tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57653460481013938012024-03-14T02:04:12.967-07:00Signature for LifeReflections about the the role of classical music in life, with famed pianist Tomoko HagiwaraUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger321125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-17894561631803116132024-03-05T17:36:00.000-08:002024-03-05T17:36:36.535-08:00Praising Easter through Music<p>When Tomoko was in college, she played
the organ for Catholic masses. Easter is the most important event in
Catholicism, and music has been an important part of Mass throughout
the ages, including at Easter. Here are some representive samples of
classical pieces for Easter.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Probably the most famous classical
piece played at Easter is Handel's <i>Messiah</i>, particularly the
“Hallelujah” chorus. The entire composition, which traces the
highlights of Jesus's life, took Handel 14 years to finalize, in
1741.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Over a hundred years earlier, in the
1630s, Italian composer Gregorio Allegri set the Latin text of Psalm 51 to music,
<i>Miserere mei, Deus</i>, for two choirs. Pope Urban VIII first used
it for Holy Week services in the Sistine Chapel.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Bach's first major composition for
Easter was <i>St. John Passion</i>, written in 1724 for that year's
Good Friday Vespers service. Bach used John 18 and 19's account of
Christ's crucifixion as the basis for his masterpiece.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><i>St. Matthew Passion</i>, also
written by Johann Sebastian Bach, is often played at Easter because
it is the story of Christ's suffering and death. It was performed
only three times in the 18<sup>th</sup> century, and not performed
again until almost a hundred years later.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">One more Bach piece, his <i>Easter
Oratorio</i>, was first conceived as a cantata for Easter Sunday in
1725.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Even though Haydn was an Austrian
composer, his orchestral work <i>The Seven Last Words of Christ
</i>(which Haydn also approved in piano version) was written for the
1786 Good Friday service at Oratoria de la Santa Cueva in Spain.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Mahler's 1894 Symphony No. 2,
<i>Resurrection</i>, evokes the beauty of that event. At the same
time, this piece has both its light and dark moments.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Rimsky-Korsakov's 1888 <i>Russian
Easter Festival Overture</i> evokes a grand Easter morning service.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While it is often associated with the
American South, the song “Amazing Grace” dates back to 1779,
written by John Newton: a clergyman in the Church of England. Poet
William Cowper collaborated with him on this hymn.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The more contemporary hymn “How Great
Thou Art,” often sung at Easter, was actually based on a
traditional Swedish folk tune.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-14098554636631795532024-02-20T11:50:00.000-08:002024-02-20T11:50:32.919-08:00Political Musical Pieces<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Music has often been associated with
patriotism and politics. Certainly national anthems have inspired a sense of
unity. Politicians have also used music to excite citizens: think of “The Marseillaise.”
Here are some more examples.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Even in the 18<sup>th</sup> century, music
could affirm a country’s leader. Handle’s piece <i>Zadok the Priest</i> was written
to confirm England’s George II’s confirmation as kind. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Sadly, but effectively, Beethoven’s and
Wagner’s music were used to sway the German people to affirm their superiority
and that of Hitler. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">On the other hand, Chopin’s <i>Polonaise</i> was broadcast
on the radio during World War II to rally the Polish people against Hitler’s
invasion. That piece earlier stirred the Poles in 1848 to revolution. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">While Messiaen was a World War II prisoner
of war in Germany, he composed <i>Quartet for the End of Time, </i>which moved even
the camp’s soldiers and resulted in his escape.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Likewise, Shostakovich’s <i>Leningrad</i>
symphony referred to World War II invasion and war. The piece was first broadcast
throughout the city while the Soviets and Germans fought – although the battle paused
to hear the music. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Most recently, Catherine Likhuta’s 2017 composition
<i>Bad Neighbors</i> was commissioned when Russia started invading Ukraine. The
piece evokes fighting and dialogue, and calls for freedom and peace.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In short, composers and their music can stir people to action. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-33061500585011156482024-02-05T14:01:00.000-08:002024-02-05T14:01:41.514-08:00Classical Piano Enriched by Black Musicians<p>The classical piano world has been
helped by a variety of musicians. Because February is celebrated as
Black History month, it is good to focus on Black contributions.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Scott Joplin is one of the most
recognized piano composers of the 20<sup>th</sup> century, and even
won a Pulitzer Prize in 1976. As a teenager, he studied classical
piano and recognized the art of music, not just for entertainment. In
his ragtime compositions, he merged European romanticism with
American folk music syncopation to achieve both contrapuntal and
innovative harmonies in a classical miniature form.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another notable pianist and composer
was George Walker, who wrote almost 100 piece of music, including
vocal works. He too blended spirituals and Western classical forms.
In 1996 he became the first Black composer to be awarded the Pulitzer
Prize for Music.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Tom “Blind Tom” Wiggins was the
highest paid pianist at one point in the 19<sup>th</sup> century –
at the age of ten! He was known for performing pieces by Bach and
Beethoven, and wrote more than 100 piano compositions.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Noted songstress Nina Simone studied
classical piano. In her song writing and piano performance, she has
incorporated complex contrapuntal features inspired by Bach.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Another musical prodigy, Hazel Scott,
studied at Julliard when she was eight years old. She performed both
jazz and classical music “live,” on the radio, and in film. She
was the first African American to host a network TV show in America,
which featured a variety of musical performances.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Music is both international and
culturally developed. We have much to thank Black musicians for
enrichening the classical piano experience. Including their work in
piano repertoires benefits everyone.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-6682285927709355312024-01-28T20:14:00.000-08:002024-01-28T20:14:54.285-08:00AI in Music Composing<p> With the advancements in generative artificial
intelligence (AU) have emerged questions about its impact on music composing.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Generative artificial intelligence is based
on searching through vast data sets of information, in this case, music, to
identify patterns. Algorithms provide directions on how to search, categorize, sort
and synthesize the resultant data to fit human-developed specifications.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">The simplest area of music composition utilizing
generative AI tools is lyrics because of the quantity of textual material that is
readily available. Other AI tools sift through existing songs to predict
variables that are characteristic of popular, profitable compositions. For instance,
fast tempos and major keys are more popular. Based on that information, people
can give prompts to AI music-generating tools to create melodies and harmonies
that audience will enjoy listening too. AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual
Arts) can generate pieces that are hard to distinguish from music created
by classical composers. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Often the source materials has been
gathered without regard to copyright, and lyricists and music publishers are
starting to sue companies that develop and promote their AI text generating
tools. The plaintiffs are demanding licensing deals and royalties for their
works. While copyright allows for compositions that may be based on another
work, the new composition must differ significantly not to be confused with the
prior work and add new value to the music. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What the composers assert that they are due is
consent (permission), credit (attribution), and compensation (typically money).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Nevertheless, AI is not truly creative. It
has no feelings and no sense of nuanced context. Were composers to depend on AI
tools to write music, the results would probably become more homogenous and duller,
certainly not inspiring the listener – or the musician.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-68008212805425847292024-01-09T19:52:00.000-08:002024-01-09T19:52:54.882-08:00January Piano Composers<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Start the year right by celebrating great piano
composers who, themselves, began their lives in January. Several of them rate
high with Tomoko.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Probably her favorite composer, Mozart, was
born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756. Tomoko was married in Salzburg, and
visited Mozart’s landmarks there. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">One of the earlier composers, who competed
with Mozart, is Musio Clementi, who was born in Rome on January 23, 1752. He
was influenced by Scarlatti, Haydn and Bach; in turn, he influenced Beethoven
and Chopin, two more favorite composers of Tomoko. Clementi produced is own
brand of pianos and was a music publisher.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Another special composer on Tomoko’s list is
Franz Schubert, who was born in Himmelpfortgrund, Austria, on January 31, 1797.
