June 20 ~ Today in Music History

Posted by MaryO on

today

• 1585 ~ Lazaro Valvasensi, Composer

• 1743 ~ Anna L Barbauld, Composer of hymns

• 1756 ~ Joseph Martin Kraus, Composer

• 1819 ~ Jacques Offenbach, German-born French conductor, cellist and composer of operettas
Read quotes by and about Offenbach
More information about Offenbach

• 1833 ~ Philip Knapton, Composer, died at the age of 44

• 1837 ~ Giovanni Furno, Composer, died at the age of 89

• 1842 ~ Michael Umlauf, Composer, died at the age of 60

• 1861 ~ Arthur Battelle Whiting, Composer

• 1883 ~ Giannotto Bastianelli, Composer

• 1888 ~ Cesare Dominiceti, Composer, died at the age of 66

• 1899 ~ Anthon van der Horst, Dutch organist and composer

• 1900 ~ Ernest White, Composer

• 1906 ~ Bob Howard, American singer and pianist

• 1910 ~ Fanny Brice, born Fannie Borach, debuted in the New York production of the Ziegfeld Follies

• 1914 ~ Friedrich Zipp, Composer

• 1922 ~ Vittorio Monti, Composer, died at the age of 54

• 1923 ~ Joseph Leopold Rockel, Composer, died at the age of 85

• 1924 ~ Chet Atkins (Chester Burton), Grammy Award-winning guitarist, made over 100 albums and elected to Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973.
More about Chet Atkins

• 1925 ~ Wilhelm Posse, Composer, died at the age of 72

• 1927 ~ John M Dengler, Jazz bass sax, trumpet, trombone

• 1928 ~ Robert Satanowski, Composer

• 1929 ~ Ingrid Haebler, Austrian pianist

• 1931 ~ Arne Nordheim, Norwegian conductor and composer

• 1934 ~ Cornel Taranu, Composer

• 1938 ~ Nikolay Avksentevich Martinov, Composer

• 1939 ~ first TV broadcast of an operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan W2XBS (later WCBS-TV) in New York City televised Pirates of Penzance. It was presented to a very small viewing audience since television was a new, experimental medium at the time.

• 1936 ~ Billy Guy, Singer with The Coasters

• 1937 ~ Jerry Keller, Singer

• 1940 ~ Jehan Alain, French organist and composer, died in battle at 29

• 1942 ~ Brian Wilson, Bass player, singer with the The Beach Boys, inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988

• 1945 ~ (Morna) Anne Murray, Grammy Award-winning singer

• 1946 ~ André Watts, American pianist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra

• 1948 ~ George Frederick Boyle, Composer, died at the age of 61

• 1949 ~ Lionel Richie, Tenor sax, songwriter, singer with the Commodores

• 1951 ~ Peter Gordon, Composer

• 1953 ~ Cyndi Lauper, Singer

• 1953 ~ Alan Longmuir, Musician, bass with Bay City Rollers

• 1955 ~ Michael Anthony, Musician, bass with Van Halen

• 1955 ~ “Almost Crazy” opened at Longacre Theater New York City for 16 performances

• 1960 ~ John Taylor, Musician: guitar, bass with Duran Duran

• 1963 ~ The Beatles formed “Beatles Ltd” to handle their income

• 1969 ~ Guitarist Jimi Hendrix earned the biggest paycheck ever paid (to that time) for a single concert appearance. Hendrix was paid $125,000 to appear for a single set at the Newport Jazz Festival.

• 1970 ~ The Long and Winding Road, by The Beatles, started a second week in the number one spot on the pop music charts. The tune was the last one to be released by The Beatles.

• 1975 ~ Daniel Ayala Perez, Composer, died at the age of 68

• 1980 ~ Gustaf Allan Pettersson, Composer, died at the age of 68

• 1987 ~ Whitney Houston’s album, Whitney, debuted on Billboard magazine’s album chart at number one. Houston became the first female to have an LP debut at the top. The singer, daughter of Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick, began her singing career at age 11 with the New Hope Baptist Junior Choir in New Jersey. Houston first worked as a backup vocalist for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls; entered modeling in 1981, appearing in Glamour magazine and on the cover of Seventeen. Whitney married soul singer, Bobby Brown, in the late 1980s.

