tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28267550475098687492024-01-05T15:04:17.924-08:00MUSICMUSIC IS THE FOOD OF THE SOUL,IT IS A UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE...IT IS THE COMBINATION OF SOUNDS.........hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-80083808966071747962010-09-30T04:08:00.000-07:002010-09-30T04:20:13.933-07:00HURRAY, LIFTED MUSIC NOW ON WWW.FACEBOOK.COM CHECK US AT liftedmusic2008@facebook.comhessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-52454526654149622912010-01-20T02:48:00.001-08:002010-01-20T02:48:52.480-08:00ISE TOLUWA SE....... BY LARA GEORGEIse t’Oluwa se o ah (Ko le baje)<br />And all that’s lovely in your life (KO ni daru)<br />When it seems like all has ended know (Ko le baje)<br />Ko le baje, ko le baje o (Ko le baje)<br />Ko ni daru, ko ni daru o (ko le baje) (2ce)<br /><br />Verse:<br /><br />Sittin by my window<br />Thinkin about my life<br />It seems so empty<br />Is it all a lie<br />Needin some answers<br />Needin reasons why<br />The road is so rough<br />Feelin like I just might die (but) <br /><br />Repeat Chorus:<br /><br />One day, one day<br />One day, I know I’ll sing a song<br />Know I’ll tell a story, a song of praise<br />I’ll sing of how I was delivered<br />How I came from misery to ecstasy <br /><br />Kole mo’le, ko’le mo’le<br />Bi’mo rere, bi’mo rere<br />Ire owo l’odun mo’dun<br />Ayo m’ayo titi aye<br />Gbogbo ire mi ko ni daru o<br />Ko le baje<br /><br />And all that’s lovely in your life (Ko ni daru) When it seems like all has ended know, just know, just know <br />Ko le baje, ko le baje o (ko le baje)<br />Ko ni daru, ko ni daru o (ko le baje)<br />Ah ko le baje o (ko le baje)<br />Rara o ko le daru mo o (ko le baje)<br />Ah ko le baje o (ko le baje)<br />Ko le baje (ko le baje)hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-8663931229451795382010-01-20T02:40:00.000-08:002010-01-20T02:41:36.807-08:00ISE TOLUWA SE....... BY LARA GEORGEIse t’Oluwa se o ah (Ko le baje)<br />And all that’s lovely in your life (KO ni daru)<br />When it seems like all has ended know (Ko le baje)<br />Ko le baje, ko le baje o (Ko le baje)<br />Ko ni daru, ko ni daru o (ko le baje) (2ce)<br /><br />Verse:<br /><br />Sittin by my window<br />Thinkin about my life<br />It seems so empty<br />Is it all a lie<br />Needin some answers<br />Needin reasons why<br />The road is so rough<br />Feelin like I just might die (but) <br /><br />Repeat Chorus:<br /><br />One day, one day<br />One day, I know I’ll sing a song<br />Know I’ll tell a story, a song of praise<br />I’ll sing of how I was delivered<br />How I came from misery to ecstasy <br /><br />Kole mo’le, ko’le mo’le<br />Bi’mo rere, bi’mo rere<br />Ire owo l’odun mo’dun<br />Ayo m’ayo titi aye<br />Gbogbo ire mi ko ni daru o<br />Ko le baje<br /><br />And all that’s lovely in your life (Ko ni daru) When it seems like all has ended know, just know, just know <br />Ko le baje, ko le baje o (ko le baje)<br />Ko ni daru, ko ni daru o (ko le baje)<br />Ah ko le baje o (ko le baje)<br />Rara o ko le daru mo o (ko le baje)<br />Ah ko le baje o (ko le baje)<br />Ko le baje (ko le baje)hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-4492117024775360042010-01-20T02:29:00.000-08:002010-01-20T02:31:01.368-08:00How to Find Profitable Niches<strong>How to Find Profitable Niches<br />This step-by-step approach will ensure that you find the best niches in which to market a product or service to maximize your profits every time.<br />DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE…<br />When starting a business, most people develop their product first and then try to market it. Bad idea. You’ll work harder and make less money (if you make any money at all).<br />The key is to find niche markets that are hungry for a product or service, and WILLING to spend their cash on it! If you can tap into such a market, it’s like a virtual goldmine.<br />Find hungry niche markets that are just waiting to open their wallets and buy your product. And the great news is that it’s easy… IF you know where to look.</strong>hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-70120398159266780482010-01-20T02:25:00.000-08:002010-01-20T02:29:22.527-08:00IJOBA ORUN BY LARA GEORGEIjoba orun<br />by Lara George<br /><br /> <br />Uhhhuhhhh<br />Uhuh<br /><br />Ijoba orun<br />Ere Onigbagbo o<br />Ijoba orun<br />Ere Onigbagbo o<br /><br />Ma je n kuna<br />Baba<br />Mu mi dele o<br />Ma je n kuna<br />Baba se<br />Mu mi dele o<br /><br />Owo ti mo ni<br />ko le mu mi dele o<br />Moto ti mo ri ra<br />ko le wa mi dele o<br />Ore ti mo ni<br />ko le sinmi dele o<br />Gbogbo iwe ti mo ri ka<br />won o le gbe mi dele o<br /><br /><br /><br />Ma je n kuna<br />Baba<br />Mu mi dele o<br />ki n ma ku sajo bi efin<br />Mu mi dele o<br />Aye loja, oorun ni ile<br />Mu mi dele o<br />Aye loja yi, oorun nile se<br />Mu mi dele o<br /><br />Mu mi dele o (x8)<br />Ma ma je n kuna<br />Baba ooo<br />Baba ooo<br />Mu mi dele o (x5)<br /><br />Ile ogo<br />Ile ayo, Ile ayo<br />Ile alafia<br />Ile ogo<br />Ile ayo, Ile ayo<br />Ile alafia<br /><br />Ijoba orun<br />Ere onigbagbo o<br />Ijoba oorun<br />Ere onigbagbo o<br />Ma je n kunahessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-23293334163316443302009-08-18T11:14:00.000-07:002009-08-18T11:16:26.467-07:00The Many Benefits of Music for KidsThe Many Benefits of Music for Kids<br /><br /> <br />Both formal research and simple observation demonstrate that music can benefit your child in many ways:<br /><br /> <br />Development of speech and language<br /><br />Singing simple songs can help to develop an understanding of the basic structure of language, to become familiar with normal speech patterns and expand vocabulary.<br /><br /> <br />Mathematics<br /><br />According to Professor Shaw from the University of Los Angeles, learning about rhythm within music helps to develop an understanding of ratios, proportions and fractions.<br /><br /> <br />Social Skills<br /><br />Dr Lamont, Lecture in the Psychology of Music at the University of Keele, reports that children who participate in music develop higher levels of social cohesion and skills such as empathy.<br /><br /> <br />Confidence and self expression<br /><br />Music offers children an opportunity to express a range of complex emotions that are often too difficult to convey with verbal communication, and for those children with less confidence to participate without having to rely on words.<br /><br /> <br />At primary school<br /><br />Researchers at Brown University in the USA have reported findings that suggest that music lessons can help children who are falling behind at school to catch up with and even surpass their peers in reading and maths. The benefits of seven months of music lessons also resulted in significantly improved behaviour ratings within the classroom<br /><br /> <br />Secondary school<br /><br />Research conducted across a number of Universities in America, found that high school pupils who participate in the performing arts, including music, are less likely to become involved in drugs, crime or have behavioural problems.<br /><br /> <br />The Mozart Effect<br /><br />In its strict sense the Mozart Effect claims to demonstrate improved performance on spatio-temporal reasoning tasks in the immediate 10-15 minutes after listening to part of a Mozart piano sonata or similar complex music. Spatio-temporal reasoning is the ability to visualise something in space that unfolds over time. For example, estimating how a piece of paper will look unfolded, or reading a map. An improvement in this area of thinking has been linked to skills required in academic subjects like mathematics and science, and so the Mozart effect is claimed to have positive implications for educational performance.<br /><br />Most studies of this effect have been with adults, and many have limitations. Those that are reported to be sound trials, generally either report no significant effect, or demonstrate that the 'effect' is most likely associated with improved arousal and mood, rather than related to specific cognitive skills.<br /><br />Only a small number of studies have been conducted specifically with children, and none have demonstrated a significant effect on performance in spatio-temporal skills, as originally claimed<br /><br /> <br />Both formal research and simple observation demonstrate that music can benefit your child in many ways:<br /><br /> <br />Development of speech and language<br /><br />Singing simple songs can help to develop an understanding of the basic structure of language, to become familiar with normal speech patterns and expand vocabulary.<br /><br /> <br />Mathematics<br /><br />According to Professor Shaw from the University of Los Angeles, learning about rhythm within music helps to develop an understanding of ratios, proportions and fractions.<br /><br /> <br />Social Skills<br /><br />Dr Lamont, Lecture in the Psychology of Music at the University of Keele, reports that children who participate in music develop higher levels of social cohesion and skills such as empathy.<br /><br /> <br />Confidence and self expression<br /><br />Music offers children an opportunity to express a range of complex emotions that are often too difficult to convey with verbal communication, and for those children with less confidence to participate without having to rely on words.<br /><br /> <br />At primary school<br /><br />Researchers at Brown University in the USA have reported findings that suggest that music lessons can help children who are falling behind at school to catch up with and even surpass their peers in reading and maths. The benefits of seven months of music lessons also resulted in significantly improved behaviour ratings within the classroom<br /><br /> <br />Secondary school<br /><br />Research conducted across a number of Universities in America, found that high school pupils who participate in the performing arts, including music, are less likely to become involved in drugs, crime or have behavioural problems.<br /><br /> <br />The Mozart Effect<br /><br />In its strict sense the Mozart Effect claims to demonstrate improved performance on spatio-temporal reasoning tasks in the immediate 10-15 minutes after listening to part of a Mozart piano sonata or similar complex music. Spatio-temporal reasoning is the ability to visualise something in space that unfolds over time. For example, estimating how a piece of paper will look unfolded, or reading a map. An improvement in this area of thinking has been linked to skills required in academic subjects like mathematics and science, and so the Mozart effect is claimed to have positive implications for educational performance.<br /><br />Most studies of this effect have been with adults, and many have limitations. Those that are reported to be sound trials, generally either report no significant effect, or demonstrate that the 'effect' is most likely associated with improved arousal and mood, rather than related to specific cognitive skills.<br /><br />Only a small number of studies have been conducted specifically with children, and none have demonstrated a significant effect on performance in spatio-temporal skills, as originally claimedhessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-87953194512188200612009-08-18T11:00:00.000-07:002009-08-18T11:01:03.110-07:00Twelve Benefits of Music EducationTwelve Benefits of Music Education<br /><br /><br /> 1. Early musical training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning. It is thought that brain development continues for many years after birth. Recent studies have clearly indicated that musical training physically develops the part of the left side of the brain known to be involved with processing language, and can actually wire the brain's circuits in specific ways. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help imprint information on young minds.<br /><br /> 2. There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things). This kind of intelligence, by which one can visualize various elements that should go together, is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for everything from solving advanced mathematics problems to being able to pack a book-bag with everything that will be needed for the day.<br /><br /> 3. Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions. Questions about the arts do not have only one right answer.<br /><br /> 4. Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT. They also achieve higher grades in high school.<br /><br /> 5. A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to development of greed and a "me first" attitude, provides a bridge across cultural chasms that leads to respect of other races at an early age.<br /><br /> 6. Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work. These standards, when applied to a student's own work, demand a new level of excellence and require students to stretch their inner resources.<br /><br /> 7. In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible. Through music study, students learn the value of sustained effort to achieve excellence and the concrete rewards of hard work.<br /><br /> 8. Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline. In order for an orchestra to sound good, all players must work together harmoniously towards a single goal, the performance, and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing.<br /><br /> 9. Music provides children with a means of self-expression. Now that there is relative security in the basics of existence, the challenge is to make life meaningful and to reach for a higher stage of development. Everyone needs to be in touch at some time in his life with his core, with what he is and what he feels. Self-esteem is a by-product of this self-expression.<br /><br /> 10. Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace. It focuses on "doing," as opposed to observing, and teaches students how to perform, literally, anywhere in the world. Employers are looking for multi-dimensional workers with the sort of flexible and supple intellects that music education helps to create as described above. In the music classroom, students can also learn to better communicate and cooperate with one another.<br /><br /> 11. Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks. A little anxiety is a good thing, and something that will occur often in life. Dealing with it early and often makes it less of a problem later. Risk-taking is essential if a child is to fully develop his or her potential.<br /><br /> 12. An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-7707793522356780182009-08-08T03:31:00.002-07:002009-08-08T03:37:42.179-07:00First Evidence That Musical Training Affects Brain Development In Young Children<span style="font-weight:bold;">First Evidence That Musical Training Affects Brain Development In Young Children</span><br /><br /><br />ScienceDaily (Sep. 20, 2006) — Researchers have found the first evidence that young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year compared to children who do not receive musical training.<br />See also:<br />Mind & Brain<br /><br /> * Child Development<br /> * Child Psychology<br /> * Intelligence<br /> * ADD and ADHD<br /> * Neuroscience<br /> * Perception<br /><br />Reference<br /><br /> * Dyslexia<br /> * Instructional design<br /> * Learning disability<br /> * Mirror test<br /><br />The findings, published today (20 September 2006) in the online edition of the journal Brain [1], show that not only do the brains of musically-trained children respond to music in a different way to those of the untrained children, but also that the training improves their memory as well. After one year the musically trained children performed better in a memory test that is correlated with general intelligence skills such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics and IQ.<br /><br />The Canadian-based researchers reached these conclusions after measuring changes in brain responses to sounds in children aged between four and six. Over the period of a year they took four measurements in two groups of children -- those taking Suzuki music lessons and those taking no musical training outside school -- and found developmental changes over periods as short as four months. While previous studies have shown that older children given music lessons had greater improvements in IQ scores than children given drama lessons, this is the first study to identify these effects in brain-based measurements in young children.<br /><br />Dr Laurel Trainor, Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour at McMaster University and Director of the McMaster Institute for Music and the Mind, said: "This is the first study to show that brain responses in young, musically trained and untrained children change differently over the course of a year. These changes are likely to be related to the cognitive benefit that is seen with musical training." Prof Trainor led the study with Dr Takako Fujioka, a scientist at Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute.<br /><br />The research team designed their study to investigate (1) how auditory responses in children matured over the period of a year, (2) whether responses to meaningful sounds, such as musical tones, matured differently than responses to noises, and (3) how musical training affected normal brain development in young children.<br /><br />At the beginning of the study, six of the children (five boys, one girl) had just started to attend a Suzuki music school; the other six children (four boys, two girls) had no music lessons outside school.<br /><br />The researchers chose children being trained by the Suzuki method for several reasons: it ensured the children were all trained in the same way, were not selected for training according to their initial musical talent and had similar support from their families. In addition, because there was no early training in reading music, the Suzuki method provided the researchers with a good model of how training in auditory, sensory and motor activities induces changes in the cortex of the brain. Brain activity was measured by magnetoencephalography (MEG) while the children listened to two types of sounds: a violin tone and a white noise burst. MEG is a non-invasive brain scanning technology that measures the magnetic fields outside the head that are associated with the electrical fields generated when groups of neurons (nerve cells) fire in synchrony. When a sound is heard, the brain processes the information from the ears in a series of stages. MEG provides millisecond-by-millisecond information that tracks these stages of processing; the stages show up as positive or negative deflections (or peaks), called components, in the MEG waveform. Earlier peaks tend to reflect sensory processing and later peaks, perceptual or cognitive processing.<br /><br />The researchers recorded the measurements four times during the year, and during the first and fourth session the children also completed a music test (in which they were asked to discriminate between same and different harmonies, rhythms and melodies) and a digit span memory test (in which they had to listen to a series of numbers, remember them and repeat them back to the experimenter).<br /><br />Analysis of the MEG responses showed that across all children, larger responses were seen to the violin tones than to the white noise, indicating that more cortical resources were put to processing meaningful sounds. In addition, the time that it took for the brain to respond to the sounds (the latency of certain MEG components) decreased over the year. This means that as children matured, the electrical conduction between neurons in their brains worked faster.<br /><br />Of most interest, the Suzuki children showed a greater change over the year in response to violin tones in an MEG component (N250m) related to attention and sound discrimination than did the children not taking music lessons.<br /><br />Analysis of the music tasks showed greater improvement over the year in melody, harmony and rhythm processing in the children studying music compared to those not studying music. General memory capacity also improved more in the children studying music than in those not studying music.<br /><br />Prof Trainor said: "That the children studying music for a year improved in musical listening skills more than children not studying music is perhaps not very surprising. On the other hand, it is very interesting that the children taking music lessons improved more over the year on general memory skills that are correlated with non-musical abilities such as literacy, verbal memory, visiospatial processing, mathematics and IQ than did the children not taking lessons. The finding of very rapid maturation of the N250m component to violin sounds in children taking music lessons fits with their large improvement on the memory test. It suggests that musical training is having an effect on how the brain gets wired for general cognitive functioning related to memory and attention."<br /><br />Dr Fujioka added: "Previous work has shown assignment to musical training is associated with improvements in IQ in school-aged children. Our work explores how musical training affects the way in which the brain develops. It is clear that music is good for children's cognitive development and that music should be part of the pre-school and primary school curriculum."hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-25697886559342570412009-08-08T03:28:00.000-07:002009-08-08T03:30:34.887-07:00Time Invested In Practicing Pays Off For Young Musicians,Time Invested In Practicing Pays Off For Young Musicians<br /><br />ScienceDaily (Nov. 5, 2008) — A Harvard-based study has found that children who study a musical instrument for at least three years outperform children with no instrumental training—not only in tests of auditory discrimination and finger dexterity (skills honed by the study of a musical instrument), but also on tests measuring verbal ability and visual pattern completion (skills not normally associated with music).<br />See also:<br />Mind & Brain<br /><br /> * Intelligence<br /> * Child Development<br /> * Child Psychology<br /> * Perception<br /> * Educational Psychology<br /> * Psychology<br /><br />Reference<br /><br /> * Aptitude<br /> * Instructional design<br /> * Dyslexia<br /> * Learning disability<br /><br />The study, published October 29 in the online, open-access journal PLoS ONE, was led by Drs. Gottfried Schlaug and Ellen Winne.<br /><br />A total of 41 eight- to eleven-year-olds who had studied either piano or a string instrument for a minimum of three years were compared to 18 children who had no instrumental training. Children in both groups spent 30-40 minutes per week in general music classes at school, but those in the instrumental group also received private lessons learning an instrument (averaging 45 minutes per week) and spent additional time practicing at home.<br /><br />While it is no surprise that the young musicians scored significantly higher than those in the control group on two skills closely related to their music training (auditory discrimination and finger dexterity), the more surprising result was that they also scored higher in two skills that appear unrelated to music—verbal ability (as measured by a vocabulary IQ test) and visual pattern completion (as measured by the Raven's Progressive Matrices). And furthermore, the longer and more intensely the child had studied his or her instrument, the better he or she scored on these tests.<br /><br />Studying an instrument thus seems to bring benefits in areas beyond those that are specifically targeted by music instruction, but that is not the end of the story. Although this research sheds light on the question of whether connections between music and other, unrelated skills do exist, more studies examining the causal relationships between instrumental music training, practice intensity, and cognitive enhancements are needed.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-32355275874736704572009-08-08T03:25:00.001-07:002009-08-08T03:28:06.764-07:00Place of Music in Child`s DevelopmentScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2009) — Children exposed to a multi-year programme of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published in the journal Psychology of Music.<br />See also:<br />Mind & Brain<br /><br /> * Educational Psychology<br /> * Intelligence<br /> * Child Development<br /> * Child Psychology<br /> * Perception<br /> * Psychology<br /><br />Reference<br /><br /> * Peripheral vision<br /> * Instructional design<br /> * Dyslexia<br /> * Psycholinguistics<br /><br />According to authors Joseph M Piro and Camilo Ortiz from Long Island University, USA, data from this study will help to clarify the role of music study on cognition and shed light on the question of the potential of music to enhance school performance in language and literacy.<br /><br />Studying children the two US elementary schools, one of which routinely trained children in music and one that did not, Piro and Ortiz aimed to investigate the hypothesis that children who have received keyboard instruction as part of a music curriculum increasing in difficulty over successive years would demonstrate significantly better performance on measures of vocabulary and verbal sequencing than students who did not receive keyboard instruction.<br /><br />Several studies have reported positive associations between music education and increased abilities in non-musical (eg, linguistic, mathematical, and spatial) domains in children. The authors say there are similarities in the way that individuals interpret music and language and “because neural response to music is a widely distributed system within the brain…. it would not be unreasonable to expect that some processing networks for music and language behaviors, namely reading, located in both hemispheres of the brain would overlap.”<br /><br />The aim of this study was to look at two specific reading subskills – vocabulary and verbal sequencing – which, according to the authors, are “are cornerstone components in the continuum of literacy development and a window into the subsequent successful acquisition of proficient reading and language skills such as decoding and reading comprehension.”<br /><br />Using a quasi-experimental design, the investigators selected second-grade children from two school sites located in the same geographic vicinity and with similar demographic characteristics, to ensure the two groups of children were as similar as possible apart from their music experience.<br /><br />Children in the intervention school (n=46) studied piano formally for a period of three consecutive years as part of a comprehensive instructional intervention program. Children attending the control school (n=57) received no formal musical training on any musical instrument and had never taken music lessons as part of their general school curriculum or in private study. Both schools followed comprehensive balanced literacy programmes that integrate skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.<br /><br />All participants were individually tested to assess their reading skills at the start and close of a standard 10-month school year using the Structure of Intellect (SOI) measure.<br /><br />Results analysed at the end of the year showed that the music-learning group had significantly better vocabulary and verbal sequencing scores than did the non-music-learning control group. This finding, conclude the authors, provides evidence to support the increasingly common practice of “educators incorporating a variety of approaches, including music, in their teaching practice in continuing efforts to improve reading achievement in children”.<br /><br />However, further interpretation of the results revealed some complexity within the overall outcomes. An interesting observation was that when the study began, the music-learning group had already experienced two years of piano lessons yet their reading scores were nearly identical to the control group at the start of the experiment.<br /><br />So, ask the authors, “If the children receiving piano instruction already had two years of music involvement, why did they not significantly outscore the musically naïve students on both measures at the outset?” Addressing previous findings showing that music instruction has been demonstrated to exert ccortical hanges in certain cognitive areas such as spatial-temporal performance fairly quickly, Piro and Ortiz propose three factors to explain the lack of evidence of early benefit for music in the present study.<br /><br />First, children were tested for their baseline reading skills at the beginning of the school year, after an extended holiday period. Perhaps the absence of any music instruction during a lengthy summer recess may have reversed any earlier temporary cortical reorganization experienced by students in the music group, a finding reported in other related research. Another explanation could be that the duration of music study required to improve reading and associated skills is fairly long, so the initial two years were not sufficient.<br /><br />A third explanation involves the specific developmental time period during which children were receiving the tuition. During the course of their third year of music lessons, the music-learning group was in second grade and approaching the age of seven. There is evidence that there are significant spurts of brain growth and gray matter distribution around this developmental period and, coupled with the increased complexity of the study matter in this year, brain changes that promote reading skills may have been more likely to accrue at this time than in the earlier two years. <br /><br />“All of this adds a compelling layer of meaning to the experimental outcomes, perhaps signalling that decisions on ‘when’ to teach are at least as important as ‘what’ to teach when probing differential neural pathways and investigating their associative cognitive substrates,” note the authors.<br /><br />“Study of how music may also assist cognitive development will help education practitioners go beyond the sometimes hazy and ill-defined ‘music makes you smarter’ claims and provide careful and credible instructional approaches that use the rich and complex conceptual structure of music and its transfer to other cognitive areas,” they conclude.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-68480361079746559852009-08-08T03:22:00.000-07:002009-08-08T03:24:54.887-07:00Music Training Linked To Enhanced Verbal Skills<span style="font-weight:bold;">Music Training Linked To Enhanced Verbal Skills</span><br /><br />ScienceDaily (Sep. 27, 2007) — Music training, with its pervasive effects on the nervous system's ability to process sight and sound, may be more important for enhancing verbal communication skills than learning phonics, according to a new Northwestern University study.<br />See also:<br />Mind & Brain<br /><br /> * Perception<br /> * Intelligence<br /> * Neuroscience<br /> * Child Development<br /> * Language Acquisition<br /> * Psychology<br /><br />Reference<br /><br /> * Auditory system<br /> * Central nervous system<br /> * Sensory neuron<br /> * Thalamus<br /><br />Musicians use all of their senses to practice and perform a musical piece. They watch other musicians, read lips, and feel, hear and perform music, thus, engaging multi-sensory skills. As it turns out, the brain's alteration from the multi-sensory process of music training enhances the same communication skills needed for speaking and reading, the study concludes. <br /><br />“Audiovisual processing was much enhanced in musicians' brains compared to non-musician counterparts, and musicians also were more sensitive to subtle changes in both speech and music sounds,” said Nina Kraus, Hugh Knowles Professor of Communication Sciences and Neurobiology and director of Northwestern's Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory, where the work was performed. “Our study indicates that the high-level cognitive processing of music affects automatic processing that occurs early in the processing stream and fundamentally shapes sensory circuitry.”<br /><br />The nervous system's multi-sensory processing begins in the brainstem, an evolutionarily ancient part of the brain previously thought to be relatively unmalleable.<br /><br />“Musicians have a specialized neural system for processing sight and sound in the brainstem, the neural gateway to the brain,” said Northwestern doctoral student Gabriella Musacchia, lead author of the study.<br /><br />For many years, scientists believed that the brainstem simply relayed sensory information from the ear to the cortex, a part of the brain known for cognitive processing.<br /><br />Because the brainstem offers a common pathway that processes music and speech, the study suggests that musical training conceivably could help children develop literacy skills and combat literacy disorders.<br /><br />The study, “Musicians Have Enhanced Subcortical Auditory and Audiovisual Processing of Speech and Music,” will be published online the week of Sept. 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The co-investigators are Gabriella Musacchia, Mikko Sams, Erika Skoe and Nina Kraus.<br /><br />Study participants, who had varying amounts of musical training or none at all, wore scalp electrodes that measured their multi-sensory brain responses to audio and video of a cellist playing and a person speaking.<br /><br />The data showed that the number of years that a person practiced music strongly correlated with enhanced basic sound encoding mechanisms that also are relevant for speech. Beyond revealing super-accurate pitch coding vital to recognizing a speaker's identity and emotional intent, the study showed enhanced transcription of timbre and timing cues common to speech and music.<br /><br />“The study underscores the extreme malleability of auditory function by music training and the potential of music to tune our neural response to the world around us, ” Kraus said.<br /><br />Previous research has shown brainstem transcription errors in some children with literacy disorders.<br /><br />Since music is inherently more accessible to children than phonics, the new research suggests, music training may have considerable benefits for engendering literacy skillshessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-50869374853432877592009-07-15T01:21:00.000-07:002009-07-15T01:34:03.765-07:00MICHEAL JACKSON<span style="font-weight:bold;">Michael Jackson</span><br /><br />At the White House in 1984<br />Born Michael Joseph Jackson<br />August 29, 1958(1958-08-29)<br />Gary, Indiana, U.S.<br />Died June 25, 2009 (aged 50)<br />Los Angeles, California, U.S.<br />Occupation Singer-songwriter, producer, dancer, choreographer, businessman<br />Years active 1964–2009<br />Net worth $236 million (2007)[1]<br />Spouse(s) Lisa Marie Presley (1994–1996)<br />Debbie Rowe (1996–1999)<br />Children Prince Michael Jackson I (b. 1997)<br />Paris Michael Katherine Jackson (b. 1998)<br />Prince Michael Jackson II (b. 2002)<br />Parents Joseph Jackson (father)<br />Katherine Jackson (mother)<br />Website<br />www.michaeljackson.com<br /><br />Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), dubbed the King of Pop, was an American musician and entertainer. One of the most commercially successful recording artists of all time, his unique contributions to music and dance, along with a highly publicized personal life, made him a central part of popular culture around the world for four decades.<br /><br />A double-inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, his other achievements feature multiple Guinness World Records—including the "Most Successful Entertainer of All Time"—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles, and the sale of over 750 million records. He was also a notable philanthropist, donating millions of dollars to the 39 charities he supported, and raising more through his own Heal the World Foundation.<br /><br />The seventh child of the Jackson family, he made his debut in 1964 as a member of The Jackson 5, beginning a solo career in 1971. His 1982 album Thriller remains the best-selling album of all time, with four others—Off the Wall (1979), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991), and HIStory (1995)—among the best selling. He popularized several physically complicated dance moves, such as the robot and the moonwalk, now iconic. His inventive music videos, including Thriller, "Beat It" and "Billie Jean", helped to transform the music video into an art form in addition to its original function as a promotional tool. He was the first African American artist to amass a strong crossover following on MTV, and his continually ground-breaking videos, such as "Black or White" and "Scream", ensured his popularity well into the 1990s.<br /><br />Jackson's personal life generated significant controversy. His changing appearance was noticed from the early 1980s, his skin appearing paler and his facial features becoming almost androgynous.[2] He was accused in 1993 of child sexual abuse, and though no charges were brought, his health suffered when he started using painkillers to cope with the stress. He married twice, first in 1994 and again in 1996, and brought up three children, one of them born to a surrogate mother, actions that triggered more speculation about his life. In 2005, he was tried and acquitted of different child molestation allegations, which provoked a further decline in his health. Jackson died at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009, in Los Angeles, after suffering from cardiac arrest. His memorial service was broadcast live around the world.<br /><br /><br />Life and career<br /><br />1958–75: Early life, The Jackson 5, and Motown solo years<br /><br />Jackson was born the seventh of nine children on August 29, 1958 in Gary, Indiana, an industrial suburb of Chicago, to an African American family. His mother, Katherine Esther Scruse, was a devout Jehovah's Witness, and his father, Joseph Walter "Joe" Jackson, a steel mill worker who performed with an R&B band called The Falcons. Jackson had three sisters, Rebbie, La Toya, and Janet, and five brothers, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon, and Randy.[3]<br /><br />Jackson had a difficult relationship with his father. He stated that he was physically and emotionally abused during incessant rehearsals, whippings, and name-calling, though he credited his father's discipline for his success.[4] In one altercation recalled by Marlon, Joseph held Michael upside down by one leg and "pummeled him over and over again with his hand, hitting him on his back and buttocks".[5] Joseph would also trip or push the boys into walls. One night while Jackson was asleep, Joseph climbed into his room through the bedroom window, wearing a fright mask and screaming. He said he wanted to teach the children not to leave the window open when they went to sleep. For years afterward, Jackson said he suffered nightmares about being kidnapped from his room.[5] Joseph acknowledged in 2003 that he had whipped Jackson as a child.[6]<br /><br />Jackson first spoke openly about his childhood abuse in an interview with Oprah Winfrey broadcast on February 10, 1993. He said that he had often cried from loneliness and would sometimes throw up when he saw his father. In an interview with Martin Bashir, aired on February 3, 2003 as Living with Michael Jackson, he covered his face with his hands and began crying when talking about his childhood abuse. He recalled that Joseph sat in a chair with a belt in his hand as he and his siblings rehearsed, and that "if you didn't do it the right way, he would tear you up, really get you".[7][8]<br /><br />He showed talent early in his life, performing in front of classmates during a Christmas recital at the age of five. In 1964, he and Marlon joined the Jackson Brothers—a band formed by brothers Jackie, Tito, and Jermaine—as backup musicians playing congas and tambourine. Jackson later began performing backup vocals and dancing; at the age of eight, he and Jermaine assumed lead vocals, and the group's name was changed to The Jackson 5.[3] The band toured the Midwest extensively from 1966 to 1968, frequently performing at a string of black clubs known as the "chitlin' circuit", where they often opened stripteases and other adult acts. In 1966, they won a major local talent show with renditions of Motown hits and James Brown's "I Got You (I Feel Good)", led by Michael.[9]<br /><br />The Jackson 5 recorded several songs, including "Big Boy", for the local record label Steeltown in 1967, and signed with Motown Records in 1968.[3] Rolling Stone magazine later described the young Michael as "a prodigy" with "overwhelming musical gifts," writing that he "quickly emerged as the main draw and lead singer."[10] The group set a chart record when its first four singles ("I Want You Back", "ABC", "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There") peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100.[3] During The Jackson 5's early years, Motown's public relations team claimed that Jackson was nine years old, two years younger than he was, to make him appear cuter and more accessible.[11]<br /><br />Starting in 1972, Jackson released a total of four solo studio albums with Motown, among them Got to Be There and Ben, released as part of the Jackson 5 franchise, and producing successful singles such as "Got to Be There", "Ben," and a remake of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin". The group's sales began declining in 1973, and the band members chafed under Motown's strict refusal to allow them creative control or input. Although they scored several top 40 hits, including the top 5 disco single "Dancing Machine" and the top 20 hit "I Am Love", the Jackson 5 left Motown in 1975.[12]<br /><br />1975–81: Move to Epic, The Jacksons, and Off the Wall<br /><br />The Jackson 5 signed a new contract with CBS Records in June 1975, joining the Philadelphia International Records division, later Epic Records,[12] and renaming themselves The Jacksons.