P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer created by the American composer and musical satirist Peter Schickele for a five-decade career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the Bach family. Schickele's music combines parodies of

musicological Musicology (from Greek μουσική ''mousikē'' 'music' and -λογια ''-logia'', 'domain of study') is the scholarly analysis and research-based study of music. Musicology departments traditionally belong to the humanities, although some mu ...

scholarship, the conventions of

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

and Classical music, and

slapstick Slapstick is a style of humor involving exaggerated physical activity that exceeds the boundaries of normal physical comedy. Slapstick may involve both intentional violence and violence by mishap, often resulting from inept use of props such a ...

comedy. The name is a parody of the three-part names given to some members of the Bach family that are commonly reduced to initials, such as for Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach; ''PDQ'' is an

initialism An acronym is a word or name formed from the initial components of a longer name or phrase. Acronyms are usually formed from the initial letters of words, as in ''NATO'' (''North Atlantic Treaty Organization''), but sometimes use syllables, as ...

for " pretty damned quick". Schickele began working on the character while studying at the Aspen Music Festival and School and Juilliard, and performed a variety of Bach shows over many years. '' The Village Voice'' mentions the juxtaposition of

collage Collage (, from the french: coller, "to glue" or "to stick together";) is a technique of art creation, primarily used in the visual arts, but in music too, by which art results from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole. ...

, bitonality, musical satire, and orchestral surrealism in a "bizarre melodic stream of consciousness ... In P.D.Q. Bach he has single-handedly mapped a musical universe that everyone knew was there and no one else had the guts (not simply the bad taste) to explore." In 2012 Schickele reduced his touring due to age. On December 28 and 29, 2015, at The Town Hall in New York, he performed two concerts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his first concert. Schickele died on January 16, 2024, aged 88.

Biography

Schickele wrote a humorous fictional biography of the composer according to which P. D. Q. Bach was born in Leipzig on April 1, 1742, the son of Johann Sebastian Bach and

Anna Magdalena Bach Anna Magdalena Bach (née Wilcke or Wilcken) (22 September 1701 – 22 February 1760) was a professional singer and the second wife of Johann Sebastian Bach. Biography Anna Magdalena Wilcke was born at Zeitz, in the Electorate of Saxony. Whi ...

; the twenty-first of Johann's twenty children. He is also referred to as "the youngest and oddest of Johann Sebastian’s 20-odd children". He died May 5, 1807, though his birth and death years are often listed on album literature in reverse, as "(1807–1742)?". According to Schickele, "possessed the originality of Johann Christian, the arrogance of Carl Philipp Emanuel, and the obscurity of Johann Christoph Friedrich".

Music

Schickele's works attributed to P. D. Q. Bach often incorporate comical rearrangements of well-known works of other composers. The works use instruments not normally used in orchestras, such as the

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...

slide whistle A slide whistle (variously known as a swanee or swannee whistle, lotos flute piston flute, or jazz flute) is a wind instrument consisting of a fipple like a recorder's and a tube with a piston in it. Thus it has an air reed like some woodwinds ...

, kazoo, and fictional or experimental instruments such as the pastaphone (made of uncooked manicotti),

tromboon P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer invented by the American musical satirist Peter Schickele, who developed a five-decade-long career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the Bach family. Schickele's music combines ...

hardart The ''Concerto for Horn and Hardart'', S. 27, is a work of Peter Schickele composing under the pseudonym P. D. Q. Bach. The work is a parody of the classical double concerto but where one instrument, the hardart, uses different devices, such as plu ...

, lasso d'amore, and left-handed sewer flute. There is often a startling juxtaposition of styles within a single Bach piece. The ''Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz'', which alludes to

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

's opera '' Einstein on the Beach'', provides an example. The underlying music is J. S. Bach's first prelude from ''

The Well-Tempered Clavier ''The Well-Tempered Clavier'', BWV 846–893, consists of two sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys for keyboard by Johann Sebastian Bach. In the composer's time, ''clavier'', meaning keyboard, referred to a variety of in ...

