Famous birthdays today include Neil Diamond, who is 64. I am going to see him at Earls Court in May. I'm not entirely sure why, because, just before I booked the ticket I realised that while he's a super songwriter, he's not much as a singer. Still, I thought I'd go. I've heard he's good live. We shall see.
Farinelli was born on this day in 1705. He is almost certainly the most famous castrato in history. You know what a castrato is, right? It's when a boy soprano with a beautiful voice had his tackle interfered with in order to preserve the beautiful sound, and with the added bonus of a man's strength behind it. Well, that's the official story. In actual fact, it was because the Catholic Church - until very recently - abhored women being near the altar or singing in Church, because of all that impure, blood thing. So let that be a salutary lesson. Feminism doesn't just benefit ladies.
In 1732 Pierre de Beaumarchais was born. He wrote a famous trilogy of seditious plays, The Barber of Seville, The Marriage of Figaro, and, er, the other one. All three were turned into operas; one okay-ish; one supremely gorgeous; and one almost totally forgotten. It was easier for operas than straight plays to get past the censor. Although by no means easy...
In 1776, Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann, German writer/judge/composer, was born. I don't think I have ever heard any music he wrote, but in my book he deserves immortality, being the inspiration for Offenbach's rather wonderful "Tales of Hoffmann" about the life and loves of a dissolute poet.
In 1800 was born Edwin Chadwick, instrumental in the Great Whig Reforms of the 1830s and 1850s - basically creating Municipal Socilaism, although they didn't call it that back then.
Also
1935 Bamber Gascoigne
1957 Ade Edmondson
1958 Jools Holland
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