October 13 - Nana Mouskouri (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 13th are here: Art Tatum; Paul Simon (2019), Paul Simon (2020), and Anselm Hüttenbrenner (2021)

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Nana Mouskouri (b. 13 October 1934) is a Greek singer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Greek Bearing Gifts

Over the span of her career, she has released over 200 albums in at least twelve languages. – Wikipedia

On July 23 and 24, 2008, Mouskouri gave her two final 'Farewell Concert' performances in Athens, Greece. In 2014 at the age of 80, she embarked on a three-year Happy Birthday Tour.  - adapted from Wikipedia

Nana Mouskouri, who enjoyed keeping busy,

Sang in twelve tongues, just the thought makes me dizzy.

With two hundred albums and thousands of shows

She had not a moment for rest or repose.

She retired from her concerts at seventy-four,

But she came back at eighty to do them some more.

Which gives a new sense to the phrase when we speak

Of the splendid achievements of this great ancient Greek.

 

 

 

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October 8 - Giulio Caccini (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 8th are here: Louis Vierne; Toru Takemitsu; Walter Schumann (2019), Giulio Caccini (2020), and Giulio Caccini (2021)

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Giulio Caccini (8 October 1551 – buried 10 December 1618) was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, and instrumentalist, and father of the composer Francesca Caccini.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rival Houses

Caccini's character seems to have been less than perfectly honorable, as he was frequently motivated by envy and jealousy, in 1600 he seems to have rushed his own opera Euridice into print before Peri’s opera on the same subject could be published, while simultaneously ordering his group of singers to have nothing to do with Peri's production. – adapted from Wikipedia

The Florentine chronicles tell us

That Caccini was petty and jealous.

This habitual pattern was very

Apparent when dealing with Peri.

In fact, there is more than a hint

That he rushed his big opus to print

So Jacapo Peri would face

The stigma of losing the race.

If Peri was troubled or miffed

By this petty collegial rift

The historical record is quiet

And will neither confirm or deny it.

A lacuna which probably means

That the jaded, blasé Florentines

Were numb to such squabbling scenes.

 

 

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February 23 - George Frideric Handel (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 23rd are here: George Frideric Handel (2020) and John Blow; George Frideric Handel (2021)

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George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was one of the greatest, and still most popular, of Baroque composers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standing Orders

The custom of standing for the "Hallelujah" chorus originates from a popular belief that, at the London premiere, King George II did so, which would have obliged all to stand. There is no convincing evidence that the king was present, or that he attended any subsequent performance of Messiah. --Wikipedia 

You may be one of those who’ve clung

To what you learned when very young,

And when this famous piece is sung,

You rise up from your place and stand.

Or maybe, on the other hand,

You join with those who never budge,

And feel that those who stand misjudge

To let a king determine for us

How to honor Handel’s chorus.

In fact, it should be said forthwith,

The custom rose up from a myth;

Historians who’ve looked have reckoned

That it’s unlikely George the Second

Stood up at the works premiere, it

Seems he wasn’t there to hear it.

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A Rhyme for George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (baptised Georg Friederich Händel)

The Bard has asked “What’s in a name?”,

But it’s a bother, all the same,

When a reference work must choose

Which orthography to use.

His names aren’t difficult to spell,

At least as far as I can tell,

But, to be safe, it’s just as well

To list them all in parallel,

And if this seems a bit pell mell,

Consistency can go to hell!

 

 

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April 17 - Nicolas Nabokov (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 17th may be found here: Anja Silja (2019) and Johann David Heinichen (2020)

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Nicolas Nabokov (17 April [O.S. 4 April] 1903 – 6 April 1978) was a Russian-born American composer, adminitrator, and cultural figure. He was the cousin of Vladimir Nabokov.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NB. A double dactyl is a biographically inspired humorous poem with very strict structural rules.   

Here are links to two  definitions for those who are curious.  The first from the  

Poetry Foundation is clearer but less accurate than the second, from Wikipedia.  Take 

your pick.  The classic statement is the book Jiggery-Pokery:  A Compendium of 

Double Dactyls by Anthony Hecht and John Hollander (New York, 1967).

Double Dactyl for N.N.

Higgledy piggledy 

Nicolas Nabokov,

Cousin of Vladimir,

Had to confess

Sharing a mutual 

Paterfamilias

Wasn’t a ticket to

Equal success.

 

 

 

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April 14 - Julian Lloyd Webber (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 14th may be found here: Morton Subotnik (2019) and Loretta Lynn (2020)

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Julian Lloyd Webber (b. 14 April 1951) is a British solo cellist, conductor and broadcaster.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sibling Rivalry: The Lloyd Webbers

When you have a loving brother

   Who shares his chosen field with you,

Talk it out with one another,

Don’t do anything to smother

   Anything that each might do.

 

 

 

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