Thankful for November Piano Composers

 

In the United States, Thanksgiving is celebrated in November. It is a time to be thankful, and we can be thankful for several pianists and composers who were born in November. Here are a few of them.

Francois Couperin was born on November 10, 1668, in Paris, and died there. He is the most well known musician among his musically talented family. He first became an organist like his father, and composed for that instrument. Later he composed for the harpsichord, and wrote a manual on how to play the harpsichord.

Alexander Borodin was born on November 12, 1833, in St. Petersburg, and died there. Borodin was a cellist and is best known for his symphonies, although he also wrote for the piano. Nevertheless, music was more of a hobby, as he was a doctor and chemist, particularly in organic chemistry.

Anton Rubinstein was born on November 28, 1829, in Podolsk, Russia, and died in Petergof (Russia). He was a virtuoso pianist; among his achievements was playing seven concerts that covered the history of piano music. He wrote many piano works, and was a successful teacher—including teaching composition to Tchaikovsky.

Aaron Copland was born on November 14, 1900, in New York City and died there. He has been called the Dean of American composers because his compositions evoke American landscapes and pioneer spirit. Many of his works “speak” the vernacular of America. Hie composed in many genres: from ballet to film scores, along with piano scores. He was also a professional teacher and pianist.

Benjamin Britten was born on November 22, 1913, in Lowestoft, UK. Britten composed for orchestras, chamber groups, the piano, and vocal groups. He was particularly interested in composing for children and amateur performers, for which his opera Noye’s Fludde is the most famous. Britten was also a celebrated pianist.

Who know what young person born in November of the 21^st century will become a famous pianist and composer, who will be thanked by future audiences and musicians?

 

Thanksgiving for Music

 

Thanksgiving is a well known holiday in the United States, and there are several classical music pieces that fit for this time of year.

A popular choice is Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring, which was composed as a ballet to tell the story of American pioneers building a farmhouse. A piano arrangement can be heard at https://youtu.be/zyrOl4vwyD0. Even though the season is spring, this suite expresses the American frontier spirit associated with Thanksgiving.

Vivaldi’s third movement, “Autumn,” from his 1725 composition The Four Seasons certainly capture the feeling of fall. In addition, the lyrics “celebrate the peasant, with songs and dances, and the pleasure of a bountiful harvest.”

England has celebrated days of Thanksgiving for centuries. The 18^th century English composer Maurice Greene wrote the anthem “Thou Visited the Earth, which is very appropriate for Harvest Thanksgiving. The lyrics are based on Psalm 65: ‘Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it; and crownest the year with thy goodness.”

The hymn “For the Beauty of the Earth,” written in 1864 by Folliott Sanford Pierpoint, was first considered a communion hymn, but soon became a popular song for Thanksgiving.

William Lloyd Webber -- a London composer, organist, and choirmaster—wrote “A Hymn of Thanksgiving” in 1936. You probably know his son Andrew Lloyd Webber better because of his 21 musicals and other scores.

But the 4^th century Saints Ambrose and Augustine could be considered the earliest Thanksgiving composers with their “Te Deum,” although Saint Niketas, bishop of Remesiana about the same time in history, is also credited for this hymn of Thanksgiving. The Te Deum is still part of the Liturgy of the Hours, giving thanks to God.

In all these cases, we can be thankful for such classical composers.

Fall for these Romantic October composers

 

As fall can evoke a romantic spirit, let’s celebrate five Romantic composers who began their lives in October.

Verdi was born October 9 or 10, 1813, near Busselo (Italy). While yet a teenager, Video wrote a set of variations for the pianoforte, which he performed publicly in may venues. As an adult her also gave private lessons, included to Margherita Barezzi, who became his first wife. A romantic, operatic story in itself.

Liszt was born October 22, 1811, in Raiding, Hungary. Like Verdi, who was about the same age, Liszt was a Romantic composer, but his list of piano compositions and performance greatly outpaced Verdi’s. Liszt was also a professional concert pianist, from age 10, and continued for decades, becoming a 19^th century “star” in Europe. He also taught hundreds more students than Verdi.

