June 30 - Florence Ballard (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 30th are found here: Esa-Pekka Salonen (2019) and Lena Horne (2020)

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Florence Ballard (30 June 1943 – 22 February 1976) was an American singer and a founding member of the Supremes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O Fortuna velut luna

After being removed from the Supremes in 1967, Ballard tried an unsuccessful solo career. She struggled with alcoholism, depression, and poverty for three years. - adapted from Wikipedia

Though Florence Ballard reached the top

   As part of the Supremes,

She felt like she was just a prop

   In someone else’s dreams.

Then Fate arrived and made a swap

   For opposite extremes,

And she was caught within a slop

   Of alcoholic schemes.

From No. 1, that’s quite a drop,

   But tragic as it seems,

There is no way that we can stop

  Fate’s archetypal themes.

 

 

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June 29 - Bernard Herrmann (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 29th are found here: Frank Loesser (2019) and Nelson Eddy (2020)

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Bernard Herrmann (29 June 1911 – 24 December 1975) was an American composer and conductor best known for his film scores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Water Music

In Psycho, the terrible power

Of Janet Leigh’s scene in the shower,

In spite of its gore,

Derives from its score,

All downbows and screechingly sour.

 

 

 

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June 28 - Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Oley Speaks (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 28th are found here: Richard Rodgers (2019) and Joseph Joachim (2020)

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Jean-Jacques Rousseau (28 June 1712 – 2 July 1778) was a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Querelle des Bouffons in a Nutshell

The Querelle des Bouffons ("Quarrel of the Comic Actors") was the name given to a battle of musical philosophies that took place in Paris between 1752 and 1754. The controversy concerned the relative merits of French and Italian opera. --- adapted from Wikipedia

J.-J. Rousseau,

As you may know,

    Put the tune, not the harmony, first;

J.-P. Rameau

Was all gung ho

   For the very same thing, but reversed.

 

 

 

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

Oley Speaks (28 June 1874 – 7 August 1948) was an American composer, chiefly of songs.

T

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sun Never Sets....

A song one seldom hears today,

Except in an ironic way,

Is Speaks’s “Road to Mandalay,”

Which was a hit because it caught

The cocky way the British thought

About the Empire God had wrought.

Envoi

Today the terra is less firma

When singing songs of British Burma!

 

 

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June 27 - Mildred J. Hill (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 27th are found here: Anna Moffo (2019) and Frank Mills (2020)

A tribute to her sister, Patty Smith Hill, is found here:  Patty Smith Hill

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Mildred J. Hill (27  27, 1859 – 5 June 1916) was an American songwriter and educator who is credited with the tune now sung as "Happy Birthday to You."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All Together Now

By now you should all know the drill -

You sing it regardless of skill.

And so, girls and boys,

Sing out, make a noise 

Happy Birthday dear Mildred J. Hill

 

 

 

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June 26 - Leopold Koželuch (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 26th are found here: Leopold Koželuch (2019) and Hugues Cuénod (2020)

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Leopold Koželuch (26 June 1747 – 7 May 1818) was considered one of the leading composers of Europe in the late 18th century.  Even today he has been given the full Bärenreiter Urtext treatment.
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historical Inquiry

Pianist Kemp English observes that in Vienna Koželuch "found himself in the right place at the right time", and was able to advance his career there with carefully cultivated connections.

Mozart's death later in the year afforded Koželuch another opportunity: Emperor Franz II offered him Mozart's positions in his court, Kammer Kapellmeister (music director) and Hofmusik Compositor (composer), and at double Mozart's salary.

In 1809, Ludwig van Beethoven, a frequent disparager of rival composers, would write to Thomson referring to Koželuch as "Miserabilis". -- excerpts from Wikipedia

When Koželuch settled in Wien.

He conquered the musical scene,

But it’s anyone’s guess

How he had such success

With music so very routine.

 

 

 

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