DNA? Musicians, composers, lyricists, painters,
sculptors, and writers. Artists whose efforts bring pleasure to devotees born
hundreds of years after their work was first presented. Often their skills and
talents are passed from one generation to the next—fathers and sons, mothers
and daughters, siblings and if traceable perhaps a great-grandfather or a rumored
cousin three times removed.
Johann Sebastian Bach’s ancestors all worked
as professional musicians—church organists, court musicians and composers. His
dad was a town musician in Eisenach, Germany.
Johann lost his parents at the age of ten and was brought up by his older
brother Johann Christoph—the town organist.
John Sebastian wrote music for organ and other keyboard instruments,
orchestras, and choirs. His second son, Carl Phillip Emanuel was held in high
regard by his fellow musicians—he composed in the then fashionable Rococo style
as did his brothers W.F. Bach, J.C. Bach, and Friedemann Bach.
A self-taught musician, Johann Strauss the
Elder, wrote waltzes, polkas, quadrilles and galops. Johann the younger wrote
more than 500 pieces with 150 of them waltzes. His waltz titled The Blue Danube established Strauss as
“The Waltz King.”
Oscar Hammerstein I immigrated to America
in 1864 and built opera houses that drew a wide audience to listen to some of
the finest singers in the world. Times Square became the
“in place” because of him. His sons Willy and Arthur presented stars like Al
Jolson and Houdini and Willy gifted America
with his son Oscar Hammerstein II who wrote lyrics with Jerome Kern and Richard
Rodgers during the “Golden Age of the American Musical.”. Rodgers begat Mary
Rodgers who wrote the music for “Once
Upon a Mattress,” and the novel and screenplay for “Freaky Friday,” and Mary begat the Tony award wining Adam Guettel
who wrote the music and lyrics for “Floyd
Collins” and “The Light in the
Piazza.” The sons of Oscar Hammerstein II—William and James—were directors
and he nurtured the talent of Stephen Sondheim.
Actors?
Robert Alda gave us Alan Alda, Judy Garland presented the world with Liza
Minnelli, Goldie Hawn had Kate Hudson and, America’s
Royal Family, the Barrymores, are still going strong with Drew.
Artists? The Wyeth family is blessed with
talent—N.C. Wyeth is the venerable father of three generations of Wyeth-Hurd
artists and renowned for his illustrations in grand adventure stories, and
classics for children such as Scribner’s Treasure Island
and Robinson Crusoe. His youngest son Andrew Newell Wyeth is recognized as America’s
foremost realist artist. His first daughter Henriette became a fine portraitist
and his second Carolyn is known for her introspective work in modern-day
painting. Grandson James Wyeth found recognition at an early age with his
portraits of people and the animals he painted in his rustic setting.
And taking pen to paper or fingers to
keyboard we have the Brontes—Charlotte’s
Jane Eyre, Anne’s Agnes Grey and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall and Emily’s Wuthering Heights. The Waugh family, beginning with Arthur who won the Newgate prize
for poetry in 1888, continued with sons Alec who wrote Island in the Sun and Evelyn with Brideshead Revisited and continues with the latest generation,
Auberon and Alexander. There’s H.G. Wells and his son Anthony West, Hilma
Wolitzer and her daughter Meg, Alexandre Dumas, pere, and fils, and Mary
Higgins Clark whose works have sold over 100 million copies and her daughter
Carol Higgins Clark who has been nominated for the Anthony and Agatha Awards.
High on any list are Stephen King and his wife Tabitha King and their sons Joe
Hill and Owen King—writers who keep us up all night.
Are they any artistic ancestors in your
family? How about your children? Do they need, want, love to write?
