ca. July 31 - Jacob Handl (The Musical Birthday Series)

Jacob Handl (Gallus) (betw. 15 April and 31 July 1550 - 18 July 1591) was a notable composer of the late Renaissance, several of whose works are still widely performed today. It may or may not be his birthday, the range given is as it appears in Grove's.

 Art Isn't Easy

Jacob Handl (known as Gallus),

Humming in the bishop's palace,

Came to see it wasn’t easy

Writing twenty part divisi.

Still, it made him feel euphoric,

Thinking thoughts so polychoric!

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July 30 - Gerald Moore (The Musical Birthday Series)

Gerald Moore (30 July 1899 – 13 March 1987) was one of the first accompanists to become famous in his own right.

Moore Moral

Gerald Moore was not ashamed 

  When given second billing,

Though to be the first one named

   Might have been more thrilling.

Yet he never would have claimed

   His career was unfulfilling.

Moral

Success depends on where you’ve aimed -

  Harvest comes from careful tilling.

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July 29 - Peter Schreier (The Musical Birthday Series)

Peter Schreier (b. 29 July 1935) is a German tenor.

I

If you need to inquire 

About Peter Schreier

  You’ve missed a most elegant stylist.

There are few I rate higher

Than Herr Peter Schreier

  Of all of the tenors on my list.

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July 28 - Rudy Vallée (The Musical Birthday Series)

Rudy Vallée (28 July 1901 –3 July 1986) was an American singer and movie actor.

Megaphony

Rudy Vallée, trim and dapper,

(Just ask any twenties flapper),

With his tenor gently crooning

Turning thoughts to love and spooning.

Learned to use a megaphone 

To  project his slender tone.

Also, he was well rewarded

For the songs that he recorded.

But the private side of Rudy

Was unpleasant, angry, moody.

When he wasn’t on the stage

Led by ego, filled with rage,

He was prone to curse and brawl

Shunning proper protocol. 

Envoi

Sometimes when you see a star

You don’t know who they really are.

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July 27 - Enrique Granados (The Musical Birthday Series)

Enrique Granados (27 July 1867 – 24 March 1916) was an important Spanish composer and pianist.

We Are Experiencing Technical Difficulties

Granados thought folks would enjoy a 

Suite on the paintings of Goya,

But wrote the tableaux so

That no virtuoso

Could play them without paranoia.

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July 26 - Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (The Musical Birthday Series)

Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (26 July 1791 – 29 July 1844) was W. A. Mozart's youngest son, born a few months before his father's death.
NB. It will be apparent that the final rhyme hinges on a Anglo pronunciation of his name, for which I apologize. 

Father Figure

Imagine you were Mozart’s son,

And then imagine, just for fun,

That fate had cast your lot so you

Should live as a composer too.

Would your father’s DNA

Haunt you ‘til your dying day?

Would you, when a little lad,

Wish you had a different dad?

(Would you find it slightly scary 

That your teacher was Salieri?)

Envoi

Circumstances didn’t favor

Mental health for young Franz Xaver.

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July 25 - Antônio Carlos Jobim (The Musical Birthday Series)

Antônio Carlos Jobim (25 January 1927 – 8 December 1994) was the best-known exponent of bossa nova.

Carnaval do Brasil

Antônio Carlos Jobim

Is held in exalted esteem;

It’s said that Jehovah

Enjoys bossa nova, 

And His samba is out of a dream!

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July 24 - Peter Serkin (The Musical Birthday Series)

Peter Serkin (b. 24 July 1947) is a remarkable pianist and teacher, and of course, son of Rudolf Serkin.

Peter Serkin likes to play

Pieces written in our day.

Repertoire for him extends

From the classics to his friends,

World premieres some find off putting

Played with Bach on equal footing.

Practice hard and get your work in 

If you want to play like Serkin.

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