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Classical Music/Identifying Classical Piece

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Expert: - 10/11/2007


Question
Hi, I was wondering if you could identify the music in the following slideshow:

http://www.daagy.com/clients/france/france.mov

It would be greatly appreciated, thank you!


Answer
This is the famous "Minuet in G" from the NOTEBOOK FOR ANNA MAGDALENA [BACH].  Bcs it appears in this book (which is actually a "scrapbook" originally filled with empty staff paper), which JS Bach prepared for the musical edification of his 2nd wife, Anna Magdalena, it was thot that the compositions in it were by JSB. That is not the case.  This minuet is by Christian Petzold, who was a Bach family friend and a violinist in Hamburg.  What the NOTEBOOK really was was a way for msuical visitors to the Bach household to jot down a little ditty as a "thanks for having me" gift, so when Christian paid a visit, he wrote this minuet but, unfortunately, didn't sign it. Many people have not heard that it isn't by JSB and call it "Minuet in G by JS Bach."  It can be found on any recording of the NOTEBOOK and in many, many, many, many....other recordings besides.  Great piece, no?  mb

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Marbeth

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I have a PhD in musicology, with expertise in medieval - Renaissance - Baroque - Classical periods, but I'll try to help you with any period.

>>*****IMPORTANT NOTE*****<<: I do not answer questions marked "private." I don't want to type the same thing to someone else later if I typed it to you already! If you mark your request "private," I will send it back to you requesting you to remove the "private" flag. Thanks for your understanding. Remember, I'm a volunteer.

My answers are not toss-offs. If I don't know the answer, I will do my best to find it.

I have many requests to identify a piece of music. If I can't identify it, I will tell you (1) what composer I think it is; (2) what composer or composers I think it is not; (3) what style period, genre, etc. I think it is or is not. And give you any other help I can to help you find the answer.

Please find a clear clip. In the interest of good computer hygiene, I will not download a clip. Nor will I go to a site where I must "register" in order to hear the clip. Please mount the clip on a public site for which you can give me a direct URL. Thanks for your understanding in this. Remember, I'm a volunteer!

Students, I do NOT do homework questions. The purpose of answering questions on assignments is not only to learn the information, but to LEARN HOW TO FIND IT. Re-read chapter. Look in the index. Look in the references given at the end of the chapter or elsewhere in the book. You also probably can find the answer using Google. Don't be lazy. I wouldn't be doing you any favors by doing your homework for you! I already know the answer. You don't. You need to find it. MORE IMPORTANTLY, you need to learn HOW to find it. That's the whole purpose of education, after all!

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