P.D.Q. Bach
(1807-1742)?P.D.Q. Bach
(1807-1742)?P.D.Q. Bach was the umpteenth son of Johann Sebastian Bach. The most obstinate son-of-a-Bach, P.D.Q.'s career is divided into the Initial Plunge, the Soused Period, and Contrition. After testing organs and selling soap powder in the American colonies, he returned to Germany and found a position within the Church. A performance of the Missa Hilarious (featuring the comparable Angus Dei) led to his excommunication, after which P.D.Q. joined the court of Prince Fred at the castle of Wein-am-Rhein. Prince Fred, known for his "good beer and bad ear," was the only member of nobility to comission works during the composer's lifetime (after which it was too late). His circle of friends included Jonathan "Boozey" Hawkes and Tom Collins.
Ever since coming across the manuscript for the Sanka Cantata in a coffee machine, musicalologist Peter Schickele has dedicated his life to recovering the works of the Minimeister of Wein-am-Rhein. Manuscripts have been discovered in mine shafts, safes, bulletproof vests and other likely places.
P.D.Q. Bach composed for every instrument imaginable (and for quite a few unimaginable ones) as well as for voice, but only one work, the Bluegrass Cantata, survives in his native language. P.D.Q.'s music always seemed ahead of its time. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his father's birth, P.D.Q. Bach presented a commemorative cantata containing the earliest known example of polymeter, a device employed, albeit on purpose, by 20th century composers. He also anticipated the bluegrass, country-western, and hip-hop genres.
P.D.Q. Bach's compositions were published posthumously by Theodore Presser, and recorded on the otherwise reputable Vanguard and Telarc labels.
Here are all the known P.D.Q. Bach works by Schickele number. As proof of the importance of repetition in music, some Schickele numbers are repeated more than once, which demonstrates the importance of repetition in music.
| -2 | Gross Concerto |
| 0 | Schleptet |
| .001 | Three Teeny Preludes |
| 1/5 | Royal Firewater Musick (Original version and Dudeldorf Version) |
| Onesy Twosy | March of the Cute Little Wood Sprites |
| 1 | Variations on an Unusually Simple-Minded Theme |
| 1A | Minuet Militaire |
| 1a | Suite No. 1 for Cello All By Its Lonesome |
| 1b | Suite No. 2 for Cello All By Its Lonesome |
| 1+1 | The Only Piece Ever Written for Violin and Tuba |
| 1+1 | Sonata Innamorata |
| 1.19/lb | Art of the Ground Round (for 3 Baritones and Discontinuo) |
| 1 1/2 tsp. | Oratorio "The Seasonings" |
| 2/4 | Liebeslieder Polkas To His Coy Mistress, To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time, The Passionate Shepherd to His Love, Why So Pale and Wan Fond Lover?, It Was a Lover and His Lass, The Constant Lover, Song to Celia, Interlude, Farewell Ungrateful Traitor, Who is Sylvia? |
| III | Three Chorale-Based Piecelets |
| 3 Ring | Sonata da Circo (Circus Sonata) for organ or whatever |
| 3(4) | Trio (Sic) Sonata |
| 3.1415926, easy as | The Short-Tempered Clavier, Preludes and Fugues in all the major and minor keys except for the really hard ones |
| 4 | Four Folk Song Upsettings Little Bunny Hop Hop Hop, Oft of An E'en
Ere Night is Nigh, He Came From Over Yonder Ridge,
The Farmer on the Dole |
| 4/1 | "Knock, Knock" (Choral Cantata) |
