June 9 - Otto Nicolai (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for June 9th are found here: Cole Porter (2019), Fred Waring (2020), and Charles Wuorinen; Carl Nielsen (2021)

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Otto Nicolai (9 June 1810 – 11 May 1849) was a German composer and conductor, best remembered for his opera The Merry Wives of Windsor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

National Musicking

The Merry Wives of Windsor remains popular in Germany, and the overture is sometimes heard in concert in other countries.  – Wikipedia, s.v. “The Merry Wives of Windsor (opera)”

No one knows how Fate contrives

To pick what withers or what thrives,

But Fate must know the reason why

Of all the works of Nicolai

The only one that still survives

Is his confection Merry Wives.

And Fate must know what cause determines

That it is only loved by Germans,

Who cherish all its faded charms

With eager ears and open arms,

I guess that it’s unfair to cavil,

If, like a wine that “doesn’t travel”,

It has a sparkle of the sort

That might be iffy to export,

For though for us it lacks appeal,

In Deutschland it’s the real deal.

 

 

 

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