Suzanne Bona

I admit it — I love music with a sense of humor. There is a series of “covers” of pop music performed in medieval style, with early instruments. They are expertly played, and great fun — so today’s Beautiful Music is from this clever series. Here’s hoping we’re all Stayin’ Alive!    

Yesterday’s Beautiful Music was composed by Dietrich Buxtehude, who was one of Johann Sebastian Bach’s idols. Today, it’s music by Franz Tunder, who preceded Buxtehude as main organist at the Marienkirche in Lubeck.    

Johann Sebastian Bach still inspires musicians of all genres, even centuries after his time. But who inspired Bach? One of his idols was Dietrich Buxtehude, the Danish-German organist and composer who composed this Beautiful Music. It’s a Sonata played by the Eroica Trio.    

Voices of Music is a terrific California-based ensemble that specializes in baroque music. For many years they have done an excellent job cataloging and sharing their outstanding performances online. This is Beautiful Music played by Voices of Music — Johann Sebastian Bach’s Third Brandenburg Concerto.    

Marianne von Martinez (aka Marianna Martines) was born in 1744, right at the end of the baroque era in history. She was a singer and a pianist, and quite a child prodigy who saw her third Mass performed in her hometown of Vienna when she was still a teenager. This Beautiful Music is Marianna Martines’

I’m so excited to share with you a fascinating musical instrument, complete with an explanation and performed by one of its developers. Guitarist Leon Atkinson introduces his Classical Harp Guitar, and plays Beautiful Music by Spanish composer Luis Milan (1500-1561) on it.    

Johann Heinrich von Weissenburg or Giovanni Henrico Albicastro? Those who knew the former knew a professional military man who served as a Captain of Cavalry in the War of the Spanish Succession in the early 18th century. Those who knew the latter were a much smaller group — they knew the talented amateur musician —

Beautiful Music today by English musician Ignatius Sancho, one-time enslaved man who taught himself to play music and to read. He lived from 1729-1780, so his lifetime straddled the end of the baroque era (which ended in ~1750), and spilled into the early classical era. This charming and lovely music by Ignatius Sancho is played

Domenico Scarlatti’s music is so expressive of a range of moods: joyful and exuberant, serene and contemplative. And pianist Luke Welch captures those many moods with his lovely 2016 performance of Scarlatti Sonatas in Ireland. You can also check out the Canadian pianist’s website below.   https://lukewelch.ca/      

Today’s Beautiful Music is by a less well-known baroque era composer: Joseph-Nicolas-Pancrace Royer. William Christie plays the 18th century Frenchman’s solo harpsichord music, which was his big claim to fame during his lifetime.