(Music Sales America). The French Suites were written in 1722. But it was not until Bach biographer Johann Forkel prepared an edition in the early nineteenth century that the pieces became known by the collective title French . It is true that Bach gave each of the dance movements a French title, but it was Forkel who declared that they were 'written in the French taste, with an emphasis on tunefulness and consonant harmony rather than German structure and counterpoint'.
Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.
Much music was written for the two most important dances of the 18th and 19th centuries, the minuet and the waltz. In Decorum of the Minuet, Delirium of the Waltz, Eric McKee argues that to better understand the musical structures and expressive meanings of this dance music, one must be aware of the social contexts and bodily rhythms of the social dances upon which it is based. McKee approaches dance music as a component of a multimedia art form that involves the interaction of physical motion, music, architecture, and dress. Moreover, the activity of attending a ball involves a dynamic network of modalities—sight, sound, bodily awareness, touch, and smell, which can be experienced from the perspectives of a dancer, a spectator, or a musician. McKee considers dance music within a larger system of signifiers and points-of-view that opens new avenues of interpretation.
Bach's Six English Suites have been newly engraved from the acclaimed Hans Bischoff edition. These fresh, easily read pages will make lessons and work towards performance more simple and exciting. Included is a lengthy preface by Bischoff, discussing materials used to develop this edition, along with various footnotes throughout the text to clarify performance. Titles: * No. 1 in A Major * No. 2 in A Minor * No. 3 in G Minor * No. 4 in F Major * No. 5 in E Minor * No. 6 in D Minor
Keith Jarrett is one of the great pianists of our times. Before achieving worldwide fame for his solo improvisations, he had already collaborated with Art Blakey, Charles Lloyd and Miles Davis. His 'Köln Concert' album (1975) has now sold around four million copies and become the most successful solo recording in jazz history. His interpretations of the music of Bach, Händel, Bartók or Shostakovich, have also received much attention in later years. Jarrett is considered difficult and inaccessible, and has often abandoned the stage during his concerts due to restless audiences or disturbing photographers.Few writers have come as close to Keith Jarrett as Wolfgang Sandner, who has not only closely followed Jarrett's remarkable career from the 1960s, but has also had the opportunity to visit him in his home in the United States. For this biography, which is full of detailed musical analysis and cross-references to other artistic genres, Sandner has collected new information about Jarrett's family background, much of which is thanks to the translator, Keith Jarrett's youngest brother Chris. The book explores Jarrett's work with other musicians, in particular the members of his American and European Quartets and his Standards Trio, it charts the development of his solo concerts, and it also investigates his work in the classical sphere, as well as the highly original music he has created in his own home studio. It also covers his associations with his various record labels and producers, notably his unparalleled relationship with ECM and its founder Manfred Eicher. This English edition is a significantly extended and updated version of the German original.
Bach composed these Inventions in 1722/3 for the instruction in keyboard playing and composition of his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann, who was then just 12. Richard Jones's edition of these pieces is also available from ABRSM in a 'Signature' Series edition, where they are combined with the (three-part) Sinfonias and given more textual commentary.
J.S. Bach's 250 extant organ works represent the greatest body of music for the pipe organ, and during his lifetime Bach was able to combine great virtuosity--daring passages for the feet as well as the hands--with bold, dramatic gestures to produce music that dazzled contemporary audiences. In this book, leading musicologist George B. Stauffer shows that Bach focused steadily on organ composition for more than fifty years, and that his unending quest for novelty, innovation, and refinement resulted in pieces that continue to reward and awe listeners today.
The Ashgate Research Companion to Johann Sebastian Bach provides an indispensable introduction to the Bach research of the past thirty-fifty years. It is not a lexicon providing information on all the major aspects of Bach's life and work, such as the Oxford Composer Companion: J. S. Bach. Nor is it an entry-level research tool aimed at those making a beginning of such studies. The valuable essays presented here are designed for the next level of Bach research and are aimed at masters and doctoral students, as well as others interested in coming to terms with the current state of Bach research. Each author covers three aspects within their specific subject area; firstly, to describe the results of research over the past thirty-fifty years, concentrating on the most significant and controversial, such as: the debate over Smend's NBA edition of the B minor Mass; Blume's conclusions with regard to Bach's religion in the wake of the 'new' chronology; Rifkin's one-to-a-vocal-part interpretation; the rediscovery of the Berlin Singakademie manuscripts in Kiev; the discovery of hitherto unknown manuscripts and documents and the re-evaluation of previously known sources. Secondly, each author provides a critical analysis of current research being undertaken that is exploring new aspects, reinterpreting earlier assumptions, and/or opening-up new methodologies. For example, Martin W. B. Jarvis has suggested that Anna Magdalena Bach composed the cello suites and contributed to other works of her husband - another controversial hypothesis, whose newly proposed forensic methodology requires investigation. On the other hand, research into Bach's knowledge of the Lutheran chorale tradition is currently underway, which is likely to shed more light on the composer's choices and usage of this tradition. Thirdly, each author identifies areas that are still in need of investigation and research.
This second volume of Professional Piano Teaching is designed to serve as a basic text for a second-semester or upper-division piano pedagogy course. It provides an overview of learning principles and a thorough approach to essential aspects of teaching intermediate to advanced students. Special features include discussions on how to teach, not just what to teach; numerous musical examples; chapter summaries; and suggested projects for new and experienced teachers. Topics: * teaching students beyond the elementary levels * an overview of learning processes and learning theories * teaching transfer students * preparing students for college piano major auditions * teaching rhythm, reading, technique, and musicality * researching, evaluating, selecting, and presenting intermediate and advanced repertoire * developing stylistic interpretation of repertoire from each musical period * developing expressive and artistic interpretation and performance * motivating students and providing instruction in effective practice * teaching memorization and performance skills
