Overheard On A Saltmarsh

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  Nymph, nymph, what are your beads? Green glass, goblin. Why do you stare at them? Give them me. No. Give them me. Give them me. No. Then I will howl all night in the reeds, Lie in the mud and howl for them. Goblin, why do you love them so? They are better than stars or water, Better than voices of winds that sing, Better than any man's fair daughter, Your green glass beads on a silver ring. Hush, I stole them out of the moon. Give me your beads, I want them. No. I will howl in the deep lagoon For your green glass beads, I love them so. Give them me. Give them. No. - Harold Monro (1879 - 1932)

Classical Friday . . . sort of.

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Usually Fridays are reserved for literary excursions, but this week, I wanted to do something different. I want to share one of my favorite pieces of music. This particular piece is from "A Little Nightmare Music," by P.D.Q. Bach, the 21st of Johann Sebastian Bach's 20 children.

Prof. Peter Schickele, the only scholar who will study P.D.Q. Bach, divides the life of the composer into three parts: the "Initial Plunge" (when P.D.Q. learned the principles of music), the "Soused Period" (or the "Brown Bag" period, when he forgot what he learned in the Initial Plunge), and "Contrition" (the last short years of his life).

This piece demonstrates P.D.Q.'s excellent grasp and ability to plagiarize. It was a common practice for composers to borrow themes, but this piece is an excellent case-study in the composer's frequent use of tracing paper. Enjoy!

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