Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Twinkle, Twinkle: The Backstory.
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Twinkle, Twinkle: The Backstory.
Greetings, listeners, readers, and all ye whose frivolous clicking happened across these program notes. This week's broadcast of The World Before Pancakes takes a humorous slant: it features a variety of variations on one of the most universally known melodies of Western Civilization. You might call it Twinkle, Twinkle. Or perhaps The Alphabet Song. Or, just possibly,Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman
"Ah! Shall I tell you, Mother,
What causes my torment?
Father wants me to reason
As an adult, but
I say that sweets are
Better than reason."
This melody first appeared in an anonymous publication, in the 1740s. It was joined with the above verse several decades afterwards, when it began to cause excitement in Paris which was only furthered when the 25 (or 26) year old Mozart heard the meloody and, with his pen, vaunted it to new levels of popularity.
(Source: Aaron Green. https://www.thoughtco.com/mozart-origin-twinkle-twinkle-little-star-723916)Mozart, Wolfgang: Twelve Variations on "Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman," K. 265/300e. Performed by Andre Bondarenko."Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732 - 1795) was a son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach. He lived and worked mainly at the court of Bückeburg. Therefore he is called the Bückeburger Bach. The variations on the same song by Mozart are well known. These variations by Bach are not, unfortunately. Yet, this music is very nice to listen to and to play. In the German speaking countries it is known by the title "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann" and in the English countries: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star". In Holland we know it as "Altijd is Kortjakje ziek". I play it on my cabinet organ, built by Cor Duijn (Lelystad, The Netherlands, 1995). It has 5 stops: flute 8', flute 4', quint 2 2/3', octave 2' and tremulant. This organ has only wooden pipes."
(Source: Gerard van Reenan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rArHUrS-xzQ)Bach, Johann Christoff Friedrich: Variations on Ah, Vous dirai-je Maman. Performed by Gerard van Reenen.
"Wanting to avoid being known primarily as the composer of The Carnival of the Animals, Saint-Saëns decided to make sure the piece was not published during his lifetime. Performances were limited to a few private events (Franz Liszt, who once called Saint-Saëns the greatest organist in the world was at one of these rare performances). It wasn’t until his friends begged him to make at least some of it public that he allowed one movement to be used as a solo piece: “The Swan” (he also finally agreed the entire work could be published after his death)."
(Source: Katherine J. Allwine Bacasmont. http://saskatoonsymphony.org/saint-saens-carnival-of-the-animals/)
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals, Movements 11-12. Performed by Zagreb Music Academy Chamber Orchestra."For the enjoyment of humorous people and for the annoyance of others." - Dohnanyi's dedication.
Dohnanyi, Ernst von: Variations on a Nursery Rhyme. Performed by the composer with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Conducted by Sir Adrian Bolt.(Painting of the Mozart Family by della Croce)
View all episodes
By WYBC / KincaidGreetings, listeners, readers, and all ye whose frivolous clicking happened across these program notes. This week's broadcast of The World Before Pancakes takes a humorous slant: it features a variety of variations on one of the most universally known melodies of Western Civilization. You might call it Twinkle, Twinkle. Or perhaps The Alphabet Song. Or, just possibly,Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman
"Ah! Shall I tell you, Mother,
What causes my torment?
Father wants me to reason
As an adult, but
I say that sweets are
Better than reason."
This melody first appeared in an anonymous publication, in the 1740s. It was joined with the above verse several decades afterwards, when it began to cause excitement in Paris which was only furthered when the 25 (or 26) year old Mozart heard the meloody and, with his pen, vaunted it to new levels of popularity.
(Source: Aaron Green. https://www.thoughtco.com/mozart-origin-twinkle-twinkle-little-star-723916)Mozart, Wolfgang: Twelve Variations on "Ah! Vous Dirai-Je, Maman," K. 265/300e. Performed by Andre Bondarenko."Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (1732 - 1795) was a son of the great Johann Sebastian Bach. He lived and worked mainly at the court of Bückeburg. Therefore he is called the Bückeburger Bach. The variations on the same song by Mozart are well known. These variations by Bach are not, unfortunately. Yet, this music is very nice to listen to and to play. In the German speaking countries it is known by the title "Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann" and in the English countries: "Twinkle, twinkle, little star". In Holland we know it as "Altijd is Kortjakje ziek". I play it on my cabinet organ, built by Cor Duijn (Lelystad, The Netherlands, 1995). It has 5 stops: flute 8', flute 4', quint 2 2/3', octave 2' and tremulant. This organ has only wooden pipes."
(Source: Gerard van Reenan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rArHUrS-xzQ)Bach, Johann Christoff Friedrich: Variations on Ah, Vous dirai-je Maman. Performed by Gerard van Reenen.
"Wanting to avoid being known primarily as the composer of The Carnival of the Animals, Saint-Saëns decided to make sure the piece was not published during his lifetime. Performances were limited to a few private events (Franz Liszt, who once called Saint-Saëns the greatest organist in the world was at one of these rare performances). It wasn’t until his friends begged him to make at least some of it public that he allowed one movement to be used as a solo piece: “The Swan” (he also finally agreed the entire work could be published after his death)."
(Source: Katherine J. Allwine Bacasmont. http://saskatoonsymphony.org/saint-saens-carnival-of-the-animals/)
Saint-Saëns: Carnival of the Animals, Movements 11-12. Performed by Zagreb Music Academy Chamber Orchestra."For the enjoyment of humorous people and for the annoyance of others." - Dohnanyi's dedication.
Dohnanyi, Ernst von: Variations on a Nursery Rhyme. Performed by the composer with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Conducted by Sir Adrian Bolt.(Painting of the Mozart Family by della Croce)