[13] They continued to tour internationally, releasing six more albums between 1976 and 1984, during which Jackson was the lead songwriter, writing hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)", "This Place Hotel," and "Can You Feel It".[9]<br /><br />In 1978, he starred as the scarecrow in the musical, The Wiz,[14] and it was here that he teamed up with Quincy Jones, who was arranging the film's musical score. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album, Off the Wall.[15] In 1979, Jackson broke his nose during a complex dance routine. His subsequent rhinoplasty was not a complete success; he complained of breathing difficulties that would affect his career. He was referred to Dr. Steven Hoefflin, who performed Jackson's second rhinoplasty and subsequent operations.[16]<br /><br />Jones and Jackson produced Off the Wall together. Songwriters included Jackson, Heatwave's Rod Temperton, Stevie Wonder, and Paul McCartney. Released in 1979, it was the first album to generate four U.S. top 10 hits, including the chart-topping singles "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock with You".[17] It reached number three on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 20 million copies worldwide.[18] In 1980, Jackson won three awards at the American Music Awards for his solo efforts: Favorite Soul/R&B Album, Favorite Male Soul/R&B Artist, and Favorite Soul/R&B Single for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough". That year, he also won Billboard Music Awards for Top Black Artist and Top Black Album and a Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, also for "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough".[17] Despite its commercial success, Jackson felt Off the Wall should have made a much bigger impact, and was determined to exceed expectations with his next release.[19] In 1980, he secured the highest royalty rate in the music industry: 37 percent of wholesale album profit.[20]<br /><br />1982–83: Thriller and the moonwalk<br />Main articles: Thriller (album), Thriller (song), and Thriller (music video)<br /><br />In 1982, Jackson contributed the song "Someone In the Dark" to the storybook for the film E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; the record won a Grammy for Best Album for Children.[21] That same year Jackson issued his second Epic album, Thriller, which became the most commercially successful album of all time. The album remained in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 for 80 consecutive weeks and 37 of those weeks at the peak position. It was the first album to have seven Billboard Hot 100 top 10 singles, including "Billie Jean", "Beat It," and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'."[22] Thriller was certified for 28 million shipments by the RIAA, giving it Double Diamond status in the United States.[23] It is often cited as the best-selling album of all time, with worldwide sales between 47 million and 109 million copies.[24]<br /><br />Jackson's attorney John Branca noted that Jackson had the highest royalty rate in the music industry at that point: approximately $2 for every album sold. He was also making record-breaking profits from sales of CDs and The Making of Michael Jackson's Thriller, a documentary produced by Jackson and John Landis. Funded by MTV, the documentary sold over 350,000 copies in a few months. The era saw the arrival of novelties like dolls modeled after Michael Jackson, which appeared in stores in May 1984 at a price of $12.[25] Biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli writes that, "Thriller stopped selling like a leisure item—like a magazine, a toy, tickets to a hit movie—and started selling like a household staple."[26]<br />MichaelJacksonMoonwalk.ogg<br />Play video<br />Jackson debuts the moonwalk during his performance on Motown 25<br /><br />Time described Jackson's influence at that point as "Star of records, radio, rock video. A one-man rescue team for the music business. A songwriter who sets the beat for a decade. A dancer with the fanciest feet on the street. A singer who cuts across all boundaries of taste and style and color too".[25] The New York Times wrote that, "in the world of pop music, there is Michael Jackson and there is everybody else".[27] On March 25, 1983, he performed live on the Motown 25: Yesterday, Today, Forever television special, both with The Jackson 5 and on his own singing "Billie Jean". Debuting his signature dance move, the moonwalk, his performances during the event were seen by 47 million viewers, and drew comparisons to Elvis Presley's and the The Beatles' appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show.[28] The New York Times said, "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing."[29]<br /><br />1984–85: Scalp burns, We Are The World, and the Beatles catalog<br /><br />Jackson suffered a setback on January 27, 1984, which was to have repercussions for the rest of his life. While filming a Pepsi Cola commercial at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, he suffered second degree burns to his scalp after pyrotechnics accidentally set his hair on fire. Happening in front of a full house of fans during a simulated concert, the incident elicited an outpouring of sympathy. Jackson had his third rhinoplasty shortly afterwards,[16] and began treatment to hide the scars on his scalp. It was during this period, friends say, that he began using the painkillers to which he later became addicted. Pepsi settled out of court, and Jackson donated his $1.5 million settlement to the Brotman Medical Center in Culver City, CA, which now has a "Michael Jackson Burn Center".[30]<br />Jackson at the White House South Portico with President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan, 1984<br /><br />On May 14, 1984, he was invited to the White House to receive an award from President Ronald Reagan for his support of charities that helped people overcome alcohol and drug abuse.[31] Jackson won eight awards during the Grammys that year. Unlike later albums, Thriller did not have an official tour to promote it, but the 1984 Victory Tour, headlined by The Jacksons, showcased much of Jackson's new solo material to more than two million Americans. He donated his $5 million share from the Victory Tour to charity.[32] He also co-wrote the charity single "We Are the World" in 1985 with Lionel Richie, which was released worldwide to aid the poor in the U.S. and Africa. It became one of the best-selling singles of all time, with nearly 20 million copies sold and millions of dollars donated to famine relief.[33]<br /><br />While working with Paul McCartney on the two hit singles "The Girl Is Mine" (1982) and "Say Say Say" (1983), the pair became friendly. McCartney told Jackson about the large amount of money he earned from owning music catalogs; he was earning approximately $40 million a year from other people's songs. Jackson subsequently began buying, selling, and distributing publishing rights to music from numerous artists. In 1985, ATV Music, a music publishing company owning thousands of music copyrights, including the Northern Songs catalogue that contained the majority of the Lennon-McCartney compositions recorded by the Beatles, was put up for sale.[34][35] Jackson took an immediate interest in the catalog, but was warned he would face strong competition. Excited, he skipped around saying, "I don't care. I want those songs. Get me those songs Branca [his attorney]". Branca contacted McCartney's attorney, who clarified that his client was not interested in bidding: "It's too pricey". After Jackson had started negotiations, McCartney changed his mind and tried to persuade Yoko Ono to join him in a joint bid, but she declined, so he pulled out. Jackson eventually beat the rest of the competition in negotiations that lasted 10 months, purchasing the catalog for $47.5 million.[34][36]<br /><br />1986–87: Appearance, tabloids, Bad, autobiography, and films<br />See also: Michael Jackson's health and appearance<br /><br />Jackson's skin had been a medium-brown color for the entire duration of his youth, but starting in the early 1980s, it gradually grew paler. The change gained widespread media coverage, including rumors that he was bleaching his skin.[37] According to J. Randy Taraborrelli's biography, in 1986, he was diagnosed with vitiligo and lupus; the vitiligo partially lightened his skin, and the lupus was in remission; both illnesses made him sensitive to sunlight. The treatments he used for his condition further lightened his skin tone, and, with the application of pancake makeup to even out blotches, he could appear very pale.[38] The structure of his face changed too: several surgeons speculated that he had undergone multiple nasal surgeries, a forehead lift, thinned lips, and cheekbone surgery.[39]<br /><br />He lost weight in the early 1980s because of a change in diet and a desire for "a dancer's body."[40] Witnesses reported that he was often dizzy and speculated that he was suffering from anorexia nervosa; periods of weight loss would become a recurring problem later in life.[41] Some medical professionals have said he was suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, a psychological condition whereby the sufferer dislikes his appearance and has no concept of how he is viewed by others.[38] He had a fourth rhinoplasty in 1986, and had a cleft put in his chin.[16][42]<br />Jackson two years after he was diagnosed with vitiligo, here in the early stages of the disease<br /><br />He became the subject of increasingly sensational reports. In 1986, The National Enquirer published a series of photographs of him lying in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, claiming that he slept in the chamber to slow the aging process.[43] When Jackson bought a chimpanzee called Bubbles from a laboratory, it was reported as an example of increasing detachment from reality.[44] In 2003, the singer claimed that Bubbles had been trained to use the toilet and to clean his own bedroom.[43] Later, it was reported that he had offered $1 million for the bones of Joseph Merrick, the "Elephant Man."[45] The reports became embedded in the public consciousness, inspiring the nickname "Wacko Jacko." Despite Jackson's insistence that the reports were completely invented, a biographer said in 2004 that Jackson's publicists had leaked the rumors to the press for promotional reasons.[46] Jackson remarked to a reporter:<br /><br /> Why not just tell people I'm an alien from Mars. Tell them I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight. They'll believe anything you say, because you're a reporter. But if I, Michael Jackson, were to say, "I'm an alien from Mars and I eat live chickens and do a voodoo dance at midnight," people would say, "Oh, man, that Michael Jackson is nuts. He's cracked up. You can't believe a damn word that comes out of his mouth."[47]<br /><br />Jackson wore a gold-plated military style jacket with belt in the Bad era.<br /><br />Jackson starred in the Francis Ford Coppola-directed 3-D film Captain EO. It was the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis at the time, and was later hosted in Disney theme parks. Disneyland featured the film in its Tomorrowland area for nearly 11 years, while Walt Disney World screened the film in its Epcot theme park from 1986 to 1994.[48] With the industry expecting another major hit, Jackson's first album in five years, Bad (1987), was highly anticipated.[49] It had lower sales than Thriller, but was still a substantial commercial success, spawning seven hit singles in the U.S., five of which ("I Just Can't Stop Loving You", "Bad", "The Way You Make Me Feel", "Man in the Mirror" and "Dirty Diana") reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts, more than any other album.[50] As of 2008, the album had sold 30 million copies worldwide.[51]<br /><br />In 1987, Jackson disassociated himself from the Jehovah's Witnesses, in response to their disapproval of the Thriller video.[52] The Bad World Tour began on September 12 that year, finishing on January 14, 1989.[53] In Japan alone, the tour had 14 sellouts and drew 570,000 people, nearly tripling the previous record of 200,000 in a single tour.[54] He broke a Guinness World Record when 504,000 people attended seven sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium. He performed a total of 123 concerts to an audience of 4.4 million people, and gained a further Guinness World Record when the tour grossed him $125 million. During the trip he invited underprivileged children to watch for free, and gave donations to hospitals, orphanages, and other charities.[53]<br /><br />1988–90: Autobiography, changing appearance, and Neverland<br /><br />In 1988, Jackson released his first autobiography, Moon Walk, which took four years to complete and sold 200,000 copies.[55] Jackson wrote about his childhood, The Jackson 5, and the abuse he had suffered.[56] He also spoke of his plastic surgery, saying he had had two rhinoplastic surgeries and the surgical creation of a cleft in his chin.[40] He attributed much of the change in the structure of his face to puberty, weight loss, a strict vegetarian diet, a change in hair style, and stage lighting.[40] Moon Walk reached the top position on The New York Times best sellers' list.[57] The musician then released a film called Moonwalker, which featured live footage and music videos that starred Jackson and Joe Pesci. Moonwalker debuted atop the Billboard Top Music Video Cassette chart, staying there for 22 weeks. It was eventually knocked off the top spot by Michael Jackson: The Legend Continues.[58]<br /><br />In March 1988, Jackson purchased land near Santa Ynez, California to build Neverland Ranch at a cost of $17 million. He installed Ferris wheels, a menagerie, and a movie theater on the 2,700-acre (11 km2) property. A security staff of 40 patrolled the grounds. In 2003, it was valued at approximately $100 million.[10][59] In 1989, his annual earnings from album sales, endorsements, and concerts was estimated at $125 million for that year alone.[60] Shortly afterwards, he became the first Westerner to appear in a television ad in the Soviet Union.[58]<br /><br />In 1989, after his brothers recorded and released the smash hit album 2300 Jackson Street without him, Jackson felt the urge to return to a band setting. He briefly joined BOSTON: unfortunately contractual issues and his inability to adjust to BOSTON bandleader Tom Scholz's personal quirks caused Jackson to leave the band after just a few months to return to a solo career.<br /><br />His success resulted in his being dubbed the "King of Pop", a nickname conceived by Scholz. The honorific was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor when she presented him with an "Artist of the Decade" award in 1989, proclaiming him "the true king of pop, rock and soul."[61] President George H. W. Bush presented him with The White House's special "Artist of the Decade."[62] From 1985 to 1990, he donated $500,000 to the United Negro College Fund, and all of the profits from his single "Man in the Mirror" went to charity.[63][64] Jackson's live rendition of "You Were There" at Sammy Davis Jr.'s 60th birthday celebration received an Emmy nomination.[58]<br /><br />1991–93: Dangerous, Heal The World Foundation, and Super Bowl XXVII<br /><br />In March 1991, Jackson renewed his contract with Sony for $65 million, a record-breaking deal at the time, displacing Neil Diamond's renewal contract with Columbia Records.[59] Jackson released his eighth album Dangerous in 1991. As of 2008, Dangerous had shipped seven million copies in the U.S. and had sold 32 million copies worldwide; it is the most successful new jack swing album of all time.[65][66][67] In the United States, the album's first single "Black or White" was its biggest hit, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and remaining there for seven weeks, with similar chart performances worldwide.[68] The album's second single "Remember the Time" spent eight weeks in the top five in the United States, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.[69] In 1993, Jackson performed the song at the Soul Train Awards in a chair, saying he had suffered an injury in rehearsals.[70] In the UK and other parts of Europe, "Heal the World" was the biggest hit from the album; it sold 450,000 copies in the UK and spent five weeks at number two in 1992.[69]<br /><br />Jackson founded the "Heal the World Foundation" in 1992. The charity organization brought underprivileged children to Jackson's ranch to enjoy theme park rides that Jackson had built on the property. The foundation also sent millions of dollars around the globe to help children threatened by war and disease. The Dangerous World Tour began on June 27, 1992, and finished on November 11, 1993. Jackson performed to 3.5 million people in 67 concerts. All profits from the concerts went to the "Heal the World Foundation", raising millions of dollars in relief.[69][71] He sold the broadcast rights to his Dangerous world tour to HBO for $20 million, a record-breaking deal that still stands.[72] Following the illness and death of Ryan White, Jackson helped draw public attention to HIV/AIDS, something that was still controversial at the time. He publicly pleaded with the Clinton Administration at Bill Clinton's Inaugural Gala to give more money to HIV/AIDS charities and research.[73][74]<br /><br />In a high-profile visit to Africa, Jackson visited several countries, among them Gabon and Egypt.[75] His first stop to Gabon was greeted with a sizable reception of more than 100,000 people in "spiritual bedlam", some of them carrying signs that read, "Welcome Home Michael".[75] In his trip to the Ivory Coast, Jackson was crowned "King Sani" by a tribal chief.[75] He then thanked the dignitaries in French and English, signed official documents formalizing his kingship and sat on a golden throne while presiding over ceremonial dances.[75]<br /><br />One of Jackson's most acclaimed performances came during the halftime show at Super Bowl XXVII. As the performances began, Jackson was catapulted onto the stage as fireworks went off behind him. As he landed on the canvass, he maintained a motionless "clenched fist, standing statue stance", dressed in a gold and black military outfit and sunglasses; he remained completely motionless for several minutes while the crowd cheered. He then slowly removed his sunglasses, threw them away and began to sing and dance. His routine included four songs: "Jam", "Billie Jean", "Black or White" and "Heal the World". It was the first Super Bowl where the audience figures increased during the half-time show, and was viewed by 135 million Americans alone; Jackson's Dangerous album rose 90 places up the album chart.[37]<br /><br />Jackson was given the "Living Legend Award" at the 35th Annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. "Black or White" was Grammy nominated for best vocal performance. "Jam" gained two nominations: Best R&B Vocal Performance and Best R&B Song.[69]<br /><br />1993: First child sexual abuse allegations<br />Main article: 1993 child sexual abuse accusations against Michael Jackson<br /><br />Jackson gave a 90-minute interview to Oprah Winfrey in February 1993, his second television interview since 1979. He grimaced when speaking of his childhood abuse at the hands of his father; he believed he had missed out on much of his childhood years, admitting that he often cried from loneliness. He denied tabloid rumors that he had bought the bones of the Elephant Man, slept in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, or bleached his skin, stating for the first time that he had vitiligo. The interview was watched by an American audience of 90 million, becoming the fourth most-viewed non-sport program in U.S. history. It also increased awareness of vitiligo, a relatively unknown condition. Dangerous re-entered the album chart in the top 10, more than a year after its original release.[37][8][69]<br /><br />In the summer of 1993, Jackson was accused of child sexual abuse by a 13-year-old boy named Jordan Chandler and his father, Evan Chandler, a dentist.[76] A year after Jackson met the boy, under the influence of sodium amytal, a controversial sedative, Jordan told his father that Jackson had touched his penis.[77] The father was tape-recorded discussing his intention to pursue charges, where he said, "If I go through with this, I win big-time. There's no way I lose. I will get everything I want and they will be destroyed forever ... Michael's career will be over".[78] He and Jackson engaged in unsuccessful negotiations to reach a financial settlement; the negotiations were initiated by Chandler but Jackson did make several counter offers. Jordan told a psychiatrist and later police that he and Jackson had engaged in acts of kissing, masturbation and oral sex, as well as giving a detailed description of what he alleged were the singer's genitals.[79]<br /><br />An official investigation began, with Jordan's mother adamant that there was no wrongdoing on Jackson's part. Neverland Ranch was searched; and multiple children and family members denied that Jackson was a pedophile,[79] though his image took a further hit when his older sister, La Toya, accused him of being a pedophile, a statement she later retracted.[80] Jackson agreed to a 25-minute strip search, conducted by police and doctors at his ranch, required to see if a description provided by Jordan of Jackson's genitals was accurate. Doctors concluded there were strong similarities, but it was not a definitive match.[80] His friends said he never recovered from the humiliation. He described the search in an emotional public statement, and proclaimed his innocence.[76]<br /><br />He began taking painkillers and sedatives, including Valium, Ativan, and Xanax, in part to ease chronic pain resulting from an accident with stage rigging during the Dangerous Tour, and for joint inflammation associated with the lupus, but also to ease the panic attacks stemming from the allegations against him. By the fall of 1993, he was addicted.[81] His health deteriorated to such an extent that he canceled the remainder of the Dangerous World Tour and went into rehab in London for a few months, dramatically disappearing from public view with the help of Elizabeth Taylor and Elton John.[82] The stress of the allegations also caused him to stop eating, and he lost a significant amount of weight.[83] With his health in decline, his friends and legal advisers took over his defense and finances. They called on him to settle the child-abuse allegations out of court, believing he could not endure a lengthy trial.[82][83]<br /><br />The tabloids painted him in an extremely unfavorable light.[84] Complaints about them included bias against Jackson, paying for stories about alleged criminal activity, and buying leaked confidential material from the police investigation.[85] On January 1, 1994, Jackson settled with the Chandlers out of court for $22 million, after which Jordan stopped co-operating regarding criminal proceedings. Jackson was never charged, and the state closed its criminal investigation, citing lack of evidence.[86]<br /><br />1994: First marriage<br />Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley on May 26, 1994.<br /><br />In May 1994, Jackson married singer-songwriter Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley. They had first met in 1975 during one of Jackson's family engagements at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, and were reconnected through a mutual friend in early 1993.[84] They stayed in contact every day over the telephone. As child molestation accusations became public, Jackson became dependent on Lisa Marie for emotional support; she was concerned about his faltering health and addiction to drugs.[81] Lisa Marie explained, "I believed he didn't do anything wrong and that he was wrongly accused and yes I started falling for him. I wanted to save him. I felt that I could do it."[87] In a phone call he made to her, she described him as high, incoherent and delusional.[81] Shortly afterwards, she tried to persuade Jackson to settle the allegations out of court and go into rehabilitation to recover—he subsequently did both.[81] Jackson proposed to Lisa Marie over the telephone towards the fall of 1993, saying, "If I asked you to marry me, would you do it?".[81] Presley and Jackson married in the Dominican Republic in secrecy; the parties denied they had been married for nearly two months.[88] The marriage was, in her words, "a married couple's life ... that was sexually active".[89] At the time, the tabloid media speculated that the wedding was a ploy to prop up Jackson's public image in light of prior sexual abuse allegations.[88] Jackson and Presley divorced less than two years later, remaining friendly.[90]<br /><br />1995–97: HIStory<br /><br />In 1995, Jackson merged his ATV Music catalog with Sony's publishing division creating Sony/ATV Music Publishing. Jackson retained half-ownership of the company, earned $95 million upfront as well as the rights to even more songs.[35][91] He then released the double album HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I. The first disc, HIStory Begins, was a 15-track greatest hits album, and was later reissued as Greatest Hits – HIStory Vol. I in 2001, while the second disc, HIStory Continues, contained 15 new songs. The album debuted at number one on the charts and has been certified for seven million shipments in the US.[92] It is the best-selling multiple-disc album of all-time, with 20 million copies (40 million units) sold worldwide.[68][93] HIStory received a Grammy nomination for best album.[94]<br />One of many identical statues, positioned throughout Europe to promote HIStory. The statue illustrates the singer's flamboyant clothing and hair style, influenced by military imagery.<br /><br />The first single released from the album was the double A-side "Scream/Childhood". "Scream" was a duet, performed with Jackson's youngest sister Janet. The single had the highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 at number five, and received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals".[94] "You Are Not Alone" was the second single released from HIStory; it holds the Guinness World Record for the first song ever to debut at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.[60] It was seen as a major artistic and commercial success, receiving a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Vocal Performance".[94] In late 1995, Jackson was rushed to a hospital after collapsing during rehearsals for a televised performance; the incident was caused by a stress related panic attack.[95] "Earth Song" was the third single released from HIStory, and topped the UK singles chart for six weeks over Christmas 1995; it sold a million copies, making it Jackson's most successful single in the UK.[94] The HIStory World Tour began on September 7, 1996, and finished on October 15, 1997. Jackson performed 82 concerts in 58 cities to over 4.5 million fans. The show, which visited five continents and 35 countries, became Jackson's most successful in terms of audience figures.[53]<br /><br />1996–99: Second marriage and fatherhood<br />See also: Children of Michael Jackson<br /><br />During the Australian leg of the HIStory World Tour, Jackson married dermatology nurse Deborah Jeanne Rowe on November 14, 1996 in an impromptu ceremony close to his Sydney hotel room. She bore him two children: a son, Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr. (whose name has since been changed to Prince Michael Jackson), and a daughter, Paris Katherine Michael Jackson.[90][96] Rowe had converted to Judaism at the time of her first marriage (to Richard Edelman in 1982) [1] [2] and therefore her two children with Michael Jackson are considered Jewish under Jewish law. Rowe herself regards her children as half-Jewish.[3] The pair first met in the mid-1980s, when Jackson was diagnosed with vitiligo. She spent many years treating his illness as well as providing emotional support. They built a strong friendship, then became romantically involved.[97] Originally there were no plans to marry, but following Rowe's first pregnancy, Jackson's mother intervened and persuaded them to do so.[98] Jackson later claimed that he was in such a rush to leave the hospital with daughter Paris in 1998 that he cut the cord and left with the baby covered in blood, taking the placenta with him in his haste.[99] The couple divorced in 1999, and remained friends, with Rowe giving full custody of the children to Jackson.[100]<br /><br />In 1997, Jackson released Blood on the Dance Floor: HIStory in the Mix, which contained remixes of hit singles from HIStory and five new songs. Worldwide sales stand at 6 million copies as of 2007, making it the best selling remix album ever released. It reached number one in the UK, as did the title track.[101][102] In the US, the album was certified platinum, but only reached number 24.[65][94] Forbes placed his annual income at $35 million in 1996 and $20 million in 1997.[59]<br /><br />Throughout June 1999, Jackson was involved in a number of charitable events. He joined Luciano Pavarotti for a benefit concert in Modena, Italy. The show was in support of the non-profit organization War Child, and raised a million dollars for the refugees of Kosovo, as well as additional funds for the children of Guatemala.[103] Later that month, Jackson organized a set of "Michael Jackson & Friends" benefit concerts in Germany and Korea. Other artists involved included Slash, The Scorpions, Boyz II Men, Luther Vandross, Mariah Carey, A. R. Rahman, Prabhu Deva Sundaram, Shobana Chandrakumar, Andrea Bocelli and Luciano Pavarotti. The proceeds went to the "Nelson Mandela Children's Fund", the Red Cross and UNESCO.[104]<br /><br />2000–03: Label dispute, Invincible, United We Stand: What More Can I Give, and third child<br /><br />In 2000, Jackson was listed in the book of Guinness World Records for his support of 39 charities, more than any other entertainer or personality.[105] At the time, Jackson was waiting for the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him; this allowed him to promote his old material how he liked and prevented Sony from getting a cut of the profit. Jackson expected this to occur early in the new millennium; however, due to various clauses in the contract, this revert date is still many years away. Jackson began an investigation, and it emerged that the attorney who represented the singer in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest.[102] Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's share in their music catalog venture. If Jackson's career or financial situation were to deteriorate, he would have to sell his catalog. Thus, Sony had something to gain from Jackson's career failing.[106] Jackson was able to use these conflicts as leverage to exit his contract early.[102] Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony.[102] As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Mottola was a "devil" and a "racist" who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.[102] He charged that Mottola had called his colleague Irv Gotti a "fat nigger".[107] Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote Invincible with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the US.[108]<br /><br />Six years after his last studio album and after spending much of the late 1990s out of the public eye, Jackson released Invincible in October 2001 to much anticipation. To help promote the album, a special 30th Anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden occurred in September 2001 to mark the singer's 30th year as a solo artist. Jackson appeared onstage alongside his brothers for the first time since 1984.[109] The show also featured performances by Mýa, Usher, Whitney Houston, 'N Sync, and Slash, among other artists.[24] In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks, Jackson helped organize the United We Stand: What More Can I Give benefit concert at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The concert was aired on October 21, 2001, and included performances from dozens of major artists, including Jackson, who performed his song "What More Can I Give" as the finale.[106] Invincible was a commercial success, debuting atop the charts in 13 countries and going on to sell approximately 10 million copies worldwide. It received double-platinum certification in the US.[65][68][106] However, the sales for Invincible were notably low compared to his previous releases, due in part to a diminishing pop music industry, the lack of promotion, no supporting world tour and the label dispute.[106] The album spawned three singles, "You Rock My World", "Cry" and "Butterflies", the latter without a music video.<br /><br />Jackson's third child, Prince Michael Jackson II (nicknamed "Blanket") was born in 2002.[110] The mother's identity was never released by Jackson, but he has said the child was the result of artificial insemination from a surrogate mother and his own sperm cells.[100] In November of that year, Jackson brought his newborn son onto the balcony of his room at the Hotel Adlon in Berlin, as fans stood below. Holding him in his right arm, with a cloth loosely draped over the baby's face, Jackson briefly extended the baby over the railing of the balcony, four stories above ground level, causing widespread criticism in the media. Jackson later apologized for the incident, calling it "a terrible mistake".[111] Sony released a compilation of Jackson's hits on CD and DVD. In the US, the album was certified platinum by the RIAA; in the UK it was certified for shipments of at least 1.2 million units.[65][112]<br /><br />2003–05: Second child sexual abuse allegations<br />Further information: Living with Michael Jackson and People v. Jackson<br />Fans show their support for Jackson after he is accused of child molestation in 2003.<br /><br />In a series of interviews with Martin Bashir, broadcast in 2003 as Living with Michael Jackson, Jackson was seen holding hands and discussing sleeping arrangements with Gavin Arvizo, 13, who later accused him of sexual abuse.[113] Shortly after the documentary aired, Jackson was charged with seven counts of child molestation and two counts of administering an intoxicating agent in relation to Arvizo.[113]<br /><br />Jackson denied the allegations, saying the sleepovers were not sexual in nature. Elizabeth Taylor defended him, saying she had been there when they were in the bed. "There was nothing abnormal about it," she told Larry King. "There was no touchy-feely going on. We laughed like children and we watched a lot of Walt Disney. There was nothing odd about it."[114] During the investigation, Jackson was examined by mental health professional Dr. Stan Katz; the doctor spent several hours with the accuser too. Katz said Jackson was a regressed 10-year-old, and did not fit the profile of a pedophile.[115]<br /><br />During the two years between the charges and the trial, Jackson reportedly became dependent on pethidine (Demerol), and lost a lot of weight. The People v. Jackson began on January 31, 2005, in Santa Maria, California, and lasted five months, until the end of May. Jackson was acquitted on all counts.[116][117][118] After the trial, he relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain, as a guest of Sheikh Abdullah.[119]<br /><br />2006–09: Final years<br />Michael Jackson with his children in Disneyland Paris, 2006<br /><br />Reports of financial problems for Jackson became frequent in 2006 after the closure of the main house on the Neverland Ranch as a cost-cutting measure.[120] One prominent financial issue concerned a $270 million loan secured against his music publishing holdings. After delayed repayments on the loan, a refinancing package shifted the loans from Bank of America to debt specialists Fortress Investments. A new package proposed by Sony would have had Jackson borrow an additional $300 million and reduce the interest rate payable on the loan, while giving Sony the future option to buy half of Jackson's stake in their jointly owned publishing company (leaving Jackson with a 25% stake).[91] Jackson agreed to a Sony-backed refinancing deal, although details were not made public.[121] Despite these loans, according to Forbes, Jackson was still making as much as $75 million a year from his publishing partnership with Sony alone.[122]<br /><br />Jackson was awarded the Diamond Award on November 15, 2006, for selling over 100 million albums, at the World Music Awards.[68] Following the death of James Brown, Jackson returned to the U.S. to pay tribute during Brown's public funeral on December 30, 2006.[123] In late 2006, he agreed to share joint custody of his first two children with ex-wife Debbie Rowe.[124] Jackson and Sony bought Famous Music LLC from Viacom in 2007. This deal gave him the rights to songs by Eminem, Shakira and Beck, among others.[125]<br /><br /> I've been in the entertainment industry since I was six-years-old... As Charles Dickens says, "It's been the best of times, the worst of times." But I would not change my career... While some have made deliberate attempts to hurt me, I take it in stride because I have a loving family, a strong faith and wonderful friends and fans who have, and continue, to support me.[126]<br /> —Michael Jackson<br /><br />The 25th anniversary of Thriller was marked by the release of Thriller 25, which added the previously unreleased song "For All Time" and re-mixes. Two remixes were released as singles to moderate success: "The Girl Is Mine 2008" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 2008". Thriller 25 sold well as a re-issue, peaking at number one in eight countries and Europe.[127][128][129] In 12 weeks Thriller 25 sold over three million copies worldwide.[130] To celebrate Jackson's 50th birthday, Sony BMG released a series of compilation albums called King of Pop.[131][132] King of Pop did reach the top 10 in most countries where it was issued, and also sold well as an import in other countries.[133][134]<br /><br />Fortress Investments threatened to foreclose on Neverland Ranch, which Jackson used as collateral for loans running into many tens of millions of dollars. However, Fortress opted to sell Jackson's debts to Colony Capital LLC. In November, Jackson transferred Neverland Ranch's title to Sycamore Valley Ranch Company LLC, which was a joint venture between Jackson and Colony Capital LLC. This deal cleared Jackson's debt, and he reportedly even gained an extra $35 million from the venture. At the time of his death, Jackson still owned a stake in Neverland/Sycamore Valley, but it is unknown how large that stake was.[135][136][137]<br /><br />Prior to his death, Jackson was scheduled to perform 50 sell out concerts to over one million people, at London's O2 arena. The concerts would have commenced on July 13, 2009 and finished on March 6, 2010. According to Jackson's website, ticket sales for the concerts broke several records. During a prior press conference, Jackson made suggestions of possible retirement.[138] Randy Phillips, president and chief executive of AEG Live stated that the first 10 dates alone would earn the singer approximately £50 million.[139]<br /><br />Amanda Ghost, president of Epic Records (the label Jackson was signed to), has confirmed that new music from the ill-fated star will be released but it will not be a rushed process. Ghost recognises that there is an 'appetite' for the Jackson recordings to be released but also stated that the label "wants to be respectful to his memory, as well as making sure the music is fantastic so that it does not damage his legacy". [140] She revealed that the star had for several years before his death, been working on new material with Ne-Yo and Akon. will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas also worked with the late star on a dance album but revealed that he "would not leak the material" from his work with the King of Pop. [141]<br /><br />Death and memorial<br />Main articles: Death of Michael Jackson and Michael Jackson memorial service<br /><br />On June 25, 2009, Jackson collapsed at his rented mansion at 100 North Carolwood Drive in the Holmby Hills district of Los Angeles. Attempts at resuscitating him by his personal physician were unsuccessful.[142] Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics received a 911 call at 12:22 p.m. (PDT), arriving three minutes later at Jackson's location.[143][144] He was reportedly not breathing and CPR was performed.[145] Resuscitation efforts continued en route to the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, and for an hour after arriving there at 1:13 p.m. (20:13 UTC).[142] He was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. local time (21:26 UTC).[146][147]<br /><br />The memorial was held on July 7, 2009, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, preceded by a private family service at Forest Lawn Memorial Park's Hall of Liberty. Jackson's casket was present during the memorial, which was broadcast live around the world and watched by up to one billion people, but no information was released about the final disposition of the body.[148] Stevie Wonder, Lionel Richie, Mariah Carey, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Jermaine Jackson, and Shaheen Jafargholi sang Jackson's songs. Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson gave eulogies, while Queen Latifah read, "We had him," a poem written for the occasion by Maya Angelou.[149] The Reverend Al Sharpton received a standing ovation when he told Jackson's children, "There wasn't nothing strange about your daddy. It was strange what your daddy had to deal with."[150] Jackson's 11-year-old daughter, Paris Katherine, cried as she told the crowd, "Ever since I was born, Daddy has been the best father you could ever imagine ... I just wanted to say I love him so much."[151]<br /><br />Musical style and performance<br /><br />Themes and genres<br /><br />Steve Huey of Allmusic said that, throughout his solo career, Jackson's versatility allowed him to experiment with various themes and genres.