Thomas 'Blind Tom' Wiggins: Battle of Manassas; Magdalena Baczewska, piano

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Thomas 'Blind Tom' Wiggins: Battle of Manassas

Magdalena Baczewska, piano
Live in recital
Reid Hall Columbia Global Center
Paris 2022

On July 4th, the Star-Spangled Banner, La Marseillaise, and the sounds of cannons (played on the piano) resounded at Reid Hall Columbia Global Center Paris. “Battle of Manassas” by Thomas ‘Blind Tom’ Wiggins is the sonic equivalent of the Independence Day fireworks.

The piece is as fascinating as its composer. Thomas ‘Blind Tom’ Wiggins was born blind, and with a rare case of autism. He and his enslaved family were owned by General Bethune, who noticed the child’s immense ability to reproduce sounds of all kinds. As a young boy, Thomas surpassed Bethune’s daughters who took piano lessons. His first piece was inspired by the experience of hearing raindrops hit the roof. Wiggins had an incredible memory for sound and music - once he heard something, he never forgot it. He may have had as many as 7000 pieces of music in his repertoire. Unable to express his own needs verbally, Wiggins recited speeches in various languages, with all the nuances, and no hesitation. He started touring as a young boy, and became the most highly paid pianist of all times. Since the family was owned by Bethune, neither Wiggins nor his family ever benefitted from the profits from the performances.

“Battle of Manassas” is an epic work, composed by 13-year old Wiggins. Hearing the stories of one of the first major battles of the Civil Was, Wiggins constructed a soundscape of the battlefield. He presents contrasting melodies, sung and heard by the soldiers of the Battle of Manassas: The Girl I Left Behind, Dixie Land, Yankee Doodle, La Marseillaise, and the Star Spangled Banner. Wiggins ventures much ahead of his time, by inserting tone clusters into the score, in order to portray the sounds of cannons. The chaos of the battlefield is reflected in the sonic chaos of the music.

To learn more about Thomas Wiggins and the Battle of Manassas, visit Magdalena’s video in the “Bach@Home” series:
   • Thomas ‘Blind Tom’ Wiggins: Battle of Mana...  

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