March 25 - David Burge (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 25th may be found here:  Béla Bartók (2019), Anita Bryant; Elton John (2020), Aretha Franklin; Arturo Toscanini (2021), Arturo Toscanini (2022), Haydn Wood (2023), and Bela Bartók (2025)

 

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David Russell Burge (March 25, 1930 – April 1, 2013) was an American pianist, conductor and composer, noted for championing contemporary pieces. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burgeoning

Today I cannot quell the urge

To sing the praise of David Burge,

Who championed music of the present

(Which other pianists found unpleasant),

By Krenek, Berio, or Crumb, —

And other music one can't hum. 

 

 

 

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March 24 - Fanny Crosby (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous post for March 24th may be found here: Maria Malibran (2019), (2020), Fanny Crosby (2021), Elsa Respighi; John Antes (2022), Maria Malibran (2023), Byron Janis (2024), and Maria Malibran (2025)

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Fanny Crosby (24 March 1820 –12 February 1915) was an American mission worker and poet, particularly of hymns. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

High and Low

[S]he is not mentioned in The Hymnal 1982. – Wikipedia

Episcopalian choirmasters tend

To shun the hymns that Fanny Crosby penned.

It's not so much the doctrines they espouse,

It's more about the fervor they arouse,

For heart-on-sleeve exuberance is alien

Where liturgies are pure Episcopalian.

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March 23 - Anthony van Hoboken (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 23rd may be found here: Julius Reubke (2019), Arthur Farwell (2020), Anthony van Hoboken (2021), Dave Frishberg; Dane Rudhyar (2022), Ludwig Minkus (2023), Dave Frishberg; Eugène Gigout (2024), and Dave Frishberg; Anthony van Hoboken (2025)

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Anthony van Hoboken (23 March 1887 – 1 November 1983) was a Dutch musical collector, bibliographer, and musicologist best known for his catalogue of the works of Haydn.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Resting In Peace

No doubt that Haydn who today has sunk to the level of child-performers, will one day rise again from the children to the adults, as basically the rarest and most adult people of all belong to his circle. – Schenker to Hoboken, qtd. in Wikipedia

Though Haydn was always respected,

   He was widely regarded as facile,

Perhaps a bit prim and affected,

   A bit like a rococo castle.

It was Hoboken's tireless rigor

   While rooting through archival collections,

That uncovered the sinewy vigor

   Which fortified Haydn's confections.

Yet in spite of the Hoboken numbers

   That were pinned to each piece in its turn,

Old Haydn's Elysian slumbers

   Went on undisturbed in his urn.

 

 

 

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March 22 - Stephen Sondheim; Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous posts for March 22nd may be found here: Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber (2019), Gerard Hoffnung.(2020), Stephen Sondheim (2021),  Stephen Sondheim (2023), Stephen Sondheim (2023), Stephen Sondheim (2024), and Stephen Sondheim; Andrew Lloyd Webber (2025)

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Stephen Sondheim (22 March 1930 – 26 November 2021) was an American composer and lyricist.  

Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theater.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Aries Arise!

The fact that such differing greats

Share birthdays together creates

A case where astrology

Should prepare an apology

For the faults of the stars and the fates.

 

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March 21 - Modest Mussorgsky (The Musical Birthday Series, 8th Annual Cycle)

Previous postings for March 21st may be found here: J. S. Bach [sic] (2019), Modest Mussorgsky (2020), Modest Mussorgsky; Hermann Finck (2021), Modest Mussorgsky (2022),  Modest Mussorgsky (2023), Thurlow Lieurance; Modest Mussorgski (2024). and Modest Mussorgsky (2025)

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Modest Mussorgsky (21 March [O.S. 9 March] 1839 – 28 March [O.S. 16 March] 1881) was a Russian composer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making the Same Point Twice

I need hardly remind the reader that the orchestral piece universally known as 'Mussorgsky's Night on the Bare Mountain' is an orchestral composition by Rimsky-Korsakov based on the later version of the Bare Mountain music which Mussorgsky prepared for Sorochintsy Fair. – Gerald Abraham, as qtd. in Wikipedia, s,v. "Night on Bald Mountain" 

(1)

A Night on Bald Mountain is known

   In a version that's highly emended,

And musical scholars have shown

  It's not what Mussorgsky intended.

 

(2)

A Night on Bald Mountain, a score

   Which is given in Rimsky's edition,

Takes Mussorgsky's musical ore,

   And subjects it to recomposition.

 

 

 

 

 

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