This early Romantic composer died when he was only 32, but he left over 600
secular vocal works as well as symphonies operas and many piano compositions.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Almost a hundred years later, Parisian Francis
Poulenc was born on January 7, 1899. He wrote light-hearted pieces such as the
piano suite <i>Trois Mouvements Perperpetuels</i>, and in his later years composed
religious pieces. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-26836236313180707822023-12-26T16:42:00.000-08:002023-12-26T16:42:59.428-08:00Bring Harmony to 2024 <p><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space-collapse: preserve;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">What better way to bring in the new year than with music? And piano music offers a way for an individual to kinesthetically set the tone for the upcoming </span><span class="NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlAdvancedProofingIssueV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,PD94bWwgdmVyc2lvbj0iMS4wIiBlbmNvZGluZz0iVVRGLTgiPz4KPHN2ZyB3aWR0aD0iMTBweCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIycHgiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCAxMCAyIiB2ZXJzaW9uPSIxLjEiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyIgeG1sbnM6eGxpbms9Imh0dHA6Ly93d3cudzMub3JnLzE5OTkveGxpbmsiPgogICAgPCEtLSBHZW5lcmF0b3I6IFNrZXRjaCA1Ny4xICg4MzA4OCkgLSBodHRwczovL3NrZXRjaC5jb20gLS0+CiAgICA8dGl0bGU+aW5zaWdodF90ZXh0dXJlPC90aXRsZT4KICAgIDxkZXNjPkNyZWF0ZWQgd2l0aCBTa2V0Y2guPC9kZXNjPgogICAgPGcgaWQ9Imluc2lnaHRfdGV4dHVyZSIgc3Ryb2tlPSJub25lIiBzdHJva2Utd2lkdGg9IjEiIGZpbGw9Im5vbmUiIGZpbGwtcnVsZT0iZXZlbm9kZCI+CiAgICAgICAgPGcgaWQ9Ikdyb3VwLTItQ29weSI+CiAgICAgICAgICAgIDxyZWN0IGlkPSJSZWN0YW5nbGUiIHg9IjAiIHk9IjAiIHdpZHRoPSIxMCIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyIj48L3JlY3Q+CiAgICAgICAgICAgIDxwYXRoIGQ9Ik0xLDEgTDUsMSIgaWQ9IkxpbmUtNCIgc3Ryb2tlPSIjNzE2MEU4IiBzdHJva2Utd2lkdGg9IjIiIHN0cm9rZS1saW5lY2FwPSJyb3VuZCI+PC9wYXRoPgogICAgICAgIDwvZz4KICAgIDwvZz4KPC9zdmc+')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">365 days</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW107370292 BCX0" paraeid="{0138d57b-ed35-4ea5-8ae9-88dcb399c002}{176}" paraid="1036171991" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The new year is a time of creation. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">As the 18</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun Superscript SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-fontsize="11" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"> century was coming to a close, Joseph Haydn wrote the sacred oratorio </span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">The Creation</span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; 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-webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW107370292 BCX0" paraeid="{0138d57b-ed35-4ea5-8ae9-88dcb399c002}{190}" paraid="1921425631" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">J. S. Bach thought systematically about the year, not surprisingly; “In </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">dir</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">ist</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> Freude” is a gladsome way to herald the new year. This chorale prelude is one of the preludes collected in Bach’s </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Orgelb</span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">ü</span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">chlein</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">, which marks various points in the liturgical year.</span><span class="EOP SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW107370292 BCX0" paraeid="{0138d57b-ed35-4ea5-8ae9-88dcb399c002}{204}" paraid="836137444" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Particularly in Vienna, people welcome the </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">new</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> by </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">clapping to</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> Johann Strauss’s </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Radetzky March</span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">, composed in 1848. It can be arranged for piano solo and duets.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Champagne Polka</span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> is another </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">selection</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> by Johann Strauss that fits for New Year’s Eve parties. He wrote the piece as a little joke, imitating the sound of champagne bottles being uncorked. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">While the piano version does not “pop” as convincingly, it still captures the spirit of the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">pol,ka</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW107370292 BCX0" paraeid="{0138d57b-ed35-4ea5-8ae9-88dcb399c002}{224}" paraid="182188657" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Since 1936 musicians gather to perform at New Year’s concert in Vienna, and Johann Strauss II’s </span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Pizzicato Polka</span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> was played that first year. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Another piece by Strauss II performed at the first concert was </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Die Fledermaus </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Overture </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">of</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> his famous opera. This Strauss’s </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Blue Danube</span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> is another piece performed at the New Year’s concert, often as an encore. All three pieces have been arranged for </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">the piano.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW107370292 BCX0" paraeid="{0138d57b-ed35-4ea5-8ae9-88dcb399c002}{246}" paraid="874743523" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The modern English composer Ernest Tomlinson appreciated light classical music</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">. In 1976 he</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> created </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-style: italic; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Fantasia on Aul</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">d</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> Lang Syne, </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">which uses that traditional song as the main theme, but also weaves in </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">snippets</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> of other 150 other pieces. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Another orchestral composition, it has also been scored for the piano. </span></span><span class="EOP SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW107370292 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW107370292 BCX0" paraeid="{db5362ec-3a3d-41f8-bfcd-f22380c8e727}{15}" paraid="1375367431" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">May 2024 be harmonious….</span><span class="EOP SCXW107370292 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-71907767741335902332023-12-12T15:37:00.000-08:002023-12-12T15:37:03.180-08:00Christmas Musical Traditions<p> </p><p style="orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Tomoko
grew up in Japan, and celebrated Christmas because her family was
Christian. Now Christmas is Japan is more popular and more
commercialized. One contemporary Christmas activity that Tomoko would
approve of is the performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony,
especially its “Ode to Joy” section, which is often sung in
German. Following are Christmas holiday traditions around the
world.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Ethiopians
dress in white as they attend church at Christmas dawn where why they
see their priests dressed up, and the attendees dance and play
musical instruments. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Jamaican
radio stations start playing reggae-style and international
Christmas carols as early as October. Their Christmas festivities
include African-inspired Junkanoo, during which time the Jamaicans
dance in masquerade costumes. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Colombian
