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1-50 of 1,547
- Music Department
- Composer
- Soundtrack
Arcangelo Corelli was born February 17, 1653, in Fusignano, Italy. He studied violin with Bassani at the Music school in Bologna. In Rome he studied composition under Matteo Simeoni, the singer of the pope's chapel. Corelli established himself as composer and violinist in the 1670s. In 1672 he made a sensational debut in Paris, then successfully toured Euripean capitals. In 1678-1680 Corelli was in the service of Queen Christina of Sweden, who had taken up residence in Rome after her abdication. In 1681 Corelli was the court musician for the Prince of Bavaria.
Back in Rome Corelli composed and dedicated music to his aristocratic patrons, such as, Queen Christina, Cardinal Pamphili, Francesco II the Prince of Modena, Cardinal Ottoboni, who was Pope Alexander VIII from 1689-1691. Corelli gained recognition for the nice tone of his playing and for his elegant presentation. He was very attractive, well-mannered, and known for his talent for creating a special ambiance. Corelli was well received in the highest circles of the aristocracy. He was the permanent leader of the famous Monday concerts at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni, where he also resided for the most part of his life.
His rivalry and partnership with George Frideric Handel was legendary. Corelli was a great musician, but not a virtuoso. As it may be seen from his writings he never wrote or played above D on the highest string. Once Corelli refused to play the melody to the high A in the Handel's oratorio. Then Handel himself played the melody to the highest A, making Corelli very upset. Handel made a visit of respect to the great Corelli, as they both resided at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni in 1708-1710. Handel also continued the tradition of Corelli's Concerti Grossi.
Corelli developed Concerto Grosso into a form of secular entertainment for the aristocracy. He used the idea of a musical competition between two groups of musicians during the Concerto. A smaller group has only two violins and a cello, while the larger group is the full orchestra. At the beginning of concerto each group presents their beautiful theme with arrangements. During the course of the concerto both groups develop musical interaction and their melody lines become intertwined until they reach mutual culmination in the climax of the grand finale.
Many of Corelli's Concerti Grossi were based on the beautiful flowing melodies from his own violin sonatas. Corelli composed violin sonatas for his solo performances before his high patrons. Corelli's dynamic markings in all of his written music show his use of traditional terrace method of forte and piano dynamics. While unmarked, crescendo and diminuendo were left to be played intuitively between the extremes of piano and forte. Corelli also liberated the accompanying parts from restrictions of the counterpoint rules.
Corelli was a highly reputable teacher of music and composition. Besides giving music lessons to his aristocratic patrons, he taught such composers as Francesco Geminiani and Pietro Locatelli. His strong influence was recognized by Antonio Vivaldi who became Corelli's successor at the palace of Cardinal Ottoboni. Johann Sebastian Bach studied Corelli's compositions. A remarkable tribute to Corelli was made by Sergei Rachmaninoff in his concerto for piano and orchestra titled 'Rhapsody on a theme of Corelli' (aka.. Corelli Variations, Opus 42, 1931), which is best known for it's performances by Vladimir Ashkenazy.
Arcangelo Corelli died on January 8, 1713, in Rome and was laid to rest in the Pantheon of Rome.
Corelli's Concerti Grossi may be heard in film soundtracks as well as in numerous recordings of the Baroque music and in live concert performances.- Soundtrack
Max Schneckenburger was born on 17 February 1819 in Talheim, Kingdom of Württemberg [now Baden-Württemberg, Germany]. He was married to Luise. He died on 3 May 1849 in Burgdorf, Switzerland.- Lola Montez, born Maria Dolores Eliza Rosanna Gilbert in 1821, was an Irish adventuress and "Spanish" dancer who achieved international notoriety through her liaison with King Louis I (Ludwig I) of Bavaria. Elizabeth ("Eliza") Gilbert spent much of her girlhood in India but was educated in Scotland and England. At age 17 she eloped with Lieutenant Thomas James; the couple separated five years later, and in 1843 Gilbert launched a career as the dancer Lola Montez. During her travels and performances she reputedly formed liaisons with Franz Liszt and Alexandre Dumas, among many others. In 1846 Montez danced in Munich, and Louis I of Bavaria was so struck by her beauty that he offered her a castle. She accepted, became Baroness Rosenthal and Countess of Lansfeld, and remained as his mistress. From 1851 to 1853 Montez performed in the United States. Her third marriage, to Patrick P. Hull of San Francisco in 1853, ended in divorce soon after she moved to Grass Valley, California. There, among other amusements, she coached young Lotta Crabtree in singing and dancing. Montez settled in New York City after an unsuccessful tour of Australia (1855-56) and gathered a following as a lecturer on such topics as fashion, gallantry, and beautiful women. An apparently genuine religious conversion led her to take up various personal philanthropies. Montez published Anecdotes of Love; Being a True Account of the Most Remarkable Events Connected with the History of Love; in All Ages and among All Nations (1858), The Arts of Beauty, or, Secrets of a Lady's Toilet with Hints to Gentlemen on the Art of Fascination (1858), and Lectures of Lola Montez, Including Her Autobiography (1858). The international notoriety of her heyday persisted long after her death and inspired numerous literary and balletic allusions. By 1860, Lola Montez was showing the tertiary effects of syphilis and her body began to waste away. She died at the age of 39 on 17 January 1861. She is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York, where her tombstone states: "Mrs. Eliza Gilbert / Died 17 January 1861".