Johann Strauss II was born October 25, 1825, in Vienna. He composed over 500 dance pieces amd other light music. Known as the Waltz king, he popularized the Viennese waltz.

Saint-Saens was born October 9, 1835, in Paris. He too was a Romantic composer and performer. He started his public piano performances at age 10, although he made more money as an organist.   He taught both organ and piano studies, but left that profession to focus on composing and performing. During World War I he performed frequently to raise money for war charities. Even at age 86 he was still playing professionally.

Bizet was born October 25, 1838, in Paris. Bizet was an award-winning pianist himself, but he didn’t want to be known for this skill, so he seldom performed publicly. Mainly known for his operas, especially Carmen, Bizet also composed for the piano, but was largely ignored for them. To make a living, Bizet made hundreds of piano transcriptions of other composers’ pieces.

 

Music and Politics

Music can draw people together and build solidarity. It can evoke a sense of patriotism – or revolution. In this election season in the US. we have seen politicians use music to influence voters – sometimes as part of an election speech event and sometimes without the musician’s permission. Music’s influence on elections has a long history. Here are some examples.

Handel’s “See, the Conquering Hero Comes!” from his oratorio Judas Maccabeus was performed by bands and singers throughout England as political winners were carried on chairs throughout the streets in celebration.

One way to popularize a politician or an issue is to sing about it. In 18^th and 19^th century, ballad singers would take a popular song and write new, political lyrics to it. Then the singers would perform those songs in public places. Sometimes those songs affected the election outcome.

In other cases, composers expressed their political views through their music. Shostakovich exemplifies his changing politics – and reaction by the Soviet government. His second symphony’s finale was a pro-Soviet choral movement, but his politically satirical opera The Nose was attacked by the Russian Association of Proletarian Musicians. Five years later his opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk reflected “the correct policy of the Party.” However, Stalin was not impressed so the music critics turned around and denounced it. His fifth symphony was more conservative musically so the Soviet reviews were more popular. His seventh symphony contributed to the country’s war efforts, and was performed in Leningrad while it was under siege as a way to keep the people’s morale up. On the other hand, his 1945 ninth symphony was considered to light and amusing for the times. After the way, his formalist music was denounced as being too Western, and his works were banned. Indeed, all Soviet composers were mandated to write only proletarian music for the masses.

The freedom to express one’s political opinions through music is a vital right – and its use needs to consider the composer’s wishes.

Composing Tips from AI

 

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI) has some tips for composing a piano piece:

• Start with a melody: Begin with a simple melodic phrase and improvise on it. The melody is the focal point of the piece and will lead to the chorus. 
• Consider the form: Think about the style of the piece, whether it's rhythmic or melodic, contemporary or traditional. 
• Use schemata: Standardized two-voice structures like the Circle of 5ths can create a satisfying structure. 
• Add variations and embellishments: Take the melody and extend it by inverting, augmenting, or reversing it. 
• Build excitement: Slowly add excitement and power over the course of the piece. 
• Edit and improve: Know when to stop. 
• Keep it simple: Keep the piece as simple as possible. 

Other things to consider when composing a piano piece include: Choosing a key, Finding a chord progression, Writing lyrics, and Resolving the song. 

Composing music can be a lengthy process, taking anywhere from a few hours to several months. If you're feeling uninspired, try taking a walk, exercising, reading a book, or listening to other music.

 

Human comment: Notice that the hard work is human intelligence and creativity!

Fall for these September Composers

 It is the start of the school year in many countries, and it is the month that several famous piano composers were born. Here are six examples, each with unique experiences.

Anton Bruckner was born on September 4, 1824, in Ansfelden, Austria. Most of his piano compositions were written for teaching purposes. Besides composing, Bruckner was a well-known organist and taught organ performance.

