If you grew up playing classical music, I’d wager that you played something by Georg Philipp Telemann. The odds would be in my favor—he composed about 3000 works over his lifetime (more than Bach and Handel, combined). Granted, he had a very long career to do so, having been a child prodigy on several instruments … Continue reading Baroque Music VIII: Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767)
Month: November 2021
Interlude: A Thanksgiving
As we gather with our families and friends to give thanks this November 25th, my mind drifted, relatedly, to St. Catherine of Alexandria, whose feast day coincides this year with our Thanksgiving Day. St. Catherine’s story is literally one of legend. Converted to Christianity at 14, she protested against the persecution of Christians under the … Continue reading Interlude: A Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Treat: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Much like my wife's bacon stuffing at Thanksgiving, this list would not be complete without Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, easily the most famous work of the Baroque Era, despite first entering the modern repertoire in the 1950s. It is an endlessly fun piece to play. First, let’s start with a very historically accurate performance. By all … Continue reading Thanksgiving Treat: Vivaldi’s Four Seasons
Interlude: Mysterious Barricades
Another way to have approached this blog would have been by works, rather than by composers. Had I done so, Francois Couperin's Les Barricades Mysterieuses would have featured prominently. This two-page composition, not even three minutes in duration, was a sonic boom that has reverberated throughout the centuries since its was composed in 1717. It … Continue reading Interlude: Mysterious Barricades
Vivaldi and Bach
The Bach-Vivaldi Conversations are particularly interesting as they span a wide swathe of Bach’s career. First up, Bach’s transcription of Concerto No. 11 in D Minor for Organ. Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto Op. 3, No. 11 in D Minor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8UmlKEWIyY J.S. Bach, Organ Concerto in D Minor (After Vivaldi): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2upDLfG2Os This is more or less a straight transcription. It is thought … Continue reading Vivaldi and Bach
A Gertus History of Music 