The World of P.D.Q. Bach

P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742) was the 23rd of Johann Sebastian Bach's 22 illegitimate children. For many, many years his entire body of works were thought to have been destroyed or at least very well hidden. Then, Professor Peter Schickele, of the University of Southern North Dakota at Hoople, made a momentous discovery. A discovery that has horrified and dismayed music scholars the world over. The first of the missing—presumed destroyed with great prejudice—works.

I have enjoyed P.D.Q. Bach since a fellow sailor introduced his music to me back in 1975. If you know anything about classical music, and can recognize the difference between such top 40 classical pieces as The William Tell Overture (The Lone Ranger theme for the rest of you) and Beethoven's Fifth Symphony (Da-da-da-daaaaaaa. Da-da-da-daaaaaaaa.) then you will enjoy the musical genius of Peter Schickele.

He even has a web site. Visit it!

I have at least 13 of the following P.D.Q. Bach albums on CD. The covers and basic contents or each are listed below:

One volume I use to be missing (thanks to a dog who chewed up my first-release LP) is the semi-definitive collection — at least as of the date the original LP was released — The Wurst of P.D.Q. Bach.

The LP version is a two-record set with more than 90 minutes of tracks. The CD version sacrificed several tracks in order to make it within the 72 minutes capacity of the CD.

Mark Neimann-Ross to the rescue. He dug his old copy out and gave it to me in late February 2003. What a guy!

Black Forest Bluegrass

Contains:

Cantata: Blaues Gras
No-No Nonette (for assorted winds and toys

 

Liebeslieder Polkas

Contains:

Liebeslieder Polkas
Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs

Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head

Contains:

"Howdy" Symphony in D Major
Perückenstück (Hair Piece)
Suite from "The Civilian Barber"

An Evening With P.D.Q. Bach

Contains:

Concerto for Horn and Hardart, S.27
Cantata: Iphigenia in Brooklyn, S.53162
Quodlibet for Small Orchestra (Schickele)
Sinfonia Concertante, S.98.6

 

P.D.Q. Bach at Carnegie Hall


Contains:

Oratorip—The Seasonings, S.1/2 tsp.
"Unbegun" Symphony
Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle and
Balloons, S.66

 

P.D.Q. Bach On The Air


Contains:

Bright and Early Show
Dull and Late Show

A Little Nightmare Music

Contains:

 

The Intimate P.D.Q. Bach

Contains:

 

 
1712 Overture & Other Musical Assaults

Contains:

1712 Overture
Bach Portrait
Capricco La Pucelle de New Orleans
Minuet Millitaire
Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz
The Preachers of Crimetheus

 

 Oedipus Tex & Other Choral Calamities

Contains:

Oedipus Tex
Classical Rap
Knock, Knock
Birthday ode to "Big Daddy" Bach
WTWP: Talkity-Talk Radio

Contains:

Canon Per Sonar a Sei—Count 'em—Sei
Four Folk Song Upsettings
"Sam and Janet"
Hound Dog
"Safe" Sextet
Oo-La-La: Cookin' French Like the French
Cook French
Canzonetta "La Hooplina"
Theme Song (Pachebel Canon)

Music For an Awful Lot of Wind & Percussion

Contains:

Grand Serenade (S.1000)
"Dutch" Suite (S.-16)
Six Contrary Dances (S.39)
Lip My Reeds (S.32)
Fanfare For Fred
March of the Cure Little Wood Sprites
(S. Onesy Twosy)
Last Tango in Bayreuth

Sneaky Pete and the Wolf

Contains:

Sneaky Pete and the Wolf (with new narration
by Peter Schickele

Carnival of the Animals (with narration)

The Short-Tempered Clavier and Other
Dysfunctional Works for Keyboard

Contains:

The Short-Tempered Clavier
Little Pickle Book (S.6)
Sonata Da Circo (S.3 ring)
Three-Chorale-Based Piecelets (S.III)
 

Two Pianos Are Better Than One

Contains: Lots of stuff!