#ClassicsaDay #PrideMonth Week 1, 2025
By Ralph Graves
The #ClassicsaDay team celebrates Pride Month this June. The wide spectrum of sexual identities is now common knowledge. But there have always been non-cis people. Some were able to live openly, others had to hide their orientation to live.
For the challenge, I included as many pre-20th-century composers as possible. Here are my posts for the first week of #PrideWeek.
06/02/25 Dominique Phinot (c.1510-c.1556): Messe Quam Pulchra es
Phinot was a major composer of sacred music. Palestrina and De Lassus, who followed him, used his works as models. His music was published widely. In 1556, he was executed in Lyons for “homosexual practices.”
06/03/25 Charles Coypeau d’Assoucy (1605-1677): Airs a quatre parties
Coypeau had a taste for low entertainment, such as puppet shows and organ grinders. He incorporated those common elements into his own music with witty satire. He was believed to be the lover of Cyrano de Bergerac, both of whom were members of an all-male “free spirits” club.
06/04/25 Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687): Marche pour la cérémonie des Turcs
At one time, Lully was the most influential musician at Louis XIV’s court. Although he was married with children, his homosexual encounters eventually cost him the patronage of the king.
06/05/25 Johann Rosenmüller (1619-1684):Entsetze dich, Natur
Rosenmüller was a German composer who spent a large amount of time in Italy. His career was derailed in 1655 when he was accused of molesting choirboys. Rosenmüller fled Italy, but on for a while. By 1658, he was at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice.
06/06/25 Frederick the Great (1712-1786): Flute Concerto No. 4 in D minor
Frederick’s preference for men was an open secret at court. As a musician, he was a talented performer and composer, and he employed some of Europe’s best musicians.
