Prelude and Fugue in C Sharp Minor

Listen to the song here
(Can't see an audio player? It might not work if you're viewing this in an email client. If you are on teawithliya.blogspot.ca, you may need to try a different browser.)

Like the Prelude and Fugue in C Minor, this song has two parts that go together. (If you want to know why Bach's collection of preludes and fugues is called the Well-Tempered Clavier, you can go there.) The second part of this song (the fugue) has been called one of the most complex pieces of music Bach has ever written. Most fugues have one or two short melodies that are connected together and repeated throughout the song, but this one has 3. It also has 5 voices (melody lines playing at the same time) instead of 3 or 4. This leaves room for a lot of overlapping melodies, something which Bach took full advantage of.

I found this video of the fugue, with an analysis attached, which explained some more about the composition choices Bach made. It said that Bach tried to add some symbols of the suffering of Jesus. For example, it has sequences of descending notes in the highest voice, which were a common lament melody. This opening melody (which, of course, returns throughout) has a shape that was often used to represent a cross at the time.

There is also a lot of use of the number 5. The opening subject has 5 notes, and the whole fugue has 5 voices, which might match with the 5 wounds from the cross. If you listen to the whole song, it definitely sounds like it could be a mourning song (especially in a key like C# minor, which Bach might have even chosen on purpose).

Since it's Easter, I thought now would be a good time to post this one. It looks like I recorded it last year, but I probably left it in my folder because I was waiting for Good Friday. That means I really should have posted it on Friday, not Monday, but I'm sure you'll still listen to it.

 
Keep filling your teacup with music!
~Liya

Prelude and Fugue in C Minor

Welcome back to Tea with Liya! Today, I'm playing a "prelude and fugue" by Johann Sebastian Bach that he wrote in the key of C minor. Even though the piece has two contrasting parts, they are both regarded as the same song. Preludes are usually shorter and serve as an introduction, while fugues have a central melody that is played in different places and times throughout the song. I hope you will enjoy this one!

Listen to the song here
(Can't see an audio player? It might not work if you're viewing this in an email client. If you are on teawithliya.blogspot.ca, you may need to try a different browser.)

Toccata in G Major

Welcome back to Tea with Liya! Today, I'm playing a classical song by J.S. Bach called "Toccata in G Major." A toccata is defined as a piece of music that is written to demonstrate the dexterity of the performer's hands. It's usually written for the piano, so I suppose this was the perfect song for me to play. It also served as a reminder of how composers sometimes make their songs hard to play! Or perhaps these difficult lines actually help musicians develop their skills. I hope you like listening to it!


Listen to the song here
(Can't see an audio player? It might not work if you're viewing this in an email client. If you are on teawithliya.blogspot.ca, you may need to try a different browser.)

French Suite in E Major

You might have something to say about the title: ".....in E Major."  Your brain might be hardwired by now to say that if it's something in something major (or minor), then it's a classical song, and if it has some out-of-the-blue name like "Salt Peanuts," or "Cold Duck Time" (that's probably #1 on my list of songs with strange names), then it's a jazz song. You might not have been sure about River, but generally there's a difference in titles between different styles of music.

Of course, you'll find some songs written in different time periods that are similar to a previous one or influential to the next one. Even in a certain place and time, you'll find two or three styles of music that are being played, listened to, and written a lot, and most people involved in that scene will mostly agree. So, the songs would have their own variations based on the composer but they'd still all be connected to each other in some way. There's a lot of influencing happening in music. Older musicians are inspiring younger ones, people want change into a new musical era, songs bring attention back to some composers, and we can probably continue that list for a while.

Polonaise in E Major

Yeah. I know the jazz fans out there are starting to lose confidence in this blog. "You said that you'd post a song once every week. But this doesn't seem to be the variety we're looking for. You have, like, 30 jazz songs and now you've decided to abandon the genre of music entirely." Please tell me: When did I say that? Some people seem to assume things that aren't really true these days. In fact, one page I read about making good videos said that the average person in 2015 had an attention span of about 8 seconds. (This is not in any way saying that your brain is malfunctioning or filled with rotten eggs. I said some people, and the average person, not you.) Technology might be having a positive impact on this world, but it can also have negatives. Many of us have heard about global warming and radio waves and deforestation. So, back to the topic of music, I've decided to take a break from the modern, jazz music and move back to the old.

Little Prelude in E Major

So.

For all of you that are hoping for some more jazz, you're unfortunately not going to get any for a while, probably not until October. I recently used up all of the jazz songs I've recorded so far (except for two more of my compositions, which I will release later), although I am in the process of learning more.