[152] As a musician, he ranged from Motown's dance fare and ballads to techno and house-edged new jack swing to work that incorporates both funk rhythms and hard rock guitar.[10] Michael, himself, stated at his pre-release party for his Off The Wall album that Little Richard had a "huge influence" on him.[153]<br /><br />Unlike many artists, Jackson did not write his songs on paper. Instead he would dictate into a sound recorder; when recording he would sing from memory.[16][154] Several critics observed Off the Wall was crafted from funk, disco-pop, soul, soft rock, jazz and pop ballads.[152][155][156] Prominent examples include the ballad "She's out of My Life", and the two disco tunes "Workin' Day and Night" and "Get on the Floor".[155]<br /><br />According to Huey, Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more aggressive, while the pop tunes and ballads were softer and more soulful.[152] Notable tracks included the ballads "The Lady in My Life", "Human Nature" and "The Girl Is Mine"; the funk pieces "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'"; and the disco set "Baby Be Mine" and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)".[152][157][158][159] With Thriller, Christopher Connelly of Rolling Stone commented that Jackson developed his long association with the subliminal theme of paranoia and darker imagery.[159] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine noted this is evident on the songs "Billie Jean" and "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'".[158] In "Billie Jean", Jackson sings about an obsessive fan who alleges he has fathered a child of hers.[152] In "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'" he argues against gossip and the media.[159] The anti-gang violence rock song "Beat It" became a homage to West Side Story, and was Jackson's first successful rock cross-over piece, according to Huey.[10][152] He also observed that the title track "Thriller" began Jackson's interest with the theme of the supernatural, a topic he revisited in subsequent years.[152] In 1985, Jackson co-wrote the charity anthem "We Are the World"; humanitarian themes later became a recurring theme in his lyrics and public persona.[152]<br /> <br />"Thriller"<br />Play sound<br />One of Jackson's signature pieces, "Thriller", released as a single in 1984, utilizes cinematic sound effects, horror film motifs and vocal trickery to convey a sense of danger.[15]<br />"Smooth Criminal"<br />Play sound<br />A single from the album Bad, released 1988, "Smooth Criminal" features digital drum sounds, keyboard-created bass lines and other percussion elements designed to give the impression of a pulsing heart.[160]<br />Problems listening to these files? See media help.<br /><br />In Bad, Jackson's concept of the predatory lover can be seen on the rock song "Dirty Diana".[161] The lead single "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" is a traditional love ballad, while "Man in the Mirror" is an anthemic ballad of confession and resolution.[49] "Smooth Criminal" was an evocation of bloody assault, rape and likely murder.[49] Allmusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine states that Dangerous presents Jackson as a stark paradoxical individual.[162] He comments the album is more diverse than his previous Bad, as it appeals to an urban audience while also attracting the middle class with anthems like "Heal the World".[162] The first half of the record is dedicated to new jack swing, including songs like "Jam" and "Remember the Time".[163] The album is Jackson's first where social ills become a primary theme; "Why You Wanna Trip on Me", for example, protests against world hunger, AIDS, homelessness and drugs.[163] Dangerous contains sexually charged efforts like "In the Closet", a love song about desire and denial, risk and repression, solitude and connection, privacy and revelation.[163] The title track continues the theme of the predatory lover and compulsive desire.[163] The second half includes introspective, pop-gospel anthems such as "Will You Be There", "Heal the World" and "Keep the Faith"; these songs show Jackson finally opening up about various personal struggles and worries.[163] In the ballad "Gone Too Soon", Jackson gives tribute to his friend Ryan White and the plight of those with AIDS.[164]<br /><br />HIStory creates an atmosphere of paranoia.[165] Its content focuses on the hardships and public struggles Jackson went through just prior to its production. In the new jack swing-funk-rock efforts "Scream" and "Tabloid Junkie", along with the R&B ballad "You Are Not Alone", Jackson retaliates against the injustice and isolation he feels, and directs much of his anger at the media.[166] In the introspective ballad "Stranger in Moscow", Jackson laments over his "fall from grace", while songs like "Earth Song", "Childhood", "Little Susie" and "Smile" are all operatic pop pieces.[165][166] In the track "D.S.", Jackson launched a verbal attack against Tom Sneddon. He describes Sneddon as an antisocial, white supremacist who wanted to "get my ass, dead or alive". Of the song, Sneddon said, "I have not — shall we say — done him the honor of listening to it, but I’ve been told that it ends with the sound of a gunshot".[167] Invincible found Jackson working heavily with producer Rodney Jerkins.[152] It is a record made up of urban soul like "Cry" and "The Lost Children", ballads such as "Speechless", "Break of Dawn" and "Butterflies" and mixes hip hop, pop and rap in "2000 Watts", "Heartbreaker" and "Invincible".[168][169]<br /><br />Vocal style<br /><br />Jackson sang from childhood, and over time his voice and vocal style changed noticeably, either through puberty or a personal preference to align his vocal interpretation to the themes and genres he chose to express. Between 1971 and 1975, Jackson's voice descended from boy soprano to androgynous high tenor.[170] In early 1973, the singer adopted a "vocal hiccup", first heard in the song "It's Too Late to Change the Time" from the Jackson 5's G.I.T.: Get It Together album.[171] Jackson did not employ the hiccup fully until the recording of Off the Wall; its usage can be seen in full force in the "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" promotional video. The purpose of the hiccup—somewhat like a gulping for air or gasping—was to help promote a certain emotion, be it excitement, sadness or fear.[12] With the arrival of Off the Wall in the late 1970s, Jackson's abilities as a vocalist were well regarded; Allmusic described him as a "blindingly gifted vocalist".[155] At the time, Rolling Stone compared his vocals to the "breathless, dreamy stutter" of Stevie Wonder. Their analysis was also that "Jackson's feathery-timbred tenor is extraordinarily beautiful. It slides smoothly into a startling falsetto that's used very daringly".[156] 1982 saw the release of Thriller, and Rolling Stone were of the opinion that Jackson was then singing in a "fully adult voice" that was "tinged by sadness".[159]<br /> <br />Michael Jackson - "Black or White"<br />Play sound<br />The lead single from Dangerous, "Black or White" was one of Jackson's most successful songs. The single has been described as a hard rock or rock 'n' roll dance song.[172][173][174] It contains many features of Jackson's vocal style, including the vocal hiccup he is known for.<br /><br />The release of "Bad" in 1987 displayed gritty lead vocals on the verse and lighter tones employed on the chorus.[15] A distinctive deliberate mispronunciation of "come on", used frequently by Jackson, occasionally spelt "cha'mone" or "shamone", is also a staple in impressions and caricatures of him.[175] The turn of the 1990s saw the release of the introspective album Dangerous; here Jackson used his vocals to intensify the split themes and genres described earlier. The New York Times noted that on some tracks, "he gulps for breath, his voice quivers with anxiety or drops to a desperate whisper, hissing through clenched teeth" and he had a "wretched tone".[163] When singing of brotherhood or self-esteem the musician would return to "smooth" vocals.[163] "In the Closet" contained heavy breathing and a loop of five scat-sung syllables, whereas in the album's title track, Jackson performs a spoken rap.[160][163] When commenting on Invincible, Rolling Stone were of the opinion that—at the age of 43—Jackson still performed "exquisitely voiced rhythm tracks and vibrating vocal harmonies".[176] Nelson George summed up Jackson's vocals by stating "The grace, the aggression, the growling, the natural boyishness, the falsetto, the smoothness—that combination of elements mark him as a major vocalist".[160]<br /><br />Music videos and choreography<br /><br />Steve Huey of Allmusic observed how Jackson transformed the music video into an art form and a promotional tool through complex story lines, dance routines, special effects and famous cameo appearances; simultaneously breaking down racial barriers.[152] According to director Vincent Paterson, who collaborated with the singer on several music videos, Jackson conceptualized many of the darker, bleak themes in his filmography.[177]<br />US patent 5255452, filed by Jackson, described the anti-gravity lean used in the music video for "Smooth Criminal".<br /><br />Before Thriller, Jackson struggled to receive coverage on MTV, allegedly because he was African American.[178] Pressure from CBS Records persuaded MTV to start showing "Billie Jean" and later "Beat It", leading to a lengthy partnership with Jackson, also helping other black music artists gain recognition.[179] MTV employees deny any racism in their coverage, or pressure to change their stance. MTV maintains that they played rock music, regardless of race.[180] The popularity of his videos on MTV helped to put the relatively young channel "on the map"; MTV's focus shifted in favor of pop and R&B.[179][181] Short films like Thriller largely remained unique to Jackson, while the group dance sequence in "Beat It" has frequently been imitated.[182] The choreography in Thriller has become a part of global pop culture, replicated everywhere from Indian films to prisons in the Philippines.[183] The Thriller short film marked an increase in scale for music videos, and has been named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.[60]<br /><br />In the 19-minute music video for "Bad"—directed by Martin Scorsese—Jackson began using sexual imagery and choreography not previously seen in his work. He occasionally grabbed or touched his chest, torso and crotch. While he has described this as "choreography," it garnered a mixed reception from both fans and critics; Time magazine described it as "infamous". The video also featured Wesley Snipes; in the future Jackson's videos would often feature famous cameo roles.[46][184] For "Smooth Criminal", Jackson experimented with an innovative "anti-gravity lean" in his performances, for which he was granted U.S. Patent No. 5,255,452.[185] Although the music video for "Leave Me Alone" was not officially released in the US, in 1989, it was nominated for four Billboard Music Video Awards, winning three; the same year it won a Golden Lion Award for the quality of the special effects used in its production. In 1990, "Leave Me Alone" won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form.[58]<br /><br />The MTV Video Vanguard Artist of the Decade Award was given to Jackson to celebrate his accomplishments in the art form in the 1980s; the following year the award was renamed in his honor.[69] "Black or White" was accompanied by a controversial music video, which, on November 14, 1991, simultaneously premiered in 27 countries with an estimated audience of 500 million people, the largest viewing ever for a music video.[68] It featured scenes construed as having a sexual nature as well as depictions of violence. The offending scenes in the final half of the 14-minute version were edited out to prevent the video from being banned, and Jackson apologized.[186] Along with Jackson, it featured Macaulay Culkin, Peggy Lipton and George Wendt. It helped usher in morphing as an important technology in music videos.[187]<br />Jackson and sister Janet angrily retaliate against the media for misrepresenting them to the public. The acclaimed video for "Scream" was shot primarily in black and white, and at a cost of $7 million.<br /><br />"Remember the Time" was an elaborate production, and became one of his longest videos at over nine minutes. Set in ancient Egypt, it featured groundbreaking visual effects and appearances by Eddie Murphy, Iman and Magic Johnson, along with a distinct complex dance routine.[188] The video for "In the Closet" was Jackson's most sexually provocative piece. It featured supermodel Naomi Campbell in a courtship dance with Jackson. The video was banned in South Africa because of its imagery.[69]<br /><br />The music video for "Scream", directed by Mark Romanek and production designer Tom Foden, is one of Jackson's most critically acclaimed. In 1995, it gained 11 MTV Video Music Award Nominations—more than any other music video—and won "Best Dance Video", "Best Choreography", and "Best Art Direction".[189] The song and its accompanying video are a response to the backlash Jackson received from the media after being accused of child molestation in 1993.[190] A year later, it won a Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form; shortly afterwards Guinness World Records listed it as the most expensive music video ever made at a cost of $7 million.[94][191]<br /><br />"Earth Song" was accompanied by an expensive and well-received music video that gained a Grammy nomination for Best Music Video, Short Form in 1997. The video had an environmental theme, showing images of animal cruelty, deforestation, pollution and war. Using special effects, time is reversed so that life returns, wars ends, and the forests re-grow.[94][192] Released in 1997 and premiering at the 1996 Cannes Film Festival, Ghosts was a short film written by Jackson and Stephen King and directed by Stan Winston. The video for Ghosts is over 38 minutes long and holds the Guinness World Record as the world's longest music video.[94][102][193][194]<br /><br />Legacy and influence<br />See also: Records and achievements of Michael Jackson and List of awards received by Michael Jackson<br />Jackson's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, set in 1984<br /><br />Jackson had a notable impact on music and culture throughout the world. He broke down racial barriers, transformed the art of the music video and paved the way for modern pop music in his own country. Jackson's work, distinctive musical sound and vocal style have influenced scores of hip hop, pop and R&B artists, including Mariah Carey,[195] Usher,[196] Britney Spears,[195] Justin Timberlake[106] and R. Kelly.[160] For much of his career, he had an "unparalleled" level of worldwide influence over the younger generation through his musical and humanitarian contributions.[197]<br /><br />Michael Jackson was inducted onto the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1984. Throughout his career he received numerous honors and awards, including the World Music Awards' Best-Selling Pop Male Artist of the Millennium, the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award and the Bambi Pop Artist of the Millennium Award.[24][198] He was a double-inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, once as a member of The Jackson 5 in 1997 and later as a solo artist in 2001. Jackson was also an inductee of the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002.[24] His awards include multiple Guinness World Records (eight in 2006 alone), 13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sale of over 750 million records worldwide, making him the world's best selling male solo pop artist.[21][60][68][199][200][201]<br />Queues for a Michael Jackson concert in West Berlin in June 1988<br /><br />He was characterized as "an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility and loads of sheer star power".[152] In the mid-1980s, Time described Jackson as "the hottest single phenomenon since Elvis Presley".[25] By 1990, Vanity Fair had already cited Jackson as the most popular artist in the history of show business.[58] Daily Telegraph writer Tom Utley called him an "extremely important figure in the history of popular culture" and a "genius".[202] In late 2007, Jackson said the following of his work and future influence, "Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever."[203]<br /><br />His total lifetime earnings from royalties on his solo recordings and music videos, revenue from concerts and endorsements have been estimated at $500 million; some analysts have speculated that his music catalog holdings could be worth billions of dollars.[59][204] As one of the world's most famous men, Jackson's highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for four decades.[68][205]<br /><br />Discography<br />Main articles: Michael Jackson album discography and Michael Jackson singles discography<br />See also: Jackson 5 discography<br /><br /> * Got to Be There (1972)<br /> * Ben (1972)<br /> * Music & Me (1973)<br /> * Forever, Michael (1975)<br /> * Off the Wall (1979)<br /> * Thriller (1982)<br /> * Bad (1987)<br /> * Dangerous (1991)<br /> * HIStory (1995)<br /> * Invincible (2001)<br /><br />See also<br /><br /> * List of awards received by Michael Jackson<br /> * List of best-selling music artists<br /> * List of Michael Jackson tours<br /> * Michael Jackson videography<br /> * Records and achievements of Michael Jackson<br /> * Peter Pan syndromehessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-38427490363197804012009-06-14T07:09:00.000-07:002009-06-16T12:40:20.731-07:00Sax made EASYHow the Saxophone works<br /><br />The saxophone has a reed that, when made to vibrate , beats against the mouthpiece opening ('window'). This alternately opens and closes the mouthpiece which in turn sets up a vibrating air column in the resonator (the brass part) of the saxophone<br />When the player lifts one finger, a key pad opens. This reduces the wave length of the vibrating air column and raises the pitch of the sound. As the vibration of the air column changes, the vibration of the reed also changes instantly.<br /><br />This is an essential point.<br />Although the reed starts and maintains the energy of the vibration, the resonator determines the wavelength and frequency.<br /><br />The saxophone operates therefore under the principle of resonator control, combined with an obedient reed.<br /><br />Whenever the resonator is shortened or lengthened, the vibrating air column changes its frequency, and the reed changes its vibration in sympathy with it.<br /><br />Once this is understood, the next point is inevitable.<br />For what provides the energy to start and maintain the reed's vibration ? The air flow from the human body.<br /><br />By blowing on the saxophone a second resonator is automatically connected to the system. This is the cavity within the body, consisting of the interconnected.<br /><br /> * mouth<br /> * throat<br /> * trachea<br /> * and lungs<br /><br />Sound waves travel in all directions, regardless of the direction of air flow. Therefore the reed sets up vibrations in both resonators, the saxophone and the human body.<br /><br />Both resonators send out their own vibrations to the reed. The reed, trying to serve both masters, combines the two directives into one average vibration, which is spread through both resonators.<br /><br />This point was experimentally proven by the late Dr. Peter Clinch. ('Oral tract fluctuations in clarinet and saxophone performance : An acoustical analysis' - Ph.D thesis, Monash University, Melbourne, 1980)<br /><br /> Clinch installed :<br /><br /> 1. one sensor in the saxophone resonator<br /> 2. one sensor on the reed<br /> 3. and one sensor in the mouth of the player.<br /><br /><br />Wave frequency and shape were identical for all three sensors at all times.<br /><br />When the (professional) player deliberately adapted a twisted poor playing position, the wave quality of all three sensors deteriorated markedly and identically.<br /><br />When the player sat in a 'good' playing position the wave shapes improved instantly.<br />(Down - Up - Top)<br /><br />OR 3 - Experiment<br /><br />Let us conduct a simple experiment on the saxophone.<br /><br /> 1. Play on your instrument one tone, the low G for example.<br /><br /> 2. Now sing through the mouthpiece the same tone ("daaaaa", a full sound) while maintaining the G fingering on the saxophone.<br /><br /> 3. Then, under continued singing of the low G, change the fingering down to F, E, and D. Then up through E, F, G, A, to B, and finally back to A and G.<br /><br /><br />What did you notice during this exercise ?<br />While both singing and fingering the low G you can feel a strong vibration through your body.<br />As soon as the fingering moves away from the G the body vibration reduces considerably. When it comes back to the G it increases again.<br /><br />What happens ?<br />When the saxophone resonator is in phase with the tone produced by your body the sound waves (vibrations) are amplified.<br /><br />In saxophone playing you aim to do the opposite to what you did in the experiment.<br />You must bring the body resonator in phase with the saxophone resonator.<br /><br />No matter how good the instrument is, if the body sends out poor vibrations to the reed the overall sound will deteriorate. The body resonator then acts as a mute, it muffles the sound and reduces its quality.<br /><br />If on the other hand the body resonator sends out the same or even better quality vibrations to the reed than the saxophone, the sound quality will be enhanced.<br />The tone will be in focus, amplified and projected forward.<br /><br />The incorporation of tone, colour and feeling are elements exclusively produced by the body resonator.<br /><br />(Down - Up - Top)<br /><br />OR 4 - PAVE your way to a Superior Sound<br /><br />A good tone requires therefore a well developed body resonator.<br />A good instrument, mouth piece and reed all can contribute to tone quality. But without a good body resonator the best accessories money can buy will not produce a good tone.<br /><br />To develop a good body resonator one must work on four aspects.<br /><br />Posture - Air support (breathing) - Voicing - Embouchure<br /><br />sax0105.gif<br />P<br />A good posture is essential.<br />The body resonator must not be twisted, contracted or blocked. It must be stretched, but relaxed.<br /><br />A<br />The body resonator must also be fully inflated.<br />This is achieved by good breathing and air support.<br /><br />V<br />The pitch changes from note to note represent changes of wave length and frequency in the resonator. On the saxophone this is easily done by opening or closing key pads.<br />With the body this is (fortunately) not possible.<br />The body resonator therefore varies its shape from note to note to accommodate the shape (nodes and 'anti-nodes') of the wave form. This is referred to as voicing.<br />This is an essential part of the Saxophone Course. You will follow a series of tone and overtone exercises to develop flexibility and control of your oral tract over a wide pitch range (including the altissimo register) of your instrument.<br /><br />E<br />The word embouchure is derived from the word 'bouche' which means 'mouth' in French. Embouchure means the placement of lips and facial muscles around the mouth piece of the instrument.<br />The embouchure connects the two resonators into one vibrating system. It does this near the critical point, the reed, where the vibrations of both resonators are combined.<br />The embouchure can therefore make or break the overall sound.<br /><br />We will deal with all above elements in detail in the Saxophone Course.<br /><br />(Down - Up - Top)<br /><br />OR 5 - Getting started<br /><br />While you are making up your mind, or are waiting for the Saxophone Course you just ordered to arrive in your mailbox, try this simple exercise to get you started.<br /><br />The first objective on your way to a good tone is to get to know each tone on your instrument as a personal friend. Each tone is different. Some boom out with ease, others are stuffy and need a real effort to bring them to life.<br />Start by playing the C major scale over the lower register only. Do not use the tongue, always slur from one note to the next.<br /><br />Play the notes of the scale slurred very slowly in groups of 2 notes.<br /><br />(Clarinet or Piano sounds are used for all Audios. The Sax sounds on Midi are just too awful to listen to.)<br /><br />Audio 1.1 : Alto - Tenor<br />sax0106.gif<br /><br />Sustain the first note (of each combinantion of 2) until it sounds as good as you can possibly make it, then start the next note while maintaining the same tone quality you achieved for the first note. Sustain the second note about twice as long as the first one.<br /><br />While playing :<br /><br /> * Sing the note in your mind.<br /><br /> * Imagine the tone centre gradually moving down in your body (from chest to tummy) as you descend from G to low C, and gradually moving up (from chest to throat) as you ascend from G the middle C.<br /> Obviously the tone centre cannot possibly move below the tips of your lungs, but you can imagine it does. This is called organic imagery, a technique widely used by professional singers and also dealt with in the Saxophone Course.<br /><br /> * Listen to the tone you produce (not to the note in your mind).hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-4847738848943466882009-05-19T13:10:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:13:48.363-07:00HERITAGEJahdiel<br />Heritage lyrics<br /><br /><br />Oh I was made for this<br />To know your tender kiss to know this love is mine<br />To know this love is ours<br />And I was made to laugh<br />I was made to sing<br />Giving the gift of life<br />You gave me everything<br />My feet were made to dance<br />My spirit made to soar<br />My life is not by chance<br />You give me more and more<br />And I was made to laugh<br />I was made to sing<br />And all that stole my joy<br />I left it at the cross<br /><br />[Chorus:]<br />This one na my heritage<br />This one na my culture<br />This one na my tradition<br />I go follow Jesus<br />I go carryt the gospel well well<br />I go carry Jesus higher higher<br />E mercies no dey cease<br />E love no dey die<br /><br />For a very long time<br />I've come to know<br />I am from another country<br />For a very long time<br />I've come to know<br />I am from another nation<br />My name is Jahdiel<br />I come from zion<br />I'm representing the most high on Earth<br />I speak in tongues<br />I heal the sick<br />By the power of Jesus in me<br />This is the way of life<br />This is the thing I do<br />Am a christian<br />I am for the lord<br /><br />[Chorus:]<br />This one na my heritage<br />This one na my culture<br />This one na my tradition<br />I go follow Jesus<br />I go carry the gospel well well<br />I go carry jesus higher higher<br />E mercies no dey ceas<br />E love no dey die<br /><br />[Repeat 1st Verse]<br /><br />[Chorus:]<br />This one na my heritage<br />This one na my culture<br />This one na my tradition<br />I go follow Jesus<br />I go carry the gospel well well<br />I go carry Jesus higher higher<br />E mercies no dey cease<br />E love no dey die<br />This one na my heritage<br />This one na my culture<br />This na my tradition<br />I go follow Jesus<br />I carry the gospel well well<br />I go carry Jesus higher higher<br />E mercies no dey cease<br />E love no dey die...hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-39062638889694193472009-05-19T13:07:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:09:52.928-07:00JEBELE BY KWEENArtiste(s): Kween <br />Title: Jebele <br />Album: Kweendom Come<br />Genre: Naija<br />Year Realeased: 2007<br /><br /><br />VERSE 1<br />She called the house today<br />telling me this, telling me that<br />where you both slept last night<br />Boy you know that ain't right<br />She said your love's getting stronger<br />but I can't hold much longer<br />na you dey put asunder<br />I just can't help but wonder<br />honey mo<br />gini ka n mere gi<br />esigwa yin mo<br />Tell me what I've done wrong<br />can you give me one reason<br />just only one reason<br />I just might let you be<br /><br />HOOK<br />Cos i no fit hold your handie o<br />I no fit tie your leg<br />I no fit pluck your eyes o<br />E no make sense abeg<br />If today I lose you<br />dem no make you for me<br />If I'm supposed to have you<br />nobody fit take you from me<br />So I say<br /><br />CHORUS<br />Jebele jebele (2x)<br />make you dey go [Jebele jebele]<br />I no do again o [Jebele jebele]<br />If you dey chop dey go [jebele jebele]<br />Na today e finish [Jebele jebele]<br />Leave me alone [jebele jebele]<br />Your monkey don get belle<br /><br />Verse 2<br />Yes i called her a monkey<br />She jumps on men like a junkie<br />You chose to be with her<br />and thats so sad<br />am going back to my dad<br />you were all I had<br />You broke my heart in two<br />and thats so sad<br />honey mo<br />gini ka n mere gi<br />oriaku mo<br />Tell what I've done wrong<br />can you give me one reason<br />just only one reason<br />I just might let you be<br /><br />REPEAT HOOK<br /><br />REPEAT CHORUS<br /><br />BRIDGE<br />Boy I've made up my mind<br />cos this time you really stepped out of line<br />and I no fit waste my time [I no fit waste my time]<br />I don't think I can still spend my life with you<br /><br />REPEAT HOOK<br /><br />REPEAT CHORUS<br /><br />Make u go your way<br />Make I do my thing<br />Soilder go, soilder come, Haha<br />Wetin you fit do I fit do better, Ha<br />Shayo na bassssssssssss<br /><br />REPEAT CHORUS (till fade)hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-24286517671179447822009-05-19T13:04:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:06:34.321-07:00IJOBA ORUN BY LARA GEORGEArtiste(s): Lara George <br />Title: Ijoba Orun <br />Album: Single<br />Genre: Gospel<br />Year Realeased: 2008<br /><br /><br />Uhhhuhhhh<br />Uhuh<br /><br />Ijoba orun<br />Ere Onigbagbo o<br />Ijoba orun<br />Ere Onigbagbo o<br /><br />Ma je n kuna<br />Baba<br />Mu mi dele o<br />Ma je n kuna<br />Baba se<br />Mu mi dele o<br /><br />Owo ti mo ni<br />ko le mu mi dele o<br />Moto ti mo ri ra<br />ko le wa mi dele o<br />Ore ti mo ni<br />ko le sinmi dele o<br />Gbogbo iwe ti mo ri ka<br />won o le gbe mi dele o<br /><br />[lyrics from www.niglyrics.com]<br /><br />Ma je n kuna<br />Baba<br />Mu mi dele o<br />ki n ma ku sajo bi efin<br />Mu mi dele o<br />Aye loja, oorun ni ile<br />Mu mi dele o<br />Aye loja yi, oorun nile se<br />Mu mi dele o<br /><br />Mu mi dele o (x8)<br />Ma ma je n kuna<br />Baba ooo<br />Baba ooo<br />Mu mi dele o (x5)<br /><br />Ile ogo<br />Ile ayo, Ile ayo<br />Ile alafia<br />Ile ogo<br />Ile ayo, Ile ayo<br />Ile alafia<br /><br />Ijoba orun<br />Ere onigbagbo o<br />Ijoba oorun<br />Ere onigbagbo o<br />Ma je n kunahessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-14601911824698021872009-05-19T13:01:00.000-07:002009-05-19T13:03:08.761-07:00LIFE AND WORKS OF JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACHJohann Sebastian Bach<br /><br />"Bach" redirects here. For other uses, see Bach (disambiguation).<br /> <br />Bach in a 1748 portrait by HaussmannJohann Sebastian Bach (pronounced [joˈhan/ˈjoːhan zeˈbastjan ˈbax]) (31 March 1685 [O.S. 21 March] – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and organist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity.[1] Although he introduced no new forms, he enriched the prevailing German style with a robust contrapuntal technique, an unrivalled control of harmonic and motivic organisation in composition for diverse instrumentation, and the adaptation of rhythms and textures from abroad, particularly Italy and France.<br /><br />Revered for their intellectual depth, technical command and artistic beauty, Bach's works include the Brandenburg concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Partitas, the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Mass in B Minor, the St. Matthew Passion, the St. John Passion, the Magnificat, The Musical Offering, The Art of Fugue, the English Suites, the French Suites, the Sonatas and Partitas for violin solo, the Cello Suites, more than 200 surviving cantatas, and a similar number of organ works, including the celebrated Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.<br /><br />While Bach's fame as an organist was great during his lifetime, he was not particularly well-known as a composer. His adherence to Baroque forms and contrapuntal style was considered "old-fashioned" by his contemporaries, especially late in his career when the musical fashion tended towards Rococo and later Classical styles. A revival of interest and performances of his music began early in the 19th century, and he is now widely considered to be one of the greatest composers in the Western tradition.<br /><br />Contents<br />1 Childhood (1685–1703) <br />2 Arnstadt to Weimar (1703–08) <br />3 Weimar (1708–17) <br />4 Cöthen (1717–23) <br />5 Leipzig (1723–50) <br />6 Death (1750) <br />7 Musical style <br />8 Family members <br />9 Works <br />9.1 Organ works <br />9.2 Other keyboard works <br />9.3 Orchestral and chamber music <br />9.4 Vocal and choral works <br />10 Performances <br />11 Legacy <br />12 Media <br />13 See also <br />14 Notes <br />15 References <br />16 Further reading <br />17 External links <br /> <br /><br /><br />Childhood (1685–1703)<br />Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Saxe-Eisenach. He was the youngest child of Johann Ambrosius Bach, the director of the Stadtpfeifer or town musicians,[1] and Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. His father taught him to play violin and harpsichord. His uncles were all professional musicians, whose posts ranged from church organists and court chamber musicians to composers. One uncle, Johann Christoph Bach (1645–93), was especially famous and introduced him to the art of organ playing. Bach was proud of his family's musical achievements, and around 1735 he drafted a genealogy, "Origin of the musical Bach family".[2]<br /><br /> <br />Johann Ambrosius Bach, Bach's fatherBach's mother died in 1694, and his father eight months later. The 10-year-old orphan moved in with his oldest brother, Johann Christoph Bach (1671–1721), the organist at the Michaeliskirche in nearby Ohrdruf. There, he copied, studied and performed music, and apparently received valuable teaching from his brother, who instructed him on the clavichord. J.C. Bach exposed him to the works of the great South German composers of the day, such as Johann Pachelbel (under whom Johann Christoph had studied) and Johann Jakob Froberger; possibly to the music of North German composers, to Frenchmen, such as Jean-Baptiste Lully, Louis Marchand, Marin Marais; and to the Italian clavierist Girolamo Frescobaldi. The young Bach probably witnessed and assisted in the maintenance of the organ music. Bach's obituary indicates that he copied music out of Johann Christoph's scores, but his brother had apparently forbidden him to do so, possibly because scores were valuable and private commodities at the time.<br /><br />At the age of 14, Bach, along with his older school friend George Erdmann, was awarded a choral scholarship to study at the prestigious St. Michael's School in Lüneburg, not far from the northern seaport of Hamburg, one of the largest cities in the Holy Roman Empire.[3] This involved a long journey with his friend, probably undertaken partly on foot and partly by coach. His two years there appear to have been critical in exposing him to a wider palette of European culture than he would have experienced in Thuringia. In addition to singing in the a cappella choir, it is likely that he played the School's three-manual organ and its harpsichords. He probably learned French and Italian, and received a thorough grounding in theology, Latin, history, geography, and physics. He would have come into contact with sons of noblemen from northern Germany sent to the highly selective school to prepare for careers in diplomacy, government, and the military.<br /><br />Although little supporting historical evidence exists at this time, it is almost certain that while in Lüneburg, young Bach would have visited the Johanniskirche (Church of St. John) and heard (and possibly played) the church's famous organ (built in 1549 by Jasper Johannsen and nicknamed the "Böhm organ" after its most prominent master). Given his innate musical talent, Bach would have had significant contact with prominent organists of the day in Lüneburg, most notably Georg Böhm (the organist at Johanniskirche) as well as organists in nearby Hamburg, such as Johann Adam Reincken. Through contact with these musicians, Bach probably gained access to the largest and finest instruments he had played thus far. It is likely that during this stage he became acquainted with the music of the German organ schools, especially the work of Dieterich Buxtehude, and with music manuscripts and treatises on music theory that were in the possession of these musicians.<br /><br /><br />Arnstadt to Weimar (1703–08)<br /> <br />St. Boniface's Church in ArnstadtIn January 1703, shortly after graduating and failing an audition for an organist's post at Sangerhausen[4], Bach took up a post as a court musician in the chapel of Duke Johann Ernst in Weimar, a large town in Thuringia. His role there is unclear, but appears to have included menial, non-musical duties. During his seven-month tenure at Weimar, his reputation as a keyboard player spread. He was invited to inspect and give the inaugural recital on the new organ at St. Boniface's Church in Arnstadt. The Bach family had close connections with this oldest town in Thuringia, about 180 km to the southwest of Weimar at the edge of the great forest. In August 1703, he accepted the post of organist at that church, with light duties, a relatively generous salary, and a fine new organ tuned to a modern system that allowed a wide range of keys to be used. At this time, Bach was embarking on the serious composition of organ preludes; these works, in the North German tradition of virtuosic, improvisatory preludes, already showed tight motivic control (where a single, short music idea is explored cogently throughout a movement). However, in these works the composer had yet to fully develop his powers of large-scale organisation and his contrapuntal technique (where two or more melodies interact simultaneously).<br /><br />Strong family connections and a musically enthusiastic employer failed to prevent tension between the young organist and the authorities after several years in the post. He was apparently dissatisfied with the standard of singers in the choir; more seriously, there was his unauthorised absence from Arnstadt for several months in 1705–06, when he visited the great master Dieterich Buxtehude and his Abendmusik in the northern city of Lübeck. This well-known incident in Bach's life involved his walking some 400 kilometres (250 mi) each way to spend time with the man he probably regarded as the father figure of German organists. The trip reinforced Buxtehude's style as a foundation for Bach's earlier works, and that he overstayed his planned visit by several months suggests that his time with the old man was of great value to his art. According to legend, both Bach and George Frederic Handel wanted to become amanuenses of Buxtehude, but neither wanted to marry his daughter, as that was a condition for the position.[5]<br /><br />According to minutes from the proceedings of the Arnstadt consistory in August 1705, Bach was involved in a brawl in Arnstadt:<br /><br />“ Johann Sebastian Bach, organist here at the New Church, appeared and stated that, as he walked home yesterday, fairly late night ... six students were sitting on the "Langenstein" (Long Stone), and as he passed the town hall, the student Geyersbach went after him with a stick, calling him to account: Why had he [Bach] made abusive remarks about him? He [Bach] answered that he had made no abusive remarks about him, and that no one could prove it, for he had gone his way very quietly. Geyersbach retorted that while he [Bach] might not have maligned him, he had maligned his bassoon at some time, and whoever insulted his belongings insulted him as well ... [Geyersbach] had at once struck out at him. Since he had not been prepared for this, he had been about to draw his dagger, but Geyersbach had fallen into his arms, and the two of them tumbled about until the rest of the students ... had rushed toward them and separated them.[6] ” <br /> <br />Places in which Bach lived throughout his lifeDespite his comfortable position in Arnstadt, by 1706 Bach appeared to have realised that he needed to escape from the family milieu and move on to further his career. He was offered a more lucrative post as organist at St. Blasius's in Mühlhausen, a large and important city to the north. The following year, he took up this senior post with significantly improved pay and conditions, including a good choir. Four months after arriving at Mühlhausen, he married his second cousin from Arnstadt, Maria Barbara Bach. They had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood. Two of them—Wilhelm Friedemann Bach and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach—became important composers in the ornate Rococo style that followed the Baroque.<br /><br />The church and city government at Mühlhausen must have been proud of their new musical director. They readily agreed to his plan for an expensive renovation of the organ at St. Blasius's, and were so delighted at the elaborate, festive cantata he wrote for the inauguration of the new council in 1708—God is my king BWV 71, clearly in the style of Buxtehude—that they paid handsomely for its publication, and twice in later years had the composer return to conduct it. However, that same year, Bach was offered a better position in Weimar.