Quiz.

Started by Irons, January 19, 2019, 11:54:09 AM

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Jo498

#20
You are very close, Lord Nelson is the hero, Haydn the composer, the Battle of the Nile the event. (The poem is "The boy stood on the burning deck", namely of the French "L'Orient" before it exploded.) But the actual piece has not been named yet.
(I was not aware of the piece by Vanhal, Haydn is the only composer involved, I only meant that there is both a famous and an obscure piece by him connected with Nelson.)
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Jo498 on January 20, 2019, 11:58:47 AM
You are very close, Lord Nelson is the hero, Haydn the composer, the Battle of the Nile the event. (The poem is "The boy stood on the burning deck", namely of the French "L'Orient" before it exploded.) But the actual piece has not been named yet.
(I was not aware of the piece by Vanhal, Haydn is the only composer involved, I only meant that there is both a famous and an obscure piece by him connected with Nelson.)

Can it be that no one knows 'The Battle of the Nile', that splendiferous bit of doggerel (Hob 26b:4)? I didn't realize there were just 2 recordings of it. Fortunately, I have both of them. It is entertaining, if nothing more.  :)

8)
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Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Jo498

#22
Sure, that is the piece and the famous one of course the "Nelson Mass" or "Missa in angustiis"
You were obviously the person I hinted at above who would know immediately. Now everything is solved!
The text stems from Cornelia Knight, a lady of Lady Hamilton's entourage and Hamilton and Nelson did actually meet Haydn in Eszterhazy in september 1800 (en route from Sicily to Britain, I guess) and to their honor the eponymous Mass as well as a Te Deum and that little cantata were given. I don't know if Lady Hamilton sang herself (as the wikipedia article claims). Maybe Gurn can fill in some more details.

Interestingly, the only wikipedia entry is in French! Recordings by Monoyios and Ryden are mentioned there.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lines_from_the_battle_of_the_Nile

Here is another performance on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_UXVyZSK6Q&t=1s

It's the kind of question that seems impossibly hard if you don't know anything but becomes fairly easy with a few hints; that's why I was a little hesitant.

So I guess Pohjohla's Daughter and Irons were the main contributors to the eventual solution and one of them should continue.
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Irons

PD, I suggest we arm wrestle to see who goes next. :D Jokes aside, have a run with the baton.


Really impressive contributions. Thanks to all concerned.
You must have a very good opinion of yourself to write a symphony - John Ireland.

I opened the door people rushed through and I was left holding the knob - Bo Diddley.

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Jo498 on January 20, 2019, 01:10:33 PM
Sure, that is the piece and the famous one of course the "Nelson Mass" or "Missa in angustiis"
You were obviously the person I hinted at above who would know immediately. Now everything is solved!
The text stems from Cornelia Knight, a lady of Lady Hamilton's entourage and Hamilton and Nelson did actually meet Haydn in Eszterhazy in september 1800 (en route from Sicily to Britain, I guess) and to their honor the eponymous Mass as well as a Te Deum and that little cantata were given. I don't know if Lady Hamilton sang herself (as the wikipedia article claims). Maybe Gurn can fill in some more details.

Interestingly, the only wikipedia entry is in French! Recordings by Monoyios and Ryden are mentioned there.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lines_from_the_battle_of_the_Nile

Here is another performance on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_UXVyZSK6Q&t=1s

It's the kind of question that seems impossibly hard if you don't know anything but becomes fairly easy with a few hints; that's why I was a little hesitant.

So I guess Pohjohla's Daughter and Irons were the main contributors to the eventual solution and one of them should continue.

That was a great question, Jo. I can never ask a Haydn question because everyone would know the answer right away even if they didn't know! :D 

8)

(PS - Emma sang it with Haydn playing the piano. Can you imagine that scene?  :o )
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Pohjolas Daughter

#25
Quote from: Irons on January 20, 2019, 01:44:48 PM
PD, I suggest we arm wrestle to see who goes next. :D Jokes aside, have a run with the baton.


Really impressive contributions. Thanks to all concerned.

Oh, boy!  Well, you are too kind Irons!  *Will take me a bit to come up with one though.  And Jo,  yes, great poser!   :)

* Still recovering from Roger losing today...  ;)
Best,

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Biffo

Quote from: Jo498 on January 20, 2019, 01:10:33 PM
Sure, that is the piece and the famous one of course the "Nelson Mass" or "Missa in angustiis"
You were obviously the person I hinted at above who would know immediately. Now everything is solved!
The text stems from Cornelia Knight, a lady of Lady Hamilton's entourage and Hamilton and Nelson did actually meet Haydn in Eszterhazy in september 1800 (en route from Sicily to Britain, I guess) and to their honor the eponymous Mass as well as a Te Deum and that little cantata were given. I don't know if Lady Hamilton sang herself (as the wikipedia article claims). Maybe Gurn can fill in some more details.

Interestingly, the only wikipedia entry is in French! Recordings by Monoyios and Ryden are mentioned there.
https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lines_from_the_battle_of_the_Nile

Here is another performance on youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_UXVyZSK6Q&t=1s

It's the kind of question that seems impossibly hard if you don't know anything but becomes fairly easy with a few hints; that's why I was a little hesitant.

