Time this thread was bumped up and many thanks to Nethryk for his unbelievable knowledge and research.
Mussorgsky's most popular work, aside from Boris, was "Pictures at an Exhibition" written originally for piano (I believe) but transcribed for orchestra by Maurice Ravel. Worth picking up on YouTube for the lush orchestration and the boisterous finale. Leopold Stokowski apparently didn't care for Ravel's transcription so did his own which I like better). Also have heard an arrangement for wind quintet which is surprisingly good.
Adoniran Barbosa was the artistic name of João Rubinato (1912-1982), a popular Brazilian São Paulo style samba singer and composer. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Barbosa, designed by Brazilian artist Cláudia Lopes Tolentino, printed by lithography, and issued by Brazil on November 5, 1994, Scott No. 2522, plus a photo of Adoniran Barbosa, and a YouTube link to a recording of his samba composition O Trem das Onze ("The 11 P.M. Train"), released in 1964.
Happy Birthday to Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (1739-1799), an Austrian composer, violinist and silvologist (study of forests and woods). Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of von Dittersdorf, designed by Adalbert Pilch, engraved by Alfred Fischer, and issued by Austria on October 24, 1974, Scott No. 1008, plus an image of a portrait of the composer by German lithographer Heinrich Eduard von Wintter (1788-1825) which was the model for this stamp's design, and a YouTube link to a recorded performance, featuring Hungarian oboist Lajos Lencsés (1943- ), of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf's "Oboe Concerto in G Major, L. 42: II. Adagio."
Happy Birthday to François Couperin (1668-1733), a French Baroque composer, organist and harpsichordist. Here is an image of a semi-postal (charity) stamp featuring a portrait of Couperin, designed by French artist Clément Serveau (1886-1972), engraved by Jean Pheulpin, and issued by France on March 23, 1968 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the composer's birth, Scott No. B417, Y&T No. 1550, plus an image of a painted portrait of Couperin by an anonymous artist, and a YouTube link to a 2010 performance by Swiss pianist Sylviane Deferne of François Couperin's composition Les Barricades Mistérieuses, (1717), which was originally composed for harpsichord.
František (Franz) Benda (1709-1786), baptized on November 22, was a Bohemian violinist and composer. Benda was a prolific composer of symphonies, concertos and sonatas, and he served as concertmaster in the royal court of Frederick the Great of Prussia. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Benda, designed by Czech artist Karel Svolinský, engraved by Jindra Schmidt, and issued by Czechoslovakia on June 22, 1959, Scott No. 921, plus an image of a portrait of the composer which may have been a model for ths stamp's design, and a YouTube link to a recording of František Benda's "Violin Concerto in D minor, L II: 4," performed by Josef Suk (violin), Ariane Pfister-Benda (violin), and the Suk Chamber Orchestra, Christian Benda conducting.
Happy Birthday to Jean-Baptiste Lully (born Giovanni Battista Lulli, 1632-1687), an Italian-born French composer, instrumentalist, and dancer who spent most of his career working in the royal court of Louis XIV of France. Lully is considered the foremost master of the French baroque style. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Lully, designed and engraved by Charles Mazelin, and issued by France on November 10, 1956, Scott No. 812, Y&T No. 1083, plus an image of a painting of the composer by French artist Nicolas Mignard (1606-1668), and a YouTube link to a recorded performance of Lully's Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs, composed for Molière's five-act comédie-ballet Le Bourgeois gentilhomme (1670).
Happy Birthday to Jean Sibelius (born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius, 1865-1957), a Finnish composer of the late Romantic period whose music played an important role in the formation of the Finnish national identity. Here are images of two stamps issued by Finland to honor Sibelius, plus a photo of the composer in 1913, and a YouTube link to a magical performance of Jean Sibelius's "Impromptu in B-, Op.5, No.5" by Finnish pianist Kristiina Junttu.
- nethryk
Sculpture of Jean Sibelius by Finnish artist Wäinö Valdemar Aaltonen (1894-1966), designed by Finnish artist Olavi Vepsäläinen (1927-1993), engraved by Reijo Achrén, and issued in memoriam on December 8, 1957, Scott No. 353, Facit No. 491.
Profile of Sibelius and a piano score, designed by Olavi Vepsäläinen, engraved by Birger Ekholm, and issued on April 26, 1965, Scott No. 433, Facit No. 607.
Happy Birthday to Mikas Petrauskas (1873-1937), a Lithuanian composer, organist, singer (tenor), conductor and teacher. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of the composer and depicting a scene from his opera (based on a Lithuanian fairy tale) Egle žalciu karaliene ("Egle Queen of the Grass-Snakes," 1920), designed by Russian artist Vasili Vasilievich Zavialov (1906-1972), printed by photogravure, and issued by Russia (USSR) on December 20, 1963, Scott No. 2823, Zagorski No. 2863, plus a photo of Mikas Petrauskas, and a YouTube link to a performance of an aria from Petrauskas's first opera, Birute (1906), by Lithuanian soprano Asta Krikšciunaite (1961- ) with the Kaunas City Symphony Orchestra and Kaunas State Choir, conducted by Modestas Pitrenas.