Antonin Dvorak was born on September 8, 1841, in Nelahozeves, Czech Republic. Known for his Romantic era nationalism in his music, he later became the director of the National Conservatory of Music of America in the U.S.

Arnold Schoenberg was born on September 13, 1874, in Vienna. He is known for transforming how musical harmony is treated. Not only did he compose music, but also he taught and wrote, and was a music theorist. Although a teacher, he himself was largely self-taught in terms of learning about music and composition.

Gustav Holst was born on September 21, 1874, in Cheltenham, UK. Like Dvorak, Holst was inspired by—and promoted—English folk songs. He started composing at age 12, but his father wanted him to become a professional pianist; with his poor eyesight and asthma, Holst found piano playing difficult so he stayed with composing.

Dmitri Shostakovich was born on September 25, 1906 in Saint Petersburg, Russia. His mother started giving him piano lessons when he was nine years old. Four years later he composed a funeral march in memory of political murders. He started his professional career as a concert pianist and composer, but was more successful in the latter arena.

George Gershwin was born on September 26, 1898, in New York City. He began as a song plugger and recorded piano rolls, where he discovered jazz. However, he was also influenced by neo-classical composers, including the September composers Shostakovich, and Schoenberg.

Laboring Music

 Labor Day celebrates workers, which includes pianists and other musicians. Here is a sampling of classical music that honors labor. While most of these pieces were not originally composed for the piano, arrangements for piano are usually available.

Probably the most renown piece that celebrates labor is Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, which honors those who fought in WWII. In response, Joan Tower wrote Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman, which is scored identically to Copland’s Fanfare. Copland also honored cowboys in his ballet Rodeo; the selection “Hoe-Down” is frequently performed on the piano.

For most of civilization, farming has been the job of the majority of people. Schumann's “The Happy Farmer” is one piece from his collection Album for the Young,  which was written for his own children to teach them about the piano. All the pieces are relatively easy to play, unlike the work of the farmer.

Traditionally, learning a job was done through apprenticeships. Dukas’ The Sorcerer’s Apprentice musically demonstrates how a little knowledge can do damage.

Satie's Sonatine Bureaucratique is a humorous parody of Clementi's Sonatina Op. 36 No. 1. It musically depicts the daily life of the Parisian bureaucrat.

Another pointed message about labor is conveyed in Antheil’s Ballet Mecanique. It was written the same year as Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, and focuses on urban labor. In this case, the repetitiveness of factory work is emphasized.

On the other hand, Verdi’s Il Trovatore is best known through its “Anvil Chorus”, sung by gypsies who are proud of their hard work.

The sometimes-troubling life of the worker is depicted in music as well. Mozart’s Figaro, a valet, has trouble with his Count master in The Marriage of Figaro. Later, in Rossini’s The Barber of Seville, Figaro becomes a barber, but still has troubles with the Count.  Bizet’s Carmen follows the deeper troubles of a seductive cigarette worker.

Workers’ hard labor often led to unionization. Arnold’s Peterloo Overture was written for the 1968 centenary of the Trade Union Congress.

This Labor Day, we honor the labor of pianists and other musicians everywhere who make our labor a little easier to bear.

Hammer that Voice

 

We think of a person’s voice, and how it is impacted by how one breathes, how the vocal cords work, how the sound resonates in head’s cavities, and how the mouth and tongue work. It’s complicated!  And each voice is unique.

What about the voice of the piano? Yes, it has one, and it is unique. But is the tuning and the piano’s hammers that determine that voice.

A piano tuner adjusts the string’s tension so that the tone sociated with each key is evened out.

The piano’s tune is obviously impacted in how the player hits the keys—the strength and the speed—and how those keys physically connect with the piano hammers; each mechanical piece and its connections impact how the hammer moves. Moreover, as the hammers wear down, the voice can change.

Less obvious is the hammer’s felt coverings. The felt can vary significantly in terms of its surface area, its density, its hardness, and its quality.