families sing religious Christmas carols called villancicos
accompanied by simple percussion instruments. Children sing and play
instruments at Novenas, which are religious gatherings during the
holiday.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Because
Uruguay celebrates Christmas during their summer time, the people
there hold open-air music festivals.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Australia
also celebrates Christmas in their summer season, and their Santa is
often seen surfing – singing parodies of traditional carols. In
contrast, the country's annual “Carols by Candlelight” concert is
a charity appeal for Vision Australia.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Christmasland
in New Taipei City includes a parade carnival and a Christmas Eve
concert.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>The
whole Kastoria community participates in a Christmas time Dionysian
revelry, which features folk melodies.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Christmas
music can be heard as early as September 1 in the Philippines. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>A
week before Christmas Welsh people sing caneuon pygain: long sermons
in song from the 17<sup>th</sup> century, based on folk music, that
tell about Christ's entire life. The songs feature close harmonies
and were traditionally sung before dawn only by men.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Shopping
is a popular Christmas activity in Singapore. In those shopping
malls, caroling and concerts are frequently heard.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Outside
their homes. Assyrian families make Christmas bonfires out of thorn
bushes, and sing psalms as the thorns burn to ashes. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>On
Christmas eve in Denmark families sign carols and hymns around the
tree, and dance around the house.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>In
Germany Protestant churches hold a Christmas eve service called
Christvesper, which includes favorite Christmas carols and festive
music for pianos and organs. Very traditional carols from the Latin
school are also sung. Christmas eve in Germany, Austria, England,
and the Czech Republic also features families lighting their trees
and singing carols. In Bulgaria boy carolers visit neighborhoods
starting at midnight.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Utopia, Palatino Linotype, Palatino, serif;"><span>Venezuelans
carol from house to house, where they received food and drinks. In
their Andes the carolers carry baby Jesus's image. House to house
caroling also happens in Pakistan. In return for the singing, the
families donate to the caroling choirs and their churches. Poland
also features neighborhood caroling on Christmas eve. Romania takes
caroling to a higher level. While children sing carols form house to
house throughout the Christmas seasons, the first day of Christmas
sees carolers parading through the village with a start depicting
Bible stories. </span></span></span>
</p>
<p style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; orphans: 2; widows: 2;">
<br /><br />
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-28996788036315086772023-11-29T13:50:00.000-08:002023-11-29T13:50:22.092-08:00December Piano Composers<p> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Several of Tomoko's favorite composers
were born in December. Here is a chronological sampling.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">December 17, 1770 Beethoven was born in Bonn. His piano compositions reflected the transition from Classical to Romantic eras. Known for a variety of musical forms, his first opus was a piano trio, which was written at age 25 for his patron Prince Lichnowsky.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">December 10, 1822 Cesar Franck was born in Liege (Belgium). He was not only a composer, in the Romantic tradition, but also a music teacher, improviser of novel instruments, pianist and organist. At age 16 her took first prize in piano composition at the Paris Conservatoire.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">December 8, 1865 Sibelius was born in
Hameenlinna, and is known as Finland's greatest composer. His music
helped the country develop a national identity; his pieces were often
inspired by Finland's nature and mythology.</p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">December 3, 1883 Anton Webern was born in Vienna. Following his mentor Schoenberg, Webern was known for his atonal and twelve-tone techniques, which also reflet an expressionist coloring. His music was condemned by the Nazis.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">December 8, 1890 Martinu was born in
Policka (Czech Republic). He is known his his dense neoclassic style,
which drew from Czech folk elements. He tended to compose music for
mixed instruments, including piano duos with another instrument such
as the timpani.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">December 10, 1908 Messiaen was born in
Avignon. Like Franck, Messiaen entered the Paris Conservatoire – at age 11. e too
was a music teacher, lifelong organist and experimenter with new
instruments such as electronic ones. While a WWII prisoner he
composed and performed a piece for the four instruments available in
the the prison. After the war he became a professor at the
Conservatoire where he was a student almost 50 years earlier.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-12721282002127929862023-11-15T21:52:00.000-08:002023-11-29T13:47:47.186-08:00Cultural Music of Japan<p> <span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space-collapse: preserve;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Tomoko grew up in a family that appreciated music. Her father played the violin before he married, and her mother actively </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">participated</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> in Christian churches so listened to much religious music.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; color: windowtext; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW73912361 BCX0" paraeid="{174289e3-e5b0-4ad8-b996-44374b3a443a}{84}" paraid="1879388353" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">As for music in Japan overall, it reflected both the political and religious flows and tensions. </span><span class="EOP SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW73912361 BCX0" paraeid="{174289e3-e5b0-4ad8-b996-44374b3a443a}{90}" paraid="903862947" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Traditional Japanese tonality differed from its Western counterparts. Pentatonic five-tone and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">heptonic</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> seven-tone scales formed the basis of most traditional pieces. The intervals follow the pattern of A, B, C, E, F, A, which is </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">basically a</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> natural minor scale in Western music theory. The Japanese stringed instrument </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">koto</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> is tuned with this scale. </span></span><span class="EOP SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW73912361 BCX0" paraeid="{174289e3-e5b0-4ad8-b996-44374b3a443a}{104}" paraid="2091532048" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Late 19</span><span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 8.5pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun Superscript SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-fontsize="11" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: super;">th</span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> century Meiji dynasty curiosity about Western culture included absorption of foreign classical and religious music. The first piano </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">wasn’t</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> heard until the opening of Japan, but by 1875 the Japanese were manufacturing their own pianos and other Western musical instruments. On the bureaucratic side, the Meiji government created the Music Study Committee, which encouraged Western music. They wanted Japanese composers to write in the Western style, and the committee the German model of music instruction for all students. The committee also led to the founding of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, which Tomoko attended. </span></span><span class="EOP SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW73912361 