In the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the summer season is the day of the year when the Sun is farthest north (on June 20th or 21st). This day is known as the Summer Solstice.
June 20: Today’s Music History
Be sure your student reads and listens to Today’s Daily Listening Assignment
• 1585 ~ Lazaro Valvasensi, Composer
• 1743 ~ Anna L Barbauld, Composer of hymns
• 1756 ~ Joseph Martin Kraus, Composer
• 1819 ~ Jacques Offenbach, German-born French conductor, cellist and composer of operettas
Read quotes by and about Offenbach
More information about Offenbach
• 1833 ~ Philip Knapton, Composer, died at the age of 44
• 1837 ~ Giovanni Furno, Composer, died at the age of 89
• 1842 ~ Michael Umlauf, Composer, died at the age of 60
• 1861 ~ Arthur Battelle Whiting, Composer
• 1883 ~ Giannotto Bastianelli, Composer
• 1888 ~ Cesare Dominiceti, Composer, died at the age of 66
• 1899 ~ Anthon van der Horst, Dutch organist and composer
• 1900 ~ Ernest White, Composer
• 1906 ~ Bob Howard, American singer and pianist
• 1910 ~ Fanny Brice, born Fannie Borach, debuted in the New York production of the Ziegfeld Follies
• 1914 ~ Friedrich Zipp, Composer
• 1922 ~ Vittorio Monti, Composer, died at the age of 54
• 1923 ~ Joseph Leopold Rockel, Composer, died at the age of 85
• 1924 ~ Chet Atkins (Chester Burton), Grammy Award-winning guitarist, made over 100 albums and elected to Country Music Hall of Fame in 1973.
• 1925 ~ Wilhelm Posse, Composer, died at the age of 72
• 1927 ~ John M Dengler, Jazz bass sax, trumpet, trombone
• 1928 ~ Robert Satanowski, Composer
• 1929 ~ Ingrid Haebler, Austrian pianist
• 1931 ~ Arne Nordheim, Norwegian conductor and composer
• 1934 ~ Cornel Taranu, Composer
• 1938 ~ Nikolay Avksentevich Martinov, Composer
• 1939 ~ first TV broadcast of an operetta, “The Pirates of Penzance” by Gilbert and Sullivan W2XBS (later WCBS-TV) in New York City televised Pirates of Penzance. It was presented to a very small viewing audience since television was a new, experimental medium at the time.
• 1936 ~ Billy Guy, Singer with The Coasters
• 1937 ~ Jerry Keller, Singer
• 1940 ~ Jehan Alain, French organist and composer, died in battle at 29
• 1942 ~ Brian Wilson, Bass player, singer with The Beach Boys, inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988
• 1945 ~ (Morna) Anne Murray, Grammy Award-winning singer
• 1946 ~ André Watts, American pianist, Chicago Symphony Orchestra
• 1948 ~ George Frederick Boyle, Composer, died at the age of 61
• 1949 ~ Lionel Richie, Tenor sax, songwriter, singer with the Commodores
• 1951 ~ Peter Gordon, Composer
• 1953 ~ Cyndi Lauper, Singer
• 1953 ~ Alan Longmuir, Musician, bass with Bay City Rollers
• 1955 ~ Michael Anthony, Musician, bass with Van Halen
• 1955 ~ “Almost Crazy” opened at Longacre Theater New York City for 16 performances
• 1960 ~ John Taylor, Musician: guitar, bass with Duran Duran
• 1963 ~ The Beatles formed “Beatles Ltd” to handle their income
• 1969 ~ Guitarist Jimi Hendrix earned the biggest paycheck ever paid (to that time) for a single concert appearance. Hendrix was paid $125,000 to appear for a single set at the Newport Jazz Festival.
• 1970 ~ The Long and Winding Road, by The Beatles, started a second week in the number one spot on the pop music charts. The tune was the last one to be released by The Beatles.
• 1975 ~ Daniel Ayala Perez, Composer, died at the age of 68
• 1980 ~ Gustaf Allan Pettersson, Composer, died at the age of 68
• 1987 ~ Whitney Houston’s album, Whitney, debuted on Billboard magazine’s album chart at number one. Houston became the first female to have an LP debut at the top. The singer, daughter of Cissy Houston and cousin of Dionne Warwick, began her singing career at age 11 with the New Hope Baptist Junior Choir in New Jersey. Houston first worked as a backup vocalist for Chaka Khan and Lou Rawls; entered modeling in 1981, appearing in Glamour magazine and on the cover of Seventeen. Whitney married soul singer, Bobby Brown, in the late 1980s.