AND, just as the head’s “cavities” impact a person’s voice, the piano’s own soundboard and cavity also impact how the sound resonates: producing a unique voice.

 Similarly to a person’s voice being described as lyric or dramatic, bright or deep, so to the voice of a piano can be described. A piano’s voice my be warm and mellow, which means the piano is well-balanced. A bright piano voice has a higher voice, which can seem lively and clear—or shrill. A dark piano voice is bass-heavy, and may be rich—or booming. A rich piano voice typically has enhanced treble and bass tones. Concert pianos often have a big, powerful voice, largely due to their size.

Now imagine matching a person’s voice and a piano’s voice. Yes, indeed, complicated and unique.

Celebrate August's Composers' Birthdays

 

While August may seem shy in terms of holidays – except for Europeans who take a month-long holiday-like vacation – August celebrates several distinguished piano composers who were born that month.

Chronologically, one of the first to remember is Antonio Salieri, born on August 18, 1750, in Legnago, Italy. At this point in history, he is probably most associated (sadly) with Mozart. Unlike Mozart, he was considered an important teacher (including of one of Mozart’s sons!) Salieri mainly wrote operas and orchestral works, but he also wrote piano and organ concertos.

One of Tomoko’s favorite composers, Claude Debussy, was born on August 22, 1862, in Saint-Germaine-en-Laye, France. He wrote 24 piano preludes and 12 études, and he was called an early impressionist composer because of his focus on nature’s beauty, represented by nuanced musical color and texture.  He was influenced by Chopin and, in turn, influenced Bartok, another favorite composer of Tomoko.

George Enescu was born on August 19, 1881, in Liveni-Varnav, Romania. He is considered one of the great musicians in Romania. Tomoko thinks most child prodigies may be harmed by early exposure, Enescu might be an exception. He composed his first piece, for piano and violin, at age vie, and was the youngest student admitted to the Vienna Conservatory – at age seven. He was productive as a composer, conductor and teacher all his life.  Much of his music was influenced by Romanian folk music (Bartok’s appreciation of Romanian folk dances).

A more recent composer, Leonard Bernstein, was born on August 25, 1918, in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Wildly popular for his musicals, he wrote in many genres, including piano pieces, and was an excellent pianist. Bernstein is also known for his teaching about classical music on television.

Any of their works can make your August special.

 

Flowery Performances

 

When Tomoko performs publicly, she is often given flowers. This gesture is a common one for musicians, and shows the audience’s appreciation for the music. Here are some details.

The tradition of giving musical performers started over 150 years ago in European aristocratic courts.

Choice of flowers.

• Long-stemmed red roses are the most traditional bouquet. Pink roses convey thanks, and yellow roses convey friendship.
• Irises are sometime given to young performers, and purple ones are especially favored because they connote admiration.
• Carnations are particularly favored because they last a long time. They represent pride and admiration.
• Lilies can be a somber choice, so as a performance bouquet should probably have bright colors, such as red, orange, yellow and pink which all convey imagination and aspiration. 

·       How to give flowers. It is best to check first with the performance venue to find out what protocols should be observed. Find out what the pianist’s favorite colors are or play it safe with red flowers.  There are several ways to present the flowers: backstage afterwards, in a public area (even the stage if appropriate), having a staff person or event planner present them, or have a floral company deliver them. If you are going to several performances, you might give one flower after each performance, and a bouquet for the final performance.

But don’t give flowers BEFORE the performance as it tempts fate and may bring bad luck!

             

 

Unique Pianos

 

True, each piano is unique because each part has its own features, and when put together with alal the rest of the parts, the sum makes for a unique playing experience and sound. However, pianos overall seem pretty much standard with grand, upright (e.g., spinet), portable and electric types. Nevertheless, pianos have been made that are visibly unique.

Pianos have been made of crystal; Liberace’s piano was covered in rhinestones. Upright pianos have been known to include aquarium tanks. You can even make a piano from legos.

Speaking of toys, a Swede created a piano tutorial using Minecraft.