Happy Birthday to María Teresa Carreño García de Sena (1853-1917), a world renowned Venezuelan pianist, singer, composer, and conductor. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a cameo portrait of Carreño, engraved and printed by American Bank Note Company, and issued by Venezuela on June 12, 1938 to commemorate the repatriation of the musician's remains from the USA in February of that year, Scott No. 343, plus an image of a picture postcard portrait of Teresa Carreño, and a YouTube link to a performance by Venezuelan virtuoso pianist Clara Rodriguez of Carreño's delightful composition for piano Le Printemps (La Primavera - "Springtime"), Op. 25.
Happy Birthday to American singer-songwriter Janis Lyn Joplin (1943-1970)! Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Joplin and some "psychedelic" lettering, designed by American graphic artist Antonio Alcalá, printed by lithography, and issued by the USA on August 8, 2014 as one of the "Music Icons" stamp series, Scott No. 4916, plus a publicity photo of Janis Joplin in 1970, and a link to a YouTube video of Joplin's remarkable performance of "Ball and Chain" at the Monterey International Pop Music Festival in 1967. Bonuses: Hand and jewelry. Note: I had the unforgettable pleasure of attending one of Janis's live concerts in the summer of 1969.
Happy Birthday to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Mozart, the Estates Theatre in Prague, and sheet music for his opera La clemenza di Tito ("The Clemency of Titus"), which premiered on September 6, 1791 at the Estates Theatre, designed by Czech artist Pavel Sivko (1948- ), combined engraved by Bohumil Šneider and photogravure, and issued by Czechoslovakia on February 4, 1991, Scott No. 2828, plus an image of a detail from a portrait of Mozart (c. 1780) by Austrian painter Johann Nepomuk della Croce (1736–1819), and a YouTube link to a performance of the Overture from La clemenza di Tito.
Happy Birthday to Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847), a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period. Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Mendelssohn and a depiction of Jesus carrying the cross, designed by Russian artist Gueorgui Gueorguievitch Chichkine (1948- ), engraved by Yves Beaujard, and issued by Monaco on January 29, 2009 to commemorate the bicentenary of the composer's birth, Scott No. 2528, plus an image of a painting (1839) of Felix Mendelssohn by the English miniaturist James Warren Childe (1778-1862), and a YouTube link to a performance of Mendelssohn's unfinished oratorio Christus (Opus 97, 1847) by the Monteverdichor Würzburg with Anna Nesyba, soprano, and the Thüringer Symphoniker Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Matthias Beckert conducting.
Happy Birthday to Polish composer and virtuoso pianist Frédéric François Chopin (1810-1849)! Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Chopin, designed and engraved by Henry Cheffer, and issued by France on November 10, 1956, Scott No. 815, Y&T No. 1086, plus a detail from a c. 1849 photographic portrait of Frédéric Chopin by French photographer Louis-Auguste Bisson (1814-1876), and a YouTube link to an inspired performance of Chopin's Waltz Op.64 No.2 by Russian–British–Israeli classical pianist Evgeny Igorevitch Kissin (1971- ). Listen, and weep for joy that such musical perfection exists in our world.
Happy Birthday to Enrico Caruso (1873-1921), called the "Great Caruso," an Italian operatic tenor who was one of the most famous personalities of his day and an early example of a global media celebrity. Here is an image of a first day cover and of a stamp depicting Caruso in operatic costume, designed by James Sharpe, combined engraved and photogravure by American Bank Note Company, and issued by the USA on February 27, 1987 as one of the "Performing Arts" series of stamps, Scott No. 2250, plus an image of a publicity photo of Enrico Caruso, and a YouTube link to a remastered performance by Caruso, accompanied by the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, of the popular canzone "La donna è mobile" from the opera Rigoletto (1851) by Italian Romantic composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901).
Happy Birthday to Czech composer Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884)! Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Smetana and depicting the National Theater, Prague, designed and engraved by Bohumil Heinz, and issued by Czechoslovakia on June 4, 1949 as one of a set of two similar stamps commemorating the 125th anniversary of the composer's birth, Scott No. 387, plus an image of a portrait of Bedrich Smetana first published in Modern Composers of Europe (1904) by Arthur Elson, and a YouTube link to a performance by the Czech Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vladimír Válek conducting, and the Prague Chamber Choir, Jaroslav Brych, choirmaster, of the spirited polka Pojd sem, holka ("Come here, girl") music from Smetana's comic opera Prodaná nevesta ("The Bartered Bride," 1866).
Disclaimer: While a tremendous amount of effort goes into ensuring the accuracy of the information contained in this site, Stamp Community assumes no liability for errors. Copyright 2005 - 2026 Stamp Community Family - All rights reserved worldwide. Use of any images or content on this website without prior written permission of Stamp Community or the original lender is strictly prohibited. Privacy Policy / Terms of UseAdvertise Here
Posted 10/16/2014 9:30 pm
