Sometimes it causes me to tremble.â€Trumpets in counterpoint raise the temperature, and the tempo as well, leading the music into a third tune (ofunknown provenance, though it appears with different texts in various hymnals) that is presented in a sprightlymanner. Bassoons introduce the melody, but it is quickly taken up by other instruments over three “verses,â€constantly growing in orchestration and volume. A mysterious second tune, unrelated to this one, interrupts it inall three verses, sending the melody into unknown regions.The final melody is “For the Beauty of the Earth.†This tune by Conrad Kocher (1786-1872) is commonly sung atThanksgiving — the perfect choice to end this work celebrating two people known for their generosity.Keeping the sense of constant modulation that has been present throughout, I chose to present this hymn in threegrowing verses, but with a twist: every four bars, the “key†of the hymn seems to shift — until the “Lord of all, toThee we praise†melody bursts out in a surprising compound meter. This, as it turns out, was the “mystery tuneâ€heard earlier in the piece. After an Ivesian, almost polytonal climax, the Coda begins over a long B( pedal. At first,it seems to be a restatement of the first two phrases of “For the Beauty†with long spaces between them, but it soonchanges to a series of “Amen†cadences, widely separated by range and color. These, too, do not conform to anykey, but instead overlay each other in ways that are unpredictable but strangely comforting.The third verse of “For the Beauty of the Earth†contains this quatrain:“For the joy of ear and eye, –For the heart and mind’s delightFor the mystic harmonyLinking sense to sound and sightâ€and it was from this poetry that I drew the title for the present work. It is my hope that audiences and performerswill find within it a sense of grace: more than a little familiar, but also quite new and unexpected.
SKU: PR.16500100F
ISBN 9781491114421. UPC: 680160669783. 9 x 12 inches.
SKU: BT.MUSAM996996
ISBN 9781849380140. English.
The Complete Guitar Player series has taught hundreds of thousands how to play and the accompanying songbooks have featured hits by Paul Simon, Elvis Presley, The Beatles, John Denver and many othertopartists.Now these songbooks are available in super value omnibus editions like this one. The songs are still graded by ease of playing and everything is there... standard notation, Guitar chord boxes, full lyrics andevenstrumming patterns!Over 180 great songs! Perfect for all players and singers!The bonus CD contains backing tracks to 16 of the songs in the book.
SKU: BT.DHP-1216326-070
ISBN 9789043162067. English-German-French-Dutch.
1. Emerald Isle, in this part, the musical spotlight focuses in on the green island of Ireland and its great wealth of traditional folk music. The piece opens with the air ‘My Lodging Is on the Cold Ground’, also known under the title ‘Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms’ (bars 5-24). Next, we hear another well-known air ‘The Minstrel Boy’ (bars 29-44). Finally, the air ‘The Groves of Blarney’, possibly better known as ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ (bars 53-68) is heard. Each air is heralded by a short introduction and brought to an end by a short conclusion. 2. Old Kentucky Memories, following an introduction of 14 bars all attention is claimed by the song ‘My Old Kentucky Home’. As the piece goes on, snippets of memories emerge, fleetingly, surfacing fast, but quickly disappearing again: this is musically featured by way of small motifs and themes from other songs. These can be heard briefly, and then they disappear, musing on Old Kentucky until the introduction returns to end the piece. 3. Uppland, is a province in Sweden that had a rich folk music culture, like the whole of Sweden, that boasts many songs and dances. A notable amount of these songs and dances have been composed in minor keys, three of which feature in this part. First, we hear ‘Svensk folkvisa’(bars 1-38), followed by the famous ‘Värmlandsvisan’ (bars 39-67) and then brought to an end by ‘Vexelsang’ (bars 68-end). 4. Ratatouille, in this part, no folk songs of just one country or one province are featured. This piece is a mishmash (or ratatouille), a hotchpotch of three folk songs with no significant relation at all. In succession, we hear a song from Russia (bars 1-30), one from Japan (bars 31-58) and one from Australia (bars 59-end). The composer of the Russian song titled ‘The Nightingale’ is Alexander Alyabyev (1787 1851), but the composers of the Japanese song titled ‘Sakura’ and the Australian ‘Waltzing Matilda’ are unknown.1. Emerald Isle, in dit deel zijn de muzikale schijnwerpers gericht op het groene eiland Ierland, op de grote rijkdom aan traditionele volksmuziek. Het werkje opent met de air ‘My Lodging Is on the Cold Ground’, ook bekend onder de titel ‘Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms’ (maat 5-24). Daarna volgt de bekende air ‘The Minstrel Boy’ (maat 29-44). En ten slotte horen we nog de air ‘The Groves of Blarney’, misschien beter bekend als ‘The Last Rose of Summer’ (maat 53-68). Elke air wordt voorafgegaan door een korte inleiding en beëindigd met een korte afsluiting. 