• 1997 ~ Lawrence Payton, singer with the Four Tops, died at the age of 59
Daily Listening Assignments ~ June 20
Today’s listening assignment is Can-can from “Orpheus in the Underworld” by Jacques Offenbach. This piece is very often in early method books because of the descending C Major scale. Can you find it?
The can-can (or cancan as in the original French) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally danced by both sexes, it is now traditionally associated with a chorus line of female dancers. The main features of the dance are the vigorous manipulation of skirts and petticoats, along with high kicks, splits, and cartwheels.
Many composers have written music for the cancan. Today’s selection is the most famous of these.
A ‘follow-along” video. This key has 6 flats, so the scale will be in what key?
Flute ensemble:
The original, for full orchestra
An animation
A dog barking the can-can?
Find this in many student books including Piano Pronto: Movement 1
Have you ever noticed the rug by the piano?
June 19: Today’s Music History
Be sure your student reads and listens to Today’s Daily Listening Assignment
• 1618 ~ Christian de Placker, Composer
• 1708 ~ Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, Composer
• 1717 ~ Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz, Bohemian violist, conductor and composer
• 1730 ~ Jean-Baptiste Loeillet, Composer, died at the age of 49
• 1747 ~ Alessandro Marcello, Composer, died at the age of 77
• 1759 ~ Charles-Joseph-Balthazar Sohier, Composer, died at the age of 31
• 1762 ~ Johann Ernst Eberlin, Composer, died at the age of 60
• 1766 ~ Edmund Weber, Composer
• 1782 ~ John Bray, Composer
• 1825 ~ Ferdinand David (1810) Violist and composer
• 1815 ~ John William Glover, Composer
• 1822 ~ John Bray, Composer, died on his 40th birthday
• 1825 ~ Gioacchino Rossini’s “Il viaggio a Reims,” premiered
• 1842 ~ Carl Johann Adam Zeller, Composer
• 1843 ~ Charles Edouard Lefebvre, Composer
• 1854 ~ Alfredo Catalani, Italian composer
• 1885 ~ Stevan Hristic, Composer
• 1886 ~ Robert Herberigs, Flemish Composer and writer
• 1898 ~ Paul Muller-Zurich, Composer
• 1902 ~ Guy (Gaetano) Lombardo, Canadian-born American bandleader with The Royal Canadians: “The most beautiful music this side of heaven.”
• 1904 ~ Balis Dvarionas, Composer
• 1905 ~ Taneli Kuusisto, Composer
• 1910 ~ Edwin Gerschefski, Composer
• 1910 ~ Father’s Day was observed for the first time at Spokane, Wash., at the request of the the local YMCA and the Spokane Ministerial Association to earmark a Sunday to “honor thy father.” The idea originated in the mind of a Ms. John Bruce Dodd, a local housewife who was inspired by her admiration for the great job her father, William Smart, had done in raising his 6 children after his wife’s untimely and early death.
• 1912 ~ Jerry Jerome, American saxophonist
• 1913 ~ Sergey Ivanovich Taneyev, Russian Composer, died at the age of 58
• 1926 ~ DeFord Bailey was the first black to perform on Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry
• 1927 ~ Karel Kupka, Composer
• 1930 ~ Jul Levi, Composer
• 1932 ~ First concert performed in San Francisco’s Stern Grove
• 1936 ~ Tommy DeVito, Singer with The Four Seasons
• 1939 ~ Al Wilson, Musician, drummer, singer with Show and Tell
• 1940 ~ Maurice Jaubert, Composer, died at the age of 40
• 1942 ~ Spanky (Elaine) McFarlane, Singer with Spanky and Our Gang
• 1943 ~ Sheik Of Araby by Spike Jones & City Slickers peaked at #19
• 1951 ~ Ann Wilson, Singer with Heart
• 1953 ~ Larry Dunn, Musician, keyboards with Earth, Wind & Fire
• 1956 ~ Doug Stone, Singer
• 1960 ~ Loretta Lynn recorded Honky Tonk Girl
• 1961 ~ Little Egypt (Ying-Yang) by Coasters peaked at #23
• 1962 ~ Paula Abdul, Singer
• 1965 ~ I Can’t Help Myself, by The Four Tops, topped the pop and R&B charts. The Tops, who had no personnel changes in their more than 35 years together were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990.