More professionally, Sony created the world’s smallest grand piano that actually works. Each key is only four millimeters wide, and the whole piano is less than a food wide.

You may have seen giant floor pianos where the players step on the keys. (It’s more common to see very limited keyboards, known as step piano mats, as children’s toys.)

One piano is in the shape of an open circle (think of a very large skinny doughnut), and the pianist plays inside it.

The Schindler yacht piano is upright with foldable keyboards.

Bed-ridden? Back in 1935 a piano was made specifically for such individuals? Basically, the piano keyboard folded out of a cabinet, tipped at an angle so one could play it while lying down.

When is a piano like an organ? When it has multiple pedals: a pedal board. That feature goes back as far as to Mozart, who had his own piano with a pedal board. He would even travel with it for his performances, operating the pedals as easily was with his hands because he was also expert on the organ. Hundreds of years late, in 2000, a double-decker concert grant piano was design with an additional 37 pedals.

You may be familiar with pianos in cocktail bars. What about a pianocktail that mixes drinks, based on the combination of notes played? Each note has a corresponding drink, such as a wine, a spirit, a liquor, or a fruit juice. A soda is created from a cadenza in F-sharp. Even pedals are part of the mixology; the load pedal puts in egg flip, and the soft pedal adds ice.

And if you are interested in all-in-one musical instruments, watch this video of a marble machine: a musical instrument using 2000 marbles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvUU8joBb1Q

Cleaning Your Piano

 Imagine playing on a dusty or sticky piano. Imagine what that piano might look like inside too. So part of piano playing is piano maintenance. Here are some tips for keeping pianos clean.

Let’s start with something basic: a clean, fine knit cloth. Use plain water to lightly dampen it. This is an easy way to remove dust and finger marks. If your piano has a high-polish finish, you should use a microfiber polishing cloth (often used to clean eye glasses). Don’t use chemical-impregnated wipes.

You should disinfect piano keys. Here hydrogen peroxide is an inexpensive solution; just dampen a cotton pad with it and wipe the kyes from back to front. Be sure to dry the keys afterwards with a towel.

Waxing and polishing is not a great idea because those products can lead to build-up coatings that then have to be removed by professionals.

And, of course, don’t put any objects on top of the piano as they can damage the finish and negatively impact the sound of the piano.

The best prevention? Clean hands!

Classical Piano June Composers

 Happy June birthday to the following classical composers of piano music who were born in June! Tomoko has played the pieces of several of these famous musicians.

Mikhail Glinka was born June 1, 1804, in Novospasskoye, Russia. He is known as the father of Russian classical music. As a child, the first music he heard were church bells (which he didn’t like) and folk songs, which influenced his compositional style, particularly his art songs.

Robert Schumann was born June 8, 1810, in Zwickau, Germany. He wanted to have a career as a virtuoso pianist, but a hand injury dashed that dream. The musical world benefitted as he became a renown composer for piano; in fact, he wrote exclusively for the piano until 1840.

Richard Strauss was born June 11, 1864, in Munich, Germany. He bridged the late Romantic and early modern styles. He is famous for his lieder tone poems piano compositions.

Edward Grieg was born June 15, 1843, in Bergen, Norway. He was both a concert pianist and composer of the Romantic era. His mother was his first piano teacher.

Igor Stravinsky was born June 17, 1882, in Lomonosov, Russia. He is most known for his Firebird suite, The Rite of Spring, Petrushka, and is 1924 Sonata for piano. After his Russian phase, her transitioned to a more austere neoclassical style.

Charles Gounod was born June 18, 1818, in Paris, France. He is best known for his Ave Maria and his “Funeral March of a Marionette,” which was used as the theme song for the TV show Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach was born June 21, 1732, in Leipzig, Germany. He was Johann Sebastian Bach’s ninth son. He wrote mainly keyboard compositions: for sonatas, choir pieces, oratorios, motels, operas, and songs.

