March 24 - Maria Malibran (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Maria Malibran (24 March 1808 – 23 September 1836) was a Spanish opera singer and one of the great divas of the nineteenth century.
[For last year's concoction, also on Malibran click here.]

A Problem Like Maria

Great Maria Malibran,

   Was both soprano and mezzo.

By what peculiar circumstance

   Did her compass get so?

Her father taught and tutored her,

   Thorough in his teaching,

And thus she earned that vocal range

   So strangely over-reaching.

  

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 [Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]

March 23 - Arthur Farwell (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Arthur Farwell 23 (March 1872 – 20 January 1952) was an American composer, publisher, conductor, and teacher.
[For last year's post on Julius Reubke click here.]

New World

Arthur Farwell earned his fame

  And his share of approbation

Writing music we might blame

  For cultural appropriation.

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[Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]
 

March 22 - Gerard Hoffnung (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Gerard Hoffnung (22 March 1925 – 28 September 1959) was a cartoonist, best known for the satirical musical concerts he produced.
[For last years verse on Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber  click here.]

Hoffnung Festivals

Those concerts at Festival Hall

Sold out to the very last stall,

And singing the eyebrows

Of classical highbrows

Were rude and irreverent to all.

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

March 21 - Modest Mussorgsky (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Series)

Modest Mussorgsky (21 March [O.S. 9 March] 1839 – 28 March[O. S. 16 March] 1881) was a Russian composer.
[For last year's hymn in honor of Bach  click here.]

Slava!

We’re big, and we’re loud, we’re the chorus,

In a brand new production of Boris,

A very big star

Is singing the czar

But you still can’t avoid or ignore us.

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[Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]

March 20 - Vera Lynn (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Vera Lynn b (b. 20 March 1917) is a British singer of traditional popular music, songwriter and actress.
[For last year's tribute to Berndt Alois Zimmermann click here.]

A Tribute at 103

Raise your voice and join me in

A glass to toast Dame Vera Lynn,

Who reassured war-weary Brits

With sentimental wartime hits.

She met the troops on stage and wireless,

Patriotic, firm, and tireless.

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(Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.)

March 19 - Josef Matthias Hauer (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

Josef Matthias Hauer (March 19, 1883 – September 22, 1959) was an Austrian composer and music theorist.  
[For last year's tribute to Max Reger click here.]

Also Ran

It’s no surprise that Josef Hauer

Ended up a little dour.

As you may know his theory delves

In using notes in sets of twelves,

And on these panchromatic tropes

He built his own artistic hopes.

But, when it all was said and done,

Arnold Schoenberg’s method won,

And Hauer’s process to provide notes

Ended up in music’s side notes.

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[Also, please visit my other blog: Alternate Tales: Great Art Repurposed.]


 

March 18 - John Kirkpatrick (The Musical Birthday Series, 2nd Annual Cycle)

John Kirkpatrick (18 March 1905 – 8 November 1991) was an American classical pianist and music scholar who championed new American music.
[For last year's verse on Rimsky-Korsakov click here.]

 Yankee Panky

John Kirkpatrick faced the struggles

Of premiering Ives and Ruggles,

Risking insult and derision

With this bold and brash decision.

There are those who got the hives

Facing Ruggles, hearing Ives,

But he triumphed when reviews

Gave these gnarly men their dues.

Works Kirkpatrick pioneered

Now are properly revered.

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