P. D. Q. Bach: Difference between revisions

P. D. Q. Bach
P. D. Q. Bach
	Portrait of P. D. Q. Bach album cover
First appearance	Peter Schickele Presents an Evening with P. D. Q. Bach (1807–1742)?; April 24, 1965;
Last appearance	P. D. Q. Bach: The Golden Anniversary; December 29, 2015;
Created by	Peter Schickele
Portrayed by	Peter Schickele
In-universe information
Occupation	Composer
Family	Johann Sebastian Bach (father); Anna Magdalena Bach (mother); Johann Christian Bach (brother); Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (brother); Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (brother);
Nationality	German

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P. D. Q. Bach is a fictional composer created by the American composer and musical satirist Peter Schickele for a five-decade career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the Bach family. Schickele's music combines parodies of musicological scholarship, the conventions of Baroque and Classical music, and slapstick comedy. The name "P. D. Q." is a parody of the three-part names given to some members of the Bach family that are commonly reduced to initials, such as C. P. E. for Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach; PDQ is an initialism for "pretty damned quick".

Schickele began working on the character while studying at the Aspen Music Festival and School and Juilliard,^[1] and performed a variety of P. D. Q. Bach shows over many years. The Village Voice mentions the juxtaposition of collage, bitonality, musical satire, and orchestral surrealism in a "bizarre melodic stream of consciousness ... In P.D.Q. Bach he has single-handedly mapped a musical universe that everyone knew was there and no one else had the guts (not simply the bad taste) to explore."^[2]

In 2012 Schickele reduced his touring due to age. On December 28 and 29, 2015, at The Town Hall in New York, he performed two concerts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his first concert.^[3] Schickele died on January 16, 2024, aged 88.^[4]

Biography

Schickele wrote a humorous fictional biography of the composer^[5] according to which P. D. Q. Bach was born in Leipzig on April 1, 1742,^[6] the son of Johann Sebastian Bach and Anna Magdalena Bach; the twenty-first of Johann Sebastian's twenty children.^[5] He is also referred to as "the youngest and oddest of Johann Sebastian’s 20-odd children".^[7] He died May 5, 1807,^[8] though his birth and death years are often listed on album literature in reverse, as "(1807–1742)?".^[9] According to Schickele, P. D. Q. "possessed the originality of Johann Christian, the arrogance of Carl Philipp Emanuel, and the obscurity of Johann Christoph Friedrich".^[5]^: 23

Music

Schickele's works attributed to P. D. Q. Bach often incorporate comical rearrangements of well-known works of other composers. The works use instruments not normally used in orchestras, such as the bagpipes, slide whistle, kazoo, and fictional or experimental instruments such as the pastaphone (made of uncooked manicotti),^[10] tromboon,^[11] hardart, lasso d'amore,^[12] and left-handed sewer flute.

There is often a startling juxtaposition of styles within a single P. D. Q. Bach piece. The Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz, which alludes to Philip Glass's opera Einstein on the Beach, provides an example. The underlying music is J. S. Bach's first prelude from The Well-Tempered Clavier, but at double the normal speed, with each phrase repeated interminably in a minimalist manner that parodies Glass. On top of this mind-numbing structure is added everything from jazz phrases to snoring to heavily harmonized versions of "Three Blind Mice" to the chanting of a meaningless phrase ("Coy Hotsy-Totsy", alluding to the art film Koyaanisqatsi for which Glass wrote the score). Through all these mutilations, the piece never deviates from Bach's original harmonic structure.^[2]

The humor in P. D. Q. Bach music often derives from violation of audience expectations, such as repeating a tune more than the usual number of times, resolving a musical chord later than usual or not at all, unusual key changes, excessive dissonance, or sudden switches from high art to low art.^[13] Further humor is obtained by replacing parts of certain classical pieces with similar common songs, such as the opening of Brahms's Symphony No. 2 with "Beautiful Dreamer", or rewriting Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as the 1712 Overture with "Yankee Doodle" replacing Tchaikovsky's melody and "Pop Goes the Weasel" replacing "La Marseillaise".

Compositional periods

Schickele divides P. D. Q. Bach's fictional musical output into three periods: the Initial Plunge, the Soused Period, and Contrition.^[14] During the Initial Plunge, P. D. Q. Bach wrote the Traumarei for unaccompanied piano, an Echo Sonata for "two unfriendly groups of instruments", and a Gross Concerto for Divers Flutes, two Trumpets, and Strings. During the Soused (or Brown-Bag) Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote a Concerto for Horn and Hardart (a pun on the name of a chain of automat restaurants), a Sinfonia Concertante, a Pervertimento for Bicycle, Bagpipes, and Balloons, a Serenude, a Perückenstück (literally German for "Wigpiece"), a Suite from The Civilian Barber (spoofing Rossini's The Barber of Seville), a Schleptet in E-flat major, the half-act opera The Stoned Guest (the character of "The Stone Guest" from Mozart's Don Giovanni, and the play by Pushkin), a Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra, Erotica Variations (Beethoven's Eroica Variations), Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice, an opera in one unnatural act (Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel and the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice), The Art of the Ground Round (Bach's The Art of Fugue), a Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra, and a Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion.^[5]

During the Contrition Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote the cantata Iphigenia in Brooklyn (Gluck's Iphigenia in Aulis, etc.), the oratorio The Seasonings (Vivaldi's The Four Seasons), Diverse Ayres on Sundrie Notions, a Sonata for Viola Four Hands,^[15] the chorale prelude Should, a Notebook for Betty Sue Bach (Bach's Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach and Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue"), the Toot Suite, the Grossest Fugue (Beethoven's Grosse Fuge), a Fanfare for the Common Cold (Copland's Fanfare for the Common Man) and the canine cantata Wachet Arf! (Bach's Wachet auf).^[5]

A final work is the mock religious work Missa Hilarious (Beethoven's Missa Solemnis) (Schickele no. N₂O – the chemical formula of nitrous oxide or "laughing gas").^[16]

Tromboon

The tromboon is a musical instrument made up of the reed and bocal of a bassoon, attached to the body of a trombone in place of the trombone's mouthpiece. It combines the sound of double reeds and the slide for a distinctive and unusual instrument. The name of the instrument is a portmanteau of "trombone" and "bassoon". The sound quality of the instrument is best described as comical and loud.

