October 26 - Jacques Loussier; Domenico Scarlatti (The Musical Birthday Series; 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 26th are here: Domenico Scarlatti; Henry Smart; Mahalia Jackson (2019) and Hans Leo Hassler (2020)

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Domenico Scarlatti (26 October 1685 – 23 July 1757) was an Italian composer, long resident in Spain, who is best known for his keyboard music. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Too Much of a Good Thing?

There once was a pianist who thought he

Would learn all the works of Scarlatti.

With sonatas a-plenty,

He learned ten or twenty,

Then abandoned the project as dotty.

 

 

 

♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪♫♪  

 

Jacques Loussier (26 October 1934 – 5 March 2019) was a French pianist and composer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Source Material

In March 2002, Loussier filed a $10 million lawsuit against rapper Eminem and producer Dr. Dre, claiming that the beat for the track "Kill You" was stolen from his composition Pulsion. The case was settled out of court.  - adapted from Wikipedia

It troubles me to have to say

That Eminem and Dr. Dre

Once sampled from Jacques Loussier.

The latter getting wind of them

Sued Dr. Dre and Eminem.

About the upshot of this tort

There’s very little to report ---

The case was settled out of court.

 

 

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October 25 - Barbara Cook (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 25th are here: Georges Bizet (2019) and Johann Strauss, Jr (2020)

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Barbara Cook (25 October 1927 – 8 August 2017) was an American actress and singer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Couplets for Cook

Google her, or grab a book,

And learn about Miss Barbara Cook,

Who won her way into our hearts

Creating her iconic parts.

In her youth she brightly stunned a

Jaded world as Cundegunde;

Then sang sweetly on the prairie in

The Music Man as prim Miss Marian.

With passing time she said adieu

To acting as an ingenue,

And then considered what to do.

She realigned, and found her way

In solo shows and cabaret.

And as a happy end result

Her fans are loyal as a cult.

 

 

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October 24 - George Crumb; Emmerich Kálmán (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 24th are here: George Crumb; Luciano Berio (2019) and George Crumb; Anna Amalia von Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel (2020)

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George Crumb (b. 24 October 1929) is one of the most distinguished living American composers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No Accounting for Taste

It’s easy indeed to succumb

To the colorful music of Crumb.

But when some are alarmed

When you think they'd be charmed,

There’s the obvious question, How come?

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Emmerich Kálmán (24 October 1882 – 30 October 1953) was a Hungarian composer of operettas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

History Lesson

In the quiet little nooks

Of our opera history books,

Composers who deserve a mention

Are given dutiful attention

With a touch of condescension.

Kálmán and his frothy shows

Are treated with such passing prose.

When operetta was on trend,

The public liked he’s genial blend

Of Johann Strauss and flapper dances

In sentimental sung romances.

 

 

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

 

 

October 23- Ned Rorem (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for October 23rd are here: Ned Rorem (2019) and "Weird Al" Yankovic; Albert Lortzing (2020)

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Ned Rorem (b. 23 October 1923) is a composer and diarist whose songs are still an active part of the academic voice recital repertoire.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rorem ipsum dolor sit amet

Ned Rorem’s songs have wit and charm,

And never cause undue alarm.

They say what they have got to say,

Sophisticated in their way,

And yet there’s not a lot to hear

Beneath their civilized veneer.

 

 

 

 

 

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