Birthdays
1689 - Joseph Bodin de Boismortier, French Baroque composer of instrumental music, cantatas, opera-ballets, and vocal music. He was one of the first composers without patrons. Having obtained a royal licence for engraving music in 1724, he made enormous monies by publishing his music for public sale. (Serenades Francaises by J.B. de Moismortier. Fragments Melodiques; Bassoon Concerto; Concerto pour Zampogna Le Concert Spirituel. Herve Niquet, Conductor. Uploaded by margitvt. Accessed Dec 23, 2018.)
1805 - Joseph Smith Jr, American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he had attracted tens of thousands of followers and founded a religion that continues to the present. His teachings discuss the nature of God, cosmology, family structures, political organization, and religious collectivism. His followers regard him as a prophet comparable to Moses and Elijah, and several religious denominations consider themselves the continuation of the church that he organized, including The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Community of Christ.
1918 - Helmut Schmidt (Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt), German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), who served as Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) from 1974 to 1982. Before becoming Chancellor, he had served as Minister of Defence and as Minister of Finance. In the latter role he gained credit for his financial policies. He had also served briefly as Minister of Economics and as acting Foreign Minister. As Chancellor, he focused on international affairs, seeking "political unification of Europe in partnership with the United States" and issuing proposals that led to the NATO Double-Track Decision in 1979 to deploy US Pershing II missiles to Europe. He sought European co-operation and international economic co-ordination and was the leading force in creating the European Monetary System in 1978. In 1986 he was a leading proponent of European monetary union and a European Central Bank.
1931 - Maria Tipo, Italian pianist. She was taught originally by her mother, Ersilia Cavallo, who was a pupil of Ferruccio Busoni. She studied under Alfredo Casella and Guido Agosti. At 17, she won the Geneva international piano competition. In her first appearance in North America in the late 1950s, she played over 300 concerts. Her first recording, an LP of 12 Scarlatti sonatas, was hailed by Newsweek magazine as the most spectacular record of the year. Her recordings of Bach's Goldberg Variations and of sonatas by Domenico Scarlatti have been awarded the "Diapason d’Or". She has championed the music of Muzio Clementi. Martha Argerich, in an interview with Rai Radio 3, referred to her as "sensational". (Maria Tipo: Mozart - Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major K 467 (Mozarteum Orchestra, Hans Graf). YouTube, uploaded by LOFTmusic. Accessed May 10, 2021.)
1943 - Ross Edwards, Australian composer. His music include orchestral and chamber music, choral music, children's music, opera and film music. His distinctive sound world reflects his interest in deep ecology and his belief in the need to reconnect music with elemental forces, as well as restore its traditional association with ritual and dance. He also recognises the profound importance of music as an agent of healing. His music, universal in that it is concerned with age-old mysteries surrounding humanity, is at the same time connected to its roots in Australia, whose cultural diversity it celebrates, and from whose natural environment it draws inspiration, especially birdsong and the mysterious patterns and drones of insects. As a composer living and working on the Pacific Rim, he is aware of the exciting potential of this vast region. (Selby & Friends presents Ross Edwards Piano Trio - recorded live in Adelaide Sept 2015. Artists: Sophie Rowell, violin; Julian Smiles, cello; Kathryn Selby, piano. Accessed December 23, 2016. Water Spirit Song for solo cello by Ross Edwards, played by 14 year-old Charlotte, uploaded by MilesOfSmiles2002. Accessed Dec 23, 2017)
Lefties:
None known
More birthdays and historical events, December 23 - On This Day
Historical Events
1806 - Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Concerto is first performed by violinist Franz Clement (for whom Beethoven wrote it), in Vienna. (BEETHOVEN Concerto for Violin and Orchestra - Hilary Hahn, violin; Leonard Slatkin, conductor. Uploaded by Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Accessed December 23, 2018.)
1823 - Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (later titled "'Twas the Night Before Christmas") is published in the Troy, New York, Sentinel.
1888 - Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh slices off the lower part of his left ear with a razor following an argument with fellow artist Paul Gauguin.
1893 - Engelbert Humperdinck's fairy tale opera Hansel and Gretel is first staged in Weimar. Librettist is Adelheid Wette, the composer's sister.
1947 - John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley of Bell Labs, introduced the transistor, heralding a new era in electronics technology.
1956 - The British and French forces pull out of Egypt, ending their armed occupation that followed President Abdel Nasser's nationalization of the Suez Canal.
1986 - The Voyager aircraft, piloted by Americans Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, completes the first non-stop flight around the globe on one load of fuel.
1992 - The Queen's Christmas speech, annus horribilis of 1992, is leaked and published by the Sun tabloid newspaper. It is the year she celebrated her 40th anniversary as the reigning British monarch.
Resources:
1. Asiado, Tel. The World's Movers and Shapers. New Hampshire: Ore Mountain Publishing House (2005)
2. Britannica. www.britannica.com
3. Chambers Biographical Dictionary, 19th Ed. London: Chambers Harrap, 2011
4. Dateline. Sydney: Millennium House, (2006)
5. Grun, Bernard. The Timetables of History, New 3rd Revised Ed. Simon & Schuster/Touchstone (1991)
6. Wikipedia. en.wikipedia.org
(c) June 2007. Updated May 10, 2023. Tel. Inspired Pen Web. All rights reserved.
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