Update Dec. 31, 2020. Happy New Year! I have a new blog post. Click on the Blog tab and let me know what you think. Best to you, David

Who ate his meals with other servants and loved jokes? Franz Joseph Haydn.

What composer was high-strung, idealistic and hyper-sensitive to sound? Robert Schumann.

Whose music combines noisy conga drums, maracas, trumpets and singers swaying to the beat of Brazilian rhythms? Osvaldo Golijov.

Pack your bags as we embark on a journey through the history of classical music. We will explore the gamut of great composers from B to A (Bach to Adams), along with their personalities and backgrounds, their key works, how they changed the culture of their time and why they belong in the musical Milky Way. Their music will change your life!

Here are the dates for my 2019-20 classes. Note the new starting time: 3 p.m.

3 p.m., Sept. 15: Johann Sebastian Bach — The river to which all other composers are tributaries.

3 p.m., Nov. 3: George Frideric Handel — He embraced the full range of human experience.

3 p.m., Jan. 5: Franz Joseph Haydn — No one possessed such cheerful optimism, delightful wit and superb craftsmanship.

3 p.m., Feb. 16: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart — Perhaps the most extraordinary musician in history.

Postponed: 3 p.m., March 29: Ludwig van Beethoven — Here comes the revolution.

Postponed: 3 p.m., April 26, 2020: Franz Schubert — If Beethoven grabs listeners in a half nelson, Schubert's music unfolds like a dream.

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You don't have to be a musician to enjoy these classes. Everyone is welcome. My hope is to increase your knowledge and enjoyment so you can respond with deeper understanding and wonder to this great music.

Here's what people have said about previous classes:

"This was fabulous! The best time I have had in a long time. Absolutely wonderful."

"I had a great time developing new perceptions in the hands of a true master...David Stabler's class in an oasis in the desert!"

"I'm not sure what I expected, but this was astounding. I loved the music and your commentary -- warm, personal, from the heart -- made these familiar pieces come alive in a way I've never experienced before."

"So wonderful to be introduced to classical music in a meaningful way!"

"...like looking forward to a good Happy Hour with friends who you like." 

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Class details: Each class is on a Sunday in the Recital Hall at Classic Pianos, 3003 S.E. Milwaukie Ave. in southeast Portland, next to the Aladdin Theater at the corner of Milwaukie and Powell Blvd. Cost per session: $20, payable at the door. No advance registration needed.

Parking: You may park in the store's parking lot on the corner of Powell Blvd. and 11th Ave., behind the store. You may also park in the Brooklyn Pharmacy parking lot, but avoid the spaces that say, “Brooklyn Pharmacy Only.” You  you may also park on 11th Ave., the one-way street behind the store, accessed from Powell Blvd. And you can find neighborhood parking on Franklin, as well as 10th Ave.

Contact: davidstabler1@gmail.com