• 1997 ~ Lawrence Payton, singer with the Four Tops, died at the age of 59

Changing Piano Design #1

Posted by MaryO on

Bosendorfer-290-Imperial

 

 Ferruccio Busoni: 97 Keys

Any piano student can tell you that their instrument has a total of 88 keys, but that isn’t always the case. While working on transcriptions of Bach organ works for the piano, composer and pianist Ferruccio Busoni found that the standard keyboard was unsatisfactory.

In order to mimic the sound of the largest organ pipes, Busoni worked with Ludwig Bösendorfer of the eponymous piano factory to create an instrument with an extended the piano’s lower register. The result was the Model 290 Imperial, a 97-keyed piano that encompasses eight full octaves.

The first prototype was built in 1909.  Its extraordinary sound inspired major composers, including Bartók, Debussy and Ravel. Several music pieces composed require an Imperial to ensure that they are played true to the original.

Garrick Ohlsson once called it the “Rolls Royce of pianos.”

June 19 ~ Today in Music History

Posted by MaryO on

today

 

• 1618 ~ Christian de Placker, Composer

• 1708 ~ Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, Composer

• 1717 ~ Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz, Bohemian violist, conductor and composer

• 1730 ~ Jean-Baptiste Loeillet, Composer, died at the age of 49

• 1747 ~ Alessandro Marcello, Composer, died at the age of 77

• 1759 ~ Charles-Joseph-Balthazar Sohier, Composer, died at the age of 31

• 1762 ~ Johann Ernst Eberlin, Composer, died at the age of 60

• 1766 ~ Edmund Weber, Composer

• 1782 ~ John Bray, Composer

• 1825 ~ Ferdinand David (1810) Violist and composer

• 1815 ~ John William Glover, Composer

• 1822 ~ John Bray, Composer, died on his 40th birthday

• 1825 ~ Gioacchino Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims,” premiered

• 1842 ~ Carl Johann Adam Zeller, Composer

• 1843 ~ Charles Edouard Lefebvre, Composer

• 1854 ~ Alfredo Catalani, Italian composer

• 1885 ~ Stevan Hristic, Composer

• 1886 ~ Robert Herberigs, Flemish Composer and writer

• 1898 ~ Paul Muller-Zurich, Composer

• 1902 ~ Guy (Gaetano) Lombardo, Canadian-born American bandleader with The Royal Canadians: “The most beautiful music this side of heaven.”

• 1904 ~ Balis Dvarionas, Composer

• 1905 ~ Taneli Kuusisto, Composer

• 1910 ~ Edwin Gerschefski, Composer

• 1910 ~ Father’s Day was observed for the first time at Spokane, Wash., at the request of the the local YMCA and the Spokane Ministerial Association to earmark a Sunday to “honor thy father.” The idea originated in the mind of a Ms. John Bruce Dodd, a local housewife who was inspired by her admiration for the great job her father, William Smart, had done in raising his 6 children after his wife’s untimely and early death.

• 1912 ~ Jerry Jerome, American saxophonist

• 1913 ~ Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev, Russian Composer, died at the age of 58

• 1926 ~ DeFord Bailey was the first black to perform on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry

• 1927 ~ Karel Kupka, Composer

• 1930 ~ Jul Levi, Composer

• 1932 ~ First concert performed in San Francisco’s Stern Grove

• 1936 ~ Tommy DeVito, Singer with The Four Seasons

• 1939 ~ Al Wilson, Musician, drummer, singer with Show and Tell

• 1940 ~ Maurice Jaubert, Composer, died at the age of 40

• 1942 ~ Spanky (Elaine) McFarlane, Singer with Spanky and Our Gang

• 1943 ~ Shiek Of Araby by Spike Jones & City Slickers peaked at #19

• 1951 ~ Ann Wilson, Singer with Heart

• 1953 ~ Larry Dunn, Musician, keyboards with Earth, Wind & Fire

• 1956 ~ Doug Stone, Singer

• 1960 ~ Loretta Lynn recorded Honky Tonk Girl

• 1961 ~ Little Egypt (Ying-Yang) by Coasters peaked at #23

• 1962 ~ Paula Abdul, Singer

• 1965 ~ I Can’t Help Myself, by The Four Tops, topped the pop and R&B charts. The Tops, who had no personnel changes in their more than 35 years together were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.

