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'''''The Musical Offering''''' (German title '''''Musikalisches Opfer''''' or '''''Das Musikalische Opfer'''''), [[BWV]] 1079, is a collection of [[canon (music)|canon]]s and [[fugues]] and other pieces of [[music]] by [[Johann Sebastian Bach]], based on a musical theme by [[Frederick II of Prussia]] (Frederick the Great) and dedicated to him.
[[Autism|Autistic]] and [[Asperger's syndrome|Asperger's]] people have formed an online [[community]] through a network of [[website]]s, [[internet forum|forums]], and autism [[chat room]]s. Many of those on the [[autistic spectrum]] use this for vital support and communication with others like themselves. It can be hard to make friends and establish support within the general community, so the online community is a thriving resource. Important, well-established sites such as
==The music==
* [http://www.aspergia.com www.aspergia.com]
===The theme from the king===
This site was established by Edan Dagan with the mythical concept that those with aspergers syndrome are an ancient race of people. It created a strong community of over 700 members, the forum is now read only, but provides an amazing piece of autism history within its thousands of posts.
The collection has its roots in a meeting between Bach and Frederick II on [[May 7]], [[1747]]. The meeting, taking place in the king's residence in [[Potsdam]], resulted from Bach's son [[Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach|Carl Philipp Emanuel]] being employed there as court musician. Frederick wanted to show a novelty to Bach: the [[pianoforte]] had been invented a few years earlier, and the king owned such experimental instrument, allegedly the first Bach ever saw. Bach, who was well known for his skill at [[improvising]], was given the following theme by Frederick to improvise a fugue upon:
[[Image:Musical offering.png|frame|none|The ''Thema Regium'' ("theme from the king")]]
* [http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com www.aspiesforfreedom.com]
This site was established by two members of aspergia.com and developed on the idea of that site. Amy Roberts and Gareth Nelson created aspies for freedom to further develop the autistic community and culture, and to include offline community groups too.
According to the press of the day, Bach succeeded pretty well in producing an instant fugue, although he must have confided afterwards he felt not very much at ease playing the new type of instrument.
* [http://www.wrongplanet.net www.wrongplanet.net]
This site was established by Alex Plank and Dan Grover, both have aspergers syndrome, and met at aspergia.com. This site has a great appeal for younger members of the autism community.
Two months after the meeting, Bach published a set of pieces based on this theme which we now know as ''The Musical Offering''. Bach inscribed the piece "Regis Iussu Cantio Et Reliqua Canonica Arte Resoluta" (the theme given by the king, with additions, resolved in the canonic style), the first letters of which spells out the word ''[[ricercar]]'' (an old name for a fugue).
* [http://www.aspergianisland.org Aspergian Island]
This site was established by Crucibelle from aspergia.com to continue a forum when aspergia was archived, this then continues part of the community that was created with aspergia, another part of the spreading autism community.
===Structure, instrumentation===
* [http://www.graphictruth.com/ Graphic Truth]
In its finished form, ''The Musical Offering'' comprises:
Founded by Bob King and his wife Virginia, an educator with Asperger's who has an autistic son. This site is very political and contains newswatches, reviews, editorials and commentary on a variety of controversial subjects including autism.
*Two ricercars, written down on as many [[Musical staff|stave]]s as there are voices:
** a ricercar a 6 (a six voice fugue)
** a ricercar a 3 (a three voice fugue)
*Ten [[canon (music)|canon]]s
*A four-movement [[trio sonata]] featuring the [[flute]], an instrument which Frederick played.
Apart from the trio sonata, which is written for flute, [[violin]] and [[basso continuo]], the pieces have few indications of which instruments are meant to play them.
Autism forums are websites, as shown above, where people within the online autism community can communicate on various issues and offer support to each other.
The ricercars and canons have been realised in various ways: The ricercars are frequently performed on keyboard instruments, an ensemble of [[chamber music]]ians with alternating instrument groups, comparable to the instrumentation of the trio sonata, often playing the canons. But also recordings on one or more keyboard instruments (piano, harpsichord) exist, as well as with a more ample orchestra-like instrumentation.