'', but at double the normal speed, with each phrase repeated interminably in a minimalist manner that parodies Glass. On top of this mind-numbing structure is added everything from jazz phrases to snoring to heavily harmonized versions of " Three Blind Mice" to the chanting of a meaningless phrase ("Coy Hotsy-Totsy", alluding to the art film for which Glass wrote the score). Through all these mutilations, the piece never deviates from Bach's original harmonic structure. The humor in P. D. Q. Bach music often derives from violation of audience expectations, such as repeating a tune more than the usual number of times, resolving a musical chord later than usual or not at all, unusual key changes, excessive dissonance, or sudden switches from high art to

low art In sociology, the term Low culture identifies the forms of popular culture that have Commoner, mass appeal, which is in contrast to High culture, which has a limited appeal to a smaller proportion of the populace. Culture theory proposes that b ...

. Further humor is obtained by replacing parts of certain classical pieces with similar common songs, such as the opening of Brahms's Symphony No. 2 with "

Beautiful Dreamer "Beautiful Dreamer" is a parlor song by American songwriter Stephen Foster. It was published posthumously in March 1864, by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of New York. The first edition states on its title page that it is "the last song ever written by Steph ...

", or rewriting Tchaikovsky's ''

1812 Overture ''The Year 1812, Solemn Overture'', Op. 49, popularly known as the ''1812 Overture'', is a concert overture in E major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to commemorate the successful Russian defense against Napoleon ...

'' as the ''

1712 Overture ''1712 Overture and Other Musical Assaults'' is a classical music album released in 1989 by Telarc Records. The album contains works by P. D. Q. Bach, the alter ego of Professor Peter Schickele (as well as tracks credited to Schickele himself). It ...

'' with " Yankee Doodle" replacing Tchaikovsky's melody and " Pop Goes the Weasel" replacing .

Compositional periods

Schickele divides P. D. Q. Bach's fictional musical output into three periods: the Initial Plunge, the Soused Period, and Contrition. During the Initial Plunge, Bach wrote the for unaccompanied piano, an ''Echo Sonata'' for "two unfriendly groups of instruments", and a ''Gross Concerto for Divers Flutes, two Trumpets, and Strings''. During the Soused (or Brown-Bag) Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote a ''

Concerto for Horn and Hardart The ''Concerto for Horn and Hardart'', S. 27, is a work of Peter Schickele composing under the pseudonym P. D. Q. Bach. The work is a parody of the classical double concerto but where one instrument, the hardart, uses different devices, such as plu ...

'' (a pun on the name of a chain of automat restaurants), a ''

Sinfonia Concertante Sinfonia concertante (; also called ''symphonie concertante'') is an orchestral work, normally in several movements, in which one or more solo instruments contrast with the full orchestra.Collins: ''Encyclopedia of Music'', William Collins Sons & C ...

'', a ''Pervertimento for Bicycle, Bagpipes, and Balloons'', a ''Serenude'', a (literally German for "Wigpiece"), a Suite from ''The Civilian Barber'' (spoofing

Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. He set new standards f ...

's '' The Barber of Seville''), a ''Schleptet'' in E-flat major, the half-act opera ''

The Stoned Guest ''The Stoned Guest'' is a "half-act opera" by Peter Schickele in the satirical persona of P. D. Q. Bach.Schickele, Peter''The Stoned Guest''at the PDQ Bach website, accessed 2016 May 25 The title is a play on the "stone guest" character in ''Don ...

'' (the character of "The Stone Guest" from

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's ''

Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; Vienna (1788) title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanis ...

'', and the play by Pushkin), a ''Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra'', ''Erotica Variations'' ( Beethoven's '' Eroica Variations''), ''Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice'', an opera in one unnatural act (

Humperdinck Humperdinck or Humperdink is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Engelbert Humperdinck (composer) (1854–1921), German composer * Adelheid Wette nee Humperdinck (1858–1916), German author, composer, and folklorist; librettist o ...

's '' Hansel and Gretel'' and the 1969 film '' Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice''), ''The Art of the Ground Round'' ( Bach's '' The Art of Fugue''), a ''Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra'', and a '' Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion''. During the Contrition Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote the

cantata A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir. The meaning of ...