| 4F | The Civilian Barber Only the "Perückenstück" (Hair Piece), and some incidental music have been recovered. |
| 5-string | Blaues Gras (Bluegrass Cantata) |
| 6 | Canzon per Sonar a Sei - Count Them - Sei |
| 6 of 1, half a dozen of the other | The "Trite" Quintet |
| 6 7/8 | "Howdy" Symphony |
| 7 | The Magic Bassoon (Tragicommodity in One Act) |
| 8' | Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra |
| 8va | Sonata Piccola |
| 8:30 | Breakfast Antiphonies |
| K9 | Canine Cantata, Wachet Arf! |
| 12 to 1 | Shepherd on the Rocks, with a Twist |
| 13 | Traumerei for Unaccompanied Piano |
| 13 | A Little Nightmare Music (Opera in One Irrevocable Act) |
| 13 going on 14 | Notebook for Betty-Sue Bach |
| 14 | Goldbrick Variations |
| 16 | Dutch Suite in G Major |
| 16 | Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs (Arie Proprio Zodicale) |
| 16 going on 30 | Canzonetta "La Hooplina" (The Girl from Hoople) |
| under 18 | Capriccio "La Pucelle de New Orleans" (The Maid from New Orleans) |
| 18 | Octoot |
| 27 | Concerto for Horn and Hardart |
| 32' | Lip my Reeds (Prelude and Fugue for Four Bassoons) |
| R33- L45- R (pass it once) 78 | "Safe" Sextet |
| 36-24-36 | Serenude |
| 36EE | Erotica Variations |
| 39 | Fanfare for Fred |
| 39 | Six Contrary Dances |
| 50% off. | The Musical Sacrifice Fuga Meshuga, Sort of Little Trio Sonata, Three Canons, Choral Prelude "Da kommit ja der Schurke", Four More Canons, The Grossest Fugue |
| 52, 162 | Iphigenia In Brooklyn |
| 57 | Little Pickle Book (Pöckelbüchlein) for Organ, at least. Tocatta et Fuga Obnoxia, Chorale Prelude: Ave Maria et Agnus Dei, Fantasia sopra "Fräulein Maria Mack", Lullaby and Good Night |
| 66 | Pervertimento |
| 86 | No-No Nonette |
| 86 Proof | The Stoned Guest, A Half-Act Opera for Off-Coloratura, Mezzanine Soprano, Bargain-Counter Tenor, Basso Blotto, and Houndentenor (Dog) |
| 88 | Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra |
| 96th St. | Classical Rap |
| 96.8 | Sinfonia Concertante |
| 98.7 | Fanfare for the Common Cold |
| 99 44/100 | Diverse Ayres on Sundrie Notions |
| 100 | Birthday Ode to "Big Daddy" Bach |
| LZ129 | Hindenburg Concerto |
| 150 | Oedipus Tex (Dramatic Oratorio) |
| 212o | Toot Suite for Calliope Four Hands |
| 359 | A Consort of Choral Christmas Carols
Throw the Yule Log on Uncle John, O Little Town of Hackensack, Good King Kong Looked Out |
| 365 | "Should" A Choral Prelude for the New Year |
| 365 | Four Curmudgeonly Canons (The Seasons of a Malcontent) |
| 384, 492 | The Abduction of Figaro, Simply Grand Opera in Three Acts |
| 440 | Sonata for Viola Four Hands |
| 888 | Sonata Abassoonata |
| 988 | The Preachers of Crimetheus, Ballet in One Selfless Act |
| 1000 | Grand Serenade for an Awful lot of Winds and Percussion |
| 1001 | Fantasieshtick for Piano and Orchestra |
| 1227 | Overture to "La Clemenza di Genghis Khan" |
| 1601 | Two Madrigals from "The Triumphs of Thusnelda" My Queen to Me a Royal Pain Doth Give, My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth |
| 1636 | Chorale Prelude: "Ah" (#1), A Veritable Paean of Praise (#2) |
| 1712 | 1712 Overture for really big orchestra |
| 999999 | Echo Sonata for Two Unfriendly Groups of Instruments |
| 2n-1 | Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice |
| e = mt2 | Einstein on the Fritz, Opera Only the Prelude has been recovered. |
| N20 | Missa Hilarious |