Christian Petzold: The Ghost Composer (Key Stage 2)

Have you ever wondered who a composer really was? 

The answer is they were people, just like you and me. They practised hard and sometimes found it tricky.

But they never gave up. 

I would like to introduce you to Christian Petzold.

If you have ever played the famous, beautiful Minuet in G, your book might tell you it was written by Johann Sebastian Bach. 

But that is a complete historical mix-up.

It didn't take magic to fix this mistake; it took reason and musicological research. In the 1970s, researchers acting as musical archaeologists dug into ancient archives, compared handwriting, and proved the piece belonged to Petzold. 

Petzold’s story teaches us that doing your job with quiet brilliance matters, and the truth will always prevail if we are willing to look beneath the surface.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQjExvosWDI

So who was Christian Petzold? 

He was a superstar of his day; he was the court organist and composer in a town called Dresden in Germany.

His concert tours included Paris in 1714 and Venice in 1716. While we do not know for certain, it is likely that Christian Petzold could have met Antonio Vivaldi due to a musical friend who was also on tour with him called Johann Georg Pisendel who was a virtuoso (this means very very good) violinist. We know that during this trip he met Vivaldi and that the elite (another word for very good) musicians from Dresden formed a temporary group with whom Vivaldi also had contact. Petzold was part of this exciting group and could have even performed with Vivaldi. 

Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (son of J.S. Bach and brother of C.P.E. Bach) was appointed court organist after Petzold died in 1733. 

This highly talented musician was almost forgotten, becoming a ghost in the music once attributed to Bach, but now we can look back and say this man whose music has been loved and played by thousands of piano students and arranged for many other instruments, including a chart-topping pop song in 1965 can now be given proper credit.

What is a Minuet?

A minuet is an elegant dance that was very popular in the 1700s. It is always written in 3/4 time, which means it has a gentle 1-2-3 pulse, perfect for elegant steps and graceful movements.

This minuet was written by Christian Petzold, but in a ‘mega-fan’ moment J.S. Bach, or maybe one of his sons or possibly his wife Anna Magdalena copied it into her special manuscript book. This is like putting the band poster on your wall, but it remained there for 250 years! The special manuscript book had a green leather cover and had her initials in gold on the cover along with the date (1725). This was her ‘notebook’ of pieces she liked, or was learning.

Do you have a special notebook for your pieces?

Maybe you could start one?

Hand-copying the music helps you learn the piece, the structure and the patterns.

Listening Tasks

Stage 2 Lap-Book Version 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3RqvJuftmE

Level 5 Minuet in G 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fDfULyceX4

Minuet in G by The Toys: Lovers Concerto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMqLS3C7I0

Listening Questions

1. Listen to the Level 2 version, then flip to the Level 5 version. What extra 'musical sprinkles' (ornaments) or left-hand patterns can you hear the advanced pianist using to dress up Petzold's original theme? 

2. Pretend you are the metronome and clap along to the beat or pulse saying 1 - 2 - 3. This is called an Ostinato.

3. Can you describe how the pop version changes the time signature from a 3/4 dance into a bouncy 4/4 beat?"

Baroque Lap Book Project

For the Baroque Lap Book project you are starting with an un-decorated version of the main TMEP Stage 2 theme (above) 

Download the Telemann Section on this link 

Petzold - - An Apprentice Guide to the Baroque.pdf

Download PDF • 3.44MB

You will need the following information for your lap book. 

Baroque Era Superpower Accordion 

• Ornamentation: Add extra notes or decorations to a melody.

• Baroque Organ: This is a massive, powerful keyboard instrument from the 1600s and 1700s that uses giant bellows to blast air through rows of hollow pipes.

Four Flap Composer Info Hub 

Petzold

• Flap : Born 1677 Died 1733

• A court composer and organist in Dresden

Cover Image

A whimsical cartoon illustration of a historical musician seated at a grand piano, surrounded by musical notes, with the name "Petzold" elegantly displayed beneath.

Comprehension Questions

1. Who is the actual composer of the piece commonly known as "Minuet in G"?

   1. Johann Sebastian Bach

   2. Antonio Vivaldi

   3. Christian Petzold

   4. Wilhelm Friedemann Bach

      
      

2. What position did Christian Petzold hold in Dresden?

   1. Violinist

   2. Court organist and composer

   3. Pop singer

   4. Music teacher

      
      

3. What does the term "Ornamentation" mean in the context of the Baroque Era?

   1. A large keyboard instrument

   2. A type of dance

   3. Adding extra notes or decorations to a melody

   4. A musical tour

Words to Learn

• Musical Archaeologists: Researchers who investigate and study historical musical archives.

• Virtuoso: A person who is highly skilled in music or another artistic pursuit.

• Elite: A group of people considered to be the best in a particular society or category.

• Baroque Organ: A massive, powerful keyboard instrument from the 1600s and 1700s that uses giant bellows to blast air through rows of hollow pipes.

• Ornamentation: The addition of extra notes or decorations to a melody.

• Ostinato: A musical pattern that repeats over and over again.