P.D.Q. Bach
Suite No. 2 for Cello All by Its Lonesome, S.1b (1991)
P.D.Q. Bach (1807-1742?), the 21st of J.S. Bach’s 20 children, is the hilarious fictional creation of Professor Peter Schickele (b.1935), the composer and Grammy® Award-winning comedian who originated the character in the mid-1960s, about the same time that he left his teaching position at the Juilliard School. The salient feature of any "P.D.Q." work is the satirical blending of recognizable classical pieces and styles (which Schickele calls "manic plagiarism") with elements of present-day pop culture. His many memorable titles include The Short-tempered Clavier, Hansel and Gretel and Ted and Alice (An Opera in One Unnatural Act), and Fanfare for the Common Cold.
Despite its poking fun, the Suite No. 2 is a demanding piece that requires four different kinds of pizzicato and the frequent changing of the cellist’s hand positions.