Christmas Music Book Recommendations

I know it is taboo to start singing Christmas Carols before Thanksgiving, but those of us who are musicians know it is a necessary evil.

I’ve begun to introduce piano and ukulele book options for the Holiday season for my students this week. And I’m including them here for easy access.

Piano Books at the top of my list include:

FABER:

• Faber’s PreTime Piano Christmas (Primer Level for Beginning Reading) $7.50 — This book is great for beginners and anyone who wants to play some easy breezy Christmas tunes. The songs are centered on Middle C with thumbs sharing that note. It uses five fingers (both hands) with no moving on the keyboard. Pros: simple piano music, classic songs; mix of traditional / sacred and popular songs. Cons: just one verse of each song; no chords for guitar or ukulele; not a lot of songs Faber Pretime Piano Christmas

• Next up in the Faber line is the Adult Piano Adventures Christmas book. This is probably my favorite multi-level Holiday book. There are SO MANY songs in this book! It has three sections, each going up in skill level. You will get many years of enjoyment out of this book. Pros: Most songs have multiple verses (which is great for singing around the piano); some songs come with chords for guitar or ukulele accompaniment; with 32 songs there’s a good variety of traditional/sacred and popular songs to choose from. Cons: not for beginners; a few songs I’ve never heard of. Regardless, this is my go to book. Faber Adult Piano Adventures Christmas

• There is also a Faber Adult Piano Adventures Christmas Level 2. $9.99. Some new songs from its green brother, and the playing level increases. Again here there are multiple verses to most songs. Pros: Some new songs that are hard to find elsewhere (O Holy Night). Cons: Many repeated songs (albeit at a more challenging level); no songs with chords. Faber Adult Piano Adventures Christmas level 2

Faber also has smaller books for Christmas music, but these are mostly repackaging of what you will find above. The exception being: Faber’s DuetTime Piano Christmas: Level 1 . $6.50. This book is on par with the Faber Green Adult Piano Adventures Christmas Book, Level 1, but it offers side-by-side duets for students and teachers, and would be a nice addition if the student has some one else at home who plays. Both Primo and Secondo parts are the same level. Pros: fun to play with another pianist. Cons: just 8 songs, no chords. Faber’s DuetTime Piano Christmas Level 1

ANDREA DOW’s Very Useful Piano Library

Andrea and Trevor Dow have a wonderful series of funny, fun-to-play books called the Very Useful Piano Library. The books increase in difficulty as they go up the alphabet. There are four Winter offerings:

• Chillin’ On the Black Keys — Level B. $11.95; for very beginners. Though not Christmas related this fun Winter themed, pre-reading, book will get newbie students laughing as they learn finger numbers, quarter, half and whole notes. VU Level B Chillin’ On the Black Keys
• Fa, La, La Late For Christmas — Level F. $11.95; This book is in 3/4 time. Students use both hands, with thumbs sharing Middle-C position. There are timed note-reading tests and rhythm drills interspersed between the songs. The songs are mostly fun twists on familiar Christmas tunes. VU Level F Fa La La Late For Christmas Andrea Dow
• Sledward’s Ice and Easy Songbook — Level H. $11.95; for mid-primer students. Songs are in c-five finger position (not middle c centric.) This is Winter oriented, and not Holiday oriented. No Christmas Carols here, just lots of fun. VU Level H Sledward’s Ice and Easy Songbook
• Comet’s Freezing Cold Carol’s — Level K. $11.95; for late primer students. Songs are in C and will help students work on playing hands together, quarter rests, stepping and skipping etc. Filled with cute twisted Christmas Carols plus timed note-reading tests and rhythm drills. VU Level K Comet’s Freezing Cold Carols

UKULELE

Last but not least Ukulele Christmas Books

When looking for a good Uke book consider whether you want to mostly strum chords or pick TAB. Before you buy any Uke (or Guitar) book I suggest you preview it and make sure it is right for you. Here are two of my favorite Ukulele Christmas Books.