2. Old Kentucky Memories, na een inleiding van 14 maten (deels ook als afsluiting van dit deel gebruikt) wordt alle aandacht opgeëist door de song ‘My Old Kentucky Home’. Al gauw doemen er echter flarden van herinneringen op, vluchtig, snel opkomend, maar ook weer snel verdwijnend: dit krijgt muzikaal gestalte door middel van motiefjes en thema’s uit andere songs. Deze zijn even hoorbaar en dan weer vlug verdwenen... Mijmeren over Old Kentucky dus... 3. Uppland, is een provincie in Zweden met een rijke muziekcultuur, zoals heel Zweden trouwens ruim bedeeld is met volksliederen en volksdansen. Opvallend veel van deze liederen en dansen zijn gecomponeerd in mineurtoonsoorten. Dit is ook het geval met de drie voor dit deel uitgekozen songs: als eerste ‘Svensk folkvisa’(maat 1-38), gevolgd door het bekende ‘Värmlandsvisan’ (maat 39-67) en tot besluit ‘Vexelsang’ (maat 68-slot). 4. Ratatouille, in dit deel worden geen volksliedjes van één land of één provincie belicht. Dit werkje is een ‘ratjetoe’ (ratatouille), een allegaartje van drie folksongs die onderling geen enkel verband met elkaar hebben: de enige overeenkomst is dat ze alle drie als volksmuziek bestempeld kunnen worden. Achtereenvolgens klinkt er een lied uit Rusland (maat 1-30), uit Japan (maat 31-58) en uit Australië (maat 59-slot). Van het Russische lied met de titel ‘De nachtegaal’ is de componist bekend: dat is Aleksandr Aljabjev (1787 1851). Van het Japanse lied ‘Sakura’ en de Australische song ‘Waltzing Matilda’ kennen we niet de componist niet.1. Emerald Isle, in diesem Abschnitt richtet sich die musikalische Aufmerksamkeit auf die grüne Insel Irland mit ihrem großen Reichtum an traditioneller Volksmusik. Das Stück beginnt mit der Melodie My Lodging Is on the Cold Ground“, auch bekannt unter dem Titel Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms“ (Takt 5-24). Anschließend erklingt die bekannte Melodie The Minstrel Boy“ (Takt 29-44). Schließlich ist The Groves of Blarney“, vielleicht bekannter unter dem Titel The Last Rose of Summer“ (Takt 53-68), zu hören. Jede Melodie wird durch eine kurze Einleitung angekündigt und mit einem kurzen Nachspiel beendet. 2. Old Kentucky Memories, nach einer 14 Takte dauerndern Einleitung tritt das Lied My Old Kentucky Home“ in den Mittelpunkt. Im weiteren Verlauf des Stücks erscheinen bruchstückhafte Erinnerungen, die fast so schnell wieder verschwinden, wie sie auftauchen. Dies wird musikalisch durch kleine Motive und Themen aus anderen Liedern dargestellt. Diese sind kurz zu hören und verschwinden dann, während man über Old Kentucky nachdenkt, bis die Einleitung wieder erklingt, die zum Schluss des Stückes führt. 3. Uppland, ist eine schwedische Provinz, die wie ganz Schweden eine reiche Volksmusikkultur mit vielen Liedern und Tänzen hat. Eine große Anzahl der Lieder und Tänze, von denen drei in diesem Abschnitt enthalten sind, stehen in Moll-Tonarten. Zuerst hören wir Svensk folkvisa“ (Takt 1-38), darauf erklingt das berühmte Värmlandsvisan“ (Takt 39-67) und am Ende Vexelsang“ (Takt 68-end). 4. Ratatouille, in diesem Abschnitt werden nicht die Volkslieder eines einzigen Landes oder einer einzigen Provinz vorgestellt, sondern das Stück ist ein Mischung (oder Ratatouille“) aus drei Volksliedern, die keinerlei Beziehung zueinander haben. Zunächst erklingt ein Lied aus Russland (Takt 1-30), dann eines aus Japan (Takt 31-58) und zum Schluss eines aus Australien (Takt 59-Ende). Der Komponist des russischen Liedes mit dem Titel The Nightingale“ ist Alexander Alyabyev (1787 1851). Die Komponisten des japanischen Liedes Sakura“ und der australischen Melodie Waltzing Matilda“ sind unbekannt.1. Emerald Isle (Île d’émeraude), cette première partie met en vedette la verdoyante île d’Irlande et son riche patrimoine de musique folklorique traditionnelle. Elle s’ouvre avec « My Lodging Is on the Cold Ground », un air également connu sous le titre « Believe Me, If All Those Endearing Young Charms » (mesures 5-24). Vient ensuite un autre air célèbre, « The Minstrel Boy » (mesures 29-44), lui-même suivi de « The Groves of Blarney », peut être mieux connu sous le titre « The Last Rose of Summer » (mesures 53-68). Chaque air est annoncé par une courte introduction et s’achève avec une courte conclusion. 