Johann Sebastian Bach

Born: 1685 - Died: 1750

Invention No. 1 in C major:

Brandenburg Concerto No. 3:

Partita for Piano no. 1 in Bb major:

Ave Maria - French Romantic composer Charles Gounod took Bach's Prelude No. 1 in C major from Well Tempered Clavier and wrote a melody above it to be sung with the Latin text "Ave Maria" (Hail Mary). Listen to Bach's Prelude in C major:

Then listen to Gounod's melody on top of Bach's harmony. Notice how the accompaniment is played on guitar and by an orchestra in this arrangement. http://youtu.be/R93biXI1Mxg


Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring, Piano transcription:

 

Air on the G String comes from Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major. It has been adapted for solo violin with piano accompaniment.

Arioso from Cantata No. 156 - this is a famous cello piece.

Compose Like Bach - page 7
Before trying to compose a piece in Bach's style (see the ideas on page 7), listen to these two-part inventions by Bach - a perfect example how even a simple theme can build a great piece of music by weaving through it.

Invention No. 4 in D minor:

Invention No. 8 in F major:

Baroque Keyboard Instruments

The clavichord
Listen to some music played on the instrument Bach thought to be more expressive than harpsichord or the early piano.

Bach music on a harpsichord:

Bach on organ:

September Birthdays

September Birthdays:
4 - Darius Milhaud (1892-1974) French composer
4 - Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) Austrian composer
5 - John Cage (1912-1992) Modern American composer
5 - Amy Beach (1867-1944) American pianist and composer
5 - Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782) German composer; youngest surviving son of J.S. Bach
8 - Antonin Dvorak (1841-1904) Czech composer
13 - Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) Austrian-American composer
13 - Clara Wieck Schumann (1819-1896) German pianist, wife of Robert Schumann
16 - Nadia Boulanger (1887-1979) French composer and teacher
25 - Glenn Gould (1932-1982) Canadian pianist
25 - Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) Russian composer
25 - Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) French composer
26 - George Gershwin (1898-1937) American composer/pianist

We'd love to hear from you!
  Do you have any ideas or thoughts about any other practice tip we have published this year? Let us know how they worked for you. Were you able to solve a problem spot or learn a tricky passage?

Perhaps you have your own practice tips that you'd like to share with other readers. Write to us and we'll include the best ones in the magazine or on the website.

We also accept original artwork, music, poems, jokes and stories. Submissions that don't appear in the magazine might make it into the Kids Corner.

email: [email protected] or send a letter to Piano Explorer, 200 Northfield Road, Northfield, Illinois 60093