February 17 - Margaret Truman; Friedrich Cerha (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 17th are here: Arcangelo Corelli (2020), Banjo Paterson (2021), Arcangelo Corelli (2022), Edward German (2023), and Ed Sheeran (2024)

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Margaret Truman [Daniel] (17 February 1924 – 29 January 2008) was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Buck Stops… Where?

The practice of positive, polite or diplomatic reviews was broken in 1950 when Washington Post music critic Paul Hume wrote that Truman "cannot sing very well. She is flat a good deal of the time. And still cannot sing with anything approaching professional finish." The review angered President Truman, who wrote to Hume, "Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!"  The Post was then forced to acknowledge the letter, which drew international headlines, becoming a minor scandal for the Truman administration. – adapted from Wikipedia

When one reviewer made the choice

Of writing that Miss Truman’s voice

      Was flat and under-trained,

The President got all upset

And answered with a nasty threat

      That should have been restrained.

Envoi

It is the critic’s job to bitch

When singing’s bad an under pitch.

 

 

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Friedrich Cerha (17 February 1926 – 14 February 2023) was an Austrian composer, conductor, and academic teacher. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Variations on the Completion of Lulu

 

Cerha is best known for completing Alban Berg's opera Lulu by orchestrating its unfinished third act, which premiered in Paris in 1979. -- Wikipedia

(1)

Though Lulu was left uncompleted,

There were probably few who felt cheated;

But Cerha, with glee,

Has completed Act Three, –

So, "Damen und Herrn, be seated!"

(2)

For some it was more than enough

To sit through two acts in a huff,

But Cerha demurred,

And competed Act Third

Of Alban Berg’s atonal stuff.

 

 

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