• 1966 ~ Marjan Kozina, Composer, died at the age of 59

• 1984 ~ Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, Composer, died at the age of 88

• 1988 ~ Zdenek Blazek, Composer, died at the age of 83

• 1994 ~ “She Loves Me” closed at Atkinson Theater New York City after 294 performances

• 1994 ~ “Twilight – Los Angeles 1992” closed at Cort New York City after 72 perfomances

• 1995 ~ Murray Dickie, Opera singer/director, died at the age of 71

• 1996 ~ Alan Ande Anderson, Opera director, died at the age of 78

• 1996 ~ Vivian Ellis, Composer, died at the age of 91

• 1997 ~ Bobby Helms, singer (Jingle Bell Rock), died at the age of 63

• 1997 ~ “Forever Tango!” opened at Walter Kerr Theater New York City

It’s Not Too Late!

Posted by MaryO on

music-camp-2015

 

Pender’s annual summer Music Camp will be held on July 6-10 from 12:30pm-3:30pm. Our theme this year is “The Amazing Grace Race.” Children in rising 2nd through rising 6th grade are invited to participate. Rising 7-12th graders who are interested in volunteering can also sign up online through the Pender UMC website.

The cost is $25 per child, $50 per family (siblings only).

If you have any questions about Music Camp, please contact Theresa Carpenter or Nicole Parrish.

June 18 ~ Today in Music History

Posted by MaryO on

today

 

• 1686 ~ Johann Quirsfeld, Composer, died at the age of 43

• 1726 ~ Giuseppe Scarlotti (1723) Composer

• 1726 ~ Michel-Richard Delalande, Composer, died at the age of 68

• 1726 ~ August Holler (1744) Composer

• 1726 ~ Ignaz Joseph Pleyel (1757) Composer

• 1780 ~ Michael Henkel, Composer

• 1799 ~ Johann André, Composer, died at the age of 58

• 1821 ~ Charles Hague, Composer, died at the age of 52

• 1821 ~ Opera “Der Freischütz” by Carl Maria von Weber was produced in Berlin

• 1822 ~ Henry David Leslie, Composer

• 1850 ~ Richard Heuberger, Composer

• 1850 ~ Antoni Weinert, Composer, died at the age of 99

• 1859 ~ Joseph Hartmann Stuntz, Composer, died at the age of 65

• 1876 ~ August Rockel, Composer, died at the age of 61

• 1892 ~ Edward Steuermann, Composer

• 1901 ~ Jeanette MacDonald, Singer with Nelson Eddy

• 1902 ~ Louis Alter, Composer

• 1904 ~ Manuel Rosenthal, French composer

• 1905 ~ Eduard Tubin, Composer

• 1906 ~ Kaye Kyser, Bandleader Kay Kyser and His Kollege of Musical Knowledge
More information about Kyser

• 1907 ~ Benny Payne, American pianist for the Billy Daniels Show

• 1909 ~ Learmont Drysdale, Composer, died at the age of 42

• 1934 ~ Ray McKinley (1910) Musician, drummer, led Glenn Miller Band for the estate from 1956 until 1966.

• 1911 ~ Franjo Zaver Kuhac, Composer, died at the age of 76

• 1913 ~ Sammy Cahn, Composer and lyricist
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More information about Cahn

• 1915 ~ Victor Legley, Composer

• 1917 ~ Akhmet Jevdet Ismail Hajiyev, Composer

• 1918 ~ Bob Carroll, Singer and actor

• 1923 ~ Herman Krebbers, Dutch violist and concert master

• 1925 ~ Herman “Ace” Wallace, Blues guitarist and singer

• 1927 ~ Simeon Pironkov, Composer

• 1933 ~ Tommy Hunt, American singer

• 1934 ~ Francisco Lacerda, Composer, died at the age of 65

• 1935 ~ August Reusner, Composer, died at the age of 64

• 1941 ~ Lamont Dozier, Composer

• 1942 ~ Hans Vonk, Dutch conductor

• 1942 ~ Arthur Willard Pryor, Composer, died at the age of 71

• 1942 ~ Paul McCartney, British rock singer, songwriter and guitarist
More information about McCartney

• 1944 ~ Paul Lansky, Composer

• 1944 ~ Douglas Young, Composer

• 1948 ~ Eva Marton, Hungarian soprano

• 1949 ~ “Along Fifth Avenue” closed at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 180 perfomances

