Month: June 2018

In 1720, when Bach was 35, his employer Prince Leopold of Köthen decided to spend a couple months at the spa in Carlsbad (about 200 miles away) and took his retinue of musicians with him, including Bach. On their return Bach learned that Maria Barbara, his wife of 13 years, had inexplicably died (leaving behind…

Sonata                    Christian Gottlob Neefe (1748-1798) [PIANO] Fughetta on "O Morning Star, How Fair and Bright"      J. Christoph Bach (1671-1721) Of course it is best for a child to be raised by both mother and father, but sadly it doesn’t always work out that way.…

Sonata Op.13 Mv.2   L.Beethoven (1770-1827) "If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee" Improvisation Ludwig had a younger brother Nikolaus whom Ludwig had tried to shield from their abusive alcoholic father. As adults there was little affection between them. Ludwig, as we well know, went into music. His younger brother, however, was something of a…

"Communion"    L. Vierne (1870-1937) Louis Vierne was born nearly blind due to congenital cataracts, but at an early age displayed an unusual gift for music. At age two he heard the piano for the first time: the pianist played him a Schubert lullaby and he promptly began to pick out the notes on the…