The tromboon was developed by Peter Schickele, a skilled bassoonist himself, and featured in some of his live concert and recorded performances. Schickele called it "a hybrid – that's the nicer word – constructed from the parts of a bassoon and a trombone; it has all the disadvantages of both".^[17]^[18] This instrument is called for in the scores of P. D. Q. Bach's oratorio The Seasonings,^[19] as well as the Serenude (for devious instruments)^[5]^: 187 and Shepherd on the Rocks, With a Twist.^[20]

Recordings

On Vanguard
Title	Year
Peter Schickele Presents an Evening with P. D. Q. Bach (1807–1742)?	1965
An Hysteric Return: P.D.Q. Bach at Carnegie Hall	1966
Report from Hoople: P. D. Q. Bach on the Air	1967
The Stoned Guest	1970
The Intimate P. D. Q. Bach	1974
Portrait of P. D. Q. Bach	1977
Black Forest Bluegrass	1979
Liebeslieder Polkas	1980
Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head	1982
A Little Nightmare Music	1983

On Telarc
Title	Year
1712 Overture and Other Musical Assaults	1989
Oedipus Tex and Other Choral Calamities	1990
WTWP Classical Talkity-Talk Radio	1991
Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion	1992
Two Pianos Are Better Than One	1994
The Short-Tempered Clavier and other dysfunctional works for keyboard	1995
P. D. Q. Bach and Peter Schickele: The Jekyll and Hyde Tour	2007

Compilations
Title	Record company	Year
The Wurst of P. D. Q. Bach	Vanguard Records	1971
The Dreaded P. D. Q. Bach Collection	Vanguard Records	1996
The Ill-Conceived P. D. Q. Bach Anthology	Telarc Records	1998

Video releases
Title	Year
The Abduction of Figaro	1984
P. D. Q. Bach in Houston: We Have a Problem!	2006

Audiobook
Title	Year
The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach	1996

Awards

P. D. Q. Bach recordings received four successive Grammy Awards in the Best Comedy Album category from 1990 to 1993.^[21] Schickele also received a Grammy nomination in the Best Comedy Album category in 1996 for his abridged audiobook edition of The Definitive Biography of P. D. Q. Bach.^[22]

References

^ Schlueter, Paul. "P. D. Q. Bach satirist a seriously good humor man". www.mcall.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.
^ ^a ^b Gann, Kyle (January 19, 1999). "Classical Trash". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
^ Oestreich, James R. (December 16, 2015). "Peter Schickele Brings P.D.Q. Bach Back to the Stage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
^ Fox, Margalit (January 17, 2024). "Peter Schickele, Composer and Gleeful Sire of P.D.Q. Bach, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Schickele 1976
^ Schickele 1976, p. 3: "the night of the 1st of April, 1742", "giving birth to his twenty-first child", "at one minute after midnight"
^ "Peter Schickele: 50 Years of P.D.Q. Bach: A Triumph of Incompetence!". Corning Civic Music Association. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.
^ "P.D.Q. Bach Bio". schickele.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2006. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
^ "An Evening With P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742)?". schickele.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
^ Blau, Eleanor (December 25, 1998). "Oh, No! Still More (Quite a Bit More!) From P. D. Q. Bach". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
^ "Tp – Tr". Dolmetsch Music Dictionary. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
^ "L – Lh". Dolmetsch Music Dictionary. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
^ Huron, David (2004). "Music-engendered laughter: an analysis of humor devices in PDQ Bach" (PDF). Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Music. pp. 700–704.
^ Ravas, Tammy (December 2005). "'The Initial Plunge', 'The Soused Period', and 'Contrition'?: Moving Towards a Style of Peter Schickele's Funny Music in His P. D. Q. Bach Works". Notes. Second series. 62 (2): 322–353. doi:10.1353/not.2005.0146. JSTOR 4487573. S2CID 191611084.
^ The term four hands refers to the playing of one instrument, most commonly a piano, by two players at once.
^ "Portrait of P. D. Q. Bach". The Peter Schickele Web Site. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2015.
^ "P. D. Q. Bach & Peter Schickele: The Jekyll and Hyde Tour". Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2008.
^ Dr David Shevin (August 5, 2004). "A Viva For Elizabeth Lands". Retrieved November 13, 2008.
^ Seay, Albert (June 1974). "Review: The Seasonings, Oratorio for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass Soloists, SATB Chorus, and Orchestra by P. D. Q. Bach [Peter Schickele]". Notes. Second series. 30 (4): 863–864. doi:10.2307/897049. JSTOR 897049.
^ "Bach: Shepherd on the Rocks, with a Twist: for Bargain Counter Tenor and Devious Instruments". Presto Music. Retrieved February 17, 2023.
^ "Biography page for Peter Schickele". Theodore Press Company. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012.
^ "Past Winners Database". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007.

Sources

Schickele, Peter (1976). The Definitive Biography of P. D. Q. Bach, (1807–1742)?. New York: Random House. ISBN 0-394-73409-2.

External links

Official website
P. D. Q. Bach discography at Discogs
Interview with Peter Schickele, February 15, 1988
P. D. Q. Bach: Works, About, Theodore Presser Company

[1] Schlueter, Paul. "P. D. Q. Bach satirist a seriously good humor man". www.mcall.com. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 12, 2015.

[Gann-2] Gann, Kyle (January 19, 1999). "Classical Trash". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2016.

[3] Oestreich, James R. (December 16, 2015). "Peter Schickele Brings P.D.Q. Bach Back to the Stage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on March 11, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2023.

[4] Fox, Margalit (January 17, 2024). "Peter Schickele, Composer and Gleeful Sire of P.D.Q. Bach, Dies at 88". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2024.

[bio-5] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Schickele 1976

[6] Schickele 1976, p. 3: "the night of the 1st of April, 1742", "giving birth to his twenty-first child", "at one minute after midnight"

[7] "Peter Schickele: 50 Years of P.D.Q. Bach: A Triumph of Incompetence!". Corning Civic Music Association. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved August 31, 2017.

