December 4 - Deanna Durbin (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for December 4th are here: Deanna Durbin (2019), Fred Armisen (2020), Hamilton Harty (2021), André Campra (2022), Friedrich Burgmüller (2023), and Larry Stock (2024)

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Deanna Durbin (4 December 1921 – 17 April 2013) was a Canadian-born American lyric soprano  and actress,  mostly remembered for her appearances in film musicals in the 1930s and 1940s. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Genre

While her adult dramatic roles may have been more satisfying for Durbin, it was clear her fans preferred her in light musical confections.  – Wikipedia

Though fans still preferred her confections

With their popular vocal selections,

She longed to appear,

At the height of her career,

In films of quite different complexions.

 

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Name Games

In private life, Durbin had continued to use her given name, Edna; salary figures printed annually by the Hollywood trade publications listed the actress as "Edna Mae Durbin, player". – Wikipedia

On movie screens, remote or urban,

Here name was Miss Deanna Durbin;

 

In private, though, and day to day

She lived as simply Edna Mae.

 

 

 

 

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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.

 

 

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May 17 - Birgit Nilsson (The Musical Birthday Series, 7th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for May 17th may be found here: Erik Satie (2019), Birgit Nilsson and Zinka Milanov (2020), Erik Satie (2021), Erik Satie; Enya (2022), Erik Satie (2023), and Erik Satie; Bob Merrill (2024)

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Birgit Nilsson (17 May 1918 – 25 December 2005) was a Swedish dramatic soprano and the supreme Wagnerian of her day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anything You Can Do…

Then there were the usual run of manipulative managers, impresarios, and the occasional tenor, most notoriously Franco Corelli, with whom she contested the duration of high Cs in Giacomo Puccini’s Turandot. (Both singers have said that this rivalry was more for the press than actual animosity.) – Dewey Faulkner, "The Last Valkyrie" @ https://yalereview.org

Birgit Nilsson and Corelli

Sang together, and woah Nellie!

When they had a high C battle

They could make the rafters rattle.

Their rivalry of jealous spite

Was re-enacted every night,

But later on in times less stressed

The artists (both of them) confessed,

And they admitted their duplicity

In having done it for publicity.

 

 

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May 25 - Beverly Sills (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for May 25th may be found here: Beverly Sills (2019), Hal David (2020), Moritz of Hesse-Kassel (2021). Bill "Bojangles" Robinson; Johann Baptist Singenberger (2022), and Beverly Sills (2023)

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Beverly Sills (25 May 1929 – 2 July 2007) was one of the dominant American sopranos of her time. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Feud Between to Houses

At New York City Opera Beverly Sills

Helped Julius Rudel to pay his bills.

Across the square where Bing was at the Met,

She wasn’t there to help him pay the debt.

 

 

 

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July 11 - Mattiwilda Dobbs; Liza Lehmann (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 11th are found here: Hermann Prey (2019) and Liza Lehmann (2020)

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Mattiwilda Dobbs (11 July 1925 – 8 December 2015) was an American coloratura soprano and was one of the first Black singers to have a major international operatic career. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Late

Mattiwilda Dobbs, coloratura soubrette,

Was the first black soprano to work at the Met.

Shameful it is in our history’s pages

That it took ‘til the 50s to integrate stages.

 

 

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Liza Lehmann (11 July 1862 – 19 September 1918) was an English composer and operatic soprano.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fairy Tale

“There are fairies at the bottom of our garden”

    Is Liza Lehmann’s claim to fame today,

But oh, Miss Lehmann, please, we beg your pardon

    When it’s rendered in a most ironic way.

 

 

 

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