(From the Forward to “Christmas Creations for Two Pianists”)
“ Christmas Creations is a collection of music for two performers at one piano. The contents present the kind of music that captures both the holiday and the Holy Day spirit of Christmas. Not only is it ‘the season to be jolly’ but, it’s also the season to be reverent. The arrangements consist of rich harmonies and exciting rhythms and are designed for the experienced pianist. The secondo (lower) parts are not merely accompaniments but are an artistic part of the total musical fabric. ”
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My Mother and I began yearly, playing this set of John Schaum Christmas arrangements, sometime in the 1980’s. Meanwhile, my sister, Cathy and I also played them and continued to more-or-less-yearly try-to-play them since our Mother’s 2012 death.
I recorded a first-cut version of these pieces during the days between November 30 – December 6, 2014. It was only while practicing, before recording, that I realized that I had previously, almost exclusively, played the 2nd (lower) part on each piece. There were several of the pieces on which I had never previously played the 1st (upper) part.
I sincerely hope that you enjoy 2014’s Christmas musical offering. I dedicate this year’s project to the memory of our dear and precious Father, who died on December 16, 2014. He was our inspiration, encourager, and greatly enjoyed hearing us play these arrangements for him.
Merry Christmas & Season’s Greetings from Stan Owen, Jr. & Creative Minds’ Music.
Wrong notes are displayed in red-faced embarrassment.
Mrs. Katherine (Edwin) Jones (“Mrs. Jones,” to me), from whom I studied piano during junior-high school through my junior, high-school year, introduced me to J.S. Bach’s Two-Part Inventions and to this piece, his F-Major, Two-Part Invention.
The Two-Part Inventions are classical (era) duets. The left and right hands cavort and cleverly interplay. Composed before 1723, this series of Bach’s teaching-pieces has now been been studied by generations of piano students.
In those days, during my piano-lesson, when playing for Mrs. Jones, I often added extra notes to chords. Mrs. Jones had keen eyes and ears. Sometimes, I would change or entirely omit notes. Concerning my musical alterations and depending on the particular composer (for instance, if Bach had been the particular composer of the piece I was playing… ) we were studying, she would stop me and tell me:
“Mr. Bach wouldn’t like that…”
Recently, I heard the F Major Invention featured in an internationally-known banking-institution’s television commercial. These commercials feature different persons’ hands playing the F Major Invention as a duet on the same piano keyboard. On hearing the commercial, I was sure that I was hearing a “wrong note” because the rendition was not as I had learned the piece. After hearing the commercial a number of times, I thumbed through my music-library shelves, found a copy of the Inventions; and, what to my wondering eyes should appear? I have consistently played the 5th note of the 1st motif incorrectly for a a near-half-hundred years. This motif is used by both “parts” several times throughout the piece. Mrs. Jones never noticed my error(s). Ha!! Guess that I got the last laugh on this one.
I hope that you enjoy (and, are not aurally offended by) my as-yet-corrected performance and recording.
Dear friends of mine, who were married in 2008, recently celebrated the birth of their first child – son, Liam Jacob. I believe that to have such steadfast, unselfish, and capable parents, who will provide love, discipline, and nurturing – Liam begins his life as one of the world’s most lucky (or, “blessed”) humans.
Sometime during the days/weeks preceding Liam’s birth, I decided to compose a song in his honor. Silently, in my mind, I envisioned the beginning, middle, and ending of the tune. I first recorded a piano-only version on Saturday, June 21, 2014.
This arrangement includes two verses. The evolving instrumentation features a solo-violin that plays the melody throughout. A second violin joins the first during the latter portions of the second verse. Other instruments come and go – a third violin that is pitched above the melody, a viola playing a tenor-like part, a cello outlining certain bass parts, piano, and selected synthesizer parts, including a quite-low-frequency bass voice (sounds better with a subwoofer).
I hope that you enjoy this audio-visual presentation.
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