October 31 - Philippe de Vitry (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 31st are here: Ethel Waters; Philippe de Vitry (2019) and Phillippe de Vitry (2020)

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Philippe de Vitry (31 October 1291 – 9 June 1361) was a composer, music theorist, and churchman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Variations on a Theme of de Vitry

 

While there is still debate about what Vitry did and did not compose, the first sixteen works here, all motets, are widely considered to be his. --- preface to the list of works in Wikipedia 

(1)

With de Vitry, we have to confess,

That ascribing his works is a guess,

And scholarly careers

Have flourished for years

By debating them, “no” against “yes”.

(2)

The motets of de Vitry (Philippe)

Are a subject where passions run deep,

And scholarly amity

Can end in calamity

Over which to reject, which to keep.

 

 

October 30 - Peter Warlock (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 30th are here: Peter Warlock; Frans Brüggen (2019) and Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge (2020)

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Peter Warlock (30 October 1894 – 17 December 1930)  was a largely self-taught composer. He wrote criticism using his real name, Philip Heseltine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shhhh… 

In June 1924 Heseltine left Cefn Bryntalch and lived briefly in a Chelsea flat, a stay marked by wild parties and considerable damage to the property. 

The ambience at Eynsford was one of alcohol and uninhibited sexual activity. Visitors to the house left accounts of orgies, all-night drunken parties, and rough horseplay that at least once brought police intervention. -- excerpted from Wikipedia

 

On the school recital platform,

  Songs by Warlock still are sung.

He excelled, you see, in that form

  And they’re perfect for the young.

Envoi

But the faculty is quiet

On his life of sensual riot...

Lest their students want to try it.

 

 

 

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October 29 - Jon Vickers (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 29th are here: Jon Vickers (2019) and Vivian Ellis (2020)

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Jon Vickers (29 October 1926 – 10 July 2015) was a prominent Canadian heldentenor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixed Blessing

 

Still, Mr. Vickers had his share of detractors, who found his singing burly and gruff. -- Anthony Tommasini, Vickers obituary in the New York Times, 13 July 2015

Jon Vickers was, of course, renowned

For singing with stentorian sound;

But some there were who said, “Enough!

We think this burly voice is gruff.”

There is no pleasing one and all,

The zenith comes before the fall,

And sometimes when you're at the acme

It's like a sign that says attack me.

 

 

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October 28 - Howard Hanson; Dmitry Bortniansky (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 28th are here: Howard Hanson; Cleo Laine (2019) and Howard Hanson (2020)

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Howard Hanson (28 October 1896 – 26 February 1981) was a composer, music administrator, and advocate for new American music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doubling Up

Our doppelgänger may appear,

   As our course of life meanders,

For Howard Hanson it is clear

   His counterpart was Colonel Sanders.

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

 

Dmitry Bortniansky (28 October 1751 – 10 October [O.S. 28 September] 1825) was a Russian and Ukranian composer and conductor, now remembered primarily for his many choral compositions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Slava!

 

After a while, Bortniansky's genius proved too great to ignore, and in 1796 he was appointed Director of the Imperial Chapel Choir, and produced scores upon scores of compositions -- adapted from Wikipedia.  

Bortniansky, who had a desire

To promote his Imperial Choir,

Enchanted the ears

Of the Tsar with premieres,

With himself as the frequent supplier.

 

 

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

 

 

October 27 - Conlon Nancarrow (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 27th are here: Niccolò Paganini; Conlon Nancarrow (2019) and Niccolò Paganini (2020)

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Conlon Nancarrow (27 October 1912 – 10 August 1997) was an experimental composer 

of pieces of enormous complexity.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Counting Your Blessings

If Conlon Nancarrow

Had written Bolero,

There’d be metrical riddles

(With no paradiddles)

That no one would dare

To attempt on the snare.

 

 

 

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