[8] "P.D.Q. Bach Bio". schickele.com. Archived from the original on March 17, 2006. Retrieved February 20, 2016.

[9] "An Evening With P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742)?". schickele.com. Archived from the original on November 29, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2016.

[10] Blau, Eleanor (December 25, 1998). "Oh, No! Still More (Quite a Bit More!) From P. D. Q. Bach". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2012.

[11] "Tp – Tr". Dolmetsch Music Dictionary. Retrieved February 17, 2023.

[12] "L – Lh". Dolmetsch Music Dictionary. Retrieved February 17, 2023.

[13] Huron, David (2004). "Music-engendered laughter: an analysis of humor devices in PDQ Bach" (PDF). Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Music. pp. 700–704.

[14] Ravas, Tammy (December 2005). "'The Initial Plunge', 'The Soused Period', and 'Contrition'?: Moving Towards a Style of Peter Schickele's Funny Music in His P. D. Q. Bach Works". Notes. Second series. 62 (2): 322–353. doi:10.1353/not.2005.0146. JSTOR 4487573. S2CID 191611084.

[fourhands-15] The term four hands refers to the playing of one instrument, most commonly a piano, by two players at once.

[16] "Portrait of P. D. Q. Bach". The Peter Schickele Web Site. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2015.

[17] "P. D. Q. Bach & Peter Schickele: The Jekyll and Hyde Tour". Archived from the original on December 23, 2008. Retrieved November 13, 2008.

[18] Dr David Shevin (August 5, 2004). "A Viva For Elizabeth Lands". Retrieved November 13, 2008.

[19] Seay, Albert (June 1974). "Review: The Seasonings, Oratorio for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass Soloists, SATB Chorus, and Orchestra by P. D. Q. Bach [Peter Schickele]". Notes. Second series. 30 (4): 863–864. doi:10.2307/897049. JSTOR 897049.

[20] "Bach: Shepherd on the Rocks, with a Twist: for Bargain Counter Tenor and Devious Instruments". Presto Music. Retrieved February 17, 2023.

[21] "Biography page for Peter Schickele". Theodore Press Company. Archived from the original on December 6, 2012.

[22] "Past Winners Database". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2007.