• 3-Chord Christmas Carols for Ukulele. $12.60 This book is packed with 30 Christmas Carols. The songs have been simplified so there are just 3 chords, the chord forms are at the top of the page and chord names embedded in the song. Songs are shown with the melody line in standard notation , which is great if you know how to read music, but they also give you an opening note in chord form for those who don’t read. Most songs have multiple verses. Pros: easy to read, nice big format; multiple verses; easy chords, good mix of songs. Cons: no TAB 3 Chord Christmas Carols for Ukulele

• Ukulele Christmas Songs Tabs and Chords by Michael Mohring. $12.95. With 25 songs this book covers a lot of music. Songs are presented with Standard notation, TAB and Chord names (Am embedded in the song verses the chord form). Pros: Nice mix of songs (including some harder-to-find ones); well detailed TAB. Cons: Smaller format makes it harder to read; most songs only have one verse; no chord forms; advanced chords; lots of chords per song — so have yourself a merry little chord chart at the ready. Ukulele Christmas Songs TABS and Chords Michael Mohring [Please Note: the link shows two books, I’m talking about the second one, with the dark blue cover. I have not reviewed the first one.]

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If you are so inclined, please use the link here to purchase your book. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. In turn that lets me purchase other resources for the music studio in the future.

Jane Austen Day @ Manor Mill — June 17

Step back in time to 1816 to celebrate the works and world of Jane Austen. 

Jane Austen Day at Manor MIll will take place on June 17  and  is open to every one with an interest in Austen and the Regency era, with programming geared toward people High School aged and up. 

We have a diverse panelist of speakers ready to talk about all six of Austen’s books (including — Sense and Sensibility “God Help the Mister Who Comes Between Me and My Sister” and “Emma and the Great Conversation, a Teen’s Take”), her life (with — “Austen’s Medical Woes” and “What Jane Ate”), and the Regency world (with “Chemise to Shawl — How to Dress Like a Regency Lady” and “Regency Spoon Carving”). There are also Regency Inspired Crafts and chill room  “Open Studio” for self directed activities.  Plus Tea, lots of tea. 

With 27 presentations to choose from (3 or 4 happening each hour) there’s plenty to do for the Austen enthusiast at every level. 

Composer @ a Glance — Vivaldi

Antonin Vivaldi

Born: 1678

Died: 1741

Nationality: Italian

Musical Era: Baroque

Composer, Violin

Major Works:
The Four Seasons

Vivaldi was orndained a priest in 1703. He wrote 46 operas and 500 concertos. He also wrote sacred music including a Magnificat.

Learn More:
https://www.classicfm.com/composers/vivaldi/

Composer @ a Glance — Bach

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During the Covid 19 Stay-at-Home crisis I’ve been creating a lot of content for my Music students. I’ve been developing games, like Composer Battleship. Not only do the kids get to play Battleship, but they get to learn about a set of musical greats. I do a bio for each composer… which I thought I’d share on this blog.  Why not start with a biggie… Bach? Ahhh Bach.

JS Bach

Born: 1685

Died: 1750

Nationality: German

Musical Era: Baroque

Composer, Organist, Harpsichordist., Violist, Violinist

Major Works:
Brandenburg Concerto,
Well-Tempered Clavier,
Mass in B Minor,
St. Matthew Passion

Bach once travelled over 200 miles on foot to see an organ concert. Then when the concert was over walked home again.

Learn More:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Sebastian-Bach

https://youtu.be/rrVDATvUitA

Dora Pejačević Composer of the Week

[Image courtesy: Croatian Encyclopedia]

Name: Dora Pejačević

Born: September 10, 1885 in Budapest, Hungary

Died: March 5, 1923 in Munich, Germany

Nationality: Croatian

Genre: Romantic

Famous Works: 

• Cello Sonata in E minor, Op. 35
• Piano Trio in C, Op. 29

Life: Dora was born to Count Teodor Pejačević  and Hungarian Baroness Lille Vay de Vaya. Her father was a Croation ban (Viceroy). She spent most of her childhood at the family’s estate in Našice in Eastern Croatia. Her mother gave Dora her first piano lessons and Charles Noszeda, a famous Hungarian organist who summered in Našice, also taught the little girl music. There she learned to play piano and violin. By 12 she was composing. When the family moved to Zagreb Dora studied both privately and at the Croatian Music Institute. She continued to study through out World War One in Dresden and Munich, but is considered to be self-taught.

