Jack Crotty, professor of music theory at West Virginia University, will present a lecture-recital on J.S. Bach (1685-1750) at the WVU Creative Arts Center, Sunday, Sept. 15. The event is free and open to the public.

The program begins at 3 p.m. in the Bloch Learning and Performance Hall (200A) and will feature the music of J.S. Bach with harpsichord. Dr. Crotty will play and discuss selections from Bach’s Inventions, Sinfonias, the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, and the “Sonata in E minor” for Flute and continuo.

In the latter work, he will be assisted by several WVU music students, including flutist Katarina Schwarz, a senior in flute performance; cellist Christopher Jones, a graduate composition student; and junior composition student Zara Simon-Ogan, on PowerPoint.

“The discussion focuses on what these pieces tell us about how Bach’s artistic understanding of his music materials and the relationships they enter into for purposes of making a rational musical argument,” Crotty said. “The presentation will demonstrate the principles of information design in music through the visual rendering of musical argumentation; that is Bach’s notion of learning to think musically.

“The intelligible form of each composition constitutes a musical argument whose geometry can be captured visually through two-dimensional graphics.”

Crotty will present graphic representations of these musical arguments that will unfold as the pieces are performed, thereby allowing the listeners to keep track of where they are in the piece.

For more information about the lecture-recital, call the College of Creative Arts at (304) 293-4359.

-WVU-

cl/09/13/13

CONTACT: Charlene Lattea, College of Creative Arts
304-293-4359, Charlene.Lattea@mail.wvu.edu

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