| Ordered roughly chronologically. Tagged image here. |
1744 – Carlo Arrigoni (Italian lutenist, theorbist, singer & composer)
1780 – Bernhard Haltenberger (German church composer)
1795 – Friedrich Hartmann Graf (German composer & flutist)
1812 – Vincenzo Righini (Italian composer, singer & music director)
1813 – Johann Carl Friedrich Rellstab (German composer, writer, music publisher & critic)
1822 – Melchor Lopez (Spanish composer & church musician)
1851 – Gioseffo Catrufo (Italian singer & composer, active in France & England)
1872 – Eugène-Prosper Prévost (French composer & teacher, active in New Orleans)
1892 – František Zdeněk Skuherský (Czech composer, teacher & music theorist)
1900 – Jean-Baptiste Accolaÿ (Belgian violinist, teacher, conductor & composer)
1914 – Clara Angela Macirone (English pianist, composer & teacher)
1922 – Felipe Pedrell (Spanish composer, musicologist & editor of complete works of Victoria)
1929 – Sergei Diaghilev (Russian arts patron & ballet impresario)
1929 – Meta Seinemeyer (German operatic spinto soprano)
1936 – Harry Plunket Greene (Irish concert bass-baritone & author on fly-fishing)
1936 – Federico García Lorca (Spanish poet, dramatist, theater director & pianist)
1944 – Sir Henry Wood (English conductor, Proms concerts)
1958 – Toon Verhey (Dutch conductor, violin & cellist)
1959 – Blind Willie McTell (American blues singer, songwriter & guitarist)
1963 – Kathleen Parlow (Canadian violinist)
1976 – Jenő Kenessey (Hungarian composer)
1979 – Dorsey Burnette (American rockabilly singer, songwriter & guitarist, brother of Johnny)
1995 – Pierre Schaeffer (French composer, electroacoustic music pioneer, engineer, inventor & writer)
1997 – Frédéric Anspach (Belgian tenor, teacher & conductor)
2001 – Betty Everett (American soul singer & pianist)
2008 – LeRoi Moore (American rock reed player (sax, flute, tin whistle, oboe) & songwriter, Dave Matthews Band)
On August 19th the most recent musical passing we remember is that of LeRoi Moore, woodwind player and founding member of the Dave Matthews Band, who died suddenly, apparently because of an internal blood clot, several weeks after having sustained serious injuries in an accident he had in an all-terrain vehicle. At the time, he apparently seemed to be healing up well, and had just started his rehabilitation. Sometimes it happens that way - one survives an initial trauma, but unexpected complications further down the road become the stumbling block. Kudos to Matthews and company for still going strong after the loss of their dear colleague.
Also on the list is Spanish musicologist Felipe Pedrell, who was responsible for editing the first complete edition of the works of Tomás Luis de Victoria. It so happens that 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of Victoria's death, as well as the centenary of Gustav Mahler's death, so I'll be taking every possible opportunity to call attention to both of these great composers this year. There's just one little problem with Victoria that there isn't with Mahler. Sources seem to be in disagreement about which day he pooped - some say August 20th, some say August 27th. Perhaps all we know is that it was on a Saturday in late August of 1611, which would narrow it down to either one of those days. But it does leave me with having to make a choice about which day it will be for the purposes of this blog.
The choice is easy, actually. On August 27th, Victoria would be facing some serious competition from two important figures whom we're certain died on that day - one of them being one of the very greatest composers of the Renaissance, Josquin des Prez, and the other one being Stevie Ray Vaughan. On August 20th, on the other hand, Thad Jones is the only other musician of significance Victoria would have to contend with. Also, the August 20th date gives us another opportunity to note a coincidence, this time that the first editor of a famous composer's opera omnia passed just one day before the anniversary of that composer's passing. So, August 20th it is, Tom Lou de Vicky! We'd hate to remember you a week late! (Although, the way things seem to be shaping up, I may be a week late before long anyway...)
Let's see... Harry Plunket Greene, Irish bass-baritone who did little work on the opera stage, instead focusing mainly on the art song and oratorio repertoire. It wasn't because he didn't care for the physical activity required to perform opera, though. In fact, he was a noted outdoorsman in his day, and in 1924 wrote this classic on the subject of fly-fishing. Maybe all Greene needed was for an opera composer to write a role that allowed him to spend an entire act in a good pair of waders. See you on the other side of the river Styx... shhh, now... don't worry, rest easy... John Curulewski and John Panozzo aren't coming up until next February and July...
Also on the list is Spanish musicologist Felipe Pedrell, who was responsible for editing the first complete edition of the works of Tomás Luis de Victoria. It so happens that 2011 marks the 400th anniversary of Victoria's death, as well as the centenary of Gustav Mahler's death, so I'll be taking every possible opportunity to call attention to both of these great composers this year. There's just one little problem with Victoria that there isn't with Mahler. Sources seem to be in disagreement about which day he pooped - some say August 20th, some say August 27th. Perhaps all we know is that it was on a Saturday in late August of 1611, which would narrow it down to either one of those days. But it does leave me with having to make a choice about which day it will be for the purposes of this blog.
The choice is easy, actually. On August 27th, Victoria would be facing some serious competition from two important figures whom we're certain died on that day - one of them being one of the very greatest composers of the Renaissance, Josquin des Prez, and the other one being Stevie Ray Vaughan. On August 20th, on the other hand, Thad Jones is the only other musician of significance Victoria would have to contend with. Also, the August 20th date gives us another opportunity to note a coincidence, this time that the first editor of a famous composer's opera omnia passed just one day before the anniversary of that composer's passing. So, August 20th it is, Tom Lou de Vicky! We'd hate to remember you a week late! (Although, the way things seem to be shaping up, I may be a week late before long anyway...)
Let's see... Harry Plunket Greene, Irish bass-baritone who did little work on the opera stage, instead focusing mainly on the art song and oratorio repertoire. It wasn't because he didn't care for the physical activity required to perform opera, though. In fact, he was a noted outdoorsman in his day, and in 1924 wrote this classic on the subject of fly-fishing. Maybe all Greene needed was for an opera composer to write a role that allowed him to spend an entire act in a good pair of waders. See you on the other side of the river Styx... shhh, now... don't worry, rest easy... John Curulewski and John Panozzo aren't coming up until next February and July...