Josquin des Prez, also spelled Desprez, des Prés, or Després (born c. 1450, Condé-sur-l’Escaut?, Burgundian Hainaut [France]—died Aug 27, 1521, Condé-sur-l’Escaut), one of the greatest composers of Renaissance Europe. In an era when music was generally performed a few times before being replaced by something newer, Josquin des Prez was a rarity: a composer who … Continue reading Josquin des Prez : Passed away in the year 1521, the 27th of August
Author: f. d. leone
Songwriter.
Ernst Krenek : August 23, 1900 – December 22, 1991
Ernst Krenek (August 23, 1900 – December 22, 1991) was an Austrian, later American, composer of Czech origin. He explored atonality and other modern styles and wrote a number of books, including Music Here and Now (1939), a study of Johannes Ockeghem (1953), and Horizons Circled: Reflections on my Music (1974). Krenek's music encompassed a variety … Continue reading Ernst Krenek : August 23, 1900 – December 22, 1991
Remembering Ustad Bismillah Khan : shehnai master
Bismillah Khan was named Qamaruddin to sound like his elder brother's name Shamsuddin. However, when his grandfather Rasool Baksh Khan saw him as a baby he uttered the word "Bismillah" and hence he came to be known as Bismillah Khan. His father used to be a shehnai player in the court of Maharaja Keshav Prasad … Continue reading Remembering Ustad Bismillah Khan : shehnai master
pet sound : roomful of teeth
Roomful of Teeth is a GRAMMY-winning vocal project dedicated to mining the expressive potential of the human voice. Through study with masters from singing traditions the world over, the eight-voice ensemble continually expands its vocabulary of singing techniques and, through an ongoing commissioning process, forges a new repertoire without borders. Founded in 2009 by Brad Wells, the band gathers annually at … Continue reading pet sound : roomful of teeth
Leif Segerstam : conductor, composer
Most people have heard of "Beethoven's 5th" but they may not know that he wrote nine symphonies. Far fewer will know how many symphonies Mozart (41) or Haydn (104) wrote. But at one point in music history the symphony was the basic genre-form for orchestra. The symphony prospered in the 18th century and was still a vibrant … Continue reading Leif Segerstam : conductor, composer
Honoring Oscar Levant : pianist, wit, and possible genius
I first heard of Oscar Levant (December 27, 1906 – August 14, 1972) when I was probably 12 or 13 and becoming aware of music as a growing obsession. I had recently discovered George Gershwin, thanks to my sister who had a LP of piano rolls of Gershwin playing Rhapsody in Blue. I would hang out … Continue reading Honoring Oscar Levant : pianist, wit, and possible genius
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji : born 14 August
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (born Leon Dudley Sorabji; 14 August 1892 – 15 October 1988) was an English composer, music critic, pianist and writer. He was one of the 20th century's most prolific piano composers. As a composer and pianist, Sorabji was largely self-taught, and he distanced himself from the main currents of contemporary musical life … Continue reading Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji : born 14 August
George Shearing : born today in 1920
Sir George Shearing, OBE (13 August 1919 – 14 February 2011) was a British jazz pianist who for many years led a popular jazz group that recorded for Discovery Records, MGM Records and Capitol Records. The composer of over 300 titles, including the jazz standard "Lullaby of Birdland", had multiple albums on the Billboard charts during … Continue reading George Shearing : born today in 1920
Streaming electroacoustic music
One of the premier vendors for learning about and buying electroacoustic music has been the excellent Canadian site electrocd.com. Recently they added a streaming offer at their sister site, electro:thèque, that is priced fairly reasonably at $79.00 CAD (which because of the favorable exchange rate against the US dollar, computes to a little over $60.00 USD for twelve months … Continue reading Streaming electroacoustic music
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, baptized today in 1644
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (12 August 1644 (baptized) – 3 May 1704) was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. Born in the small Bohemian town of Wartenberg (Stráž pod Ralskem), Biber worked at Graz and Kroměříž before he illegally left his Kremsier (Kroměříž) employer (Prince-Bishop Carl Liechtenstein-Castelcorno) and settled in Salzburg. He remained there for the rest of his … Continue reading Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber, baptized today in 1644
Musica Kaleidoskopea 