Celebration Day
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Robert Plant *VIII 20 1948 / The Life You Give
Robert Plant, born Robert Anthony Plant, on August 20, 1948, in West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England, is the singer-songwriter best known as the lead singer for the rock band Led Zeppelin. Plant’s dynamic vocal range and flamboyant stage presence has distinguished him as a popular and influential rock and roll front man. Since the dissolution of…
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Götterdämmerung (Wagner) premiered on this day in 1876
Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods) is the last in the music drama set of four, entitled Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung) or The Ring Cycle or The Ring for short) which premiered at the Bayreuth Festspielhaus on 17 August 1876, concluding the first performance of the complete cycle. The title is…
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Kaikhosru Sorabji: Organ Symphony No 1
Organ Symphony No. 1, KSS 39 Piece detailsWritten for: OrganDate composed: 1924Dedicatee: Emily Edroff-SmithApproximate duration (minutes): 120Manuscript pages: 81Manuscript location: Library of Congress Structure: IPrelude. ModéréPassacaglia (theme with 81 variations)PostludeIIIntroduction. LentoAndante (quasi fugue)CodaIIIModeratoCadenza de’ pedali. Con bravuraModeratoCadenza-ToccataCoda-Stretto
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Kaikhosru Sorabji: Concerto per suonare da me solo & Symphonia Brevis
Concerto Per Suonare Da Me Solo / Jonathan Powell Concerto per suonare da me solo, KSS 69 (Concert to play by myself)Piece detailsWritten for: PianoDate composed: 1946Dedicatee: Norman PeterkinApproximate duration (minutes): 50Manuscript pages: 70Manuscript location: Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel Structure:I Incomincia l’orchestra arrogante e pomposa / Brioso FocosamenteII AdagioIII Scherzo diabolico Symphonia Brevis / Donna…
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Kaikhosru Sorabji: Gulistān & Opus Clavicembalisticum MCMXXX
Gulistān, KSS 63 Piece detailsWritten for: PianoDate composed: 1940Dedicatee: Harold MorlandApproximate duration (minutes): 35Manuscript pages: 28Manuscript location: Paul Sacher Foundation, Basel Sorabji wrote a number of nocturnes, from the earliest stages in his development until his final years. These include some of his better-known works such as Le jardin parfumé and Djâmi. Several works —…
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The Life You Give: Ian Anderson *VIII 10 1947
Born Ian Scott Anderson, August 10 1947 in Dunfermline, Scotland, Anderson was interested in music from a young age, gaining influence from his father James’ record collection of big band and jazz, as well as early rock & roll by Elvis Presley. The Anderson family later relocated to Blackpool where Ian finished his studies. In…
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Kaikhosru Sorabji: Sequentia Cyclica super Dies Iræ Missa pro defunctis
This week we celebrate the achievements of Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, born on the 14th of August of 1892. He is one of the most enigmatic and controversial 20th century composers. Largely self-taught he chose his own way, never fitting into any school or movement. His style is highly idiosyncratic, inspired by late-romantics like Busoni and…
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Kaikhosru Sorabji: Toccata Seconda per Pianoforte & Songs for Soprano
Toccata Seconda per Pianoforte KSS57 Written for: PianoDate composed: 1933–34Dedicatee: Norman PeterkinApproximate duration (minutes): 150 (2h25)Manuscript pages: 111Manuscript location: Mills Memorial Library, McMaster University Structure/Movements:I Preludio-ToccataII Preludio-CoraleIII ScherzoIV AriaV Ostinato (theme with 49 variations)VI NotturnoVII InterludioVIII CadenzaIX Fuga libera a cinque voci Toccata Seconda per Pianoforte KSS57 Sorabji wrote four piano works entitled toccatas –…
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Days with Kaikhosru Sorabji
During the second week of July, leading up to the 14th of the month, we celebrated the work of Ingmar Bergman, watching six of his films, and discussing them daily on Clubhouse. Before embarking again in the world of cinema, though from a very different space and time to celebrate the offerings of Pedro Almodovar…
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James Baldwin *VIII 2 1924 / The Life You Give
James Baldwin, born James Arthur Baldwin on August 2 1924 in New York, New York, is the essayist, novelist, and playwright whose eloquence and passion on the subject of race in America made him an important voice, particularly in the late 1950s and early 1960s, in the United States and, later, through much of western…
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Das Leben, das Du Gibst / The Life You Give: Ernst Jandl *VIII 1 1932
A biography in English is at the bottom Der österreichische Schriftsteller zählt zu den renommiertesten Repräsentanten der experimentellen Lyrik. Er hat sich vor allen Dingen einen Namen durch seine witzigen Sprachexperimente gemacht. Diesbezüglich ist seine Lyrik zu nennen, die durch die ausgesuchte Klangqualität an die dadaistische Strömung erinnern. Kennzeichnend für sein Schaffen waren die Experimente…
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Geddy Lee *VII 29 1953 / The Life You Give
Few hard rock bassists have been as influential as Rush’s Geddy Lee. Born Gary Weinrib on July 29, 1953, in Toronto, his parents migrated from Europe to Canada and got his nickname “Geddy” from when his mother would try to pronounce “Gary” in her accent. Taking up bass as a teenager and influenced by the…
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Enrique Granados *VII 27 1867 / La Vida Que Das
See the biography in English below Enrique o Enric Granados y Campiña nacido en Lérida, 1867, en el canal de la Mancha, fue pianista y compositor español, hijo de padre cubano y de madre gallega. Su disposición para la música se reveló ya en su niñez; estudió los primeros elementos de solfeo y teoría, en…
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“Parsifal” (Wagner) premiered today in 1882
The Poem Parzival, an epic poem, is one of the masterpieces of the Middle Ages, written between 1200 and 1210 in Middle High German by Wolfram von Eschenbach. This 16-book, 25,000-line poem is in part a religious allegory describing Parzival’s painful journey from utter ignorance and naïveté to spiritual awareness. The poem introduced the theme…
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We all scream for Ice Cream in July — History and Celebration
In 1984, July was proclaimed National Ice Cream Month, and a resolution was introduced, subsequently signing it as bill into law. Join us in celebrating this comfort wonder. La Vida en Blanco y Negrocelebrael mes del helado24 de Julio, 3 pm ESTen Clubhouse continue abajo para el texto en español The Evolution of Ice Cream…
Sila Blume 