December 6 - Dave Brubeck; Henryk Górecki (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Dave Brubeck (6 December 1920 – 5 December 2012) was an American jazz pianist and composer.

[For last year's verse on Nikolaus Harnoncourt and Joseph Lamb click here.]

Five Lines on Take Five

Dave Brubeck, when he was alive,

Got tired of playing “Take Five,”

But adding new licks

To make it “Take Six” 

Disrupted it’s rhythmical drive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Henryk Górecki (6 December 1933 – 12 November 2010) was a Polish composer who had an unexpected million-seller with his Third Symphony.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Fail is to Succeed, To Succeed is to Fail

Henryk Górecki’s commercial success

   Was viewed by his peers with suspicion.

They felt that new music should lead to distress,

  And be heard as an act of contrition.

For some this is true, but I’d say nonetheless,

  It’s dependent on one’s disposition.

 

 

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

 

 

December 5 - Osvaldo Golijov (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Series)

Osvaldo Golijov (b. 5 December 1960) is an Argentine composer of and music professor.  His accessible works have been widely admired, but as discussed below, he has been dogged a series of late or unfulfilled commissions, and discussions of plagiarism.

[For last year's posts on Little Richard and Grace Moore click here.] 

 

Living, but Late; or, Out of Commission

Osvaldo Golijov

  Was late with commissions,

And sometimes used music from

  Other musicians.

For Osvaldo Golijov,

  It might have been better

If contracts, once signed,

  Were fulfilled to the letter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 4 - Fred Armisen (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Fred Armisen (b. 4 December 1966) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musicia.

[For last year's limericks on Deanna Durbin click here.]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Life of Fred

Did you know that years before

   His comedy career,

He played with Trenchmouth (post-hardcore)?

   If not, you’ve learned it here.

Then, after Trenchmouth, SNL,

   Portlandia came then,

And then he thought it might be swell

   To play the drums again.

And thus it was, he changed his brand

   As show biz life requires ---

And now he leads The 8G Band

   For Late Show host Seth Meyers.

 

 

 

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

 

 

December 3 - Anton Webern; Casimir Schweizelsperg (The Musical Birthday Series; 2nd Annual Cycle)

Anton Webern (3 December 1883 – 15 September 1945) was one of the most important composers of the 20th century.

[For last year's limericks on Anton Webern click here.]

 

 

Webern Speaks?

“Yes, I know that people scoffed

Because my works were short and soft,

But I doubt that I’d be prouder

If my things were long and louder.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Casimir Schweizelsperg (3 December 1668 - after 1722) was a German composer with a provincial career.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Goes There?

Über seinen weiteren Lebensweg ist nichts bekannt.  (Nothing is known of the rest of his life) ---- Wikipedia, German edition

 

Casimir Schweizelsperg,

    Musical mystery,

Had a career and then

     Vanished from history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

December 2 - Harvey Phillips (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Harvey Phillips (2  December 1929 – 20 October 2010) was an important American tuba player.

[For last year's thoughts on Maria Callas and Britney Spears click here.] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuba mirum

Harvey Phillips was the poo-bah

Of the players on the tuba.

(Yes, the rhyme is inexact,

But the statement is a fact.)

Harvey Phillips brought low brasses

To the great untuba-ed masses --

Tubists, who were loud, but risible,

Now emerged as proud and visible.

His eponymous foundation

Sponsors tuba celebration.

Tubachristmas, every year,

Fills the air with tuba cheer,

And by now you may have guessed

He’s behind Octubafest.

(Of course it’s true that no whines

For lack of Tubavalentines.)

 

 

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

 

 

December 1 - Agathe Backer-Grøndahl (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Agathe Backer-Grøndahl (1 December 1847 – 4 June 1907) was a Norwegian pianist and composer. 

[For last year's note on Bette Midler click hear.] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Money's Worth

Backer-Grøndahl, who found herself in

     The loftiest of leagues,

Had studied with Liszt, and she had been

      A protégé of Grieg’s.

She had a successful concert career,

     Her followers were legion,

And concert-goers were eager to hear

     This talented Norwegian.

George Bernard Shaw, who heard her play,

     Ranked her with the greats,

And when she read what he had to say

     I hope she raised her rates!

 

 

 

 

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