Johann Joseph Fux: Steps to Perfection

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This was requested by Noble Rosethorn, The Major, Scriabin is my Dog, Klaviersuck, KSear, Alice Wyan [x2], and Tamás Károlyi. See all requests at lentovivace.com/classicalnerd....
📚 Sources/further reading:
“The Study of Counterpoint from Johann Joseph Fux’s Gradus Ad Parnassum,” translated and edited by Alfred Mann
www.oxfordmusiconline.com/gro...
styriarte.com/en/wer-war-joha...
www.jstor.org/stable/733113
www.baroquemusic.org/bqxfux.html
www.baroquemusic.org/cdtext682...
“A History of Musical Style” by Richard L. Crocker
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Classical Nerd is a video series covering music history, theoretical concepts, and techniques, hosted by composer, pianist, and music history aficionado Thomas Little.
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Music:
- Johann Joseph Fux: Missa in C major, K.46, performed by Cantores Carmeli Linz conducted by Michael Stenov and available on IMSLP: tinyurl.com/3hcsmysc
- Thomas Little: Dance! #2 in E minor, performed by Rachel Fellows, Michael King, and Bruce Tippette
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Contact Information:
Questions and comments can be directed to:
nerdofclassical [at] gmail.com
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/ classicalnerd
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/ the_classical_nerd
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All images and audio in this video are for educational purposes only and are not intended as copyright infringement. If you have a copyright concern, please contact me using the above information.

[@ClassicalNerd]

*Two things:* 1) The phrasing towards the end of this video gets a little weird-basically, one of the key differences in the competing music theories of the time was in fixed letter names/syllables or the more complex system of syllables as dictated by the older _gamut_ system. I think we know which one eventually won out! 2) I’d like to thank new patron *Steve Exeter* for supporting the channel. He does not appear in the credits because this video was produced prior to his patronage.

[@tamed4171]

I studied from his book very extensively, it helped alot with interval identification, which then helped with identifying chords easily, it also was the book that really started getting me into composition

[@samuelgersonjurado6559]

Hay en español?

[@MitchBoucherComposer]

Great video! I love Fux, and admire his music greatly.

[@briancoveney3080]

We're actually looking past you, trying to see as many titles on the spines behind you. That is quite the collection on those shelves. The books are the star of your video. Thank you.

Another interesting video, bravo! I'm glad that you're able to upload content a bit more frequently now, we've missed you!

[@racheltomlinson1548]

I absolutely love your videos! Thank you for making them.

[@tombruges1557]

Was just about to read his counterpoint book, glad to see this video!

[@benthepen3336]

Nice! Enjoy and let me know how it is

[@alicewyan]

Yay! Thanks for your videos, fascinating as always :D

[@ClassicalNerd]

Thank you for your support!!

[@WhiteTreeRightful]

You missed the opportunity of a lifetime making a video about fux on april fool's

[@danielharris9403]

There's always Scheidt...

[@ferdinandcomposer4235]

Yup, I had to study his book in my counterpoint class, too. Thanks for another great video.

[@brendaboykin3281]

Thanx, Thomas 🌹🌹🌹

[@dahlrussell]

Thank you for this. Having studied music since I was 6, raised in a house of musicians, I don't remember hearing of him until I found out that he is one of MY musical great-grandparents. He taught composition to Krumpholtz, who was essential in the foundations of harp music, and I'll be playing one of his works in an upcoming program. Thank you so much. Very clear overview. Why isn't he better known? My observation (as a classical music radio host who has read hundreds of thousands of liner notes) is that composers who come towards the END of a musical period may be writing in the zenith of their style, but they are usually considered "old school" so their works fall into obscurity as soon as they die. Meanwhile, composers who are at the start of a musical period become almost permanent fixtures.

[@sg_dan]

I'll forever be thankful to my composition professor for making me go through the Gradus. It really made me appreciate contrapuntal and fugal writing that much more.

[@salemsokiredor9225]

Good job

[@andersbertilsson9516]

Fux also composed a lot of instrumental music in the french style.

[@CaptainBohnenbrot]

SCHNITZELBAUM!? just ... yes! A big, fat YES!

[@gim12345]

I love his music,never understood why he is so underrated

[@kyleconductorandtuba]

Just took a counterpoint class last semester! I found his book interesting.

[@cthellis]

Considering the day, I was really looking forward to you dropping a video filled with references and the usual production value, but on someone you just made up. 😝

[@ClassicalNerd]

Maybe a normal video is a reverse joke!

[@simonrodriguez4685]

Great video as usual. All antique music fans are gonna hate me for saying this. I do like 16th and 17th century music. But the tradition has evolved, that’s all I’m saying. There’s an inflection point when music goes from stylistically sounding more like the composer, than the epoch. That does take place during the 18th century. Theory had a great influence in this transition and Fux’s work was probably the cornerstone of this process. Which makes this video even more important. Thank you.

[@venceremosallende422]

As a german, I can tell you that the „u“ in Fux is shorter. Not like in „dudes“ but more like one says „books“.

