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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive Your purchase from Public Radio Market helps support the American Composers Forum and Composers Datebook.  |
July 18-24, 2005
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Monday, July 18
Pauline Viardot-Garcia, Musical Superwoman? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Pauline Viardot-Garcia (1821 - 1910): Cinderella Sandrine Piau, soprano; Nicholas Kok, piano Opera Rara 212 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Pauline Viardot-Garcia ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1670—Italian opera composer Giovanni Bononcini, in Modena; In 1720 he joined the Royal Academy of Music in London, where one faction favored Bononcini's works over those by Handel 1821 —French mezzo-soprano PaulineViardot-Garcia; She arranged some of Chopin's mazurkas as songs and performed them with the composer in concert; She also wrote an opera, "La Derniére Sorcière," that was performed in Weimar in 1869, and a chamber opera version of "Cendrillon (Cinderella)" which was performed privately in 1904 1872 —Czech composer Julius Fucik, in Prague; A student of Dvorák's, he composed the famous "circus" march, "Entrance of the Gladiators"; 1894 —Dutch-born American composer Bernard Wagenaar, in Arnhem; He was the son of the Dutch composer Johan Wagenaar (1862-1941); He came to the U.S. in 1920, was a violinist with the New York Philharmonic from 1921-23, and in 1927 became a composition teacher at the Juilliard Graduate School 1933—Canadian composer R. Murray Schafrer, in Sarnia, Ontario 1954—American composer Tobias Picker, in New York Deaths: 1949—Czech composer Vitezslav Novák, age 78, in Skutec, Slovakia Premieres: 1713 — Handel: "Utrecht Te Deum," in London (Julian date: July 7) 1791 — Cherubini: opera, "Lodoiska, in Paris 1920 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 5, in Moscow 1972 — Panufnik: Violin Concerto, in London, with Yehudi Menuhin as soloist 1976 — Stockhausen: multi-media work "Sirius," in Washington, D.C., at the Smithsonian Institute 1984 — Sallinen: String Quartet No. 5 ("Pieces of Mosaic"), at the Kuhmo Festival in Finland, by the Kronos Quartet
Tuesday, July 19
Olympic music by Richard Strauss and John Williams ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949): Olympic Hymn Locke Brass Consort; James Stobart, cond. Chandos 8419 & John Williams (b. 1932): Summon the Heroes Boston Pops; John Williams, cond. Sony 89364 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A contemporary newsreel clip of the opening ceremonies of the 1936 Olympics (including a VERY brief snippet of Strauss's music!) ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1906—Norwegian composer Klaus Egge, in Gransherad, Telemark 1913—American composer and pianist Peggy Stuart-Coolidge in Swampscott, Mass.; 1952—English composer Dominic Muldowney, in Southhampton 1965—Scottish composer and percussionist Evelyn Glennie, in Aberdeen Deaths: 1730—French composer and flutist Jean-Baptiste Loeillet, age 49, in London Premieres: 1924 — Webern: Six Bagatelles, Op. 9, for string quartet , in Donauschingen (Germany), by the Amar Quartet 1973 — Penderecki: Symphony No. 1 in Peterborough Cathedral by the London Symphony, conducted by the composer 1976 — Richard Wernick: "Visions of Terror and Wonder" for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1977 1996 — John Williams "Summon the Heroes," a six-minute theme for the 1996 Summer Olympics, commissioned by the Atlanta Olympic Organizing Committee Other: 1942 —Arturo Toscanini conducts the American premiere of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 7 ("Leningrad") on a NBC Symphony broadcast; The world premiere performance by the Bolshoi Theater Orchestra had occurred on March 1, 1942, in Kuybishe, the wartime seat of the Soviet government
Wednesday, July 20
Morton Feldman salutes his piano teacher ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Morton Feldman (1926 - 1987): Madame Press died last week at 90 Orchestra of St. Luke's; John Adams, cond. Nonesuch 79249 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Morton Feldman Another Feldman website ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1872 —French composer Déodat de Severac, in Saint-Félix-de-Caraman, Lauraguais 1908 —Swedish composer Gunnar de Frumerie, in Nacka (near Stockholm Deaths: 1752—German-born English composer and conductor John Christopher (Johann Christoph) Pepusch, age 85, in London; In 1710 was one of the founding members of the "Academy of Ancient Music," which revived 16th century vocal music; He orchestrated some of the numbers in John Gay's famous "The Beggar's Opera" in 1728 Premieres: 1920 — Stravinsky: "Grande Suite" from the staged work "The Soldier's Tale," in London at Wigmore Hall, with Ernest Ansermet conducting 1924 — Schoenberg: "Serenade" for chamber ensemble, in Donaueschingen, Germany 1942 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 23, in Moscow 1958 — Xenakis: "Achorripsis" for 21 instruments, in Brussels 1970 — Morton Feldman: "Mme. Press Died Last Week at Ninety," an orchestral work commemorating his Russian piano teacher, in St. Paul de Venice, France