BCX0" paraeid="{174289e3-e5b0-4ad8-b996-44374b3a443a}{114}" paraid="1615387784" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Surprisingly, combining Western and Japanese music could be challenging though. For instance, Christian religious tended to be Western based, which was sometimes hard for Japanese to intonate. And when missionaries tried to translate their hymns into Japanese, they found it hard to match the rhythm to Japanese text. For example, Russian musician </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Iakov</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-image: var(--urlSpellingErrorV2, url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,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')); background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Tichai</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> tried to integrate Russian Orthodox singing with Japanese tonality, with mixed results. </span></span><span class="EOP SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div><div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCXW73912361 BCX0" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe UI Web", Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;"><p class="Paragraph SCXW73912361 BCX0" paraeid="{174289e3-e5b0-4ad8-b996-44374b3a443a}{128}" paraid="2069839370" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-kerning: none; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span class="TextRun SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-contrast="auto" lang="EN-US" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-ligatures: none !important; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;" xml:lang="EN-US">Tomoko was able to bridge that tension between Western and Japanese music. She tends to play Western classical music professionally, and she sings traditional nursery songs to her grandchild. </span><span class="EOP SCXW73912361 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335559739":160,"335559740":259}" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; font-family: Calibri, Calibri_EmbeddedFont, Calibri_MSFontService, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 20.5042px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"> </span></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-82576590747354075692023-11-03T20:52:00.003-07:002023-11-03T20:52:13.262-07:00November Piano Composers<p>Tomoko asserts that pianists should get acquainted with the
composers of the piano pieces they are performing. Fall for these ten great
piano composers who were born in November.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 2, 1729: Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf was an
Austrian violinist and composer for several instruments, including the piano.
He was a friend of Mozart and Haydn.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 6, 1860: Ignacy Jan Paderewski was a Polish music teacher
and composer; he was also an internationally popular piano performer. He served
as Poland’s prime minister in World War I, and signed the Treaty of Versailles.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 7, 1810: Ferenc Erkel was a Hungarian pianist and
composer. He is known as the father of Hungarian opera, and composed Hungary’s
national anthem. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 11, 1668: Francois Couperin was a French Baroque
composer and organist. His most famous books was <i>The Art of Harpsichord Playing</i>,
and he composed four volumes of harpsichord music.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 14, 1900: Aaron Copland was an American composition
teacher and conductor, and well as being called the Dean of American Composers.
He is known for his populate style.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 22, 1913: Benjamin Britten. One of Tomoko’s favorite
composers, Britten was an English pianist, conductor and composer. Besides
writing operas, he wrote solo pieces. He was also interested in writing music
for children, the most notable piece being <i>Noye’s Fludde</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 24, 1868: Scott Joplin was an African American pianist
and composer. He has been called the King of Ragtime, and considered this musical
genre a form of classical music.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 25, 1785: Franz Gruber was a German organist and
composer. He is best known as the composer of <i>Silent Night</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 25, 1897: Virgil Thompson was an American<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He studied piano at Harvard, and composed
for that instrument – as well as composed operas and film music. He was awarded
that National Medal of Arts by President Reagan.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">November 28, 1829: Anton Rubinstein was a Russian performing
pianist, conductor and composer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was
also Tchaikovsky’s composition teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-43607517534670613562023-10-16T16:09:00.005-07:002023-10-16T16:09:27.479-07:00Spirited Classical Piano Pieces<p> At Halloween time, classical piano
music may be very spirited – as in eerie. Here is a sampling,
which may have surprising popular culture connetoins.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Viewers of Disney's 1940 movie <i>Fantasia</i>
witnessed an abstract visual interpretation of Bach's Toccata &
Fugue in D minor. The opening chords followed by a rippling effect
are hard to forget.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Beethoven's <i>Moonlight Sonata </i>Opus
27, was written at the start of the 19<sup>th</sup> century. The
nickname of the piece, bestowed after Beethoven's death, alluded to a
musical suggestion of moonlight reflected off a German lake. Even
without the moonlight, the tone of the piece is ghostly.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Schubert is known for his lieder. His
1815 piece <i>The Elf King</i> was based on a Goethe poem. The
rushing sound evokes haunted galloping horses, and may be heard in
some horror films.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Chopin's <i>Funeral March</i> (Piano
Sonata no. 2) was played at Chopin's own funeral – as well as the
funerals of John F. Kenny, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher.
It is often played in the media: from <i>Beetlejuice</i> to cartoons.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Rachmaninoff compared his <i>Prelude in
C# minor</i> (Opus 3, no. 2) when he was only 19 years old. Also
known as the “Bells of Moscow” because of its bell-like opening.
The piece was indirectly inspied by Edgar Allan Poets gothic writing.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">One could say that these piano
compositions are scary good, which is why they have featured in film
as well as concert halls. They can spirit one away...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-13787157139950816292023-10-01T20:02:00.001-07:002023-10-01T20:02:07.915-07:00Tracking Sheet Music<p>Most piano sheet music has a consistent
structure in terms of notes, staffs, and key signatures. These
symbols are developed over several centuries by both composers and
publishers.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The earliest written music dated about
2000 BC in Syria. Musical notation similar to today's symbols was
evident in the early 11<sup>th</sup> century, which constituted of
marking relative pitch direction connected with lyrics. Next a staff
of four lines with a key indicator and quadrilateral or circular
notes, helped singers determine the level of pitch.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Scores for instruments, rather than for
vocalists, became the norm by the 17<sup>th</sup> century. Besides
including a fifth line for staff, clefts, tempo, dynamic markers, and
ties and slugs were added. The eariest piano sheet music was
published in the 18<sup>th</sup> century, just a few decades after
the piano was invented.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Composers traditionally wrote their
pieces by hand, and the music was often copied by hand as well
because it was challenging for printers to align the notes with the
staff and other marks. As a beginning form of sheet music in the 15<sup>th</sup>
century, blank staff pages were printed to support notations. Metal
plates were used to print multiple copies of scores.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Now computer notable software
facilitates digital sheet music., which is available in print and
online. Furthermore, score written computer programs facilitate
composing, and can be played back as feedback to facilitate
refinements for both creators and performers.
