Welcome to the Piano World Piano Forums Over 3 million posts about pianos, digital pianos, and all types of keyboard instruments. Over 100,000 members from around the world.
Join the World's Largest Community of Piano Lovers
(it's free)
It's Fun to Play the Piano ... Please Pass It On!
Rise like lions after slumber,in unvanquishable number. Shake your chains to earth like dew which in sleep has fallen on you. Ye are many,they are few. Shelley
Ahh.. South Park. It's not Christmas in our house without watching several South Park Christmas specials (ESPECIALLY Woodland Critters!), A Christmas Story, Elf, Bad Santa, and the Trailer Park Boys Christmas special.
PJ, I loved that!! I loved how happy the residents were, too! I actually bought the "easy" Charlie Brown Christmas piano book, and Linus and Lucy ain't easy in that one either. One day..
That's a good one, Densi.
Recaredo, I need to hear more like that! I'll have to pass that one on to BillyO - he'll love it, too.
Well, here we are then, the last weekend before the Grand Finale of the year and I should really post something festive. Here's a wonderful little carol by two great voices.
Domingo and Pavarotti sing O Holy Night from an earlier Christmas gala concert.
I can now hand you over to my esteemed colleague in Minneapolis, who I know is aware of both day and date, but I'll be back again later for a finale, albeit rather shorter than last week's.
In case you're all too busy by then let me wish you all a very merry Christmas. This thread has contributed greatly to my year this year above and beyond the ABF in its own right. I am truly humbled to be just a part of it and I thank you all for it.
Excellent postings Richard!! There is a bit of history for me with Ravel's La Valse. I don't think I've heard it since I was a college freshman studying music literature. It was my introduction to Ravel's work. Thanks for the memories!
My first selection for today is Peter Tchaikovsky's "Autumn". Yes, I know it's not autumn, and that it's Sunday . I was just in the mood for this lovely piece.
Discovering this thread has been wonderful, am off until new year .
" Although the composer was probably not aware of it, his fugue subjects define the various elements of his character and constitute the fragments of a musical self-portrait that reveals a melancholy side to his nature that sometimes tends, towards pathos." Source
I was listening to some Christmas music sung by one of my favorite North American choral groups, the Nathaniel Dett Chorale. I just love the versatility in their musical styles! Just hearing these two new discoveries gave me a lift. I knew after listening that this is the perfect time to present these two selections.
Enjoy!
The Nathaniel Dett Chorale - Carol for All Children
Densi, we must have posted about the same time. That was a lovely rendition of the Pachelbel Cannon in D Major. Thanks!
I'd also like to echo the words of my colleague in Ireland and wish you all a joyous holiday season. Participating in this thread continues to be a wonderful sharing experience with all of you who contribute in some way, and to those who view, lurk, and enjoy!!
Check in later for Richard's finale. I know it will be enjoyable!
Thank you, Griffin, for not adding to the pressure!
The Brandenberg Concertos were dedicated to Christian Ludwig Margrave of Brandenberg in the spring of 1721. Bach's Köthen period (and all that that means to the Bach devotees).
The dedication was written in French which might have led one to consider these written in the French style (as were the Ouvertures in his Orchestral Suites) but the title page of each was written in Italian thus showing up their true musical style. The French was apparently used as the language of high society prevalent at that time. Such details are important to the scholar but need not here detain us.
They are not concertos for a solo instrument as we know concertos today but for concerted music in which parts of the orchestra balance each other in various conversations as in concertos 1, 3 and 6. Solo instruments rarely rise above the crowd.
The other three concertos, 2, 4 and 5 are written as Concerto Grossi, like Handels, where the orchestra is divided in the concertino, a group of three or four soloists, and the ripieni of accompanying strings.
Bach liked to divide the concertino into one soloist and a second ripieni of the other concertino instruments and balance the music by giving the soloist a part of greater virtuosity and weight.
While the second concerto favours neither of the four concertino instruments, in this concerto, the fourth, the violin and two recorders are thus divided and the work is considered by many to be a violin concerto and in the fifth the harpsichord takes the honours.
I recommend downloading one of the scores from IMSLP to follow while listening to this work: IMSLP page I recommend the one typeset by CCARH with numbered bars. It's the fourth one down.
The first movement, Allegro, is written in ritornello form, the standard for larger Baroque pieces, and is divided into five parts forming a cross pattern. The five ritornellos are M1-83 (83 bars), M137-57 (21 bars), M185-235 (51 bars), M323-43 (21 bars) and M345-427 (83 bars).
The third ritornello features the virtuosic violin writing in demi-semiquavers in the first part (3:15) and double and triple stopping in the second (3:45).
The Andante is a beautiful foil to the two outer movements with excellent contrast between the tutti (forte) and concertino (piano) and some tiny gestures toward virtuosity given to the first recorder (the fabulous Michala Petri in this recording). Note the contrast in the violin writing to the outer movements, taking the work of the bass in the unaccompanied concertino.
The Presto, possibly the finest of all the Brandenberg movements, is a delightful fugal offering that is an enjoyable mental and physical workout to each of the performers as well as a feast for the listener. It blends all the finest compositional skills of the day into one homogenous whole with what is outwardly consummate ease but could probably have been written by no other composer.
Hey guys! Merry Christmas and all that Jazz! I'm reading when I get a chance, but not much time lately (Christmas is nutz around here lol.) Hopefully I'll have a bit more time after the holidays!
Hope you all eat turkey, duck or ham to your hearts content with some fine piano music to round out your day!
Well Wayne is busy today doing a last xmas shop, might be around later, laters folks 
![[Linked Image]](https://pianoworld.com/ABF_Medals/3medals.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://www.pianoworld.com/ABF_Medals/1medal.jpg)
![[Linked Image]](https://www.pianoworld.com/forumpicts/MOYD12/MOYD_2.gif)