- Georg Weerth was born on 17 February 1822 in Detmold, Germany. He was a writer, known for Leben und Thaten des berühmten Ritters Schnapphahnski (1978). He died on 30 July 1856 in Habana, Cuba.
- Writer
- Soundtrack
Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer was born on 17 February 1836 in Sevilla, Andalucía, Spain. He was a writer, known for The Witching Hour (1985), Jalisco canta en Sevilla (1949) and Curse of the Blind Dead (2020). He was married to Casta Esteban y Navarro. He died on 22 December 1870 in Madrid, Spain.- Charles Warren was born on 17 February 1840 in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales, UK. He died on 26 January 1927.
- Amelia Vieira was born on 17 February 1850 in Lisbon, Portugal. She was an actress, known for Rainha Depois de Morta Inês de Castro (1910). She died on 9 January 1928.
- Writer
- Actor
Arthur Shirley was born on 17 February 1853 in London, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Tommy Atkins (1928), My Old Dutch (1926) and In Old Kentucky (1919). He was married to Florence Mary Allen. He died on 22 August 1925 in London, England, UK.- Frederick de Belleville was born on 17 February 1855 in Liege, Belgium. He was an actor, known for The Daughter of the People (1915), A Trade Secret (1915) and The New Adventures of J. Rufus Wallingford (1915). He was married to Edith Emmy Mueller, Dorothy Chester (actress), Kate Cleveland (aka Kate Massi, 1860-1893, actress), Edith Cornish and Julia Jacobs Josephs. He died on 25 February 1923 in New York City, New York, USA.
- J.H. Rosny Sr. was born on 17 February 1856 in Brussels, Belgium. He was a writer, known for Quest for Fire (1981) and La part du pauvre (1909). He died on 11 February 1940.
- Egnate Ninoshvili was born on 17 February 1859 in Kela, Georgia, Russian Empire. Egnate was a writer, known for Qristine (1916), Djanki Guriashi (1928) and Dariko (1936). Egnate died on 12 May 1894 in Chirchveti, Georgia, Russian Empire.
- A D.W. Griffith favorite matriarchal figure often playing mother characters. Kate Bruce appeared 292 times on the screen from 1908 to 1930, in movies including Intolerance (1916), The Idol Dancer (1920), Way Down East (1920), The Eternal Mother (1912), and Orphans of the Storm (1921). She was a close friend of actresses Lillian Gish and Dorothy Gish, who supported Bruce financially for much of her life, including paying her rent in a little Hotel on Madison Avenue in New York. Lillian's maid would take care of her room once a week. Bruce would dine at Lillian's apartment several times a week. A very secretive and shy person, Bruce did not talk about her past or background. Lillian often compared her to a nun since her life was very austere and lonely.
- Anne Harriman-Vanderbilt was born on 17 February 1861 in New York City, New York, USA. She was married to William Kissam Vanderbilt, Lewis Morris Rutherfurd Jr. and Samuel Stevens Sands Jr.. She died on 20 April 1940 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Duchess of Albany Princess Helena was born on 17 February 1861 in Arolsen, Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, German Confederation [now Hesse, Germany]. She was married to Prince Leopold of Duke of Albany. She died on 1 September 1922 in Hinteriss, Tyrol, Austria.
- Louise Tinsley was born on 17 February 1861 in Hornsey, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Man Who Won (1932) and Captivation (1931). She died on 14 November 1939 in Mitcham, Surrey, England, UK.
