And something a bit different, a Juneteenth post: William Grant Still

This isn't intended to be a side note, in fact, it's the result of a sort of last minute epiphany. I had a moment of realization and decided I had to make it happen, since I hadn't approached this blog in such a long time and I was about to renew my participation. 

So I was Googling my own blog, because I had actually forgotten the site address. It had been so long and I've been through so much weirdness in the time that I had started this project and time interval where I stopped, I forgot about it and it was a cloudy time. Looking up Greene's and classical, I ended up coming across a different blog with a different Mr. Greene, called AfriClassical, which centers around honoring classical composers of African heritage. Again, I'm just here for the interesting musical discoveries, and it's interesting indeed. The one that I looked into was very very cool, and I am interested to hear much more from this composer, William Grant Still.

This is a simple show of solidarity, because I'm a humanist and humanitarian on a basic level. But also, this is the kind of stuff I'm looking for, it's a beautiful, distinctive, different take on classical music, and it's the type of thing I like finding when plowing through Greene's, and why I fancy myself a musical gemologist, looking through the more common things to find the gems.

When I get home after work, I'll see if he has a listing in that book of mine and update this if so.

 [1909] STILL, William Grant

INSTRUMENTALIST,  ARRANGER, ADMINISTRATOR

BORN: Woodville, Miss., May, 11, 1895

DIED: Los Angeles, December 3, 1978

Anyway, the links, the links.

https://youtu.be/L28seK9v-ow

https://africlassical.blogspot.com/2022/10/chicago-philharmonic-for-our-2223.html?m=1

3rd Pick: Juan Crisótomo Arriaga

 [1187] ARRIAGA Y BALZOLA, Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio

VIOLINIST

BORN: Rigoitia, January 27, 1806

DIED: Paris, January 17, 1826

It's been awhile and I'm glad to be continuing this project. This peice of loveliness is by a man who seems to have been "long forgotten," but then, at some point was "resurrected," and hailed with the impressive title "The Spanish Mozart."

Indeed, he has similarities, not only in what I've experienced this morning audibly in terms of great melodic flamboyance, but, he also, like Mozart, was a child prodigy, and had the same birthday (?!) but was born 50 years later. 

His career seems to have been quite grand, playing string quartets with adults as a 10 year old, his first opera at 14, being taken to the Paris Conservatory by his parents and studying with Françoise-Joseph Fétis and Pierre Baillot for the violin and composition respectively. He was praised by Cherubini, who called his works masterpieces... (his name sounds familiar but I'm no David Mason Greene. I'm just here for the YouTube picks,)

Tragically, this very talented young man's career was cut short by what is generally agreed to have been tuberculosis although it's a bit unclarified in the scholarly realms of history. He died at only 19 years old.

So I chose this really nice guitar piece, played by the amazing Daniel Guerola, "Variaciones sobre el tema "La Húngara" op. 23." It's super nice, and although very intricate, had a super calming effect on my nerves this morning. Hope someone digs it. 

Peace :)

https://youtu.be/5-fuVWHjens

My 2nd selection: Augusta Mary Anne Holmes

 [1441] HOLMÈS, Augusta Mary Anne

PIANIST, POETESS 

BORN: Paris, December 16, 1847

DIED: Paris, January 28 1903

So, what I tend to look for when browsing these names online is, a piece of music that immediately or quickly gets my attention and stands out from an endless ocean of stereotypical Classical. Some exceptional character, which depends strongly on the writing of the musical arrangement, and the players' finely executing this in a notably special way. I try to be a cherry picker.

After being uninterested in three prior names and pieces I picked, This piece did those things I required in my mind-

Augusta Holmès - "Fantaisie"
Performers: Luigi Magistrelli and Claudia Bracco  -----

https://youtu.be/O_-fIskyG8E

So, now for my unprofessional notes for you, hopefully I do this lady no disgrace. Born to Scottish and Irish parents, the passing of her mother sort of set her on a determined artistic path. She was a nurse in the Franco-Prussian War. Honestly it's a bit dry in places and I'm not here to regurgitate Greene's summary - she studied orchestra - began to spend time with a poet named Catulle Mendes and they had three kids together. She was recognized and received awards for some of her compositions. Only some of her works had been recorded at the time of the entry. Apparently late in life she became obsessed with her Irish roots and converted to Catholisism, died at 55.

