André Messager (30 December 1853 – 24 February 1929) was a French
composer and conductor, whose best-known works are the ballet Les Deux
Pigeons (1886) and the opéra comique Véronique (1898). His successes
span the period from the late 19th century (Les p'tites Michu, 1897) to
early 20th century (Monsieur Beaucaire, 1919), including musical
comedies with Sacha Guitry and Yvonne Printemps. Many of his works were
also produced in the West End and some on Broadway, some with long runs
and numerous international revivals. Messager became a major figure in
the musical life of Paris and then London, as a composer and as a
prominent conductor in the concert hall and opera house, leading the
Paris Opéra, among others. His music was known for its melodic and
orchestral invention, musical craftsmanship, and characteristically
French elegance and grace. Although most of his works have been
infrequently revived, historians of music consider him the last major
figure in French opéra comique and opérette.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Messager>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1813:
War of 1812: British forces captured Buffalo, New York, and
burned down nearly all its buildings.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Buffalo>
1940:
The Arroyo Seco Parkway, one of the first freeways built in the
U.S., connecting downtown Los Angeles with Pasadena, California, was
officially dedicated.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arroyo_Seco_Parkway>
1958:
The Guatemalan Air Force fired on Mexican fishing boats that
had strayed into Guatemalan territory, triggering an eight-month
conflict.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico%E2%80%93Guatemala_conflict>
2013:
Supporters of Congolese religious leader Paul-Joseph
Mukungubila carried out a series of attacks on television studios, the
airport and a military base in Kinshasa.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/December_2013_Kinshasa_attacks>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
smell-feast:
(archaic) One who is apt to find and frequent places where good food is
available; especially one who comes uninvited to a meal; a parasite; a
sponger.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/smell-feast>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
I conclude… that the record establishes that Mr. Trump, over
the course of several months and culminating on January 6, 2021, used a
false narrative of election fraud to inflame his supporters and direct
them to the Capitol to prevent certification of the 2020 election and
the peaceful transfer of power. I likewise conclude that Mr. Trump was
aware of the likelihood for violence and at least initially supported
its use given he both encouraged it with incendiary rhetoric and took no
timely action to stop it. … I do not reach this conclusion lightly.
… I am mindful that no Secretary of State has ever deprived a
presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section Three of the
Fourteenth Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential
candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.
--Shenna Bellows
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Shenna_Bellows>