Sunday, April 3, 2022

April 3 - Watkins Shaw (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 3rd may be found here: Reginald De Koven (2019)Alessandro Stradella (2020), and Wayne Newton (2021)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Watkins Shaw (3 April 1911 – 8 October 1996) was a British musicologist and educator best known for his critical edition of Handel's Messiah. 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Textual Purity

 

The Times obituarist went so far as describe his edition of Messiah as being in "universal use", though this is a slight exaggeration. -- slightly adapted from Wikipedia  


To Watkins Shaw it was a scandal

That choral works of G.F. Handel

Were sung from slipshod old editions

Based on dubious traditions.


He made the pitch to justify a

New edition of Messiah;

Novello heard, and they foresaw

A great success for Watkins Shaw.


This version spread both wide and far,

And now, no matter where you are,

Don’t delay, demur, or murmur,

Buy it now, and scrap your Schirmer.

 

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

 

No comments:

Post a Comment