Mystery Composer Contest

We are off and running!
Our second M.C. Clue was handed out at the Sept./Oct. Group Lessons. We read this month's clue out loud at Group; students were sent home with a printed version. Additional clues will be handed out at the October and January Group Lessons. The February Group Lesson is spent on the history and music of that year's Mystery Composer. As each Group Week is completed, I will post the clue in this section. See below for the list of clues.

Rules of the contest are:

Middle School and High School Students must do their own research. They may use the internet, the library, books you have at home, or even attendance/participation in concerts.
Early elementary students may have parental help at the computer. Parents, please do not do the work for students--let them figure out how to use the clues to search for their information needed. You may "guide" your student by asking them leading questions.
You must email the results of your research (no telephone conversations or texts, please) for I print the correspondence and place in your Group Notebook. In order for you to receive a correct answer you must include the following:
- Name of the Mystery Composer
- Dates of birth and death (unless still living)
- Why did you pick this particular composer? Which part of my clue did you use?
- With the advent of AI, rules are a little stricter regarding the information you use. IF you use AI and think you know who M.C. is, then follow the link at the end of the AI article you are using. Read that information then decide if it is what you need. If so, you must provide the url of the article you are using. I follow those urls to make sure I know where you received your information. IF there is not a link at the end of the AI article, do NOT use it.
- Include the name of at least two compositions by M.C.
I will answer your email as soon as possible with either a "congratulations" or a "hmm.....this part is good but I need (fill in the blank)."
There will be ties. Group lessons are held on 3 different days in the week; each group will be allowed the same amount of time for students to research and turn in the results of that research. I will say that the competition in the High School Group has been rather cutthroat in the last 10 years. The contest now is not for which level of prize to aim for but to see who can qualify for the grand prize in the shortest amount of time. This makes for very interesting and fun emails.

Prizes:

Grand Prize: $20.00 Gift Certificate to Gillium Music
Group Prize: $15.00 Gift Certificate to Gillium Music

Happy Research!!

M.C. Contest Winners

M.C. Clues

August 2026

Links to the clues are:

List of Composers M.C. is drawn from.
Previous Mystery Composers
The Ages of Music (below)

October 2026: Grand Prize research will be accepted until November 1st. October link.
February 2027:

Ages of Music
Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Impressionistic/20th Century/Contemporary

Baroque Period (1600-1750)

This was the age of the harpsichord, clavichord and the organ. The clavichord used strings that were stuck by a tangent (brass blade) at the back of the key. The harpsichord used strings that were plucked by a small piece of material (ivory, quill) called a plectrum. The organ used pipes that were fed air by wind chests supplied by hand (or foot) powered bellows. Music was performed in churches and court, with some of the lesser nobility also having the ability to hire a couple of musicians for special family occasions. The music was linear (both hands equal and separate) and imitative or "contrapuntal". Keyboard music looked easy on the page but was actually difficult to learn. Forms of music composition from the Baroque are suites of dances, variations, fugues, preludes and toccatas.

German Clavichord
(replica)

above: Flemish Harpsichord
(replica)
right: Pipe Organ

Classical Period (1740 - 1830)

This age saw the rise of the "pianoforte" or "fortepiano" (terms intermixed) and the orchestra as we know it today. The pianoforte used strings that were struck by a hammer. For the first time a performer could produce both soft and loud sounds at the same time on a keyboard stringed instrument by changing the amount of weight used in his hand each time he struck a key. This instrument combined the new "hammer action" with the case and materials of the harpsichord producing a new type of keyboard sound. Due to the Age of Reason, the influence of the church on people's lives started slipping; instead of church music being the emphasis, music for entertainment became as important as church music. Opera became the grand form of composing with keyboard music seeing a rise in the sonata (three and four movements) and concerto forms. Dances were still composed but no longer in the five to eight movement suites of the Baroque. Theme and variations were also still composed but now geared toward a melody with chordal accompaniment. The Alberti bass became a favorite tool for the left hand in keyboard music emphasizing the homophonic and melodic structure.

A replica of a Viennese Pianoforte (Stein)

Bartolomeo Christofori's 1720 Fortepiano (Italian)
Housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, it is the oldest surviving piano.

The Mozart Vienna Orchestra

Haydn's opera La Canterina
(The Diva)

Romantic Period (1810 - 1910)

This era saw the perfection of the modern day piano. this instrument was enlarged and perfected in its action, pedals, frames, and sound boards. The piano now used large metal frames inside the wood casings. Concert grands were as large as nine feet long and able to produce a wide range of sound. Other pianos were square, thin and tall, or rectangular in order to fit into the homes of the now large middle class. Composing for, and playing, the organ came back in style with the improvements of wind supply and the ability to have huge, orchestral organs. Virtuoso playing, chromatic harmony, the um-pah-pah bass and idiomatic keyboard figures were the standard of the day. Leaving the courts (many "courts" were disappearing), music was performed in concert halls. Forms include program and character pieces, rhapsodies, fantasy sonatas and concertos, two-piano works, and etudes along with the ever evolving sonata, concertos, and variations.

Above: square piano ca 1880

right: upright grand piano
ca 1900

Above: Steinway Concert Grand

right: steel plate/soundboard

Victorian era "home" piano

1870 Chickering Grand Piano

20th Century/Contemporary/Modern (1900 - present)

The last century has seen a theme and variation on the keyboard instrument. Today we use the organ, piano, celesta, harpsichord, electronic keyboards, digital keyboards, even I-pads and I-phones and can perform on an instrument while being accompanied at the same time by that very same instrument. This is the age of experiments in harmony, tonality, and sonority. Various percussive touches, a return to motivic and polyphonic writing and complex meters are also used. Taped sounds can be used as well as "prepared" instruments. Music is performed in concert halls, churches, auditoriums, stadiums, arenas and even on our smart phones or I-Pads. The musical theatre is important as are the scores of movies (think of Phantom of the Opera or the Harry Potter series). We can also hear music of any kind and age on the radio, television, recordings, computer and, once again, our smart phones. Forms used are those of the past as well as "chance" pieces and through composed.

Moog Synthesizer. Switched-On Bach anyone?

Clavinova digital piano, circa 1990.

Electric piano, circa 1975.

Yamaha digital Grand piano, 2017.

Left: C.24 Wireless I-Pad Piano Keyboard.

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Some Past M.C.s

Herr Franz Joseph Haydn with Caroline & Alex Pierson (and Mrs. P) May, 2022.

Franz Peter Schubert with Mrs. P, May 2023

2012-2013 M.C.: Johann Sebastian Bach with student Preston Huff

May 22, 2017
Papageno [from W.A. Mozart's "Magic Flute"] with Vivian and Elsie McNeely. Mozart was the 2016-2017 Mystery Composer.

2013-2014 Mystery Composer: Ludwig van Beethoven

May 19, 2018
Clara Schumann, Mrs. P, and Robert Schumann, 2017-2018's M.C.

Mrs. Pullin with Herr Beethoven. May, 2014

May 21, 2018
Clara Schumann singing from cycle of songs written for her by Robert Schumann.

Above: performing his music at the harpsichord. Right: with Miss Ella Ishii

Francois Couperin le Grand. (1668-1733). 2018-2019 Mystery Composer.