Tickling the Ivories

 

You may be heard of the phrase “tickling the ivories,” which refers to playing the piano – with the assumption that the top of the keys were made of ivory (the rest is wood). Ivory, which comes from animal tusks such as elephants, was chosen because of its esthetics, its hardness, and its ability to absorb the perspiration from a performer's fingers. However, ivory keys are more likely to chip or crack, and are unlikely to be replaced by ivory as its use has been outlawed.

One of the ways that you can identify an old piano is by examining its keys. Over time, ivory keys turn yellow; the darker the shade, the older the ivory keys. Moreover, the keys' colors may vary from one to another on a piano as each key comes from natural tusks with their own variations.

Even though keys can be bleached, the coloring is likely to be unique. Ivory keys also have natural patterns like finger points, which a magnifying glass might reveal as cross-hatches, curved lines, or diamond patterns.

Speaking of color, an ultraviolet light will reflect a bright white or blue-violet color, whereas a plastic key will appear dull because it absorbs the light.

Another way to identify real ivory is by seeing if there is one than one piece of key per key. Two pieces of ivory made up the top layer, and another piece made the front edge. So you can use a magnifying glass to see where the pieces join.

Although not encouraged, you can use a noodle to test ivory. If you heat up one end over an open flame until it glows red hot, and then press that end on the key, if it melts or dents the key, that key is NOT ivory.

Ivory is not permitted to be made into piano keys now; instead, keys are generally made of plastic, which is cheaper, more consistent looking, easier to work with, and less prone to damage (especially to the animal). High-quality plastic eys can be hardly distinguisable from ivoty.

You can still BUY a used piano with ivory keys, but not a new one. Furthermore, an antique piano with ivory keys is supposed to have along with it the appropriate paperwork and permits for transfer of ownership and shipping. Buyer, beware.

Classical Pop

Tomoko’s heart lies in classical music. It comes alive in her hands on the piano. Classical piano music also comes alive in the hands of contemporary composers, who have inspired enough to adapt their music to their own pieces.

The opening of the final movement of Italian composer 17^th century Clementi’s Sonatina in G minor, Op. 36, No. 5 echoes in Phil Collins' “A Groovy Kind of Love.”

Billy Joel credited Beethoven's Pathétique Sonata in his album An Innocent Man for the chorus of “This Night.” Joel stated that his classical training has impacted his compositions.

When Yoko Ona played Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, John Lennon asked her to play the chords backwards, which resulted in the basis of “Because.”

Barry Manilow thought he had created impressive chords when composing “It Could It Be Magic,” when he realized that he had been playing Chopin's Prelude in C Minor No. 20 earlier that day. Chopin's chords moved from Manilow's subconscious to his writing instrument.

Pop music Ted Mossman based the song “Till the End of Time” (lyrics by Buddy Kaye) on Chopin's Polonaise in A flat major, Op. 53. Singing is as a softer, reflective piece, Perry Como made it a hit tune. The song's introduction is a direct echo of Chopin's composition.

Robbie Williams' “Party like a Russian” duplicates the hard beat of Prokofiev's “Dance of the Knights.”

To the classical year, Eric Carmen's “All by Myself” immediately recalls Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, including the melancholy feeling.

Hiphop rapper Nas sampled Beethoven's Für Elise in his performance of “I Can.”

Electronic music has sampled the classics too, as exemplified by Alan Walker ad Sophie Simmons' s “Lovesick.” The tune's chorus transforms Brahms’s Hungarian Dance No. 5. for the current audience.

AND a Broadway musical example is Rodgers and Hammerstein's tune “March of the Siamese Children,” inspired by Grieg's Wedding Day at Troldhaugen.

So if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then several classical composers are indeed complimented.

April Modern Classical Composers

 

If April showers bring may flowers, do piano composers born in April bring music that seems to bloom? You decide about these comparably modern classical musicians.