<br /><br /><br /><br />Weimar (1708–17)<br /> <br />A portrait of a young man, supposedly of Bach, but disputed[7]After barely a year at Mühlhausen, Bach left, to become the court organist and concertmaster at the ducal court in Weimar, a far cry from his earlier position there as 'lackey'. The munificent salary on offer at the court and the prospect of working entirely with a large, well-funded contingent of professional musicians may have prompted the move. The family moved into an apartment just five minutes' walk from the ducal palace. In the following year, their first child was born and they were joined by Maria Barbara's elder, unmarried sister, who remained with them to assist in the running of the household until her death in 1729. It was in Weimar that the two musically significant sons were born—Wilhelm Friedemann and Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach.<br /><br />Bach's position in Weimar marked the start of a sustained period of composing keyboard and orchestral works, in which he had attained the technical proficiency and confidence to extend the prevailing large-scale structures and to synthesise influences from abroad. From the music of Italians such as Vivaldi, Corelli and Torelli, he learnt how to write dramatic openings and adopted their sunny dispositions, dynamic motor-rhythms and decisive harmonic schemes. Bach inducted himself into these stylistic aspects largely by transcribing for harpsichord and organ the ensemble concertos of Vivaldi; these works are still concert favourites. He may have picked up the idea of transcribing the latest fashionable Italian music from Prince Johann Ernst, one of his employers, who was a musician of professional calibre. In 1713, the Duke returned from a tour of the Low Countries with a large collection of scores, some of them possibly transcriptions of the latest fashionable Italian music by the blind organist Jan Jacob de Graaf. Bach was particularly attracted to the Italian solo-tutti structure, in which one or more solo instruments alternate section-by-section with the full orchestra throughout a movement.<br /><br /> <br />Violin Sonata No. 1 in G minor (BWV 1001) in Bach's handwritingIn Weimar, he had the opportunity to play and compose for the organ, and to perform a varied repertoire of concert music with the duke's ensemble. A master of contrapuntal technique, Bach's steady output of fugues began in Weimar. The largest single body of his fugal writing is Das wohltemperierte Clavier ("The well-tempered keyboard"—Clavier meaning keyboard instrument). It consists of two collections compiled in 1722 and 1744, each containing a prelude and fugue in every major and minor key. This is a monumental work for its masterful use of counterpoint and its exploration, for the first time, of the full range of keys–and the means of expression made possible by their slight differences from each other—available to keyboardists when their instruments are tuned according to systems such as that of Andreas Werckmeister.<br /><br />During his tenure at Weimar, Bach started work on The little organ book for his eldest son, Wilhelm Friedemann; this contains traditional Lutheran chorales (hymn tunes), set in complex textures to assist the training of organists. The book illustrates two major themes in Bach's life: his dedication to teaching and his love of the chorale as a musical form.<br /><br />Bach eventually fell out of favour in Weimar and was, according to the court secretary's report, jailed for almost a month before being unfavourably dismissed:<br /><br />“ On November 6, [1717], the quondam concertmaster and organist Bach was confined to the County Judge's place of detention for too stubbornly forcing the issue of his dismissal and finally on December 2 was freed from arrest with notice of his unfavourable discharge.[8] ” <br /><br /><br />Cöthen (1717–23)<br /> <br />The palace and gardens at Cöthen in an engraving from Matthäus Merian's Topographia (1650)Bach began once again to search out a more stable job that was conducive to his musical interests. Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cöthen hired Bach to serve as his Kapellmeister (director of music). Prince Leopold, himself a musician, appreciated Bach's talents, paid him well, and gave him considerable latitude in composing and performing. However, the prince was Calvinist and did not use elaborate music in his worship; thus, most of Bach's work from this period was secular, including the Orchestral suites, the Six suites for solo cello and the Sonatas and partitas for solo violin. The well-known Brandenburg concertos date from this period.<br /><br />On 7 July 1720, while Bach was abroad with Prince Leopold, tragedy struck: his wife, Maria Barbara, the mother of his first 7 children, died suddenly. The following year, the widower met Anna Magdalena Wilcke, a young, highly gifted soprano 17 years his junior, who performed at the court in Cöthen; they married on 3 December 1721. Together they had 13 more children, six of whom survived into adulthood: Gottfried Heinrich, Johann Christoph Friedrich and Johann Christian, all of whom became significant musicians; Elisabeth Juliane Friederica (1726–81), who married Bach's pupil Johann Christoph Altnikol; Johanna Carolina (1737–81); and Regina Susanna (1742–1809).[9]<br /><br /> <br />Commemorative statue of J.S. Bach in Leipzig<br />Leipzig (1723–50)<br />In 1723, Bach was appointed Cantor of Thomasschule, adjacent to the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas' Lutheran Church) in Leipzig, as well as Director of Music in the principal churches in the town. This was a prestigious post in the leading mercantile city in Saxony, a neighbouring electorate to Thuringia. Apart from his brief tenures in Arnstadt and Mühlhausen, this was Bach's first government position in a career that had mainly involved service to the aristocracy. This final post, which he held for 27 years until his death, brought him into contact with the political machinations of his employer, the Leipzig Council. The Council comprised two factions: the Absolutists, loyal to the Saxon monarch in Dresden, Augustus the Strong; and the City-Estate faction, representing the interests of the mercantile class, the guilds and minor aristocrats. Bach was the nominee of the monarchists, in particular of the Mayor at the time, Gottlieb Lange, a lawyer who had earlier served in the Dresden court. In return for agreeing to Bach's appointment, the City-Estate faction was granted control of the School, and Bach was required to make a number of compromises with respect to his working conditions.[10] Although it appears that no one on the Council doubted Bach's musical genius, there was continual tension between the Cantor, who regarded himself as the leader of church music in the city, and the City-Estate faction, which saw him as a schoolmaster and wanted to reduce the emphasis on elaborate music in both the School and the Churches. The Council never honoured Lange's promise at interview of a handsome salary of 1,000 talers a year, although it did provide Bach and his family with a smaller income and a good apartment at one end of the school building, which was renovated at great expense in 1732.<br /><br /> <br />St Thomas's Church, Leipzig, in the 21st centuryBach's job required him to instruct the students of the Thomasschule in singing and to provide weekly music at the two main churches in Leipzig, St. Thomas' and St Nicholas's. His post also obliged him to teach Latin, but he was allowed to employ a deputy to do this instead. In an astonishing burst of creativity, he wrote up to five annual cantata cycles during his first six years in Leipzig (two of which have apparently been lost). Most of these concerted works expound on the Gospel readings for every Sunday and feast day in the Lutheran year; many were written using traditional church hymns, such as Wachet auf! Ruft uns die Stimme and Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, as inspiration.<br /><br />To rehearse and perform these works at St Thomas's Church, Bach probably sat at the harpsichord or stood in front of the choir on the lower gallery at the west end, his back to the congregation and the altar at the east end. He would have looked upwards to the organ that rose from a loft about four metres above. To the right of the organ in a side gallery would have been the winds, brass and timpani; to the left were the strings. The Council provided only about eight permanent instrumentalists, a source of continual friction with the Cantor, who had to recruit the rest of the 20 or so players required for medium-to-large scores from the University, the School and the public. The organ or harpsichord was probably played by the composer (when not standing to conduct), the in-house organist, or one of Bach's elder sons, Wilhelm Friedemann or Carl Philipp Emanuel.<br /><br />Bach drew the soprano and alto choristers from the School, and the tenors and basses from the School and elsewhere in Leipzig. Performing at weddings and funerals provided extra income for these groups; it was probably for this purpose, and for in-school training, that he wrote at least six motets, mostly for double choir. As part of his regular church work, he performed motets of the Venetian school and Germans such as Heinrich Schütz, which would have served as formal models for his own motets.<br /><br />Having spent much of the 1720s composing cantatas, Bach had assembled a huge repertoire of church music for Leipzig's two main churches. He now wished to broaden his composing and performing beyond the liturgy. In March 1729, he took over the directorship of the Collegium Musicum, a secular performance ensemble that had been started in 1701 by his old friend, the composer Georg Philipp Telemann. This was one of the dozens of private societies in the major German-speaking cities that had been established by musically active university students; these societies had come to play an increasingly important role in public musical life and were typically led by the most prominent professionals in a city. In the words of Christoph Wolff, assuming the directorship was a shrewd move that 'consolidated Bach's firm grip on Leipzig's principal musical institutions'.[11] During much of the year, Leipzig's Collegium Musicum gave twice-weekly, two-hour performances in Zimmerman's Coffeehouse on Catherine Street, just off the main market square. For this purpose, the proprietor provided a large hall and acquired several musical instruments. Many of Bach's works during the 1730s and 1740s were probably written for and performed by the Collegium Musicum; among these were almost certainly parts of the Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Practice) and many of the violin and harpsichord concertos.<br /><br /> <br />Zimmerman's Coffeehouse in Leipzig, where Bach's Collegium Musicum gave regular concertsDuring this period, he composed the Kyrie and Gloria of the Mass in B Minor, and in 1733, he presented the manuscript to the Elector of Saxony in an ultimately successful bid to persuade the monarch to appoint him as Royal Court Composer. He later extended this work into a full Mass, by adding a Credo, Sanctus and Agnus Dei, the music for which was almost wholly taken from some of the best of his cantata movements. Bach's appointment as court composer appears to have been part of his long-term struggle to achieve greater bargaining power with the Leipzig Council. Although the complete mass was probably never performed during the composer's lifetime, it is considered to be among the greatest choral works of all time. Between 1737 and 1739, Bach's former pupil Carl Gotthelf Gerlach took over the directorship of the Collegium Musicum.<br /><br />In 1747, Bach went to the court of Frederick II of Prussia in Potsdam, where the king played a theme for Bach and challenged him to improvise a fugue based on his theme. Bach improvised a three-part fugue on Frederick's pianoforte, then a novelty, and later presented the king with a Musical Offering which consists of fugues, canons and a trio based on the "royal theme", nominated by the monarch. Its six-part fugue includes a slightly altered subject more suitable for extensive elaboration.<br /><br />The Art of Fugue, published posthumously but probably written years before Bach's death, is unfinished. It consists of 18 complex fugues and canons based on a simple theme. A magnum opus of thematic transformation and contrapuntal devices, this work is often cited as the summation of polyphonic techniques.<br /><br />The final work Bach completed was a chorale prelude for organ, dictated to his son-in-law, Johann Altnikol, from his deathbed. Entitled Vor deinen Thron tret ich hiermit (Before thy throne I now appear, BWV 668a); when the notes on the three staves of the final cadence are counted and mapped onto the Roman alphabet, the initials "JSB" are found. The chorale is often played after the unfinished 14th fugue to conclude performances of The Art of Fugue.<br /><br /><br />Death (1750)<br /> <br />The 1750 "Volbach Portrait" may show Bach in the last months of his life[12]Bach's health may have been in decline in 1749, as on 2 June, Heinrich von Brühl wrote to one of the Leipzig burgomasters to request that his music director, Gottlob Harrer, immediately begin to audition someone to succeed to the Thomascantor and Director musices posts "upon the eventual... decease of Mr. Bach."[13] Bach became increasingly blind, and a celebrated British quack John Taylor (who had operated unsuccessfully on Handel) operated on Bach while visiting Leipzig in 1750. Bach died on 28 July 1750 at the age of 65. A contemporary newspaper reported the cause of death was "from the unhappy consequences of the very unsuccessful eye operation".[14] Some modern historians speculate the cause of death was a stroke complicated by pneumonia.[15][16][17] His estate was valued at 1159 Thalers and included 5 Clavecins, 2 Lute-Harpsichords, 3 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, a viola da gamba, a lute and a spinet, 52 "Sacred Books" (many by Martin Luther, Muller and Pfeiffer, also including Josephus' History of the Jews and 9 volumes of Wagner's Leipzig Song Book).[18]<br /><br />During his life he composed more than 1,000 works.<br /><br />At Leipzig, Bach seems to have maintained active relationships with several members of the faculty of the university. He enjoyed a particularly fruitful relationship with the poet Picander. Sebastian and Anna Magdalena welcomed friends, family, and fellow musicians from all over Germany into their home. Court musicians at Dresden and Berlin, and musicians including Georg Philipp Telemann (one of Emanuel's godfathers) made frequent visits to Bach's apartment and may have kept up frequent correspondence with him. Interestingly, George Frideric Handel, who was born in the same year as Bach in Halle, only 50 km from Leipzig, made several trips to Germany, but Bach was unable to meet him—a fact that Bach appears to have deeply regretted.[19]<br /><br /><br />Musical style<br /> <br />Bach's final resting place, St. Thomas' Church, LeipzigBach's musical style arose from his extraordinary fluency in contrapuntal invention and motivic control, his flair for improvisation at the keyboard, his exposure to South German, North German, Italian and French music, and his apparent devotion to the Lutheran liturgy. His access to musicians, scores and instruments as a child and a young man, combined with his emerging talent for writing tightly woven music of powerful sonority, appear to have set him on course to develop an eclectic, energetic musical style in which foreign influences were injected into an intensified version of the pre-existing German musical language. Throughout his teens and 20s, his output showed increasing skill in the large-scale organisation of musical ideas, and the enhancement of the Buxtehudian model of improvisatory preludes and counterpoint of limited complexity. The period 1713–14, when a large repertoire of Italian music became available to the Weimar court orchestra, was a turning point. From this time onwards, he appears to have absorbed into his style the Italians' dramatic openings, clear melodic contours, the sharp outlines of their bass lines, greater motoric and rhythmic conciseness, more unified motivic treatment, and more clearly articulated schemes for modulation.[20]<br /><br />There are several more specific features of Bach's style. The notation of baroque melodic lines tended to assume that composers would write out only the basic framework, and that performers would embellish this framework by inserting ornamental notes and otherwise elaborating on it. Although this practice varied considerably between the schools of European music, Bach was regarded at the time as being on one extreme end of the spectrum, notating most or all of the details of his melodic lines—particularly in his fast movements—thus leaving little for performers to interpolate. This may have assisted his control over the dense contrapuntal textures that he favoured, which allow less leeway for the spontaneous variation of musical lines. Bach's contrapuntal textures tend to be more cumulative than those of Händel and most other composers of the day, who would typically allow a line to drop out after it had been joined by two or three others. Bach's harmony is marked by a tendency to employ brief tonicisation—subtle references to another key that lasts for only a few beats at the longest—particularly of the supertonic, to add colour to his textures.<br /><br /> <br />The opening of the six-part fugue from The Musical Offering, in Bach's handAt the same time, Bach, unlike later composers, left the instrumentation of major works including The Art of Fugue and The Musical Offering open. It is likely that his detailed notation was less an absolute demand on the performer and more a response to a 17th-century culture in which the boundary between what the performer could embellish and what the composer demanded to be authentic was being negotiated.<br /><br />Bach's apparently devout, personal relationship with the Christian God in the Lutheran tradition and the high demand for religious music of his times inevitably placed sacred music at the centre of his repertory; more specifically, the Lutheran chorale hymn tune, the principal musical aspect of the Lutheran service, was the basis of much of his output. He invested the chorale prelude, already a standard set of Lutheran forms, with a more cogent, tightly integrated architecture, in which the intervallic patterns and melodic contours of the tune were typically treated in a dense, contrapuntal lattice against relatively slow-moving, overarching statements of the tune.<br /><br />Bach's theology also informed his compositional structures: Sei Gegrüsset is perhaps the finest example where there is a theme with 11 variations (making 12 movements) that, while still one work, becomes two sets of six—to match Lutheran preaching principles of repetition. At the same time the theological interpretation of 'master' and 11 disciples would not be lost on his contemporary audience. Further, the practical relationship of each variation to the next (in preparing registration and the expected textural changes) seems to show an incredible capacity to preach through the music using the musical forms available at the time.<br /><br /> <br />Bach's seal, used throughout his Leipzig years. It contains the letters J S B superimposed over their mirror image topped with a crown.Bach's deep knowledge of and interest in the liturgy led to his developing intricate relationships between music and linguistic text. This was evident from the smallest to the largest levels of his compositional technique. On the smallest level, many of his sacred works contain short motifs that, by recurrent association, can be regarded as pictorial symbolism and articulations of liturgical concepts. For example, the octave leap, usually in a bass line, represents the relationship between heaven and earth; the slow, repeated notes of the bass line in the opening movement of Cantata 106 (Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit) depict the laboured trudging of Jesus as he was forced to drag the cross from the city to the crucifixion site.<br /><br />On the largest level, the large-scale structure of some of his sacred vocal works is evidence of subtle, elaborate planning: for example, the overall form of the St. Matthew Passion illustrates the liturgical and dramatic flow of the Easter story on a number of levels simultaneously; the text, keys and variations of instrumental and vocal forces used in the movements of Cantata 11 (Lobet Gott in seinen Reichen) may form a structure that resembles the cross.<br /><br />Beyond these specific musical features arising from Bach's religious affiliation is the fact that he was able to produce music for an audience that was committed to serious, regular worship, for which a concentrated density and complexity was accepted. His natural inclination may have been to reinvigorate existing forms, rather than to discard them and pursue more dramatic musical innovations. Thus, Bach's inventive genius was almost entirely directed towards working within the structures he inherited, according to most critics and historians.<br /><br /> <br />Frontispiece of Bach's Clavier-Büchlein vor Anna Magdalena Bach, composed in 1722 for his second wifeBach's inner personal drive to display his musical achievements was evident in a number of ways. The most obvious was his successful striving to become the leading virtuoso and improviser of the day on the organ. Keyboard music occupied a central position in his output throughout his life, and he pioneered the elevation of the keyboard from continuo to solo instrument in his numerous harpsichord concertos and chamber movements with keyboard obbligato, in which he himself probably played the solo part. Many of his keyboard preludes are vehicles for a free improvisatory virtuosity in the German tradition, although their internal organisation became increasingly more cogent as he matured. Virtuosity is a key element in other forms, such as the fugal movement from Brandenburg Concerto No. 4, in which Bach himself may have been the first to play the rapid solo violin passages. Another example is in the organ fugue from BWV 548, a late work from Leipzig, in which virtuosic passages are mapped onto Italian solo-tutti alternation within the fugal development.<br /><br />Related to his cherished role as teacher was his drive to encompass whole genres by producing collections of movements that thoroughly explore the range of artistic and technical possibilities inherent in those genres. The most famous examples are the two books of the Well Tempered Clavier, each of which presents a prelude and fugue in every major and minor key, in which a variety of contrapuntal and fugal techniques are displayed. The English and French Suites, and the Partitas, all keyboard works from the Cöthen period, systematically explore a range of metres and of sharp and flat keys. This urge to manifest structures is evident throughout his life: the Goldberg Variations (1746?), include a sequence of canons at increasing intervals (unison, seconds, thirds, etc.), and The Art of Fugue (1749) can be seen as a compendium of fugal techniques.<br /><br /><br />Family members<br />See also: Bach family<br />Bach married his second cousin Maria Barbara Bach in 1707. They had seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood:<br /><br />Catharina Dorothea (28 December 1708 – 14 January 1774). <br />Wilhelm Friedemann (22 November 1710 – 1 July 1784). <br />Carl Philipp Emanuel (8 March 1714 – 14 December 1788). <br />Johann Gottfried Bernhard (11 May 1715 – 27 May 1739). <br />Maria died in 1720, and Bach married Anna Magdalena Wilcke in 1721. They had a further thirteen children, six of whom survived to adulthood:<br /><br />Gottfried Heinrich (1724–63) <br />Elisabeth Juliana Friederica, called "Lieschen" (1726–81) <br />Johann Christoph Friedrich, the 'Bückeburg' Bach (1732–95) <br />Johann Christian, the 'London' Bach (1735–82) <br />Johanna Carolina (1737–81) <br />Regina Susanna (1742–1809) <br /><br />Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (1710–84) <br />Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714–88) <br />Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732–95) <br />Johann Christian Bach<br />(1735–82) <br /><br /><br />Works<br />Main articles: BWV and List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach<br />See also: Category:Compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach, List of fugal works by Johann Sebastian Bach, and List of transcriptions of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach<br />J.S. Bach's works are indexed with BWV numbers, an initialism for Bach Werke Verzeichnis (Bach Works Catalogue). The catalogue, published in 1950, was compiled by Wolfgang Schmieder. The catalogue is organised thematically, rather than chronologically: BWV 1–224 are cantatas; BWV 225–249, the large-scale choral works; BWV 250–524, chorales and sacred songs; BWV 525–748, organ works; BWV 772–994, other keyboard works; BWV 995–1000, lute music; BWV 1001–40, chamber music; BWV 1041–71, orchestral music; and BWV 1072–1126, canons and fugues. In compiling the catalogue, Schmieder largely followed the Bach Gesellschaft Ausgabe, a comprehensive edition of the composer's works that was produced between 1850 and 1905. For a list of works catalogued by BWV number, see List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.<br /><br /><br />Organ works<br />Bach was best known during his lifetime as an organist, organ consultant, and composer of organ works in both the traditional German free genres—such as preludes, fantasias, and toccatas—and stricter forms, such as chorale preludes and fugues. He established a reputation at a young age for his great creativity and ability to integrate foreign styles into his organ works. A decidedly North German influence was exerted by Georg Böhm, with whom Bach came into contact in Lüneburg, and Dieterich Buxtehude in Lübeck, whom the young organist visited in 1704 on an extended leave of absence from his job in Arnstadt. Around this time, Bach copied the works of numerous French and Italian composers to gain insights into their compositional languages, and later arranged violin concertos by Vivaldi and others for organ and harpsichord. His most productive period (1708–14) saw the composition of several pairs of preludes & fugues and toccatas & fugues, and of the Orgelbüchlein ("Little organ book"), an unfinished collection of 45 short chorale preludes that demonstrate compositional techniques in the setting of chorale tunes. After he left Weimar, Bach's output for organ fell off, although his best-known works (the six trio sonatas, the "German Organ Mass" in Clavier-Übung III from 1739, and the "Great Eighteen" chorales, revised late in his life) were all composed after this time. Bach was extensively engaged later in his life in consulting on organ projects, testing newly built organs, and dedicating organs in afternoon recitals.[21][22] One of the high points may be the third part of the Clavier-Übung, a setting of 21 chorale preludes uniting the traditional Catholic Missa with the Lutheran catechism liturgy, the whole set interpolated between the mighty "St. Anne" Prelude and Fugue on the theme of the Trinity.<br /><br /><br />Other keyboard works<br /> <br />The title page of the third part of the Clavier-Übung, one of the few works by Bach that was published during his lifetime.Bach wrote many works for the harpsichord, some of which may also have been played on the clavichord. Many of his keyboard works are anthologies that show an eagerness to encompass whole theoretical systems in an encyclopaedic fashion.<br /><br />The Well-Tempered Clavier, Books 1 and 2 (BWV 846–893). Each book comprises a prelude and fugue in each of the 24 major and minor keys in chromatic order from C major to B minor (thus, the whole collection is often referred to as 'the 48'). "Well-tempered" in the title refers to the temperament (system of tuning); many temperaments before Bach's time were not flexible enough to allow compositions to move through more than just a few keys. <br />The 15 Inventions and 15 Sinfonias (BWV 772–801). These short two- and three-part contrapuntal works are arranged in the same chromatic order as the Well-Tempered Clavier, omitting some of the less used keys. The pieces were intended by Bach for instructional purposes. <br />Three collections of dance suites: the English Suites (BWV 806–811), the French Suites (BWV 812–817) and the Partitas for keyboard (BWV 825–830). Each collection contains six suites built on the standard model (Allemande–Courante–Sarabande–(optional movement)–Gigue). The English Suites closely follow the traditional model, adding a prelude before the allemande and including a single movement between the sarabande and the gigue. The French Suites omit preludes, but have multiple movements between the sarabande and the gigue. The partitas expand the model further with elaborate introductory movements and miscellaneous movements between the basic elements of the model. <br />The Goldberg Variations (BWV 988), an aria with thirty variations. The collection has a complex and unconventional structure: the variations build on the bass line of the aria, rather than its melody, and musical canons are interpolated according to a grand plan. There are nine canons within the 30 variations, one placed every three variations between variations 3 and 27. These variations move in order from canon at the unison to canon at the ninth. The first eight are in pairs (unison and octave, second and seventh, third and sixth, fourth and fifth). The ninth canon stands on its own due to compositional dissimilarities. <br />Miscellaneous pieces such as the Overture in the French Style (French Overture, BWV 831), Chromatic Fantasia and Fugue (BWV 903), and the Italian Concerto (BWV 971). <br />Among Bach's lesser known keyboard works are seven toccatas (BWV 910–916), four duets (BWV 802–805), sonatas for keyboard (BWV 963–967), the Six Little Preludes (BWV 933–938), and the Aria variata alla maniera italiana (BWV 989).<br /><br /><br />Orchestral and chamber music<br />Bach wrote music for single instruments, duets and small ensembles. Bach's works for solo instruments—the six sonatas and partitas for violin (BWV 1001–1006), the six cello suites (BWV 1007–1012) and the Partita for solo flute (BWV 1013)—may be listed among the most profound works in the repertoire. Bach also composed a suite and several other works for solo lute. He wrote trio sonatas; solo sonatas (accompanied by continuo) for the flute and for the viola da gamba; and a large number of canons and ricercare, mostly for unspecified instrumentation. The most significant examples of the latter are contained in The Art of Fugue and The Musical Offering.<br /><br />Bach's best-known orchestral works are the Brandenburg concertos, so named because he submitted them in the hope of gaining employment from Margrave Christian Ludwig of Brandenburg-Schwedt in 1721; his application was unsuccessful. These works are examples of the concerto grosso genre. Other surviving works in the concerto form include two violin concertos (BWV 1041 and BWV 1042); a Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (BWV 1043), often referred to as Bach's "double" concerto; and concertos for one, two, three and even four harpsichords. It is widely accepted that many of the harpsichord concertos were not original works, but arrangements of his concertos for other instruments now lost. A number of violin, oboe and flute concertos have been reconstructed from these. In addition to concertos, Bach also wrote four orchestral suites, a series of stylised dances for orchestra, each preceded by a French overture. The work now known as the Air on the G String is an arrangement for the violin made in the nineteenth century from the second movement of the Orchestral Suite No. 3.<br /><br /><br />Vocal and choral works<br />Bach performed a cantata on Sunday at the Thomaskirche, on a theme corresponding to the lectionary readings of the week, as determined by the Lutheran Church Year calendar. He did not perform cantatas during the seasons of Lent and Advent. Although he performed cantatas by other composers, he also composed at least three entire sets of cantatas, one for each Sunday and holiday of the church year, at Leipzig, in addition to those composed at Mühlhausen and Weimar. In total he wrote more than 300 sacred cantatas, of which approximately 195 survive.<br /><br />His cantatas vary greatly in form and instrumentation. Some of them are only for a solo singer; some are single choruses; some are for grand orchestras; some only a few instruments. A very common format, however, includes a large opening chorus followed by one or more recitative-aria pairs for soloists (or duets) and a concluding chorale. The recitative is part of the corresponding Bible reading for the week and the aria is a contemporary reflection on it. The melody of the concluding chorale often appears as a cantus firmus in the opening movement. Among the best known cantatas are BWV 4 ("Christ lag in Todesbanden"), BWV 21 ("Ich hatte viel Bekümmernis"), BWV 80 ("Ein' feste Burg"), BWV 106 ("Actus Tragicus"), BWV 140 ("Wachet auf") and BWV 147 ("Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben").<br /><br />In addition, Bach wrote a number of secular cantatas, usually for civic events such as council inaugurations. These also include wedding cantatas, the Wedding Quodlibet, the Peasant Cantata and the Coffee Cantata, which concerns a girl whose father will not let her marry until she gives up her addiction to that extremely popular drink.<br /><br />Bach's large choral-orchestral works include the famous St. Matthew Passion and St. John Passion, both written for Good Friday vespers services at St. Thomas' and St. Nicholas' Churches in alternate years, and the Christmas Oratorio (a set of six cantatas for use in the Liturgical season of Christmas). The Magnificat in two versions (one in E-flat major, with four interpolated Christmas-related movements, and the later and better-known version in D major) and the Easter Oratorio compare to large, elaborate cantatas, of a lesser extent than the Passions and the Christmas Oratorio.<br /><br />Bach's other large work, the Mass in B minor, was assembled by Bach near the end of his life, mostly from pieces composed earlier (such as cantata BWV 191 and BWV 12). It was never performed in Bach's lifetime, or even after his death, until the 19th century.<br /><br />All of these works, unlike the six motets (Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied; Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf; Jesu, meine Freude; Fürchte dich nicht; Komm, Jesu, komm!; and Lobet den Herrn alle Heiden), have substantial solo parts as well as choruses.<br /><br />Bach's copy of a two volume Bible commentary by the orthodox Lutheran theologian, Abraham Calov, was discovered in the 1950s in a barn in Minnesota, purchased apparently in Germany as part of a "job lot" of old books and brought to America by an immigrant. Its provenance was verified and it was subsequently deposited in the rare book holdings of Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. It contains his markings of texts for his cantatas and notes. It is only rarely displayed to the public. A study of the so-called Bach Bible was prepared by Robin Leaver, titled J.S. Bach and Scripture: Glosses from the Calov Bible Commentary (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1985).<br /><br /><br />Performances<br />Present-day Bach performers usually pursue either of two traditions: so-called "authentic performance practice", utilising historical techniques, or alternatively the use of modern instruments and playing techniques, with a tendency towards larger ensembles. In Bach's time orchestras and choirs were usually smaller than those known to, for example, Brahms, and even Bach's most ambitious choral works, such as his Mass in B minor and Passions, are composed for relatively modest forces. Some of Bach's important chamber music does not indicate instrumentation, which gives greater latitude for variety of ensemble.<br /><br />Easy listening realisations of Bach's music and its use in advertising also contributed greatly to Bach's popularisation in the second half of the twentieth century. Among these were the Swingle Singers' versions of Bach pieces that are now well-known (for instance, the Air on the G string, or the Wachet Auf chorale prelude) and Wendy Carlos' 1968 ground-breaking recording Switched-On Bach, using the then recently-invented Moog electronic synthesiser. Jazz musicians have also adopted Bach's music, with Jacques Loussier, Ian Anderson, Uri Caine and the Modern Jazz Quartet among those creating jazz versions of Bach works.<br /><br /><br />Legacy<br /> <br />Since being moved in 1938, the Donndorf statue of Bach now stands in the Frauenplan in Eisenach. The pedestal has been shortened and the relief now is at the wall in the background.In his later years and after his death, Bach's reputation as a composer declined; his work was regarded as old-fashioned compared to the emerging classical style.[23] Initially he was remembered more as a player, teacher and as the father of his children, most notably Johann Christian and Carl Philipp Emanuel. (Two other children, Wilhelm Friedmann and Johann Christoph Friedrich, were also composers.)<br /><br />During this time, his works for keyboard were those most appreciated and composers ever since have acknowledged his mastery of the genre. Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin were among his most prominent admirers. On a visit to Thomasschule, for example, Mozart heard a performance of one of the motets (BWV 225) and exclaimed "Now, here is something one can learn from!"; on being given the motets' parts, "Mozart sat down, the parts all around him, held in both hands, on his knees, on the nearest chairs. Forgetting everything else, he did not stand up again until he had looked through all the music of Sebastian Bach". Beethoven was a devotee, learning the Well-Tempered Clavier as a child and later calling Bach the "Urvater der Harmonie" ("Original father of Harmony") and, in a pun on the literal meaning of Bach's name, "nicht Bach, sondern Meer" ("not a brook, but a sea"). Before performing a concert, Chopin used to lock himself away and play Bach's music. Several notable composers, including Mozart, Beethoven, Robert Schumann, and Felix Mendelssohn began writing in a more contrapuntal style after being introduced to Bach's music.<br /><br />Today the "Bach style" continues to influence musical composition, from hymns and religious works to pop and rock. Many of Bach's themes—particularly the theme from Toccata and Fugue in D minor—have been used in rock songs repeatedly and have received notable popularity. Bach has even been referred to as "the father of all music."[24]<br /><br />The revival in the composer's reputation among the wider public was prompted in part by Johann Nikolaus Forkel's 1802 biography, which was read by Beethoven. Goethe became acquainted with Bach's works relatively late in life through a series of performances of keyboard and choral works at Bad Berka in 1814 and 1815; in a letter of 1827 he compared the experience of listening to Bach's music to "eternal harmony in dialogue with itself".[25] But it was Felix Mendelssohn who did the most to revive Bach's reputation with his 1829 Berlin performance of the St. Matthew Passion. Hegel, who attended the performance, later called Bach a "grand, truly Protestant, robust and, so to speak, erudite genius which we have only recently learned again to appreciate at its full value".[26] Mendelssohn's promotion of Bach, and the growth of the composer's stature, continued in subsequent years. The Bach Gesellschaft (Bach Society) was founded in 1850 to promote the works, publishing a comprehensive edition over the subsequent half century.<br /><br /> <br />The Bach monument that was constructed in 1884 by Adolf von Donndorf and erected in front of the Georgenkirche at the Marktplatz in Eisenach.Thereafter, Bach's reputation has remained consistently high. During the twentieth century, the process of recognising the musical as well as the pedagogic value of some of the works has continued, perhaps most notably in the promotion of the Cello Suites by Pablo Casals. Another development has been the growth of the "authentic" or period performance movement, which, as far as possible, attempts to present the music as the composer intended it. Examples include the playing of keyboard works on the harpsichord rather than a modern grand piano and the use of small choirs or single voices instead of the larger forces favoured by nineteenth- and early twentieth-century performers.<br /><br />Johann Sebastian Bach's contributions to music—or, to borrow a term popularised by his student Lorenz Christoph Mizler, his "musical science"—are frequently bracketed with those by William Shakespeare in English literature and Isaac Newton in physics. Scientist and author Lewis Thomas once suggested how the people of Earth should communicate with the universe: "I would vote for Bach, all of Bach, streamed out into space, over and over again. We would be bragging, of course, but it is surely excusable to put the best possible face on at the beginning of such an acquaintance. We can tell the harder truths later."<br /><br />Some composers have paid tribute to Bach by setting his name in musical notes (B-flat, A, C, B-natural; B-natural is notated as "H" in German musical texts, while B-flat is just "B") or using contrapuntal derivatives. Liszt, for example, wrote a praeludium & fugue on this BACH motif (existing in versions both for organ and piano). Bach himself set the precedent for this musical acronym, most notably in Contrapunctus XIV from the Art of Fugue. Whereas Bach also conceived this cruciform melody (among other similar ones) as a sign of devotion to Christ and his cross, later composers have employed the BACH motif in homage to the composer himself.