July 25 - Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 25th is here: Yvonne Printemps (2020) and Agostino Steffani (2021)

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Philipp Heinrich Erlebach (25 July 1657 – 17 April 1714) was a prolific German composer of church music and secular music.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Judging from What’s Left   

He was a prolific composer, but most of his works (over 1000 compositions), which had been acquired by the court from Erlebach's widow after his death, were destroyed in 1735 during a fire in Rudolstadt. The destroyed material also included 24 masses and at least six complete cycles of cantatas for the Lutheran church year. -- Wikipedia

If Phillip Heinrich Erlebach is fated

To spend all time ignored and under-rated,

It is because the oeuvre he created

Was damaged, — one might say annihilated.

  

And all that I can say of him, alas, is

His cycles of cantatas and his masses

Are not discussed in seminars or classes.

 

 

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July 24 - Les Reed (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 24th are here: Peter Serkin (2019), Adolphe Adam (2020), and Kristin Chenowith (2021)

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Les Reed (24 July 1935 – 15 April 2019) was an English songwriter, arranger, musician and light-orchestra leader who co-wrote several dozen charting songs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tailored

In the 1960s, the pianist, songwriter and arranger Les Reed was given a simple dictum by the music manager Gordon Mills: “Romantic songs for Englebert Humperdinck, sexy ones for Tom Jones.” – Spencer Leigh, “Les Reed Obituary,” Guardian 17 April, 2019

Les Reed wrote a series of hits

That had glamor, emotion, and glitz.

He went to some lengths

To match songs to the strengths

Of various chart-topping Brits.

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Where Are the Hits of Yesteryear?

Allmusic noted that "In the mid-1960s, it was unusual for a British singles chart not to list a Les Reed song". – Wikipedia

With the tolling of each passing year, a

Person is less likely to hear a

Song of the breed

That was penned by Les Reed,

For the headlining stars of his era.

 

 

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July 23 - Eduard Marxsen (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 23rd are here: Leon Fleisher (2019), Francesco Cilea (2020), and Franz Berwald (2021)

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Eduard Marxsen (23 July 1806 – 18 November 1887) was a German pianist, composer and teacher. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passing the Torch Song 

Marxsen's most famous student was Johannes Brahms, who dedicated his Piano Concerto No. 2 to him. -- adapted from Wikipedia

Eduard Marxsen earns our thanks

For training Brahms to join the ranks,

Of those within the great tradition

Through a rigorous tuition.

Brahms, thus given his vocation,

Thanked him with a dedication.

Envoi

One doesn’t need a famous name

To pass along the sacred flame.

 

 

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July 22 - Franz Xaver Süssmayr (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 22nd are here: Bobby Sherman (2019), Luigi Arditi (2020), and Franz Xaver Süssmayr; Alan Menken (2021)

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Franz Xaver Süssmayr (1766 – September 17, 1803) was an Austrian composer and conductor, remembered largely for his completion of the Mozart Requiem.  NB. In fact, we do not know when he was born, but the site I use (mistakenly) lists him today, and he has to be celebrated sometime, so I went with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unfinished Business

The completed score, initially by Mozart but largely finished by Süssmayr, was then dispatched to Count Walsegg complete with a counterfeited signature of Mozart and dated 1792.  Despite the controversy over how much of the music is actually Mozart's, the commonly performed Süssmayr version has become widely accepted by the public. – adapted from Wikipedia, s.v. “Requiem (Mozart)”

When Mozart’s work was left undone,

F. X. Süssmayr was the one

Who got the pages Mozart left,

And though he was, of course, bereft,

He took those sketches and he finished them,

Or else, as some would say, diminished them.

Has history, being harsh, mistreated

Poor old Süssmayr who completed

Mozart’s work, but was defeated?

The charitably inclined suggest

That though he failed, he tried his best,

And earned a place among the bless’d.

No matter how his work’s assessed.

 

 

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July 21 - Isaac Stern (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 21st are here: Isaac Stern (2019), Cat Stevens (2020), and Plas Johnson (2021)

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Isaac Stern (21 July 1920 – 22 September 2001) was an American violinist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Too Stern

Stern served as musical advisor for the 1946 film, Humoresque about a rising violin star and his patron, played respectively by John Garfield (whose “playing” he dubbed” and Joan Crawford. He was also the featured violin soloist on the soundtrack for the 1971 film of Fiddler on the Roof. – adapted from Wikipedia

Perhaps you will be glad to learn

That violinist Isaac Stern,

With talent and technique to burn,

Wasn’t haughty or aloof, --

Of this he gave no better proof

Than dubbing Fiddler on the Roof.

 

 

 

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July 20 - Sally Ann Howes; Déodat de Séverac (The Musical Birthday Series, 4th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for July 20th are here: Natalie Wood (2019), Simon Ives (2020), and Michael Gielen (2021)

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Sally Ann Howes (20 July 1930 – 19 December 2021) was an English actress and singer. Her career on screen, stage and television spanned six decades. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes I Can!

At her audition for the role of Truly Scrumptious, Howes was asked if she could dance. Her father had taught her to always say yes if a director asks if you can do something, and then if you can't do it, learn very quickly how to. – adapted from Wikipedia

If Sally Ann Howes was presumptuous

When she vied for the role of Miss Scrumptious,

Her dad always said

That you won’t get ahead

If you're sheepish or shy or compunctious.

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

Déodat de Séverac (20 July 1872 – 24 March 1921) was a French composer. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artistic Speculation

Picasso sketched de Séverac,

Exhibiting his inherent knack

For such impromptu bric-a-brac.

But was this energetic scrawl

In part inspired by alcohol?

I wouldn’t be surprised at all!

 

 

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