12-05: Mozart Divertimenti K 247 334 563 / L'Archibudelli 1991 - Stockhausen : Mixtur 1964 | Telemusik 1966 | TRANS 1971 | Tierkreis 1975 - Karl Amadeus Hartmann Symphony 6 / Aspen 2011 - Fasch Orchestral Works / Tempesta di Mare 2008

Not shown above: Christoph Förster, Robert Kimmerling, Giuseppe Ciccimarra, Johann Peter Heuschkel, Yannis Angelopoulos & Peter Hall

1663 – Severo Bonini (Italian composer, organist & author)
1745 – Christoph Förster (German composer)
1758 – Johann Friedrich Fasch (German violinist & composer)
1791 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Austrian composer)
1799 – Robert Kimmerling (Austrian Benedictine monk & composer)
1836 – Giuseppe Ciccimarra (Italian operatic tenor & teacher)
1853 – Johann Peter Heuschkel (German oboist, organist, teacher & composer, teacher of C.M. von Weber)
1902 – Henry Stephen Cutler (American organist, choirmaster & composer)
1916 – Hans Richter (Austrian conductor, premiered major works of Wagner, Brahms, Bruckner, Elgar & Tchaikovsky)
1940 – Jan Kubelík (Czech violinist & composer, father of Rafael)
1943 – Yannis Angelopoulos [Γιάννης Αγγελόπουλος] (Greek operatic baritone)
1953 – Jorge Negrete (Mexican ranchera singer & actor)
1963 – Karl Amadeus Hartmann (German composer)
1973 – Walter Hofermayer (Austrian baritone)
1986 – Carmol Taylor (American country songwriter & singer)
1987 – "Fat" Larry James (American funk & disco drummer & singer, Fat Larry's Band)
1989 – Sir John Pritchard (English conductor, violinist & pianist)
1993 – Doug Hopkins (American rock guitarist & songwriter, Gin Blossoms)
1996 – Peter Hall (British folklorist & musician)
1996 – Montana Slim [Wilf Carter] (Canadian country singer, songwriter, guitarist & yodeller)
2007 – Karlheinz Stockhausen (German composer)
2007 – Andrew Imbrie (American composer)
2008 – Anca Parghel (Romanian jazz singer, composer, pianist & teacher)

Amadeus!!

It was the middle name of... the composer many think was the finest German symphonist of the 20th century, giving others like Henze and Hindemith a run for their money. There's one of those symphonies for you here, played live and well-recorded this past summer at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.

And then there's Sir John Pritchard, who was known especially for his interpretations of a little-known composer by the name of Mozart. No Pritchard for you today, but perusing "The Dead and Dying" will reveal that you already have some nice choices in the way of this Mozart character. If that's not enough for you, how about some of his divertimenti played on period instruments? I had a feeling you might enjoy that. Always good to get to know some of the lesser lights of the musical pantheon, isn't it?

And of course, Karlheinz Stockhausen, who was right there at the top of the heap of the post-war European avant garde, along with Pierre Boulez, and Luigi Nono, and just a few others who might deserve to be mentioned in the same breath. Read about them... learn about Darmstadt, and what came out of it, the actions and the reactions. And listen! This stuff happened half a century ago, but it's had a profound effect on you, whether you realize it or not.

Well, maybe not. But anyway, it's Stockhausen. Essential stuff. Not any of his seminal early works from the 50s and early 60s, but essential stuff nonetheless. Listen to it, it's good for you.

And my, isn't Blogger being a buggy little bitch today?

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