Category: Stamps

Stamp of the Month: November 2017


Joint issue: Russia – India
„Beryozka khorovod“

“Beryozka” is a professional dance company that performs only Russian girl dances. The ensemble was founded in 1948 by Nadezhda Sergeyevna Nadjeschdina (1908-1979), who was a ballerina at the Bolshoi Ballet 1925-1934 and worked from 1934 to 1948 with amateur dance groups in different cities of Russia. For the Amateur Art Festival 1948 in Moscow, she created the choreography “Beryozka khorovod” (Birch round dance) for the dance group from Kalinin.


Russia 26.10.2017


India 26.10.2017


She was inspired to do so by a ritual spring round dance for unmarried girls, which was known as the ‘birch worship’. As background music Nadjeschdina chose the folk song “There was a birch tree on the field”, which has been arranged for four Bajan players (Russian button accordion) by the composer Yevgeny Kusnjetsov (1922-1993).
The choreography “Beryozka khorovod” and the ensemble “Beryozka” have become world famous.

In Memoriam: Fats Domino



Togo 28.12.2011




The American pianist, singer and songwriter Antoine “Fats” Domino Jr., born on February 26, 1928 in New Orleans, died on October 24,2017 in his hometown. The breakthrough of the rock ‘n’ roll, rhythm and blues, piano blues and boogie-woogie musician came in 1955 with “Ain’t that a shame” and 1956 with “Blueberry Hill”, which he first performed in the legendary Ed Sullivan Show. It became the biggest hit of his career. As a live performer Fats Domino was active until the 1990s. The song “I’m Walkin'”, first recorded in 1957 was used in a 1991 Aral-advertising and thus returned into the German charts. Fats Domino was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 and into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2003.

50 Years ago …

Number 1 Hit of the British Charts (Oct. 5 – Nov. 1, 1967)
The Bee Gees “Massachusetts”


Isle of Man, Oct. 12, 1999



The song Massachusetts was written, composed and sung by brothers Robin, Maurice and Barry Gibb. Musical accompaniment was by Maurice Gibb (bass), Vince Melouney (guitar) and Colin Petersen (drums). The single reached number 1 of the charts in Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Norway, Austria and Australia. In Japan “Massachusetts” was the first ever non-Japanese song that ranked first.

Stamp of the Month: October 2017


Sir Malcolm Sargent

The English conductor Sir Harold Malcolm Watts Sargent was born in Ashford on 29 April 1895. He died on October 3, 1967 in London. October 2017 marks his 50th memorial anniversary.
Malcolm Sargent studied piano, organ and musicology. His conducting career began in 1921 when Sir Henry Wood invited him to conduct the Promenade Concerts of Queen’s Hall in London. Throughout his career, Sargent led the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra of Manchester, the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Orchestra. Since 1948 he was principal conductor of the legendary Proms. Sargent always was particularly interested in contemporary English music. So he conducted, among other premieres by Gustav Holst and Ralph Vaughan Williams.


Great Britain 10.9.1980
Beside of his work as a conductor Sargent taught at the Royal College of Music, worked for several years with the Ballets Russes and was conductor of the Royal Choral Society from 1928 until his death.
 



 
 
The 1945 film “Battle for Music” told the story of the London Philharmonic’s trials and tribulations during World War II. Several classical artists took part, including Sir Malcolm Sargent. This clip from the film is of Sargent conducting Delius’s “La Calinda” for an audience of school children.

Yehudi-Menuhin-Trophy 2017 – Most Popular Music Stamp 2016

The Winner: Jean Claverie / France






Jean Claverie was born in 1946 in Beaune (France). After studies at the “École nationale des Beaux-arts” in Lyon and the “École des Arts Décoratifs” in Geneva he first worked in the advertising sector. In 1977 he focused on illustrating books for younger readers, and worked with many well-known writers. One of his youth book heroes, ‘Little Lou’, a little colored boy who makes a career as a jazz pianist, inspired Claverie to make a tour of his own, and since 2003 he gives concerts throughout France with his band, mixing blues, rhythm & blues, and rock.
 