- Ogai Mori was born on 17 February 1862 in Tsuwano, Shimane, Japan. He was a writer, known for Sansho the Bailiff (1954), Takasebune (1930) and Gan (1953). He was married to Mori Shigeru and Akamatsu Toshiko. He died on 9 July 1922 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Eduard Bornhöhe was born on 17 February 1862 in Kullaaru, Lääne-Virumaa, Governorate of Estonia, Russian Empire [now Estonia]. He was a writer, known for The Last Relic (1969) and Kuulsuse Narrid (1982). He died on 17 November 1923 in Tallinn, Estonia.
- Director
Frank Parker was born on 17 February 1862 in Dorset, England, UK. Frank was a director, known for Tally Ho! (1901). Frank died on 20 December 1926 in London, England, UK.- Langdon Mitchell was born on 17 February 1862 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. He was a writer, known for Becky Sharp (1935) and The New York Idea (1920). He was married to Marion Lea (actress). He died on 21 October 1935 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
- Composer
- Music Department
- Soundtrack
Edward German was born on 17 February 1862 in Whitchurch, Shropshire, England, UK. He was a composer, known for Peg of Old Drury (1935), Let's Make Up (1954) and Nell Gwyn (1934). He died on 11 November 1936 in London, England, UK.- Actor
- Soundtrack
George Bickel was born on 17 February 1863 in Saginaw, Michigan, USA. He was an actor, known for Recaptured Love (1930), Soup to Nuts (1930) and The Politicians (1915). He was married to Beatrice Boston. He died on 5 June 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA.- Russian writer and poet Fyodor Sologub was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1863. His father was a tailor and shoemaker who died when Fyodor was four. He and his sister were raised by their mother, who was a servant. In 1882, after attending the St. Petersburg Teahers Training Institute, he was appointed a teacher at a local school, and afterward began teaching math for the Russian Ministry of Education.
In his spare time Sologub had been writing prose and poetry, and in 1884 his poem "Fox and Hedgehog" was published. In 1886 his first article, "About Muniipal Schools", was published in Russki Nachalny Uchitel No. 4. Over the next several years he published a variety of articles and short stories, often under the pseudonym "Sologub". In 1894 the first of over 100 short stories he would write, "Ninochka's Mistake", was published in St. Petersburg. The next year he published a book of poems, entitled simply "Poems: The 1st Book", which caught the attention of such writers as Anton Chekhov and Valery Brusov. His novel "Heavy Dreams" was published in 1895. In addition to writing poems and novels, Sologub also translated the works of many of the top French writers--Honore de Balzac, Guy De Maupassant and Verlaine, among others--into Russian.
He became involved in several art and literature movements, collectively known as "Symbology", which included such figures as Sergei Diaghilev. In 1907 he published what is probably his best-known work, the novel "The Petty Demon". He also retired from schoolteaching in that year, and traveled to Finland with his sister, who was being treated for tuberculosis (at the time called "consumption"), but she died soon afterwards. In 1908 he married Anastasia Chebotarevskaya, a writer and translator who was to become one of his greatest supporters and influences.
When the Bolsheviks took over the country in 1917 Sologub was strongly opposed to them. In 1919 he and his wife applied for permission to leave the country, but were denied. Repeated applications were also denied, and Anastasia's health began to deteriorate. In 1921, suffering from a variety of diseases and exhaustion, she drowned while attempting to take a swim. Devastated, Sologub was never the same after her death. He died in St. Petersburg in 1927. - Writer
- Soundtrack
A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson was born on 17 February 1864 in near Orange, New South Wales, Australia. He was a writer, known for Australia (2008), The Light Between Oceans (2016) and The Man from Snowy River (1920). He was married to Alice Walker. He died on 5 February 1941 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.- Vincent Serrano was born on 17 February 1866 in New York City, New York, USA. He was an actor, known for A Modern Monte Cristo (1917), Eyes of Youth (1919) and Lydia Gilmore (1915). He died on 11 January 1935 in New York City, New York, USA.
- Burton Halbert was born on 17 February 1866 in Indiana, USA. He was an actor, known for Boys Will Be Boys (1921), La La Lucille (1920) and Flare-Up Sal (1918). He died on 5 October 1947 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Christian Lange was born on 17 February 1866 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He was an actor, known for The Steel King's Last Wish (1913), The Princess's Dilemma (1913) and The Fatal Oath (1914). He died on 12 October 1913.
- Lillian Lawrence was born on 17 February 1868 in Alexander, West Virginia, USA. She was an actress, known for East Is West (1922), The Voice from the Minaret (1923) and Graustark (1925). She died on 7 May 1926 in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Melville Stewart was born on 17 February 1869 in London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for After Dark (1915) and The Galloper (1915). He was married to Genevieve Finlay. He died on 5 August 1915 in Sea Gate, New York, USA.
