Francois Boi(e)ldieu

So, there I was, sitting in my music history class, awkwardly fumbling under my chair for my phone, which I'd dropped for the second time in about ten minutes, and neither my nimble flutey fingers nor Bryza's sharp guitar claws could find the rotten thing, and people kept straggling in late because the lecture theatre is in a side street, like not even IN the uni, and so our lecturer was getting peeved (but in a musicologist kinda way) and it was all madstressballs - and then this pretty picture came up on the screen, and I was like: thankyou.

His name is François-Adrien Boieldieu. Or Boildieu, depending on who you want to believe, my lecturer or Wikipedia. I know, Sophie’s Choice, right?

Anyway, he wrote Opéra Comique, which actually wasn’t generally all that funny. But Wagner liked him, and Berlioz thought he was alright, so that’s all that matters.

He lost his voice completely later in life, which must’ve been absolutely terrible. No real lulz there, huh? And then he died, as all composers do, in relative not-very-wealthy-ness.

But he was pretty in a vaguely boring lecture. Although I will get told that he is not in fact pretty, by people who know these things, or whatever. But I appreciate his mussed up hair, and exasperated yet fully deep facial expression, and also that mad neck tie-up thing. I must learn what that is called.

He is also either clasping a dog or grasping at a couch because he’s just so overwhelmed by the universe, man. I’m ok with either.

Ian Clarke

Subtitle: Musicjuice Got New Repertoire Today, and Subsequently Googled All Composers in Order to Find Babes; Also Felt Guilty About Neglected Blog.

This is Ian Clarke. He's got a bit of "thinking woman's crumpet" about him. You know: Shaun Micallef, Colin Firth, that sort of thing. If he were a tv actor, rather than a modern composer, he'd probably spend a lot of time being photographed in white shirts and manful watches on beaches, with accompanying articles about his singledom and deep thoughts etc. And the interviews would probably be published in The Sunday Age's "Sunday Life" (*spits*) magazine. Like, often.

Anyway: music stuff. He writes pieces with weird alternate fingerings (LOL) etc. So, good for him.

Maryanne Amacher

Voila Maryanne Amacher. She looks pretty reserved, right? Maybe a little uptight? Maybe a little cray-cray?

More on the cray-cray.

But in a good way! In an excellent way. Maryanne made soundscapes - crazy huge houses full of wiring and speakers and all sorts of things that could go wrong. And she spent most of her time in red overalls. And crazy red hair and ace glasses. And she passed away last year. No good way to segue to that after perving on her, really. Sorry for lack of finesse. There's a (possible) leadership spill and stuff tonight.

Yardena Alotin

This woman is a babe. Srsly. This is what I want my hair to look like. Usually, I just look like I've come off a treadmill.

Anyway, enough about me. Alotin was born in Tel-Aviv, and wrote lots of unaccompanied choir stuff. And some other stuff which isn't very interesting. And a flute piece called "Yefei Nof", which apparently is like a total fave of Galway's, and has "become established in the international flute repertory", according to my Norton/Grove Dictionary of Women Composers. It was a prize, alright! But anyway: I don't know this piece, so it can't be any good. KIDDING.

ps she's a babe. Nice pattern on shirt as well.

Andreas Traeg

I know nothing about this man. He hasn't even got a wiki. I mean, come on man! I know you've been dead a while and everything, but if you'd created a good enough legacy etc etc.

Well, he wrote a Solo Flute Fantasy in G Major. Not very exciting.

However: HELLO SAILOR. He's just got that look. How marvellous.

Also, bit of trivia: his sash is made out of French watered silk. I know this, because when I was music captain of my inner south eastern suburbs Catholic girls school (yeah, I know right?) we wore blue sashes made out of blue French watered silk, just like that.

You're completely welcome.

Burgmüller

Here is Johann Friedrich Franz Burgmüller:

Oh look! Here he is again, from the other side:

Here he is when he gets old! (Or possibly a picture or someone else with the same name. Google image search isn't particularly discerning)

Points for the funny hair.

I love this man from the deepest depths of my heart. And my god are those depths deep. So deep you could drown in them. Figuratively, of course. If they were actually deep or even existent I'd probably die, which would be terribly detrimental to my ability to love and blog, making this entire situation redundant.
Whatever.
He has made many, many, many hours of my work easier by writing his Op.100 which is easily accessible (as I have a copy of it sitting on my piano) and children seem to like it. I hate going out of my way to please children, so this is completely perfect.
Apparently he was fairly good looking too, had sideburns, which is always a plus and didn't lure children into the forest with candy or anything like that, so I'm going to assume he was one of those "all round nice guys" I keep hearing so much about. In the magazines.
Yup.
Burgmuller.
Awesome (probably) and attractive (debateably.)

David Hirschfelder

Ok, so I'm kind of breaking some rules again.

1. He's not really a babe. To obfuscate (probably not correct use of word) this unsightly fact, I have given you a picture of the Hirsch from the side, as he prepares to conduct summat. I believe that, much as an added piano makes an average person more attractive, putting someone in a high concentration situation like conducting can also make them more attractive. Discuss.

Here's another hilariously beardy photo. Just coz.

2. Actually, I only broke one rule. I don't know what my issue is today. Possibly because I haven't practiced. All kinds of jumbled.

ANWAY our good freind D-Hirsch wrote some stuff for "Strictly Ballroom", including that really pretty waltz that Doug does all by himself (tear), and some stuff for Australia. Some people would have a quiet little vom at that, but I really like Baz Luhrmann. I think sometimes that perhaps I'm a gay man. Like, a really really camp one.

He also used to play in the Little River Band (ace) AND WAS FULLY MUSIC DIRECTOR FOR WHISPERING JACK. Oh, Johnny Farnham. If only all those on your payroll were so good.