<br /><br />Some of the greatest composers since Bach have written works that explicitly pay homage to him. Examples include Beethoven's Diabelli Variations, Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues, and Brahms's Cello Sonata in E, whose finale is based on themes from the Art of Fugue. A 20th-century work very strongly influenced by Bach is Villa-Lobos' Bachianas brasileiras. Stephen Sondheim once claimed he listened to no one else except Bach.<br /><br />He is commemorated as a musician in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on 28 July.<br /><br /> <br />Johann Sebastian Bach Straße in Wittenberg, GermanyBach is the most represented artist on the Voyager Golden Record, a phonograph record included in two Voyager missions. Bach's compositions comprise three of the 27 recordings chosen. Many early examples of synthesised music played on the Commodore 64 home computer's SID chip were realisations of Bach's contrapuntal works.<br /><br />Although Bach fathered twenty children, only ten survived infancy. He has no known descendants living today. His great-granddaughter—Frau Carolina Augusta Wilhelmine Ritter, who died May 13, 1871—was his last known descendant.[27]<br /><br />A modern reconstruction of Johann Sebastian Bach's head using computer modeling techniques, unveiled 3 March 2008 in Berlin, showed the composer as a strong-jawed man with a slight underbite, his large head topped with short, silver hair.[28]<br /><br /><br />Media<br />A number of recordings are available at List of compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach<br /><br /><br />See also<br />Abraham Calovius-the commentator for his 3-volume study Bible.[29] <br />Agenda-as appointed by Church Order, this directed worship. <br />Chorale-a hymn sung by the entire congregation. <br />Divine Service (Gottesdienst)-liturgy used among Lutherans for a mass. <br />Law and Gospel-his sacred cantatas reflect this hermeneutic.[30] <br />List of students of Johann Sebastian Bach <br />Lutheran Orthodoxy-religious convictions which motivated his sacred works.[31] <br />Luther's Small Catechism-he taught this catechism as the Thomascantor in Leipzig[32] and some of his pieces represent it.[33] <br /><br />Notes<br />^ a b Grout, Donald (1980). A History of Western Music. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 435. ISBN 0-393-95136-7. <br />^ Printed in translation in The Bach Reader (ISBN 0393002594) <br />^ Wolff, Christoph (2000). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 41–43. ISBN 0-393-04825-X. <br />^ Rich, Alan (1995). Johann Sebastiam Bach: Play by Play. Harper Collins. pp. 27. ISBN 0-06-263547-6. <br />^ "Classical Net - Basic Repertoire List - Buxtehude". Classical.net. http://www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/buxtehude.php. Retrieved on 2008-09-20. <br />^ Mendel 1999, p. 43 <br />^ "The Face Of Bach". Nathan P. Johansen. http://www.npj.com/thefaceofbach/09w624.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. <br />^ Mendel 1999, p. 80 <br />^ Wolff 1983, p. 98, 111 <br />^ Butt, John (1997-06-28). The Cambridge Companion to Bach. Cambridge University Press. pp. 17–34. ISBN 0521587808. <br />^ Wolff, Christoph (2000). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 341. ISBN 0-393-04825-X. <br />^ Towe, Teri Noel (2000-08-28). "The Inscrutable Volbach Portrait". The Face of Bach. http://www.npj.com/thefaceofbach/08w828.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-20. <br />^ Wolff, Christoph (2000). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company. p. 442. ISBN 0-393-04825-X. <br />^ Mendel 1999, p. 188 <br />^ Breitenfeld, Tomislav; Solter, Vesna Vargek; Breitenfeld, Darko; Zavoreo, Iris; Demarin, Vida (2006-01-03). "Johann Sebastian Bach's Strokes" (PDF). Acta Clinica Croatica (Sisters of Charity Hospital) 45 (1). http://hrcak.srce.hr/index.php?show=clanak_download&id_clanak_jezik=21520. Retrieved on 2008-05-20. <br />^ Baer, Ka. (1956). "Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) in medical history". Bulletin of the Medical Library Association (Medical Library Association) 39 (206). <br />^ Breitenfeld, D.; Thaller, V; Breitenfeld, T; Golik-Gruber, V; Pogorevc, T; Zoričić, Z; Grubišić, F (2000). "The pathography of Bach's family". Alcoholism 36: 161–164. <br />^ Mendel 1999, pp. 191–97 <br />^ Mendel 1999, p. 407 <br />^ Wolff, Christoph (2000). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 401. ISBN 0-393-04825-X. <br />^ "Bach, Johann Sebastian". ClassicalPlus. http://classicalplus.gmn.com/composers/composer.asp?id=2. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. <br />^ "Arnstadt (1703–1707)". Northern Arizona University. http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/arnstadt.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. <br />^ Beethoven: The Universal Composer. Edmund Morris. 2005. p. 2 - noting that Bach was "mocked as passe even in his own lifetime." <br />^ "Why was Bach considered the father of all music???". Able2Know. http://www.able2know.org/forums/about41366.html. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. <br />^ "Wittheits-Vortrag über „Goethe und Johann Sebastian Bach“" (in German). Bremen. http://www2.bremen.de/web/owa/p_anz_presse_mitteilung?pi_mid=76241. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. <br />^ "Matthäus-Passion BWV 244". Bach Cantatas. http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Vocal/BWV244-Spering.htm. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. <br />^ Terry, C. Sanford (1930-06-01). "Has Bach Surviving Descendants?". The Musical Times (JSTOR) 71 (1048): 511–513. doi:10.2307/917359. http://j.s.bach.gr.jp/tomita/script/bach2.pl?22=10824. Retrieved on 2007-10-08. <br />^ Terry, C. Sanford (2008-03-03). "What did Bach look like?" ([dead link] – Scholar search). The Musical Times (CNN) 71: 511. doi:10.2307/917359. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/03/03/reconstructing.bach.ap/index.html. Retrieved on 2008-03-03. <br />^ Maxwell, D.R.Theological Symbolism in the Organ Works of J.S. Bach <br />^ Analyzing Bach Cantatas By Chafe, E.T.Analyzing Bach Cantatas. New York: Oxford University Press US, 2000. <br />^ Herl, J. Worship Wars in Early Lutheranism: Choir, Congregation, and Three Centuries of Conflict. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. <br />^ Leaver, R.A.Luther's Liturgical Music. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishing, 2007. <br />^ For example, see Grove, G. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians. Vol. 4. New York: Macmillian, 1980. p. 335. <br /><br />References<br />Mendel, Arthur (1999), The New Bach Reader, W. W. Norton & Company, ISBN 0393319563 . <br />Wolff, Christopher (1983), The New Grove: Bach Family, Papermac, ISBN 0333343506 . <br /><br />Further reading<br />Baron, Carol K. (2006-06-09). Bach's Changing World:: Voices in the Community. University of Rochester. ISBN 1580461905. <br />Boyd, Malcolm (2001-01-18). Bach. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195142225. <br />Eidam, Klaus (2001-07-03). The True Life Of J.s. Bach. Basic Books. ISBN 0465018610. <br />Geck, Martin (2006-12-04). Johann Sebastian Bach: Life and Work. Harcourt Trade Publishers. ISBN 0151006482. <br />Hofstadter, Douglas (1999-02-04). Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. Basic Books. ISBN 0465026567. <br />Schweitzer, Albert (1967-06-01). J. S. Bach (Vol 1). Dover Publications. ISBN 0486216314. <br />Spitta, Philipp (1997-07-03). Johann Sebastian Bach: His Work and Influence on the Music of Germany, 1685–1750 (Volume II). Dover Publications. ISBN 0486274136. <br />Stauffer, George (February 1986). J. S. Bach As Organist: His Instruments, Music, and Performance Practices. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253331811. <br />Williams, Peter (2007-03-05). J.S. Bach: A Life in Music. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521870747. <br />Wolff, Christoph (September 2001). Johann Sebastian Bach: The Learned Musician. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0393322564hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-22074814839330865392009-05-19T12:34:00.000-07:002009-05-19T12:50:46.115-07:00Dr Victor Olaiya - The best of 3 decades of HighlifeDr Victor Olaiya - The best of 3 decades of Highlife<br />(Premier Music 2003)<br />To be named the 'Evil Genius' of any strand of music takes some beating, but to be named that as a highlife musician is true class. Dr Victor Olaiya is a musical giant in both Highlife music and Nigerian music in general. Olaiya was able to take all the possibilities that were available at the height of popular music in Nigeria, and used it to secure his name in the hall of fame of highlife.<br /><br />The infectiousness of all his music typifies highlife music, yes - but once again let us remember that he was called 'Evil genius'. He always brings energy to his music - and some of the grooves that can be heard in his music past and present could never be matched. Music is his life, his work and his play. He can still be heard today playing at his famous 'Stadium Hotel' in Lagos, Nigeria, and takes pleasure from making music as enjoyable as possiblehessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-60460391073722032242009-05-19T12:30:00.000-07:002009-05-19T12:34:17.028-07:00LIFE AND WORKS OF FELA SOWANDEFela Sowande (1905-1987)Nigerian Composer, Organist & Professor<br />Father of Modern Nigerian Art Music<br /><br />Table of Contents<br /> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#1">1 Birth </a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#2">2 Father </a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#3">3 Education in Nigeria</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#4">4 Jazz in Nigeria</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#5">5 Move to London</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#6">6 African American Influences</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#7">7 World War II Years</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#8">8 African Suite</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#9">9 Postwar Years in London</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#10">10 Homecoming</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#11">11 Nigerian Folk Symphony</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#12">12 Nationalism</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#13">13 Professor</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#14">14 Death</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#15">15 Honors</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Sowande.html#16">16 Centennia</a><br />The Organ Works of Fela Sowande: Cultural Perspectives by Godwin SadohQuality Paperback (2007)<br />Audio Samples 1 Cedille 90000 055 (2000); African Heritage Symphonic series, Vol. 1; Chicago Sinfonietta; Paul Freeman, Conductor; African Suite <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Cedille055FSJoyful.mp3">Joyful Day</a>2 Decca LM 4547 (1952); Fela Sowande African Suite for Strings; The New Symphony Strings; Trevor Harvey, Conductor; Digitally Remastered, Mike S. Wright; <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/DeccaFSAkinla.mp3">Akinla</a><a name="1"></a>1 BirthThe African composer Olufela Sowande was born in Oyo, Nigeria on May 29, 1905. Bode Omojola, Ph.D., chronicles his life and career in the 1995 book, Nigerian Art Music, in which he observes:<br />Fela Sowande is undoubtedly the father of modern Nigerian Art Music and perhaps the most distinguished and internationally known African composer. The most significant pioneer-composer of works in the European classical idiom, his works mark the beginning of an era of modern Nigerian Art Music.<br /><a name="2"></a>2 FatherFela's father was Emmanuel Sowande, an Anglican priest of Egba descent who helped establish Nigerian church music in the early 20th century. The elder Sowande taught at St. Andrew's College, a missionary institute in Nigeria which trained young people to become teachers. Emmanuel Sowande was subsequently transferred to Lagos, and young Fela accompanied him there. Fela's father arranged for him to be a choir boy at Christ Church Cathedral.<br />Dominique-René de Lerma is Professor of Music at Lawrence University Conservatory of Music, and a leading authority on composers of African descent. He notes that Fela went from choir boy to music student, beginning a "20-year association" with the choir's Director, Thomas King Ekundayo Phillips. The professor has posted an excerpt on Sowande from a manuscript on Black composers at a Web site: <a href="http://www.africanchorus.org/Artists/Sowande.htm">www.africanchorus.org/Artists/</a><a href="http://www.africanchorus.org/Artists/Sowande.htm">Sowande.htm</a> <a name="3"></a>3 Education in NigeriaSowande's education began at the Church Missionary Society Grammar School and continued at Kings College. Throughout that period, he studied organ with Phillips and faithfully attended his teacher's organ recitals. De Lerma recounts that those performances included:<br />...European music and particularly the organ works of Bach, Handel, and Rheinberger, as well as Coleridge-Taylor's Hiawatha's wedding feast. On his graduation from Kings College, he was an accomplished pianist and was engaged as deputy organist under Phillips at the Cathedral. Simultaneously, he taught in a mission school and worked as a civil servant for three years.<br /><a name="4"></a>4 Jazz in NigeriaShort-wave radio broadcasts of the music of Duke Ellington introduced Sowande to jazz in 1932. Radio programs from the United States, France and Britain allowed him to hear recordings of other jazz artists as well. De Lerma continues:<br />This led to his organization of the Triumph Dance Club Orchestra, in which he played piano. He was also a member of the jazz band, The Chocolate Dandies, that had been organized about 1927 in Lagos.<br /><a name="5"></a>5 Move to LondonSowande went to London to study civil engineering, but he was soon supporting himself as a jazz musician. He founded a jazz septet, comprised principally of musicians from the Caribbean, and decided to study music. Sowande attended the University of London and the Trinity College of Music as an external candidate, and also studied individually with George D. Cuningham, George Oldroyd and Edmond Rubbra. De Lerma explains:<br />However he was influenced by these contacts, it was in 1935 that he began coping with nationalistic impulses, which were articulated in his articles from 1965, the development of a national tradition of music and Language in African music.<br /><a name="6"></a>6 African American InfluencesSowande took lessons in jazz piano, and began performing on both the piano and the Hammond organ. A number of African Americans who visited London became his friends. They included Paul Robeson and Fats Waller. Sowande performed George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue as part of the show Black Birds of 1936. This brought him into contact with J. Rosamond Johnson, who served as choral conductor for the production and who introduced him to the works of Robert Nathaniel Dett, who is featured on another page of this Web site. Sowande also worked with Adelaide Hall as her cabaret pianist and recording partner in the late 1930s. <a name="7"></a>7 World War II YearsIn 1940, Sowande presented his own compositions as examples on a radio program of the BBC Africa Service, West African Music and the Possibilities of its Development. He then joined Britain's Royal Air Force, but was relieved of duty so he could serve as music director for the country's Colonial Film Unit. In that capacity he composed music for films which were intended to be seen by Africans. De Lerma adds:<br />Composed at this time was his personal "signature tune", based on a sacred melody (Obangiji) composed by Rev. Joshua Jesse Ransome-Kuti that served its needs and those of the BBC's African programs from 1943 to the 1960s.It was in 1943 that he earned the Fellowship diploma of the Royal College of Organists, as well as the Limas Prize for music theory, the Harding Prize for his organ playing, and the Read Prize for the overall excellence of his examinations, along with his B.M. degree from the University of London. He was appointed organist and choir director of the West London Mission of the Methodist Church in 1945 (Kingsway Hall), which stimulated the creation of new works for organ. His Sunday recitals became very popular.<br /><a name="8"></a>8 African SuiteOmojola recounts that Sowande collected African melodies for use in his activities for the BBC Africa Service, and says of them:<br />These were later to be developed into original compositions, in particular, Six Sketches for Full Orchestra and the African Suite, both of which were issued on Decca Records in London in 1953.<br />The African Suite (24:52) was recorded on CD in 1994 on CBC Records SMCD 5135. The CBC Vancouver Orchestra is led by Mario Bernardi, Conductor. The liner notes outline the history and composition of the work:<br />The African Suite, written in 1944, combines well-known West African musics with European forces and methods. For the opening movement, Joyful Day, Sowande uses a melody written by Ghanaian composer Ephrain Amu, as he does in the fourth movement, Onipe. In Nostalgia, Sowande composes a traditional slow movement to express his nostalgia for the homeland (in itself a rather European idea). At the centre of the work is a restive Lullaby, based on a folk original.The finale of the Suite, Akinla, traces a very singular musical history. It began as a popular Highlife tune - Highlife being a pungent, 20th-century style, combining colonial Western military and popular music with West African elements and a history of its own. Sowande then featured it as a cornerstone of his "argument" that West African music could be heard on European terms: the African Suite was originally broadcast by the BBC to the British colonies in Africa. Years later, in another colony far away, the sturdy Highlife dance tune became famous as the theme song of the long-running CBC Radio programme "Gilmour's Albums", a typically idiosyncratic choice of the host, Clyde Gilmour.<br /><a name="9"></a>9 Post War Years in LondonSowande's tenure as organist and choirmaster at the West London Mission of the Methodist Church extended from 1945 to 1952. Omojola says of these years:<br />It was during this period that he began active composition; it is not surprising that many of his early works were written for the organ. The church element which formed the basic foundation of his musical career continued to be the axis of his musical life. Organ works written during this period included Oyigiyigi, Kyrie, Prayer, Obangiji, Gloria and Ka Mura. These, like virtually all Sowande's organ works, are based on Nigerian melodies.<br /><a name="10"></a>10 HomecomingSowande moved back to Nigeria in 1953 to become Head of Music and Music Research of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. De Lerma explains his duties:<br />In this post he produced weekly radio programs based on field research of Yoruba folklore, mythology, and oral history, presented by tribal priests.<br />Even after his return to Nigeria, Sowande played a part in British television. Clare Ethel Deniz was a Black British jazz pianist. Her obituary in Britain's newspaper The Guardian, on January 3, 2003, recalled:<br />She sang in Fela Sowande's choir for the 1954 television series Club Ebony...<br />Between 1955 and 1958, Sowande composed four songs based on African American gospel music: Roll de Ol' Chariot, My Way's Cloudy, De Ol' Ark's a-Moverin, and De Angels are Watchin'. De Lerma notes that a grant from the United States Government enabled Sowande to travel to the U.S. in 1957 and give organ recitals in Boston, Chicago and New York. While in the country he also lectured on the findings of his research.<a name="11"></a>11 Nigerian Folk SymphonyThe composer's Nigerian Folk Symphony was his last major work. It was conceived as part of the celebration of Nigeria's independence from Britain. Omojola sees it as the best evidence of Sowande's cultural nationalism:<br />No other work reveals Sowande's appreciation of Nigerian culture and his strong belief in cultural nationalism more than his Folk Symphony (1960). At the peak of his research activities at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, just before he became a Research Fellow at the University of Ibadan, Sowande was asked by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation to write a work to mark the Nigerian Independence celebrations. This work, the Folk Symphony, was premiered on October 1st, 1960 during the Independence celebrations. ... The work gives a very strong reflection of African elements and it could be argued that it marked the climax of Sowande's commitment to nationalism.<br />De Lerma comments on the response to the symphony in the liner notes for three movements of the African Suite on Cedille 90000 055 (2000):<br />When Sowande conducted the New York Philharmonic in his Nigerian Folk Symphony in 1964, a critic lamented that it sounded more European than Nigerian. What he missed was that, although the orchestral sonority was certainly not rooted in Africa, the rhythms, scales, and melodies were idealizations of Nigerian sources. Sowande thus joined the other nationalists, following the same process traveled by William Grant Still.<br /><a name="12"></a>12 NationalismSowande composed most of his works during a time of rising nationalism, with one African country after another achieving its independence from a colonial power. He consciously employed both Nigerian elements and European forms, and Omojola writes he remained open-minded:<br />He believed in the philosophy of cultural reciprocity and argued against what he called 'apartheid in art'. According to him: 'We are not prepared to submit to the doctrine of apartheid in art by which a musician is expected to work only within the limits of his traditional forms of music.' He therefore warned against: 'uncontrolled nationalism in which case nationals of any one country may forget that they are all members of one human family with other nationals.'<br /><a name="13"></a>13 ProfessorAfter 1960, Sowande worked mainly as a professor. During the 1961-62 academic year he was a Visiting Scholar in the Anthropology Department of Northwestern University in the U.S. He also worked with Roger Sessions at Princeton University. De Lerma writes that his next position was in Nigeria:<br />From 1962 until 1965 he was senior research fellow at the University of Ibadan, then becoming musicology professor at the university's Institute of African Studies. A government grant in 1966 resulted in a series of studies on Nigerian music.<br />Sowande also studied Yoruba religion from 1962-65 with the aid of a grant from the Ford Foundation. In 1968 he returned to the U.S. to accept a position on the faculty of Howard University in Washington. D.C. He held it until 1972. Between 1968 and 1972, Sowande made at least 48 recordings on the history, language, literature and music of Nigeria, for distribution by the Broadcasting Foundation of America. De Lerma adds:<br />He became professor of Black studies at the University of Pittsburgh in 1972, later joining the faculty of the School of Education. He was affectionately known here as 'Papa Sowande'. His last position was in the Department of Pan-African Studies at Kent State University, which he held until his retirement in 1982, accompanied by Eleanor, his wife.<br /><a name="14"></a>14 DeathFela Sowande spent his last days in a nursing home in Ravenna, Ohio. He was 82 years old when he died of a stroke on March 13, 1987. De Lerma describes the funeral service:<br />A memorial service was held at St. James Episcopal Church in New York on 3 May 1987, at which time Eugene Hancock complied with Sowande's 1965 request by performing his Bury me eas' or wes'. Sowande had received a permanent American visa in 1972 and had become a citizen in 1977.<br /><a name="15"></a>15 HonorsThroughout his career, Sowande accumulated an impressive array of honors in recognition of his contributions to music. In 1943 he became a Fellow of Britain's Royal College of Organists. De Lerma writes:<br />Queen Elizabeth II named him a Member of the British Empire in 1956, the same year he became a Member of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The music department at theUniversity of Nigeria-Nsukka, was renamed the Sowande School of Music in his honor (1962). In 1968 he was given the Traditional Chieftancy Award, named the Bagbile of Lagos. He was given an honorary doctorate by the University of Ife in 1972.<br />The Fela Sowande Memorial Lecture and Concert Series is an ongoing tribute which has been held at the Institute of African Studies of the University of Ibadan since 1996. <a name="16"></a>16 CentennialThe Fela Sowande Centennial Symposia and Festivals took place in North America in 2004, and in Europe and Africa in 2005, to mark the centennial of the composer's birth.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-54096722896561900682009-05-19T12:23:00.000-07:002009-05-19T12:30:01.255-07:00LIFE AND WORKS OF SAMUEL EKPE AKPABOTSamuel Ekpe Akpabot (1932-2000)Nigerian Composer, Professor and Author <br /><br />Table of Contents<br /> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#1">1 Pittsburgh 1963</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#2">2 Youth</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#3">3 Adolescence</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#4">4 Studies in London</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#5">5 Early Compositions</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#6">6 Nsuuka</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#7">7 African Influences</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#8">8 Cynthia's Lament</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#9">9 Orchestral Composer</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#10">10 Three Nigerian Dances</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#11">11 Studies in the U.S.</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#12">12 Sacred Works</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#13">13 Professor and Author</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#14">14 Conclusion</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#15">15 Death</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/Akpabot.html#16">16 Resources </a><br />Samuel Akpabot : The Odyssey of a Nigerian Composer-Ethnomusicologist (Paperback) by Godwin Sadoh<br />Audio Sample: Marco Polo 8.223832 (1995); Five African Songs, San Gloria, Three Nigerian Dances, San Chronicle; National Symphony Orchestra of the South African Broadcasting Corporation; Richard Cock, Conductor <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/MarcoPolo8.223832ThreeNigerianDances.mp3">Three Nigerian Dances</a>"Congratulations for helping to project these Black composers. I hope that very soon the works of these composers will feature more prominently in concert halls around the globe." Bode Omojola, Author, Nigerian Art Music<br /><a name="1"></a>1 Pittsburgh 1963In the year before Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Nigerian composer Samuel Ekpe Akpabot and Cynthia Boudreau, the 16-year-old White woman with whom he was sitting, were denied service at the restaurant of the Conrad Hilton Hotel in Pittsburgh, on the basis of his race. The young woman expressed her outrage and fled the scene in tears. The incident was not an uncommon occurrence in the U.S. at the time, and would in most cases have passed unnoticed by the rest of the world. The composer resolved on the spot, however, to memorialize it, and later did so in a tone poem which came to be called Cynthia's Lament.<br /><a name="2"></a>2 YouthSamuel Ekpe Akpabot was an African composer who was born in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria on October 3, 1932. One of the principal documentary sources on his life and career is Nigerian Art Music, a book written by Bode Omojola, Ph.D. and published in 1995 by the Institute of African Studies at Ibadan University in Nigeria. He says of the composer's youth:<br />At the age of eleven he came to Lagos for his education at King's College, a school often referred to as the "Eton of Nigeria" and where European music was taught. It was, however, in the Church that Samuel Akpabot received the most significant introduction to European music. He was a chorister at Christ Church Cathedral, Lagos, under Phillips.<br /><a name="3"></a>3 AdolescenceTo illustrate the role of the church in teaching young Samuel about European religious masterpîeces, Omojola quotes Akpabot from a personal conversation the two had in January 1985:<br />'I sang all of them before going to England and that turned out to be a very great advantage.'<br />The choral works included Handel's Messiah and Mendelssohn's Elija. The author reports that Mendelssohn was still Akpabot's favorite composer years later, although his influence was seldom evident in Akpabot's compositions. Omojola continues:<br />As well as being a chorister he also found time to play in bands, the most popular of which was the Chocolate Dandies, formed and led by Soji Lijadu. In 1949 when Akpabot left the choir, his voice having broken, he formed his own band, The Akpabot Players; T.A.P. as it was popularly called.<br />At the same time as he led a band, Akpabot served as organist at St. Saviour's Church in Lagos, Olabode Omojola relates:<br />I would come back very late in the night from night clubs and steal into the Bishop's court where I lived (with Bishop Vining, then, of Lagos) and the following morning go to play for both the Holy Communion Service and the Sunday Mattins!<br /><a name="4"></a>4 Studies in LondonA scholarship enabled Akpabot to travel to England in 1954 and enroll in the Royal College of Music in London. There he studied organ and trumpet. His teachers included John Addison, Osborn Pisgow and Herbert Howells. Akpabot subsequently left to study music at Trinity College.<br /><a name="5"></a>5 Early CompositionsIn 1959 Akpabot returned to Nigeria and became a broadcaster with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation. At the same time he produced his earliest compositions, which were influenced by his country's Highlife idiom. Omojola continues:<br />His first work, Nigeriana, for orchestra (1959) was originally written as an exercise for his composition teacher, John Addison. After minor revisions it was later renamed Overture for a Nigerian Ballet. Conceived along the tradition of the nineteenth century European concert overture, the work is characterised by literal and allusive quotations of Highlife tunes strung together in a rhapsodic manner.<br /><a name="6"></a>6 NsukkaAkpabot left his position in broadcasting in 1962 to join the fledgling music faculty of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Omojola describes the environment as favorable for composing:<br />Nsukka proved a stimulating atmosphere in which to compose. The university, itself, established in the same year as Nigeria's independence, was generally regarded as a symbol of modern independent Nigeria. It was seen as one of the most important foundations for fashioning an artistic tradition that would reflect the national aspirations of the country. Between 1962 and 1967, Akpabot wrote four works which clearly reflected the prevailing nationalist euphoria of that time. The works are Scenes from Nigeria, for orchestra (1962); Three Nigerian Dances, for string orchestra and percussion (1962); Ofala, a tone poem for wind orchestra and five African instruments (1963); and Cynthia's Lament, tone poem for soloist, wind orchestra and six African instruments (1965).<br /><a name="7"></a>7 African InfluencesOmojola explains that Ofala and Cynthia's Lament were both commissioned by Robert Austin Boudreau, Director of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra. He had visited Nigeria in 1962 at the invitation of the Nigerian Arts Council. The two works were premiered in Pittsburgh; Ofala in 1963 and Cynthia's Lament in 1965. The author discusses the African influence on each of the four works listed above:<br />While Scenes from Nigeria and Three Nigerian Dances belong essentially to the same category as Overture for a Nigerian Ballet; Ofala and Cynthia's Lament reveal a greater emphasis on African (Ibibio) elements not only in the use of instruments but in the use of melodic and formal procedures. ...Ofala, in 1972, won first prize in a competition for African composers organised by the Africa Centre of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA); forty-one African countries were represented. The prize-winning work was a tone poem based on the annual 'yam eating festival' of the Onitsha people of Anambra State.<br /><a name="8"></a>8 Cynthia's LamentOmojola writes that Cynthia's Lament is a tone poem whose underlying occurence was described to him by the composer in an interview in January, 1985:<br />'Cynthia Avery was the 16 year old daughter of the white American Vice-Chairman of the American Wind Symphony Orchestra of Pittsburgh with whom I stayed during a visit in 1963 for the premiere of Ofala. After the performance, we went to the Conrad Hilton to have coffee with Mr. Boudreau. The rather silly waiters deliberately avoided serving Miss Avery and myself (we were seated together a short distance from the girl's parents and Mr. Boudreau, who were served). This so distressed Miss Avery that she stormed out into the foyer, sobbing, "I don't know what has become of my people!" I decided to write a short piece for her, and on my next commission two years later, I produced Cynthia's Lament.'<br /><a name="9"></a>9 Orchestral ComposerA later tone poem is Nigeria in Conflict, a 1973 composition which deals with the country's horrific civil war. Omojola observes:<br />Akpabot is the one Nigerian composer who has written almost entirely for the orchestra. His choice of instrumentation is, however, also conditioned by the need to project the features of traditional African instruments, as exemplified in Nigeria in Conflict consisting of those which are typical of Ibibio music. They are the gong, woodblock, rattle, wooden drum and xylophone. ...At the end of the civil war in 1970 Akpabot became a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of African Studies, University of Ife, now Obafemi Awolowo University, and the two works written there continued to reflect the nationalist element of the pre-war works. These were Two Nigerian Folk Tunes for choir and piano, (1974) and Jaja of Opobo, a folk opera, sung and spoken in Efik, English and Ibo (1972).<br /><a name="10"></a>10 Three Nigerian DancesThe composer's Three Nigerian Dances (8:34) has been recorded by the National Symphony Orchestra of the South African Broadcasting Corporation, under the direction of Richard Cock, Conductor, on Marco Polo 8.223832 (1995). Brett Pyper writes in the liner notes:<br />Several of Akpabot's compositions juxtapose African and European instruments, while others, like Three Nigerian Dances, use Western instruments only (strings and timpani in this case). The Dances do, however convey a genuine sense of West African musical characteristics with their use of "call and response" patterns and idiomatic rhythmic motives.<br />Oxford University Press has published Samuel Akpabot's Three Nigerian Dances, and gives this history of the creation of the work: <br />His training helped equip Akpabot to notate traditional Nigerian material in such a way as to make it accessible to western audiences. As far as the Three Nigerian Dances are concerned, the composer wrote:"I was inspired in writing this work by Dvorak's Slavonic Dances which I enjoy listening to very much. Jolly good fun was my key word here and I think string orchestras would enjoy getting introduced to the dances which we, in Africa, have enjoyed through the years. They all consist of an opening section, a middle section which does not modulate, and a closing section. Modulation is very foreign to African instrumental music and I wanted very much to get away from the ABA form so common to early European instrumental music."<br /><a name="11"></a>11 Studies in the U. S.Brett Pyper explains that Akpabot interrupted his academic career in Nigeria for ethno-musicological studies in the United States:<br />He then continued his ethno-musicological studies in the United States at the University of Chicago and Michigan State University, where he received a Doctor of Philosophy degree. His publications on the subject have gained him a reputation as a major scholar of West African indigenous music.<br />Akpabot's studies at the University of Chicago led to his receipt of an M.A. in Musicology. His Ph.D. dissertation at Michigan State University, published in 1975 by Michigan State University Press, was Functional Music of the Ibibio People of Nigeria.<br /><a name="12"></a>12 Sacred WorksOmojola writes that Akpabot put aside his nationalist tendencies for two sacred works he composed in the 1970s:<br />Akpabot's nationalist zeal has, however, been curtailed in his two most recent works: Te Deum Laudamus, (Church anthem, choir and organ, 1975) and Verba Christi, (a cantata for three soloists, chorus and orchestra) commissioned by the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation for the World Black Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) which took place in Lagos in 1977. The two works brought back echoes of the Church, the foundation of his musical training. The Verba Christi is his largest work to date and is notable for its use of musical materials from diverse European styles ranging from Victorian choral tradition to twentieth century atonality.<br /><a name="13"></a>13 Professor and AuthorAkpabot also served as a Visiting Scholar in African Music at Michigan State University. He continued to write about Nigerian and African music, and returned to teach Music at the University of Uyo in Nigeria in the 1990s. His book Foundation of Nigerian Traditional Music was published in 1986 by Spectrum Ibadan. He also wrote a book entitled Form, Function and Style in African Music. It was published in 1998 by MacMillan Nigeria Ibadan. All three of the books are available from used book dealers such as <a href="http://www.abebooks.com/">www.abebooks.com</a><br /><a name="14"></a>14 ConclusionIn appraising the style which characterizes the works of Akpabot, Omojola draws comparisons with the compositions of two other Nigerian composers, Fela Sowande (1905-87) and Akin Euba (b. 1935). For biographical essays on Sowande and Euba follow the links at the top of the page. Omojola concludes:<br />Compared with that of Sowande, Samuel Akpabot's style is relatively homogenous. Virtually all his works are typified by a recurring approach in which elements of Highlife music combined with those of his traditional culture, Ibibio, are fused with features of European tradition. Often rejecting the expressionist, even avant-garde style of Euba, and the nineteenth century European heritage of Sowande, Akpabot's strong reliance on Highlife and Ibibio traditions is symptomatic of a personal vision of the role which Nigerian and modern African composers should perform in society.<br /><a name="15"></a>15 DeathThe CBMR Digest reported in Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring 2001: <br />Samuel Ekpe Akpabot, renowned musicologist and composer, died in his hometown of Uyo, Nigeria, on August 7, 2000. He was 67 years old and until his death had been serving as a lecturer at the Institute of Cultural Studies, University of Uyo.<br />Like his fellow Nigerian Fela Sowande, Samuel Ekpe Akpabot was a very accomplished composer who lived to see very few of his compositions recorded.<br /><a name="16"></a>16 ResourcesAfricaDatabase.org (<a href="http://www.africadatabase.org/">www.africadatabase.org</a>) - Profile of Samuel Ekpe Akpabot by Godwin Sadoh, ethnomusicologist, organist and composer.CBMR.org (<a href="http://www.cbmr.org/">www.cbmr.org</a>) - Center for Black Music Research: Samuel Ekpe Akpabot (1932-2000), In Memoriam. CBMR Digest, Vol. 14, No. 1, Spring 2001.