So, about this tune I love the players on this recording, they feel expressive, animated, alive. It's a fun, sort of intriguing, maybe even mischievous kind of vibe even. Honestly, it means what it means to you and we are all going to feel and think what we each do. But this track stood out as an immediately captivating one and I decided it was the one for this post.

Hope you find it an intriguing piece of music as I did.

Thank you, anyone and everyone reading this pet project of mine.

-M

 

First Pick: Magister Perotinus PÉROTIN

[20] PÉROTIN (PÉROTIN (Magister Perotinus) 

BORN: Paris (?), c. 1160

DIED: c. 1203 or 1225

So usually I find liturgical stuff to be a slight deterrent because often I find that composers in that realm have a tendency to make some boorish stuff with organ hymns and your standard Christian choral feeling type stuff. But I poked around and I was relieved to find a track I liked. Classical is not my favorite genre, but it is completely varied in it's versatility. I think it's honestly a funny sounding tune. Someone in the comments said it was intended for the feast of St. Steven. So that's  why it's so upbeat and jolly, that makes sense. I like all the "HA HUH HUH HUH AH HUH HUH HUH" vocal arrangements. Not the typical solemn monk music platitudes or Gregorian chant type stuff. This is that underground monk music that only the cool monks listen to:

"Perotin - Organum quadruplum "Sederunt principes" (ca.1200)" Performers unnamed.

And now for any quick points in his life summation that may be interesting -

Lol his nicknames were "Little Pierre," and "Petey" which is cool.

Many details about his life are "shadowy," but it seems he may have been an assistant and student to Léonin, who was apparently "pivotal to the history of Western music." He is well known for revising Léonin's "Big Book of organa" and is supposed to have invented "organa for 3 and 4 voices" which was the start of further "polytechnic developments" in the next 100 years of music to come. The rest is mostly musical technical explanation of his composition techniques and his many works. 13 organa and 3 conducti and secular works in the cantus firmus, in monkspeak.

Well, that'll do it for my first post. Hope someone finds this awesome sounding track kinda funny like I did.

- M

Thanks to Greene's, and other music history compendiums

 

Thanks to Greene's, and other music history compendiums

The name in the title is referring to the book "Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers," a book I bought at the thrift store, and then lost, and then I mail ordered it again because it is truly a unique and interesting book and I like having it around for these "random picks." I kinda have a bond with it.

First the book, then I'll tell you why I enjoy it: It was a labor of love and intense devotion and scholarship by David Mason Greene. It was published in 1985 intended as one in a series of biographical dictionaries about different subjects designed to make this knowledge more accessible to the common citizen. By "biographical," this means it that each entry is an abbreviated summary of the life and career of these musical composers including what may be known of their early life and death, or if still living - what notable event happened with them last. It's arranged chronologically, starting with Limenios the lyre player in "around second century bc," and ends with William Hugh Albright, Born 1944, at the time he was still with us. The book, or as I call it, "Greene's" is 1348 pages, with 2433 catalogued entries of unique composers. 

SO THAT'S THE BOOK. Now on to why I still really like it: Besides the biographical entries being very enjoyable despite how compact some of the entries are (It's not easy to condense someone's life into a small block of text... ) The writing is a joy to read and is to the point.

Now: how I use it. I use it as a thing to do sometimes when the feeling takes me, I guess. My odd and perhaps underwhelming use of Greene's is that I take this studious work and treat it like a dice roll basically. I look away and randomly point my finger wherever I flip. I note the composer. And I look them up on YouTube. And I hear what I just read about. Yeah I'm getting hyped up about old composers. But you see, so many of these are so unique and amazing and distinct beyond words. It's a treasure trove of artistic wonder, so many great names I never knew before this book. And I really enjoy getting that instant satisfaction of instantly hearing a great piece of music and hearing the music in the entry I just read, right away. I can't emphasize that enough, it's addictive and often surprising.

So with that explained, I decided I want to post my random composer picks published here with a YouTube link and a paraphrased summary of what Mr. Greene said. I haven't got my format down yet but we'll see how it goes.

Oh and there's another compendium I have called Music Lover's Encyclopedia by Rubert Hughes. It's really cool too but I don't have the same kinda love for the book that I have for Greene's.

So yeah. Thanks to Greene's!