• 1966 ~ Marjan Kozina, Composer, died at the age of 59
• 1984 ~ Wladimir Rudolfovich Vogel, Composer, died at the age of 88
• 1988 ~ Zdenek Blazek, Composer, died at the age of 83
• 1994 ~ “She Loves Me” closed at Atkinson Theater New York City after 294 performances
• 1994 ~ “Twilight – Los Angeles 1992” closed at Cort New York City after 72 performances
• 1995 ~ Murray Dickie, Opera singer/director, died at the age of 71
• 1996 ~ Alan Ande Anderson, Opera director, died at the age of 78
• 1996 ~ Vivian Ellis, Composer, died at the age of 91
• 1997 ~ Bobby Helms, singer (Jingle Bell Rock), died at the age of 63
• 1997 ~ “Forever Tango!” opened at Walter Kerr Theater New York City
Daily Listening Assignments ~ June 19
Today’s piece is one of those that piano students often try to learn on their own – or a friend will teach them the first 9 notes. It’s usually played too fast and, often in the wrong octave, or the first couple notes are repeated too many times.
This is one of two pieces that are so often played incorrectly that they have the distinction of being banned from competition in Northern Virginia Piano Teacher competitions.
Stay tuned for the other one!
Für Elise was not published during Beethoven’s lifetime, having been discovered by Ludwig Nohl 40 years after the composer’s death. The identity of “Elise” is unknown.
The very basic melody:
From Wunderkeys – The Elise Session
The actual beginning is a little more involved.
And, there’s more!
If you’d like to learn to play this piece correctly, find the sheet music at IMSLP, Beethoven: Exploring His Life and Music, and countless compilations of classical music available at the O’Connor Music Studio.
Follow along:
By Valentina Lisitsa:
Ragtime!
The Big Piano at FAO Schwartz in NYC:
Glass harp:
The Mystery Behind Für Elise:
Youtube has many, many more versions. Beethoven would probably go nuts!
June 18: Today’s Music History
Be sure your student reads and listens to Today’s Daily Listening Assignment
• 1686 ~ Johann Quirsfeld, Composer, died at the age of 43
• 1726 ~ Giuseppe Scarlotti (1723) Composer
• 1726 ~ Michel-Richard Delalande, Composer, died at the age of 68
• 1726 ~ August Holler (1744) Composer
• 1726 ~ Ignaz Joseph Pleyel (1757) Composer
• 1780 ~ Michael Henkel, Composer
• 1799 ~ Johann André, Composer, died at the age of 58
• 1821 ~ Charles Hague, Composer, died at the age of 52
• 1821 ~ Opera “Der Freischütz” by Carl Maria von Weber was produced in Berlin
• 1822 ~ Henry David Leslie, Composer
• 1850 ~ Richard Heuberger, Composer
• 1850 ~ Antoni Weinert, Composer, died at the age of 99
• 1859 ~ Joseph Hartmann Stuntz, Composer, died at the age of 65
• 1876 ~ August Rockel, Composer, died at the age of 61
• 1892 ~ Edward Steuermann, Composer
• 1901 ~ Jeanette MacDonald, Singer with Nelson Eddy
• 1902 ~ Louis Alter, Composer
• 1904 ~ Manuel Rosenthal, French composer
• 1905 ~ Eduard Tubin, Composer
• 1906 ~ Kaye Kyser, Bandleader Kay Kyser and His Kollege of Musical Knowledge
More information about Kyser
• 1907 ~ Benny Payne, American pianist for the Billy Daniels Show
• 1909 ~ Learmont Drysdale, Composer, died at the age of 42
• 1934 ~ Ray McKinley (1910) Musician, drummer, led Glenn Miller Band for the estate from 1956 until 1966.
• 1911 ~ Franjo Zaver Kuhac, Composer, died at the age of 76
• 1913 ~ Sammy Cahn, Composer and lyricist
More information about Cahn
• 1915 ~ Victor Legley, Composer
• 1917 ~ Akhmet Jevdet Ismail Hajiyev, Composer
• 1918 ~ Bob Carroll, Singer and actor
• 1923 ~ Herman Krebbers, Dutch violist and concertmaster
• 1925 ~ Herman “Ace” Wallace, Blues guitarist and singer
• 1927 ~ Simeon Pironkov, Composer
• 1933 ~ Tommy Hunt, American singer
• 1934 ~ Francisco Lacerda, Composer, died at the age of 65
• 1935 ~ August Reusner, Composer, died at the age of 64
• 1941 ~ Lamont Dozier, Composer
• 1942 ~ Hans Vonk, Dutch conductor
• 1942 ~ Arthur Willard Pryor, Composer, died at the age of 71
• 1942 ~ Paul McCartney, British rock singer, songwriter and guitarist
More information about McCartney
• 1944 ~ Paul Lansky, Composer
• 1944 ~ Douglas Young, Composer
• 1948 ~ Eva Marton, Hungarian soprano
• 1949 ~ “Along Fifth Avenue” closed at Broadhurst Theater NYC after 180 performances
• 1953 ~ Jerome Smith, Musician, guitarist with KC & The Sunshine Band
• 1955 ~ Walter Rein, Composer, died at the age of 61
• 1955 ~ Willy Burkhard, Composer, died at the age of 55
• 1962 ~ Volkmar Andreae, Swiss conductor and Composer, died at the age of 82
• 1964 ~ Alexander Shamil’yevich Melik-Pashayev, Composer, died at the age of 58
• 1965 ~ George Melachrino, Composer, died at the age of 56
• 1973 ~ Fritz Mahler, Composer, died at the age of 71
• 1977 ~ Fleetwood Mac worked Dreams to the number one spot on the pop music charts this day. It would be the group’s only single to reach number one. Fleetwood Mac placed 18 hits on the charts in the 1970s and 1980s. Nine were top-ten tunes.