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-62807920313783712042009-05-19T12:19:00.000-07:002009-05-19T12:23:28.590-07:00LIFE AND WORKS OF AKIN EUBA<a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/index.html"></a><br /> Table of Contents <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#1">1 Birth</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#2">2 Traditional Music</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#3">3 Piano Lessons</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#4">4 Trinity College of Music</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#5">5 Early Works</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#6">6 UCLA</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#7">7 Developing an Idiom</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#8">8 Composing for Piano</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#9">9 Bachelor's Degree</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#10">10 Master's Degree</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#11">11 Research</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#12">12 Articles</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#13">13 Books</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#14">14 African Pianism</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#15">15 Creative Ethnomusicology</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#16">16 Chaka CD</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#17">17 Narrative</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#18">18 References for Opera</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#19">19 Nigerian Art Music</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#20">20 Positions</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#21">21 University of Cambridge</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#22">22 Ensemble Noir</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#23">23 University of Pittsburgh</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#24">24 Africa and the Diaspora</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#25">25 A Bridge Across</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#26">26 Acknowledgment</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#27">27 Works</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#28">28 Bibliography</a> <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/euba.html#29">29 Electronic References</a><br /><br /> <br /> <br />Dr. Akin EubaAndrew W. Mellon Professor of MusicUniversity of Pittsburgh<br />Audio Sample: Music Research Institute MRI-0001CD (1998); Chaka: An opera in two chants; City of Birmingham Touring Opera; Simon Halsey, Conductor <a href="http://chevalierdesaintgeorges.homestead.com/chaka_13.mp3">Part VI - "Why do you not dance"</a><br /><a name="1"></a>1 BirthAkin Euba was born in Lagos, Nigeria on April 28, 1935 and spent his early years there. He is a member of the Yoruba ethnic group. His biography is Akin Euba: An Introduction to the Life and Music of a Nigerian Composer by Joshua Uzoigwe. It is a 1992 publication of the Bayreuth African Studies Series, edited by Prof. Eckhard Breitinger. It explains that his father was an amateur musician: <br />Akin Euba's father, Alphaeus Sobiyi Euba, was in his youth an active musician (although music was not his profession). He was a chorister at the Olowogbowo Methodist Church (now Wesley Cathedral) Lagos and also played the clarinet in the Triumph Orchestra, a Lagos dance band in which Fela Sowande (who later became internationally famous as a composer)was the pianist.Akin Euba's mother, Winifred Remilekun Euba, née Dawodu, was a teacher by profession.<br /><a name="2"></a>2 Traditional MusicThe author refers to a 1974 dissertation for examples of the types of traditional music which were common in the composer's childhood:<br />In his dissertation on Dundun Drumming of the Yoruba (Euba 1974) he gives an account of some of the traditional music types and events that were popular in those early periods of childhood. These include types such as waka and apala. Akin Euba describes waka as a socio-religious song, of Islamic origin, which later became entertainment music, accompanied on dundun drums. This music (in which female singers are supported by male instrumentalists) isusually employed in marriage, child-naming, and funeral ceremonies. Apala, which is performed only by men, also has some links with Islam. Like waka it is very much influenced by dundun drumming.<br /><a name="3"></a>3 Piano LessonsAkin Euba received his first piano lessons from his father, beginning in 1943. His father clearly expected him to make music his profession. Euba's second piano teacher was Major J.G.C. Allen, a British civil servant with whom he began instruction in 1948. Euba won first prize at the First Nigerian Festival of the Arts in 1950. Josua Uzoigwe continues: <br />After 1950 Major Allen sent Akin Euba to a Monsieur Tessier Rémi du Cros, the then French Consul in Lagos, who taught him for a while, following which he returned to Major Allen before travelling to the United Kingdom in September 1952. He had left the C.M.S. Grammar School nine months earlier.<br /><a name="4"></a>4 Trinity College of MusicAfter two years of study at Trinity College of Music, Euba changed his program to allow himself to concentrate on courses he considered of more value to his future career. His biographer recounts:<br />These subjects included piano, composition,harmony and counterpoint, orchestration, organ and score-reading.One teacher who influenced him a great deal at the College was Eric Taylor, with whom he studied harmony and counterpoint for some time. Taylor saw much potential in Akin Euba's arrangements of Nigerian folk songs and encouraged him to do them. The first ofsuch arrangements were, therefore, done when Akin Euba was a student. ...Another person who gave him much encouragement at the College was his composition teacher Dr Arnold Cooke, a pupil of Paul Hindemith. The report which Cooke gave Euba at the end of the first term as his teacher bore the grade 'excellent' with the comments that Akin Euba was a gifted student. This, in Euba's opinion, reinforced in no small way his desire to become a composer.<br />In four years at Trinity College of Music, Akin Euba earned three degrees:<br />They are Associate of the Trinity CollegeLondon (Piano Performance) 1954; Licentiate of the Trinity College London (Teacher's Training Diploma) 1955; and Licentiate of the Trinity College London (Piano Performance) 1956.<br /><a name="5"></a>5 Early WorksUzoigwe tells us Akin Euba regarded his first major composition to be a 1956 work, Introduction and Allegro for Orchestra. He earned Fellowship diplomas at the College in 1957 in Composition and Piano Performance. Euba submitted a string quartet for the Composition Fellowship. He went back to Nigeria in 1957 and served as a Senior Programme Assistant (Music) at the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation until his promotion to Head of Music in 1960. The author continues: <br />Two works which were written as a result of his experiences at this time are Six Yoruba Songs for voice and piano, and Two Yoruba Folk Songs for unaccompanied choir. They were both completed in 1959.In the same year that he was promoted as Head of Music (1960), Akin Euba wrote another work entitled The Wanderer for violoncello and piano.<br />The biography quotes Akin Euba's comments on The Wanderer: <br />"Hitherto," he confirms, "It was in arrangements of folk songs that I made use of African material. My original compositions were composed in European terms. The Wanderer was the first composition in which I attempted to explore elements of African music."<br />His position in broadcasting contributed to performances and recordings of some of Euba's early compositions.<a name="6"></a>6 UCLAIn 1962 Akin Euba received a fellowship in ethnomusicology which had a major impact on his development as a composer, as we learn from the biography: <br />While still in the employ of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation, he received a Rockefeller Foundation fellowship in 1962 to study ethnomusicology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His arrival at UCLA towards the end of that year marked, according to Akin Euba, a turning point in his career. He was to be introduced to different musical cultures from many parts of the world, and, as time went on, he was to acquire a deep theoretical knowledge of African music. ...After an incubation period of one year or so, during which he absorbed the 'theoretical means' mentioned above, Akin Euba began to seek to develop what he considered an African idiom.<br /><a name="7"></a>7 Developing an IdiomJoshua Uzoigwe tells us of the works Akin Euba composed while trying to develop an African idiom: <br />The earliest works in this new attempt include Igi Nla So for piano and four Yoruba drums, and Three Yoruba Songs for baritone, piano and Iyaalu (Yoruba 'talking drum' of the dundun tension drum family). Other works written in 1963 include Five Pieces for English horn and piano, and Dance to the Rising Sun. The latter is an orchestral piece which was commissioned by Robert Boudreau, who conducted the American Wind Symphony Orchestra at the work's premiere that same year.According to Akin Euba, in spite of these early efforts at composing in an African idiom, he could "not find the key to this idiom". But he felt all along that the key was being gradually revealed by his continued study of the theoretical basis of African traditional music and exposure to the traditional music of other peoples, and, especially, by his interaction with other composers at UCLA who were also involved with the study of non-Western music.<br /><a name="8"></a>8 Composing for PianoThe author points out that the composer focused on works for piano in 1964: <br />His last academic year as an undergraduate at UCLA was that of increased influx in creative activities, particularly in writing for the piano. Akin Euba explains the reasons for this as follows:"I believe that my producing many works for the piano in 1964 resulted from (1) my need to have things which I could play by myself and (2) my wish to explore the 'African'/percussive aspects of the piano. I was at that time just beginning to develop the idea of 'African pianism', a style of piano playing which is as distinct as a jazz pianism or a Chopinesque pianism." ...The piano works that he wrote in 1964 include Four Pictures from Oyo Calabashes, Impressions from an Akwete Cloth, and Saturday Night at Caban Bamboo. The other works of this same year in which piano is combined with other instruments are Tortoise and the Speaking Cloth for narrator and piano, and Four Pieces for flute, bassoon, piano and percussion.<br /><a name="9"></a>9 Bachelor's DegreeEuba graduated Cum Laude with a B.A. degree in Music, and returned to Nigeria, at the end of the 1963-64 school year, Uzoigwe writes, but registered at UCLA again in late 1965, this time in the Masters degree program in Composition. During the interim, Euba had written Abiku I, to be performed on Nigerian instruments. The author continues: <br />According to Akin Euba, it was written for a dance-drama (choreographed by Segun Olusola), involving a solo dancer, which was video-taped by the Nigerian Television Authority (formerly NBC-TV) and presented at the Salzburg Congress of the International Music Centre on "Dance, Ballet and Pantomime in Film and TV" in 1965.The music and dramatization of Abiku I were based, he says, on J.P. Clark's poem on the theme of abiku (a child "born to die"), although the text itself was not used. J.P.Clark is a Nigerian poet and playwright and a contemporary of Akin Euba.<br /><a name="10"></a>10 Master's DegreeAkin Euba left his position with the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation when he returned to UCLA to earn a Master's degree. Uzoigwe adds: <br />He now set out to compose another series of pieces for an African orchestra as part of his thesis for a Master's degree in 1966.<br />The new collection was called Four Pieces. The book continues: <br />On completion of his Master's degree at UCLA in 1966, Akin Euba joined the University of Lagos as a lecturer in music, and within that same year he attended two music conferences in Bloomington, Indiana, and Legon, Ghana.<br /><a name="11"></a>11 ResearchHis biographer tells us Akin Euba's teaching duties were light enough that he was able to do research in Ethnomusicology: <br />While at the University of Lagos, Euba was attached to the School of African and Asian Studies, where his teaching duties were minimal. He was therefore able to concentrate on research and creative work. ...In fact, in 1967, he registered with the University of Ghana as a Ph.D. student inethnomusicology.From 1967 onwards, Akin Euba began toacquire, through his research, a deeper knowledge of the music of his culture, which he in turn employed as an aid to his creative experiments. A piece of work which marks the beginning of this phase is Olurounbi, a tone poem for symphony orchestra. In 1966 he had written what appears to be a prelude to this work. The earlier work was titled Legend, and scored for violin, horn, piano, and percussion. The symphonic tone poem of 1967 is based on a Yoruba legend (see explanation in Chapter 4), and was performed in that year by the Portland Maine Symphony Orchestra conducted by Arthur Lipkin.<br /><a name="12"></a>12 ArticlesAkin Euba composed two other works in 1967, Uzoigwe tells us: (1) Morning, Noon and Night for Nigerian instruments, performed in 1967 in Edinburgh by Theatre Express of Lagos. (2) Wind Quintet, performed in Nairobi in 1967 by the Bavarian Wind Quintet. Music was not all Euba produced that year; he also published two theoretical articles on music in Africa. Multiple Pitch Lines in Yoruba Choral Music appeared in the Journal of the International Folk Music Council, XIX. In Search of a Common Language of African Music was published in Interlink, III,iii. Akin Euba was founder and editor of the journal Nigerian Music Review, and established a series called Ife Music Editions to publish music composed by Africans. Joshua Uzoigwe tells us Euba subsequently wrote a number of music journal articles on his ideas: <br />They include such titles as "Creative Potential and Propagation of African Traditional Music" (Euba 1972), "Traditional Elements as the Basis of New African Art Music" (Euba 1970c), "Music Adapts to a Changed World" (Euba 1970a), "The Potential of African Traditional Music as a Contemplative Art" (Euba 1974), and the "Criteria for the Evaluation of New African Art Music" (Euba 1975a).<br /><a name="13"></a>13 BooksProf. Akin Euba's curriculum vitae says he is the author of four books and the co-editor of another three volumes: <br />Euba is the author of four books, including Yoruba Drumming: The Dundun Tradition, and co-editor of three books in the series titled Intercultural Music.<br /><a name="14"></a>14 African PianismHis curriculum vitae also includes autobiographical notes which begin as follows: <br />Akin Euba, who comes from Nigeria, divides his time between composition and scholarly work and considers himself to be a disciple of Bela Bartok. Since 1970, he has pioneered several theories of composition, the best known of which is that of African pianism. This concept has been adopted by some of the most important contemporary African composers, such as J.H. Kwabena Nketia, Joshua Uzoigwe and Gyimah Labi. The concept is articulated in several of Euba’s works for the piano, including Scenes from Traditional Life (1970) which has been performed extensively in various parts of the world.<br /><a name="15"></a>15 Creative EthnomusicologyDr. Euba's autobiographical notes continue with a definition of his theory of creative ethnomusicology:<br />Another of Euba’s theories, creative ethnomusicology, was the subject of an inaugural lecture which he delivered in the University of Pittsburgh in March 2000, in his position as the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Music at the University. As defined by Euba, creative ethnomusicology is a process whereby information obtained from music research is used in composition rather than as the basis of scholarly writing.<br /><a name="16"></a>16 Chaka CDAkin Euba's curriculum vitae observes that his creative concepts have no better representation than the opera Chaka. He explains in the liner notes of Chaka, MRI 0001CD (1999): <br />This recording is a revised version of the opera that was premiered in a semi-staged format by the City of Birmingham Touring Opera in September 1995, during Africa 95, a three-month long celebration of African arts that took place in various parts of the United Kingdom. ...Briefly stated, Chaka is a fusion of 20th century techniques of composition with stylistic elements derived from African traditional music, particularly the music of the Yoruba of southwestern Nigeria. Moreover, the orchestra is a combination of African and Western instruments.<br /><a name="17"></a>17 NarrativeThe liner notes by Akin Euba give this account of the events portrayed in the opera Chaka: <br />The epic poem by Senghor is based on the real life story of Chaka, a 19th century king of the Zulu who achieved fame as a brilliant military strategist and empire builder but was also notorious for crimes against humanity.<br />The poem is in two parts, subtitled Chant 1 and Chant 2 and in designating Chaka as an opera in two chants (rather than two acts) I follow Senghor's example. The vocal parts of the opera are in any case written in a style that is akin to that of the chant mode of Yoruba music (in its free rhythm, but not speech-song, aspects).In the prelude to Chant 2, I include "Man and the Beast," also a poem by Senghor (but not part of the Chaka poem).Senghor's poem covers the last moments of Chaka's life. In Chant 1, the hithertoinvincible Chaka has been assassinated by some of his own people and lies dying from his wounds. He is cross-examined by a White Voice (who is a dual symbol of the missionary and colonial presence in Africa).The White Voice denounces Chaka as ablood-thirsty tyrant who murdered Noliwe, his wife-to-be, in order to gain absolute power, and also caused the slaughter of millions, including pregnant women and children. Chaka's defence is that every act of his was performed for the love of his black-skinned people.Chant 2 is a love song in which Chaka remembers tender moments with his beloved Noliwe, while a chorus chants in praise of Chaka.<br />Further information on Chaka is available in the author's notes at the Website AfricanChorus.org: <a href="http://www.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam643.htm">http://www.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam643.htm</a> <a name="18"></a>18 ReferencesThe liner notes of the Chaka recording list these references for the opera: <br />Euba, Akin. Essays on Music in Africa 2: Intercultural Perspectives. Bayreuth: Bayreuth African Studies Series. (1989)Uzoigwe, Joshua Akin Euba: An Introduction to the Life and Music of a Nigerian Composer. Bayreuth: Bayreuth African Studies Series. (1992)Léopold Sédar Senghor, first president ofSenegal and doyen of modern African writers, originally published "Chaka" and "Man and the Beast" in French. The English translations used in the opera are not included in these notes and may be found in the OUP publication cited above. The Yoruba texts of the opera were written or derived from various traditional sources by Akin Euba. They are included here with parallel translations in English.<br /><a name="19"></a>19 Nigerian Art MusicNigerian Art Music is an overview of classical music by Nigerian composers. The author is Olabode Omojola, Ph.D. Artists featured include Samuel Ekpe Akpabot, Fela Sowande and Akin Euba. All three are profiled at this Website. Dr. Omojola begins his analysis of Akin Euba with these words: <br />Like Sowande, Akin Euba's ideas on the need for African composers to maintain a strong link with traditional African traditional music have been reflected both in his compositions and research work. Clear parallels often, therefore, occur between his writing and his composition. The writing shows Euba's strong commitment, far beyond that of any of his colleagues, to a search for a contemporary African society.<br /><a name="20"></a>20 PositionsDr. Euba has been a lecturer, visiting fellow, and external examiner at a variety of universities in Africa and North America. His first position as Lecturer at the University of Lagos in Nigeria extended from 1966-68. From 1968-75, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Ife in Nigeria. He spent the Summer of 1969 at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Assignments as External Examiner involved both the University of Ife and Makerere University in Uganda. Dr. Euba was a Professor at the University of Lagos from 1978-81. He spent five years as a Research Scholar at the University of Bayreuth in Germany, from 1986-91. Among other appointments, he was Director of the Center for Intercultural Music Arts in London, which he founded, in 1988. Subsequent positions listed on his curriculum vitae include: <br />1992-94 External Examiner, University of Ghana, Legon.1992-94 Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Music Association1993 (October) - 1996 (September)Honorary Visiting Professor, Department of Music, City University, London.1993 (January) - 1996 (April) Visiting Andrew Mellon Professor of Music, University of Pittsburgh1994 Appointed by the Center for Black Music Research, Chicago, as a member of the Advisory Board for a Dictionary of Black Composers being published by the St. James's Press.1996 (September) Appointed Andrew Mellon Professor of Music, University of Pittsburgh1996-97 External Examiner, University of Ghana, Legon.<br /><a name="21"></a>21 University of CambridgeHis curriculum vitae recounts his work on a new composition while he was an overseas fellow of the University of Cambridge in the 2000-2001 academic year. It also gives the time and circumstances of the work's subsequent premiere in New Orleans: <br />Euba spent the 2000-2001 academic year as an overseas fellow of Churchill College, University of Cambridge. While at Cambridge he worked on a major new composition, Orunmila’s Voices: Songs from the Beginning of Time, a music drama for soloists, chanters, chorus, dancers and symphony orchestra, which received its world premiere in New Orleans on 23 February 2002, during the second annual international festival of African and African American music (FESAAM 2002).<br /><a name="22"></a>22 Ensemble NoirEnsemble Noir is a professional organization in Toronto which is devoted to "cultural diversity in contemporary classical music", as indicated at its Website, <a href="http://www.ensemblenoir.org/">http://www.EnsembleNoir.org</a> In his curriculum vitae, Dr. Euba recounts his 10 days as a composer-in-residence with the group:<br />During the spring semester of 2003, Dr Euba spent ten days in Toronto as a composer-in-residence with the Ensemble Noir, during which several of his works were performed, including three movements from Orunmila’s Voices, in new arrangements for various chamber ensembles.<br /><a name="23"></a>23 University of PittsburghAkin Euba is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor of Music at the University of Pittsburgh. His fields are African Music, Composition and Piano Performance, according to his faculty Web page: <a href="http://www.pitt.edu/~musicdpt/faculty/euba.html">http://www.pitt.edu/~musicdpt/faculty/euba.html</a> The page adds that Dr. Euba's biography has been published in the New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2d ed., 2001; and in the International Dictionary of Black Composers, 1999. <a name="24"></a>24 Africa and the DiasporaProf. Euba's curriculum vitae recounts his change of concentration in the past several years from global interculturalism to connections between Africa and the Diaspora:<br />In recent years Euba has moved away from general issues on world interculturalism (with which he has been involved since 1988) to focus on links between Africa and the Diaspora. This new orientation is reflected in most of his recent and current projects, for example the international symposia and festivals on African pianism (Pittsburgh 1999) and on composition in Africa and the Diaspora (Cambridge 2001) which were organized by him.<br /><a name="25"></a>25 A Bridge AcrossAfricanChorus.org has published Profile: Akin Euba at its Website:<a href="http://www.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam644.htm">http://www.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam644.htm</a> It touches on aproject Euba started in 1993:<br />Since joining the University of Pittsburgh in 1993, Euba has initiated a new project, entitled A Bridge Across: Intercultural Composition, Performance, Musicology, which is an extension of Euba’s London activities and is designed to spotlight the works of composers, performers and musicologists through recitals, workshops, lectures, residencies and so forth.<br /><a name="26"></a>26 AcknowledgmentThe Webmaster gratefully acknowledges permission to use the Works List, Bibliography and Electronic Resources compiled by Dr. Dominique-René de Lerma, Professor of Music at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. Prof. De Lerma has been publishing on Black Classical Music for four decades, and is a former Director of the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College, Chicago, <a href="http://www.cbmr.org/">http://www.CBMR.org</a> <a name="27"></a>27 WorksCollections:Towards an African pianism; collected works for the keyboard, 1964-1997. Projected.Individual titles:A Yoruba folksong, for flute, harp, viola & percussion.Àbíkú, no. 1, for African instrumental ensemble (1965)..Àbíkú, no. 2, for textless chorus & African instrumental ensemble (1968).Alatangana, ballet. for singers, dancers & Nigerian instruments (1975).Amici, for string quartet.Below Rusumo Falls, for voice, dancer, kayagum, flute, drums & piano. Text: Olusola Oyeleye. Commssion (poetry): Barbican Education. Première: 2003/VIII/3, University of Cambridge, Churchill College, Wolfson Hall Auditorium; Dawn Padmore, soprano; Hee-sun Kim, kayagum; Laura Falzon, flute; Darryl Hollister, piano; Radiu Ayandokun, drums; Omotolani Sarumi, dancer; Bongani Ndodana, conductor.CD: Dawn Padmore, soprano; Laura Falzon, flute; Hee-sum Kim, kyagum; Anicet Mundundu, drums; Darryl Hollister, piano (2003/VIII/03; Churchill College, University of Cambridge).Black Bethlehem, for soloists, chorus, Nigerian drums & jazz ensemble (1979).Chaka, opera in two chants, for 2 sopranos, tenor, 2 basses, chorus and orchestra with African instruments (1970, rev. 1999). Text: Léopold Sédar Senghor, after the novel, Shaka the Zulu, by Thomas Mofolo (1925)?== Première: 1995/IX; Birmingham UK; Symphony Hall. Dedication: Morenike, the composers daughter. Duration: 61:16.CD: Daniel Washington (Chaka); Richard Halton (White voice); Mauren Brathwaite (Noliwe); Jæláadé Pratt (Praise chanter); Sarah Jane Wright (Leader of the chorus); Olúêọlá Oyèléyę (Isanussi); City of Birmingham Touring Opera; Simon Halsey, conductor. Music Research Institute MRI-0001 CD (1999). Liner notes unsigned.----- Noliwe's ariaCD: Dawn Padmore, soprano; Darryl Hollister, piano (Churchill College, University of Cambridge, 2003/VIII/4).----- Themes from Chaka, no. 1 (1996 == or 1966?). Duration: 5:50.CD: Eric Moe, piano (2001/VIII/06).CD: Darryl Hollister, piano (2001/III). Interntional Consortium for the Music of Africa and its Diaspora. FESAAM 2001.----- Themes from Chaka, no. 2, for piano. Première: 2003/VII/02; Churchill College, University of Cambridge; Darryl Hollister, piano.CD: Darryl Hollister, piano (2003/VIII/02; Churchill College; University of Cambridge).Dirges, for speakers, dancers, soloists & African instruments (1972). Première: 1972; Munich; Olympics.Festac 77 anthem, for chorus & jazz ensemble (1977). Première: 1977; Lagos; Second World Festival of Black and African Arts. Text: Margaret Walker.Ice cubes, for string orchestra. (1970).Igi n/a so, for 4 Yoruba drums & piano (1953). ==oriki scoresImpressions from Akwete cloth, for piano (1964).Introduction and allegro, for orchestra (1956).Legend of Olurounbi, for orchestra. Première: by 1967; United States.Morning, noon, and night, for singers, dancers & Nigerian instruments (1967).Music for horn, violin, percussion & piano.Olurombi, [2] for orchestra (1967). Première: 1967; Portland Symphony Orchestra [ME] Arthur Bennet Lipkin, conductor.Orumillas voices; songs from the beginning of time (2002).4 Pictures from oyo calabashes, for piano (1964).4 Pieces, for flute, bassoon, Nigerian instruments & piano (1964).4 Pieces for African orchestra (1966).Quartet, strings (1957).Quintet, winds (1967).Saturday night at Caban Bamboo (1964).Scenes from traditional life, for piano (1970). Ile-Ife: University of Ife Press, 1970. Contains 3 movements. Dedication: J. G. C. Allen.CD: Glen Inanga, piano (2003/VIII/1, Churchill College, University of Cambridge).Study in African jazz, no. 2; a song for Darelee (2000)CD: David Keberle, clarinet; Eric Moe, piano (2001/VIII).Study in African jazz, no. 3, for piano. Commission: Eric Moe.CD: Eric Moe, piano.The wanderer, for violoncello & piano ----- for piano trio (1960).2 Tortoise folk tales, for narrator & Nigerian instruments (1975).Wakar duru; 3 Studies in African pianism (1987). 1. Study 1; 2. Study 2. Première: 1993/I/29, Nigeria; University of Ilorin, Performing Arts Courtyard; Godwin Sadoh, piano.----- 1.CD: Darryl Hollister, piano (2001/VIII/06, Universty of Cambridge). DSL 003.----- 3.CD: Darryl Hollister, piano (2001/VIII/06, Universty of Cambridge). DSL 003.2 Yoruba folk songs, for chorus (1959).6 Yoruba folksongs, for voice & piano (1975 == or 1959?). 1. Mo lè jiyán yo; 2. Òré méta; 3. Mo já wé gbé gbé; 4. Omo jòwó; 5. Agbe; Ó se gbé na?CD: Joyce Adewumi, soprano; Darryl Hollister, piano (2001/VIII/06).6 Yoruba songs, for voice & piano (1959).3 Yoruba songs, for baritone, lyalu & piano (1963). ==? Oriki scores ==<a name="28"></a>28 Bibliography1971 prize winners; Dance, music, drama in African arts, v5n3 (1972/winter) p8-11.Alatangana in African arts, v5n2 (1972/winter) p46-47.Dr. Éubàs tours in Music rap, v2n6 (1985/III) p15-16.Adégbìé, Adémçlá. The present state of development of African art music in Nigeria in African art music in Nigeria, ed, by Mosúnmợlá A Omíbíyì-Obidike. Ibadan: Stirling Horden, 2001, p77-92. Baldacchino, John. An analytical review of Akin Éubàs Modern African music and Joshua Uzoigwes Akin Éubà; An introduction to the life and music of a Nigerian composer in Commonwealth music (1966) p2-5.Black music research journal, 1981-1982, p147Black perspective in music, v4n1, p105; v5n1, p105; v6n1, p99.Bull, Storm. Index to biographies of contemporary composers, vol. 3. Metuchen: Scarecrow Press, 1987. xxiv, 854p. ISBN 0-8108-1930-9.Carter, Madison H. An annotated catalogue of composers of African ancestry. New York: Vantage Press, 1986.Clague, Mark. Éubà, Akin in International dictionary of Black composers, ed. by Samuel A. Floyd, Jr. Chicago: Fitzroy Dearborn, 1999, v1, p424-432.Éubà, Akin. An introduction to music in Nigeria on Nigerian music review, n1 (1977) p1-38.Éubà, Akin. Concepts of neo-African music as manifested in the Yoruba folk opera in The African diaspora; A musical perspective, ed. by Ingrid Mondon. New York: Routledge, 2003, p207-241.Éubà, Akin. New idioms of music-drama among theYoruba; An introductory study in 1970 yearbook of the International Folk Music Council, ed. by Alexander L. Ringer. Urbana-Champaign: University of Illinois Press, 1971.Éubà, Akin. Nigerian music in Nigerian magazine (1960).Éubà, Akin. Text setting in African composition in The landscape of African music, ed. by Abiola Irele. Special issue of Research in African literatures, v32n2 (2001), p119-132.Éubà, Akin. The interrelationship of music and poetry in Yoruba tradition in Yoruba oral tradition, ed. by Wandé Abímbæçlá. Ilé-Ifè: University of If`, Department of African Languages and Literature, 1975.Éubà, Akin. Themes from Chaka; A pianistic realization of African polyrhythm in Towards an African pianism, v1, ed. by Akin Éubà and Cynthia Tse Kimberlin. Point Richmond: MRI Press, 2002.Éubà, Akin. Traditional elements as the basis of new African music in African urban notes, n5/4. Éubà, Akin. Yoruba music in the church; The development of a neo-African art among the Yoruba of Nigeria in African musicology; Current trends, vol. 2; A Festschrift presented to J. H. Kwabena Nketia, ed. by Jacqueline C. DjeDje. Atlanta: Crossroads Press, 1992.Eubà, Akin. Bridging ethnomusicology and composition; A study of J. H. Kwabena Nketia. In progress.Éubà, Akin. Essays on music in Africa 2; Intercultural perspectives. Bayreuth: Bayreuth African Studies Series, 1989.Éubà, Akin. Modern African music; A catalogue of selected archical materials at Iwalewa-Haus, University of Bayreuth. Bayreuth: Iwalewa-Haus, 1993.Éubà, Akin. Yoruba drumming; The dundun tradition. Bayreuth: Bayreuth African Studies Series, 1990.Graham 1988, pix, 72Holohan, Meghan. Musical safari in Pitt magazine [University of Pittburgh] (2004/winter) p30-33.Horne 1996Horne, Aaron. String music by Black American composers. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1991 (Music reference collection, no. 33). xx, 327p. Foreword by Dominique-René de Lerma. ISBN 0-313-27938-1.Horne, Aaron. Woodwind music by Black American composers. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1990.Lerma, Dominique-René de. Black concert and recital music; A provisional list. Bloomington IN: Afro-American Music Opportunities Association, 1975.Lerma, Dominique-René de. Black music in our culture; curricular ideas on the subjects, materials, and problems. Kent: Kent State University Press, 1970. (Akim)Lerma, Dominique-René de. Reflections on Afro-American music. Kent: Kent State University Press, 1972.Morton, Brian, ed. Contemporary composers, ed. by Brian Morton and Pamela Collins. New York: St. James Press, 1992.Nwosu-Lohámijókò, Joy. Art singsing in Niegria; The composers and the perforners in African art music in Nigeria, ed, by Mosúnmợlá A Omíbíyì-Obidike. Ibadan: Stirling Horden, 2001, p70-76. Ọmọjọlà, Olabode. African pianism as an intercultural compositional framework; A study of the piano works of Akin Éubà in The landscape of African music, ed. by Abiola Irele. Special issue of Research in African literatures, v32n2 (2001), p153-174.Ojehomon, Agnes. Catalogue of recorded sound. Ibadan: University of Ibadan, Institute of African Studies, 1969 (Institute of African Studies, Occasional publications, 30). 39p.Roach, Hildred. Black American music, past and present. Miami: Krieger, 1985.Roberts, John Storm. Black music of two worlds; African, Caribbean, Latin, and African-American traditions. New York: Schirmer Books, 1998. xxxvii, 330p. Previously issued by Prager Publishers in 1972.Southern, Eileen. Éubà, Akin in Biographical dictionary of Afro-American and African musicians. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1982, p128. (The Greenwood encyclopedia of Black music).Southern, Eileen. A biographical dictionary of Afro-American and African musicians. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1982.==Spradling, Mary Mace. In black and white; Afro-Americans in print. 3rd ed. supplement. Detroit: Gale Research, 1985. Detroit: Gale Research, 1980.Stow, Betsy, ed. 2nd International Symposium and Festival on Composition in Africa and the Diapora, including Dialogue Africa meets Asia. Cambridge UK: Churchill College, 2003. 107p.Thomas 1989, p5.Uzoigwe, Joshua. A cultural analysis of Akin Éubàs musical works in Odu; Journal of West African studies, v24 (1983) p44-60.Uzoigwe, Joshua. Akin Éubà; An introduction to the life and music of a Nigerian composer. Graduate paper (M.A.) Queens University, Belfast, 1978.Uzoigwe, Joshua. Akin Éubà; An introduction to the life and music of a Nigerian composer. Bayreuth: Bayreuth African Studies Series, 1992.Waterman 1990<a name="29"></a>29 Electronic ResourcesContemporary African database <a href="http://people.africadatabase.org/people/data/person16618.html">http://people.africadatabase.org/people/data/person16618.html</a> (2003). 2p. Consulted 2003/X/10.Nyaho <a href="http://www.nyaho/com/rep.html">http://www.nyaho/com/rep.html</a> 2p. Consulted 2003/VI/02. Profile Akin Euba <a href="http://www.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam644.htm">http://www.africanchorus.org/Voam/Voam644.htm</a> (2004). 4p. Consulted 2004/IV/2.Hayman, Graham. Blakes triple for new SA <a href="http://www.chico.mweb.co.za/mg/art/music/9911/991118-blake.html">http://www.chico.mweb.co.za/mg/art/music/9911/991118-blake.html</a> (1999). 3p. Consulted 2003/VI/02/Bauer, Kerstin. Das Musikarchiv des Iwalewa-Hauses <a href="http://www.uni-bayreuth.de/Afriknologie/iwalewa/musikarchiv.htm">http://www.uni-bayreuth.de/Afriknologie/iwalewa/musikarchiv.htm</a> Okoli, Tunde. Colours of African music across cultures wysiwyg://74/http://www.thisfayonlhive/20021014art01.html 3p. Consulted 2003/VI/02.Music; Ontario musicans around us in concert <a href="http://www.toronto.cbc.ca/musiciansaroundus/ensemble_noir.html">http://www.toronto.cbc.ca/musiciansaroundus/ensemble_noir.html</a> 2p. (2003). Consulted 2003/VI/02.<br /><br />-->hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-67000735465539589202009-05-19T12:09:00.000-07:002009-05-19T12:18:49.023-07:00LIFE AND WORKS OF JOHANNES BRAHMSJohannes Brahms (<a class="mw-redirect" title="Help:IPA" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA">pronounced</a> [joːˈhanəs ˈbʁaːms]) (May 7, 1833 – April 3, 1897), <a title="Germany" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany">German</a> composer and pianist, was one of the leading musicians of the <a title="Romantic music" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_music">Romantic period</a>. Born in <a title="Hamburg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg">Hamburg</a>, Brahms spent much of his professional life in <a title="Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna">Vienna</a>, <a title="Austria" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria">Austria</a>, where he was a leader of the musical scene. In his lifetime, Brahms's popularity and influence were considerable; following a comment by the nineteenth century conductor <a title="Hans von Bülow" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_von_B%C3%BClow">Hans von Bülow</a>, he is sometimes grouped with <a title="Johann Sebastian Bach" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach">Johann Sebastian Bach</a> and <a title="Ludwig van Beethoven" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven">Ludwig van Beethoven</a> as one of the <a title="Three Bs" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Bs">Three Bs</a>.<br />Brahms composed for piano, for chamber ensembles, for symphony orchestra, and for voice and chorus. An accomplished pianist, he gave the first performance of many of his own works; he also worked with the leading performers of his time, including the virtuoso pianist <a title="Clara Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Schumann">Clara Schumann</a> and the violinist <a title="Joseph Joachim" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Joachim">Joseph Joachim</a>. Many of his works have become staples of modern concert repertoire. Brahms, an uncompromising perfectionist, destroyed many works and left some unpublished.<br />Brahms was at once a traditionalist and an innovator. His music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Baroque and classical masters. He was a master of <a title="Counterpoint" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint">counterpoint</a>, the complex and highly disciplined method of composition for which Bach is famous. Yet within these structures, Brahms created bold new approaches to harmony and timbre which challenged existing notions of tonal music. His contribution and craftsmanship has been admired by subsequent figures as diverse as <a title="Arnold Schoenberg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schoenberg">Arnold Schoenberg</a> and <a title="Edward Elgar" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Elgar">Edward Elgar</a>. Brahms's works were a starting point and an inspiration for a generation of composers, including Schoenberg, who eventually abandoned tonality.<br />Contents[<a class="internal" id="togglelink" href="javascript:toggleToc()">hide</a>]<br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Life">1 Life</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Early_years">1.1 Early years</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Meeting_Joachim_and_Liszt">1.2 Meeting Joachim and Liszt</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Brahms_and_Schumann">1.3 Brahms and Schumann</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Detmold_and_Hamburg">1.4 Detmold and Hamburg</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Years_of_popularity">1.5 Years of popularity</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Later_years">1.6 Later years</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Music_of_Brahms">2 Music of Brahms</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Works">2.1 Works</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Style_and_influences">2.2 Style and influences</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Influence">2.3 Influence</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Personality">3 Personality</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Media">4 Media</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#Further_reading">5 Further reading</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#References">6 References</a><br /><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#External_links">7 External links</a><br />//<br /><a id="Life" name="Life"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Life" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=1">edit</a>] Life<br /><a id="Early_years" name="Early_years"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Early years" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=2">edit</a>] Early years<br />Brahms's father, Johann Jakob Brahms, came to Hamburg from <a title="Dithmarschen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dithmarschen">Dithmarschen</a>, seeking a career as a town musician. He was proficient on several instruments, but found employment mostly playing the <a title="Horn (instrument)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_(instrument)">horn</a> and <a title="Double bass" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bass">double bass</a>. He married Johanna Henrika Christiane Nissen, a seamstress, who was seventeen years older than he was. Initially, they lived near the city docks, in the Gängeviertel quarter of Hamburg, for six months before moving to a small house on the Dammtorwall, located on the northern perimeter of Hamburg in the Inner Alster.<br /><a class="image" title="Photograph from 1891 of the building in Hamburg where Brahms was born. Brahms's family occupied part of the first floor, behind the two double windows on the left hand side." href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_geburtshaus_in_Hamburg.jpg"></a><br /><a class="internal" title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_geburtshaus_in_Hamburg.jpg"></a>Photograph from 1891 of the building in Hamburg where Brahms was born. Brahms's family occupied part of the first floor, behind the two double windows on the left hand side.