April 25 - Björn Ulvaeus (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 25th may be found here: Ella Fitzgerald (2019) and Jerry Lieber (2020)

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Björn Ulvaeus (b. 25 April 1945) is a Swedish singer-songwriter, producer, a member of the musical group ABBA.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABBA Dabba Doo! (Variations on a Theme)

Mamma Mia! was the brainchild of producer Judy Craymer, who met songwriters Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson in 1983 when they were working on Chess. The songwriters were not enthusiastic, but they were not completely opposed to the idea. -- adapted from Wikipedia

When Craymer proposed there could be a

Show they could call Mamma Mia!

Made up of some bits

From their old ABBA hits,

They said, “What a crazy ide-a!”

When they met he was working Chess,

And was feeling nostalgic, I guess,

And told Judy Craymer

That no one would blame her

For leveraging ABBA’s success.

 

 

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April 24 - Giovanni Battista Martini (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 24th may be found here: Barbra Streisand (2019) and Barbra Streisand (2020)

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Giovanni Battista (Giambattista) Martini (24 April 1706 – 3 August 1784) was an Italian Conventual Franciscan friar, who was a leading musician and composer of the period. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planning Ahead

Said Padre Martini, “It’s known

That my collection is now overgrown,

But though it’s immense,

In three hundred years hence,

I can scan the whole thing to my phone."

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Vested Interest

Giovanni Battista Martini

Made certain that when he was seen, he

Was wearing a classic

Conventual cassock,

And a hat like a clerical beanie.

 

 

 

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April 23 - Robert Fayrfax (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 23rd may be found here: Ruggero Leoncavallo (2019) and Sergei Prokofiev (2020)

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Robert Fayrfax (bapt. 23 April 1464 – 24 October 1521) was an English Renaissance composer, considered the most prominent and influential of the reigns of Kings Henry VII and Henry VIII of England.

Services Rendered

Kings Henry the Seventh and Eighth

Were monarchs renowned for their faith.

They asked their advisors for bare facts

Concerning the music of Fayrfax.

The advisors said nothing surpasses

The solemn display of his Masses,

And thus, I am pleased to report,

He was duly employed by the court.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

April 22 - Joshua Rifkin; Glen Campbell (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for April 22rd may be found here: Alfred Burt (2019) and Ethel Smyth

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Joshua Rifkin (b. 22 April 1944) is an American musicologist, conductor, and keyboard player. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bach to the Future

"Musicologists don't often come to blows. But it happened at the 1981 meeting of the American Musicological Society, when Joshua Rifkin announced that Bach's 'chorus' was really a quartet."  -- Eric van Tassel, New York Times, April 26, 1998

 

Joshua Rifkin caused a stir,

By claiming Bach used one voice per.

This was so iconoclastic

That his colleagues, inelastic,

Made a stink and got the vapors

When he read his research papers.

Seldom are such ruffled feathers 

Seen at scholars’ get-togethers.

 

 

♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫ 

 

 

Glen Campbell (22 April 1936 – 8 August 2017) was an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, actor and television host.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Campbell's

 

"[Campbell's songs] felt packaged for a middle-of-the-road, older crowd. At first, you go, ‘Oh, I don’t know about that.’ But it was such pure, good stuff that you had to put off your prejudices and learn to love it. It taught me not to have those prejudices.” Tom Petty, as qtd by Patrick Doyle, Rolling Stone, 1 September 2011

 

If you want a pleasant ramble,

Try the music of Glen Campbell.

There’s a humble pleasure found

In his gentle country sound.

Not exciting or too loud,

Packaged for the older crowd.

If it seems a bit parental,

Over gentle, sentimental,

Take a breath, be nonjudgmental,

Mellow music such as this is

Challenges your prejudices.

  

 

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