There are days when I have to reach into the dank recesses my lizard brain in order to find something worthwhile to post. There are others when the Classical Music Gods rain interesting birthday anniversaries like manna from Heaven. Today is an example of the latter.

Unfortunately, with all my obligations, I am unable to do any of them justice, but they all wrote worthwhile music. Do yourself a favor and sample some of it.

Today is the birthday anniversary of

Giovanni Sgambati (1841-1914)

Here’s his knucklebusting Piano Concerto – performed by Jorge Bolet, no less:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37dlnzTSF-s;

George Dyson (1883-1964)

His oratorio after Chaucer, “The Canterbury Pilgrims”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNxdVTS9028;

and György Ligeti (1923-2006)

“Lux Aeterna” (with creepy fractal):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iVYu5lyX5M.

Happy birthday, boys. Wish I had time to write about any one of you!

More about fractals here:

What are Fractals?

PHOTOS (clockwise from left): Sgambati; Dyson; and Ligeti, channeling Klaus Kinski