<br />Johann Jakob gave his son his first musical training. He studied piano from the age of seven with Otto Friedrich Willibald Cossel. It is a long-told tale that Brahms was forced in his early teens to play the piano in bars that doubled as brothels; recently Brahms scholar Kurt Hoffman has suggested that this legend is false. Since Brahms himself clearly originated the story,[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>] however, some have questioned Hoffman's theory.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-0">[1]</a><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-1">[2]</a> Brahms's recently published letters also put paid to this story. The places he played were working-class restaurants in a then respectable area of Hamburg that only later became a slum.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-2">[3]</a><br />For a time, Brahms also learned the cello,<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-3">[4]</a> although his progress was cut short when his teacher absconded with Brahms' instrument.[<a title="Wikipedia:Citation needed" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed">citation needed</a>] After his early piano lessons with Otto Cossel, Brahms studied piano with <a title="Eduard Marxsen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Marxsen">Eduard Marxsen</a>, who had studied in <a title="Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna">Vienna</a> with <a title="Ignaz von Seyfried" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignaz_von_Seyfried">Ignaz von Seyfried</a> (a pupil of <a title="Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart">Mozart</a>) and <a class="new" title="Carl Maria von Bocklet (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Carl_Maria_von_Bocklet&action=edit&redlink=1">Carl Maria von Bocklet</a> (a close friend of <a title="Franz Schubert" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schubert">Schubert</a>). The young Brahms gave a few public concerts in Hamburg, but did not become well known as a pianist until he made a concert tour at the age of nineteen. In later life, he frequently took part in the performance of his own works, whether as soloist, accompanist, or participant in chamber music. He was the soloist at the premieres of both his <a title="Piano Concerto No. 1 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Brahms)">Piano Concerto No. 1</a> in 1859 and his <a title="Piano Concerto No. 2 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._2_(Brahms)">Piano Concerto No. 2</a> in 1881. He conducted choirs from his early teens, and became a proficient choral and orchestral conductor.<br /><a id="Meeting_Joachim_and_Liszt" name="Meeting_Joachim_and_Liszt"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Meeting Joachim and Liszt" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=3">edit</a>] Meeting Joachim and Liszt<br />He began to compose quite early in life, but later destroyed most copies of his first works; for instance, <a class="new" title="Louise Japha (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Louise_Japha&action=edit&redlink=1">Louise Japha</a>, a fellow-pupil of Marxsen, reported a piano sonata that Brahms had played or improvised at the age of 11. His compositions did not receive public acclaim until he went on a concert tour as accompanist to the Hungarian violinist <a class="mw-redirect" title="Eduard Reményi" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Rem%C3%A9nyi">Eduard Reményi</a> in April and May 1853. On this tour he met <a title="Joseph Joachim" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Joachim">Joseph Joachim</a> at <a title="Hanover" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanover">Hanover</a>, and went on to the Court of <a title="Weimar" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weimar">Weimar</a> where he met <a title="Franz Liszt" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Liszt">Franz Liszt</a>, <a title="Peter Cornelius" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Cornelius">Peter Cornelius</a>, and <a title="Joachim Raff" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Raff">Joachim Raff</a>. According to several witnesses of Brahms' meeting with Liszt (at which Liszt performed Brahms' <a title="Scherzo" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scherzo">Scherzo</a>, Op. 4 at sight), Reményi was offended by Brahms' failure to praise Liszt's <a title="Piano Sonata (Liszt)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_(Liszt)">Sonata in B minor</a> wholeheartedly (Brahms supposedly fell asleep during a performance of the recently composed work), and they parted company shortly afterwards. Brahms later excused himself, saying that he could not help it, having been exhausted by his travels.<br /><a class="image" title="Brahms in 1853" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_1853.jpg"></a><br /><a class="internal" title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_1853.jpg"></a>Brahms in 1853<br /><a id="Brahms_and_Schumann" name="Brahms_and_Schumann"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Brahms and Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=4">edit</a>] Brahms and Schumann<br />Joachim had given Brahms a letter of introduction to <a title="Robert Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Schumann">Robert Schumann</a>, and after a walking tour in the <a title="Rhineland" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhineland">Rhineland</a> Brahms took the train to <a title="Düsseldorf" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D%C3%BCsseldorf">Düsseldorf</a>, and was welcomed into the Schumann family on arrival there. Schumann, amazed by the 20 year-old's talent, published an article entitled "Neue Bahnen" (New Paths) in the October 28, 1853 issue of the journal <a title="Neue Zeitschrift für Musik" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neue_Zeitschrift_f%C3%BCr_Musik">Neue Zeitschrift für Musik</a> alerting the public to the young man who he claimed was "destined to give ideal expression to the times."<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-bahne-4">[5]</a> This pronouncement was received with some skepticism outside Schumann's immediate circle, and may have increased Brahms' naturally self-critical need to perfect his works and technique. While he was in Düsseldorf, Brahms participated with Schumann and <a title="Albert Dietrich" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Dietrich">Albert Dietrich</a> in writing a sonata for Joachim; this is known as the <a class="mw-redirect" title="'F-A-E' Sonata" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%27F-A-E%27_Sonata">F-A-E Sonata</a>. He became very attached to Schumann's wife, the composer and pianist <a title="Clara Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Schumann">Clara</a>, fourteen years his senior, with whom he would carry on a lifelong, emotionally passionate, but probably platonic, relationship. Brahms never married, despite strong feelings for several women and despite entering into an engagement, soon broken off, with <a class="new" title="Agathe von Siebold (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Agathe_von_Siebold&action=edit&redlink=1">Agathe von Siebold</a> in <a title="Göttingen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%B6ttingen">Göttingen</a> in 1859. After Schumann's attempted suicide and subsequent confinement in a mental sanatorium near <a title="Bonn" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonn">Bonn</a> in February 1854, Brahms was the main intercessor between Clara and her husband, and found himself virtually head of the household.<br /><a id="Detmold_and_Hamburg" name="Detmold_and_Hamburg"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Detmold and Hamburg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=5">edit</a>] Detmold and Hamburg<br />After Schumann's death at the sanatorium in 1856, Brahms divided his time between Hamburg, where he formed and conducted a ladies' choir, and the principality of <a title="Detmold" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detmold">Detmold</a>, where he was court music-teacher and conductor. He first visited <a title="Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna">Vienna</a> in 1862, staying there over the winter, and in 1863 was appointed conductor of the Vienna <a class="new" title="Singakademie (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Singakademie&action=edit&redlink=1">Singakademie</a>. Though he resigned the position the following year and entertained the idea of taking up conducting posts elsewhere, he based himself increasingly in Vienna and soon made his home there. From 1872 to 1875 he was director of the concerts of the Vienna <a title="Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gesellschaft_der_Musikfreunde">Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde</a>; afterwards he accepted no formal position. He declined an honorary doctorate of music from <a title="University of Cambridge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Cambridge">University of Cambridge</a> in 1877, but accepted one from the University of <a class="mw-redirect" title="Breslau" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breslau">Breslau</a> in 1879, and composed the <a title="Academic Festival Overture" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Festival_Overture">Academic Festival Overture</a> as a gesture of appreciation.<br />He had been composing steadily throughout the 1850s and 60s, but his music had evoked divided critical responses and the Piano Concerto No. 1 had been badly received in some of its early performances. His works were labelled old-fashioned by the 'New German School' whose principal figures included Liszt and <a title="Richard Wagner" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wagner">Richard Wagner</a>. Brahms admired some of Wagner's music and admired Liszt as a great pianist, but the conflict between the two schools, known as the <a title="War of the Romantics" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_of_the_Romantics">War of the Romantics</a>, soon embroiled all of musical Europe. In the Brahms camp were his close friends: Clara Schumann, the influential music critic <a title="Eduard Hanslick" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eduard_Hanslick">Eduard Hanslick</a> and the leading Viennese surgeon <a title="Theodor Billroth" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodor_Billroth">Theodor Billroth</a>. In 1860 Brahms attempted to organize a public protest against some of the wilder excesses of their music. This took the form of a manifesto, written by Brahms and Joachim jointly. The manifesto, which was published prematurely with only three supporting signatures, was a failure and he never engaged in public polemics again<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-5">[6]</a>.<br /><a id="Years_of_popularity" name="Years_of_popularity"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Years of popularity" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=6">edit</a>] Years of popularity<br />It was the premiere of <a title="A German Requiem (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_German_Requiem_(Brahms)">A German Requiem</a>, his largest choral work, in <a class="mw-redirect" title="Bremen (city)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen_(city)">Bremen</a> in 1868 that confirmed Brahms's European reputation and led many to accept that he had fulfilled Schumann's prophecy. This may have given him the confidence finally to complete a number of works that he had wrestled with over many years, such as the cantata <a title="Rinaldo (cantata)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinaldo_(cantata)">Rinaldo</a>, his first string quartet, third piano quartet, and most notably his first symphony. This appeared in 1876, though it had been begun (and a version of the first movement seen by some of his friends) in the early 1860s. The other three symphonies then followed in 1877, 1883, and 1885. From 1881 he was able to try out his new orchestral works with the court orchestra of the Duke of <a title="Meiningen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meiningen">Meiningen</a>, whose conductor was <a title="Hans von Bülow" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_von_B%C3%BClow">Hans von Bülow</a>.<br />Brahms frequently traveled, for both business (concert tours) and pleasure. From 1878 onwards he often visited <a title="Italy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy">Italy</a> in the springtime, and usually sought out a pleasant rural location in which to compose during the summer. He was a great walker and especially enjoyed spending time in the open air, where he felt that he could think more clearly.<br />In 1889, one Theo Wangemann, a representative of American inventor <a title="Thomas Edison" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison">Thomas Edison</a> visited the composer in Vienna and invited him to make an experimental recording. He played an abbreviated version of his first Hungarian dance on the piano. The recording was later issued on an LP of early piano performances (compiled by <a title="Gregor Benko" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregor_Benko">Gregor Benko</a>); while the spoken introduction to the short piece of music is quite clear, the piano playing is largely inaudible due to heavy surface noise. Nevertheless, this remains the earliest recording made by a major composer. Analysts and scholars remain divided, however, as to whether the voice that introduces the piece is that of Wangemann or of Brahms.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-6">[7]</a><br />In 1889 Brahms was named an <a class="mw-redirect" title="List of Honorary Citizens of Hamburg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Honorary_Citizens_of_Hamburg">honorary citizen of Hamburg</a>, until 1948 the only one born in Hamburg. <a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-7">[8]</a><br /><a class="image" title="Brahms' grave in the Zentralfriedhof (Central Cemetery), Vienna." href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zentralfriedhof_Vienna_-_Brahms.JPG"></a><br /><a class="internal" title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Zentralfriedhof_Vienna_-_Brahms.JPG"></a>Brahms' grave in the <a title="Zentralfriedhof" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zentralfriedhof">Zentralfriedhof</a> (Central Cemetery), Vienna.<br /><a id="Later_years" name="Later_years"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Later years" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=7">edit</a>] Later years<br />In 1890, the 57 year-old Brahms resolved to give up composing. However, as it turned out, he was unable to abide by his decision, and in the years before his death he produced a number of acknowledged masterpieces. His admiration for <a title="Richard Mühlfeld" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_M%C3%BChlfeld">Richard Mühlfeld</a>, clarinetist with the Meiningen orchestra, moved him to compose the <a class="new" title="Clarinet Trio (Brahms) (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Clarinet_Trio_(Brahms)&action=edit&redlink=1">Clarinet Trio</a> Op. 114, <a title="Clarinet Quintet (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarinet_Quintet_(Brahms)">Clarinet Quintet</a> Op. 115 (1891), and the two <a class="mw-redirect" title="Clarinet sonatas (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarinet_sonatas_(Brahms)">Clarinet Sonatas</a> Op. 120 (1894). He also wrote several cycles of piano pieces, Opp. 116-119, the <a class="new" title="Four Serious Songs (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Four_Serious_Songs&action=edit&redlink=1">Four Serious Songs</a> (Vier ernste Gesänge), Op. 121 (1896), and the <a class="new" title="Eleven Chorale Preludes (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eleven_Chorale_Preludes&action=edit&redlink=1">Eleven Chorale Preludes</a> for organ, Op. 122 (1896).<br />While completing the Op. 121 songs, Brahms developed cancer (sources differ on whether this was of the <a title="Hepatocellular carcinoma" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatocellular_carcinoma">liver</a> or <a title="Pancreatic cancer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancreatic_cancer">pancreas</a>). His condition gradually worsened and he died on April 3, 1897. Brahms is buried in the <a title="Zentralfriedhof" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zentralfriedhof">Zentralfriedhof</a> in Vienna.<br /><a id="Music_of_Brahms" name="Music_of_Brahms"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Music of Brahms" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=8">edit</a>] Music of Brahms<br /><a id="Works" name="Works"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Works" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=9">edit</a>] Works<br />See also: <a title="List of compositions by Johannes Brahms" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_compositions_by_Johannes_Brahms">List of compositions by Johannes Brahms</a><br />Brahms wrote a number of major works for orchestra, including two <a title="Serenade" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenade">serenades</a>, four <a title="Symphony" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony">symphonies</a>, two <a title="Piano concerto" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_concerto">piano concertos</a> (<a title="Piano Concerto No. 1 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Brahms)">No. 1 in D minor</a>; <a title="Piano Concerto No. 2 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._2_(Brahms)">No. 2 in B flat major</a>), a <a title="Violin Concerto (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violin_Concerto_(Brahms)">Violin Concerto</a>, a <a title="Double Concerto (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Concerto_(Brahms)">Double Concerto</a> for violin and cello, and two orchestral overtures, the <a title="Academic Festival Overture" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academic_Festival_Overture">Academic Festival Overture</a> and the <a title="Tragic Overture" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tragic_Overture">Tragic Overture</a>.<br />His large choral work <a title="A German Requiem (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_German_Requiem_(Brahms)">A German Requiem</a> is not a setting of the liturgical Missa pro defunctis, but a setting of texts which Brahms selected from the <a title="Luther Bible" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Bible">Lutheran Bible</a>. The work was composed in three major periods of his life. An early version of the second movement was first composed in 1854, not long after <a title="Robert Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Schumann">Robert Schumann</a>'s attempted suicide, and this was later used in his first piano concerto. The majority of the Requiem was composed after his mother's death in 1865. The fifth movement was added after the official premiere in 1868, and the work was published in 1869.<br />Brahms's works in <a class="mw-redirect" title="Theme and variation" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theme_and_variation">variation</a> form include the <a title="Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_and_Fugue_on_a_Theme_by_Handel">Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel</a> and the <a title="Paganini Variations (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paganini_Variations_(Brahms)">Paganini Variations</a>, both for solo piano, and the <a title="Variations on a Theme by Haydn" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_on_a_Theme_by_Haydn">Variations on a Theme by Haydn</a> in versions for two pianos and for orchestra. The final movement of the <a title="Symphony No. 4 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._4_(Brahms)">Fourth Symphony</a> (Op. 98) is formally a <a title="Passacaglia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passacaglia">passacaglia</a>.<br />His <a title="Chamber music" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamber_music">chamber</a> works include three string quartets, two string quintets and two string sextets, a clarinet quintet, a clarinet trio, a horn trio, a piano quintet, three piano quartets and four piano trios (the fourth being "opus posthumous"). He composed several instrumental sonatas with piano, including three for violin, two for cello and two for clarinet (which were subsequently arranged for <a title="Viola" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viola">viola</a> by the composer). His solo piano works range from his early <a title="Piano sonata" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_sonata">piano sonatas</a> and <a class="mw-redirect" title="Ballade (musical form)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballade_(musical_form)">ballades</a> to his late sets of character pieces. Brahms was a significant <a title="Lied" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lied">Lieder</a> composer, who wrote over 200 songs. His <a title="Chorale prelude" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorale_prelude">chorale preludes</a> for <a title="Organ (music)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_(music)">organ</a> op. 122, which he wrote shortly before his death, have become an important part of the organist's repertoire.<br />Brahms strongly preferred writing <a title="Absolute music" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_music">absolute music</a> that does not refer to an explicit scene or narrative, and he never wrote an <a title="Opera" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opera">opera</a> or a <a title="Symphonic poem" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphonic_poem">symphonic poem</a>.<br />Despite his reputation as a serious composer of large, complex musical structures, some of Brahms's most widely known and most commercially successful compositions during his life were small-scale works of popular intent aimed at the thriving contemporary market for domestic music-making; indeed, during the 20th century the influential American critic <a title="B. H. Haggin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._H._Haggin">B. H. Haggin</a>, rejecting more mainstream views, argued in his various guides to recorded music that Brahms was at his best in such works and much less successful in larger forms. Among the most cherished of these lighter works by Brahms are his sets of popular dances—the <a title="Hungarian Dances (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Dances_(Brahms)">Hungarian Dances</a>, the Waltzes Op. 39 for piano duet, and the Liebeslieder Waltzes for vocal quartet and piano—and some of his many songs, notably the Wiegenlied, Op. 49 No. 4 (published in 1868). This last was written (to a folk text) to celebrate the birth of a son to Brahms' friend Bertha Faber and is universally known as <a title="Brahms' Lullaby" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brahms%27_Lullaby">Brahms' Lullaby</a>.<br /><a id="Style_and_influences" name="Style_and_influences"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Style and influences" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=10">edit</a>] Style and influences<br />Brahms maintained a Classical sense of form and order in his works – in contrast to the opulence of the music of many of his contemporaries. Thus many admirers (though not necessarily Brahms himself) saw him as the champion of traditional forms and "pure music," as opposed to the New German embrace of program music.<br />Brahms venerated <a title="Ludwig van Beethoven" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_van_Beethoven">Beethoven</a>: in the composer's home, a marble bust of Beethoven looked down on the spot where he composed, and some passages in his works are reminiscent of Beethoven's style. The main theme of the finale of Brahms's <a title="Symphony No. 1 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._1_(Brahms)">First Symphony</a> is reminiscent of the main theme of the finale of Beethoven's <a title="Symphony No. 9 (Beethoven)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._9_(Beethoven)">Ninth</a>, and when this resemblance was pointed out to Brahms he replied that any ass – jeder Esel – could see that.<br /><a title="A German Requiem (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_German_Requiem_(Brahms)">A German Requiem</a> was partially inspired by his mother's death in 1865, but also incorporates material from a Symphony he started in 1854, but abandoned following Schumann's suicide attempt. He once wrote that the Requiem "belonged to Schumann". The first movement of this abandoned Symphony was re-worked as the first movement of the <a title="Piano Concerto No. 1 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Concerto_No._1_(Brahms)">First Piano Concerto</a>.<br />Brahms also loved the Classical composers <a title="Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_Amadeus_Mozart">Mozart</a> and <a title="Joseph Haydn" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Haydn">Haydn</a>. He collected first editions and autographs of their works, and edited performing editions. He also studied the music of pre-classical composers, including <a title="Giovanni Gabrieli" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giovanni_Gabrieli">Giovanni Gabrieli</a>, <a title="Johann Adolph Hasse" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Adolph_Hasse">Johann Adolph Hasse</a>, <a title="Heinrich Schütz" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_Sch%C3%BCtz">Heinrich Schütz</a> and especially <a title="Johann Sebastian Bach" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Sebastian_Bach">Johann Sebastian Bach</a>. His friends included leading musicologists, and with <a title="Friedrich Chrysander" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friedrich_Chrysander">Friedrich Chrysander</a> he edited an edition of the works of <a title="François Couperin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ois_Couperin">François Couperin</a>. He looked to older music for inspiration in the arts of strict <a title="Counterpoint" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterpoint">counterpoint</a>; the themes of some of his works are modelled on <a title="Baroque music" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque_music">Baroque</a> sources, such as Bach's <a title="The Art of Fugue" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Fugue">The Art of Fugue</a> in the fugal finale of Cello Sonata No. 1, or the same composer's Cantata No. 150 in the passacaglia theme of the <a title="Symphony No. 4 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._4_(Brahms)">Fourth Symphony's</a> finale.<br />The early Romantic composers also had a major influence on Brahms, particularly Schumann who encouraged Brahms as a young composer. Brahms often met Robert and <a title="Clara Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Schumann">Clara Schumann</a>. During his stay in <a title="Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna">Vienna</a> in 1862-3, Brahms became particularly interested in the music of <a title="Franz Schubert" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_Schubert">Franz Schubert</a>.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-webster-8">[9]</a> The latter's influence may be identified in works by Brahms dating from the period, such as the two piano quartets Op. 25 and Op. 26, and the <a title="Piano Quintet (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Quintet_(Brahms)">Piano Quintet</a> which alludes to Schubert's <a title="String Quintet (Schubert)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_Quintet_(Schubert)">String Quintet</a> and <a title="Grand Duo (Schubert)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duo_(Schubert)">Grand Duo</a> for piano four hands.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-9">[10]</a><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-webster-8">[9]</a> There is less evidence for influence of <a title="Frédéric Chopin" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric_Chopin">Chopin</a> and <a title="Felix Mendelssohn" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn">Mendelssohn</a> on Brahms, although occasionally one can find in his works what seems to be an allusion to one of their works (for example, Brahms's Scherzo, Op. 4 alludes to Chopin's Scherzo in B-flat minor;<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-10">[11]</a> the scherzo movement in Brahms's <a title="Piano Sonata No. 3 (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piano_Sonata_No._3_(Brahms)">Piano Sonata in F minor, Op. 5</a> alludes to the finale of Mendelssohn's Piano Trio in C minor<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-11">[12]</a>).<br />Brahms considered giving up composition when it seemed that other composers' innovations in extended <a title="Tonality" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonality">tonality</a> would result in the rule of tonality being broken altogether. Although Wagner became fiercely critical of Brahms as the latter grew in stature and popularity, he was enthusiastically receptive of the early <a title="Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_and_Fugue_on_a_Theme_by_Handel">Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel</a>; Brahms himself, according to many sources (Swafford, 1999), deeply admired Wagner's music, confining his ambivalence only to the dramaturgical precepts of Wagner's theory.<br />Brahms wrote settings for piano and voice of 144 German <a title="Folk music" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folk_music">folk</a> songs, and many of his lieder reflect folk themes or depict scenes of rural life. His <a title="Hungarian Dances (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungarian_Dances_(Brahms)">Hungarian dances</a> were among his most profitable compositions.<br />Although Brahms's religious views are not clear, one of his greatest influences was the <a title="Bible" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible">Bible</a>. He read especially Luther's translation. His "Requiem" employs biblical texts to convey a humanist message, and focus on the living rather than the dead. Author Walter Niemann declared, "The fact that Brahms began his creative activity with the German folk song and closed with the Bible reveals...the true religious creed of this great man of the people." Others see Brahms as more of a cultural Lutheran who embraced the cultural aspects of his upbringing but may or may not have adopted the religious beliefs.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-12">[13]</a><br />Writing in <a class="mw-redirect" title="Oxford Companion to Music" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Companion_to_Music">The New Oxford Companion to Music</a>, <a title="Denis Arnold" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denis_Arnold">Denis Arnold</a> concludes, '...his appeal to musicians lies in the quality of his craftsmanship. His wider appeal surely lies in the essential conflict between the depth of emotion so often evident yet hidden behind his natural reserve. ...'<br /><a id="Influence" name="Influence"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Influence" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=11">edit</a>] Influence<br />Brahms's point of view looked both backward and forward; his output was often bold in its exploration of harmony and rhythm. As a result he was an influence on composers of both conservative and modernist tendencies. Within his lifetime his idiom left an imprint on several composers within his personal circle who were strong admirers of his music, such as <a title="Heinrich von Herzogenberg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinrich_von_Herzogenberg">Heinrich von Herzogenberg</a>, <a title="Robert Fuchs" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Fuchs">Robert Fuchs</a>, and <a title="Julius Röntgen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius_R%C3%B6ntgen">Julius Röntgen</a>, as well as on <a title="Gustav Jenner" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Jenner">Gustav Jenner</a>, who was Brahms's only formal composition pupil. <a title="Antonín Dvořák" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton%C3%ADn_Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k">Antonín Dvořák</a>, who received substantial assistance from Brahms, deeply admired his music and was influenced by it in several works such as the <a title="Symphony No. 7 (Dvořák)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_No._7_(Dvo%C5%99%C3%A1k)">D minor Symphony, Op. 70</a> and the F minor Piano Trio, Op. 65. Features of the 'Brahms style' were absorbed in a more complex synthesis with other contemporary (chiefly Wagnerian) trends by <a title="Hans Rott" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Rott">Hans Rott</a>, <a title="Wilhelm Berger" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Berger">Wilhelm Berger</a> and <a title="Max Reger" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Reger">Max Reger</a>, while the British composers <a title="Hubert Parry" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hubert_Parry">Parry</a> and <a title="Edward Elgar" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Elgar">Elgar</a>, and the Swede <a title="Wilhelm Stenhammar" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Stenhammar">Wilhelm Stenhammar</a> all testified to learning much from Brahms's example. It was Elgar who said, "I look at the Third Symphony of Brahms and I feel like a pygmy."<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-13">[14]</a> <a title="Ferruccio Busoni" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferruccio_Busoni">Ferruccio Busoni</a>'s early music shows much Brahmsian influence, and Brahms took an interest in him, though Busoni later tended to disparage Brahms. Towards the end of his life Brahms offered substantial encouragement to <a class="mw-redirect" title="Ernö Dohnányi" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ern%C3%B6_Dohn%C3%A1nyi">Ernö Dohnányi</a>, and also to <a class="mw-redirect" title="Alexander Zemlinsky" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Zemlinsky">Alexander Zemlinsky</a>. Their early chamber works (and those of <a title="Béla Bartók" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B%C3%A9la_Bart%C3%B3k">Béla Bartók</a>, who was friendly with Dohnányi) show a thoroughgoing absorption of the Brahmsian idiom. Zemlinsky, moreover, was in turn the teacher of <a title="Arnold Schoenberg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnold_Schoenberg">Arnold Schoenberg</a>, and Brahms was apparently impressed by two movements of Schoenberg's early <a title="String quartets (Schoenberg)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_quartets_(Schoenberg)">Quartet in D major</a> which Zemlinsky showed him. In 1933 Schoenberg wrote an essay "Brahms the Progressive" (re-written 1947) which drew attention to Brahms's fondness for motivic saturation and irregularities of rhythm and phrase; in his last book (Structural Functions of Harmony, 1948) he analysed Brahms's 'enriched harmony' and exploration of remote tonal regions. These efforts paved the way for a re-evaluation of Brahms's reputation in the 20th century. Schoenberg went so far as to orchestrate one of Brahms's piano quartets. Schoenberg's pupil <a title="Anton Webern" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Webern">Anton Webern</a>, in his 1933 lectures posthumously published under the title The Path to the New Music, claimed Brahms as one who had anticipated the developments of the <a title="Second Viennese School" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Viennese_School">Second Viennese School</a>, and Webern's own Op. 1, an orchestral <a title="Passacaglia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passacaglia">passacaglia</a>, is clearly in part a homage to and development of the variation techniques of the passacaglia-finale of Brahms's Fourth Symphony.<br />Brahms was honoured by the German Hall of Fame, the <a title="Walhalla temple" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walhalla_temple">Walhalla temple</a>. On 14 September 2000 he was introduced there as 126th "rühmlich ausgezeichneter Teutscher" and 13th composer among them, with a bust by sculptor <a class="new" title="Milan Knobloch (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Milan_Knobloch&action=edit&redlink=1">Milan Knobloch</a>.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-14">[15]</a><br /><a id="Personality" name="Personality"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Personality" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=12">edit</a>] Personality<br />Like Beethoven, Brahms was fond of nature and often went walking in the woods around Vienna. He often brought penny candy with him to hand out to children. To adults Brahms was often brusque and sarcastic, and he sometimes alienated other people. His pupil <a title="Gustav Jenner" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Jenner">Gustav Jenner</a> wrote, "Brahms has acquired, not without reason, the reputation for being a grump, even though few could also be as lovable as he.<a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_note-15">[16]</a>" He also had predictable habits which were noted by the Viennese press such as his daily visit to his favourite "Red Hedgehog" tavern in <a title="Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna">Vienna</a> and the press also particularly took into account his style of walking with his hands firmly behind his back complete with a caricature of him in this pose walking alongside a red hedgehog. Those who remained his friends were very loyal to him, however, and he reciprocated with equal loyalty and generosity.<br /><a class="image" title="Johann Strauss II (left) and Johannes Brahms (right) photographed in Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_Strauss_and_Brahms_in_Vienna.jpg"></a><br /><a class="internal" title="Enlarge" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johann_Strauss_and_Brahms_in_Vienna.jpg"></a><a title="Johann Strauss II" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Strauss_II">Johann Strauss II</a> (left) and Johannes Brahms (right) photographed in Vienna<br />Brahms was a lifelong friend of <a title="Johann Strauss II" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johann_Strauss_II">Johann Strauss II</a> though they were very different as composers. Brahms even struggled to get to the <a title="Theater an der Wien" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theater_an_der_Wien">Theater an der Wien</a> in <a title="Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna">Vienna</a> for the premiere of Strauss's operetta <a class="new" title="Die Göttin der Vernunft (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Die_G%C3%B6ttin_der_Vernunft&action=edit&redlink=1">Die Göttin der Vernunft</a> in 1897 before his death. Perhaps the greatest tribute that Brahms could pay to Strauss was his remark that he would have given anything to have written <a title="The Blue Danube" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Danube">The Blue Danube</a> <a title="Waltz" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waltz">waltz</a>. An anecdote dating around the time Brahms became acquainted with Strauss is that when Strauss's wife Adele asked Brahms to autograph her fan, he wrote a few notes from the "Blue Danube" waltz, and then cheekily inscribed the words "Alas, not by Brahms!"<br />Starting in the 1860s, when his works sold widely, Brahms was financially quite successful. He preferred a modest life style, however, living in a simple three-room apartment with a housekeeper. He gave away much of his money to relatives, and anonymously helped support a number of young musicians.<br />Brahms was an extreme perfectionist. He destroyed many early works — including a Violin Sonata he performed with Reményi and violinist <a title="Ferdinand David (musician)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_David_(musician)">Ferdinand David</a> — and once claimed to have destroyed 20 string quartets before he issued his official First in 1873. Over the course of several years, he changed an original project for a <a class="mw-redirect" title="Symphony in D minor" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symphony_in_D_minor">Symphony in D minor</a> into a piano concerto, his first. In another instance of devotion to detail, he labored over the official First Symphony for almost fifteen years, from about 1861 to 1876. Even after its first few performances, Brahms destroyed the original slow movement and substituted another before the score was published. (A conjectural restoration of the original slow movement has been published by Robert Pascall.) Another factor that contributed to Brahms's perfectionism was that <a title="Robert Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Schumann">Schumann</a> had announced early on that Brahms was to become the next great composer like Beethoven, a prediction that Brahms was determined to live up to. This prediction hardly added to the composer's self-confidence, and may have contributed to the delay in producing the First Symphony. However, <a title="Clara Schumann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clara_Schumann">Clara Schumann</a> noted before that Brahms's First Symphony was a product that was not reflective of Brahms's real nature. She felt that the final exuberant movement was "too brilliant," as she was encouraged by the dark and tempestuous opening movement she had seen in an early draft. However, she recanted in accepting the Second Symphony, which has often been seen in modern times as one of his sunniest works. Other contemporaries, however, found the first movement especially dark, and <a title="Reinhold Brinkmann" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhold_Brinkmann">Reinhold Brinkmann</a>, in a study of Symphony No. 2 in relation to 19th century ideas of <a class="mw-redirect" title="Melancholy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melancholy">melancholy</a>, has published a revealing letter from Brahms to the composer and conductor <a title="Vinzenz Lachner" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinzenz_Lachner">Vinzenz Lachner</a> in which Brahms confesses to the melancholic side of his nature and comments on specific features of the movement that reflect this.