April 15 - Johann Friedrich Fasch (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 15th may be found here: Bessie Smith (2019), Neville Marriner (2020), Johann Friedrich Fasch (2021), Domenico Gabrielli (2022), Neville Marriner (2023), and Neville Marriner (2024)

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Johann Friedrich Fasch (15 April 1688 – 5 December 1758) was a German violinist and composer. [NB: In spite of the several pictures mistaken listed in a Google search, there is no know image of Fasch.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Singet!

"It appears that most of his vocal works (including 9 complete cantata cycles, at least 14 masses and four operas) are lost, while the instrumental works are mostly extant."  New Grove Music Online, as qtd. in Wikipedia

Johann Friedrich Fasch awoke

Devotion in his Lutheran folk,

   With Sunday service piety.

But Time and Fate saw fit to quash

The sacred works of J. F. Fasch

In all their weekly variety.

 

 

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January 11 - Christian Sinding; Reinhold Glière (The Musical Birthday Series; 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for January 11th are here: Christian Sinding; Maurice Duruflé (2020), Reinhold Glière (2021), and Maurice Duruflé (2022)

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Christian Sinding (11 January 1856 – 3 December 1941) was a Norwegian composer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reputation

Christian Sinding’s only hit

Has faded from the scene a bit;

What happens to a one hit wonder

When even that has lost its thunder?

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ 

 Reinhold Glière (11 January 1875 [O.S. 30 December 1874] – 23 June 1956), was an Ukranian composer.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Safe Passages

 

As the last genuine representative of the pre-revolutionary national Russian school, i.e. a 'living classic', Glière was immune to the standard reproach of "formalism" (mostly equivalent to "modernity" or "bourgeois decadence"). Thus the infamous events of 1936 and 1948 passed Glière by. -- Wikipedia 

Reinhold Glière

Wrote pleasant fare

Which prized age-old priorities;

It was a flair

That didn’t scare

The Soviet authorities.

 

 

 

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February 24 - Samuel Wesley (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 24th are here: Arnold Dolmetsch (2020) and Arrigo Boito (2021)

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Samuel Wesley (24 February 1766 – 11 October 1837) was an English organist and composer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dark Horse

Generally he appeared to be mistrusted by the British establishment, perhaps due to a forthright manner, his marriage arrangements and it is possible to speculate that he was unreliable. From 1815 onwards, he was beset by lack of money and depression. – Wikipedia

Here’s a rhyme I wrote expressly

On the life of Samuel Wesley.

(There’s scandal if you care to hear it!)

He had a most unbridled spirit,

And caused confusion in his home

By turning to the Church of Rome.

He had affairs that went unblessed,

And as you will, by now, have guessed,

This left his family most distressed.

He played the organ better than most,

But couldn’t get an organist post;

He scribbled music to survive,

Which no one’s eager to revive.

And that is all I want to tell

About this English ne’er-do-well.

 

 

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November 13 - Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 13h are here: Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow; George Whitefield Chadwick (2019) and Whoopi Goldberg (2020)

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Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow (bapt. 14, prob. born 13 November 1663  – 7 August 1712) was an important German organist and composer.
  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ZaCHOWWW!!!

In 1695 he was criticized by the pietists because of his excessive long and elaborate music, that could be only appreciated by cantors and organists. -- Wikipedia

According to one anecdote,

Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow wrote

Music which the local parish

Found theatrical and garish.

Elaborate and overlong,

It made the pious Sunday throng

Restless and a little nervous

By lengthening the morning service.

The average burgher in their pew

Declared they didn’t have a clue,

And listened weekly with regrets

To Zachow’s preludes and motets.

 

 

 

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October 24 - George Crumb; Emmerich Kálmán (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 24th are here: George Crumb; Luciano Berio (2019) and George Crumb; Anna Amalia von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (2020)

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George Crumb (b. 24 October 1929) is one of the most distinguished living American composers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Accounting for Taste

It’s easy indeed to succumb

To the colorful music of Crumb.

But when some are alarmed

When you think they'd be charmed,

There’s the obvious question, How come?

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Emmerich Kálmán (24 October 1882 – 30 October 1953) was a Hungarian composer of operettas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History Lesson

In the quiet little nooks

Of our opera history books,

Composers who deserve a mention

Are given dutiful attention

With a touch of condescension.

Kálmán and his frothy shows

Are treated with such passing prose.

When operetta was on trend,

The public liked he’s genial blend

Of Johann Strauss and flapper dances

In sentimental sung romances.

 

 

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