We studied another favorite composer this week - Johann Sebastian Bach. The timeline, map, and composer card segments of our study went very quickly this week, in my opinion. We listened to a CD of the "best of" Bach, which included two of the Brandenburg concertos, Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, and several other works. Without question, our favorite Bach piece is the popular Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. As we listened, Landon wondered why the piece is thought of as "spooky", which gave us an opportunity to discuss how the mood is affected by whether the piece is in a major or minor key, and how music can create suspense or tension through unresolved chords. I asked the kids what pictures they had in mind when listening to the Toccata and Fugue and Kennady listed images like a storm or being chased by a wolf. Landon, ever the literal thinker responded "I think of a guy playing the organ." LOL Well, you can't argue with that, can you?
We all thought it very interesting and inspiring that Bach felt so strongly that his music should glorify God and God alone.
It's time for Kennady's piano lesson now - I've been listening to her practice while I got this post ready. I will also get out my copy of The Well-Tempered Clavier. It should be really entertaining to see if I can still play even the simplest of those compositions!
And because I don't have a picture this week, and I thought the entire Toccata and Fugue would be a bit long, I give you this version - played on a "foot piano."
Soli Deo Gloria
This post is linked at ~a teaching heart~ where we are keeping each other accountable for making time for music in our homeschooling!
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3 comments:
That was our fav Bach piece too. As many times as I've heard it, I never realized it was Bach. LOL Mackenzie downloaded some of The Well-Tempered Clavier because she was hoping she could play. Not so much. LOL She went back to playing the Sleeping Beauty Waltz instead.
I dug out my collection of Bach piano music (which is pretty impressive - I'd forgotten how much I had!) so the kids could look at it. It's intimidating, to say the least. And I wasn't at all surprised that I could no longer handle anything in the WTC books! I did manage some simpler pieces though. I studied piano under the Royal Conservatory guidelines, and almost all of the pieces in the WTC are Gr9 or 10 (highest grade level) or Performance Certificate in the syllabus.
I've always loved foot pianos - so cool! Now following you from the Crew. :) http://raisingleafs.blogspot.com/
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