Here is her Gondellied, Opus 4 performed by
pianist Yoko Nishii in 2013.

She lived in Našice , but also travelled to major cultural centers in Eastern Europe. She wrote a short book on music theory called Über Programm-Musik in 1918. In 1921 she married Ottum von Lube and moved to Munich. She died from complications in child birth shortly after the birth of her son Theo in 1923.

The origins of her compositions are a romantic tradition, and her most famous compositions are: Three Songs, Two Nooks, About Music and many others. [Povijest– translated]

 

Pejačević’s earliest compositions were tunes for piano and the violin. From there she moved on to folk songs, chamber music and orchestral works. Although considered a Romantic composer she brought “her own musical expression based on her knowledge of the form, the occasional openness to new harmonic methods and the tendency to permeate thematic and motive material.” [Croatian Encyclopedia –translated]

Works of note include:

Two Nights (Zwei Nocturnen) Opus 50 (1919-20)

 

Symphony in F Sharp minor opus 41 (1916-18)

With her sophisticated musical expression, Dora Pejačević contributed to the pluralism of musical stewardships in Croatia in the early 20th century. With B. Bers and J. Hatze, she contributed significantly to the establishment of Croatian music modern and new professional composing instruments. [Croation Encyclopedia — translated]

Here is her lovely Chanson Sans Paroles, Op. 10 performed by Yoko Nishii in 2013

 

Franz Joseph Haydn Composer of the Week

Haydn conducting a string quartet [Britannica.com]

 

Name: Franz Joseph Haydn

Born:March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Austria (About 46 km South East of Vienna)

Died: May 31, 1809, Vienna, Austria

 

Nationality: Austrian

Genre: Classical

Famous Works:

 

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) was an Austrian composer,
one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. Haydn wrote 107 symphonies in total, as well as 83 string quartets, 45 piano trios, 62 piano sonatas, 14 masses and 26 operas, amongst countless other scores.
[ClassicFM.com]

Life:

Franz Joseph Hayden was the second son of a wheelwright father and cook mother. His musicianship was recognized when he was a young boy. At six he was sent away to a school run by his cousin where he sang in the choir, learned music theory and took lessons on several instruments. In 1740, when Hayden was just 8 he moved to Vienna at the invitation of the music director of St. Stephen’s Cathedral to serve as a choirister.

He stayed at the choir school for nine years, acquiring an enormous
practical knowledge of music by constant performances but, to his disappointment, receiving little instruction in music theory. He had to work hard to fulfill his
obligations as a chorister, and when his voice changed, he was expelled from both the cathedral choir and the choir school. [Britannica.com]

Thus at 17 he was left to fend for himself, working odd musical jobs and teaching himself musical theory. He began to build his reputation as an accompanist and composer. In 1758 he was put in charge of a 16 piece ensemble as music director and chamber composer for Count Ferdinand Maximilian von Morzin. There he wrote his first symphonic work.

Britannica.com

His next appointment was as assistant conductor to the court of Prince Esterhazy in 1761.  As assistant he “conducted the orchestra and coached the singers in almost daily rehearsals, composed most of the music required, and served as chief of the musical personnel. ” [ibid] He became the musical director in 1766. The Esterhazy family were  well known musical patrons and Haydn remained happily employed with them for over 30 years. Most of his enormous catalog of music (340 hours of it by some accounts) was written during that period.

Hayden and Mozart were both extremely popular in Vienna at the same time and they shared a good natured competition. Both men were inspired by the other’s work and they were friends. Mozart claimed that he learned how to write quartets from Hayden and dedicated a set of six quartets to the older composer. Haydn — already a master of the ‘surprise’ —  admired Mozart’s innovations and creativity and the younger composer’s influence made its way into Haydn’s compositions.

