March 2008 Music Celebrity of the Month

The Music Celebrity for March is Franz Joseph Haydn, AKA "Papa Haydn". He is referred to as the father of the symphony.

In addition to composing symphonies, Haydn composed Masses, oratorios, keyboard sonatas, string quartets and many more works.

Haydn lived in Austria from March 31, 1732 – May 31, 1809.

(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

February 2008 Music Celebrity of the Month

This month's celebrity is Brazilian composer Mozart Camargo Guarnieri was born on February 1, 1907. He composed symphonies, concertos, cantatas, two operas, chamber music, many piano pieces, and over fifty canções.

Here's a video clip of someone performing Guarnieri's Ponteio 40, courtesy of Josefstef:


(c) 2008 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.

Angry Piano Music

A few weeks ago, two of my female students (one pre-teen, one teen), were going through a rough week. When we talked about the songs they are currently working on, we came to the realization that there was a gaping hole in their repertoire: they didn't have any " angry" music. When I told them that "angry" piano music does exist, they asked for some to work on.

The more advanced student is currently working through Robert Starer's Crimson from his Sketches in Color. The 7/8 time signature is delightfully lopsided and it's all fast and furious.

After speaking with some colleagues and conducting a quick Google search, I found a few more titles to add to the list:

• Allegro barbaro by Bartok
• Piano Sonata No. 7 (Op.83) by Prokofiev
  
• Moonlight Sonata - 3rd movement by Beethoven
• #3 from Three Piano Pieces by Shoenberg
  
• Danza de gaucho matero from Danzas Argentinas by Ginastera
  

If you would like to contribute to this list of angry music, please feel free to post a comment.

I am still trying to find some angry music for my Grade 1 student. She's going to ask her mother to get her some Avril Lavigne sheet music though, so that will help channel her angst.

(c) 2007 by Musespeak(tm), Calgary, AB, Canada. All rights reserved.