Minuet in G major
Encyclopedia
The Minuet in G major is a keyboard piece included in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
. Until 1970 it was attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach
(BWV
Anh. 114), it is now universally attributed to Christian Petzold
.
, where it appears with its companion piece, Minuet in G minor, as a pair to be performed da capo
. The notebook in question, which belonged to Johann Sebastian Bach
's second wife Anna Magdalena
, is a compilation of music by various composers of the late 17th and early 18th century, including François Couperin
, Georg Böhm
, Johann Sebastian Bach himself and possibly some of his sons (e.g. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
). Most of the entries in the 1725 notebook were made by Anna Magdalena herself, and a few were contributed by Johann Sebastian and various friends of the Bach family
. Only a few composers are identified in the notebook. The Minuet in G major and its companion are two of the many anonymous works included. In the 1970s the Minuet in G major was identified as a piece from a harpsichord suite by Dresden
organist Christian Petzold
.
", written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell
, was based on the Minuet in G major. The song was recorded by the girl group
The Toys
and reached #2 in the U.S. and #5 in the U.K. Billboard Hot 100
list. Global sales of "A Lover's Concerto" exceeded 2 million copies and was awarded gold record
by the R.I.A.A.
.
In the 1984 film Electric Dreams, the piece is the basis for a duet, or a friendly musical duel, between cellist Madeline and Edgar, the computer. This song from the movie soundtrack, titled "The Duel," was composed and performed by Giorgio Moroder
.
In the 1986 film Adventures of the American Rabbit, The song can be heard as Rob the Rabbit takes piano lessons and plays it.
The 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus
has a scene in which the title character, a high school music teacher, explains to his students the connection between "A Lover's Concerto" and the Minuet in G major.
Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
The title Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach refers to either of two manuscript notebooks that the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach presented to his second wife Anna Magdalena...
. Until 1970 it was attributed to Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
(BWV
BWV
The Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis is the numbering system identifying compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach. The prefix BWV, followed by the work's number, is the shorthand identification for Bach's compositions...
Anh. 114), it is now universally attributed to Christian Petzold
Christian Petzold
Christian Petzold was a German composer and organist. He was active primarily in Dresden, and achieved a high reputation during his lifetime, but his surviving works are few...
.
Provenance
The Minuet in G major is found in the 1725 Notebook for Anna Magdalena BachNotebook for Anna Magdalena Bach
The title Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach refers to either of two manuscript notebooks that the German Baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach presented to his second wife Anna Magdalena...
, where it appears with its companion piece, Minuet in G minor, as a pair to be performed da capo
Da capo
Da Capo is a musical term in Italian, meaning from the beginning . It is often abbreviated D.C. It is a composer or publisher's directive to repeat the previous part of music, often used to save space. In small pieces this might be the same thing as a repeat, but in larger works D.C...
. The notebook in question, which belonged to Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's second wife Anna Magdalena
Anna Magdalena Bach
Anna Magdalena Bach was the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach.-Biography:...
, is a compilation of music by various composers of the late 17th and early 18th century, including François Couperin
François Couperin
François Couperin was a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. He was known as Couperin le Grand to distinguish him from other members of the musically talented Couperin family.-Life:Couperin was born in Paris...
, Georg Böhm
Georg Böhm
Georg Böhm was a German Baroque organist and composer. He is notable for his development of the chorale partita and for his influence on the young J. S. Bach.-Life:Böhm was born in 1661 in Hohenkirchen, near Ohrdruf...
, Johann Sebastian Bach himself and possibly some of his sons (e.g. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
right|250pxCarl Philipp Emanuel Bach was a German Classical period musician and composer, the fifth child and second son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Maria Barbara Bach...
). Most of the entries in the 1725 notebook were made by Anna Magdalena herself, and a few were contributed by Johann Sebastian and various friends of the Bach family
Bach family
The Bach family was of importance in the history of music for nearly two hundred years, with over 50 known musicians and several notable composers, the best-known of whom was Johann Sebastian Bach...
. Only a few composers are identified in the notebook. The Minuet in G major and its companion are two of the many anonymous works included. In the 1970s the Minuet in G major was identified as a piece from a harpsichord suite by Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
organist Christian Petzold
Christian Petzold
Christian Petzold was a German composer and organist. He was active primarily in Dresden, and achieved a high reputation during his lifetime, but his surviving works are few...
.
In popular culture
The melody from the 1965 pop song "A Lover's ConcertoA Lover's Concerto
"A Lover's Concerto" is a pop song written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell and recorded in 1965 by The Toys. Their version of the song was a major hit in both the United States and the UK during 1965. It peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at #2.Critic Dave Thompson wrote,...
", written by American songwriters Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell
Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell
Sandy Linzer and Denny Randell are American songwriters who wrote numerous pop and rock songs in the 1960s and 1970s, generally working together and with Bob Crewe...
, was based on the Minuet in G major. The song was recorded by the girl group
Girl group
A girl group is a popular music act featuring several young female singers who generally harmonise together.Girl groups emerged in the late 1950s as groups of young singers teamed up with behind-the-scenes songwriters and music producers to create hit singles, often featuring glossy production...
The Toys
The Toys
The Toys were an American pop girl group from Jamaica, New York, which was formed in 1961 and disbanded in 1968.-Members:The trio consisted of:* Barbara Harris sang lead most of the time....
and reached #2 in the U.S. and #5 in the U.K. Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
list. Global sales of "A Lover's Concerto" exceeded 2 million copies and was awarded gold record
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
by the R.I.A.A.
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
.
In the 1984 film Electric Dreams, the piece is the basis for a duet, or a friendly musical duel, between cellist Madeline and Edgar, the computer. This song from the movie soundtrack, titled "The Duel," was composed and performed by Giorgio Moroder
Giorgio Moroder
Hansjörg "Giorgio" Moroder is an Italian record producer, songwriter and performer based in Los Angeles. When in Munich in the 1970s, he started his own record label called Oasis Records, which several years later became a subdivision of Casablanca Records...
.
In the 1986 film Adventures of the American Rabbit, The song can be heard as Rob the Rabbit takes piano lessons and plays it.
The 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus
Mr. Holland's Opus is a 1995 American drama film directed by Stephen Herek, produced by Ted Field, Robert W. Cort, and Michael Nolin, and Executive Produced by Patrick Sheane Duncan. It stars Richard Dreyfuss in the title role, and the cast includes Glenne Headly, Olympia Dukakis, William H. Macy...
has a scene in which the title character, a high school music teacher, explains to his students the connection between "A Lover's Concerto" and the Minuet in G major.
External links
- Minuet in G major from free-scores.com