June 30 - John Gay (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 30th are found here: Esa-Pekka Salonen (2019), Lena Horne (2020), and Florence Ballard (2021)

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John Gay (30 June 1685 – 4 December 1732) was an important English poet and dramatist best remembered for the libretto of The Beggar's Opera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Triplets à la Mode

The Beggar’s Opera took the stage

And very soon was all the rage

In London of th’Augustan age.

The songs of this successful play

Wed modish music of the day

To snappy lyrics by John Gay.

A play so bawdy and adult

Induced a foreordained result

And spawned a ballad opera cult.

It wasn’t all just bays and laurels,

There were, of course, religious quarrels

About the show's effect on morals,

But in the end the devil won,

And Londoners had lots of fun

Throughout a most successful run.

 

 

 

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June 29 - Leroy Anderson (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 29th are found here: Frank Loesser (2019), Nelson Eddy (2020), and Bernard Herrmann (2021)

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Leroy Anderson (29 June 1908 – 18 May 1975) was an American composer of short, light concert pieces. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do You Have an Accent?

 

Note that although his first name is spelled normally, it seems to be universally pronounced le-ROY. -- musicbrainz.org 

 

Did Anderson, when role was read,

Close his eyes and shake his head

When hearing how his name was stressed

By those who incorrectly guessed?

Or was he calmly okey-dokey

To be an iamb or a trochee?

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The Same Sentiment as a Limerick

Did the circumstance ever annoy

The rhythmically sensitive boy,

When his turn was announced

But his name mispronounced

As LEE-roy instead of Le-ROY?

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Upon Hearing Mr. Anderson’s “The Typewriter”

An X-er with so much to learn

Betrayed their bewildered concern

When they asked, “What the hell

Is that horrible bell?”

At the sound of the carriage return.

June 28 - Robert Franz (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 28th are found here: Richard Rodgers (2019), Joseph Joachim (2020), and Jean-Jacques Rousseau; Oley Speaks (2021)

 

Robert Franz (28 June 1815 – 24 October 1892) was a German composer, mainly of lieder. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Limericks on the Same Rhymes for Robert Franz

[1] Song Lit Class

When Franz wrote his lieder he tried

To set all pretensions aside.

They stay near the tonic,

And they’re not histrionic,

Though maybe a bit cut-and-dried.

[2] Master Class

With Franz, use the poem as your guide,

And you’ll take his directness in stride.

His songs aren’t demonic,

Or profound, or tectonic,

And so go along for the ride!

 

 

 

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June 27 - Friedrich Silcher (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 27th are found here: Anna Moffo (2019), Frank Mills (2020), and Mildred J. Hill (2021)

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Friedrich Silcher (27 June 1789 – 26 August 1860 was a German composer mainly known for his songs and choral arrangements and an important Volkslied collector.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Companions in Song

 

"Wooden Heart" was based on a German folk song, "Muss i denn" as arranged by Friedrich Silcher. - adapted form Wikipedia. s.v. "Wooden Heart"

Friedrich Silcher, song arranger,

Never was in any danger

Of fading from the choral scene,

At least in Germany, I mean.

But Silcher’s folk song “Muss i denn”

Caused a small sensation when

It was brought to life again.

(The spelling’s correct, it has been checked,

It’s in the Swabian dialect.)

This tidbit of the choral art,

Which had been Silcher’s at the start,

Was rearranged so it could chart

As Elvis Presley’s “Wooden Heart.”

 

 

 

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June 26 - Gilberto Gil (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 26th are found here: Leopold Koželuch (2019), Hugues Cuénod (2020), and Leopold Koželuch (2021)

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Gilberto Gil  (b. 26 June 1942) is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ballad of Gilberto Gil

Tropicália was not only an expression in analyzing and manipulating culture but also a mode of political expression, – Wikipedia, s.v. “Tropicália”

In 1964, the Brazilian military regime saw both Gil and Veloso as a threat, and the two were held for nine months in 1969 before they were told to leave the country. - adapted from Wikipedia

When President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took office in January 2003, he chose Gil as Brazil's new Minister of Culture. – Wikipedia

Gilberto Gil

Was from Brasil,

    But he and several peers

Were forced to leave

One sultry eve

    For exile, several years.

Official views

Attacked his muse,

     (The tropicalismo beat),

They wouldn’t let

This potent threat

     Gain traction in the street.

But he returned

No longer spurned

     And with a new position

He took the stage

To re-engage

     As musician politician.

 

 

 

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