November 5 - Roy Rogers (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 5th are here: Hans Sachs (2019), Art Garfunkel (2020), and Myron Floren (2021)

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Roy Rogers (5 November 1911 – 6 July 1998) was an American cowboy singer, actor, and television host. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roy Toy

Roy Rogers's notoriety spurred the production of all sorts of merchandise, from cap guns and lunch boxes to character wristwatches, alarm clocks, and View-Master reels. Today, Roy Rogers is a ubiquitous brand in the vintage-toys landscape.-- adapted from collectorsweekly.com/toys/roy-rogers

 

Roy Rogers, Dale Evans, and Trigger,

With good old American vigor,

Sold millions of toys

To girls and to boys

As the franchise grew bigger and bigger.

 

 

 

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November 4 - Carl Tausig (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 4th are here: Carl Tausig (2019), Gena Branscombe (2020), and Arnold Cooke; Sean Combs (2021)

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Carl Tausig (4 November 1841 – 17 July 1871) was a great pianist and a minor composer, now mostly remembered for virtuoso arrangements and transcriptions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ode

He is generally regarded as Franz Liszt's most esteemed pupil, and one of the greatest pianists of all time. -- Wikipedia

Tausig died at twenty-nine.

The Fates have hid the ill design

Or cast of chance that could assign

An end so early and malign

To one in music’s royal line.

Musicians! Join and pour your wine

In homage at his dismal shrine!

 

 

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November 3 - Vincenzo Bellini (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 3rd are here: Vladimir Ussachevsky; Vincenzo Bellini (2019), Samuel Scheidt (2020), and Jake Shimabukuro (2022)

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Vincenzo Bellini (3 November 1801 – 23 September 1835)was an important Italian opera composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Three Thoughts on La Sonnambula

 

Just as a young woman is about to marry her sweetheart, she is discovered—by the entire village, to say nothing of her fiancé—asleep in the bedroom of a stranger. It takes the young man two acts to figure out that sleepwalking is to blame, and everything ends happily. -- metopera.org 

 

(1) Shhh...!

For a listener, it’s asking a lot

When the hair-raising hinge of the plot

Concerns peasants talking

About a girl walking,

And whether she’s sleeping or not.

(2) Multi-Tasking

Amina, though sleeping, is shrill

As she crosses the bridge of the mill.

She does it while singing,

But her proper upbringing

Precludes her from taking a spill.

(3) Surprise, Surprise, Surprise!

A soprano who walks in her sleep!

As a twist in the plot, it seems cheap! 

But the ploy is so vital

That it’s there in the title, —

(Your reaction may be “What the bleep!”) 

 

 

 

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November 2 - Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 2nd are here: Patrice Chéreau; Friedrich Kalkbrenner (2019), k. d. lang; Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (2020), and Friedrich Kalkbrenner (2021)

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Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (2 November 1739 – 24 October 1799) was an a composer and violinist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dittersphere

Ditters von Dittersdorf,

  Whose name is redundant,

Wrote lots of music, and

  His fame was abundant.

But Mozart and Haydn had

  Genius to dwarf

The place in the canon of

  Herr Dittersdorf.

 

 

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November 1 - Roger Quilter (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for November 1st are here: Roger Quilter; Guido Adler (2019), Victoria de los Angeles (2020), and Roger Quilter (2021)

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Roger Quilter (1 November 1877 – 21 September 1953) was a British composer, important for his art songs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closet 

He was educated at Eton but never had any idea of trying to earn a living. It did not help that he was homosexual, at a time when any gay activity was strictly illegal. -- stonerecords.co.uk/

We now know that Quilter was gay,

At least as we moderns would say,

But sadly back then

His attraction to men

Was a trait he could never display.

 

 

 

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