Sergei Rachmaninoff was born April 1, 1873 in Russia. His compositions exemplified late Romanticism.  His famous piece of voice and piano, “Spring Waters” from his 12 Romances, Opus 14, was dedicated to his first formal teacher: Anna Ornatskaya. At the age of 19, Rachmaninoff performed his first concert, where he premiered his Trio elegiaque No. 1. Besides his impressive compositions, Rachmaninoff was also considered one of the best pianists of his day.

Sergei Prokofiev was born April 23, 1891 in Krasne, Ukraine. His compositions crossed a number of musical genres, although he is considered a key early Modernist. His piano works consisted of five piano concertos and nine piano sonatas. His first piano concertos, which he performed, were controversial because of their innovation and dissonance.

Only eight years late, on April 29, 1899, Duke Ellington was born in Washington, DC. He is now considered a classical jazz composer, and he led the movement to regard jazz as a respected art form. He too was a highly esteemed pianist. Ellington wrote or collaborated on more than a thousand compositions: the largest recorded personal jazz legacy.

Musical Pranks

It's April Fools' Day.: a day of (hopefully harmless) pranks. Musicians and composers have been known to play pranks on the piano. Probably the most famous playful piano perforrmer was the Danish-American pianist and comic Victor Borge.

One piece that Borge liked to perform was a version of Liszt's Second Hungarian Rhapsody (especially the friska section), which is considered a musical comedic classic and has been featured in animated cartoons.

Mozart once wrote an aria for a soprano who tended raise her head for high notes and tuck in her chin for low notes. Mozart hated her, so the nicknamed piece, “The Chicken Dance” in Cosi fan Tutte, featured dramatic fluctuating low and high notes; Mozart took delight in watching the soprano bob her head repeatedly.

More recently, Leroy Anderson is known for his lighthearted compositions, such as The Syncopated Clock. His pieces sometimes featured unlikely instruments such as a typewriter.

Debussy's Carnival of Animals is charming, but how many people realize that his “Tortoises” is actually a very slow version of Offenbach's “Can-Can”?

P. D. Q. Bach is a comedic alias for contemporary composer Peter Schickele. He creates parodies of baroque and classical music, which often employ unusual instruments such as kazoo and slide whistles and even fictional instruments such as the left-handed sewer flute and pastaphone. His humor often draws from odd key changes and inserts of popular music into classical sections.

Violinist Fritz Kreisler played “lost” classical pieces, which she later admitted writing himself. Another violinist, Henri Gustave Casadesus, also wrote faked compositions, supposedly created by Handel and Boccherini.

Some musicians also played practical jokes. For instance, Brahms sketched a fake Beethoven manuscript, and had a street vendor wrap it around a sausage to sell to one of Brahms' friend, who thought he had discovered a lost composition.

Who says composers don't have a sense of humor?

Medical Benefits of Music

 

One of the ways that Tomoko keeps healthy is through her daily practice on the piano. It keeps her muscles flexible and her mind active. As a piano teacher, Tomoko also knows the benefits of piano lessons, not only for the benefits above, but also for hearing and visual acuity. Several aspects of music and medicines interdependence are showcased here.

Music and healing has a long history. Even in Greek mythology, Apollo was the god of both music and healing. More on the human level, Greek physicians used flutes and lyres to heal their patients, with particular attention to musical vibrations to aid digestion and treat mental disturbance. Shakespeare wrote of Lear’s physician who prescribed music the cure the king’s melancholy. Music therapy was mentioned in scientific literature as early as 1789, and early 20^th century surgeons noted positive outcomes when using music during procedures.

Doctors have been musicians themselves.  In the early 19^th century Dr. Rene Laennec invented the first stethoscope, which was a long hollow wood tube resembling a flute, which built on his knowledge as a flutist.  The late 19^th century innovative surgeon Theodor Billroth wanted to become a professional pianist, but his family convinced him to pursue medicine. Nevertheless, he held music gatherings and was a close friend of Brahms. Both Billroth and cardiac physician—and cellist-- T. W. Englemann had quartets dedicated to them by Brahms.  