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@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{short description|Fictitious composer}}
+{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2023}}
 {{Infobox character
-| color              = <!-- headers background color; the foreground color is automatically computed -->
 | name               =
 | series             = <!-- or |franchise=; use without the italic on the outside -->
@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
 | nationality        = German
 }}
-'''P. D. Q.  Bach''' is a fictional composer invented by the American musical [[satirist]] [[Peter Schickele]], who developed a five-decade-long career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the [[Bach family]]. Schickele's music combines [[Parody music|parodies]] of [[musicology|musicological]] scholarship, the conventions of [[Baroque music|Baroque]] and [[Classical period (music)|Classical]] music, and [[slapstick]] comedy. The name {{nowrap|"P. D. Q."}} is a parody of the three-part names given to some members of the [[Bach family]] that are commonly reduced to initials, such as {{nowrap|C. P. E.}}, for [[Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach]]; ''PDQ'' is an [[initialism]] for "[[wikt:PDQ|pretty damned quick]]".
+'''P. D. Q.  Bach''' is a fictional composer created by the American composer and musical [[satirist]] [[Peter Schickele]] for a five-decade career performing the "discovered" works of the "only forgotten son" of the [[Bach family]]. Schickele's music combines [[Parody music|parodies]] of [[musicology|musicological]] scholarship, the conventions of [[Baroque music|Baroque]] and [[Classical period (music)|Classical]] music, and [[slapstick]] comedy. The name {{nowrap|"P. D. Q."}} is a parody of the three-part names given to some members of the [[Bach family]] that are commonly reduced to initials, such as {{nowrap|C. P. E.}} for [[Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach]]; ''PDQ'' is an [[initialism]] for "[[wikt:PDQ|pretty damned quick]]".
-Schickele began working on the character while studying at the [[Aspen Music Festival and School]] and [[Juilliard School|Juilliard]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schlueter|first1=Paul|title=P. D. Q. Bach satirist a seriously good humor man|url=http://articles.mcall.com/2002-12-28/entertainment/3426419_1_pdq-juilliard-musical|website=www.mcall.com|access-date=March 12, 2015|archive-date=2015-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402175544/http://articles.mcall.com/2002-12-28/entertainment/3426419_1_pdq-juilliard-musical|url-status=live}}</ref> and has performed a variety of {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach shows over the years. ''[[The Village Voice]]'' mentions the juxtaposition of [[collage]], [[bitonality]], musical satire, and orchestral surrealism in a "bizarre melodic stream of consciousness ... In P.D.Q. Bach he has single-handedly mapped a musical universe that everyone knew was there and no one else had the guts (not simply the bad taste) to explore."<ref name=Gann>{{Cite web|title=Classical Trash|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/classical-trash-6422519|work=[[The Village Voice]]|access-date=2016-02-21|first=Kyle|last=Gann|date=19 January 1999|author-link=Kyle Gann|archive-date=2015-12-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222111625/http://www.villagevoice.com/music/classical-trash-6422519|url-status=live}}</ref>
+Schickele began working on the character while studying at the [[Aspen Music Festival and School]] and [[Juilliard School|Juilliard]],<ref>{{cite web|last1=Schlueter|first1=Paul|title=P. D. Q. Bach satirist a seriously good humor man|url=http://articles.mcall.com/2002-12-28/entertainment/3426419_1_pdq-juilliard-musical|website=www.mcall.com|access-date=March 12, 2015|archive-date=2015-04-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402175544/http://articles.mcall.com/2002-12-28/entertainment/3426419_1_pdq-juilliard-musical|url-status=dead}}</ref> and performed a variety of {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach shows over many years. ''[[The Village Voice]]'' mentions the juxtaposition of [[collage]], [[bitonality]], musical satire, and orchestral surrealism in a "bizarre melodic stream of consciousness ... In P.D.Q. Bach he has single-handedly mapped a musical universe that everyone knew was there and no one else had the guts (not simply the bad taste) to explore."<ref name=Gann>{{Cite web|title=Classical Trash|url=http://www.villagevoice.com/music/classical-trash-6422519|work=[[The Village Voice]]|access-date=2016-02-21|first=Kyle|last=Gann|date=19 January 1999|author-link=Kyle Gann|archive-date=2015-12-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222111625/http://www.villagevoice.com/music/classical-trash-6422519|url-status=live}}</ref>
-As of 2012, Schickele had reduced his touring due to age. On December 28 and 29, 2015 at [[The Town Hall (New York City)|The Town Hall]] in New York, he performed two concerts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his first concert.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/arts/music/peter-schickele-brings-pdq-bach-back-to-the-stage.html "Peter Schickele Brings P. D. Q. Bach Back to the Stage"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311225720/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/arts/music/peter-schickele-brings-pdq-bach-back-to-the-stage.html |date=2017-03-11 }} by [[James R. Oestreich]], ''[[The New York Times]]'', December 16, 2015</ref>
+In 2012 Schickele reduced his touring due to age. On December 28 and 29, 2015, at [[The Town Hall (New York City)|The Town Hall]] in New York, he performed two concerts to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his first concert.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Oestreich|first=James R.|author-link=James R. Oestreich |date=2015-12-16|title=Peter Schickele Brings P.D.Q. Bach Back to the Stage|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/arts/music/peter-schickele-brings-pdq-bach-back-to-the-stage.html|access-date=2023-02-17|issn=0362-4331 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170311225720/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/20/arts/music/peter-schickele-brings-pdq-bach-back-to-the-stage.html |archive-date=2017-03-11 }}</ref> Schickele died on January 16, 2024, aged 88.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Fox |first1=Margalit |title=Peter Schickele, Composer and Gleeful Sire of P.D.Q. Bach, Dies at 88 |work=The New York Times |date=January 17, 2024 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/17/arts/music/peter-schickele-dead.html |access-date=January 18, 2024}}</ref>
 ==Biography==
-Schickele gives a humorous fictional biography of the composer<ref name="bio">{{harvnb|Schickele|1976}}</ref> according to which P. D. Q. Bach was born in Leipzig on April 1, 1742,<ref>{{harvnb|Schickele|1976|p=3}}: "the night of the 1st of April, 1742", "giving birth to his twenty-first child", "at one minute after midnight"</ref> the son of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] and [[Anna Magdalena Bach]]; the twenty-first of Johann's twenty children.<ref name="bio" /> He is also referred to as "the youngest and oddest of Johann Sebastian’s 20-odd children".<ref>{{cite web|title=Peter Schickele: 50 Years of P.D.Q. Bach: A Triumph of Incompetence!|url=http://www.corningcivicmusic.org/index.php?page=S1415C6|website=Corning Civic Music Association|access-date=31 August 2017|archive-date=31 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831091428/http://www.corningcivicmusic.org/index.php?page=S1415C6|url-status=live}}</ref> He died May 5, 1807,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schickele.com/pdqbio.htm|title=P.D.Q. Bach Bio|work=schickele.com|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-date=17 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060317014853/http://www.schickele.com/pdqbio.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> though his birth and death years are often listed on album literature in reverse, as "(1807–1742)?".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schickele.com/shoppe/pdqrec/evening.htm|title=An Evening With P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742)?|work=schickele.com|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-date=29 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129091502/http://schickele.com/shoppe/pdqrec/evening.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Schickele, {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} "possessed the originality of [[Johann Christian Bach|Johann Christian]], the arrogance of [[Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach|Carl Philipp Emanuel]], and the obscurity of [[Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach|Johann Christoph Friedrich]]".<ref name=bio />{{rp|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3hmSAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT23&lpg=PT23 23]}}
+Schickele wrote a humorous fictional biography of the composer<ref name="bio">{{harvnb|Schickele|1976}}</ref> according to which P. D. Q. Bach was born in Leipzig on [[April Fools' Day|April 1]], 1742,<ref>{{harvnb|Schickele|1976|p=3}}: "the night of the 1st of April, 1742", "giving birth to his twenty-first child", "at one minute after midnight"</ref> the son of [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] and [[Anna Magdalena Bach]]; the twenty-first of Johann Sebastian's twenty children.<ref name="bio" /> He is also referred to as "the youngest and oddest of Johann Sebastian’s 20-odd children".<ref>{{cite web|title=Peter Schickele: 50 Years of P.D.Q. Bach: A Triumph of Incompetence!|url=http://www.corningcivicmusic.org/index.php?page=S1415C6|website=Corning Civic Music Association|access-date=31 August 2017|archive-date=31 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831091428/http://www.corningcivicmusic.org/index.php?page=S1415C6|url-status=live}}</ref> He died May 5, 1807,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schickele.com/pdqbio.htm|title=P.D.Q. Bach Bio|work=schickele.com|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-date=17 March 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060317014853/http://www.schickele.com/pdqbio.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> though his birth and death years are often listed on album literature in reverse, as "(1807–1742)?".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schickele.com/shoppe/pdqrec/evening.htm|title=An Evening With P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742)?|work=schickele.com|access-date=20 February 2016|archive-date=29 November 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101129091502/http://schickele.com/shoppe/pdqrec/evening.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> According to Schickele, {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} "possessed the originality of [[Johann Christian Bach|Johann Christian]], the arrogance of [[Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach|Carl Philipp Emanuel]], and the obscurity of [[Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach|Johann Christoph Friedrich]]".<ref name=bio />{{rp|page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=3hmSAgAAQBAJ&pg=PT23&lpg=PT23 23]}}
