July 31 - Paul J. Christiansen (the Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 31st are here: Jacob Handl (Gallus) (2019) and George Liberace (2020)

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Paul J. Christiansen (31 July 1914 – 5 December 1997) was an American choral conductor and composer. He conducted the Concordia Choir from 1937-1986.

 

Like Father...

As part of the Christiansen clan,

His life was controlled by a plan.

He was called to aspire 

To lead his own choir

Of undergrads (like his old man).

On and On

A town on the flat northern plain

Was Christiansen’s special domain;

At the start just a kid,

Then he did what he did

For a more-or-less fifty year reign.

 

 

 

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July 30 - Paul Anka (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 30th are here: Gerald Moore (2019) and Nannerl Mozart (2020)

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Paul Anka (b. 30 July 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter, and actor. 

Forward and Back

Early success; 1970s chart comeback; 1990s comeback - Sections heads from Wikipedia bio

Paul Anka has one of those careers

Which ebbs and revives with the years;

He’ll seem efflorescence,

For a while luminescence,

And then once again disappears.

 

 

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A Little Tonight Music

 

He wrote the theme for The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson’’.. Wikipedia

 

When, before you went to bed,

You tried to ease your tired head

With funny things that Carson said,

You’d hear, with Sevrinson on hand,

The music from the Carson band,

Cool and swinging and on brand.

They use a theme, which seemed just right

To frame a talk show called “Tonight” --

Jazzy, bouncy, fun, and tight.

Query

Then, while sipping decaf Sanka,

Did you know that you could thank a

Hip composer named Paul Anka?

 

July 29 - Mikis Theodorakis (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 29th are here: Peter Schreier (2019) and Sigmund Romberg (2020)

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Mikis Theodorakis (b.29 July 1925) is one of the most important contemporary Greek composers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... Bearing Gifts

"... he composed much concert music, including seven symphonies, four operas, ballets (including Antigone, 1959), and more than 1,000 songs. He is esteemed in his homeland as a national hero. -- Wikipedia

When Theodorakis 

Wrote Zorba the Greek,

Did he know that his career 

Was at some kind of peak?

You can work many years

In the musical galleys,

But you don’t have control 

Of your peaks or your valleys.

 

 

 

 

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July 28 - Carmen Dragon (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 28th are here: Rudy Vallée (2019) and Ignaz Bösendorfer (2020)

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Carmen Dragon (28 July 1914 – 28 March 1984) was an American conductor, composer, and arranger, best remembered for his recordings with the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hollywood Bowling

 

Lift your voice, and raise your flagon

To the work of Carmen Dragon.

No Schoenberg or Boulez tonight,

We’re in the realm of Classics Lite!

Raise your glass and be at ease,

And listen to his old LPs.

 

 

 

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July 27 - Vladimir de Pachmann (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 27th are here: Enrique Granados (2019) and Bobbie Gentry (2020)

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Vladimir de Pachmann (27 July 1848 – 6 January 1933) was a pianist of Russian-German ethnicity, especially noted for performing the works of Chopin and for his eccentric performing style. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Odd Man Out

He was also famous for gestures, muttering and addressing the audience during his performance. Critic James Huneker called him the "Chopinzee", and George Bernard Shaw reported that he "gave his well-known pantomimic performance, with accompaniments by Chopin." - adapted form Wikipedia 

de Pachmann was technically skillful;

No doubt his recitals were thrill full.

But he was off-kilter,

With no psychic filter,

And his playing eccentric and willful.

 

 

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July 26 - Mick Jagger; Angela Hewitt (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 26th are found here: Franz Xaver Wolfgang Mozart (2019) and John Field (2020)

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Mick Jagger (b. 26 July 1943)is the front man for the Rolling Stones.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Longevity

When writing a verse about Jagger,

The obvious rhyme word is “swagger,”

But I thought I’d avoid the cliché

And not mention his swagger today.

But in candor I cannot ignore

That as Jagger approaches four score,

He swaggers through each concert date,

As he will ‘til he’s known as “the late.”

 

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Angela Hewitt (b. 26 July 1958) is a Canadian classical pianist, especially admired for her Bach playing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specialty

Angela Hewitt made a career

Of playing Bach, or pretty near.

She plays some other things, of course,

Perhaps with equal style and force,

And yet, no matter how you view it,

Bach’s identified with Hewitt.

 

 

 

 

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