He took two extended trips to England, one in 1791 and one in 1794. Hayden’s musical genius was celebrated on both trips and he was much inspired by the change from Vienna to London. Over the course of his two trips he wrote 12 symphonies including The Surprise Symphony, the Military Symphony [Finale], the London Symphony and the Symphony No. 102 in B flat Major.  King George the Third personally entreated him to stay in London, but the composer returned Vienna and the Esterhazys.

It was on his way back from the first trip in 1792 that he met his most famous student, Beethoven. (Hayden also had a strong influence on the works of Schubert, Mendelssohn and Brahms. )

By Ludwig Guttenbrunn – Photo Nevilley at en.wikipedia. Public Domain

Back in Vienna he put the finishing touches on a new piece, an oratorio, The Creation. It was so popular that Haydn went to work on another, The Seasons [Spring] based on a poem by James Thomson. Originally written in English and then translated into German it could be performed in either language. He wrote six masses,  and more string quartets.

In 1797 he wrote a composition that is perhaps his most performed piece today,“Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser” (“God Save Emperor Francis”). It became the national anthem for Austria then was recycled into “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles” (“Germany, Germany Above All Else”) which is Germany’s national anthem.

As Napoleon took Vienna in 1809 Haydn refused to leave his house. ” Napoleon placed a guard of honour outside Haydn’s house, and the enfeebled composer was much touched by the visit of a French hussars’ officer who sang an aria from The Creation. On May 31 Haydn died peacefully, and he was buried two days later.” [Britannica.com]

By one estimate, Haydn produced some 340 hours of music, more than Bach or Handel, Mozart or Beethoven. Few of them lack some unexpected detail or clever solution to a formal problem. [AllMusic.com]

Joseph Haydn by Thomas Hardy, painted in 1791

Musical Output:

• 108 Symphonies
• 20 opera
• 14 masses
• 6 oratorios
• 68 String Quartets
• 2 cello concerti [Cello Concerto in C-Adagio]
• 32 divertimenti for small orchestra
• 126 trios for baryton, viola and cello
• 47 piano sonatas

Haydn began his career composing under a Baroque influence. From there he “adopted the light, gay, and elegant musical style that was popular at the time in Austria”[Britannica.com] Then the darker, more emotional style of north German composers began showing up in his music. When he came into his own maturity as a composer he was able to marry all three styles.

 

Here is Piano TV’s review of Haydn’s music  including The Piano Sonata  in E-flat major;  Piano trio in G Major in Gypsy trio; 11th Keyboard Concerto in D Major; String Quartet  No. 65 Op. 76 No. in E Major; London Symphony; The Creation Oratorio “In Splendor Bright”

 

And if you are really sparked to listen to much more Haydn… go to Classicfm.com’s article that ranks his symphonies “in order of greatness“.  The poor guy who got assigned the task to listen to each symphony and do the ranking does a great job of explaining why each one works (or doesn’t) in his opinion. And there is lots of lovely audio.

 

 

For a YouTube biography you can go HERE. She does a good job of giving all the facts in a light, quick way. So if you don’t want to read all of my bio, this is a good alternative.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Composer of the Week

Name: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Born: 7 May 1840

Died: 6 November 1893

Nationality: Russian

Genre: Romantic

Famous Works:

• Romeo and Juliet
  Premiered 1870 (Major themes come in at about 6:00, 7:58
• The 1812 Overture
  — which he wrote on commission and didn’t really like very much. He said of the piece that is  “very loud and noisy, but [without] artistic merit, because I wrote it without warmth and without love”.  Premiered 1882
• The Nutcracker 
  — premiered in 1892, this two-act ballet based on “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” was commissioned The two-act ballet is based on the book “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King”, by Marius Petipa a choreographer at the Mariinsky Theater
• Swan Lake
  Premier 1877. Tchaikovsky’s first ballet. The initial response to Swan Lake was terrible. Although it slowly grew to moderate popularity, it didn’t become famous until after the composer’s death. Swan Lake Waltz
• The Sleeping Beauty (waltz)
  Premiered 1890 at  the Imperial Theater in Moscow  The Sleep Beauty was Tchaikovsky’s second (and favorite) ballet.