Daily Listening Assignments ~ June 18
‘The Magic Flute’ (German name: Die Zauberflöte) is Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s final opera, and it contains one of the most well-known arias in music. But what is ‘The Magic Flute’ all about?
An animated version:
Played as a piano/organ duo:
Arranged by Ferruccio Busoni for 2 pianos:
Why Mozart’s Magic Flute is a masterpiece – an introduction (The Royal Opera)
The accordion version:
Find this in Piano Pronto: Movement 3, Encore, Mozart: Exploring His Life and Music
June 14: Today’s Music History
Be sure your student reads and listens to Today’s Daily Listening Assignment
• 1594 ~ Orlandus Lassus, Composer (Prophet sybillarum), died at about 61
• 1671 ~ Thomoso Albinoni, Italian composer and violinist
More information about Albinoni
• 1691 ~ Jan Francisci, Composer
• 1709 ~ Gottfried Wegner, Composer, died at the age of 65
• 1744 ~ André Campra, Composer, died at the age of 83
• 1750 ~ Franz Anton Maichelbeck, Composer, died at the age of 47
• 1760 ~ Candido Jose Ruano, Composer
• 1763 ~ Johannes Simon Mayr, Composer
• 1769 ~ Dominique Della-Maria, Composer
• 1789 ~ Johann Wilhelm Hertel, Composer, died at the age of 61
• 1835 ~ Nikolay Rubinstein, Composer
• 1854 ~ Frederik Rung, Composer
• 1891 ~ Auguste Jean Maria Charles Serieyx (1865) Composer
• 1881 ~ The player piano was patented by John McTammany, Jr. of Cambridge, MA.
• 1882 ~ Michael Zadora, Composer
• 1884 ~ John McCormack, Irish/American singer of Irish folksongs
• 1891 ~ Nicolo Gabrielli, Composer, died at the age of 77
• 1895 ~ Cliff Edwards “Ukulele Ike”, Singer of When You Wish Upon a Star
• 1904 ~ Benno Ammann, Composer
• 1909 ~ Burl Ives, American folk singer, banjo player, guitarist and Oscar-winning actor. His gentle voice helped popularise American folk music. He played powerful dramatic roles in movies including “The Big Country,” for which he won an Acadamy Award for best-supporting actor, and “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”
• 1910 ~ Nappy (Hilton Napoleon) Lamare, Musician with Bob Cats
• 1911 ~ Johan Severin Svendsen, Composer, died at the age of 70
• 1916 ~ Karl-Rudi Griesbach, Composer
• 1916 ~ MIT and the American Telephone and Telegraph Company attempted the largest transcontinental telephone circuit of the time at Symphony Hall!
• 1918 ~ Carter Harman, Composer
• 1920 ~ Helmer-Rayner Sinisalo, Composer
• 1923 ~ Theodore Bloomfield, Composer
• 1923 ~ It was the beginning of the country music recording industry. Ralph Peer of Okeh Records recorded Fiddlin’ John Carson doing The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane— and the first country music recording was in the can.
• 1929 ~ Cy Coleman (Seymour Kaufman), American composer of popular music and pianist
More information about Cy Coleman
• 1932 ~ Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson, Composer
• 1933 ~ Albert Ross Parsons, Composer, died at the age of 85
• 1940 ~ John Mizelle, Composer
• 1943 ~ Muff (Mervyn) Winwood, Singer, songwriter, bass with The Spencer Davis Group
• 1945 ~ Rod Argent, Keyboard
• 1948 ~ Ernst Henrik Ellberg, Composer, died at the age of 79
• 1948 ~ John Blackwood McEwen, Composer, died at the age of 80
• 1953 ~ Elvis Presley graduated from L.C. Humes High School in Memphis, TN. Within three years, the truck driver-turned-singer had his first number-one record with Heartbreak Hotel.
