Thursday, March 12, 2009

Spotlight
During the World War II years, the world was in need of cheering. Eugene Goossens, the conductor of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, commissioned composers to write a fanfare that would instill a sense of patriotism and nobility in the listeners. More than a dozen pieces were produced, but the one that became the most popular was Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man." Goossens and his orchestra premiered the piece on this date in 1943. Written for brass ensemble with timpani, bass drum, and tam-tam, it has become a standard piece used for sports events, news shows, and has been played by musicians Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.

Quote
"The whole problem can be stated quite simply by asking, 'Is there a meaning to music?' My answer would be, 'Yes.' And 'Can you state in so many words what the meaning is?' My answer to that would be, 'No.'" — Aaron Copland

Question of the Day
What instruments are in a fanfare?
Normally, a fanfare is a triumphal or heroic type of entrance music used to announce the arrival of a potentate or clergy or noble of some sort. Rather repetitious in form, the instruments used are easily portable and mostly of the horn category. Heroic movies uniformly show a row of trumpeters with long bells on the horns, and with heraldic symbols on small banners attached. State entrances in the Roman era often had stringed instruments and drums and cymbal type melodic noise makers and these have been seen on ancient jars found at the Getty Villa in the Roman collection. If you were a potentate, you made sure you let the common people know you were arriving.

Word of the day
Sisyphean

1. Greek Mythology. Of or relating to Sisyphus.
2. Endlessly laborious or futile: "Their patients' lack of education and the high cost of medicine make health care a Sisyphean task" (Frank Gibney, Jr.).

(© Houghton Mifflin Company)

Today's History

FDR Delivering a Fireside Chat

• Great Blizzard of 1888: hit the northeastern US, dumping up to 50 inches of snow and killing 400
• Salt Satyagraha: Mahatma Gandhi began a civil disobedience campaign against the British salt tax in India with a 241-mile march to Dandi (1930)
• fireside chats: FDR began a series of morale-boosting evening radio addresses to the American public (1933)
• Anschluss: Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany (1938)

Today's Birthdays

Aaron Eckhart

• André Le Nôtre (1613-1700): landscape architect who designed the Versailles gardens
• Mustafa Kemal Atatürk (1881-1938): father of modern Turkey; plus, Canadian PM John Abbott (1821-1893)
• James Taylor (61): folk-rock musician, "Fire and Rain"; also, singers Al Jarreau (69), Steve Harris (53) and Marlon Jackson (52)
• Carl Hiaasen (56): journalist/novelist; other writers born on this date include Gabriele D'Annunzio (1863-1938), Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Edward Albee (81)
• Darryl Strawberry (47): played baseball for the Mets and the Yankees
• Aaron Eckhart (41): actor, Thank You for Smoking, The Dark Knight; also, actors Liza Minelli (63), Courtney Vance (49) and Samm Levine (27)