January 31 - Philip Glass; Mario Lanza (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Philip Glass (b. 31 January 1937) is an extraodinarily influential American composer and pianist. 

[For last year's thoughts Franz Schubert and George Benjamin click here.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Divided

Philip Glass was on a mission

To base his art on repetition,

Which is the source of all of those

Repetitive arpeggios.

People hate it or they love it

Some want less, and some more of it.

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪    

 

Mario Lanza (31 January 1921 – 7 October 1959) was an American tenor best-known for filmed operettas and recordings.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Advice: Be Nice and Concise

 

A writer of verses who plans a

Limerick on Mario Lanza,

Should try not to sneer

At his cinema career

In the space of a quinary stanza.

 

 

 

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January 30 - Johann Joachim Quantz (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Johann Joachim Quantz (30 January 1697 – 12 July 1773) composed hundreds of compositions, mostly for flute, but is now remembered for his treatise on flute-playing.

[For last year's limericks on Thomas Tallis and couplet on Quantz click here.] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Matters

“His father, Andreas Quantz, was a blacksmith who died when Hans was not yet 11; on his deathbed, he begged his son to follow in his footsteps.” -- Wikipedia

Did Johann Joachim Quantz

Impress all his uncles and aunts

By penning On Playing the Flute,

And a hundred concertos to boot?

Or would they have preferred that he stop,

And come back to the blacksmithing shop?

It should be observed, if he had,

He'd be as obscure as his dad.

 

 

 

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January 29 - Adam Lambert (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Adam Lambert (b. 29 January 1982) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. 

[For last year's nonsense on Daniel François Esprit Auber click here.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lambert Leap

When Adam Lambert hit the scene,

(Years before he toured with Queen),

It must have been a bitter cup

When he came in as runner up

On American Idol, Season Eight,

Because he knew that he’d been great.

He didn’t mope or lose morale in

That season's loss to young Kris Allen.

He took the public’s choice in stride,

Perhaps it was a source of Pride.

And yet, I’d bet, it soothes the scar

That he became the bigger star

By far.

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]

 

January 28 - Artur [Arthur] Rubinstein; Johann Ernst Bach (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Artur [Arthur] Rubinstein (28 January 1887 – 20 December 1982) was a Polish-American pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest pianists of the last century.

[For last year's limerick on John Tavener click here.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Common Practice

"According to his memoirs, he learned César Franck's Symphonic Variations while on a train en route to the concert, without the benefit of a piano, practicing passages in his lap. Rubinstein described his memory as photographic... " -- Wikipedia

The story goes that Rubinstein

   Learned music on the train,

Because he thought that practicing

   Was too much of a strain.

He wasn't like the rest of us,

    Who lack his special powers,

And have to find a practice room

   And practice there for hours.

  

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪   

 

Johann Ernst Bach (28 January 1722 – 1 September 1777) was a distant relation 

and student of J. S. Bach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Matters

After his studies, [Johann Ernst Bach] returned to Eisenach. and became his father's official assistant and the next year his successor as court and city organist. - adapted from Wikipedia

When Germany was overrun

   With Bachs in every parish,

Your future plans, if you were one,

   Were bullish more than bearish.

Now Johann Ernst was such a boy,

   A member of the family Bach,

And soon enough he found employ

   As organist in Eisenach.

 

 

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January 27 - Jerome Kern (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Jerome Kern (27 January 1885 – 11 November 1945) was an American composer of musical theater and popular music.

 [For last year's limericks honoring Mozart click here.] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Job Requirement

Showboat is his only show

   That ever gets revivals,

But Kern (I’m sure my reader knows)

   Has hardly any rivals.

If you perform in cabaret,

   Or if your gig is jazz,

You’ll have to learn to sing and play

   The standards that he has.

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One Good Kern Deserves Another: Two Variation on a Theme

(1)

A singer expressed her concern

When preparing an evening of Kern,

“Who knew that his songbook

Would be such a long book?

It’s more than I’m able to learn!”

(2)

Said a singer, when taking her turn

At presenting a program of Kern,

“I wouldn’t have thought

That he wrote such a lot;

There are foxtrots and ballads to burn!” 

 

 

 

If you enjoy these posts, please help me, and consider sharing.  [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Takes: Great Art Repurposed.]