- Farren Soutar was born on 17 February 1870 in Greenwich, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Iron Duke (1934), The Black Abbot (1934) and The Crucifix (1934). He died on 23 January 1962 in Cookham, England, UK.
- Additional Crew
Collin Kemper was born on 17 February 1870 in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. Collin is known for The Bat Whispers (1930) and The Bat (1959). Collin was married to Hope Latham (actress). Collin died on 27 November 1955 in White Plains, New York, USA.- Diana Hope was born on 17 February 1872 in England, UK. She was an actress, known for The Man from Blankley's (1930). She was married to ? Sukeforth. She died on 20 November 1942 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Writer
- Director
- Actor
Eduardo Zamacois was born on 17 February 1873 in Pinar del Rio, Cuba. He was a writer and director, known for El otro (1919), La hija del cielo (1943) and Las puertas del presidio (1949). He died on 31 December 1971 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.- Donald Brian was born on 17 February 1875 in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. He was an actor, known for The Man Without a Country (1937), The Voice in the Fog (1915) and The Smugglers (1916). He was married to Virginia O'Brien (actress, b. 1896). He died on 22 December 1948 in Great Neck, Long Island, New York, USA.
- Princess Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe was born on 17 February 1875 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Princess Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe was married to Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Bruno zu Schaumburg-Lippe. Princess Louise of Schaumburg-Lippe died on 4 April 1906 in Hradec Králové, Czechoslovakia [now Czech Republic].
- John Dunsmuir was born on 17 February 1876 in Argyll, Scotland, UK. He was an actor, known for Enemies of the Law (1931). He died in 1953 in Chatham, Kent, England, UK.
- Landers Stevens was born on 17 February 1877 in San Francisco, California, USA. He was an actor, known for Bill Cracks Down (1937), Wild Honey (1922) and Hell Divers (1931). He was married to Georgie Cooper and Fannie Gillette. He died on 19 December 1940 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Isabelle Eberhardt was born on 17 February 1877 in Geneva, Switzerland. She was a writer, known for Eden miseria (1988). She was married to Slimane Ehnni. She died on 21 October 1904 in Äin-Sefra, Algeria.
- George Watts was born on 17 February 1878 in Newark, New Jersey, USA. He was an actor, known for Angels Over Broadway (1940), The Remarkable Andrew (1942) and Gang Busters (1942). He was married to Rose Edith Fitzsimmons. He died on 1 July 1942 in Hollywood, California, USA.
- Director
- Actor
- Writer
Walter Creighton was born on 17 February 1878 in Sydenham, Kent, England, UK. He was a director and actor, known for The Beloved Vagabond (1936), One Family (1930) and Henry VIII (1911). He died in 1958 in France.- Actor
William Sidmore was born on 17 February 1878 in the USA.- Walter Piers was born on 17 February 1878 in Islington, London, England, UK. He was an actor, known for The Wickham Mystery (1931), Threads (1932) and The Rosary (1931). He died in 1959 in Holborn, London, England, UK.
- Paul Troupp was born on 17 February 1878. He is known for House of Silence (1933) and Muurmanin pakolaiset (1927).
- Irene Outtrim was born on 17 February 1880 in Bright, Victoria, Australia. She was an actress, known for Salvation Nell (1915), The Unwritten Law (1916) and Heart of Juanita (1919). She was married to Andrew Jackson Shumate, Allen Bishop, Elmer Booth and Eric Vansittart Ernest Neil. She died on 10 April 1949 in Santa Barbara, California, USA.
