January 14 - Jean de Reszke (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for January 14th are here: Franchinus Gaffurius (2020), Ludwig von Köchel (2021), Jack Jones (2022), François Joseph Dizi (2023), Russ Columbo (2024), and Ludwig von Köchel (2025)

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Jean de Reszke (14 January 1850 – 3 April 1925) was a Polish dramatic tenor and opera star.  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lighting Up

Jacob Millhoff, a Russian cigarette manufacturer and fan who settled in London, developed a tobacco that supposedly would not damage his voice. Out of gratitude, Reszke allowed for them to be marketed under his name. – Wikipedia

I know that it seems like a joke,

But de Reszke enjoyed a good smoke;

And though it seems whacko,

He endorsed that tobacco

To other Victorian folk.

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January 9 - John Knowles Paine; Rudolf Bing (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for January 9th are here: Rudolf Bing; Joan Baez (2020), Reinhard Keiser (2020), John Knowles Paine (2022), Betty Roché; John Knowles Paine (2023), and Joan Baez; Rudolf Hindemith (2024)

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John Knowles Paine (9 January 1839 – 25 April 1906) was the first American-born composer to achieve fame for large-scale orchestral music.  In spite of its historical importance, his music is largely forgotten.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Paine-staking

At the end of the episode "A Long Ladder" (S01E04) of the HBO television series The Gilded Age, in a scene set in New York in 1882, the Boston Symphony Orchestra is shown under the composer's direction performing Paine's Symphony No. 2. – Wikipedia

On HBO’s The Gilded Age

The BSO is seen on stage

While being led by John Knowles Paine,

Which, though it seems a bit arcane,

Is proof the folks at HBO

Conferred with someone in the know,

And cast, among the other roles,

A guy to act as Paine (John Knowles)

 

 

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Rudolf Bing (9 January 1902 – 2 September 1997) was an opera impresario and long-time General Manager of the New York Metropolitan Opera.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gone But Not Forgotten

You’d be safe if you bet

That the halls at the Met

Still echo and ring

With disputes about Bing.

 

 

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December 25 - Cosima Wagner (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 2th are here: Orlando Gibbons (2019), Cosima Wagner (2020), Cab Calloway (2021), Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (2022), and A Christmas Carol (2023)

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Cosima Wagner (24 [sic] December 1837 – 1 April 1930) was the daughter of Franz Liszt  and Marie d'Agoult. She became the second wife of Richard Wagner and ran the Bayreuth festival after his death. While her birthday was actually on the 24th, she chose to celebrate it on the 25th. ("Cosima Wagner wurde zwar am 24. Dezember 1837 geboren, feierte ihren Geburtstag aber traditionell am ersten Weihnachtstag. Deshalb ist oft irrtümlich der 25. Dezember als Geburtsdatum angegeben." = German Wikipedia)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Bayreuth Bark

The subordination of the music to text, diction and character portrayal was a specific feature of the Bayreuth style; Cosima, according to Spotts, turned the principle of clear enunciation into "a fetish ... The resulting harsh declamatory style came to be derided as ... the infamous Bayreuth bark". – Wikipedia

 

The “bark” heard in Cosima’s Ring

Was a strangely Bayreauthian thing;

Every plosive and fricative

Became fiercely indicative

Of the mythical thoughts singers sing.

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Doing What He Wrote

The primary purpose of all her productions was to follow the instructions and reflect the wishes of the Master: "There is nothing left for us here to create, but only to perfect in detail". – Wikipedia

Cosima Wagner, née Liszt,

Could not be ignored or dismissed.

Innovation was banished,

And novelty vanished

When she shook her Wagnerian fist.

 

 

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December 22 - Giacomo Puccini (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th 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), Edgard Varèse; Giacomo Puccini (2022), and Giacomo Puccini; Maurice Gibb; Robin Gibb (2023)

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

For the Masses

The public has shown a affinity

   (And how can one argue with them)

For Puccini’s belov'd holy trinity, -

  (That's Butterfly, Tosca, Bohème),

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November 7 - Joan Sutherland (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 7th are here: Joan Sutherland; Joni Mitchell (2019), Al Hirt (2020), Joan Sutherland (2021), Joan Sutherland (2022), and Joan Sutherland (2023)

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Joan Sutherland (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was a supremely great Australian coloratura soprano. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Owning It 1

A soprano opined with a groan,

That she does everything she is shown,

And she copies and mimics

All her teacher’s best gimmicks

But she can’t sing a trill like Dame Joan.

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Owning It 2

In despair from her efforts to hone

A trill that could rival Dame Joan,

She gave up on that gizmo,

And she sang in verismo,

And was never a Sutherland clone!

 

 

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