by Daniel Hathaway
HAPPENING TODAY:
Tonight at 7:30, the University of Akron’s Kulas Concert Series presents the Rochester, NY-based Gateways Brass Collective in Guzzetta Recital Hall.
At the same hour in Youngstown’s St. Columba Cathedral, Hae-Jong Lee will lead Youngstown State University singers in the Dana Spring Choral Concert (pictured: Dana Chorale).
See our Concert Listings for more information about these and other events.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
by Jarrett Hoffman
Among the gravest consequences of the widely adopted shift from the Julian to the Gregorian Calendar (which occurred at various points between the late 16th and early 20th century, depending on the location) — the confusion, anger, and division that now surround the issue of birthday anniversaries.
Johann Sebastian Bach is a well-known example, born in 1685 on the 21st of March in Old Style (O.S.) — or the 31st in New Style (N.S.). So which day should be celebrated? It’s an issue that has polarized Americans, some of whom suggest a middle ground: celebrating both dates.
That compromise is not only weak, but also short-sighted. Put yourself in Bach’s shoes: the situation might be entertaining for a year or two, in an ironic way — think of the funny invitations you could send out, and the quirky messages you could share on your social media platforms. But with time, the meaning behind both days would surely bleed away — as would the number of those in attendance to see you, and the size and enthusiasm of your online following.
So again, which one? In the past I’ve leaned toward O.S. out of sympathy for the person in question: it’s difficult enough to keep vague track of the birthdays of your loved ones, let alone remember a new one for yourself. On the other hand, in a slightly egotistical way we all ascribe meaning to the digits that make up our birth date — for me personally, 11/29 is an absolutely beautiful set of numbers which frankly deserve wider recognition. For that reason, the change to N.S. could be a subtle but satisfying way to bruise the ego of any historical great.
Or maybe this whole discussion is completely irrelevant, because either way, J.S. Bach remains an Aries. (Bach a Taurus? — imagine!)
We’ve offered several recommendations of Bach’s music in our almanac over the past two years. As Daniel Hathaway wrote in one Diary entry from 2020:
With some 1,128 surviving works, picking just a few to mark the composer’s passing is an exercise in futility. Two of them bookend his career in fascinating ways. Read that article here.