2. Old Kentucky Memories (Souvenirs du vieux Kentucky), après une introduction de 14 mesures, toute l’attention se porte sur la chanson « My Old Kentucky Home ». A fil de la pièce, des fragments de souvenirs fugaces émergent, disparaissant aussi vite qu’ils se présentent : cette impression est créée par le biais de courts motifs et thèmes empruntés d’autres chansons. On les entend brièvement puis ils s’estompent, comme de lointains souvenirs du vieux Kentucky, jusqu’ une reprise de l’introduction pour conclure la pièce. 3. Uppland, est une province suédoise aux riches traditions musicales, tout comme l’ensemble de la Suède, qui compte de nombreuses danses et chansons. Beaucoup sont en tonalité mineure, et cette partie en comprend trois. La première est « Svensk folkvisa » (mesures 1-38), qui est suivie de « ‘Värmlandsvisan » (mesures 39-67), et la pièce s’achève avec « Vexelsang » (mesure 68 jusqu’ la fin). 4. Ratatouille, cette dernière partie ne comprend pas d’air provenant d’un seul pays. C’est un méli-mélo, une « ratatouille » de trois chansons folkloriques sans aucun lien. Il y a d’abord une chanson russe, « Le Rossignol » (mesures 1-30), puis « Sakura », originaire du Japon (mesures 31-58) et, enfin, « Waltzing Matilda », venue d’Australie (mesure 59 jusqu’ la fin). La chanson russe est d’Alexander Alyabyev (1787-1851), mais nous ignorons les auteurs des deux autres chansons.
SKU: MB.31103M
ISBN 9781513468792. 8.75x11.75 inches.
Adam Granger self-published the first edition of Grangerâ??s Fiddle Tunes for Guitar in 1979. A second edition was published in 1994. Now Mel Bay Publications presents the third edition of the book.
This 236-page book is the most extensive and best-documented collection of fiddle tunes for the flatpicking guitar player in existence, and includes reels, hoedowns, hornpipes, rags, breakdowns, jigs and slip-jigs, presented in Southern, Northern, Irish, Canadian, Texas and Old-time styles.
There are 508 fiddle tunes referenced under 2500 titles and alternate titles. The titles are fully indexed, making the book doubly valuable as a reference book and a source book.
In this new edition, all tunes are typeset, instead of being handwritten as they were in the previous editions, making the tabs easier to read.
The tunes in Grangerâ??s Fiddle Tunes for Guitar are presented in Easytab, a streamlined tablature notation system designed by Adam specifically for fiddle tunes.
The book comes with a link which gives access to mp3 recordings by Adam of all 508 tunes, each played once at a moderate tempo, with rhythm on one channel and lead on the other.
Also included in Grangerâ??s Fiddle Tunes for Guitar are instructions for reading Easytab, descriptions of tune types presented in the book, and primers on traditional flatpicking and rhythm guitar. Additionally, there are sections on timing, ornamentation, technique, and fingering, as well as information on tune sources and a history of the collection.
Mel Bay also offers The Granger Collection, by Bill Nicholson, the same 508 tunes in standard music notation.
SKU: UT.CH-227
ISBN 9790215324145. 9 x 12 inches.
Emilio Calandin: Piccola sfumaturaClaudia Montero: Lagrimas de Buenos AiresMarco Reghezza: Como PreludioMarco Smaili: PreludioAlessandro Spazzoli: Preludio in Do maggioreRoberto Tagliamacco: Prelude sur le nom de TarregaPaolo Ugoletti: Prelude sur le nom de TarregaHaving been invited several times onto the jury of the prestigious Certamen Tarrega in Benicasim, I thought I would involve a few composers in a gift to the father of the modern guitar. So I asked the composers to write a Prelude of the kind that Tarrega wrote and which count among his most significant compositions.These Preludes for Tarrega, all written between August and November 2015, are very different from each other. The common feature, however, between these and the Preludes by Tarrega is their brevity, an average level of performance difficulty and guaranteed easy listening, even when written in a non-tonal language (like the meditative and melancholy piece by Emilio Calandin and the one by Marco Smaili, with its Impressionistic feel reminding one of Tarrega's most famous pupil, Miguel Llobet).In some Preludes (the ones by Paolo Ugoletti, Roberto Tagliamacco, Claudia Montero) the reference to Lagrima, one of Tarrega's most famous Preludes, is evident in form, title and some citations. Ugoletti and Tagliamacco work well and expressively on harmony and counterpoint, while the Argentinian Claudia Montero links Tarrega to a heartbreaking Buenos Aires...In Alessandro Spazzoli there is rather more a connection with Tarrega's sense of melody and deep simplicity, while Marco Reghezza remembers ironically what was brewing in European music when Tarrega was alive: in fact, his Como Preludio goes across the 24 keys - and even a reference to Wagner's Tristan raises its head...I am delighted for this volume to come out at the time of the fiftieth edition of the Certamen Tarrega.(Piero Bonaguri).
