Monday, March 1, 2021

March 1 - Frédéric Chopin; Harry Belafonte (The Musical Birthday Series; 3rd Annual Cycle)

 

Frédéric Chopin (1 March 1810 – 17 October 1849) remains one of the most popular of nineteenth century composers.

[For previous March 1st posts click on the names: Frédéric Chopin and Dimitri Mitropoulos.]

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table Talk with Chopin: Five Limericks on the Same Rhyme



Said Chopin, his eyes all ablaze,

“I’ve written a new polonaise!

It’s heroic and bold

And is sure to take hold

At the swankier sort of soirées.”


And then, “Though the public may praise

The dances the pianist plays,

They’re much too advanced

To be actually danced,

They were written to stun and amaze.”


He continued, “Stop asking for ways

To simplify this or that phrase.

I won’t change a note!

I wrote what I wrote!

And once it is written, it stays!”


And later, when in a milaise,

“Perhaps I should lower my gaze,

And write what survives

In our diners and dives,

And in lower-bourgeois cabarets.”


He concluded, “That mood was a phase,

A strange hypothetical haze, --

I cannot see me in

A place so plebeian.”

Then arose, as he bid his “good days”.

 

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

 

 

Harry Belafonte (b. 1 March 1927) is an American singer, songwriter, activist, and actor. 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day-O


His breakthrough album Calypso (1956) was the first million-selling LP by a single artist. — Wikipedia


Once you had to take a trip so

You could revel in calypso,

Thus, when Belafonte brought it

To the mainland, people thought it

Was delightful and they bought it

With appreciative euphoria 

From their neighborhood emporia.



 



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