April 4 - Pierre Monteux; Eugène Bozza (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 4th may be found here: Elmer Bernstein (2019), Stephen Storace (2020), and Sheku Kanneh-Mason (2021)

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Pierre Monteux (4 April 1875 – 1 July 1964) was a French (later American) conductor. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Style Points

 

Monteux "was never an ostentatious conductor ... [he prepared] his orchestra in often arduous rehearsals and then [used] small but decisive gestures to obtain playing of fine texture, careful detail and powerful rhythmic energy."  -- Grove Music Online, as qtd in Wikipedia

Monteux, who’d you know in a flash,

When you saw his distinctive mustache,

Would stand in command

Of his orchestral band,

With a calm self-effacing panache.

 

 

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Eugène Bozza (4 April 1905 – 28 September 1991) was a French composer and violinist. He was one of the most prolific composers of chamber music for wind instruments.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Knowing the Territory

[H]e is best known outside of France for more modest woodwind and brass pieces in a highly accessible, elegant, lyrical style. Some have become standard student test works; others, for wind quintet, saxophone quartet, and various unusual instrumental combinations, are favorite faculty recital items. – eugenebozza.com

In a studio or class

Where they teach the winds and brass,

Listen and you’ll there’s lotsa

Pieces there by Eugene Bozza.

 

 

 

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April 3 - Watkins Shaw (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 3rd may be found here: Reginald De Koven (2019),  Alessandro Stradella (2020), and Wayne Newton (2021)

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Watkins Shaw (3 April 1911 – 8 October 1996) was a British musicologist and educator best known for his critical edition of Handel's Messiah. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Textual Purity

 

The Times obituarist went so far as describe his edition of Messiah as being in "universal use", though this is a slight exaggeration. -- slightly adapted from Wikipedia  

To Watkins Shaw it was a scandal

That choral works of G.F. Handel

Were sung from slipshod old editions

Based on dubious traditions.

He made the pitch to justify a

New edition of Messiah;

Novello heard, and they foresaw

A great success for Watkins Shaw.

This version spread both wide and far,

And now, no matter where you are,

Don’t delay, demur, or murmur,

Buy it now, and scrap your Schirmer.

 

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

 

April 2 - Franz Lachner (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for April 2nd may be found here: EmmyLou Harris (2019),  Marvin Gaye (2020), and Franz Asplmayr (2021)

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Franz Lachner (2 April 1803 – 20 January 1890) was a German composer and conductor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It Is What It Is

Lachner was a well-known and prolific composer in his day and is regarded as competent and craftsman-like, but is now generally little known. – Wikipedia

“Competent and craftsmanlike”

 Are just the sort of words to strike

    An artist with malaise.

It’s vexing when a critic views

The deathless products of your muse

    And damns them with faint praise.

 

 

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April 1 - Debbie Reynolds; Sergei Rachmaninoff (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 1st may be found here: Sergei Rachmaninoff (2019), F. Melius Christiansen (2020) and Alberta Hunter (2021)

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Debbie Reynolds (1 April 1932 – 28 December 2016) was an American actress, singer, and businesswoman.  

 

Generic Expectations

When a Debbie Reynolds musical’s on tap,

You know there won’t be any Reynolds Rap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Sergei Rachmaninoff (1 April [O.S. 20 March] 1873 – 28 March 1943) was, of course, one of the greatest pianists of his time, and remains one of the most beloved of all composers.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two Limericks on the Same Theme

The 1954 edition of the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians notoriously dismissed Rachmaninoff's music as "monotonous in texture ... consist[ing] mainly of artificial and gushing tunes" and predicted that his popular success was "not likely to last". To this, Harold C, Schonberg, in his Lives of the Great Composers, responded: "It is one of the most outrageously snobbish and even stupid statements ever to be found in a work that is supposed to be an objective reference.” – Wikipedia

(1)

Rachmaninoff’s urge to conceive

His themes with his heart in his sleeve,

Led some to condemn,

Which was snobbish of them,

And has proven obtuse and naive.

(2)

The middle-brow public will gush

When his music is lavish and lush,

While highbrows might sneer

At this lavish veneer

And complain that it’s sugary mush.

 

 

 

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