SKU: PR.110418370
ISBN 9781491135075. UPC: 680160686247.
Composed as an organ solo by the 17-year-old Ives for his own performance purposes, the beloved Variations on America is a treat for any occasion, whether a holiday concert, a serious recital, or other special event. Danny Holt’s transcription for Piano, Four Hands adds a dazzling new option to play at home or on stage, taking best advantage of Ives’ tremendous contrasts in color, dynamics, and texture.Composed when Charles Ives was a teenager, Variations on “America†is both a convenient introduction to Ives’ body of work, and an early example of his iconoclastic musical voice and creative genius. Just a few years after composing this piece, Ives would leave home to study music at Yale. But until then he had been taught by his father, George (who had been a bandmaster in the Civil War). George subjected the young Ives to experiments such as singing a song in one key while being accompanied in another, or arranging for two marching bands to converge on a town center, with the resulting cacophony that ensued.The Variations exemplifies an early period of experimentation in Ives’ work, spurred on by the unusual pedagogy of his father. The piece is particularly notable for its use of bitonality in the two interludes, subtly foreshadowing more well-known examples by Stravinsky, Bartók, and others by approximately two decades.The bitonal interludes were so ahead of their time, in fact, they were omitted from the first copy that was submitted to a publisher in 1892. (Alas, the piece was rejected even despite these “shocking†elements having been left out, and it wasn’t published until more than five decades later.) There is some ambiguity about when exactly Ives added the interludes into his manuscript copy, though ample evidence suggests he had performed the piece with the interludes around the time he notated the piece in 1891-92. In any case, in light of this piece and his other polytonal explorations from the last decade of the 19th century, it seems fair to give Ives credit for being a pioneer in this area!This arrangement for Piano, Four Hands, closely follows Ives’ original version for organ, setting aside William Schuman’s popular adaptation for symphony orchestra and William Rhoads’ band transcription of the Schuman orchestration. Pianists will find that the piece translates well to the instrument. Ideally, the choreography and logistics of elbow-to-elbow four-hands playing approximates the wild joy one gets from watching an organist play the piece (e.g., the elaborate pedal part in the final variation).In preparing this publication, attention was paid to details in the dual Critical Editions (Presser 443-41003) of both Ives’ manuscript edition and the 1949 publication edited by organist E. Power Biggs (who is credited with discovering what had been a long-lost, forgotten work.) But as with much of Ives’ output, attempting to create a true ‘urtext’ score is a futile endeavor, and especially with a piece such as this one – in which Ives incorporated improvisation in live performance – seems unnecessary anyhow. True die-hards are of course encouraged to consult the critical editions and even find inspiration in the orchestrated version. Generally, performers are advised to be wild, have fun, and not to be too rigid in their interpretive choices.Dynamics in this arrangement mostly follow the organ score closely. Pianists will use good judgment about pedaling throughout, which should be straightforward and intuitive. Courtesy accidentals have been provided frequently – without parentheses – balancing the need for extra clarity in the context of Ives’ murky musical language, and a desire to avoid unnecessary clutter.A few notes that might inform interpretive decisions:mm. 15-16: There are inconsistencies here between Ives’ original manuscript and the 1949 Biggs edition, regarding the top voice in m. 15, beat 3 (C# vs. Cn) and m. 16 (D Major vs. D Minor).mm. 76-84 & 143-146: In both Interludes, Ives emphatically notates extreme dynamic contrast, in order to highlight the bitonality. Although it may seem counterintuitive (or even a misprint, as has apparently been misconstrued by some), performers are urged to follow the composer’s marking!m. 109: Two-note slurs have been added here for clarity and consistency with other similar passages, though they do not appear in either the original manuscript or Biggs.m. 112: The last two eighth notes of Primo appear as 16ths in the original manuscript.mm. 183-186: The original manuscript has a slightly different bass line.mm. 184 & 186: Primo gestures have been re-written to be slightly more idiomatic for Piano, Four Hands.m. 186: The breath mark at the end of this bar does not appear in either the manuscript or Biggs, but is an editorial suggestion – aside from being appropriately dramatic, it will indeed be necessary in a reverberant hall!I would like to thank Steven Vanhauwaert, the other half of my piano duo, 4handsLA, for his input on early drafts of this arrangement.— Danny Holt, April 2022.
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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