 ==Music==
 {{Main|List of works by P. D. Q. Bach}}
-Schickele's works attributed to P. D. Q. Bach often incorporate comical rearrangements of well-known works of other composers. The works use instruments not normally used in orchestras, such as the [[bagpipes]], [[slide whistle]], [[kazoo]], and fictional or [[experimental musical instrument|experimental]] instruments such as the pastaphone (made of uncooked [[manicotti]]),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE1D9153CF936A15751C1A96F948260|title=Oh, No! Still More (Quite a Bit More!) From P. D. Q. Bach|author=Blau, Eleanor|date=25 December 1998|access-date=18 August 2012|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=9 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809205856/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/25/arts/oh-no-still-more-quite-a-bit-more-from-pdq-bach.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[#Tromboon|tromboon]],<ref>[http://www.dolmetsch.com/defst4.htm Tromboon] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110611140503/http://www.dolmetsch.com/defst4.htm |date=2011-06-11 }} at [[Arnold Dolmetsch|Dolmetsch]] Music Dictionary</ref> [[hardart]], [[whirly tube|lasso d'amore]],<ref>[http://www.dolmetsch.com/defsl.htm Lasso d'amore] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809205904/https://www.dolmetsch.com/defsl.htm |date=2022-08-09 }} at [[Arnold Dolmetsch|Dolmetsch]] Music Dictionary</ref> and left-handed sewer flute.
+Schickele's works attributed to P. D. Q. Bach often incorporate comical rearrangements of well-known works of other composers. The works use instruments not normally used in orchestras, such as the [[bagpipes]], [[slide whistle]], [[kazoo]], and fictional or [[experimental musical instrument|experimental]] instruments such as the pastaphone (made of uncooked [[manicotti]]),<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE1D9153CF936A15751C1A96F948260|title=Oh, No! Still More (Quite a Bit More!) From P. D. Q. Bach|last=Blau |first=Eleanor|date=25 December 1998|access-date=18 August 2012|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-date=9 August 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809205856/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/12/25/arts/oh-no-still-more-quite-a-bit-more-from-pdq-bach.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[#Tromboon|tromboon]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tp – Tr|url=https://www.dolmetsch.com/defst4.htm|access-date=2023-02-17|website=[[Arnold Dolmetsch|Dolmetsch]] Music Dictionary}}</ref> [[hardart]], [[whirly tube|lasso d'amore]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=L – Lh|url=https://www.dolmetsch.com/defsl.htm|access-date=2023-02-17|website=[[Arnold Dolmetsch|Dolmetsch]] Music Dictionary}}</ref> and left-handed sewer flute.
-There is often a startling juxtaposition of styles within a single {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach piece. The ''Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz'', which alludes to [[Philip Glass]]'s opera ''[[Einstein on the Beach]]'', provides an example. The underlying music is [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J.S. Bach]]'s first prelude from ''[[The Well-Tempered Clavier]]'', but at double the normal speed, with each phrase repeated interminably in a [[Minimalist music|minimalist]] manner that parodies Glass. On top of this mind-numbing structure is added everything from [[jazz]] phrases to snoring to heavily harmonized versions of "[[Three Blind Mice]]" to the chanting of a meaningless phrase ("Koy Hotsy-Totsy," alluding to the art film ''[[Koyaanisqatsi]]'' for which Glass wrote the score). Through all these mutilations, the piece never deviates from Bach's original harmonic structure.<ref name=Gann />
+There is often a startling juxtaposition of styles within a single {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach piece. The ''Prelude to Einstein on the Fritz'', which alludes to [[Philip Glass]]'s opera ''[[Einstein on the Beach]]'', provides an example. The underlying music is [[Johann Sebastian Bach|J. S. Bach]]'s first prelude from ''[[The Well-Tempered Clavier]]'', but at double the normal speed, with each phrase repeated interminably in a [[Minimalist music|minimalist]] manner that parodies Glass. On top of this mind-numbing structure is added everything from [[jazz]] phrases to snoring to heavily harmonized versions of "[[Three Blind Mice]]" to the chanting of a meaningless phrase ("Coy Hotsy-Totsy", alluding to the art film {{lang|hop|[[Koyaanisqatsi]]}} for which Glass wrote the score). Through all these mutilations, the piece never deviates from Bach's original harmonic structure.<ref name=Gann />
-The humor in P. D. Q. Bach music often derives from violation of audience expectations, such as repeating a tune more than the usual number of times, [[resolution (music)|resolving]] a musical chord later than usual or not at all, unusual key changes, excessive dissonance, or sudden switches from [[High culture|high art]] to [[Popular culture|low art]].<ref>{{cite conference | title = Music-engendered laughter: an analysis of humor devices in PDQ Bach | author = David Huron | url = http://www.musicog.ohio-state.edu/Huron/Publications/MP040049.PDF | book-title = Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Music | year = 2004 | pages = 700–704 }}</ref> Further humor is obtained by replacing parts of certain classical pieces with similar common songs, such as the opening of [[Symphony No. 2 (Brahms)|Brahms's Symphony No. 2]] with "[[Beautiful Dreamer]]", or rewriting Tchaikovsky's ''[[1812 Overture]]'' as the ''[[1712 Overture]]'' with "[[Yankee Doodle]]" replacing Tchaikovsky's melody and "[[Pop Goes the Weasel]]" replacing "[[La Marseillaise]]".
+The humor in P. D. Q. Bach music often derives from violation of audience expectations, such as repeating a tune more than the usual number of times, [[resolution (music)|resolving]] a musical chord later than usual or not at all, unusual key changes, excessive dissonance, or sudden switches from [[High culture|high art]] to [[Popular culture|low art]].<ref>{{cite conference | title = Music-engendered laughter: an analysis of humor devices in PDQ Bach | first = David |last=Huron | url = http://www.musicog.ohio-state.edu/Huron/Publications/MP040049.PDF | book-title = Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Music | year = 2004 | pages = 700–704 }}</ref> Further humor is obtained by replacing parts of certain classical pieces with similar common songs, such as the opening of [[Symphony No. 2 (Brahms)|Brahms's Symphony No. 2]] with "[[Beautiful Dreamer]]", or rewriting Tchaikovsky's ''[[1812 Overture]]'' as the ''[[1712 Overture]]'' with "[[Yankee Doodle]]" replacing Tchaikovsky's melody and "[[Pop Goes the Weasel]]" replacing {{lang|fr|italic=no|"[[La Marseillaise]]"}}.
 === Compositional periods ===
-Schickele divides P. D. Q. Bach's fictional musical output into three periods: the Initial Plunge, the Soused Period, and Contrition.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ravas|first=Tammy|title='The Initial Plunge', 'The Soused Period', and 'Contrition'?: Moving Towards a Style of Peter Schickele's Funny Music in His P. D. Q. Bach Works|journal=[[Notes (journal)|Notes]]|series=Second series|volume=62|number=2|date=December 2005|pages=322–353|doi=10.1353/not.2005.0146 |jstor=4487573|s2cid=191611084 }}</ref> During the Initial Plunge, {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach wrote the {{Not a typo|''Traumarei''}} for unaccompanied piano, an ''Echo Sonata'' for "two unfriendly groups of instruments", and a ''Gross Concerto for Divers Flutes, two Trumpets, and Strings''. During the Soused (or Brown-Bag) Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote a ''[[Concerto for Horn and Hardart]]'' (a pun on the name of [[Horn & Hardart|a chain of automat restaurants]]), a ''[[Sinfonia concertante|Sinfonia Concertante]]'', a ''Pervertimento for Bicycle, Bagpipes, and Balloons'', a ''Serenude'', a ''Perückenstück'' (literally German for "Wigpiece"), a Suite from ''The Civilian Barber'' (spoofing [[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]]'s ''[[The Barber of Seville]]''), a ''Schleptet'' in E-flat major, the half-act opera ''[[The Stoned Guest]]'' (the character of "The Stone Guest" from [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[Don Giovanni]]'', and the [[The Stone Guest (play)|play]] by Pushkin), a ''Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra'', ''Erotica Variations'' ([[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s ''[[Eroica Variations]]''), ''Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice'', an opera in one unnatural act ([[Engelbert Humperdinck (composer)|Humperdinck]]'s ''[[Hänsel und Gretel (opera)|Hansel and Gretel]]'' and the 1969 film ''[[Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice]]''), ''The Art of the Ground Round'' ([[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]]'s ''[[The Art of Fugue]]''), a ''Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra'', and a ''[[Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion]]''.<ref name="bio"/>
