Famous Birthdays
1801 -
Vincenzo Bellini, Italian composer known for his long-flowing melodic lines, famous for operas
Norma and
La Sonnambula/The Sleepwalker. He was the quintessential composer of the Italian
bel canto era of the early 19th century. (A biography of Bellini from Encyclopaedia Britannica -
here.) Bellini was admired by fellow composers like Verdi as he was by the public. A large amount of what is known about him comes from surviving letters written over his lifetime to his friend Francesco Florimo, whom he had met as a fellow student in Naples and with whom he maintained a lifelong friendship. Other sources of information come from correspondence saved by other friends and business acquaintances. (Listen to "
Casta Diva" from Norma, famously sung by Maria Callas, with the depth and richness of her feelings. YouTube, uploaded by Th Paw. Accessed November 3, 2011. Featuring
Bellini's opera Norma, performed by The Australian Opera & The Elizabethan Sydney Orchestra, with Dame Joan Sutherland, Norma, conducted by Richard Bonynge. Sydney Opera House, 1978)
1841 -
Isabella MacDonald Alden (pseudonym:
Pansy), author. She wrote more than 120 books focusing on private religious commitment, Bible study and a moral duty to improve lives of the poor.
1921 -
Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky), American actor who was often cast in roles of police
officers, gunfighters, or vigilantes in revenge-oriented plot lines. He had long-term collaborations with film directors Michael Winner and J. Lee Thompson and appeared in 15 films with his second wife, Jill Ireland. At the height of his fame in the early 1970s, he was the world's No. 1 box office attraction, commanding $1 million per film.
1933 -
John Barry, OBE, English composer and conductor of film music (Here's Top 10 John Barry Scores, including 'Out of Africa', 'Somewhere in Time' and 'Dances with Wolves' aside from the famous James Bond movies soundtracks. Barry composed the scores for 11 of the
James Bond films between 1963 and 1987, and also arranged and performed the "James Bond Theme" to the first film in the series, 1962's
Dr. No. He wrote the Grammy- and Academy Award-winning scores to the films
Dances with Wolves and
Out of Africa, as well as the theme for the British television cult series
The Persuaders!, in a career spanning over 50 years. In 1999, he was appointed OBE for services to music.
1933 - Jeremy Brett (Peter Jeremy William Huggins), English actor. He played fictional detective Sherlock
Holmes in four Granada TV series from 1984 to 1994 in all 41 episodes. His career spanned from stage, to television and film, to Shakespeare and musical theatre.
Leftie:
English actor Jeremy Brett, best known for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.
More birthdays and historical events, November 3 - On This Day
Recommended Listening:
In memory of John Barry: Here's his Academy Award-Winning for music score,
"Out of Africa" movie soundtrack (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1985). Composed and Conducted by John Barry.)
Historical Events
1871 - After six months in Africa searching for missionary Dr. David Livingstone, Henry Stanley finds him living in Lake Tanganyika. Dr. Livingstone had not seen another white man for six and a half years. He refused returning to England and died two years later.
1899 - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera
The Tsar's Bride opens in Moscow.
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