March 6 - Mary Wilson; Gina Cigna (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous March 6th entries can be found here: Oscar Straus (2019), Norman Treigle (2020), H. C. Robbins Landon (2021), Sarah Caldwell; Julius Rudel; Oscar Straus (2022), Stephen Schwartz (2023), Yannick Nézet-Séguin (2024), and Bob Wills (2025)

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Mary Wilson (6 March 1944 –8 February 2021) was an American singer. She gained worldwide recognition as a founding member of the Supremes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once a Supreme…

Mary Wilson spent her career

   Rekindling early dreams,

And ever after she'd appear

   As one of The Supremes.

 

 

 

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Gina Cigna (6 February 1900 – 26 June 2001) was a French-Italian dramatic soprano. 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Limericks on the Same Rhyme Sounds for Cigna

 

Gina Cigna, who has died aged 101, was a prima donna of the old school, grand in manner. -- The Guardian obit

 

1.

In an era when opera was grand,

And acting could never be bland,

The public was wowed

By a voice that was loud,

And Cigna could swamp any band.

2.

From critics who heard her first hand

We know her theatrical brand.

And we know, when she bowed,

She had stirred up the crowd,

And anything subtle, be damned!

 

 

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February 20 - Mary Garden; Nicola Antonio Manfroce (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 20th are here:  Carl Czerny (2020), Nancy Wilson (2021), Johann Peter Salomon; Adalbert Gyrowetz (2022), Charles-Auguste de Beriot (2023), Carl Czerny (2024), and Carl Czerny (2025)

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Mary Garden (20 February 1874 – 3 January 1967) was a Scottish-American lyric soprano with a substantial career in France and America in the first third of the 20th century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quiet Impression

When taking on the role of Melisande

Mary Garden had success beyond

What might have been reliably predicted

For any role so vocally restricted.

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Nicola Antonio Manfroce (20 February 1791 – 9 July 1813) was an Italian composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T.B. or not T.B.

Although already weakened by tuberculosis, Manfroce the young composer devoted himself intensely to completing Hecuba, to the detriment of his health. After the premiere, the opera was praised for its innovation and dramatic power, and audiences hailed Manfroce as one of the most gifted composers of his generation — adapted from Wikipedia.

Manfroce, gasping for each breath,

Was in a losing race with Death.

He finished Hecuba in time;

The critics thought the work sublime.

But after that acclaimed debut

Manfroce dies at twenty-two,

And that is why he's someone who

Is quite unknown to me and you.

 

 

 

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January 24 - Farinelli (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for January 24th are here: Frederick the Second; E. T. A. Hoffmann (2020), E. T. A. Hoffmann (2021), Vítězslava Kaprálová (2022), Farinelli (2023), Ray Stevens (2024), and Vítězslava Kaprálová (2025)

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Farinelli [Carlo Broschi] (24 January 1705 – 16 September 1782) was one of the greatest of the Italian castrato opera singers.  He was also a composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Farinelli from the Madding Crowd

The craze for Farinelli was a fad

The likes of which the Brits had never had.

The nobles and the gentry strove to hear him,

To sing his praises, worship, and revere him.

How good it was for men like Farinelli

To live before addiction to the telly,

When leisured folks still left their homes in flocks

To bravo bravely from a private box;

When earls, and dukes, and even passing doges,

Would leave estates to ogle from their loges.

 

 

 

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December 2 - Maria Callas (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 2nd are here: Maria Callas; Britney Spears (2019), Harvey Phillips (2020), Adolph Green (2021), Peter Carl Goldmark; Sylvia Syms (2022), Maria Callas (2023), and Maria Callas (2024)

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Maria Callas (2 December 1923 – 16 September 1977) was one of the most 

admired sopranos of the mid twentieth century.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vissi d'arte

Callas always gave her all

And there are those who still recall

The utter passion she committed

To every note her throat emitted,

Though many say she wrecked her voice

By acting on this reckless choice.

 

 

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