P.D.Q. Bach Concerts in New York City

Peter Schickele has been discovering works by P.D.Q. Bach since the early 1950's. And ever since the first big concert at Town Hall in 1964, he has returned to New York each Christmas to perform the latest of his discoveries for an appreciative audience. Thankfully he still tours the country doing PDQ Bach during the year (check the Schickele/PDQ Bach Concert Schedule), and the annual week-after-Christmas concerts are still going strong. This list contains the information from those performances for which I could find my copy of the program notes. More contributions are welcome!
2001 December 26, 27
Lincoln Center $70, $62 ... $35, $25
Peter Schickele Meets PDQ Bach
Featuring Michèle Eaton, David Düsing, Ory Brown, Kenneth Jean

Selected Rounds
Beatleset
Swing Sweet, Low Chariot
If Love is Real
Songs from Shakespeare
Oedipus Tex S. 150

2000 December 26, 27
Carnegie Hall $68, $56, $41, $34, $27, $18
The 1712 Overture and Other Outbreaks of Musical Violence

Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Instruments
Classical Rap
``Safe'' Sextet
Minuet Militaire
Fugue of the Volga Boatmen
1712 Overture

1999 December 27, 29
Carnegie Hall $46, $36, $28, $25, $16
Ears Wide Shut

Canzon per sonar a sei - count them - sei (s. 6)
Canzonetta La Hooplina ("The Girl from Hoople") (S. 16 going on 30)
String Quartet in F Major The Moose (S. Y2K) (World Premiere)
Royal Firewater Musick (Dudeldorf Version) (S. 1/5)
Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra (S. 88)

1998 December 27 (2pm matinee), 29
Carnegie Hall
Songs My Mother Wouldn't Teach Me the Words To

Overture to The Abduction of Figaro (S. 384, 492)
Four Next-to-Last Songs (S. x - 1)
Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz (S. e=mt)
No-No Nonette (S. 86)
Blaues Gras (Bluegrass Cantata) (S. 5-string)

1997 December 27, 29
Carnegie Hall $45, $35, $25, $20
The Three Bargain-Counter-tenors

1996 December 26, 27, 29
Carnegie Hall $45, $35, $25, $20
The Great P.D.Q. Bach Sing-in

Quodlibet
The Art of the Ground Round (S. $1.19/lb)
A Consort of Choral Christmas Carols (S. 359)
Two Hearts, Four Lips, Three Little Words
Cantata Singalonga: Melior Cave Canem ("Better Watch Out for the Dog")
The Seasonings (S. 1/2 tsp)

1995 December 27, 29, 30
Carnegie Hall
30 Years of Musical Delectation

Overture to La Clemenza di Genghis Khan (S. 1227)
Iphegenia in Brooklyn (S. 52,162)
Canine Cantata: ``Wachet Arf!'' (``Sleeping Dots Awake'') (S. K9)
Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs (S. 16 degrees)
The Preachers of Crimetheus, Ballet in One Selfless Act (S. 988)

The 27 December performance featured an unscheduled guest appearance by Itzhak Perlman, playing a fragment of a newly-discovered violin concerto by P.D.Q. Bach.

1994 December 26, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
It is to Laugh, It is to Cry

Uptown Hoedown
Short Tempered Clavier [NY premiere]
La Pucelle de New Orleans
Howdy Symphony

1993 December 27, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Two Pianists are Better Than One

Gross Concerto
Chaconne à son Goût [P. Schickele]
The Musical Sacrifice
Concerto for Two Pianos vs. Orchestra [20th Century premiere]

1992 December 26, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion

Fanfare for Fred (S. F4F) [NY premiere]
March of the Cute Little Wood Sprites (S. Onesy Twosy)
Six Contrary Dances (S. 39)
Last Tango in Bayreuth [P. Schickele]
Lip My Reeds (S. 32') [NY premiere]
``Dutch'' Suite in G Major (S. -16)
Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion (S. 1000)

1991 December 26, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
An Evening of Music for People Who Can't Get It Together

