Norma in the Sky

Photo of modern square level courtesy 123rf.com

Depending on where you live on Earth, you may be able to see the constellation, Norma, in tonight's sky.  Being a musician and opera-lover, I immediately wondered if it had anything to do with Bellini's opera by the same name, but no, it does not.  The full name of this constellation used to be Norma et Regula, which means "the level and the square", and this refers to carpenters' tools.  For more information click here and click here.  What did you learn today?

Classical Music For The Birds

Photo of male house finch, one of my favorite songbirds, courtesy 123rf.com

Today's topic, ornithology in music, was requested by one of our European followers, @MiscVixen on Twitter.  Several classical music works immediately come to mind: 

Beethoven's Symphony No. 6, the Pastoral:  In the second movement cuckoos, nightingales, and quails are depicted.

Respighi composed The Birds.

Vivaldi's work, Spring, depicts birds singing.

Haydn's Toy Symphony employs two or three toy birds.

Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute, has the comic-relief character, the Bird Catcher.

However, this blog is about learning something I didn't know about this topic, so the following are a few rather interesting things I didn't know.

First, there is a classical music album you can buy that was expressly compiled for your bird's enjoyment:  Classical Music for Birds:  Calming Instrumental Music for Your Bird.

Next, there are many people who are avid bird-watchers, also called "birders", who are lovers of classical music, and have conducted experiments watching the reactions of birds to classical music.  Birder South describes itself as a "magazine for bird-lovers in the Southern United States, and has a wonderful article published in 2008 about birds, birders, and classical music:  click here to read that wonderful article.

Last, the composer Messien, who wrote pieces based on transcribed bird songs, said:  "Birds are the opposite of time.  They represent our longing for light, for stars, for rainbows, and for jubilant song."

Thanks to @MiscVixen on Twitter for requesting today's topic!  What did you learn today?

Benjamin Britten, Pack-Rat!

Photos of orchestral instruments courtesy 123rf.com

Thanks to the English Chamber Orchestra from South Ealing, London, @ECOrchestra on Twitter, for suggesting today's topic:  Benjamin Britten.

One of my favorite childhood memories is discovering The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten.  Later I enjoyed the interactive computer program designed by a Mr. Winter in southern California that taught more about Britten and the Guide.  One of my most profound experiences as a young lady was seeing the Metropolitan Opera's production of Billy Budd in New York.  Then during my first semester in grad school I was assigned to read and report on the 744 page Benjamin Britten:  A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter.  So to say that Britten has been a thread throughout my life isn't an exageration.

What I didn't know is that Britten saved nearly everything he wrote, he rarely threw anything away, so that now the collection of his works, letters, and other writings is the most comprehensive collection by a composer of any other in the world.  This collection is kept in his home in England, The Red House, for all to see.  For more information click here.

Thanks again to the English Chamber Orchestra, @ECOrchestra on Twitter, for suggesting today's topic.  What did you learn today?

Marian Anderson Anniversary

Photo of U.S. Stamp honoring Marian Anderson courtesy 123rf.com

On this day in 1939 contralto Marian Anderson performed at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.  For more information click here.

This brings back a precious memory for me:  in the summer of 1968 I met Marian Anderson at a student music seminar in New York City, where she gave a speech to the 50 of us.  It was a wonderful week of inspiration and learning.

What did you learn today?

WHO Helped Fund the American Revolution ?!?!

Photo of oil painting of French author Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732-1799) by French artist Jean-Marc Nattier (1685-1766) courtesy Giraudon/Art Resource, New York, via EncyclopediaBritannica.com

I like Mozart's (1756-1791) operas, and think Beaumarchais's plays (from which the libretti for some of Mozart's operas are taken) are fabulous.  What I didn't know is that Beaumarchais "coordinated the initially secret French program to supply the nascent U.S. of A. with money and arms early in the Revolutionary War".  For more information click here.

What operas do you like?  (You may leave comments below.)

Disk Music Boxes

Photo courtesy The Musical Box Society International

Photo courtesy AntiqueMusicBoxes.co.uk

I like antique disk music boxes.  I used to visit Rita Ford's Music Boxes shop when she was located in New York City, and enjoyed listening to the bell-like quality of the beautiful sound coming from these huge boxes, which can be as big as grandfather clocks.  Two of my favorite albums are recordings of Christmas music and opera music played on Rita Ford's disk boxes.  Not only do they produce beautiful music, but the wood boxes are quite beautiful too, with beautiful carving or beautiful inlay.

Disk boxes were popular at the turn of the 20th century, and quite affordable so many people had them in their homes.  The popularity didn't last long, however, due to the invention and subsequent popularity of the nickelodeon and the player piano, then the gramophone.

I knew that the huge disks were still being made in the mid-20th century, but had thought that they were no longer being made.  What I didn't know is that there has been a resurgence in the popularity of antique disk boxes, so much so that the disks are still being made and new boxes are now being made.

For more information about disk players and music boxes click here and click here and click here.

What is your favorite music box tune that you have heard?