Thursday, July 21
Hindemith's St. Francis ballet ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Paul Hindemith (1895 - 1963): Nobilissima Visione San Francisco Symphony; Herbert Blomstedt, cond. London 433 809 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Paul Hindemith ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1896—French composer Jean Rivier, in Villemomble Deaths: 1838—German inventor of the metronome, Johann Nepomuk Maelzel, age 65, on board the brig Otis in the harbour of La Guiara, Venezuela, en route to Philadelphia; Beethoven's orchestral battle-symphony, "Wellington's Victory," was originally written for one of Maelzel's mechanical music-machines Premieres: 1733 — Handel: oratorio "Athalia," in Oxford (Julian date: July 10) 1938 — Hindemith: ballet, "St. Francis," at Covent Garden in London, with composer conducting (the suite titled "Nobilissima Visone" is drawn from this score) 1983 — Thomas Oboe Lee: "Morango …almost a tango" for string quartet, at the Sanders Theater in Cambridge, Mass., by the Composers in Red Sneakers ensemble
Friday, July 22
A Verdi premiere in London ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Giuseppe Verdi (1813 - 1901): I masnadieri Overture Hungarian State Opera Orchestra; Iper Giorgio Morandi, cond. Naxos 8.554077 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Verdi and his operas ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1822—Italian composer Luigi Arditti, in Crescentino, Piedmont Deaths: 1870—Austrian composer Josef Strauss, age 42, in Vienna; Premieres: 1833 — Cherubini: opera,"Ali Baba," at Paris Opéra 1844 — Wagner: "A Faust Overture," in Dresden 1847 — Verdi: opera "I Masnadieri" (The Bandits), in London at Her Majesty's Theater 1919 — Manuel de Falla: ballet, "The Three Cornered Hat," in London, by Diaghilev's Ballet Russe 1930 — Chavez: ballet "The Four Suns," in Mexico City; 1934 — Cowell: "Movement" for string quartet (String Quartet No. 2), at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., by the Pro Arte String Quartet 2000 — London premiere of Colin Matthews: "Pluto - The Renewer" (intended as a contribution to Gustav Holst's "The Planets"), at a BBC Proms concert; This music was first performed on May 11, 2000, by the Hallé Orchestra in Manchester, with Kent Nagano conducting
Saturday, July 23
Scarlatti (and Persichetti) Sonatas ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757): : Sonata in c, K. 363 Elaine Comparone, harpsichord Laurel 838 & Vincent Pershichetti (1915 - 1987): Sonata No. 4 Elaine Comparone, harpsichord Laurel 838 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Domenico Scarlatti On Vincent Persichetti ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1796—Swedish composer Franz Berwald, in Stockholm 1866—Italian opera composer Francesco Cilea, in Palmi, Calabria 1916 —American composer Ben Weber, in St. Louis, Mo. Deaths: 1757—Italian composer and harpsichordist Domenico Scarlatti, age 71, in Madrid 1983—French composer Georges Auric, age 84, in Paris Premieres: 1982 — John Harbison: "Variation" for clarinet, violin and piano, at the Sante Fe Chamber Music Festival in New Mexico, by clarinetist David Satz, violinist Rose Mary Harbison, and pianist Ursula Oppens
Sunday, July 24
Arnaud's after-the-fact Olympic tune ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leo Arnaud (1904 - 1991): Olympic Theme Cleveland Symphonic Winds; Frederick Fennell, cond. Telarc 80099 & Meredith Willson (1902-1984) arr. Arnaud: The Unsinkable Molly Brown Overture MGM studio orchestra CBS 45442 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Leo Arnaud On Felix Slatkin's "Charge!" LP ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1803—French opera composer Adolph-Charles Adam, in Paris 1880—Swiss-born American composer Ernest Bloch, in Geneva 1904—French-born American composer and arranger Leo (Noël) Arnaud, in Lyon 1922—American composer Leo Kraft, in New York City Deaths: 1739—Italian composer Benedetto Marcello, in Brescia 1971 —British composer Alan Rawsthorne, in Cambridge, England Premieres: 1926 — Hindemith: Concert Music for Winds, Op. 4, in Donaueschingen, Germany, with Hermann Scherchen conducting 1938 — R. Strauss: opera, "Friedenstag" (Peace Day), in Munich 1964 — Ginastera: opera, "Don Rodrigo," at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires 1983 — Elisabetta Brusa: "Favole" (Fables) for chamber orchestra, by the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, George Hanson conducting 1995 — Michael Torke: opera "Strawberry Fields," at Cooperstown, N.Y., by the Glimmerglass Opera, Stewart Robinson conducting Other: 1838 —Mendelssohn finishes in Berlin his String Quartet in D, Op. 44, no. 1; In a letter dated July 30 that year, he writes to the violinist Ferdinand David: "I have just finished my third Quartet, in D Major, and like it very much. I hope it may please you as well. I rather think it will, since it is more spirited and seems to me likely to be more grateful to the players than the others." |
