|
|
|
On July 10th, 1895 the composer Carl Orff was born in Munich, Germany. During his youth his greatest inspiration was his mother, as his father was a solider. While he was still young he attended a marionette theatre and began to stage puppet plays, during which he included musical effects to add a dramatic effect to the performances. At the age of 17, Orff had published a number of songs and had written an opera; so he decided to join the Munich Academy of Music. Carl Orff quickly lost patience with the academies views on music; but stayed until he graduated in 1914.
Stage music was one of Orff’s main interests and this drew him to Renaissance era music. The music from the Renaissance influenced his Carmina Burana, along with his love for theatre and music. The Günther School in Munich was established by Orff and dance teacher Dorothee Günther in 1924, for young women in Germany to learn about music. However after the Nazis gained control of Germany, it was forced to be closed in 1944.
In 1948 though his methods met with a revival after a chance broadcast of an earlier recording of his dance music. By 1950 Orff was appointed as professor of composition at the Munich High School for Music. Less then 11 years later the Orff Institute was established in Salzburg, providing courses for music teachers.
On March 29th, 1982, Carl Orff died at the age of eighty-six.
 Levud · Tue May 04, 2010 @ 03:05am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Born to the name Riley B. King on September 16th, 1925, he has become one of the greatest Jazz music writer and player in the genre. King was born on a plantation in Ittla Bena, Mississippi, to Alfred and Nora Ella King. He began singing at a young age, and while in a local gospel group he was able to purchase his first guitar for fifteen dollars.
In 1948 he moved to Memphis, Tennessee for a second time. This time though he worked at the local radio station as a singer and disc jockey. While there he gained the nickname Beale Street Blues Boy, which was later shortened to just B.B. He began his recording career in 1949 with RPM Records, along with a few other companies.
He assembled his first band in the 50’s, named B.B. King Review, with Millard Lee as the leader. The band went on tours across the US, and performed in major theaters and many numerous small clubs. In 1956 he had a total of 342 concerts booked, breaking previous records. In 1962, he signed a contract with ABC-Paramount Records which later became part of MCA records. One of his greatest hits “The Thrill is Gone” won him a Grammy Award in 1998.
In 1980 King became inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame, along with T-Bone Walker, Bessie Smith and numerous other artists. After this be maintained a very active career up until 2006, when he began his farewell tour, which covered Europe and America. Still alive today, King has played over 15,000 performances over his 52 years in the industry.
Levud · Tue May 04, 2010 @ 03:04am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
|
This trench will be the end of me,
The Stench has become unbearable,
But the rotting bodies of our friends are much worse.
The number of bodies keeps rising,
As the bombs and bullets keep flying.
Rain and blood fill the bottom of the trench,
And make brave men shiver.
Our feet crack, and our stomachs, growl,
From the food that is so foul.
Many have died from lack food.
This trench has killed many,
Including a carpenter, a machinist, and.... a friend,
But it still has yet to kill me.
Lastly, I will leave you with a message,
Never yield to a hole in the ground.
Levud · Tue May 04, 2010 @ 03:02am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
WWI Poetry: A Pessimists Tale |
|
|
|
|
|
|
The shells we launch are so cold,
And they make young men grow old.
Our food is covered in mold,
But much more you must be told.
Life after life has been lost,
By cannon and by gun.
The planes fly very high,
And Dispense bombs behind enemy lines.
Generals order us to charge,
But really they order us to die.
The distance between the two lines is so large,
What a horrible place for the dead to lie.
What has become of the world,
We have all fallen so far,
And the peace lies crying in despair.
Levud · Tue May 04, 2010 @ 03:01am · 0 Comments |
|
|
|
|
|
