May 9 - Giovanni Paisiello (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for May 9th may be found here: Giovanni Paisiello (2019) and Anne Sophie von Otter; Billy Joel (2020)

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Giovanni Paisiello (9 May 1740 – 5 June 1816) was one of the preeminent opera composers of the Haydn-Mozart generation.

 

Reflected Glory

“Nel cor più non mi sento,”

Would be a quaint memento

    Of Paisiello’s operatic days,

But Beethoven perused it

And subsequently used it

    In pages every piano student plays.

And thus old Paisiello

Remains a famous fellow —-

    The Muses work in most mysterious ways.

 

 

 

 

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October 9 - John Lennon; Sean Ono Lennon; Camille Saint-Saëns (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

John Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter and peace activist. 

Sean Taro Ono Lennon (b. October 9, 1975) is a British-American musician, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist.  He is the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

 [For last year's limerick on Saint-Saëns click here.]

 

Like Father, Like Son

Both John Lennon and his son

Were born today, a two-for-one.

Perhaps they planned it thus, although no

Comment comes from Yoko Ono.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Camille Saint-Saëns (9 October 1835 – 16 December 1921) was a prominent French composer, pianist, conductor, and organist.

 

Barbershop Music

“My heart at thy sweet voice”

Is every mezzo’s choice,

Especially when their best notes

Are down there in the chest notes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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October 25 - Georges Bizet (The Musical Birthday Series)

Georges Bizet (25 October 1838 – 3 June 1875) was a composer whose Carmen is one of the mainstays of the standard repertoire.

Getting Away From It All

To escape, Carmen had an idea -

She’d slink through her best seguidilla

To seduce Don José

And seductively say,

“Tonight, Lillas Pastia’s, I’ll see ya!”

Character Development

When strangers approached Georges Bizet

And asked him how poor Don José,

Who was such a nice fella,

Could jilt Micaëla,

He turned and walked briskly away.

Cultural Differences

When they called him Bizett not Bizet,

He knew just about what they’d say,

“We really love your song,

That Toreador song,

Back in the old U.S.A.”

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September 1 - Engelbert Humperdinck (The Musical Birthday Series)

Engelbert Humperdinck (1 September 1854 – 27 September 1921) was a German composer, chiefly of operas.

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).



Two Double Dactyls for E.H. : Contrary Opinions

Bayreuthlein

Higgledy-piggledy 

Engelbert Humperdinck’s

Pseudo-Wagnerian

Music tonight?

Built upon fairy tale

Paraphernalia, 

Hänsel und Gretel is 

Leitmotif Lite.

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PG13

Higgledy-piggledy,

Engelbert Humperdinck’s

Hänsel is treated as

Family fluff.

Witches and murder and

Paranormality,

Stirred up with child abuse —

Pleasant enough?

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