Philaposte, the philatelic section of the French postal administration, could boast a double victory this year, for second prize was taken by another French stamp: Christelle Guénot designed for the ‘Hearing’ set, issued on 30 January 2016, a quite beautiful stamp with instruments, flowers, butterflies and birds.




Third prize went to the Flamenco pane issued by UN Vienna for world dance day (29.4.2016); this was designed by the American artist Alison Seiffer.

Have a look to the candidates for the most popular music stamp 2016

Stamp of the Month: September 2017



Israel 25.4.1995


France 27.4.1985
Darius Milhaud

The French composer Darius Milhaud was born in Marseilles on September 4, 1892, he died on June 22, 1974 in Geneva. In September 2017 his birthday marks the 125th time. Milhaud studied at the Paris Conservatory, first violin and later composition. In 1916 he accompanied his friend Paul Claudel to Rio de Janeiro where he met the Brazilian folklore and popular music that strongly has influenced his music. After returning to France, he was part of the “Groupe des Six” headed by the composer Eric Satie. Milhaud composed more than 400 works from all the major music genres (opera, symphonic music, concertos, chamber and vocal music, songs, film music). Many of his works show influences of the then emerging jazz. After the outbreak of World War 2, Milhaud lead composition classes in Oakland and later in Paris. Among his students were Dave Brubeck, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Iannis Xenakis.
 



 
 
The video shows the pianist duo Victor and Luis del Valle with one of the most famous chamber works by Darius Milhaud, “Scaramouche” in an unusual version with two pianos and percussion.

Stamp of the Month: August 2017




Umberto Giordano
Italy 28.8.1967
 
The Italian composer Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano was born in Foggia on August 28, 1867, he died in Milan on November 12, 1948. August 2017 marks the 150th anniversary of his birth.
Umberto Giordano studied piano, orchestration, conducting and scenic composition at the Conservatory of Naples. In 1888 he caused a sensation with his first opera “Mariana”, when he finished as the youngest participant in a competition among 73 candidates the 6th Place. With his second opera “Mala vita” he created in 1891/92 one of the first operas in the style of verismo. Although Giordano also composed lyrical and romantic operas, his verismo operas were especially successful. With his striking operas Giordano therefore applies in addition to Pietro Mascagni and Ruggiero Leoncavallo as the leading exponent of verismo.
 



 
 
The video shows Anna Netrebko performing the aria “La mamma morta” from Umberto Giordano’s opera “Andrea Chenier”.

Stamp of the Month: July 2017

Astor Piazzolla
Argentina 9.8.1997 / 11.11.2000






The Argentine composer Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla was born in Mar del Plata on March 11, 1921. He died in Buenos Aires on July 4, 1992. This year, his death marks the 25th time.
 
In 1939, Astor Piazzolla became a member of a tango orchestra. He started composition lessons in 1940. In the early 50s he received several national awards for his orchestral and chamber music. With a scholarship he studied with Nadia Boulanger in Paris. He then founded his own orchestra and began to reinterpret the tango. In total he composed more than 300 tangos and music for nearly 50 films. Many of his tangos are not danceable in the traditional sense, but music for listening. His “Tango Nuevo” maintains the harmony of the tango, but combines it with elements from jazz and classical music.
 



 
 
The video shows a performance of Piazzolla’s composition “Libertango” (1973) with the “Russian Philharmonic” in Moscow on September 30, 2010.

Fête de la Musique 2017


The “Fête de la Musique”, first conducted in France in 1982, has evolved into a global music festival. Musicians, choirs, orchestras, bands and all organizations that have something to do with music, are called to get involved with any action to that day.







Already in 1998 France issued a stamp for the Fête de la Musique
 

Since stamp collectors hardly can go out on the street with their stamps, members of Motivgruppe Musik have compiled a colorful bouquet of stamps to which you can listen to the associated music.
Enjoy stamps & music !
 
Classic Music Opera Dance Popular Music Rock  Stamps & Music