''Iphigenia in Brooklyn'' ( Gluck's '' Iphigenia in Aulis'', etc.), the oratorio ''The Seasonings'' ( Vivaldi's '' The Four Seasons''), ''Diverse Ayres on Sundrie Notions'', a ''Sonata for Viola Four Hands'',The term ''four hands'' refers to the playing of one instrument, most commonly a piano, by two players at once. the chorale prelude ''Should'', a ''Notebook for Betty Sue Bach'' ( Bach's '' Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach'' and

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

's "

Peggy Sue "Peggy Sue" is a rock and roll song written by Jerry Allison and Norman Petty, and recorded and released as a single by Buddy Holly on September 20, 1957. The Crickets are not mentioned on label of the single (Coral 9-61885), but band members Jo ...

"), the ''Toot Suite'', the ''Grossest Fugue'' ( Beethoven's '' Grosse Fuge''), a ''Fanfare for the Common Cold'' ( Copland's '' Fanfare for the Common Man'') and the canine cantata (Bach's ). A final work is the mock religious work ''Missa Hilarious'' ( Beethoven's ''

Missa Solemnis {{Audio, De-Missa solemnis.ogg, Missa solemnis is Latin for Solemn Mass, and is a genre of musical settings of the Mass Ordinary, which are festively scored and render the Latin text extensively, opposed to the more modest Missa brevis. In French ...

'') (Schickele no. N₂O – the chemical formula of nitrous oxide or "laughing gas").

Tromboon

The tromboon is a musical instrument made up of the reed and

bocal A bocal is a curved, tapered tube, which is an integral part of certain woodwind instruments, including double reed instruments such as the bassoon, contrabassoon, English horn, and oboe d'amore, as well as the larger recorders. In the double ree ...

of a

bassoon The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family, which plays in the tenor and bass ranges. It is composed of six pieces, and is usually made of wood. It is known for its distinctive tone color, wide range, versatility, and virtuo ...

, attached to the body of a trombone in place of the trombone's

mouthpiece Mouthpiece may refer to: * The part of an object which comes near or in contact with one's mouth or nose during use ** Mouthpiece (smoking pipe) or cigarette holder ** Mouthpiece (telephone handset) ** Mouthpiece (woodwind), a component of a woodw ...

. It combines the sound of double reeds and the

slide Slide or Slides may refer to: Places * Slide, California, former name of Fortuna, California Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums * ''Slide'' (Lisa Germano album), 1998 * ''Slide'' (George Clanton album), 2018 *''Slide'', by Patrick Glees ...

for a distinctive and unusual instrument. The name of the instrument is a portmanteau of "trombone" and "bassoon". The sound quality of the instrument is best described as comical and loud. The

was developed by Peter Schickele, a skilled bassoonist himself, and featured in some of his live concert and recorded performances. Schickele called it "a hybrid – that's the nicer word – constructed from the parts of a bassoon and a trombone; it has all the disadvantages of both". This instrument is called for in the scores of Bach's oratorio ''The Seasonings'', as well as the ''Serenude (for devious instruments)'' and '' Shepherd on the Rocks, With a

Twist Twist may refer to: In arts and entertainment Film, television, and stage * ''Twist'' (2003 film), a 2003 independent film loosely based on Charles Dickens's novel ''Oliver Twist'' * ''Twist'' (2021 film), a 2021 modern rendition of ''Olive ...

''.

Recordings

Awards

P. D. Q. Bach recordings received four successive Grammy Awards in the

Best Comedy Album The Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement in comedy." The award was awarded yearly from 1959 to 1993 and then from 2004 to presen ...

category from

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of Humankind, humanity on Earth, Astroph ...

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...

. Schickele also received a Grammy nomination in the Best Comedy Album category in 1996 for his abridged audiobook edition of ''The Definitive Biography of P. D. Q. Bach''.

References

Sources

External links

* *
Interview with Peter Schickele
February 15, 1988
P. D. Q. Bach: Works, About
Theodore Presser Company {{DEFAULTSORT:Bach, P. D. Q. Fictional composers Fictional musicians Nonexistent people used in jokes Parody musicians Running gags Telarc Records artists Vanguard Records artists Humor in classical music