December 6 - Orazio Vecchi (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 6th are here: Nikolaus Harnoncourt; Joseph Lamb (2019), Dave Brubeck; Henryk Górecki (2020), and Ira Gershwin; Orazio Vecchi (2021)

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Orazio Vecchi (bapt. 6 December 1550 – 19 February 1605) was an Italian composer best known for his madrigal comedies.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side Gig

 

Vecchi was renowned for his madrigals, especially his grouping of them together in a new form called the "madrigal comedy."-- Wikipedia

Vecchi wrote successful sets

Of madrigals and canzonets,

And published then as small vignettes;

And Vecchi, not the least constrained

By Holy Vows (he was ordained),

Was glad that folks were entertained.

 

 

 

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March 25 - Arturo Toscanini (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 25th may be found here:  Béla Bartók (2019), Anita Bryant; Elton John (2020), and Aretha Franklin; Arturo Toscanini (2021)

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Arturo Toscanini (25 March 1867 – 16 January 1957) was a great and extremely popular Italian conductor.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Solemn Heroic Couplets on the Case of Arturo Toscanini

 

Thanks to the existence of recorded performances, as well as the reminiscences of some of his colleagues, many people now realize that Toscanini's reputation for absolutely literal fidelity to the printed score was largely a media creation.  -- Linda B. Fairtile, "Toscanini and the Myth of Textual Fidelity." Journal of the Conductors Guild 24, no. 1-2 (2003).  Abstract.

 

The myth that Toscanini wished no more

Than always being faithful to the score

Became so strong that ethical dimensions

Were soon assigned to literal intentions.

But just as judges make their contribution

Interpreting our nation’s constitution,

And any pious claims about The Framers

Should always come with plentiful disclaimers,

We find, in music, that the path is vexed

If one is strictly faithful to the text.

There is no way a musical performance

Can ever be in literal conformance

With any score.  Although you use the best,

Subjective taste will always be expressed,

Even by the textually obsessed.

 

 

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March 21 - Modest Mussorgski (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 21st may be found here: J. S. Bach [sic] (2019), Modest Mussorgsky (2020), and Modest Mussorgsky; Hermann Finck (2021)

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Modest Mussorgsky (21 March [O.S. 9 March] 1839 – 28 March [O.S. 16 March] 1881) was a Russian composer.

 

A Note of Pronunciation: While I am aware that the correct stress is on the first syllable of his family name, this verse assumes the usual American accentuation on the second syllable.

 

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With a Little Help From Your Friends

 

For many years, Mussorgsky's works were mainly known in versions revised or completed by other composers. – Wikipedia

"It is easy enough to correct Mussorgsky's irregularities. The only trouble is that when this is done, the character and originality of the music are done away with, and the composer's individuality vanishes." Anatoly Lyadov, qtd. in Wikipedia

Mussorgsky left a bunch of works unfinished.

His friends, when they completed them, diminished

     Their quirky personality.

In other cases, posthumous decisions

Resulted in unfortunate revisions

     Of his originality

Envoi

It’s dicey when your legacy depends

Upon the taste of well-intentioned friends.

 

 

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March 5 - Barry Tuckwell; Philip Farkas; Arthur Foote (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous entries for March 5th  can be founded here: Heitor Villa Lobos (2019), Heitor Villa-Lobos (2020), andAndy Gibb (2021)

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Philip Farkas (5 March 1914 – 12 December 1992) was the principal French horn player in major American orchestras, a noted teacher, and the author of standard texts on the horn and horn playing. 

Barry Tuckwell (5 March 1931 – 16 January 2020) was an Australian french horn player who spent most of his professional life in the UK and the United States. He became well known through his large number of recordings.

 

Fanfare for Two, an Ode

Sing O Muse, or sound your horn,

For on this day two greats were born!

Philip Farkas was the earlier,

And judging from the photos, burlier;

While Barry Tuckwell, who was later,

Was slenderer, and yet was greater.

Farkas! Tuckwell! Lift your bells!

The strain of “Happy Birthday” swells!

Sell out the hall! Bring down the house

With Mozart, Brahms, and Richard Strauss!

 

 

 

 

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Arthur Foote (5 March 1853 – 8 April 1937) was an American composer, organist, pianist, pedagogue, and author of several music textbooks. He was part of the "Boston Six" The other five were George Whitefield Chadwick, Amy Beach, Edward MacDowell, John Knowles Paine, and Horatio Parker. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The American Way

No actual organization or conscious association of composers existed in the the Boston Six, though some male members of the group did gather socially, so its membership can only be approximated by musicologists who draw aesthetic and philosophical links between composers. -- adapted from Wikipedia, s.v. "Second New England School"

McDowell, Chadwick, John Knowles Paine,

Parker, Foote, and Amy Beach

Weren’t members of an group campaign,

They had no motto “each for each!”

They didn’t have a posh salon,

No gatherings at a meeting hall,

No passing of a gilt baton,

No “all for one, and one for all.”

When Europe saw us all as hicks

Who lived uncouthly in the sticks,

“It’s something that we ought to fix”

Said members of the Boston Six.

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