[@sameash3153]

English speakers don't like to say it like that because it sounds too much like a naughty word

[@venceremosallende422]

@@sameash3153 But the “u” in the word you are refering to is spoken like in “shut”. So one could clearly hear the difference between “Johann Joseph Fux” and “f*ck you”

[@flelgrorf7577]

@@venceremosallende422 good point allende even though i'm a pinochetist

[@venceremosallende422]

@@flelgrorf7577 If you say 2+2 equals 4 I will not say something different just because you said it. Unfortunate you are more of a pinochetist, but this is the internet, so all this does not really matter at all.

[@noidea42]

I just looked at your request-list, haha. What about a video on Vincent Persichetti some time in the far future? Also, your videos are great!

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted!

[@noidea42]

Thank you!

[@TheProsaicCult]

Strangely, I could find no organ works by Fuchs on KZbin.

[@briancoveney3080]

Maybe you could take us on a tour of your library. Peace.

[@seanramsdell4117]

13:23 Thank you :)

[@danpan6239]

Would love to see a video on Moondog if you ever get the chance

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@ritcheborras8536]

Please cover Edmund Rubbra ! Thanks and best regards !

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted (although I hope your fingers aren't crossed for it happening any time soon): lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@seanramsdell4117]

Can I make a request? Gottschalk

[@ClassicalNerd]

Sean, as I have stated before-and has been my policy for over two years-you cannot make any more requests until/if the number of requests that you have made that are still in the pool drops to below five. Since you made 128 requests before I implemented the policy, this will not happen any time soon.

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

I've been working on a book for the You Tube generation, Gradus ad Purrnassum, counterpoint for cat piano videos.

[@brendanward2991]

Great video! (Ignore this comment if this video is an April Fools' joke that went over my head.)

[@adrianoseresi3525]

Can I add Scarlatti and Verdi to the request pool, my dear friend?

[@ClassicalNerd]

Which Scarlatti?

[@adrianoseresi3525]

@@ClassicalNerd The one and only Mr Sunday Scarlet (Domenico means Sunday in italian)!

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@Rob-vy6zx]

Was expecting an april fool's video

[@ClassicalNerd]

Sorry to disappoint.

[@jakew520]

Alan Hovhaness??

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@jakew520]

@@ClassicalNerd Thanks! He is underrated

[@ClassicalNerd]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXy6mqihbM5nhdk

[@TheOneAndOnlyZeno1889]

I eagerly await a video on the Baroque master Jan Dismas Zelenka, of which I have arranged (currently) over 136 score-videos of, and have at least another 52 videos to create: kzbin.info/aero/PLafpqg3vsKmeqZ960zC8TcjT1x4-I-zM7 Also a fun fact that may or may not be mentioned in the video (currently listening to it), is that Zelenka received personal lessons from Fux, no doubt why he is one of the greatest composers next to Bach of the era, composing most of his instrumental works at the time, culminating in his famous 6 trio sonata's, a unique masterpiece of Czech folk melodic themes with ingenious counterpoint and LOTS of fugues, score: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKiXl2ydd7Kdnq8

[@ClassicalNerd]

Duly noted: lentovivace.com/classicalnerd.html

[@TheOneAndOnlyZelenkaGuru]

@@ClassicalNerd Never got a notification of your reply, but I thank you for when the day comes, regards - Zeno.

[@AJBlueJay]

If you like Zelenka, try also listening to Bassani and Legrenzi. Some of their works sound like an early Zelenka, and I suspect that Zelenka was influenced by Bassani. Bassani op 5 has a strong resemblance to Zelenka's 6 trio Sonatas. The way that there are two basses that constantly diverge is also similar, and very interesting. During the Baroque, Italian composers were always stylistically ahead by a few decades.

[@endodouble6691]

This guy FUX

[@i_am_a_music_maker5212]

Johann Joseph does what now?

[@dr7246]

The “gamma/ut” system had very practical origins. Don’t just write it off as a complicated mess

[@ClassicalNerd]

Yes, it makes sense as a theoretical framework for a certain _type_ of early music. But by Fux's time, it was not relevant, hence the need for new theoretical frameworks (although Rameau's contemporaneous theories ended up winning out). One can make the exact same case for Roman numeral analysis in the late Romantic/early 20th century; trying to do that sort of analysis in a Strauss or Wolf context requires so much extra effort that it's just not worth looking at that music through that lens.

[@2li678]

Djoehan Djosiff Fuchs. There. I mispronounced it. Whatchagonnadonownerrrrrrrrrrrrrrd?

[@wilh3lmmusic]

PLEASEDONTMISPRONOUNCEHISNAME Edit: typo

[@danielfladmose]

Great video! Important subject. Please, your jingle. Its very annoying. I guess, your listeners are very sound sensible. I am annoyed leaving your videos which often leave me at the heart of some beautiful music with the catchy jingle. One day it sticked in my mind, and I couldnt get it out.