August 24 - Théodore Dubois (The Musical Birthday Series)

Théodore Dubois (24 August 1837 – 11 June 1924) was a composer whose effective, if sentimental, cantata The Seven Last Words of Christ still retains a place in the parish choir repertoire.

Ver-er-rily

The choir most fiercely sings “Vah!”

In the Seven Last Words of Dubois.

By common consent

It was done every Lent

As if by immutable Law.

(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)      
 

August 23 - Malvina Reynolds (The Musical Birthday Series)

Malvina Reynolds (23 August 1900 – 17 March 1978) was a folk-singer and political activist.

Malvina Reynolds and Her Boxes

Suburbia for blocks and blocks is

  What Malvina saw,

And so she sang of little boxes

  Flaw by flaw by flaw.

But yet her fans, the paradox is,

   Were ticky tack bourgeois.

(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)      
    

August 22 - Claude Debussy; Karlheinz Stockhausen (The Musical Birthday Series)

Claude Debussy (22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was one of the great innovators of his time, and remains a concert staple.

Karlheinz Stockhausen (22 August 1928 – 5 December 2007) was one of the great innovators of his time, and is not a concert staple.

Ne me touchez pas!

In Pelleas and Melisande

We’re told that symbols correspond 

To deep and subtle secrets, but

No one has a clue to what.

Gesellschaft

It must have been terribly hard

To be ever and aye avant-garde,

But Stockhausen did it,

Because if he slid, it

Endangered his membership card.

(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)      
  

August 21 - Janet Baker (The Musical Birthday Series)

Janet Baker (b. 21 August 1933) had a long career as one of the most respected, and most frequently recorded mezzos of her generation.

Art Is Calling Me

Janet Baker DBE

Impressed us with the way that she

Sang with utmost seriousness

And yet without imperiousness.

(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)      
   

August 20 - Jacopo Peri (The Musical Birthday Series)

Jacopo Peri (20 August 1561 – 12 August 1633) wrote the earliest surviving opera. 

Peri-phrasis

The Court was wary

When Jacopo Peri

  Wrote dramas in recitative.

He added very

Light and airy

   Songs as a reprieve.

(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)      
 

August 19 - George Enescu (The Musical Birthday Series)

George Enescu [Georges Enesco] (19 August [O.S. 7 August] 1881 – 4 May 1955) was an important Romanian violinist and composer.

As the Romanians Do

Who will rescue

George Enescu?

      He notably lacked egomania.

Without self-promotion,

In spite of devotion,

I’m quite afraid

He’s not much played

     Outside of his native Romania.

(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)      

August 18 - Antonio Salieri (The Musical Birthday Series)

Antonio Salieri (18 August 1750 – 7 May 1825) was an important composer and teacher.

Renaissance Man

The fame of Salieri 

Is in a revival;

No longer the scary

Mozartean rival.

A major musician 

Of almost first rank;

Not malign apparition,

Or jealous old crank.

(If you enjoy these posts, please consider helping me by sharing.)