#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalAugust Week 1

For August, the Classics a Day team chose to celebrate some birthdays. Several major composers were born in August, and some deserve rediscovery. The challenge is to post videos of August's birthday boys and girls to your social media feed.

For this challenge, I tried to match the actual birthdate to the date of the post. (I wasn't always successful.)

08/05/24 Arthur Bliss (August 2, 1891): Things to Come

British composer Bliss was a major figure in the 1930s. His compositions for film, ballet, and concert halls were equally popular. "Things to Come" was the first of nine films he scored over two decades.

 

08/06/24 William Schuman (August 4, 1910): Symphony No. 9 "The Ardeatine Caves"

This American composer won the first Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1943. He later won a second special Pulitzer in 1985 for his work as a composer and music educator.

 

08/07/24 Granville Bantock (August 7, 1868): Scenes from the Scottish Highlands

Granville Bantock was often inspired by the music of his native Scotland. As a conductor, Bantock presented many works by fellow British composers and helped found the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in 1920.

 

08/08/24 Cecile Chaminade (August 8, 1857): Concertino for Flute and Piano

This French composer and pianist was active at the turn of the 20th Century. Known primarily for her piano music, Chaminade also composed several orchestral works and an opera.

 

08/09/24 Benedetto Marcello (August 9, 1686): Ciaccona

Marcello followed the wishes of his family and became a lawyer. He eventually became governor of Pola. And all the while he pursued his passion, music. Marcello's catalog includes oratories, concertos, and sinfonias.