Three-hundred years ago today, Frederick the Great, King of Prussia,
was born. Frederick was obsessed with music, and modern culture owes a debt to
his passion. He played the flute skillfully and composed over 100 pieces for
the instrument, but he made his greatest mark on the musical world as a patron.
In addition to establishing the Berlin Opera, he employed some of the most respected
and prolific composers of his era, including Johann Joachim Quantz and Carl
Philipp Emanuel Bach.
Frederick also inspired perhaps the greatest keyboard
composition in history — "The Musical Offering" by J.S. Bach. Today I'll celebrate Frederick’s life than by remembering the best present he ever
received. I’ll defer to Charles Rosen’s passionate advocacy. Read
his New York Times article to learn more about the piece, then watch the video
below to hear Rosen bring Bach’s masterpiece to life.
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