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-34864527446569856262023-09-21T20:10:00.002-07:002023-09-21T20:10:17.023-07:00Try to Remember the Piano Composers of September<p> September is known as the typical month to start the school
year. It’s also a popular month for piano composers to be born. Here is a
sampling.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 1, 1854: Engelbert Humperdinck. Known for his opera
<i>Hansel and Gretel</i>, Humperdinck first composed it as a set of songs, with
piano accompaniment, for his nieces’ puppet show. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 1, 1661: Georg Bohm. This German organist and
composer wrote for the keyboard, and is known for his improvisational style of
playing. Bohn and Bach were close friends. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 4, 1824: Antonin Bruckner. Austrian composer Anton
Bruckner starting playing the organ as a child, and gave organ lessons as an
adult. He didn’t start composing seriously until almost in his 40s, and was not
widely recognized until his 60s. Most of his piano works were written for
teaching purposes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 8, 1841: Antonin Dvorak. Czech composer Antonin
Dvorak also drew on his native Slavic folk dance forms in his piano duet piece
Slavonic Dances. Moravian and other Eastern European traditional music forms
also inspired him.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 13, 1819: Clara Schumann. Besides being an
accomplished composer, Clara Schumann was the professional pianist in the
family. She was also a great business partner and confidante for Schuman, and edited
his work after he died. <span style="background: #C0A154; color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 13, 1874: Arnold Schoenberg. Born to a Jewish
family in Austria, Schoenberg largely taught himself how to play the piano, even
though his mother was a piano teacher. Later on he too became a music teacher
even though he is more known for developing the twelve-tone method of
composition. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 16, 1887: Nadia Boulanger. While she did not think
she was an accomplished composer, Boulanger was a gifted composer teacher.
Gershwin wanted to study under her, but she refused as she didn’t want to stifle
his more popular style. She also performed on the organ and piano. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 25, 1906: Dmitri Shostakovich. Even as a child,
Dmitra showed a gift for the piano and music in general. At age 13 he entered
the Petrograd Music Conservatory, and he wrote his first symphony at age 19.
Much of his work was theatrical, and he was known for his film music.
Nevertheless, he also wrote for the piano, including waltzes.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">September 26, 1898: George Gershwin. Like Schoenberg, Gershwin’s
family was Jewish. Interestingly, Gershwin and Schoenberg were friends and
tennis partners in the States. His first compositions were Broadway theater
works, but he composed and performed popular, jazz and classical genres. <o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-66900814531996329652023-09-07T18:23:00.003-07:002023-09-07T18:23:37.460-07:00Going Electric or Electronic?<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Nothing equals the sound and touch of an acoustic piano, but it is
good to know about alternative types of pianos.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Both an acoustic and an electric piano amplify the sound
generated by hammers hitting wire strings. An acoustic piano uses a soundboard
to do this work, and an electric piano typically uses electromagnetic pickups,
circuitry and a speaker system. There is a variety of electric pianos. Some
have a traditional soundboard that has a electric-based pickups attached. Other
electric pianos use flat steel reeds that are hit or plucked. The struck element
can also resemble a tuning fork with two vibrating parts. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Technically, an electric piano is actually an electro-mechanical
instrument, unlike a synthesizer. The latter converts electric audio signals from
an oscillator into sound waves, and does not try to replicate a piano sound.
The quality ones are costly and are designed for professional musicians and
composers.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The first electric pianos were produced in the late 1920s,
and became popular by the 1950s. Now electronic pianos, which emulate the sound
of an electric piano, have largely replaced electric pianos because of their
portability and their ability to sound like a variety of musical instruments. Electronic
pianos use analog synthesis to generate sound while digital pianos use digital
data sample-based synthesis. Portable digital pianos also exist, sometimes
called slab pianos. They contain the full 88 hammer-action keys.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If you are thinking of buying a digital piano, consider the
following factors:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></span>Acoustic pianos need tuning, but their sound and
touch feel more “authentic” than a digital piano.</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A digital piano does not have the same resonance
and layered reverberation as an acoustic piano.</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Digital pianos can be adjusted for different sound
levels, but they require a power source to play, so are less ecological.</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Acoustic pianos cost more initially but they
depreciate more slowly than a digital piano.</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Digital pianos may have several built-in sounds,
and may include recording features. </li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In choosing a digital piano, consider:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Its keyboard action and touch response</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Its sound quality – and the number/kinds of
sounds and tones</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The number of individual notes that can be
produced at once (polyphony); at least 32-note polyphony, but 64-note polyphony
can create complex sounds</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Learning tools</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Its amplification and speakers</li><li><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Its accessories: cables, stand, cover, case,
bench</li></ul><!--[if !supportLists]--><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If at all possible, try a variety of pianos and see which
one “resonates” for you and other users of that instrument. If it is uncomfortable,
you won’t enjoy it and not matter the cost, it will probably be a waste. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-66365792903676675032023-08-23T13:41:00.002-07:002023-08-23T13:41:22.214-07:00Fruitful Music<p> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Fruit probably isn't the first thing
that comes to mind when thinking about piano music – except maybe
the advice of the piano teacher who recommends playing the piano with
hands curved as if holding an orange. Nevertheless, piano composers
have been inspired by fruit, as evidenced in the following pieces.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Speaking of oranges, Prokofiev wrote
the farcical fairy tale opera <i>For the Love of Three Oranges</i>.
In this story, the cursed prince has to search for three oranges and
finds love in the process. In one production, the audience received
“scratch'n'sniff” cards to get more engaged. Piano arrangements
are available, but not while sniffing....</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It's a bit of a stretch, but
Tchaikovsky's “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” from his
<i>Nutcracker Suite</i> does have a sweet sound. In this case, plums
have been “dressed up” for the holidays as was the suite itself.