+Schickele divides P. D. Q. Bach's fictional musical output into three periods: the Initial Plunge, the Soused Period, and Contrition.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Ravas|first=Tammy|title='The Initial Plunge', 'The Soused Period', and 'Contrition'?: Moving Towards a Style of Peter Schickele's Funny Music in His P. D. Q. Bach Works|journal=[[Notes (journal)|Notes]]|series=Second series|volume=62|number=2|date=December 2005|pages=322–353|doi=10.1353/not.2005.0146 |jstor=4487573|s2cid=191611084 }}</ref> During the Initial Plunge, {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach wrote the {{Not a typo|{{lang|de|Traumarei}}}} for unaccompanied piano, an ''Echo Sonata'' for "two unfriendly groups of instruments", and a ''Gross Concerto for Divers Flutes, two Trumpets, and Strings''. During the Soused (or Brown-Bag) Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote a ''[[Concerto for Horn and Hardart]]'' (a pun on the name of [[Horn & Hardart|a chain of automat restaurants]]), a ''[[Sinfonia concertante|Sinfonia Concertante]]'', a ''Pervertimento for Bicycle, Bagpipes, and Balloons'', a ''Serenude'', a {{lang|de|Perückenstück}} (literally German for "Wigpiece"), a Suite from ''The Civilian Barber'' (spoofing [[Gioachino Rossini|Rossini]]'s ''[[The Barber of Seville]]''), a ''Schleptet'' in E-flat major, the half-act opera ''[[The Stoned Guest]]'' (the character of "The Stone Guest" from [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s ''[[Don Giovanni]]'', and the [[The Stone Guest (play)|play]] by Pushkin), a ''Concerto for Piano vs. Orchestra'', ''Erotica Variations'' ([[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s ''[[Eroica Variations]]''), ''Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice'', an opera in one unnatural act ([[Engelbert Humperdinck (composer)|Humperdinck]]'s ''[[Hänsel und Gretel (opera)|Hansel and Gretel]]'' and the 1969 film ''[[Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice]]''), ''The Art of the Ground Round'' ([[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]]'s ''[[The Art of Fugue]]''), a ''Concerto for Bassoon vs. Orchestra'', and a ''[[Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion]]''.<ref name="bio"/>
-During the Contrition Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote the [[cantata]] ''Iphigenia in Brooklyn'' ([[Christoph Willibald Gluck|Gluck]]'s ''[[Iphigénie en Aulide|Iphigenia in Aulis]]'', etc.), the [[oratorio]] ''The Seasonings'' ([[Joseph Haydn|Haydn]]'s ''[[The Seasons (Haydn)|The Seasons]]''), ''Diverse Ayres on Sundrie Notions'', a ''Sonata for Viola Four Hands'',<ref name="fourhands">The term ''four hands'' refers to the playing of one instrument, most commonly a piano, by two players at once.</ref> the [[chorale prelude]] ''Should'', a ''Notebook for Betty Sue Bach'' ([[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]]'s ''[[Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach]]'' and [[Buddy Holly]]'s "[[Peggy Sue]]"), the ''Toot Suite'', the ''Grossest Fugue'' ([[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s ''[[Große Fuge|Grosse Fuge]]''), a ''Fanfare for the Common Cold'' ([[Aaron Copland|Copland]]'s ''[[Fanfare for the Common Man]]'') and the canine cantata ''Wachet Arf!'' (Bach's ''[[Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140|Wachet auf]]'').<ref name="bio" />
+During the Contrition Period, P. D. Q. Bach wrote the [[cantata]] ''Iphigenia in Brooklyn'' ([[Christoph Willibald Gluck|Gluck]]'s ''[[Iphigénie en Aulide|Iphigenia in Aulis]]'', etc.), the [[oratorio]] ''The Seasonings'' ([[Antonio Vivaldi|Vivaldi]]'s ''[[The Four Seasons (Vivaldi)|The Four Seasons]]''), ''Diverse Ayres on Sundrie Notions'', a ''Sonata for Viola Four Hands'',<ref name="fourhands">The term ''four hands'' refers to the playing of one instrument, most commonly a piano, by two players at once.</ref> the [[chorale prelude]] ''Should'', a ''Notebook for Betty Sue Bach'' ([[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]]'s ''[[Notebook for Anna Magdalena Bach]]'' and [[Buddy Holly]]'s "[[Peggy Sue]]"), the ''Toot Suite'', the ''Grossest Fugue'' ([[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s ''[[Große Fuge|Grosse Fuge]]''), a ''Fanfare for the Common Cold'' ([[Aaron Copland|Copland]]'s ''[[Fanfare for the Common Man]]'') and the canine cantata {{lang|de|Wachet Arf!}} (Bach's {{lang|de|[[Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140|Wachet auf]]}}).<ref name="bio" />
 A final work is the mock religious work ''Missa Hilarious'' ([[Ludwig van Beethoven|Beethoven]]'s ''[[Missa Solemnis]]'') (Schickele no. N<sub>2</sub>O – the chemical formula of [[nitrous oxide]] or "laughing gas").<ref>{{cite web|title=Portrait of P. D. Q. Bach|url=http://www.schickele.com/shoppe/pdqrec/portrait.htm|website=The Peter Schickele Web Site|access-date=14 December 2015|archive-date=3 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175011/http://www.schickele.com/shoppe/pdqrec/portrait.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
@@ Line 66: / Line 66: @@
 |access-date = 13 November 2008
 |author = Dr David Shevin
-|date = 5 August 2004}}</ref> This instrument is called for in the scores of {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach's [[oratorio]] ''The Seasonings'',<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=897049|doi=10.2307/897049|title=Review: ''The Seasonings'', Oratorio for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass Soloists, SATB Chorus, and Orchestra by P. D. Q. Bach [Peter Schickele]|last=Seay|first=Albert|journal=[[Notes (journal)|Notes]]|series=Second series|volume=30|number=4|date=June 1974|pages=863–864}}</ref> as well as the ''Serenude (for devious instruments)''<ref name=bio />{{rp|187}} and ''[[The Shepherd on the Rock|Shepherd on the Rocks]], With a [[Twist (cocktail garnish)|Twist]]''.<ref>[https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/products/7293834--bach-shepherd-on-the-rocks-with-a-twist '' Bach: Shepherd on the Rocks, with a Twist''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220809205926/https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/products/7293834--bach-shepherd-on-the-rocks-with-a-twist |date=2022-08-09 }}, score at Presto Sheet Music</ref>
+|date = 5 August 2004}}</ref> This instrument is called for in the scores of {{nowrap|P. D. Q.}} Bach's [[oratorio]] ''The Seasonings'',<ref>{{cite journal|jstor=897049|doi=10.2307/897049|title=Review: ''The Seasonings'', Oratorio for Soprano, Alto, Tenor, and Bass Soloists, SATB Chorus, and Orchestra by P. D. Q. Bach [Peter Schickele]|last=Seay|first=Albert|journal=[[Notes (journal)|Notes]]|series=Second series|volume=30|number=4|date=June 1974|pages=863–864}}</ref> as well as the ''Serenude (for devious instruments)''<ref name=bio />{{rp|187}} and ''[[The Shepherd on the Rock|Shepherd on the Rocks]], With a [[Twist (cocktail garnish)|Twist]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bach: Shepherd on the Rocks, with a Twist: for Bargain Counter Tenor and Devious Instruments|url=https://www.prestomusic.com/sheet-music/products/7293834--bach-shepherd-on-the-rocks-with-a-twist|access-date=2023-02-17|website=Presto Music|language=en}}</ref>
 ==Recordings==
@@ Line 173: / Line 173: @@
 ==Awards==
-P. D. Q. Bach recordings received four successive [[Grammy Award]]s in the [[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album|Best Comedy Album]] category from [[32nd Annual Grammy Awards|1990]] to [[35th Annual Grammy Awards|1993]].<ref>[http://www.presser.com/composers/info.cfm?Name=PETERSCHICKELE Biography page] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060723152819/http://www.presser.com/Composers/info.cfm?Name=PETERSCHICKELE |date=2006-07-23 }} for [[Peter Schickele]] on Theodore Press Company's website</ref> Schickele also received a Grammy nomination in the Best Comedy Album category in 1996 for his abridged audiobook edition of ''The Definitive Biography of P. D. Q. Bach''.<ref>[http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1996/1996grammy.htm Past Winners Database] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812182758/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1996/1996grammy.htm |date=2007-08-12 }} page for the 1996 Grammy award nominees and winners on the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' website</ref>
+P. D. Q. Bach recordings received four successive [[Grammy Award]]s in the [[Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album|Best Comedy Album]] category from [[32nd Annual Grammy Awards|1990]] to [[35th Annual Grammy Awards|1993]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.presser.com/composers/info.cfm?Name=PETERSCHICKELE |title=Biography page for Peter Schickele |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121206013617/http://www.presser.com/Composers/info.cfm?Name=PETERSCHICKELE |archive-date=6 December 2012 |work=Theodore Press Company}}</ref> Schickele also received a Grammy nomination in the Best Comedy Album category in 1996 for his abridged audiobook edition of ''The Definitive Biography of P. D. Q. Bach''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1996/1996grammy.htm |title=Past Winners Database |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070812182758/http://theenvelope.latimes.com/extras/lostmind/year/1996/1996grammy.htm |archive-date=2007-08-12 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref>
 ==See also==
 *[[Les Luthiers|Johann Sebastian Mastropiero]]
+*Johann Gambolputty, a character from [[List of Monty Python's Flying Circus episodes|episode 6]] of ''[[Monty Python's Flying Circus]]''
 *[[Peter Planyavsky]]
@@ Line 186: / Line 187: @@
 ==External links==
-* {{official|https://www.schickele.com/wp/p-d-q-bach/}}
+* {{official website|https://www.schickele.com/wp/p-d-q-bach/}}
+* {{discogs artist|P.D.Q. Bach}}
 * [http://www.bruceduffie.com/schickele.html Interview with Peter Schickele], February 15, 1988
 * [https://www.presser.com/p-d-q-bach#composer-tabs_content_1 P. D. Q. Bach: Works, About], [[Theodore Presser Company]]
@@ Line 201: / Line 203: @@
 [[Category:Nonexistent people used in jokes]]
 [[Category:Parody musicians]]
+[[Category:American satirical musicians]]
 [[Category:Running gags]]
 [[Category:Telarc Records artists]]