==Chat Rooms==
Specific chat rooms for people with [[autism]] to communicate with one another within the autistic community.
* [http://www.autistichat.net/ #autistichat]
* [http://www.chatautism.com #chatautism]
* [http://www.wrongplanet.net/ #wrongplanet]
* [http://www.aspiesforfreedom.com #aff]
As the printed version gives the impression to be organised for (reduction of) page turning when sight-playing the score, the order of the pieces intended by Bach (''if'' there was an intended order), remains uncertain.
Autism-related chat rooms listed above use [[Internet Relay Chat|IRC]] chat server <tt>irc.chatautism.com</tt>.
===Musical riddles===
==Declaration from the autistic community==
Some of the canons of the Musical Offering are represented in the original score by not more than a short monodic melody of a few measures, with a more or less enigmatic inscription in [[Latin]] above the melody. These compositions are called the '''''riddle fugues''''' (or sometimes, more appropriately, the ''riddle canons''). The performer(s) is/are supposed to interpret the music as a multi-part piece (a piece with several intertwining melodies), while solving the "riddle". Some of these riddles have been explained to have more than one possible "solution", although nowadays most printed editions of the score give a single, more or less "standard" solution of the riddle, so that interpreters can just play, without having to worry about the Latin, or the riddle.
One of these ''riddle canons'', "in augmentationem" (i.e. the length of the notes gets longer), is inscribed "Notulis crescentibus crescat Fortuna Regis" (may the fortunes of the king increase like the length of the notes), while a [[Modulation (music)|modulating]] canon which ends a tone higher than it starts is inscribed "Ascendenteque Modulationis ascendat Gloria Regis" (may the king's glory rise like the ascending modulation).
On [[18 November]], [[2004]], members of the autism community issued a statement [http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/11/prweb179444.htm] expressing intentions to be recognised as a minority group by the [[United Nations]].
==Reception==
:This is a declaration from the worldwide autism community that from here on we wish to be recognised as a minority group.
Little is known about how Frederick would have received the score dedicated to him, and whether he tried to solve any riddle or played the flute part of the trio sonata. Frederick's musical taste supposedly did not very much cherish ''complicated'' music, and soon after Bach's visit he was on his next war campaign, so it is possible it was not well received.
==20th century adaptations and citations==
:We make this declaration to assert our existence, to be able to have a "voice" on autism, rather than only that of experts and professionals in the field, to show how discrimination affects our lives, and that we want to direct a change from this type of bias against our natural differences, and the poor treatment that can ensue thereof.
===Arrangements===
The "Ricercar a 6" has been arranged on its own on a number of occasions, the most prominent arranger being [[Anton Webern]], who in [[1935]] made a version for small [[orchestra]], noted for its [[Klangfarbenmelodie]] style (i.e. melody lines are passed on from one instrument to another after every few notes, every note receiving the "tone color" of the instrument it is played on):
[[Image:Webern's Ricercar arrangement opening.PNG|550px|The opening of Webern's arrangement of "Ricercar a 6"]]
:We recognise the autism community as those diagnosed with any condition on the autism spectrum, including autism, low-functioning and high-functioning, those with asperger's syndrome, fragile x, hyperlexia and PDD-NOS. We are aware that there are some people who have not yet received diagnosis, yet still recognise themselves as on the autism spectrum, and have the same elements on the diagnostic criteria.
:We recognise ourselves as a minority group based on the following factors-
===As reference===
:People in the autism community have their own way of using language and communication that is different from the general population, is often misunderstood and can cause a bias against us.
''The Musical Offering'' is cited and deliberately interpreted by [[Douglas Hofstadter]] in his famous book ''[[Gödel, Escher, Bach]]''.
==See also==
:Autism spectrum conditions are scientifically proven to be largely genetic and heritable. Many of those on the autism spectrum who have children bear children who are also on the spectrum, this needs to be recognised to avoid the frequency of criticism of autistic parents and discrimination that is suffered as to misunderstanding of the different needs, and communication between family members on the spectrum.
