THE MUSICAL BIRTHDAY SERIES: July 2024

Saturday, July 6, 2024

July 6 - Nicola Francesco Haym (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 6th are here: Émile Jaques-Dalcroze (2019), Claude-Michel Schönberg (2020), Hanns Eisler (2021), Alberto Nepomuceno (2022), and Bill Haley (2023)

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Nicola Francesco Haym (6 July 1678 – 31 July 1729) was an Italian opera librettist, composer, theater manager and performer, literary editor and numismatist.

Haym, Sweet Haym

His historical importance, however, rests upon his libretti for Handel’s scores, including Teseo (1713), Radamisto (1720), Ottone (1723), Flavio (1723), Giulio Cesare (1724), Tamerlano (1724), Rodelinda (1725), Siroe (1728), and Tolomeo (1728). -- adapted from encyclopedia.com

To Signor Haym we owe a debt. He

Put together the libretti

For some of Handel’s biggest hits,

And so today, since space permits,

I’ll venture on this birthday foray,

And end with “Mille grazie, Signore.”

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Friday, July 5, 2024

July 5 - Adam Young (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 5th are here: George Rochberg (2019), William Crotch (2020), Wanda Landowska (2021), George Rochberg (2022), and William Crotch (2023)

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Adam Young (b. 5 July 1986) is an American singer-songwriter and musician, best known as the founder and sole member of electronica project Owl City.

Giving a Hoot

Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. Adam Young created the project while experimenting with music in his parents' basement. Owl City developed a following on the social networking site MySpace. -- adapted from Wikipedia, s.v. "Owl City"

If you live in Owatonna

In a basement and you wanna

Have a band, but have no friend

Who’s there to help you to that end,

Fill the basement with a shipment

Of the flashiest equipment,

Record a tune, or several of them,

And hope that folks on MySpace love them.

Well, this is how success was sprung

For Owatonna’s Adam Young;

Without a band, with no committee

Adam Young became Owl City.

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

Thursday, July 4, 2024

July 4 - Louis-Claude Daquin (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 4th are found here: Cathy Berberian (2019), Flor Peeters (2020), Stephen Foster (2021), Gertrude Lawrence; Oscar the First, King of Sweden (2022), and Stephen Foster (2023)

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Louis-Claude Daquin (4 July 1694 – 15 June 1772) was a French composer and organist whose settings of French Christmas songs (Noëls) are still in the active parish organ repertoire.

I'm Dreaming of a French Christmas

I’m sure Daquin, who wrote Noëls,

Knew that Christmas music sells.

And they're still there up on the shelf

Beside the Virgin and the Elf,

A place of honor earned by dint

Of being, even now, in print.

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

Wednesday, July 3, 2024

July 3 - Betty Buckley (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 3rd are found here: Ruth Crawford Seeger (2019), Leos Janáček (2020), George M. Cohan (2021), Johnny Hartman (2022), and Audra McDonald (2023)

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Betty Buckley (b. 3 July 1947) is an American actress and singer.

Life Was Beautiful Then

In 1982, Buckley starred as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of the musical Cats. She stayed with the production for 18 months. -- adapted from Wikipedia

Eighteen months on Broadway doing Cats

For Betty Buckley probably was tough,

But in the end there’s recompense, and that’s,

She certainly had memories enough!

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