v t e P. D. Q. Bach
Albums	An Evening with P. D. Q. Bach (1965) An Hysteric Return (1966) Report from Hoople: P. D. Q. Bach on the Air (1967) The Stoned Guest (1970) The Wurst of P. D. Q. Bach (1971) The Intimate P. D. Q. Bach (1974) Portrait of P. D. Q. Bach (1977) Black Forest Bluegrass (1979) Liebeslieder Polkas (1980) Music You Can't Get Out of Your Head (1982) A Little Nightmare Music (1983) 1712 Overture and Other Musical Assaults (1989) Oedipus Tex and Other Choral Calamities (1990) WTWP Classical Talkity-Talk Radio (1991) Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion (1992) Two Pianos Are Better Than One (1994) The Short-Tempered Clavier and other dysfunctional works for keyboard (1995) The Dreaded P. D. Q. Bach Collection (1996) The Ill-Conceived P. D. Q. Bach Anthology (1998) The Jekyll and Hyde Tour (2007)
Compositions	The Abduction of Figaro Concerto for Horn and Hardart Echo Sonata for Two Unfriendly Groups of Instruments Grand Serenade for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion Oedipus Tex Pervertimento for Bagpipes, Bicycle and Balloons The Stoned Guest
Videos/DVDs	The Abduction of Figaro (1984) P. D. Q. Bach in Houston: We Have a Problem! (2006)
Books	The Definitive Biography of P.D.Q. Bach, 1807–1742? (1976, by Peter Schickele)