- Composer
Alvaro Obregon was born near Alamos, in the Mexican state of Sonora, to a family of poor farmers (one story is that his grandfather was an Irish immigrant railroad worker named O'Brien, which would account for Obregon's pale complexion and reddish hair, traits uncommon in Mexicans; supposedly, his father "Mexicanized" the family name to Obregon). In 1911 he was elected mayor of Huatabampo, as a supporter of reformist President Francisco I. Madero, who was engaged in putting down a rebellion led by renegade Gen. Pascual Orozco. Later Madero was overthrown and assassinated by Gen. Victoriano Huerta--who had originally helped Madero put down Orozco's rebellion but who soon turned against him--and Obregon joined such notable Mexican figures as Gen. Venustiano Carranza and former bandits Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata in the fight to overthrow Huerta, which was accomplished on July 24, 1914. Obregon was appointed by Carranza to be Minister of War and Secretary of the Navy; when Villa and Zapata later rebelled against Carranza, Obregon supported him and helped to lead Carranza's forces in putting down the revolt. Although Villa had a reputation for daring and imaginative tactics, Obregon was a trained soldier--which Villa wasn't--and that paid off in two famous battles later to become landmarks in Mexican history: the battle of Guanajuato and a week later the battle of Celaya, both of which resulted in defeats for Villa's forces (and, in the case of Celaya, very heavy casualties; he lost 3000 dead in one day). Two weeks later Villa again attacked Obregon, this time at the battle of Trinidad and Santa Ana del Conde, and was again soundly defeated (it was in this battle that Obregon lost an arm). Villa waited until mid-July to try another attack on Obregon, this time at Aguascalientes, but was decisively defeated again (although these battles took place over a period of four months and were fought at different locations, they are known collectively as the Battle of Celaya). Obregon's foresight in seeing the advantages of field artillery for offense and the use of masses of machine guns and successive layers of heavily fortified trenches for defense, and his skillful tactical use of them, was in large part responsible for his victory and had the effect of turning the battlefield advantage to the defenders. A good example of that principle took place at the second battle at Celaya, in which Villa's troops made a direct assault on Obregon's front line, which was defended by ascending and interlaced rows of machine guns, resulting in the loss of hundreds of Villa's men while Obregon's casualties were minimal.
After helping to defeat the Villa/Zapata rebellion--Villa finally gave up the fight and returned home to Durango, while Zapata was assassinated by men looking to collect the bounty Carranza had placed on him--Obregon returned to political life. When it came time to pick a successor to Carranza, Obregon--who had wanted the job himself--discovered that Carranza had picked one of his own men rather than Obregon. This, in conjunction with many of Carranza's land and social reforms that had angered the powerful Catholic church and the country's wealthy landowners, resulted in Obregon organizing a revolt against Carranza (ironically, he found support among his old enemies when the remnants of Emiliano Zapata's forces joined him). Carranza's army was eventually defeated and in 1920 Carranza himself was ambushed and killed while trying to reorganize his forces in the state of Puebla. Gen. Rodolfo Herrera was appointed provisional president until elections could be held in December, which resulted in Obregon being elected as Mexico's president.
Obregon's four years as president were marked by widespread agrarian reforms and the resumption of good relations with the US, due in large part to Mexico's sale of oil to its giant neighbor to the north. He put down a revolt by Gen. Adolfo de la Herrera, who rebelled when he found that Obregon was going to pick Plutarco Elías Calles to succeed him as president, a job that Herrera believed should be his. Herrera's revolt was quickly put down, and soon afterward Obregon stepped down and Calles took office.
Calles' administration believed that the Catholic Church wielded far too much power in Mexico and had too much control over the people (the country was approximately 98% Catholic), and instituted policies designed to strip the Church of much of its power and influence. This resulted in what became known as the Cristero War, a period from 1926-929 marked by widespread revolts and rebellions by many of the country's Catholics, a revolt spurred on by the Church itself, which branded Calles and his administration as "atheistic" and "Communists". In 1928 Obregon ran for re-election and won; he returned to Mexico City to celebrate. On July 27 he was shot and killed in Mexico City by a Catholic fanatic who believed Obregon was trying to destroy the church.- Dorothy Clarendon was born on 17 February 1880 in Belfast, Ireland [now Northern Ireland], UK. She was an actress, known for Inquest (1939). She died on 23 April 1956 in Brive-la-Gaillarde, Corrèze, France.
- Bess Streeter Aldrich was born on 17 February 1881 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA. She was a writer, known for The Woman Who Was Forgotten (1929), Cheers for Miss Bishop (1941) and The Gift of Love: A Christmas Story (1983). She was married to Charles S. Aldrich. She died on 3 August 1954 in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.
- Renee De Vaux was born on 17 February 1881 in Kensington, London, England, UK. She was an actress, known for A Hundred Years Old (1938), She Stoops to Conquer (1939) and A Night at the Hardcastles (1939). She died on 29 March 1961 in Kensington, London, England, UK.
- Tom Figee was born on 17 February 1881 in Holland. He was an actor, known for The Right to Be Happy (1916) and The Late Lamented (1922). He died on 6 August 1941 in Los Angeles, California, USA.
- Mary Breckinridge was born on 17 February 1881 in Memphis, Tennessee, USA. She was married to Richard Ryan Thompson and Ruffner Morrison. She died on 17 May 1965.
- Jeanne Rémy was born on 17 February 1881 in Clichy-sous-Bois, France. She was an actress, known for Train de plaisir (1936). She died on 11 May 1961 in Paris, France.