May 27 Dateline

Birthdays

1888 - Louis Durey, composer and music critic, oldest member of French group of composers known as "Les Six". Strongly influenced by Debussy’s opera Pelléas et Mélisande, durey joined the Groupe des Six, the six young French composers under the influence of Satie and Cocteau, but later on took a divergent course that allowed increasing scope for his political affiliations. He was secretary general of the Fédération Musicale Populaire and later of the Association Française des Musiciens Progressistes. His works include stage music, orchestral, chamber, vocal & choral, and piano music. (Louis Durey - Sonatine for flute and piano op.25. (Daniela Dottori, flute - Luca Moscardi, piano. Uploaded by lucamadeus. Accessed May 27, 2018.)

1907 - Rachel Louise Carson, American marine biologist, writer, and conservationist whose book Silent Spring and other writings are credited with advancing the global environmental movement. Her widely praised 1951 bestseller The Sea Around Us won her a U.S. National Book Award, recognition as a gifted writer and financial security. Her next book, The Edge of the Sea, and the reissued version of her first book, Under the Sea Wind, were also bestsellers. Late in the 1950s, Carson turned her attention to conservation, especially problems she believed were caused by synthetic pesticides. The result was the book Silent Spring, which brought environmental concerns to an unprecedented share of the American people. Silent Spring inspired a grassroots environmental movement that led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Carson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Jimmy Carter. (The Life of Rachel Carson. Uploaded by hypnotik42. Accessed May 27, 2016.)

1923 - Henry Alfred Kissinger (born Heinz Alfred Kissinger), American politician, diplomat, and geopolitical consultant who served as United States Secretary of State and National Security Advisor under the presidential administrations of Richard Nixon instrument from the bones of a giant pike. Orpheus-like, he plays upon it and enchants the people. All listen and all weep, their hearts melted. Even Väinämäinen weeps and his tears 'bigger than cranberries' fall into the clear waters of the deep blue sea. A sea bird dives down to retrieve his tears - they have ripened into pearls.  (YouTube, uploaded by Raul. Accessed 27 May 2018)

Lefties:

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More birthdays and historical events today, May 27 - On This Day

 

Historical Events

 

1703 - Peter the Great founds St. Petersburg, (later known as Leningrad), as the capital of Russia.

1937 - The newly completed Golden Gate Bridge connecting San Francisco and Marin County, California, is opened to pedestrians. The bridge becomes the symbol of San Francisco.

May 26 Dateline

Birthdays

1799 - Alexander Pushkin (born Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (see also 6 June [O.S. 26 May] 1799), Russian poet, playwright, and novelist of the Romantic era who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian literature. Pushkin was born into Russian nobility in Moscow.  (Alexander Pushkin (Алекса́ндр Серге́евич Пу́шкин). Uploaded by Steven Parris Ward. Accessed May 26, 2018.

1893 - Sir Eugene Aynsley Goossens, English conductor and composer. His works include two symphonies, two "Phantasy" concertos (one for piano, one for violin), two string quartets, two violin sonatas, and a Concertino for string octet. The Oboe Concerto was written for his brother, Léon Goossens. He wrote two operas (both with libretto by Arnold Bennett: Judith (1929) and Don Juan de Manara), and a large-scale oratorio, The Apocalypse, after the Revelation of St. John. Goossens is credited for much of the lobbying to the NSW Government to build a music performance venue, a process that led to the construction of the Sydney Opera House. He insisted that it be built at Bennelong Point overlooking Sydney Harbour, was confirmed in 1957, after he had left Australia. He is commemorated in the Eugene Goossens Hall, a concert and recording facility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Ultimo, Sydney. (Goosens' Oboe Concerto, Op.45 beautifully performed by Samantha Crouse. Uploaded by Arts Laureate. Accessed May 26, 2016.)

1907 - John Wayne (born Marion Michael Morrison), nicknamed "Duke", American actor, Director, Producer and Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipient. He was among the top box office draws for three decades, famous for his roles in Western films.

1920 - Peggy Lee (born Norma Deloris Egstrom), American jazz and popular music singer, songwriter, composer, and actress, over a career spanning seven decades. From her beginning as a vocalist on local radio to singing with Benny Goodman's big band, Lee created a sophisticated persona, writing music for films, acting, and recording conceptual record albums combining poetry and music. Lee recorded over 1,100 masters and composed over 270 songs.

1966 - Helena Bonham Carter, CBE, English actress. Recipient of British Academy Film Award, three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and nominations for two Academy Awards, nine Golden Globe Awards, four Primetime Emmy Awards and four British Academy Television Awards. She began her film career playing Lucy Honeychurch in A Room with a View. For her role as Kate Croy in The Wings of the Dove, Bonham Carter received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in The King's Speech, she won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. Her collaborations with director Tim Burton include Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Alice in Wonderland as the Red Queen, and Dark Shadows. For her role as children's author Enid Blyton in the BBC Four biographical film Enid, she won the 2010 International Emmy Award for Best Actress and was nominated for the British Academy TV Award for Best Actress. Aside from her numerous movies she has other television films that include Fatal Deception: Mrs. Lee Harvey Oswald, and Burton & Taylor. Beginning in 2019, she portrayed Princess Margaret on seasons three and four of The Crown.

Leftie:
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More birthdays and historical events today, May 26 - On This Day
 

 

Feature:

Below, a video of Stravinsky's  Le Rossignol (The Nightingale). Barbara Hannigan, soprano; Edgaras Montvidas, tenor; Pierre Boulez, conductor. Berliner Philharmoniker / Recorded at the Berlin Philharmonie, 18 September 2010.

Historical Events

1521 - Martin Luther, leader of the Protestant Reformation, is banned by the Edict of Worms because of his religious beliefs and is formally declared an outlaw. (Resource: Luther & the Protestant Reformation. Uploaded by CrashCourse. Accessed May 26, 2016)    

1896 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) is first published. It is the oldest stock market index still used today in the U.S.