``Safe'' Sextet [NY premiere]
Rounds for Squares [first performance]
Four Curmudgeonly Cannons
Two Madrigals from ``The Triumphs of Thusnelda'' (S. 1601)
Eine Kliene Nichtmusik
Fantasieshtick

1990 December 26, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Third Annual 25th Anniversary Concert: The Debacle of the Decade

Birthday Ode to ``Big Daddy'' Bach
Classical Rap (New York Premiere)
Choral Cantata: ``Knock, Knock'' (New York Premiere)
``Oedipus Tex'' (Oratorio Version)
encore: Should

1989 December 26, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Pan demonium

Four Folk Song Upsettings (New York Premiere)
Prelude to ``Einstein on the Fritz''
Variations on an unusually simple-minded theme
``The Magic Bassoon'' (opera in one cathartic act) (New York Premiere)
Note: December 30 Dana Krueger was sick, so other works were substituted for the premiere pieces: Little Notebook for Piggy Bach (NY Premiere), Unbegun Symphony
encore: Prelude in C

1988 December 27, 28, 30, January 1
Carnegie Hall
On the Dilemmas of a Horn

Minuet Militaire (New York Premiere)
Bach Portrait
The Preachers of Crimetheus (New York Premiere)
Capriccio: ``La Pucelle de New Orleans'' (``The Maid of New Orleans'')
Breakfast Antiphonies (New York Premiere)

1987 December 26, 27, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Bassooning His Way into Your Heart

Sonata Innamorata (World Premiere)
Prelude to ``Einstein on the Fritz'' (World Premiere)
Andante Cantabile [F. J. Haydn]
Canine Cantata: ``Wachet Arf!''
Echo Sonata for two unfriendly groups of instruments
Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra

1986 December 26, 27, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Oedipus Tex
Birthday Ode to "Big Daddy" Bach (New York Premiere)
Quodlibet
A Consort of Choral Christmas Carols
Oedipus Tex (New York Premiere)
encore: Should

1985 December 27, 28, 29, 30
Carnegie Hall
Absolutely, positively the last J.S. Bach tercentennial tribute

Schleptet
Bach Portrait [P. Schickele] (World Premiere)
Gross Concerto No. 2 (New York Premiere)
Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra
encore: Allemande Left

1984 December 27, 28, 29, 30
Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center
Vocal Highlights of a Musical Lowlife

Excerpts from ``The Abduction of Figaro,'' Simply Grand Opera in Three Acts (S. 384,492) (New York Premiere)
Two Madrigals from ``The Triumphs of Thusnelda'' (S. 1601)
Missa Hilarious (S. N2O)

1983 December 27, 28, 30, January 1
Carnegie Hall
New Horizons in Music Appreciation
Suite from the Civilian Barber
Chaconne a son gout
New Horizons in Music Appreciation
Variations on an Unusually Simple-Minded Theme (New York Premiere)

1982 December 27, 28, 30, January 2
Carnegie Hall
A Little Nightmare Music
Featuring John Ferrante
Royal Firewater Music
A Little Nightmare Musick (World Premiere)
Sonata Piccola (World Premiere)
Art of the Ground Round

1981 December 26, 27, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Featuring John Ferrante
Howdy Symphony
Octoot (World Premiere)
Iphegenia in Brooklyn
La Pucelle de New Orleans (World Premiere)
Fantasieshtick

1980 December 26, 27, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall

Featuring John Ferrante
Black Forest Bluegrass Blaues Gras
Shepherd on the Rocks, with a Twist (New York Premiere)
Pervertimento for Bagpipe, Bicycle and Balloons
Gross Concerto
The Musical Sacrifice

1979 December 27, 28, 29, 30
Avery Fisher Hall
Featuring John Ferrante and Harris Poor
Liebeslieder Polkas (New York Premiere)
Dutch Suite (New York Premiere)
Hindenburg Concerto
The Seasonings

1978
Carnegie Hall
Featuring John Ferrante, Marilyn Brustadt, Pyramid Sellers, Toto [the dog]
Peruckenstuck
Blaues Gras (World Premiere)
The Stoned Guest

