December 31 - Donna Summer (The Musical Birthday Series, 5th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 31st are here date is unknown: Donna Summer; John Denver (2019), Jule Styne (2020), John Denver; Giulio Cesare Monteverdi (2021), and PSY (Park Jae-sang); Odetta (2022)

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Donna Summer (31 December 1948 – 17 May 2012) was one of the most important singers of the disco era.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enough Is (Not) Enough

Keep the beat, oh disco drummer

For this day of Donna Summer!

Light the floor at every disco

From NYC to San Francisco!

Get you disco era fixes

With her singles and remixes!

Search you closets and retrieve a

Feather boa for the diva!

It was glorious! It was splendid

Feeling joy the way we then did!

Dance as if it never ended,

As the disco gods intended!

 

 

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December 22 - Giacomo Puccini; Maurice Gibb; Robin Gibb (The Musical Birthday Series, 5th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 21st are here: András Schiff; Michael Tilson Thomas (2019), Michael Tilson Thomas (2020), Frank Zappa; Werner von Trapp (2021), Michael Tilson Thomas (2021), and Edgard Varèse; Giacomo Puccini (2022)

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Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 – 29 November 1924) composed several of the most beloved operas in the repertoire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three on Tosca

(1)

While critics have often dismissed the opera as a facile melodrama with confusions of plot—musicologist Joseph Kerman famously called it a "shabby little shocker”—the power of its score and the inventiveness of its orchestration have been widely acknowledged. – Wikipedia, s.v. “Tosca”

Alright, so it’s shocking and shabby,

And it makes intellectuals crabby,

But with intrigue and torture,

This Italianate scorcher

Is never Germanically flabby.

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(2) Act II - “Vissi d’arte”

Poor Tosca, who lived for her Art,

Had seen her whole world fall apart,

But for Mario’s sake

Pulls a knife from a steak,

And lunges for Scarpio’s heart.

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(3) Act III

La Tosca was cool and aloof;

She knew the whole thing was a spoof.

But when Mario fell,

She exclaimed, “What the hell!”

And promptly jumped off of the roof.

 

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Maurice Gibb (22 December 1949 – 12 January 2003) and Robin Gibb (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) were members of the hugely successful pop trio, The Bee Gees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stayin’ Alive

Strike the harp and join the chorus

For Robin and his brother Maurice!

Fraternal twins, the brothers Gibb

Who teamed up with their other sib,

And to this family venture we owe

The famous Bee Gees as a trio.

 

 

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December 28 - Martha Wash (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 28th are here: Roger Sessions; Earl Hines (2019), Calixa Lavalée (2020), and Christian Cannabich; Roger Sessions (2021)

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Martha Wash (b. 28 December 1953) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer, who as part of The Weather Girls had a huge hit with "It's Raining Men". 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mixed Forecast

From NYC to San Francisco,

Martha Wash, in every disco,

Spread the word, “It’s Raining Men”,

Which may be true, but then again,

There’s sometimes rain, and sometimes drought,

And sometimes singles do without.

 

 

 

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