The American Medical Association (AMA) asserts that music and the medical profession harness discipline and creativity.  Both musicians and doctors realize the importance of performance – and the amount of practice and coaching needed to perform will. Both require focused self-discipline and commitment to gain excellence.  And practicing the piano can be very therapeutic while going through medical school.

Music is also a stress reliever, which is another reason Tomoko values piano playing. Studies discovered that “just thirty minutes of listening to relaxing classical music and decrease levels of stress hormones in the blood,” states Caroline Brennan (MyChart, Oct. 31, 2023). So maybe piano practice a day keeps the doctor way – and helps the doctor perform better.

Praising Easter through Music

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.

Probably the most famous classical piece played at Easter is Handel's Messiah, particularly the “Hallelujah” chorus. The entire composition, which traces the highlights of Jesus's life, took Handel 14 years to finalize, in 1741.

Over a hundred years earlier, in the 1630s, Italian composer Gregorio Allegri set the Latin text of Psalm 51 to music, Miserere mei, Deus, for two choirs. Pope Urban VIII first used it for Holy Week services in the Sistine Chapel.

Bach's first major composition for Easter was St. John Passion, 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.

St. Matthew Passion, 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^th century, and not performed again until almost a hundred years later.

One more Bach piece, his Easter Oratorio, was first conceived as a cantata for Easter Sunday in 1725.

Even though Haydn was an Austrian composer, his orchestral work The Seven Last Words of Christ (which Haydn also approved in piano version) was written for the 1786 Good Friday service at Oratoria de la Santa Cueva in Spain.

Mahler's 1894 Symphony No. 2, Resurrection, evokes the beauty of that event. At the same time, this piece has both its light and dark moments.

Rimsky-Korsakov's 1888 Russian Easter Festival Overture evokes a grand Easter morning service.

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.

The more contemporary hymn “How Great Thou Art,” often sung at Easter, was actually based on a traditional Swedish folk tune.

Political Musical Pieces

 

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.

Even in the 18^th century, music could affirm a country’s leader. Handle’s piece Zadok the Priest was written to confirm England’s George II’s confirmation as kind.

Sadly, but effectively, Beethoven’s and Wagner’s music were used to sway the German people to affirm their superiority and that of Hitler.

On the other hand, Chopin’s Polonaise 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.

While Messiaen was a World War II prisoner of war in Germany, he composed Quartet for the End of Time, which moved even the camp’s soldiers and resulted in his escape.

Likewise, Shostakovich’s Leningrad 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.

Most recently, Catherine Likhuta’s 2017 composition Bad Neighbors was commissioned when Russia started invading Ukraine. The piece evokes fighting and dialogue, and calls for freedom and peace.

In short, composers and their music can stir people to action.

Classical Piano Enriched by Black Musicians

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.

Scott Joplin is one of the most recognized piano composers of the 20^th 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.

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.

Tom “Blind Tom” Wiggins was the highest paid pianist at one point in the 19^th century – at the age of ten! He was known for performing pieces by Bach and Beethoven, and wrote more than 100 piano compositions.

Noted songstress Nina Simone studied classical piano. In her song writing and piano performance, she has incorporated complex contrapuntal features inspired by Bach.

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.

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.

AI in Music Composing

 With the advancements in generative artificial intelligence (AU) have emerged questions about its impact on music composing.

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.

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.

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.  What the composers assert that they are due is consent (permission), credit (attribution), and compensation (typically money).

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.

January Piano Composers

 

Start the year right by celebrating great piano composers who, themselves, began their lives in January. Several of them rate high with Tomoko.

Probably her favorite composer, Mozart, was born in Salzburg on January 27, 1756. Tomoko was married in Salzburg, and visited Mozart’s landmarks there.

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.

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.

Almost a hundred years later, Parisian Francis Poulenc was born on January 7, 1899. He wrote light-hearted pieces such as the piano suite Trois Mouvements Perperpetuels, and in his later years composed religious pieces.