<br /><a id="Media" name="Media"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Media" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=13">edit</a>] Media<br />Audio files of the <a title="A German Requiem (Brahms)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_German_Requiem_(Brahms)">German Requiem</a>, <a title="Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_and_Fugue_on_a_Theme_by_Handel">Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel</a>, <a title="Variations on a Theme by Haydn" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variations_on_a_Theme_by_Haydn">Variations on a Theme by Haydn</a>, and <a title="Sixteen Waltzes for piano, four hands" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixteen_Waltzes_for_piano,_four_hands">Waltzes Op. 39</a>, can be found at their respective articles.<br /><a title="File:Gabrilobrahms119 4.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gabrilobrahms119_4.ogg">Intermezzo in C major, Op. 119, No. 3</a><br /><a title="Ossip Gabrilowitsch" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ossip_Gabrilowitsch">Ossip Gabrilowitsch</a> plays for <a title="Welte-Mignon" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welte-Mignon">Welte-Mignon</a> on July 4, 1905.<br /><a title="File:Brahms nikisch hd6.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_nikisch_hd6.ogg">Hungarian Dance No. 5</a><br /><a title="Arthur Nikisch" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Nikisch">Arthur Nikisch</a> plays for Welte-Mignon on February 9, 1906<br /><a title="File:Brahms Intermezzo 116-4.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_Intermezzo_116-4.ogg">Intermezzo Op. 116 No. 4</a><br /><a title="File:Brahms Intermezzo Op. 76 No. 7.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_Intermezzo_Op._76_No._7.ogg">Intermezzo Op. 76 No. 7</a><br />Brahms's Intermezzo Op. 76, No. 7, is representative of his middle works for piano<br /><a title="File:Brahms - schicksalslied.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_schicksalslied.ogg">Schicksalslied</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - Ungarischer Tanz 5 g-moll.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_Ungarischer_Tanz_5_g-moll.ogg">Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - Ungarischer Tanz 6 D-Dur.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_Ungarischer_Tanz_6_D-Dur.ogg">Hungarian Dance No. 6 in D major</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - Sonata in F minor, 1st movement.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_Sonata_in_F_minor,_1st_movement.ogg">Sonata for Two Pianos in F minor, 1st movement</a><br />Performed by Neal and Nancy O'Doan<br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - Sonata in F minor, 2nd movement.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_Sonata_in_F_minor,_2nd_movement.ogg">Sonata for Two Pianos in F minor, 2nd movement</a><br />Performed by Neal and Nancy O'Doan<br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - Sonata in F minor, 3rd movement.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_Sonata_in_F_minor,_3rd_movement.ogg">Sonata for Two Pianos in F minor, 3rd movement</a><br />Performed by Neal and Nancy O'Doan<br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - Sonata in F minor, 4th movement.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_Sonata_in_F_minor,_4th_movement.ogg">Sonata for Two Pianos in F minor, 4th movement</a><br />Performed by Neal and Nancy O'Doan<br /><a title="File:Brahms Wondrous cool Sung by the dwsChorale.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_Wondrous_cool_Sung_by_the_dwsChorale.ogg">Wondrous cool</a><br />(3.6 Mb)<br /><a title="File:Muriel-Nguyen-Xuan-Brahms-rhapsody-opus79-1.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Muriel-Nguyen-Xuan-Brahms-rhapsody-opus79-1.ogg">Rhapsody in B minor - Op. 79 No. 1</a><br /><a title="File:CELLO LIVE PERFORMANCES JOHN MICHEL-Brahms Double Concerto in a Op 102 2nd.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CELLO_LIVE_PERFORMANCES_JOHN_MICHEL-Brahms_Double_Concerto_in_a_Op_102_2nd.ogg">Double Concerto in A minor, 2nd movement</a><br /><a title="File:CELLO LIVE PERFORMANCES JOHN MICHEL-Brahms Double Concerto in a Op 102 3rd.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CELLO_LIVE_PERFORMANCES_JOHN_MICHEL-Brahms_Double_Concerto_in_a_Op_102_3rd.ogg">Double Concerto in A minor, 3rd movement</a><br /><a title="File:CELLO LIVE PERFORMANCES JOHN MICHEL-Brahms Cello Sonata in e minor 2nd.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CELLO_LIVE_PERFORMANCES_JOHN_MICHEL-Brahms_Cello_Sonata_in_e_minor_2nd.ogg">Cello Sonata in E minor, 2nd movement</a><br /><a title="File:CELLO LIVE PERFORMANCES JOHN MICHEL-Brahms Cello Sonata in F Op 99 1st.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CELLO_LIVE_PERFORMANCES_JOHN_MICHEL-Brahms_Cello_Sonata_in_F_Op_99_1st.ogg">Cello Sonata in F, opus 99, 1st movement</a><br /><a title="File:CELLO LIVE PERFORMANCES JOHN MICHEL-Brahms Cello Sonata in F Op 99 2nd.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CELLO_LIVE_PERFORMANCES_JOHN_MICHEL-Brahms_Cello_Sonata_in_F_Op_99_2nd.ogg">Cello Sonata in F, opus 99, 2nd movement</a><br /><a title="File:CELLO LIVE PERFORMANCES JOHN MICHEL-Brahms Sonata in F Op 99 3rd.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CELLO_LIVE_PERFORMANCES_JOHN_MICHEL-Brahms_Sonata_in_F_Op_99_3rd.ogg">Cello Sonata in F, opus 99, 3rd movement</a><br /><a title="File:CELLO LIVE PERFORMANCES JOHN MICHEL-Brahms Cello Sonata in F Op 99 4th.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:CELLO_LIVE_PERFORMANCES_JOHN_MICHEL-Brahms_Cello_Sonata_in_F_Op_99_4th.ogg">Cello Sonata in F, opus 99, 4th movement</a><br /><a title="File:Bach Brahms Chaconne.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Bach_Brahms_Chaconne.ogg">Chaconne for piano with left hand only</a><br />transcription of the Chaconne from J. S. Bach's <a class="mw-redirect" title="Solo violin partita No. 2 (Bach)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solo_violin_partita_No._2_(Bach)">Solo Violin Partita 2, BWV 1004</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - academic festival overture, op. 80.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_academic_festival_overture,_op._80.ogg">Academic Festival Overture, Op. 80</a><br />Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of <a class="external text" title="http://www.musopen.com" href="http://www.musopen.com/" rel="nofollow">Musopen</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - concerto in a minor, op. 102 'double concerto' - i. allegro.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_concerto_in_a_minor,_op._102_%27double_concerto%27_-_i._allegro.ogg">Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 'Double Concerto' - I. Allegro</a><br />Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of <a class="external text" title="http://musopen.com" href="http://musopen.com/" rel="nofollow">Musopen</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - concerto in a minor, op. 102 'double concerto' - ii. andante.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_concerto_in_a_minor,_op._102_%27double_concerto%27_-_ii._andante.ogg">Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 'Double Concerto' - II. Andante</a><br />Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of <a class="external text" title="http://musopen.com" href="http://musopen.com/" rel="nofollow">Musopen</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - concerto in a minor, op. 102 'double concerto' - iii. vivace non troppo.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_concerto_in_a_minor,_op._102_%27double_concerto%27_-_iii._vivace_non_troppo.ogg">Concerto in A minor, Op. 102 'Double Concerto' - II. Vivace non Troppo</a><br />Performed by the Skidmore College Orchestra. Courtesy of <a class="external text" title="http://musopen.com" href="http://musopen.com/" rel="nofollow">Musopen</a><br /><a title="File:Johannes Brahms - klavierstucke, op. 118 - ii. intermezzo.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Johannes_Brahms_-_klavierstucke,_op._118_-_ii._intermezzo.ogg">klavierstucke, op. 118 - ii. intermezzo</a><br />Performed by Carlos Gardels. Courtesy of <a class="external text" title="http://www.musopen.com" href="http://www.musopen.com/" rel="nofollow">Musopen</a><br /><a title="File:Brahms - Clarinet Quintet - 1. Allegro.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Clarinet_Quintet_-_1._Allegro.ogg">Clarinet Quintet - 1. Allegro</a><br />Performed by William McColl and the Orford String Quartet<br /><a title="File:Brahms - Clarinet Quintet - 2. Adagio.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Clarinet_Quintet_-_2._Adagio.ogg">Clarinet Quintet - 2. Adagio</a><br />Performed by William McColl and the Orford String Quartet<br /><a title="File:Brahms - Clarinet Quintet - 3. Andantino.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Clarinet_Quintet_-_3._Andantino.ogg">Clarinet Quintet - 3. Andantino</a><br />Performed by William McColl and the Orford String Quartet<br /><a title="File:Brahms - Clarinet Quintet - 4. Con Moto.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Clarinet_Quintet_-_4._Con_Moto.ogg">Clarinet Quintet - 4. Con Moto</a><br />Performed by William McColl and the Orford String Quartet<br /><a title="File:Brahms - Piano quartet Gmin - 1. Allegro.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Piano_quartet_Gmin_-_1._Allegro.ogg">Piano Quartet in G minor - 1. Allegro</a><br />Performed by Roxana Pavel Goldstein (violin), Elias Goldstein (viola), Stephen Balderston (cello), and Mathew Ganong (piano)<br /><a title="File:Brahms - Piano quartet Gmin - 2. Allegro, ma non troppo.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Piano_quartet_Gmin_-_2._Allegro,_ma_non_troppo.ogg">Piano Quartet in G minor - 2. Allegro, ma non troppo</a><br />Performed by Roxana Pavel Goldstein (violin), Elias Goldstein (viola), Stephen Balderston (cello), and Mathew Ganong (piano)<br /><a title="File:Brahms - Piano quartet Gmin - 3. Andante con moto.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Piano_quartet_Gmin_-_3._Andante_con_moto.ogg">Piano Quartet in G minor - 3. Andante con Moto</a><br />Performed by Roxana Pavel Goldstein (violin), Elias Goldstein (viola), Stephen Balderston (cello), and Mathew Ganong (piano)<br /><a title="File:Brahms - Piano quartet Gmin - 4. Presto, Rondo alla Zingarese.ogg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brahms_-_Piano_quartet_Gmin_-_4._Presto,_Rondo_alla_Zingarese.ogg">Piano Quartet in G minor - 4. Presto, Rondo alla Zingarese</a><br />Performed by Roxana Pavel Goldstein (violin), Elias Goldstein (viola), Stephen Balderston (cello), and Mathew Ganong (piano)<br />Problems playing the files? See <a title="Wikipedia:Media help" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Media_help">media help</a>.<br /><a id="Further_reading" name="Further_reading"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: Further reading" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=14">edit</a>] Further reading<br />Johannes Brahms: Life and Letters, <a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0198162340">ISBN 0-19-816234-0</a> by Brahms himself, edited by <a class="new" title="Styra Avins (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Styra_Avins&action=edit&redlink=1">Styra Avins</a>, translated by <a class="new" title="Josef Eisinger (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Josef_Eisinger&action=edit&redlink=1">Josef Eisinger</a> (1998). A biography by way of comprehensive footnotes to a comprehensive collection of Brahms' letters (some translated into English for the first time). Elucidates some previously contentious matters, such as Brahms' reasons for declining the Cambridge invitation.<br />Brahms, His Life and Work, by <a class="new" title="Karl Geiringer (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karl_Geiringer&action=edit&redlink=1">Karl Geiringer</a>, photographs by <a class="new" title="Irene Geiringer (page does not exist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Irene_Geiringer&action=edit&redlink=1">Irene Geiringer</a> (1987, <a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0306802236">ISBN 0-306-80223-6</a>). A biog and discussion of his musical output, supplemented by and cross-referenced with the body of correspondence sent to Brahms.<br /><a title="Charles Rosen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Rosen">Charles Rosen</a> discusses a number of Brahms's imitations of Beethoven in Chapter 9 of his Critical Entertainments: Music Old and New (2000; Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, <a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0674177304">ISBN 0-674-17730-4</a>).<br />Brahms by <a class="mw-redirect" title="Malcolm MacDonald (writer on music)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malcolm_MacDonald_(writer_on_music)">Malcolm MacDonald</a> is a biography and also discussion of virtually everything Brahms composed, along with chapters examining his position in Romantic music, his devotion to Early Music, and his influence on later composers. (Dent 'Master Musicians' series, 1990; 2nd edition Oxford, 2001, <a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/019816484X">ISBN 0-19-816484-X</a><br />Johannes Brahms: A Biography, by <a title="Jan Swafford" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Swafford">Jan Swafford</a>. A comprehensive (752 pages) look at the life and works of Brahms. (1999; Vintage, <a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0679745823">ISBN 0-679-74582-3</a>)<br />Late Idyll: The Second Symphony of Johannes Brahms, by Reinhold Brinkmann, translated by Peter Palmer. An analysis of Symphony No.2 and meditation of its position in Brahms' career and in relation to 19th century ideas of melancholy. (1995, Harvard, <a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0674511751">ISBN 0-674-51175-1</a>)<br /><a id="References" name="References"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: References" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=15">edit</a>] References<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-0">^</a> Kurt Hoffman, Johannes Brahms und Hamburg (Reinbek, 1986) (in German: includes detailed refutation of the traditional story of Brahms playing piano in brothels, using the writings of those who knew the young Brahms, as well as evidence of the Hamburg's close regulation of those places, preventing the employment of children)<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-1">^</a> Swafford, Jan (2001). "<a class="external text" title="http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=" href="http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0148-2076(200121)24%3A3%3C268%3ADTYBPP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H" rel="nofollow">Did the Young Brahms Play Piano in Waterfront Bars?</a>". 19th-century Music Vol. 24 (No. 3): pp. 268–275. <a title="Digital object identifier" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_object_identifier">doi</a>:<a class="external text" title="http://dx.doi.org/10.1525%2Fncm.2001.24.3.268" href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1525%2Fncm.2001.24.3.268" rel="nofollow">10.1525/ncm.2001.24.3.268</a>. <a class="external free" title="http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=" href="http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0148-2076(200121)24%3A3%3C268%3ADTYBPP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H" rel="nofollow">http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0148-2076(200121)24%3A3%3C268%3ADTYBPP%3E2.0.CO%3B2-H</a>. Retrieved on 2007-10-30. <br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-2">^</a> <a class="external text" title="http://sobs.org/chilocal/kameczura/styraavins/robkamavinshome.html" href="http://sobs.org/chilocal/kameczura/styraavins/robkamavinshome.html" rel="nofollow">Unearthing Johannes, Robert Kameczura</a><br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-3">^</a> p. 9, Hoffmann (1999) Kurt. "Brahms the Hamburg musician 1833—1863" Cambridge. Musgrave (editor) Michael The Cambridge Companion to Brahms Cambridge University Press<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-bahne_4-0">^</a> <a class="external text" title="http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_bahnen.html" href="http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_bahnen.html" rel="nofollow">"Robert Schumann's Artikel Neue Bahnen"</a>. <a class="external free" title="http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_bahnen.html" href="http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_bahnen.html" rel="nofollow">http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_bahnen.html</a>. Retrieved on 2007-10-30. <br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-5">^</a> Swafford, Johannes Brahms, pp 206-211<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-6">^</a> <a class="external text" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXL3I7GPCY" rel="nofollow">J. Brahms plays excerpt of Hungarian Dance No. 1 (2:10)</a> at <a title="YouTube" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/YouTube">YouTube</a><br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-7">^</a> <a class="external text" title="http://fhh.hamburg.de/stadt/Aktuell/senat/service/ehrenbuerger/start.html" href="http://fhh.hamburg.de/stadt/Aktuell/senat/service/ehrenbuerger/start.html" rel="nofollow">Stadt Hamburg Ehrenbürger</a> (German) Retrieved on June 17, 2008<br />^ <a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-webster_8-0">a</a> <a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-webster_8-1">b</a> <a title="James Webster (musicologist)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Webster_(musicologist)">James Webster</a>, "Schubert's sonata form and Brahms' first maturity (II)", 19th-century Music 3(1) (1979), pp. 52-71.<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-9">^</a> <a title="Donald Francis Tovey" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Francis_Tovey">Donald Francis Tovey</a>, "Franz Schubert" (1927), rpt. in Essays and Lectures on Music (London, 1949), p. 123. Cf. his similar remarks in "Tonality in Schubert" (1928), rpt. ibid., p. 151.<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-10">^</a> <a title="Charles Rosen" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Rosen">Charles Rosen</a>, "Influence: plagiarism and inspiration", 19th-century Music 4(2) (1980), pp. 87-100.<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-11">^</a> H. V. Spanner, "What is originality?", The Musical Times 93(1313) (1952), pp. 310-311.<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-12">^</a> Beller-McKenna, Daniel. Brahms and the German Spirit. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass. 2004, <a class="internal" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0674013182">ISBN 0-674-01318-2</a><br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-13">^</a> MacDonald, Brahms (1990), p. 406.<br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-14">^</a> <a class="external text" title="http://www.stmwfk.bayern.de/pressearchiv/2000/09/sept124.html" href="http://www.stmwfk.bayern.de/pressearchiv/2000/09/sept124.html" rel="nofollow">"Johannes Brahms hält Einzug in die Walhalla"</a>. Bayerisches Staatsministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst. 2000-09-14. <a class="external free" title="http://www.stmwfk.bayern.de/pressearchiv/2000/09/sept124.html" href="http://www.stmwfk.bayern.de/pressearchiv/2000/09/sept124.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.stmwfk.bayern.de/pressearchiv/2000/09/sept124.html</a>. Retrieved on 2008-04-23. <br /><a title="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms#cite_ref-15">^</a> <a class="external text" title="http://members.aol.com/abelard2/jenner.htm" href="http://members.aol.com/abelard2/jenner.htm" rel="nofollow">Brahms as Man, Teacher, and Artist</a><br /><a id="External_links" name="External_links"></a><br />[<a title="Edit section: External links" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johannes_Brahms&action=edit&section=16">edit</a>] External links<br /><a title="commons:Special:Search/Johannes Brahms" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:Search/Johannes_Brahms"></a><br /><a title="Wikimedia Commons" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Commons">Wikimedia Commons</a> has media related to: <a class="extiw" title="commons:Johannes Brahms" href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Johannes_Brahms">Johannes Brahms</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/b/brahms.html" href="http://www.recmusic.org/lieder/b/brahms.html" rel="nofollow">The Lied and Art Song Texts Page created and mantained from Emily Ezust</a> Texts of the Lieder of Brahms with translations in various languages.<br /><a class="external text" title="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article2824268.ece" href="http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article2824268.ece" rel="nofollow">"What's late about late Brahms?"</a>: an article in the <a class="external text" title="http://www.the-tls.co.uk" href="http://www.the-tls.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">TLS</a> by Peter Williams, November 7 2007<br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.measure.demon.co.uk/sounds/Brahms.html" href="http://www.measure.demon.co.uk/sounds/Brahms.html" rel="nofollow">The Voice of Brahms</a>[<a class="external text" title="http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.measure.demon.co.uk/sounds/Brahms.html" href="http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www.measure.demon.co.uk/sounds/Brahms.html" rel="nofollow">dead link</a>] and <a class="external text" title="http://www-ccrma.stanford.edu/~brg/brahms2.html" href="http://www-ccrma.stanford.edu/~brg/brahms2.html" rel="nofollow">Brahms at the Piano</a>. Information about the recording made by <a title="Thomas Edison" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Edison">Thomas Edison</a> in 1889 of Brahms playing part of his Hungarian Dance No. 1 in G minor.<br /><a class="external text" title="http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_works.html" href="http://w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/brahms_works.html" rel="nofollow">Johannes Brahms: list of works</a> from w3.rz-berlin.mpg.de/cmp/<br /><a class="external text" title="http://newyorkphilharmonic.org/programNotes/Brahms_Sym1.pdf" href="http://newyorkphilharmonic.org/programNotes/Brahms_Sym1.pdf" rel="nofollow">Program notes</a> on Brahms's First Symphony by Michael Steinberg<br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=" href="http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=90124" rel="nofollow">Orchestral arrangement of Intermezzo from Six Piano Pieces Op 118 No 2.(also link to Opus 118 no 4)</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abneypark/376844864/" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/abneypark/376844864/" rel="nofollow">Photo of Brahms as a young man in 1853</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://dispatch.opac.ddb.de/DB=" ppn="118514253" href="http://dispatch.opac.ddb.de/DB=4.1/REL?PPN=118514253" rel="nofollow">Johannes Brahms</a> in the <a title="German National Library" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_National_Library">German National Library</a> catalogue (German)<br />Sheet music<br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.load.cd/sheetmusic/262_johannes_brahms/" href="http://www.load.cd/sheetmusic/262_johannes_brahms/" rel="nofollow">Brahms’ scores</a> – selection of printable works.<br /><a class="external text" title="http://pianoscores.aokhost.com/Brahms.html" href="http://pianoscores.aokhost.com/Brahms.html" rel="nofollow">Brahms's Complete Piano Works</a>[<a title="Wikipedia:Dead external links" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Dead_external_links">dead link</a>] Free Public Domain Scores in PDF<br /><a class="external text" title="http://kreusch-sheet-music.net/eng/index.php?action=" page="show&order=" query="johannes+brahms" href="http://kreusch-sheet-music.net/eng/index.php?action=search&page=show&order=op&query=johannes+brahms" rel="nofollow">www.kreusch-sheet-music.net</a> Brahms' piano works<br />Free scores of Brahms' <a class="external text" title="http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/variations/score/BGN9130" href="http://purl.dlib.indiana.edu/iudl/variations/score/BGN9130" rel="nofollow">Lieder</a> and <a class="external text" title="http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/symphonic.html" href="http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/symphonic.html" rel="nofollow">orchestral works</a> in <a class="mw-redirect" title="GIF" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF">GIF</a> format from the <a class="external text" title="http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/" href="http://www.dlib.indiana.edu/variations/scores/" rel="nofollow">Variations Project</a> at <a title="Indiana University" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana_University">Indiana University</a>. Last accessed 2008-08-14.<br /><a class="extiw" title="scores:Category:Brahms, Johannes" href="http://www.imslp.org/wiki/Category:Brahms,_Johannes">Free scores by Brahms</a> in the <a title="International Music Score Library Project" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Music_Score_Library_Project">International Music Score Library Project</a><br /><a class="extiw" title="choralwiki:Johannes Brahms" href="http://www.cpdl.org/wiki/index.php/Johannes_Brahms">Free scores by Johannes Brahms</a> in the <a title="Choral Public Domain Library" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Choral_Public_Domain_Library">Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.gutenberg.org/author/Johannes_Brahms" href="http://www.gutenberg.org/author/Johannes_Brahms" rel="nofollow">Works by Johannes Brahms</a> at <a title="Project Gutenberg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Gutenberg">Project Gutenberg</a><br /><a class="external text" title="http://icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer/Brahms.php" href="http://icking-music-archive.org/ByComposer/Brahms.php" rel="nofollow">Free scores</a> by Johannes Brahms in the <a title="Werner Icking Music Archive" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Icking_Music_Archive">Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)</a><br />Recordings<br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.onclassical.com/composers/" href="http://www.onclassical.com/composers/" rel="nofollow">Free audio MP3 of some Brahms' works</a> OnClassical - Creative Commons BY-NC-SA, 1.0 - licensed<br /><a class="external text" title="http://magnatune.com/collections/brahms" href="http://magnatune.com/collections/brahms" rel="nofollow">Johannes Brahms - Violin Sonatas</a> MP3 Creative Commons Recording<br />Kunst der Fuge: <a class="external text" title="http://www.kunstderfuge.com/brahms.htm" href="http://www.kunstderfuge.com/brahms.htm" rel="nofollow">Johannes Brahms - MIDI files</a> Daily limit of 5 files.<br /><a class="external text" title="http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?query=" querytype="%40attr+1%3D1" href="http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/search.php?query=brahms&queryType=%40attr+1%3D1" rel="nofollow">Brahms cylinder recordings</a>, from the <a title="Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylinder_Preservation_and_Digitization_Project">Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project</a> at the <a title="University of California, Santa Barbara" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_California,_Santa_Barbara">University of California, Santa Barbara</a> Library.<br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.classiccat.net/brahms_j/index.htm" href="http://www.classiccat.net/brahms_j/index.htm" rel="nofollow">Classic Cat - Brahms</a> - mp3s<br /><a class="external text" title="http://www.logoslibrary.org/classical/brahms/index.html" href="http://www.logoslibrary.org/classical/brahms/index.html" rel="nofollow">Performances of works by Johannes Brahms</a> in MIDI and MP3 formats at Logos Virtual Library<br /><a title="Wikipedia:Persondata" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Persondata">Persondata</a><br />NAME<br />Brahms, Johannes<br />ALTERNATIVE NAMES<br />SHORT DESCRIPTION<br /><a title="Composer" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composer">Composer</a>, <a title="Conducting" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conducting">Conductor</a>, <a title="Pianist" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pianist">Pianist</a><br />DATE OF BIRTH<br />May 7, 1833(1833-05-07)<br />PLACE OF BIRTH<br /><a title="Hamburg" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg">Hamburg</a>, <a title="Germany" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germany">Germany</a><br />DATE OF DEATH<br />April 3, 1897<br />PLACE OF DEATH<br /><a title="Vienna" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vienna">Vienna</a>, <a title="Austria" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austria">Austria</a><br /><a title="Special:Categories" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Categories">Categories</a>: <a title="Category:1833 births" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1833_births">1833 births</a> <a title="Category:1897 deaths" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:1897_deaths">1897 deaths</a> <a title="Category:Burials at the Zentralfriedhof" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Burials_at_the_Zentralfriedhof">Burials at the Zentralfriedhof</a> <a title="Category:Composers for pipe organ" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Composers_for_pipe_organ">Composers for pipe organ</a> <a title="Category:German composers" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:German_composers">German composers</a> <a title="Category:Romantic composers" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Romantic_composers">Romantic composers</a> <a title="Category:Viennese composers" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Viennese_composers">Viennese composers</a> <a title="Category:German classical pianists" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:German_classical_pianists">German classical pianists</a> <a title="Category:German Lutherans" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:German_Lutherans">German Lutherans</a> <a title="Category:Hamburg musicians" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Hamburg_musicians">Hamburg musicians</a> <a title="Category:Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Recipients_of_the_Pour_le_M%C3%A9rite_(civil_class)">Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class)</a> <a title="Category:Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Royal_Philharmonic_Society_Gold_Medallists">Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medallists</a> <a title="Category:Walhalla enshrinees" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Walhalla_enshrinees">Walhalla enshrinees</a><br />Hidden categories: <a title="Category:All articles with unsourced statements" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_unsourced_statements">All articles with unsourced statements</a> <a title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements since May 2009" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_since_May_2009">Articles with unsourced statements since May 2009</a> <a title="Category:Articles with unsourced statements since May 2008" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Articles_with_unsourced_statements_since_May_2008">Articles with unsourced statements since May 2008</a> <a title="Category:All articles with dead external links" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:All_articles_with_dead_external_links">All articles with dead external links</a> <a title="Category:Articles with dead external links since January 2008" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Articles_with_dead_external_links_since_January_2008">Articles with dead external links since January 2008</a> <a title="Category:Articles with dead external links since August 2008" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Articles_with_dead_external_links_since_August_2008">Articles with dead external links since August 2008</a>hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-26459625344711533002009-04-23T03:20:00.001-07:002009-04-23T03:20:52.414-07:00How to Find Free Music - Oldies But GoodiesAre you looking to find some free music oldies but goodies without joining a club or signing a membership? Are you frustrated with having to buy CD sets in order to get your favorite song? Well don't worry because there are many places where you can still get your favorite songs for free!<br />Whether you enjoy the rock bands of the 70's and 80's, groups from the 60's like the Beatles, Rolling Stones or even the Monkees, you are sure to find what you want! Maybe you are searching for Big Band music like Glenn Miller or Tommy Dorsey, or really enjoy the music of the 50's. No problem, you can find whatever you like without having to jump through hoops or pay for music sets when you only want a song or two!<br />Here are some great places to find free music oldies but goodies:<br />* Project Playlist<br />If you are looking for a place to get great rock music, you will find everything from Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash to punk rock, heavy metal or great rock ballads of the 70's and 80's from groups like KISS, AC/DC and Whitesnake as well as many more. Project playlist carries many other genres of music as well.<br />* Pandora Radio<br />Design your own radio station! Would you like to create a free list of only the songs that you enjoy? You can find an extensive selection of songs in their library and choose what you want. Then sit back and relax as you here your songs being played exclusively on your new radio station.<br />*Jango<br />Covering music genres like country, jazz, rock, pop, r&b and even electronica as well as others, Jango will let you create your own playlist of great music. If you just want to turn on a station and listen , you can choose from their wide selection of radio stations.<br />*GotRadio<br />If you enjoy big band music or are stuck in the fifties, check out GotRadio. They specialize in free music oldies but goodies.<br />There are many ways to get your favorite songs for free. No matter what style of music you enjoy, you don't have to be subject to club prices or membership fees to get it. Here are some more ideas for you to consider.<br />*Go to your favorite genres website. You will find lists of your favorite artists and songs that you can choose from.<br />*Online companies will often give away free downloads as a reward for you trying their products.<br />*Social Networks<br />Many social networking sites are now giving you the ability to create your own playlists within your social site.<br />No matter what style of music you like, today you have plenty of opportunities to find free music oldies but goodies! Give it a try and I'm sure you will be satisfied.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-33755833467761217162009-04-23T03:12:00.000-07:002009-04-23T03:15:55.980-07:00Learn to Play Acoustic Guitar - How You Can Teach Yourself to Play GuitarSo, you want to learn to play acoustic guitar? Whatever the reason is you can teach yourself to play guitar. Many popular guitarists today have had a far amount of success as self-taught learners. You too can be in that category. However, it can be hard to know where to start learning.<br />Here are a couple places you should start.<br />Find an acoustic guitar! Many assume that in order to learn to play acoustic guitar you need to shell out a ton of money. In fact, you don't have too, and it's probably best if you don't blow all your money. Try seeing if you could borrow a friend's or coworker's guitar to learn on. It's surprising to find how many own one but never play it!<br />Start to learn to play acoustic guitar with the internet. The internet has a lot of resources that can get you started. When you first start off, you will need to learn some basic chords like: A, E, D, C, G, Em, Am, Dm. Search for chord diagrams for the fingerings. Once you learn some basic chords, search for chords of your favorite songs. YouTube is also a great resource for lessons.<br />Learn to play acoustic guitar with online lessons. The problem with just searching the internet for how-to's on playing the guitar is that this information can be very disorganized. It can be hard to find lessons and resources that are relevant to your level. It's easy to get lost in all of this information and end up discouraged. The best way to teach yourself to play guitar is through online guitar lessons. These give you everything you need to take you from a complete beginner to a very proficient player.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2826755047509868749.post-59969397486591637632009-04-23T03:08:00.000-07:002009-04-23T03:10:29.172-07:003 Ways to Spice Up Beginner ChordsYour first steps on guitar usually involve strumming simple open chord arrangements of songs. This can be quite satisfying, but you'll soon want to do better. Here are three picking techniques that offer you a step by step route to build your simple chords, spice up your accompaniments, and develop some finger agility.<br />The three techniques shown here all involve playing with the bass notes of the chords. In order of increasing technical difficulty you will learn about:<br />1. Alternating bass<br />2. Bass hammers<br />3. Bass runs<br />Alternating Bass<br />Use alternating bass with a simple bass-strum pattern to give your songs a jaunty swing. You play a bass note on the first and third beat and strum the chord on beats two and four.<br />There are two kinds of bass strum that are easy to play with open guitar chords.<br />On A, D or E chords you can easily alternate between the root of the chord and its fifth. The fifth note is found on the string below the root, two frets up, or on the open string above the root (not available for the E chord).<br />For example, on an A major chord you pick the root (A) on the open fifth string on beat one, and the fifth (E) on either the fourth string second fret or the open sixth string on beat three.<br />On C and G chords it's a little harder to play the fifth. You can play it on the C chord by changing your fingering to hold down the third fret of the sixth string and play the fifth (G) note there. On the G chord you can play the fifth on the open D string. This takes a little practice to accurately skip over the fifth string in between.<br />As an easier alternative on G and C is to play the third of the chord instead. This note is found one string and one fret down from the root; second fret of the fourth string on C major, second fret fifth string on G.<br />Bass Hammers<br />Once you've got the hang of alternating bass you can extend it to play bass hammers. You use the same fretted notes as for alternating bass, but hammer a finger onto them instead of playing them straight. Hammer onto either the fifth (A, D, or E chords) or the third (C and G).<br />Use the finger that normally frets these notes and try to move only that finger, lifting it off the bass note and hammering onto it while holding the other notes of the chord. It takes a little practice to move only the desired finger.<br />Practice this technique with different timing. You can hammer down very quickly, sounding only a brief "ghost" note on the open string, or let it sound longer and hammer down at the last instant before strumming the chord.<br />Bass Runs<br />A little more complicated, the bass run offers you more possibilities to create interesting sounding accompaniments. The bass run is a series of notes on the bass strings leading up to a chord change. You can use notes from either the major scale of the key the song is in, or use a chromatic scale moving one fret at a time.<br />Your bass run should finish on a note that leads to the new chord. Here are three common leading notes you can use: walk up to the seventh of the new chord, walk down to its second, or walk up or down to its fifth.<br />You can use quarter notes, eighths, triplets, or a mixture to create interesting rhythm patterns for your bass runs. Experiment with different timings to get a feel for their effect and choose your favourites.<br />Now you know three ways to get more out of your beginner guitar chords and give simple open chord song arrangements some added sparkle. Let's review them here as a reminder.<br />1. Alternating bass - add some swing to your chord accompaniments.<br />2. Bass hammers - adding more emphasis to bass notes.<br />3. Bass runs - to emphasise chord movement.<br />If you want to improve your open chord playing these techniques can help you. Pick a three chord song you know and try out these techniques to make it better.hessiseshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04495698647171581768noreply@blogger.com1