• 1953 ~ Jerome Smith, Musician, guitarist with KC & The Sunshine Band

• 1955 ~ Walter Rein, Composer, died at the age of 61

• 1955 ~ Willy Burkhard, Composer, died at the age of 55

• 1962 ~ Volkmar Andreae, Swiss conductor and Composer, died at the age of 82

• 1964 ~ Alexander Shamil’yevich Melik-Pashayev, Composer, died at the age of 58

• 1965 ~ George Melachrino, Composer, died at the age of 56

• 1973 ~ Fritz Mahler, Composer, died at the age of 71

• 1977 ~ Fleetwood Mac worked Dreams to the number one spot on the pop music charts this day. It would be the group’s only single to reach number one. Fleetwood Mac placed 18 hits on the charts in the 1970s and 1980s. Nine were top-ten tunes.

Great Recovery!

Posted by MaryO on

oh-no

 

Definitely one for lovers of schadenfreude, this documentary shows the moment that pianist Maria Joao Pires realized that the concerto she had prepared was not the same one as the orchestra had just started playing.

Skip to 0’43 to catch her moment of realization, followed by a remarkably subtle argument between pianist and conductor Riccardo Chailly, which Maria loses.

Don’t worry – of course she knows the new concerto (Mozart’s No.20 in D minor, K.466), and of course she executes it magnificently. She’s a pro.

June 17 ~ Today in Music History

Posted by MaryO on

today

 

• 1672 ~ Orazio Benevoli, Italian Composer, died at the age of 67

• 1725 ~ Joseph Anton Bauer, Composer

• 1750 ~ Michel Woldemar, Composer

• 1818 ~ Charles Gounod, French composer, conductor and organist
Read quotes by and about Gounod
More information about Gounod


• 1855 ~ Fritz Steinbach, Composer

• 1882 ~ Igor Stravinsky, Russian-born American composer Stravinsky’s Firebird is featured in Fantasia 2000 and his The Rite of Spring was featured in the original Fantasia
Read quotes by and about Stravinsky
More information about Stravinsky
 Grammy winner

• 1883 ~ Alexandre Cellier, Composer

• 1888 ~ Bernhard van den Sigtenhorst Meyer, Composer

• 1900 ~ Hermann Reuter, Composer

• 1902 ~ Sammy Fain (Samuel Feinberg), Oscar-winning musician, composer
More information about Fain

• 1908 ~ John Verrall, Composer

• 1910 ~ Red (Clyde Julian) Foley, Songwriter, singer

• 1910 ~ Herbert Owen Reed, Composer

• 1916 ~ Einar Englund, Composer

• 1917 ~ Dean Martin, Entertainer

• 1922 ~ Herbert Kelsey Jones, Composer

• 1926 ~ Manuel Enriquez, Composer

• 1941 ~ Johan Wagenaar, Dutch Composer (Cyrano de Bergerac), died at the age of 78

• 1930 ~ Romuald Twardowski, Composer

• 1932 ~ Mignon Dunn, American mezzo-soprano

• 1933 ~ Christian Ferras, French violinist/conductor

• 1939 ~ Dickie Doo (Gerry Granahan), Singer with Dickie Doo and The Don’ts

• 1942 ~ Norman Kuhlke, Musician, drummer with The Swinging Blue Jeans

• 1943 ~ Christopher Brown, Composer

• 1946 ~ Barry Manilow, American singer, composer, and arranger of popular music

• 1951 ~ Carl Vogler, Composer, died at the age of 77

• 1952 ~ Alberto Williams, Argentine Composer (Etrerno Reposo), died at the age of 89

• 1953 ~ Walter Niemann, Composer, died at the age of 76

• 1957 ~ So Rare by Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra peaked at #2

• 1967 ~ “Somebody To Love” by Jefferson Airplane peaked at #5

• 1967 ~ Barbra Streisand: A Happening in Central Park performed

• 1968 ~ Ohio Express’ Yummy Yummy Yummy went gold

• 1969 ~ Jazz musician Charles Mingus came out of a two-year, self-imposed retirement to make a concert appearance at the Village Vanguard in New York City.

