Alphabet associations - I

[Flay]

there's a La Clemenza di Tito by Giuseppe Scarlatti and a Tito Sempronio Gracco by Alessandro Scarlatti - wikipedia doesn't seem sure how these coves might be related

No, Wiki says it appears to be a mystery:

"The third most important musician of his clan",it is still uncertain whether he [Giuseppe] was the nephew of Alessandro born 18 June 1723 or the nephew of Domenico born in 1718.

[Flay]

http://www.archive.org/stream/alessandroscarl00dentgoog/alessandroscarl00dentgoog_djvu.txt

Giuseppe is described by [The Biograjia degli Uotnini Illustri del Regno di Napoli] as grandson of Alessandro, but not son of Domenico. As he worked principally at Venice and Vienna it has been suggested that he was son of Alessandro's brother Francesco, thus being nephew of Alessandro. This is not incompatible with the statement in the Biografia, if we suppose the writer to have heard of Giuseppe as nepote di Alessandro (i.e. nephew of Alessandro) and to have misinterpreted the phrase, the word nepote bearing both meanings. Burney, however, [in the The Present State of Music in Germany vol. i. p. 369 ¹] makes him nephew of Domenico, when mentioning him as one of the distinguished musicians of Vienna.

¹ Actually it looks like it was page 365. http://conquest.imslp.info/files/img...y_etc_vol1.pdf

I must get out more....

[Flay]

Page 247:

M. L'Augier, in defpight of uncommon corpulency, poffeffes a moft active and cultivated mind. His houfe is the rendezvous of the firft people of Vienna, both for rank and genius; and his converfation is as entertaining, as his knowledge is extenfive and profound. Among his other acquirements he has arrived at great fkill in mufic, has a moft refined and diftiguifhing tafte, and has heard national melody in all parts of the world with philofophical ears.

He has been in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Conftantinople, and is, in fhort, a living hiftory of modern mufic. In Spain he was intimately acquainted with Domenico Scarlatti, who, at feventy-three, compofed for him a great number of harpfichord leffons which he now porfeffes, and of which he favoured me with copies. The book in which they are transcribed, contains forty-two pieces, among which are feveral flow movements, and of all thefe, I, who have been a collector of Scarlatti's compofitions all my life, had never feen more than three or four. They were compofed in 1756, when Scarlatti was too fat to crofs his hands as he ufed to do, fo that thefe are not fo difficult, as his more juvenile works, which were made for his fcholar and patronefs, the late queen of Spain, when princefs of Afturias.

Scarlatti frequently told M. L'Augier, that he was fenfible he had broke through all the rules of compofition in his leffons but afked if his deviations from thefe rules offended the ear ? and, upon being anfwered in the negative, he faid, that he thought there was fcarce any other rule, worth the attention of a man of genius, than that of not difpleafing the only fenfe of which mufic is the object *

There are many paffages in Scarlatti's pieces, in which he imitated the melody of tunes fung by carriers, muleteers, and common people. He ufed to fay, that the mufic of Alberti, and of feveral other modern compofers, did not, in the execution, want a harpfichord, as it might be equally well, or perhaps, better expreffed by any other inftrument; but, as nature had given him ten fingers, and, as his instrument had employment for them all, he faw no reafon why he fhould not ufe them.

* Scarlatti was the firft who dared to give way to fancy in his compofitions, by breaking through the contracted prohibitions of rules drawn from dull compofitions produced in the infancy of the art, and which feemed calculated merely to keep it ftill in that ftate. Before his time, the eye was made the fovereign judge of mufic, but Scarlatti fwore allegiance only to the ear.

when Scarlatti was too fat to cross his hands as he used to do...

[edashtav]

Well, gentlemen, all aspects of this question now having been covered, with three Tito operas by three 18th century composers, two of whom: Giuseppe & Alessandro Scarlatti, may, or may not, have been closely related and a set of songs by a Master of the Queen's Music, Malcolm Williamson, who may have thought that President Tito had done a grand job in unifying the Balkans. All this at a time when composers may be moved to write tributes to the contribution made by Nelson Mandela to peace in South Africa .

Excellent research and application of knowledge.

Am I being fair in identifying mercs as the leading contributor because of his fast fingering of Malcolm Williamson, his selection of 2 Italian "Tito" operas composed by a couple of Scarlattis, and his knowledge that Salieri failed to rise to the challenge of Tito?

So over to you, mercs. I hand you a U. Am I safe in asserting that it's impossible to find any name starting with "U" that is mentioned in the titles of over 40 operas?

[mercia]

Am I safe in asserting that it's impossible to find any name starting with "U" that is mentioned in the titles of over 40 operas?

I'm sure you are - how did you come by that interesting statistic ? - would that I could find any operas with U names in their titles
no knowledge on my part was utilised in the answering of the last question


U is swerved to ask (not for the first time) - what V links

the premiere of Ravel's second opera, adaptations of a poet laureate's novel, a Camden-based orchestra

[vinteuil]

... a Camden-based orchestra[/COLOR][/B]

... there do seem to be an awful lot of Camdens...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden

[Flay]

... there do seem to be an awful lot of Camdens...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camden

Are you feeling cold. Maybe you need a new jersey?

[antongould]

I'm sure you are - how did you come by that interesting statistic ? - would that I could find any operas with U names in their titles
no knowledge on my part was utilised in the answering of the last question


U is swerved to ask (not for the first time) - what V links

the premiere of Ravel's second opera, adaptations of a poet laureate's novel, a Camden-based orchestra

I can get two Victors

[Flay]

I can get two Victors

You mean like the Victor Concert Orchestra and Victor de Sabata?

The poet is more elusive...

[antongould]

You mean like the Victor Concert Orchestra and Victor de Sabata?

The poet is more elusive...

Indeed

[subcontrabass]

Indeed

John Masefield Victorious Troy perhaps?

[Flay]

John Masefield Victorious Troy perhaps?

That's well out of my comfort zone...

I was wondering about Benjamin Victor

[mercia]

sorry to abandon you - well done with Victor de Sabata and the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra

yes to John Masefield, my clue was rather vague - one of JM's most famous novels has been dramatised by the BBC a couple of times ............ with music .......... by........

[Flay]

with music .......... by........

Neil Brand?

(There goes another AA puzzle )

[mercia]

too difficult

Victor

Victor de Sabata - L'enfant et les sortileges premiere
RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra of Camden, NJ
Victor Hely-Hutchinson - Carol Symphony used in BBC adaptations of John Masefield's Box of Delights

whose go ?