The Great Composers Podcast - a classical music podcast

In Ep. 25, The Lives of Some Other Bachs, pt. 2 "Wilhelm Friedemann, The Golden Child" we explore the life of Sebastian Bach's eldest son, Friedemann (1710-1784). While he was alive, Sebastian did everything he could to support Friedemann's career. He wrote music for him, gave him instruction manuals, and even wrote at least one job application letter. For a time, it seemed that Friedemann's life was generally headed in the right direction. He was comfortably employed and his fame as a performer and composer was growing. But once the Great Bach died, his golden child took a turn for the worse and what promised to be a prosperous life slowly unraveled. Extraordinary talent—maybe even genius—was not enough to keep Friedemann from alienating himself from his peers and making enemies at every stop along his progress. Though neither were capable of realizing it, the love and affection Sebastian showered on his beloved Friedemann proved to be a fatal gift.

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Music heard in this episode is by Wilhelm Friedemann unless otherwise noted.

1. Sinfonia in d minor F. 65, complete

2. Prelude no. 1 in C major, WTC book 1

3. "Erbarme dich, mein Gott" (Have mercy, my God) from The St. Mathew Passion BWV 244, by JS Bach

4. Organ Sonata BWV 525, by JS Bach

5. Prelude (fugue sold separately) in G major BWV 541, by JS Bach

6. Polonaise in E-flat for harpsichord F. 12 no. 5 (Sylvia Kind) https://musopen.org/music/27296-12-polonaises-f-12/

7. Polonaise in d minor for harpsichord F. 12 no. 4 (Sylvia Kind) https://musopen.org/music/27296-12-polonaises-f-12/

8. Duo for two violas in G major, F. 60 mvt. 2 "Lamento" played by me and one of my students

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In Ep. 26 - The Lives of Some Other Bachs, pt. 3 "Carl Philipp Emanuel and All the King's Men" we will meet the Great Bach's second son, Carl Phillip Emanuel. Despite having much the same upbringing, Emanuel managed to make a success of himself while Friedemann did not. Independent, friendly, and worldly wise, Emanuel left his father's home ready to take on the world, and found himself in the service of one of the most eccentric rulers of the age.

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Music heard during this episode: (By CPE Bach unless otherwise noted)

Symphony in C major, complete, H. 659

Sonata for Solo Flute in A minor, mvt. 1 H. 562 – Marcos Granados

12 Variations on “The Follies of Spain” H. 263 – Stefano Ligoratti

The King’s subject from the Musical Offering (JS Bach)

Flute Concerto in G Major, mvt. 1, H. 445

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In Ep. 29 we follow the Great Bach's youngest son, Johann Christian born 1735, from his childhood to the early years of his maturity. Christian was one of the most brilliant and successful musicians the Bach family ever produced and he achieved a level of fame none of them ever did during their lifetimes. Christian was unique in his family and never felt compelled to adhere to the traditions of old. He moved beyond the old compositional styles of his father, and even moved beyond the confines of the Germanic homeland, eventually finding his way to Milan, Italy and great fame.

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Music heard in this episode: (All composed by J.C. Bach)

1. Symphony in E-flat major op. 18 no. 1, mvt. 1

2. Symphony in G minor op. 6 no. 6, mvt. 2 (opening)

3. Keyboard Sonata in D major op. 5 no. 2, mvt. 1

4. Symphony in E-flat major op. 18 no. 1, mvt. 3

5. Symphony in G minor op. 6 no. 6, mvt. 2 (cont.)

6. Symphony in G minor op. 6 no. 6, mvt. 3

Ep. 21 - "Through the Looking Glass" --- Its 1974, and the great composers of the Western avant-garde continue to drift ever further apart. Stockhausen tours the globe and dreams of a life among the stars, Boulez becomes a world-renowned conductor, John Cage adds to his growing list of artistic pursuits, and György Ligeti settles down to a life as a teacher and begins planning his next moves as a composer. Much more composing and much more life is to come. We see Ligeti through dry spells and periods of great productivity. We see him deal with life and death in his own way. Then we see him to the end of his life, which ended much differently than it began. Please rate, review, and subscribe on iTunes! Like our Facebook page too! https://www.facebook.com/thegreatcomposerspodcast/ www.kevinnordstrom.com

All music heard in this episode is by Ligeti unless otherwise noted. Most are short clips of the larger work. Please listen to the complete works (especially the the piano etudes and Hamburg Concerto!) after the episode.

San Francisco Polyphony

Tierkreis (Verison for clarinet, flute, trumpet, and piano)- K. Stockhausen

Pli Selon Pli, Don - Pierre Boulez

Music for Five - John Cage

Hungarian Rock for Harpsichord

"Overture" to Le Grand Macabre

Monument, from "Three Pieces for Two Pianos"

Horn Trio mvt. 2 Vivace molto ritmico

Study for player piano no. 9 - Conlon Nancarrow

Etude no. 13 L’esceliere du diable (The Devil’s Staircase)

Sonata for Viola Solo - Kevin Nordstrom, viola - mvt. 2 "Loop" - mvt. 5 "Lamento" - mvt. 6 "Chaccone Chromatique"

All materials used in this episode are meant for educational purposes only. Thank you for listening!

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In Ep. 27, The Lives of Some Other Bachs, pt. 4 “Carl Philipp Emanuel and the Prussian Blues” we see Emanuel Bach suffer many more years in service to King Frederick the Great of Prussia, unable to find employment elsewhere. His perpetual good cheer served him well during these troubled years and he continued to compose and make a success of himself as before. Following the Third Silesian War from 1756-1763, Emanuel had enough of royal service and was determined to leave Berlin. He set his sights on Hamburg, where his godfather Georg Philipp Telemann was music director. Luckily, Emanuel would be Telemann’s successor, and took over his new post in 1768. He spent the rest of his life there and passed away in 1788 knowing that his life had been a success from beginning to end.

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Music heard in this episode:

1. B minor sonata, H. 245 beginning of mvt. 3 (played by me)

2. Solfegio in C minor, organ version - Dick Koomans https://musopen.org/music/43229-solfeggio-in-c-minor-h-220/

3. D major symphony H. 663 mvts. 1,2,3

4. Fantasia in F-sharp minor H. 300 - Joan Benson https://musopen.org/music/9240-fantasia-in-f-sharp-minor-h-300/

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A complete bibliography for all episodes can be found on my website: www.kevinnordstrom.com