Revenge of the Class Blogs

My Theory IV students have written their first posts to Form and Analysis. The first assignment was one of four excerpts:

1) Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel's "Nachtwanderer" (mm. 14-17)
2) Mozart's Sonata in D major, K 284, III (variation 12, mm. 25-28)
3) Bernstein and Sondheim, "One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story (mm. 1-17)
4) Scott Joplin's "Pine Apple Rag" (mm. 77-84).

They were to pay particular attention to modal mixture harmonies, and to write about performance issues and their reactions as listeners. Go see what they had to say, and offer your own thoughts on these pieces.

Scott Joplin memorial concert and lecture

On May 12, the third annual Scott Joplin Memorial Concert will be held at St. Michael's Cemetery in East Elmhurst, NY. At 12:15, Edward Berlin will give a lecture on Joplin, ragtime, and the opera Treemonisha. The concert starts at 1 pm, with performances by Terry Waldo (piano), Howard Alden (banjo), Orange Kellin (clarinet), and members of the choir of the Presbyterian Church of St. Alban's. The choir had staged Treemonisha at York College, and will perform selections. The day concludes with a memorial ceremony at Joplin's gravesite, presided by Reverend Edward Davis. There will also be free barbecue and ale. This sounds like a great opportunity for a meaningful musical and spiritual experience.