Happy Birthday George!!

Happy Birthday to George Frideric Handel.
Last year was the 250th anniversary of his death and there were numerous celebrations everywhere.

Handel and Bach were born less than a month apart and less than 80 miles apart, yet they never met although they both new and admired each others music.

Another odd coincidence is that both in later life were treated for failing eyesight by a quack English eye surgeon, John Taylor. Both operations were botched and indeed Bach died probably as a result of Taylor's incompetence.
Taylor himself eventually went blind.

2009 Composer Anniversaries

Happy New Year everybody!
2009 is a great year for anniversaries of composers. For example:

• Isaac Albeniz - died 18 May 1909 (100 years)
• George Frideric Handel - died 14 April 1759 (250 years)
• Franz Josef Haydn - died 31 May 1809 (200 years)
• Felix Mendelssohn - born 3 February 1809 (200 years)
• Henry Purcell - born 10 September 1759 (350 years)
  
  
  Go to my 52composers.com website for more details
  

2009 Opera Calendar

I have just finished a 2009 calendar featuring opera composers: Puccini, Mozart, Berlioz, Bellini, Mascagni, Rossini, Bizet, Wagner, Handel, Offenbach, Verdi and Leoncavallo.
It is at cafepress.
I am going to try various POD suppliers to see the differences. I will report here my findings.
Cafepress do three formats for their 12 page calendar

• Standard Wall Calendar (which I have used)
  page size 11" x 8.5" (11" x 17" when hung)
  100lb cover weight high gloss paper
  wire-o binding
  Jan - Dec 2009
  US holiday dates only
• Oversize Wall Calendar
  as above except
  page size 17" x 11" (17" x 22" when hung)
• Vertical Wall Calendar
  page size 11" x 17" (11" x 17" when hung)
  10pt heavyweight high gloss paper
  rest as above.