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Plums, especially within the context of
cooking, also inspired Bernstein. His work <i>La Bonne Cuisine</i>
(Four Recipes) has as its fist “Plum Pudding,” which was composed
for voice and piano. The lyrics were adapted from Emile Dumont's 1899
cookbook</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Satie took a tongue-in-cheek approach
to incorporating fruit in his piano suite <i>Three Pieces in the Form
of a Pear</i>. There are actually seven pieces, and they have
surprising features. As for the pear, the suite was compased for a
piano duet: a pair of performers. So not really about fruit – but
maybe he sounds a bit fruity.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Obviously, grapes consitute the basis
for wine, which then led to several other music, but we'll let that
vein age for now...</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-42176095003782062142023-08-11T19:15:00.001-07:002023-08-11T19:15:07.596-07:00the Dog Days of Piano Music<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">The phrase “the dog days of summer” has a surprising meaning;
it refers to the dog star Sirius that appears at that time of the year just before
dawn. Apropos of dogs, though, classical music can have a calming effect on
dogs. Here is a sampling.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Starting on a somber note – and one of Tomoko’s favorite
composers – Chopin’s <i>Prelude in E minor</i> uses a descending melody line
that can act as a way to move a dog to slumberland. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another one of Tomoko’s favorite composers is Bach. His <i>Air
on the G String</i>, with its sustained notes, can soothe a savage beast.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While some movements, such as “Fossils,” of Saint-Saën’s <i>Carnival
of the Animals</i> might wake up a sleeping day, to let sleeping dogs lie, “The
Swan” movement can work well with its tone of gently rippling water.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Similarly, the “Lullaby” movement from Stravinsky’s 1945 <i>Firebird
Suite</i> can put a pooch to sleep – unlike the spritely “Scherzo Dance of the Princesses”
movement.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">A more recent addition to the composer line-up is Ludovico
Einaudi, whose music can remind one of the classics. His piece <i>L’Onde</i>, which
was inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel The Wave (hence the musical title) has a
softly flowing rhythm that may seem like a lullaby for your wagging pal. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">These lovely pieces can also work on humans….<o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-78099532047658899142023-07-23T12:12:00.004-07:002023-07-23T12:12:39.330-07:00Past into the Future: Video Games and Classical Music<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Music has been associated with games for millennia with
fighting songs and victory anthems. Music has also played a key role in video games.
Particularly as technical advances have enabled video games to include whole
symphonic music, classical pieces have been incorporated (and public domain
status has also helped in terms of copyright and royalties). Especially as San
Diego Comic-Con is happening, now is a good time to sample classical piano pieces
that have been used in video games. Even Tomoko might be surprised at the ways
that her favorite composers have been integrated into this recent game format.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Starting with the obvious, <i>Eternal Sonata</i> is an RPG (role-playing games) about a
composer’s life, its premise being Chopin’s dying dream. Among the pieces
featured in this game is a remixed version of Chopin’s “Revolutionary” etude,
Opus 10, no. 12 in C minor, used in the game’s final battle scene.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another natural use of classical music is experienced in the
video game franchise <i>Civilization</i>. Ever since the first game in 1991, famous
classical pieces have served as thematic ties for events and leaders. Pieces
range from Gregorian chants to Romantic Age compositions by Brahms, Dvorak and
Saint-Saens to underscore the historic period.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On the other hand, Debussy is probably not the first name
that comes to mind, particularly for sinister games. Nevertheless, his <i>Claire
de Lune</i> is featured in the game <i>The Evil Within</i>. The piece is used as
a counter to horror, reassuring the player that safety is nearby.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of dark games, Schubert’s “Ave Maria” (aka “Ellen’s
Third Song” from <i>Seven Songs from Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake</i>) starts
the game <i>Hitman: Blood Money</i>. Its peaceful tone is almost an ironic counterpoint
to this violent game. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On a more positive note, Mozart and Bioshock? 2013’s <i>Bioshock
Infinite</i> includes a visit to a Hall of Heroes memorial, which mood is
accentuated with a section from Mozart’s <i>Requiem in D minor</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Disney characters rule in the game <i>Kingdom Hearts</i>. It’s
not surprising, then, that the game’s music would draw from Disney’s movie
Fantasia, specifically Mussorgsky’s <i>Night on Bald Mountain</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Speaking of kingdoms, in the game <i>Earthworm Jim 2</i>,
the main character must save the princess from an archvillain. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Beethoven’s third movement rondo “Moonlight”
from his <i>Piano Sonata no. 14 in C# minor</i> plays in the background. The sonata’s
first movement underscores Jim’s floating through a creature’s intestine. This
sonata may never feel the same after that experience. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The game <i>Grand Theft Auto III</i> uses a clever ploy: the
car’s classical music radio state, complete with a parodied culture vulture DJ.
The player drives around creating chaos, accompanied by background music from <i>Le
Nozze di Figaro, La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, Rigoletto, </i>and<i> Don
Giovanni</i>.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">You never know where classical music will pop up; it’s that
popular. <o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-43020487644045255502023-07-06T13:37:00.002-07:002023-07-06T13:37:31.270-07:00If Music Be the Food of Love, Play On<p> In the play "Twelfth Night," Shakespeare wrote: "If music be the food of love, play on." In reality, food can inspire composers. Tomoko appreciated good food herself, and likely played to fuel her own soul Here is a sampling for you to taste.</p><p>Probably the most famous food-related piece -- and comic opera -- is Bach's <i>Coffee Cantata</i>. Bach himself liked coffee, and it is told that this piece was performed in a coffee house. The underlying story tells of a young woman's obsession with coffee, which her father wants to curb. </p><p>Prokofiev's opera (which has been arranged for piano) <i>Love for Three Oranges</i> tells a fanciful tale of a prince cursed by a witch to search for three oranges, and finds love on the way.</p><p>Another performance piece, in this case a ballet, that food inspired is Tchaikovsky's <i>Nutcracker Suite</i>, especially "The Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies." The then new piano-like instrument the celeste, with its high-pitched glittery tone, evoked the crystalline texture of sugar plums.</p><p>Schubert was inspired by the unlikely food-related song "The Trout", which used the metaphor of fishing as a girl "hooked" a mate. He transformed the piece into <i>The Trout Quartet</i>, which is performed by a piano and four stringed instruments. The work is rather melancholy, as was Schubert at the time. </p><p>Want to play a piano duet about food? Taste-test Satie's piano suite <i>Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear </i>(which actually includes ten morsels). It's a very playful set of miniatures with a surprising variety of moods. Get you get the joke about pears and (piano) pairs?</p><p>The (food) take-away? Food-inspired music can be a buffet of delight to feed the soul.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-40329949241957956102023-06-20T20:23:00.002-07:002023-06-20T20:23:19.210-07:00Here Comes the Bridal Piano<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">In the US, June has been the traditional month for weddings.
