Risca Male Choir Blog #8
Having gone through another month of lockdowns and crazy news reports, we’ve arrived at the final month of this rollercoaster of a year. I’m sure I’m not the only one that feels a sense of relief saying goodbye to 2020!
I hope you all had a chance to read the post on the development of our building, as it has taken a huge effort from some of our members to work on the structure of our headquarters, keeping us safe in the future. There are many pictures taken of the progress of their incredible work, and the finishing product looks well worth it. Massive thanks to all those involved – I’ll know who to hire in the future!!
Last month, I introduced a new section to my blog: Composers of the Month. Therefore, here is the list for December:
Giacomo Puccini (22nd Dec 1858 – 29th Nov 1924)
Born in Lucca, Italy, Giacomo Puccini was dubbed as “the greatest composer of Italian opera after Verdi” by critics such as Ravenni and Girardi. The Puccini family was established in Lucca as a local musical dynasty by Puccini's great-great-grandfather – also named Giacomo (1712–1781). This first Giacomo Puccini was maestro di cappella of the Cattedrale di San Martino in Lucca. He was succeeded in this position by his son, Antonio Puccini, and then by Antonio's son Domenico, and Domenico's son Michele (father of the second Giacomo). It was generally established that Michele’s son would assume the role when he was old enough, but when Michele died, Giacomo was only six years old, and thus not capable of taking up the role. Nevertheless, he took part in a lot of the musical life in the cathedral.
Having studied composition in Milan Conservatoire, Puccini began his career with various masses and orchestral works, only to find himself composing more operas from the age of 25. Some of his most famous works include La Bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly, with an array of wonderful melodies coming from these works. The latter’s composition was completed late due to an awful car crash that almost killed him in 1903. Luckily, he recovered and was able to complete his final opera, Turandot, which includes this masterpiece of an aria:
Hector Berlioz – 11th December 1803 – 8th March 1869
French-born Hector Berlioz was part of a family that was well-known in the medical world, as his father was a progressive-minded doctor credited as the first European to practise and write about acupuncture. Music did not feature prominently in his education, and he was expected to follow in his brother’s footsteps of attending medical school – which he did with reluctance. Eventually, he defied his family’s wishes and decided to make a living as a musician, attending the Paris Conservatoire. Here, he composed his Symphonie Fantastique, inspired by his love for Irish Shakespearean actress Harriet Smithson, whom he pursued obsessively from the age of 24 until she finally accepted him seven years later.
Berlioz set out to conquer the world of opera in the 1830s, but without much success. He spent the next few years struggling as a composer but found international success in the 1850s with his Te Deum and L’Enfance du Christ being performed in London and Berlin. I have chosen an extract from the latter as the selected piece for you to listen to; it is commonly known as The Shepherd’s Farewell in English, but in French, it is called L'Adieu des bergers à la sainte famille.
Ludwig van Beethoven – 17th December 1770 – 26th March 1827
As you will see, it is the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth this year. Born in Bonn, he was one of three children that survived infancy of the family’s seven births. His first music teacher was his father, who was a tenor, violinist and keyboard player. He was a child prodigy and made his first public performance at the age of seven (although his father advertised him to be six!). He stayed in Bonn to work with a few tutors and learned the viola to play in the local orchestra, playing pieces such as melodies from Mozart operas.
Beethoven left Bonn to go to Vienna in 1792, and he went on to compose a range of works, including piano sonatas, symphonies and a single opera. His first public performance was in 1795, where he performed one of his piano concertos. In 1801, his hearing started to deteriorate due to a severe form of tinnitus. The cause was probably otosclerosis, perhaps accompanied by degeneration of the auditory nerve. This did not stop him from composing and conducting, as he never became totally deaf; in his final years he was still able to distinguish low tones and sudden loud sounds. In 1823, he composed some of his most notable works, including Missa Solemnis and his Ninth Symphony. The extract here is from the latter, which you may know as the anthem for the European Union…!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdWyYn0E4Ys
That’s it for another month. I hope you enjoy the festive period and have a chance to relax over Christmas. Keep your eyes peeled for any more content on this website – especially the 12th of December…!!
Stay safe,
Tomos