* [[Johann Sebastian Bach]]
* [[List of compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach]]
* [[Bach compositions printed during the composer's lifetime]]
* [[Perpetuum mobile]]
* [[Canon_%28music%29]]
* [[Fugue]]
== External links ==
:People on the autism spectrum have a unique social network, this is primarily using communication with text on the internet. It is an invaluable community for many of us. There should be increased availability and recognition for this autism community online so that isolated members of the autism community can join and participate.
* [http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~tas3/musoffcanons.html Canons of the Musical Offering]
* The [[Mutopia Project]] has some of the music of [http://www.mutopiaproject.org/cgibin/make-table.cgi?preview=1&searchingfor=1079&Composer=BachJS&Instrument=&Style=&timelength=1&timeunit=week&lilyversion= The Musical Offering]
:People on the autism spectrum have our own cultural differences, unique habits, such as stimming and different perspectives than the norm. We feel it is essential that this is recognised as these "traits" are the things that some children and adults are forced to stop by some harsh and intensive therapies. We should have the right to be ourselves, without the pressure to conform and change our cultural differences.
:We experience discrimination in various forms, often because of our different use of language and communication, habitual differences such as stimming, and lack of acknowledgment that autistic parents may have autistic children, and differences in the children are not due to poor parenting, but the innate differences of our minority group.
:The members of the autism community are facing an imminent threat of possible cure, in whatever fashion that may transpire, prenatal testing for autism that could mean a form of eugenics, and total prevention from genetic counselling before conception. We have grave concerns of the possibility of being forced to accept a cure, of parents being forced to cure children, and of there being great pressure put on parents on the spectrum to have genetic tests, or prenatal screening. In the same sense that this would be entirely unacceptable to cure someones skin colour, we feel that our differences need to be respected and our minority group to be protected.
:A specific case of how being afforded protection would help members of the community is the present treatment meted out to autistic children at the Judge Rotenberg Center in Boston in the USA. The children can be given electric shock "therapy", this is from a contraption that can be worn for many years. This inhumane treatment is sickening to members of our community, this is just one such example of many.
:We mean for this statement to begin a process of official recognition by the United Nations that we are indeed a minority group, and worthy of protection from discrimination, inhumane treatment, and that our differences are valid in their own right and not something that needs to be cured.
==The other "autism community"==
The community that is described above mostly:
*consists of autistic adults
*focuses on autistic adults
*abhors the idea of a cure for or prevention of autism
*desires for autistic children to be educated and brought up to be healthy autistic adults
*perceives autism as an inherent part of an autistic person's personality
*rejects the [[person-first terminology]] "person with autism" in favour of "autistic person"
*communicates clearly when it has the chance, but meets with varying degrees of success in its attempts to communicate with other communities
There is another community that is often called "the autism community" (but never "the autistic community"). This one mainly:
*consists of non-autistic parents of autistic children and non-autistic professionals who work with autistic children
*focuses on autistic children to the exclusion of adults
*seeks a cure for and prevention of autism
*desires for autistic children to be brought up to appear non-autistic
*perceives autism as a disease distinct from the person with it
*uses the [[person-first terminology]] "person with autism" rather than "autistic person"
*perceives autistic people as unable to communicate on their own behalf
These two communities find themselves at odds on many issues, and each excludes the other from many of its own fora. Autistics themselves see it as particularly unjust that many autism societies are run by non-autistics and even exclude autistics from decisions that directly affect them. There does not appear to be such a reaction to the exclusion that occurs in the opposite direction.
Autism-related societies mostly come in these two polarised flavours, though there are some that are distinctly intermediate.
In [[Canada]] there is particular controversy over government funding of [[Autism Society Canada]], an extreme case of the non-autistic flavour of autism society. The type of funding it receives is nominally conditional on the organisation's "consumers" (autistic people) being "active participants" in its governance, but ASC actively excludes autistic people from its membership and governance. [http://www.sentex.net/~nexus23/naa_03.html]
==See also==
[[Category:Compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach]]
* [[Autism rights movement]]
* [[Aspies For Freedom]]
* [[Autistic culture]]
* [[Neurodiversity]]
* [[Neurotypical]]
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