Music is also a traditional part of weddings, and piano piece figure largely.
Here is a sampling, all written by composers whom Tomoko admires.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The traditional standard wedding piece is Mendelssohn’s <i>A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, Opus 61: IX. Wedding March. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>It is often performed in the movies (perhaps
because it is in the public domain). A less known wedding choice composed by
Mendelssohn, but very endearing, is his “On Wings of Song.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tomoko’s favorite piano composer, Mozart, wrote “Serenade,
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, K 525: II. Romanza-Andante.“ Its stately, measured pace
give the wedding ceremony sweet gravitas. To set a more lively yet majestic
tone, the wedding couple might choose Mozart’s overture to <i>The Marriage of
Figaro</i>. Or if the couple wants to exult, they can always choose Mozart’s “Alleluja”
from <i>Exsultate, Jubilate,</i> K 165.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Planning an elegant and sophisticated wedding? Then Johann
Sebastian Bach’s “Arioso” would set the tone. Tomoko appreciates his timeless
structure and use of chords.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beethoven’s love letter in music, “Fur Elise,” resonates even
today, and couples can affirm their own requited love. Tomoko knows that this
famous piano piece may serve as a rite of passage for aspiring piano players. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">“Claire de lune” from Debussy’s <i>Suite Bergamasque</i> is
another favorite (as is Debussy for Tomoko). Its dreamy soft theme creates a
lovely background for weddings.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another romantic choice is Saint-Saens’ “The Swan” from his <i>Carnival
of the Animals</i>. Its almost melancholy tone that resolves into a major key
reflects the transition from singlehood to couplehood. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another favorite composer of Tomoko, Edvard Grieg, is known
for his “Wedding Day at Troldhauen, Opus 65, No. 6.” It bears a surprising
resemblance to <i>The King and I’s</i> “March of the Siamese Children.”<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">For the bride’s entrance, Strauss’s Radetzky March” Opus 228
makes a bold statement. Strauss’s “Blue Danube” evokes the spirit of Vienna. And
while waltzes are not the usual fare at wedding receptions, imagine how lovely
the bride and groom would look if this were their first dance. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Tomoko also enjoys the dance music of Brahms. His piece “Hungarian
Dance No. 5 in G Minor” strikes a special chord for Tomoko as she married a
Hungarian. <o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-2732887429431227292023-06-10T17:51:00.001-07:002023-06-10T17:51:06.374-07:00Romantic June<p>The month of June is often associated with romance and weddings. Tomoko was born in June, the same
month as several of her favorite composers of the Romantic age.</p>
<p class="Textbody" style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="color: #202124;">Mikhail Glinka. (born June 1, 1804 in Russia) was the
first Russian composer to be well known in his country, creating operas,
orchestral works, chamber music, art songs, along with piano pieces. For years
his composition "Patrioticheskaya Pesnya" was the country’s national
anthem.</span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="color: #202124;">Robert Schumann (born June 8, 1810 in Germany) intended
to become a virtuoso pianist, but instead he became known as one of the
greatest Romantic era composers. For years, he wrote only piano pieces; later
he added other orchestral instruments to his compositions and write many lieder.</span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="color: #202124;">Richard Strauss (born June 11, 1864 in Germany) wrote his
first composition at age six and continued composing music into his eighties. He
represents later German Romanticism. He is best known for his operas, but also
wrote tone poems, lieder, orchestral works, chamber works, and solo pieces.
Straus also made live-recording play piano rolls.</span></p>
<p class="Textbody" style="margin-bottom: 3.0pt; mso-pagination: widow-orphan;"><span style="color: #202124;">Edvard Grieg (born June 15, 1843 in Norway) made Norwegian
music famous and helped develop its national identity, especially when he based
his compositions on Norwegian folk music. Grieg was the cournty’s leading Romantic
composers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Professionally, he started as
a concert pianist, but was inspired by Norwegian composers he met to write his
own music, including piano pieces. <o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-51546999440001844432023-05-24T15:21:00.001-07:002023-05-24T15:21:18.719-07:00Patriotic Music<p> Memorial
Day in the United States commemorates its military personnel who died
in defending their country. Music is often played in remembrance: the
national anthem, “Taps,” “God Bless the USA,” “America the
Beautiful,” “This Land Is Your Land.”</p>
<p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;">Music can
also reflect political flows and tensions. Mid-nineteenth Meiji
curiosity about Western culture included absorption of foreign
classical and religious music. The first piano wasn’t heard until
the opening of Japan, but by 1875 the Japanese were manufacturing
their own pianos and other Western musical instruments. On the
bureaucratic side, the Meiji government created the Music Study
Committee, which encouraged Western music. They wanted Japanese
composers to write in the Western style, and the committee the German
model of music instruction for all students. The committee also led
to the founding of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and
Music, which Tomoko attended.</p>
<p style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0in; padding: 0in;"><span lang="en-US">Just
as often, Japan co-opted Western music to advance their own
patriotism. One propaganda strategy during World War II was singing.
As part of Japan’s growing nationalism, the government commissioned
lyricists to write patriot words to Westernized music or traditional
folk tunes, which became a required part of each grade’s
curriculum. Tomoko was in elementary school at that time, and sang
those songs. Besides promoting Japanese superiority, these songs also
encouraged adventurousness. One of the songs ended with a verse that
suggested, “I want to put a boat in the sea and go to another
country.” Who knows if those lyrics waited in Tomoko’s
subconsciousness to be awakened years later when she set her heart to
come to America?</span> </p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-41222838770765244742023-05-10T12:22:00.006-07:002023-05-10T12:22:47.805-07:00Musical Timing<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Timing is critical in music. Piano performance certainly
relies on it, as Tomoko well appreciates. Piano composers know how timing
impacts the musical message such as a dirge versus a festive piece – as well as
a performer’s interpretation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time
itself as a thematic focus has inspired piano composers as the following examples
illustrate.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Haydn’s Symphony No. 101 is nicknamed “The Clock” because of
its ticking rhythm. Since its inception, the Andante <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>second movement has been arranged for piano. Haydn
also wrote <i>Music for a Musical Clock</i> for a friend who wanted his clock
to play music.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Beethoven’s <i>Pieces for a Mechanical Clock</i> were only
discovered after his death. At least some of the pieces were score for piano.