v t e Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album
1950s	"The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" – Ross Bagdasarian Sr. (1958) The Battle of Kookamonga – Homer and Jethro / Inside Shelley Berman – Shelley Berman (1959)
1960s	Jonathan and Darlene Edwards in Paris – Jo Stafford & Paul Weston / The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back! – Bob Newhart (1960) An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May – Elaine May & Mike Nichols (1961) The First Family – Vaughn Meader (1962) "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)" – Allan Sherman (1963) I Started Out as a Child – Bill Cosby (1964) Why Is There Air? – Bill Cosby (1965) Wonderfulness – Bill Cosby (1966) Revenge – Bill Cosby (1967) To Russell, My Brother, Whom I Slept With – Bill Cosby (1968) Sports – Bill Cosby (1969)
1970s	The Devil Made Me Buy This Dress – Flip Wilson (1970) This Is A Recording – Lily Tomlin (1971) FM & AM – George Carlin (1972) Los Cochinos – Cheech & Chong (1973) That Nigger's Crazy – Richard Pryor (1974) ...Is It Something I Said? – Richard Pryor (1975) Bicentennial Nigger – Richard Pryor (1976) Let's Get Small – Steve Martin (1977) A Wild and Crazy Guy – Steve Martin (1978) Reality...What a Concept – Robin Williams (1979)
1980s	No Respect – Rodney Dangerfield (1980) Rev. Du Rite – Richard Pryor (1981) Live on the Sunset Strip – Richard Pryor (1982) Eddie Murphy: Comedian – Eddie Murphy (1983) "Eat It" – "Weird Al" Yankovic (1984) Whoopi Goldberg (Original Broadway Show Recording) – Whoopi Goldberg (1985) Those of You with or Without Children, You'll Understand – Bill Cosby (1986) A Night at the Met – Robin Williams (1987) Good Morning, Vietnam – Robin Williams (1988) P.D.Q. Bach: 1712 Overture and Other Musical Assaults – Peter Schickele (1989)
1990s	P.D.Q. Bach: Oedipus Tex and Other Choral Calamities – Peter Schickele (1990) P.D.Q. Bach: WTWP Classical Talkity-Talk Radio – Peter Schickele (1991) P.D.Q. Bach: Music for an Awful Lot of Winds and Percussion – Peter Schickele (1992) Jammin' in New York – George Carlin (1993) Live from Hell – Sam Kinison (1994) Crank(y) Calls – Jonathan Winters (1995) Rush Limbaugh Is a Big Fat Idiot and Other Observations – Al Franken (1996) Roll with the New – Chris Rock (1997) The 2000 Year Old Man in the Year 2000 – Mel Brooks & Carl Reiner (1998) Bigger & Blacker – Chris Rock (1999)
2000s	Brain Droppings – George Carlin (2000) Napalm & Silly Putty – George Carlin (2001) Robin Williams: Live on Broadway – Robin Williams (2002) Poodle Hat – "Weird Al" Yankovic (2003) The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents ... America: A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction – Jon Stewart and the cast of The Daily Show (2004) Never Scared – Chris Rock (2005) The Carnegie Hall Performance – Lewis Black (2006) The Distant Future – Flight of the Conchords (2007) It's Bad for Ya – George Carlin (2008) A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! – Stephen Colbert (2009)
2010s	Stark Raving Black – Lewis Black (2010) Hilarious – Louis C.K. (2011) Blow Your Pants Off – Jimmy Fallon (2012) Calm Down Gurrl – Kathy Griffin (2013) Mandatory Fun – "Weird Al" Yankovic (2014) Live at Madison Square Garden – Louis C.K. (2015) Talking for Clapping – Patton Oswalt (2016) The Age of Spin & Deep in the Heart of Texas – Dave Chappelle (2017) Equanimity & The Bird Revelation – Dave Chappelle (2018) Sticks and Stones – Dave Chappelle (2019)
2020s	Black Mitzvah – Tiffany Haddish (2020) Sincerely Louis CK – Louis C.K. (2021) The Closer – Dave Chappelle (2022) What's In a Name? – Dave Chappelle (2023)

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