  Born in Kamsko-Vyatka, Russia about 725 miles from Moscow. His father. Ilya, was a mine inspector and Pytor was educated to follow in his foot steps and become a civil servant. Although he started piano lessons at 5 and showed a passion for music he went to the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St. Petersburg. While away at boarding school his mother, Alexandra, died of cholera.

” In 1859, Tchaikovsky honored his parents’ wishes by taking up a bureau clerk post with the Ministry of Justice—a post he would hold for four years, during which time he became increasingly fascinated with music.”
[Biography.com]

By 21 Tchaikovsky was taking music lessons at the Russian Musical Society. Later that year he enrolled as a composition student at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Two years later he moved to Moscow and became a professor of harmony at their Conservatory.

Tchaikovsky’s Characteristic Dances for orchestra, his first publicly performed work, were debuted at Pavlovsk in late summer of 1865.

His first major work to be presented to the public was his Symphony No 1 in G minor  “Winter Daydreams.” Because Tchaikovsky began his formal musical training in St. Petersburg, not Moscow, his music “much more of a western style of music theory and composition.” [Favorite Classical Composer.com] That made Symphony No 1 (and his later music) approachable for European audiences. But his Russian background is clear in his melodies. He fully embraced the Russian culture. “So Tchaikovsky music has a Russian character and Russian melodies, but at a musical standard high enough for Western European audiences. The best of both worlds!” [Ibid]. He wrote it when he was just 26.

Tchaikovsky at the time he wrote Romeo and Juliet

There’s the sheer melancholic beauty of the melody in the flute and bassoon, but there’s also what Tchaikovsky does with it, or rather doesn’t do with it. As with both of the main tunes in this movement, Tchaikovsky wants to give his melodies – closed, circular objects rather than Beethovenian cells of symphonic possibility – their full expression, and at the same time create a sense of musical momentum.
[The Guardian]

 

 

Although most remembered for his ballets Tchaikovsky wrote a variety of musical pieces from string quartets to piano concertos to patriotic anthems like Marche Slave (which he wrote on commission of the Russian Musical Society in support of the Serbian side of the 1876-1878 Serbian-Ottoman War. Listen closely and you’ll hear his famous theme, two Serbian dances and a bit of the 1812 Overture.)

Vegan Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of Almond Milk

1 teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar

2 cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon of Salt

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Sugar

1 teaspoon Orange Peel

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

1 teaspoon Almon Extract

1 cup of Frozen Blueberries

1 cup of Dark Chocolate Chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and prepare muffin tin or muffin cups. I got 8 large muffins from this recipe, and I suspect that it would work for 12 regular sized muffins.
2. In a small bowl combine the Almond Milk and Apple Cider Vinegar.
3.  In a large bowl combine the Flour, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and salt.
4. Mix the Sugar, Orange Peel, Vegetable Oil, and Almond Extract in a small bowl or a small liquid measuring cup.
5. Add the Almond Milk/Apple Cider Vinegar mixture to the Sugar mixture.
6. Mix the liquid into the dry to incorporate, but don’t over mix. It’s O.K. to have some lumps.
7. Fold in the Blueberries and Dark Chocolate Chips.
8. Divide the batter into the muffin cups.

9. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the muffins pass the toothpick test.

10. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes before releasing from the muffin cups and eating.

ENJOY!

A Year of Quotes 1.25.16

Hard to believe that Oscar Wilde month only has a week to go. My how time flies…

London is too full of fogs and… serious people.. Whether the fogs produce the serious people or whether the serious people produce the fogs, I don’t know…

— Lady Windermere’s Fan