The music itself evokes a mechanical clock.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Chopin’s <i>Minute Waltz</i> is well known. What is less
well known is that the piece lasts between one and two minutes; the term “minute”
actually means small.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Harrison Birtwistle’s piano piece <i>Harrison’s Clocks</i>
was inspired by an 18<sup>th</sup> century clock maker. Each movement mimics a
clock’s mechanisms.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Leroy Anderson’s composition “The Syncopated Clock” is another
concert favorite with its lighthearted treatment. Anderson was in the U.S. Army
when he was asked to guest conduct for the Boston Pops Orchestra. He wanted to
provide a new composition for the concert so quickly wrote the piece and
premiered it while he was on a three-day pass to do the conducting. This piece
is also available as a piano arrangement. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Playing these piano pieces is a fun – and maybe ironic – way
to spend time. <o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-38836938731563483062023-04-27T17:26:00.007-07:002023-04-27T17:26:52.007-07:00Animated Piano<p>Tomoko enjoys films, and appreciates the music that is incorporated into them. </p><p>One specialized type of film is animated films, which started almost as early as “real life” films. As examples,, <i>Gertie the Dinosaur</i> in 1914 and the first feature-length
animated film <i>el Apostol</i> in 1917 greatly attracted audiences. These silent films were often
accompanied by piano and organ music, and classical pieces were sometimes used
because of their familiarity. Even modern animated films, especially cartoons,
continue to incorporate classical pieces. Here is a sampling.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One of most well known cartoons that used classical music
was Bugs Bunny’s <i>What’s Opera Doc?,</i> which featured Wagner’s <i>Tannh</i><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">ӓ</span>user</i>
chorus. Wagner is less well known for his piano compositions. For instance, his
<i>Wesendonck Lieder</i> for piano and voice were studies for <i>Tristan and
Isolde</i>. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Several other classical piano pieces have become tropes for
cartoons because of their vivid connotations:<o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Rachmaninov’s <i>Prelude in C# Minor</i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Liszt’s <i>Hungarian Rhapsody</i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Mendelssohn’s “Spring Song” from <i>Leider ohne
Worter<o:p></o:p></i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Rimsky’ Korsakov’s<i> Flight of the Bumble Bee</i></p></blockquote><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Probably the first full-length animated movie that comes to
mind when linked to classical music is Disney’s 1940 <i>Fantasia</i>. Piano
composers who were featured in that movie included:<o:p></o:p></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Johann Sebastian Bach with his organ music <i>Toccata
and Fugue in D minor</i></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Tchaikovsky with his Nutcracker Suite; Percy Grainger
arranged the Flower Waltz for piano, and Mikhail Pletnev adapted seven segments
of the <i>Nutcracker</i> into a concert suite for piano</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Paul Dukas with his <i>Sorcerer’s Apprentice</i>,
which he also transcribed for two pianos</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Stravinski with his <i>Rite of Spring</i>, which
was also composed as a two-hand and four-hand arrangement</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Mussorgsky with his <i>Night on Bald Mountain</i>,
for which he had written a version for piano and orchestra</p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Franz Schubert with his <i>Ave Maria</i>, for
which Franz Liszt arranged in three versions for piano.</p></blockquote><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Animated films have
helped to popularize classical piano, including exposing children at an early
age, to animate their interest. Tomoko would approve.<o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-62202717690922372942023-04-13T12:39:00.004-07:002023-04-13T12:39:28.571-07:00A Little Travel Music<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal">Tomoko has a lifetime love of driving. She bought her first car
when she was studying at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and she kept
driving to the school during her fifty+ years teaching there. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Composers have also loved cars and used them to inspire
their compositions. Here is a sampling of those works. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Probably the best known composition, which has been arranged
for piano, is George Gershwin’s 1928 “An American in Paris.” Not surprisingly,
the piece was inspired by Gershwin’s time in Paris when he studied with Ravel.
The original composition was a jazz-influenced orchestral piece, which even imitated
street noises such as taxi horns.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Another French-inspired piano composition, “L’omnibus
automobile,” was written by Eric Satie. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
cabaret song, with piano accompaniment, evokes a Bastille Day when an empty bus
carrying plaster drove through a crowd. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Frederick Converse was inspired by the early Ford cards in
his imagined “The 10 millionth Ford Flivver” orchestral piece. Most of instruments
are wind and percussion ones, but an organ is also played.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Even car companies have used classical compositions when
naming their models. For instance, Bach’s “24 Preludes” was the inspiration for
the Honda Prelude. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Of course, lots of rock and roll music featured cars, such
as the Beach Boys and Chuck Berry, but car-inspired music is as class as the
cars themselves. <o:p></o:p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5765346048101393801.post-83866601389856031652023-03-28T15:14:00.004-07:002023-03-28T15:14:56.747-07:00Musical Masques<p> </p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">While we hear lots about masks these
days, masques were very popular in the16th and 17<sup>th</sup>
century Europe (especially England). Masques were courtly
entertainments that included music, dancing, singing and acting; they
were associated with masked balls. Performers wore costumes and the
setting could be quite elaborate. The story line typically presented
classical fables or allegories. At that time, instruments for masques
consisted of stringed and wind instruments. Unfortunately, no early
scores from those times survived.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Interestingly, masque music for piano
appeared centuries later.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">For example, Claude Debussy's piano
solo <i>Masques</i> L. 105 was composed in 1904. While brisk in pace
(almost frantic at times), Debussy's piece expressed his sense of
tragedy, reflecting his sad separation from his first wife.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Karol Szymanowski's <i>Masques for
piano</i>, opus 34, consists of three pieces: Scheherazade, Tantris
the Fool, and a Don Juan serenade. The miniature pieces parodied
Western mythic characters; for instance, Tantris was a variation of
<i>Tristan and Iseult</i> in which Tantris/Tristan masquerades as a
fool in order to meet his love. Written during World War I in his
Ukraine home town, the composition was inspired by his travels in the
Mediterranean and by Debussy's impressionistic style.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Vincent Persichetti was an American
composer and teacher. His students included, among others, Philip
Glass and Peter Schickele, <i>Masques for violin and piano</i>, opus
99, was written in 1965. It consists of ten short movements, and was
commissioned for the Preparatory Division of the Juilliard School of
Music where he taught.</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> Most recently, Philippe Saisse is a current French
composer. His 1995 album <i>Masques</i> includes eleven smooth jazz
piano pieces, a long way from the Renaissance and Baroque masques.
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