• 1960 ~ Vladimir Nikolayevich Kryukov, Composer, died at the age of 57
• 1962 ~ Boy George, Singer
• 1965 ~ Guido Guerrini, Composer, died at the age of 74
• 1965 ~ The Beatles released the album “Beatles VI”
• 1965 ~ John Lennon’s second book “A Spaniard in the Works” was published
• 1968 ~ Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Swedish opera composer, died at the age of 51
• 1969 ~ John & Yoko appeared on David Frost’s British TV Show
• 1974 ~ Knud Christian Jeppesen, Composer, died at the age of 81
• 1975 ~ America reached the top spot on the Billboard pop music chart with SisterGolden Hair. The group had previously (March, 1972) taken A Horse With No Name to the number one spot. The trio of Dan Peek, Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell had received the Best New Artist Grammy in 1972. America recorded a dozen hits that made it to the popular music charts in the 1970s and 1980s. Though number one, Sister Golden Hair did not qualify for gold record (million-seller) status.
• 1975 ~ Janis Ian released At 17
• 1976 ~ The Beatles were awarded a gold record for the compilation album of past hits titled, Rock ’n’ Roll Music.
• 1978 ~ Theodore Karyotakis, Composer, died at the age of 74
• 1980 ~ Theme From New York, New York by Frank Sinatra hit #32
• 1986 ~ Alan Jay Lerner, Broadway librettist, died in NY at 67
More information about Lerner
• 1989 ~ Carole King got a star in Hollywood’s walk of fame
• 1994 ~ Henry Mancini passed away at the age of 70
More information about Mancini
• 1994 ~ Lionel Grigson, Professor of jazz, died at the age of 52
• 1994 ~ Harry “Little” Caesar, blues singer/actor (City Heat), died at the age of 66
• 1996 ~ Thomas Edward Montgomery, drummer, died at the age of 73
• 2002 ~ Marvin Paymer, Pianist, composer, musicologist and author, died of cancer. He was 81. His son, actor David Paymer, told the Los Angeles Times that Paymer died in San Diego. In 1977, he co-founded and, until his retirement in 1993, served as associate director of the Pergolesi Research Center at City University of New York Graduate Center. Pergolesi was 18th century Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. Paymer authenticated 13 Pergolesi compositions among hundreds of fakes attributed to the posthumously famous composer, who died at 26.
Flag Day :)
National Flag Day is celebrated annually in the United States on June 14. This day commemorates the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777.
On National Flag Day, Americans show respect for the U.S. Flag and what it represents. Our independence and unity as a nation is represented by our flag. The flag has become a powerful symbol of Americanism and is flown proudly.
Betsy Ross is given credit, by many, for creating the first American flag. Since 1977, the design of the flag has been officially modified 26 times. For 47 years, the 48-star flag was in effect. In 1959, the 49-star version became official on July 4. President Eisenhower ordered the 50-star flag on August 21, 1959.
Seventeen-year-old Robert G. Heft of Ohio is credited with designing the 50-star American flag. Of the more than 1,500 designs that were submitted to President Dwight D. Eisenhower, his was chosen.
Daily Listening Assignments ~ June 14
Today’s Daily Listening Assignment is a little different. Pop Goes the Weasel was chosen today because somehow, somewhere someone chose today as National Pop Goes the Weasel Day.
June 14 is set aside to observe National Pop Goes the Weasel Day. On this day people dig back into their memories to the nursery rhymes they learned as children and celebrate the day singing “Pop Goes the Weasel”.
The origins of this nursery rhyme are believed to date back to the 1700′s.
The following lyric was printed in Boston in 1858:
All around the cobbler’s house,
The monkey chased the people.
And after them in double haste,
Pop! goes the weasel.
In 1901 in New York the opening lines were:
All around the chicken coop,
The possum chased the weasel.
The most common recent version was not recorded until 1914. In addition to the three verses above, American versions often include some of the following:
All around the mulberry bush,
The monkey chased the weasel.
The monkey stopped to pull up his sock, (or The monkey stopped to scratch his nose)
Pop! goes the weasel.
Half a pound of tuppenny rice,
Half a pound of treacle.
Mix it up and make it nice,
Pop! goes the weasel.
A Piano Version:
And another one…
‘Pop Goes the Weasel’ is played by the oboe while Elgar’s ‘Enigma’ Theme is performed on piano.
If you want to play it, you know where to find it 🙂
MaryO'Studio 