Musicians And Composers On Stamps

Happy Birthday to Romanian composer, violinist, pianist, conductor, and teacher George Enescu (1881-1955), who is regarded by many as Romania's most important musician. Here are images of the two stamps in a set featuring portraits of Enescu as a boy, and as a man, designed and engraved by Serban Zainea (1907-1990), and issued by Romania on December 29, 1956 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the composer's birth, Scott Nos. 1132 & 1133, plus a YouTube link to a 1951 recording of George Enescu conducting the L'Orchestre des Concerts Colonne, Paris, in a performance of his Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 in A major, Op. 11 (1901).

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Estonian composer Heino Eller (1887-1970), and his signature, designed by Y. Kaarma, printed by lithography, and issued by Russia (USSR) on March 7, 1987 to commemorate the composer's birth centenary, Scott No. 5537, Zagorski No. 5744, plus an image of the photograph of Eller which was a model for this stamps' design, and a YouTube link to a 2013 performance by the Estonian State Symphony Orchestra, Neeme Järvi (1937- ) conducting, of Heino Eller's symphonic poem Koit ("Dawn," 1918).

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of virtuoso Spanish classical guitarist Andrés Segovia Torres, 1st Marquis of Salobreña (1893-1987), engraved by Pablo Sampedro Molero (1935- ), and issued by Spain on February 19, 1993 to commemorate Segovia's birth centenary, Scott No. 2698, Edifil No. 3242, plus a photograph of the world-renowned guitarist, and a YouTube link to a video of Andrés Segovia playing Danza española in G, composed by Enrique Granados Campiña (1867-1916).

- nethryk

Franz Lehár (1870-1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is Die lustige Witwe ("The Merry Widow," 1905). Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Franz Lehár, and depicting his home in Bad Ischl, designed by Otto Stefferl (1931- ), engraved by Rudolf Toth (1918-2009), and issued by Austria on July 14, 1978 to publicize the International Lehár Congress, Scott No. 1084, plus an image of a photograph of the composer, and a YouTube link to a recording of "The Merry Widow Waltz" from the operetta, featuring French violinist Patrice Fontanarosa (1942- ).

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp honoring Spanish composer Tomás Luis de Victoria (c. 1548-1611), combined engraved by Jesús Terriza de Coca (1929- ) and lithography, and issued by Spain on June 26, 1985 as one of a set of three stamps publicizing the European Year of Music, Scott No. 2443, Edifil No. 2804, plus an image of a portrait of the composer, and a YouTube link to a recording of Tomás Luis de Victoria's choral composition "Vere languores," performed by The Sixteen, Harry Christophers, conducting.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp honoring Mykola Vitaliyovych Lysenko (1842-1912), a Ukrainian composer, pianist, conductor and ethnomusicologist, printed by lithography, and issued by Ukraine on March 22, 1992 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the composer's birth, Scott No. 102, plus an image of photograph of M. V. Lysenko, and a YouTube link to a 2014 performance by the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, Hobart Earle conducting, of the Overture to Lysenko's opera Taras Bulba (which was first performed in 1924!)

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp depicting Purandara Dasa (1484-1564), a prominent composer of Dasa Sahithya, a poetic form of the Madhwa philosophy and one of the chief proponents of the South Indian system of music called the Carnatic Music, printed by photogravure, and issued by India on January 14, 1964 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Purandara Dasa's death, Scott No. 382, plus an image of another depiction of the musician which may have been a model for this stamp's design, and a YouTube link to a performance of Purandara Dasa's Carnatic song Rama Mantrava Japiso, featuring Indian vocalist Nandini Rao Gujar.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp honoring American composer and pianist George Jacob Gershwin (1898-1937), designed and engraved by French artist Pierre Albuisson (1952- ), and issued by Monaco on August 14, 1998 to commemorate the composer's birth centenary, Scott No. 2092, plus an image of a photograph of George Gershwin c. 1935, and a YouTube link to a 1976 performance of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue (1924) by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, Leonard Bernstein, piano.
Mystery note: The Gershwin signature in this stamp's design does not resemble the composer's actual autograph (see photo)!

- nethryk

Zarzuela is a Spanish lyric-dramatic genre that alternates between spoken and sung scenes, the latter incorporating operatic and popular song, as well as dance. Here are images of the two se-tenant stamps in a set featuring a portrait of Spanish Basque composer Jesús Guridi Bidaola (1886-1961), and depicting a scene from his zarzuela El caserío ("The Village," 1926), combined engraved and lithography, and issued by Spain on April 22, 1983, Scott No. 2324a, Edifil Nos. 2701-02, plus an image of a photograph of Jesús Guridi, and a YouTube link to a video of a performance of a scene from El caserío. Note: The portrait stamp was engraved by Jesús Terriza de Coca (1929- ), and the zarzuela scene stamp was engraved by Julián González de la Lastra (1954- ).

- nethryk

Although,in Spanish "Caserio" means an small group of houses, it's also a Basque country house, which is the actual meaning of the Zarzuela title.

Cursus - Thanks for the info!

Here is an image of a stamp depicting Kakarla Tyagabrahmam (1767-1847), aka Saint Tyagaraja, a composer of classical Indian Carnatic music, printed by photogravure, and issued by India on January 6, 1961 to commemorate the 114th anniversary of the composer's death, Scott No. 335, plus a YouTube link to a 2013 performance of Saint Tyagaraja's song entitled Enta Muddo Enta Sogaso, featuring Indian vocalist Bombay Jayashri.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp designed after a poster created by Polish graphic artist Jan Lenica (1928-2001) for a production of Faust (1859), a grand opera in five acts by French composer Charles-François Gounod (1818-1893), printed by lithography, and issued by Poland on May 29, 1968 as one of a set of two stamps publicizing the 2nd International Poster Biennial Exhibition, held in Warsaw, Scott No. 1584, plus a YouTube link to a recording of the waltz from Gounod's Faust.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of Russian-born composer, pianist, and conductor Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (1882-1971), designed and engraved by French artist Claude Andréotto (1949- ), and issued by Monaco on November 8, 1982 to commemorate the composer's birth centenary, Scott No. 1348, plus an image of a photograph of Stravinsky in 1921, and a YouTube link to a film clip of Igor Stravinsky conducting an excerpt from his composition for the ballet "The Firebird" (1910) during a farewell concert in London in 1965.

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp featuring a portrait of German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), designed by Zoltán Nagy (1916-1987), engraved by Mihály Füle (1914-2005), and issued by Hungary on June 25, 1960 to publicize the Martonvásár Beethoven Concerts, Scott No. 1313, plus an image of a portrait of Beethoven by German artist Carl Jaeger (1833-1887) which was probably the model for this stamp's design, and a YouTube link to a video of a performance at the 2015 Martonvásár Concert of the rousing finale from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125 ("the Choral"), Antál Mátyás (1945- ) conducting. Note: The Brunszvik Palace in Martonvásár is where Beethoven stayed when he wrote his Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor, commonly known as "Für Elise."

- nethryk

Here is an image of a stamp depicting the score of Befiehl du deine Wege ("Commit thy Way [unto the Lord]," 1653), a hymn by German theologian, Lutheran minister and hymnodist Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676), designed by Holger Börnsen (1931- ), printed by lithography, and issued by Germany on May 13, 1976 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Gerhardt's death, Scott No. 1215, Michel No. 893, plus an image of a painted portrait of Paul Gerhardt, and a YouTube link to a recording of Befiehl du deine Wege, sung by "Lila" (stage name of German singer Carolin Rohrbach).

- nethryk