Names You Love! or What's in a Name?

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

One of the joys of classical music is the kaleidoscope of languages and names and words that speak of faraway places, other cultures, climes and mores.  The names of composers, conductors and performers have special appeal.  Without taking a smidgen away from Yo-Yo Ma's talent and business acumen, one can't help but wonder how his name might have aided his career.  Or Kiri Te Kanawa - fun to say - or ... you'll think of your own names no doubt.  For me, one conductor's name had special significance - Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos.  It conjured-up the very image of a confident, worldly grandee with a distinguished Spanish, German and Italian patrimony.  For several years in times of troubles or sadness, I  would recite his name twice or thrice to myself; that such a person could actually exist seemed magically to improve situations.  That seems long ago; I've gotten out of that habit and I don't hear his name on the radio much anymore.  He died this year, in June, without knowing the good he'd done me.  Or maybe he did know something of it - his toponymic surname he added deliberately to appeal to his Spanish audience! 

Magical or otherwise, do the names of any composers, conductors or performers hold special significance for you?

[amw]

There is definitely a phenomenon of good composer names (or conductor names, etc,) and bad ones. It's more obvious if you look at contemporary people, as old-fashioned names either sound invariably dignified or invariably silly.

Bad composer names are usually things like Bruce, Harvey, Alan, Theodore, Brian, Michael, Jennifer, Judy, Barbara, Katie, Olivia, (not to mention Mechthild, Irmgard, Adolf, Engelbert, Cecil, Boris, etc.), though it depends on the surname to some extent as well. (e.g. Brian Ferneyhough is salvaged by the composerliness of 'Ferneyhough', though to minimize awkwardness and maximise euphonious potential he should have changed his first name to something like 'Charles' or 'Giles')

Names like John/Johann(es)/Jean/Jan and Georg(e)(s)/Yuri/Jiři are so common as to be nonentities making the fate of the name entirely dependent on the remaining names. (Jean Sibelius—good; Jean Cras—bad...)

Good composer names might include Charles, Alexander (highly surname dependent), Richard, Philip, Imogen, Elizabeth, Isabelle, plus most names in Finnish, German and Italian. (Alternate spellings/pronunciations are also good, but nicknames ruin it. No one can take 'Rick' Wagner or 'Betty' Jacquet de la Guerre seriously.)

[Cosi bel do]

 http://www.youtube.com/v/u6FYbO-W0-c

[springrite]

Some names just look awful in English. Take Dong Suk Kim or Tan Dun.

[Ken B]

Some names just look awful in English. Take Dong Suk Kim or Tan Dun.

Or Pierre Boulez. Of course that's a learned response.

[kishnevi]

Messiaen looks rather messy to an Anglophone:  spendthrift in the vowel department, and tumbling over each other to reach the end of the word.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Or Pierre Boulez. Of course that's a learned response.

It is an unfortunate name, trans. roughly as Roll Stone (except that, as you know, the z is pronounced so really isn't the formal imperative of bouler).

bouler = to roll
envoyer bouler quelqu'un = to send someone packing

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Messiaen looks rather messy to an Anglophone:  spendthrift in the vowel department, and tumbling over each other to reach the end of the word.

True, still I've always seen it as appropriate owing to its close resemblance to messianic (also French word : messianique) and the French word for mass (messe).

[kishnevi]

It is an unfortunate name, trans. roughly as Roll Stone (except that, as you know, the z is pronounced so really isn't the formal imperative of bouler).

bouler = to roll
envoyer bouler quelqu'un = to send someone packing

Boulez les bons temps, as they allegedly say in Louisiana.

[Pat B]

Like: Anner Bijlsma.

[Brian]

Know what's a great name? Awadagin Pratt.

[The new erato]

  Or Kiri Te Kanawa - fun to say - or ... you'll think of your own names no doubt. 

I've always found Kiwi the Canary a highly appropriate name.

[EigenUser]

envoyer bouler quelqu'un = to send someone packing

Well, now I understand Structures...

[Sergeant Rock]

Bad composer names are usually things like...Brian...though it depends on the surname to some extent as well. (e.g. Brian Ferneyhough is salvaged by the composerliness of 'Ferneyhough', though to minimize awkwardness and maximise euphonious potential he should have changed his first name to something like 'Charles' or 'Giles')

That's what Havergal Brian did, change his name. He was born William Brian. If he'd kept that name he would have resided in obscurity to his dying day. But with a name like Havergal, well, his reputation was made

Sarge

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Boulez les bons temps, as they allegedly say in Louisiana.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

Like: Anner Bijlsma.

It could be a really serious disease.

[ZauberdrachenNr.7]

That's what Havergal Brian did, change his name. He was born William Brian. If he'd kept that name he would have resided in obscurity to his dying day. But with a name like Havergal, well, his reputation was made

Sarge

There ya' go - it can't hurt!  One sometimes ponders this equation :  classical music = beauty = truth, but it is after all show biz, so the equation should be "truth that lies."  Now, Zauberdrachen, there's a name that's bound for success!   

[Ken B]

Delphin Strungk.

[North Star]

That's what Havergal Brian did, change his name. He was born William Brian. If he'd kept that name he would have resided in obscurity to his dying day. But with a name like Havergal, well, his reputation was made

Sarge

Bill Brian's Gothic Symphony doesn't quite have the same ring to it. 

[ritter]

Good evening, Karlo!

Names can have many imoplications, indeed... Apparently, Klemperer in Latvian will bring to mind the idea of someone plonking away at a piano   

On the other hand, other names can be sooo suitable... I've always thought that Volkmar Andreae is a perfect name for a conductor associated with Bruckner