So I guess Pohjohla's Daughter and Irons were the main contributors to the eventual solution and one of them should continue.

I thought of Haydn and Nelson immediately but also got lost trying to think of an obscure composer - should have read the posting more carefully. My first thought was Haydn's erstwhile pupil Beethoven, hardly obscure, but this left me with too many military heros - Nelson and Wellington. In any case I had never heard of the cantata though I vaguely recall Haydn accompanying Lady Hamilton.

I am sure there are plenty of cheesy poems about battles, Lepanto by G.K. Chesterton came to mind immediately but that is completely the wrong era.

Jo498

Ye, apparently I had not made it sufficiently clear that only one composer was meant who had written several works connected with that war/hero/battle. As far as I know the personal connection Haydn - Nelson existed only in the episode described above and the mass probably also got its nickname afterwards although it had been composed before. And like the "Missa in tempore belli" the title refers to the dire circumstances of the Napoleonic Wars. The reduced orchestra for the d minor mass was probably also due to the war because the prince had to be more frugal.

And to be complete the poem I had only remembered by the first verse is called "Casabianca".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casabianca_(poem)
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hemans/works/hf-burning.html
Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Gurn Blanston

Quote from: Jo498 on January 21, 2019, 03:04:49 AM
Ye, apparently I had not made it sufficiently clear that only one composer was meant who had written several works connected with that war/hero/battle. As far as I know the personal connection Haydn - Nelson existed only in the episode described above and the mass probably also got its nickname afterwards although it had been composed before. And like the "Missa in tempore belli" the title refers to the dire circumstances of the Napoleonic Wars. The reduced orchestra for the d minor mass was probably also due to the war because the prince had to be more frugal.

And to be complete the poem I had only remembered by the first verse is called "Casabianca".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casabianca_(poem)
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/hemans/works/hf-burning.html

Also to be remembered in this context: one of Haydn's most famous works, the Military Symphony, was also based on this very same war, which was not actually a 'Napoleonic War' as such, it was the War of the First Coalition between France and pretty much all of Europe. Napoleon was merely a junior officer in 1794, however, it was the very same war. The story of this work became one of my favorite essays, judging by the number of views it has had. Certainly one of MY favorites! :)

No Napoleon yet, but still plenty of war!

8)
Visit my Haydn blog: HaydnSeek

Haydn: that genius of vulgar music who induces an inordinate thirst for beer - Mily Balakirev (1860)

Pohjolas Daughter

Try and not to Google this one:  This composer and musician came from a great family of musicians.  He succeeded Arthur Cock as organist to James I and subsequently John Parsons at Westminster.  Who is he?

Best,

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Biffo

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 21, 2019, 06:02:35 AM
Try and not to Google this one:  This composer and musician came from a great family of musicians.  He succeeded Arthur Cock as organist to James I and subsequently John Parsons at Westminster.  Who is he?

Best,

PD

Without checking Google or any sleeve notes, Orlando Gibbons is the first name that comes to mind.

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: Biffo on January 21, 2019, 06:17:08 AM
Without checking Google or any sleeve notes, Orlando Gibbons is the first name that comes to mind.

That didn't last long!   ;D  Yes, you're correct.  I was listening to an album of viols and they included a fantasy by him there (with the Jayne Consort).  I do have at least one other album which (if I'm recalling correctly) features his music.  I don't know his music very well, so it's a bit of a hit-or-miss/trial by error for me at the moment!

Your turn,

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Biffo

Berlioz wrote (in a letter) 'I am grateful to you for having let me make the acquaintance of this diffident, audacious young man who has taken it into his head to make a new music. He will suffer greatly...'

Who is the young man?

Pohjolas Daughter

Hmm...a guess here:  Saint-Saens?
Pohjolas Daughter

Biffo

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on January 21, 2019, 08:11:13 AM
Hmm...a guess here:  Saint-Saens?

No, but not unreasonable.

Jo498

Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos, dans une chambre.
- Blaise Pascal

Biffo

Quote from: Jo498 on January 21, 2019, 08:42:06 AM
Wagner?

Not Wagner. Berlioz and Wagner met in Paris and after that enjoyed (?) a tortuous relationship, mainly due to Wagner's duplicity and egomania. Berlioz wrote quite a lot about Wagner but not the quote above.

Florestan

Quote from: Biffo on January 21, 2019, 07:40:57 AM
Berlioz wrote (in a letter) 'I am grateful to you for having let me make the acquaintance of this diffident, audacious young man who has taken it into his head to make a new music. He will suffer greatly...'

Who is the young man?

The one who wrote a scherzo for a teamwork sonata dedicated to the man to whom Berlioz wrote the letter.  :D
Every kind of music is good, except the boring kind. — Rossini

Pohjolas Daughter

To whom was Berlioz writing?

PD
Pohjolas Daughter

Biffo

Berlioz met the young Brahms on one of his tours of Germany. The older Brahms had a different musical outlook to Berlioz but always remembered his kindness and encouragement. Occasionally Brahms conducted 'Harold in Italy' but wasn't sympathetic to the rest of Berlioz' output.