February 24 - Samuel Wesley (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 24th are here: Arnold Dolmetsch (2020) and Arrigo Boito (2021)

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Samuel Wesley (24 February 1766 – 11 October 1837) was an English organist and composer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dark Horse

Generally he appeared to be mistrusted by the British establishment, perhaps due to a forthright manner, his marriage arrangements and it is possible to speculate that he was unreliable. From 1815 onwards, he was beset by lack of money and depression. – Wikipedia

Here’s a rhyme I wrote expressly

On the life of Samuel Wesley.

(There’s scandal if you care to hear it!)

He had a most unbridled spirit,

And caused confusion in his home

By turning to the Church of Rome.

He had affairs that went unblessed,

And as you will, by now, have guessed,

This left his family most distressed.

He played the organ better than most,

But couldn’t get an organist post;

He scribbled music to survive,

Which no one’s eager to revive.

And that is all I want to tell

About this English ne’er-do-well.

 

 

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February 23 - George Frideric Handel (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 23rd are here: George Frideric Handel (2020) and John Blow; George Frideric Handel (2021)

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George Frideric Handel (23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was one of the greatest, and still most popular, of Baroque composers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Standing Orders

The custom of standing for the "Hallelujah" chorus originates from a popular belief that, at the London premiere, King George II did so, which would have obliged all to stand. There is no convincing evidence that the king was present, or that he attended any subsequent performance of Messiah. --Wikipedia 

You may be one of those who’ve clung

To what you learned when very young,

And when this famous piece is sung,

You rise up from your place and stand.

Or maybe, on the other hand,

You join with those who never budge,

And feel that those who stand misjudge

To let a king determine for us

How to honor Handel’s chorus.

In fact, it should be said forthwith,

The custom rose up from a myth;

Historians who’ve looked have reckoned

That it’s unlikely George the Second

Stood up at the works premiere, it

Seems he wasn’t there to hear it.

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A Rhyme for George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (baptised Georg Friederich Händel)

The Bard has asked “What’s in a name?”,

But it’s a bother, all the same,

When a reference work must choose

Which orthography to use.

His names aren’t difficult to spell,

At least as far as I can tell,

But, to be safe, it’s just as well

To list them all in parallel,

And if this seems a bit pell mell,

Consistency can go to hell!

 

 

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February 22 - Niels Gade; Nacio Herb Brown (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 22nd are here:  Marni Nixon (2020) and Johann Ambrosius Bach; Johann Nikolaus Forkel (2021)

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Niels Gade (22 February 1817 – 21 December 1890) was the best known Danish composer of the nineteenth century.

 

Placement

Though Gade is loved by the Danes,

In the rest of the world he maintains

A precarious niche

In the repertoire, which

Unsteadily waxes and wanes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

Nacio Herb Brown (22 February 1896 – 28 September 1964) was an American composer of popular songs, especially in the 1920s and 30s. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Renaissance

Many of his earlier songs were used memorably in the film Singin' in the Rain (1952).

“Singin’ in the Rain” (the show)

     Brought him to renewed renown,

But even so you may not know

     About Nacio Herb Brown.

 

 

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February 21 - Charles-Marie Widor (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 21 are here: Charlotte Church (2020) and Nina Simone; Charles-Marie Widor (2021)

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Charles-Marie Widor (21 February 1844 – 12 March 1937) was a French organist, composer, and teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enough Is Enough

If you are ever tempted to explore

The symphonies for organ by Widor,

You’ll find that he wrote ten (that’s half a score),

And no one ever wished that there were more.

But if you like to pull out all the stops,

Or if you’re into showing off your chops,

They may be just the thing, but even then,

You’ll still be glad that there are only ten.

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Generation Gap

He was the longest-serving organist of Saint-Sulpice in Paris, a role he held for 63 years. – adapted from Wikipedia

At Saint-Sulpice for sixty years

   Widor had complete control;

And young aspirants lived with fears

   He’d never leave that famous role.

They muddled through their stifled careers,

   While dreaming of that Cavaillé-Coll . 

 

 

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February 20 - Johann Peter Salomon; Adalbert Gyrowetz (The Musical Birthday Series, 3rd Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for February 20th are here:  Carl Czerny (2020) and Nancy Wilson (2021)

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Johann Peter Salomon (bapt. 20 February 1745– 28 November 1815) was a German violinist, composer, conductor, and impresario.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beethoven Connection 1: First Things

 

His birth home was at Bonngasse 515, coincidentally the later birth home of Beethoven. -- Wikipedia  

The gods agreed to doubly bless

A very famous Bonn address

   When Salomon’s mother gave birth;

This was a quarter century before

When lo! behind the selfsame door

   Beethoven came to this earth.

 

 

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Adalbert Gyrowetz (20 February 1763 – 19 March 1850) was a Bohemian composer.

 

Beethoven Connection 2: Last Things

He was one of the pallbearers at Beethoven's funeral in 1827. -- Wikipedia

When Gyrowetz answered the call

And assisted in bearing the pall

   At Beethoven’s funeral rite,

Were his thought superstitiously harried

By the thought that the genius he carried

   Had preceded him into the Night?

Did he mutter, “This casket contains

The body, but also the brains,

   That created my musical Zeit.”?

 

 

 

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