• 1972 ~ Long Haired Lover From Liverpool by Little Jimmy Osmond peaked at #38

• 1978 ~ Shadow Dancing, by Andy Gibb, reached the number one spot on the pop music charts for the first of seven weeks. Gibb had two other number one hits: I JustWant to Be Your Everything and (Love is) Thicker than Water. Gibb, the youngest of the Gibb brothers who made up the Bee Gees, hosted TV’s Solid Gold in 1981-82. Andy scored nine hits on the pop music charts in the 1970s and 1980s. He died of an inflammatory heart virus in Oxford, England in 1988.

• 1978 ~ Cheeseburger In Paradise by Jimmy Buffett peaked at #32

• 1983 ~ Peter Mennin(i), American Composer (Moby Dick), died at the age of 60

• 1986 ~ Kate Smith died in Raleigh North Carolina at 78

• 1991 ~ Country entertainer Minnie Pearl suffered a stroke at 78

• 1992 ~ Dewey Balfa, Bayou fiddler, died at the age of 65

• 1995 ~ The Who’s “Tommy” closed at St James Theater NYC after 899 performances

Steinway & Sons Marks A Historic Milestone

Posted by MaryO on

fibonaci

Steinway & Sons, manufacturer of the world’s finest pianos, has unveiled the company’s 600,000th piano, stunningly designed by master artisan, Frank Pollaro. Handcrafted using natural Macassar ebony, the end result is a feat of artistry, engineering and precision that celebrates this milestone for Steinway & Sons and demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to uncompromising craftsmanship.

Named “The Fibonacci,” the piano’s veneer features the iconic Fibonacci spiral made entirely from six individual logs of Macassar Ebony, creating a fluid design that represents the geometric harmony found in nature. The lines of The Fibonacci spiral on the top of the piano’s lid are projected down to its unique curved base. Synthetic ivory inlay adds a breathtaking effect to the design, which also features unique patinated bronze details. In the end, over 6,000 hours of work over a four-year period were devoted to the creation of The Fibonacci, from design to finish. The superior craftsmanship of the piano’s exterior is matched only by the unparalleled craftsmanship that is at the very core of all Steinway & Sons pianos.

According to Frank Pollaro, “Designing Steinway & Sons’ 600,000th piano was an honor and a challenge.  To me, knowing that this piano would become part of history meant that it had to be more than just a beautiful design, but also needed to visually convey a deeper message.” Pollaro added, “As I considered the number 600,000, the Fibonacci spiral came to mind. The way in which it continues to grow but stay true to its form is very much like Steinway & Sons over these many years. Combining the universal languages of music and mathematics suddenly made perfect sense.”

“Steinway & Sons has a long tradition of world-class craftsmanship, so as we began planning the 600,000th piano, it quickly became apparent that Frank Pollaro was the artist we needed for creative design and perfect execution. His ability to create unforgettable images through woodwork demonstrates artistry at the highest level, something that spoke to the very core of what this company is all about,” stated Darren Marshall, Chief Marketing Officer of Steinway & Sons. Adding, “The Fibonacci spiral is a representation of perfect proportions and natural beauty. Without a doubt, Frank captured those qualities in this piano, creating a work of art for the eyes and the ears.”

The Fibonacci is destined to become an important piece of cultural history, taking its place of honor amongst previous milestone models that the company has created. The 100,000th was originally given to the United States White House and is now part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., while the 300,000 piano currently resides in the East Room of the White House.

In April The Fibonacci was previewed during a special VIP reception at Steinway & Sons’ new showroom in Beverly Hills, where the internationally celebrated Steinway Artist, Lang Lang, had the honor of being the first artist to perform on the piano. This June The Fibonacci will travel to the United Kingdom, where it will be showcased at the 2015 Masterpiece London art fair.

The Fibonacci is a Steinway & Sons Model D piano, nine foot concert grand, priced at $2.4 million. In addition to the original 600,000th version, Steinway & Sons will create up to six exclusive, limited edition Model B pianos (6’10.5″) inspired by the same design.

via Steinway & Sons Marks A Historic Milestone With The Unveiling Of The… — NEW YORK, June 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —.

WATCH: Famous Jingles Performed on a Piano Using The Products

Posted by MaryO on

Musician and artist Grant Woolard has created this brilliant video where he performs 25 famous commercial jingles on a piano using the brand packaging or actual product relating to each earworm.

From the YouTube description of the video: “Remember those product jingles you could never get out of your head? I’ve woven together 25 of the most famous tunes here.”

via WATCH: Famous Jingles Performed on a Piano Using The Products.