September 25 - Dmitri Shostakovich (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for September 25th are here: Jean-Philippe Rameau; Glenn Gould (2019), Dmitri Shostakovich (2020), Jean-Philippe Rameau (2021), Glenn Gould (2022), and Glenn Gould; Will Smith (2023)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Dmitri Shostakovich (25 September [O.S. 12 September] 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a great Soviet-Russian composer and pianist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comradeship

 

In 1948 Shostakovich was violently criticised and humiliated at the Soviet Composers' Congress. As in 1938 he became persona non grata. His works were banned and he was politically and artistically isolated. -- www.boosey.com

Dmitri Shostakovich and

   The Soviet authorities

Disagreed about his brand

    And musical priorities.

They wanted him to be more bland,

    With pleasanter sonorities

And positive appeal planned

   For Marxian majorities.

 

 

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

 

 

September 24 - John Rutter (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for September 24th are here: John Rutter; Václav Nelhýbel (2019), John Rutter; Anthony Newley (2020), John Rutter (2021), Jean-Louis Lully (2022), and John Rutter (2023)

++++++++++++++++++++

 

John Rutter (b. 24 September 1945) is a well-known and prolific choral conductor, composer, and arranger, especially of Christmas carols.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bah! Humbug!

If I may be forgiven the comparison, John Rutter is the Andrea Bocelli of classical choral music: many people adore his work, and there are (probably not so) many who loathe it. – Raymond Tuttle, at http://www.classical.net

While many will go all aflutter

When hearing an anthem by Rutter,

I express how I feel

With a virulent spiel

In my petulant seasonal splutter.

 

 

 

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

 

 

September 23 - Julio Iglesias (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for September 23rd are here: John Coltrane; Ray Charles; Bruce Springsteen (2019), John Lomax; Princess Marie Elisabeth of Saxe-Meiningen (2020), Jean-Marie Leclair the Elder (2021), John Lomax (2022), and John Coltrane (2023)

++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Julio Iglesias ( b. 23 September 1943) is a Spanish singer and songwriter recognized as the most commercially successful Spanish singer in the world

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iberian Spirit

 

Microphone held in his left hand, his right stroked his chest with a kind of shuddering ecstasy, or waved and snatched expressively in the air with every nuance of the melody. --  Neil McCormick, at www.telegraph.co.uk

[T]he venue was packed with... well-dressed women of a certain vintage filling the auditorium with hairspray and gushing with rapture at every sigh and croon.  -- Neil McCormick, at www.telegraph.co.uk

Julio Iglesias, superstar,

Had a career with no guitar.

He’d stand on stage alone and smolder,

Aging well, as fans grew older.

He let his Spanish feelings flow,

And seemed to let emotions go,

But watch on YouTube, and ya know,

His passion seems a little faux.

 

 

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

 

 

September 22 - Dave Dreyer (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for September 22nd are here: Debby Boone (2019), Andrea Bocelli; Anton Filtz (2020), Arthur Pryor (2021), Michael Torke (2022), and Michael Torke (2023)

+++++++++++++++++++++++ 

Dave Dreyer (22 September 1894 –1 March 1967) was an American pianist and composer of popular songs, now chiefly remembered for his song "Me and My Shadow."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Box Office Royalty

Jolson was often given credits on sheet music so he could earn more by popularizing the tunes, but he played no part in writing this song. – Wikipedia, s.v. “Me and My Shadow”

When you wrote a Jolson song

You’d find his shadow tagged along,

For if he sang your song on stage

The credits on the title page

Would list him as a co-creator –

That’s how it worked in the theāter.

And Jolson got the extra perk,

Of partial credit for the work.

Envoi

He made your song a hit, so heck,

Accept the facts, and split the check!

 

 

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

 

September 21 - Gustav Holst (The Musical Birthday Series, 6th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for September 21st are here: Gustav Holst; Billy Porter (2019), Leonard Cohen (2020), Gustav Holst (2021), Gustav Holst (2022), and Gustav Holst (2023)

+++++++++++++++++++++

 

Gustav Holst (21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carefully Taught

"Here he did away with the childish sentimentality which schoolgirls were supposed to appreciate and substituted Bach and Vittoria; a splendid background for immature minds."  Vaughan Williams on Holst at St Paul's Girls' School 

The bright young women of St. Paul’s

   Weren’t patronized or coddled.

The music in their music halls

   Was oh so nobly modeled,

For Holst considered and assessed

   That music’s finest pearls

Should find a place within the breast

   Of proper English girls.

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