Daily Archives: June 8, 2017

June 8 ~ This Day in Music History

Posted by MaryO on

today

 

Be sure your student reads and listens to Today’s Daily Listening Assignment

 

 

• 1612 ~ Hans Leo Hassler, Composer, died at the age of 49

• 1722 ~ Jakob Friedrich Kleinknecht, Composer

• 1740 ~ Gabriele Mario Piozzi, Composer

• 1742 ~ Omobono Stradivari, Italian viol maker, son of Antonio, died at the age of 62

• 1753 ~ Nicolas-Marie Dalayrac, Composer

• 1783 ~ Joseph Lincke, Composer

• 1796 ~ Felice de Giardini, Composer, died at the age of 80

• 1805 ~ Luigi Ricci, Composer

• 1810 ~ Robert Schumann, German composer best known for his song cycles and piano music.
Read quotes by and about Schumann
More information about Schumann

• 1812 ~ Spyridon Xyndas, Composer

• 1814 ~ Friedrich Heinrich Himmel, Composer, died at the age of 48

• 1834 ~ George Garrett, Composer

• 1837 ~ Jan Kleczynski, Composer

• 1856 ~ Natalia Janotha, Composer

• 1858 ~ Antonio Nicolau, Spanish Composer and conductor

• 1876 ~ George Sand (Armandine-Aurore-Lucile Dupin), French author and romantic companion of the composer of Chopin, died at the age of 71

• 1881 ~ Prospero Bisquertt, Composer

• 1884 ~ Henry Clay Work, Composer, died at the age of 51

• 1888 ~ Poul Julius Ouscher Schierbeck, Composer

• 1906 ~ Christian Frederik Emil Horneman, Composer, died at the age of 65

• 1908 ~ Johan Lindegren, Composer, died at the age of 66

• 1913 ~ Janos Jagamas, Composer

• 1919 ~ Jacob Fabricius, Composer, died at the age of 78

• 1923 ~ Karel Goeyvaerts, Flemish Composer of Summer Games

• 1926 ~ Anatol Vieru, Composer

• 1927 ~ Paul Whiteman and his orchestra recorded When Day is Done on Victor Records.

• 1928 ~ Jiri Dvoracek, Composer

• 1930 ~ Yannis Ioannidis, Composer

• 1932 ~ Hans Gunter Helms, Composer

• 1936 ~ James Darren (Ercolani), Singer

• 1940 ~ Frederick Shepherd Converse, American Composer, died at the age of 69

• 1940 ~ Sherman Garnes, Rock vocalist with Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers

• 1940 ~ Nancy Sinatra, Singer

• 1942 ~ Chuck Negron, Singer with Three Dog Night

• 1942 ~ Bing Crosby recorded Silent Night

• 1944 ~ “Boz” (William) Scaggs, American rhythm-and-blues singer and songwriter

• 1946 ~ “Lute Song” closed at Plymouth Theater NYC after 142 performances

• 1947 ~ Mick Box, Musician, guitar, songwriter with Uriah Heep

• 1947 ~ Joan La Barbara, Composer

• 1948 ~ Franz Carl Bornschein, Composer, died at the age of 69

• 1949 ~ Emanuel Ax, Polish-born American pianist. He won the Artur Rubinstein Competition in 1974

• 1950 ~ Alex Van Halen, Drummer with Van Halen, brother of Eddie and Michael

• 1963 ~ Kino Haitsma, pianist/arranger

• 1967 ~ Elliot Griffis, Composer, died at the age of 74

• 1968 ~ Gary Puckett & Union Gap released Lady Will Power

• 1968 ~ Rolling Stones released Jumpin’ Jack Flash

• 1969 ~ Brian Jones left The Rolling Stones

• 1969 ~ Rolling Stones guitarist Mick Taylor replaced Brian Jones

• 1972 ~ Jimmy Rushing, American blues singer, died at the age of 68

• 1973 ~ Eino Mauno Aleksanteri Linnala, Composer, died at the age of 76

• 1979 ~ Louis Salvador Palange, Composer, died at the age of 61

• 1981 ~ Fifteenth Music City News Country Awards went to the Mandrell Sisters

• 1984 ~ Gordon Jacob, Composer, died at the age of 88

• 1990 ~ The post office issued another in its series of Stamps for the Performing Arts, this one honoring Cole Porter

• 1992 ~ Twentysixth Music City News Country Awards went to Alan Jackson and Garth Brooks

• 1995 ~ Sheikh Iman, singer, died at the age of 76

• 1995 ~ “Buttons on Broadway” opened at Ambassador Theater NYC for 40 performances

Daily Listening Assignment ~ June 8

Posted by MaryO on

 

Joseph Haydn’s music contains many jokes, and the Surprise Symphony includes probably the most famous of all: a sudden very loud (fortissimo chord) at the end of the otherwise soft (piano) opening theme in the variation-form second movement. The music then returns to its original quiet dynamic, as if nothing had happened, and the ensuing variations do not repeat the joke. (In German it is commonly referred to as the Symphony “mit dem Paukenschlag”—”with the kettledrum stroke”).

In Haydn’s old age, his biographer George August Griesinger asked him whether he wrote this “surprise” to awaken the audience. Haydn replied:

No, but I was interested in surprising the public with something new, and in making a brilliant debut, so that my student Pleyel, who was at that time engaged by an orchestra in London (in 1792) and whose concerts had opened a week before mine, should not outdo me. The first Allegro of my symphony had already met with countless Bravos, but the enthusiasm reached its highest peak at the Andante with the Drum Stroke. Encore! Encore! sounded in every throat, and Pleyel himself complimented me on my idea.

The first time I saw this video during a piano lesson, both my students and I were surprised, too!

 

The melody is pretty basic and sometimes used to teach skips. I remember having it in one of my first books with words similar to See the Happy Little Frog, Hopping now from Log to Log.

Here’s a piano version.

Can you find the “surprise” indicated by the sforzando?  Hint.  It looks like this: Sforzando is one of those Italian words you get to learn in music and means a strong, sudden accent on a note or chord. Sforzando literally means subito forzando (fz), which translates to “suddenly with force.”

 

There’s some information about Haydn and this symphony in this video.

and this one

Beethoven’s Wig added some words

For 2 pianos, 8 hands.  They’ve added their own surprise around minute 3.

 

Have a surprisingly nice day!