1977 December 27, 28, 30
Avery Fisher Hall
No-no Nonette (World Premiere)
Unbegun Symphony
Suite from the Civilian Barber
Fuga Meshuga (World Premiere)
Fantasieshtick (World Premiere)

1976 December 26, 28, 30
Carnegie Hall
Howdy Symphony (World Premiere)
Royal Firewater Music (World Premiere)
Consort of Choral Christmas Carols (World Premiere)
Eine Kleine Nichtmusik
Missa Hilarious

1975 December 28, 29
Avery Fisher Hall
Featuring Anna Russell, DA Brooklyn Boys Choir, N.Y. Pickup Ensemble
Desecration of the House Overture
Walled Stein Sonata
Trite Quintet
Hindenburg Concerto
Missa Hilarious (premiere)

1974 December 26, 27
Avery Fisher Hall
Preconcert: The Bassoonettes (New York Bassoon Quartet)
Suite from The Civilian Barber (premiere)
The Grossest Fugue (premiere)
Chaconne a Son Gout (premiere)
Cantata: Wachet Arf (premiere)
Fanfare For the Common Cold (premiere)
Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra (premiere)

1973 December 26, 27, 28, 29 (2), 30
Town Hall
The Intimate P.D.Q. Bach
Preconcert: Kaminsky International Kazoo Quartet
Notebook for Betty-Sue Bach (excerpts)
Toot Suite in C minor
Diverse Aires on Sundrie Notions
Erotica Variations
slide show
Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice

1972 December 26, 29
Philharmonic Hall
Featuring John Nelson, John Ferrante
Iphegenia in Brooklyn
Serenude for Devious Instruments
The Art of the Ground Round
Pervertimento
Toot Suite for Calliope Four Hands
Unbegun Symphony

1971 December 26, 27
Philharmonic Hall
Featuring Barbara Hendricks, Barbara Martin, John Ferrante, Raymond Buckingham
Trite Quintet (premiere)
Notebook for Betty-Sue Bach (premiere)
My Bonnie Lass She Smelleth
The Seasonings

1970 December 27, 28
Philharmonic Hall
Schleptet in Eb
Gross Concerto
New Horizons in Music Appreciation (Bob Dennis)
Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra (new 3rd movement)

1969 No concert!

1968 December 23, 28, 31
Philharmonic Hall
A few MADrigals
Toot Suite in C minor (Three Grinders)
Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra (Concerto No. 13 in Bb, Elvira Mulligan)
The Stoned Guest

1967 December 27, 29, 31
Philharmonic Hall
Featuring Claudine Carlson, Haywood, Ferrante, Bernice
Serenude (premiere)
Eine Kleine Nichtmusick
one or two other works, maybe the Schleptet?
The Stoned Guest (premiere)

1966 December 22, 26, 30, 31
Carnegie and Philharmonic Hall
Featuring Ferrante, Lorna Haywood, Royal Festival Orchestra and Okay Chorale
Diverse Aires on Sundrie Notions (premiere)
Eine Kleine Nichtmusick (premiere)
Perucken Stucke (premiere)
Echo Sonata (premiere)
The Seasonings

1965 December 28
Philharmonic Hall
Featuring Ferrante, Malcolm Smith, Patricia Brooks, Marlena Kleinman, Hambro, Froelich
Concerto for Horn and Hardart
Cantata: Iphegenia in Brooklyn
Pathetic Symphony (later renamed Unbegun )
Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle and Balloons
The Seasonings

1965 April 24
Town Hall
Concerto for Horn and Hardart
Cantata: Iphegenia in Brooklyn
Gross Concerto
Quodlibet
Sinfonia Concertante Many thanks to Lloyd Peterson for detailed information about the first nineteen years!

Related sites:

  • P.D.Q. Bach discography
  • Schickele Mix radio show
  • Theodore Presser's Peter Schickele page
  • Theodore Presser's P.D.Q. Bach page

  • mwm@cmu.edu