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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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May 1-7, 2006
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Monday, May 1
Leo Sowerby ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leo Sowerby (1895 – 1968): Classic Concerto David Mulbury, organ; Fairfield Orchestra; John Welsh, cond. Naxos 8.559028 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: An essay "Leo Sowerby at 100" ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1582—Early Italian opera composer Marco da Gagliano, in Gagliano; 1602 —Baptism of English madrigal composer William Lawes, in Salisbury ; He was the younger brother of the more famous English composer Henry Lawes (1696-1662); 1872—Swedish violinist and composer Hugo Alfvén in Stockholm; 1895—American organist and composer Leo Sowerby, in Grand Rapids, Mich.; 1899—Icelandic composer Jón Leifs, in Sólheimar; Deaths: 1904—Czech composer Antonin Dvorák, age 62, in Prague; 1978—Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian, age 74, in Moscow; Premieres: 1786 — Mozart: "The Marriage of Figaro" in Vienna at the Old Burgtheater; 1886 — Franck: "Symphonic Variations" for piano and orchestra, in Paris; 1909 — Rachmaninoff: "The Isle of the Dead," in Moscow, conducted by the composer (Julian date: April 18); 1925 — Piston: Three Pieces for flute, clarinet, and bassoon (his first published work), at the École Normale in Paris, by the Blanquart-Coste-Dherin trio; 1939 — Barber: "The Virgin Martyrs," with students from the Curtis Institute of Music on a CBS Radio broadcast, with the composer conducting; 1971 — Dave Brubeck: oratorio "Truth Has Fallen," at the opening of the Center for the Arts in Midland, Mich.; 1987 — Harrison Birtwistle: "Endless Parade" for trumpet, vibraphone and strings, in Zurich (Switzerland) by the Collegium Musicum conducted by Paul Sacher, with trumpeter Hakan Hardenberger; 2002 — Jennifer Higdon: "Blue Cathedral," by the Curtis Institute Symphony conducted by Robert Spano, commissioned to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Curtis Institute of Music; 2003 — Lukas Foss: Concertino ("Passacaglia, Bachanalia, Passacaglia") for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra, by the New York Choral Artists and the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur conducting; Other: 1761—Franz Joseph Haydn begins his 30-year tenure as Second-Kapellmeister at Prince Esterhazy's estate in Eisenstadt; In 1766, Haydn succeeded the much older composer Gregor Joseph Werner as First-Kapellmeister; 1825—first documented American performance of Haydn's Symphony No. 100 ("Military") at Boylston Hall in Boston, at a benefit concert for Haydn's former pupil, Johann Christian Gottlieb Graupner (1767-1836); 1837—American premiere of Rossini's opera "Semiramide" in New Orleans; 1938—The German Reichsmusikkammer (Imperial Ministry of Music) forbids Aryan music instructors to teach pupils of Jewish extraction.
Tuesday, May 2
Purcell's "really big show" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695): The Fairy Queen Le Concert des Nations; Jordi Savall, cond. Auvidis 8583 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A Purcell Web page from the British Library A list of Purcell's works ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1660—Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti, in Palermo; founder of the "Neopolitan School" of music and father of the composer, Dominico Scarlatti; 1752—Baptismal date of German oboist and composer Ludwig August Lebrun, in Mannheim; 1810—Danish conductor and composer Hans Christian Lumbye, in Copenhagen; 1843—Austrian conductor and operetta composer Carl Michael Ziehrer, in Vienna; 1905—English composer Alan Rawsthorne, in Haslingden; Deaths: 1864—German composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Jakob Liebmann Beer), age 72,in Paris; 1990—American composer William Levi Dawson, age 90, in Montgomery, Ala.; Premieres: 1692 — Purcell: opera "The Fairy Queen," in London at the Queen's Theater, Dorset Garden; 1935 — Ibert: "Concertino da Camera" for saxophone and chamber orchestra, in Paris; 1936 — Prokofiev: "Peter and the Wolf" at a children's concert by the Moscow Philharmonic, conducted by the composer; 1947 — Copland: "In the Beginning" for mezzo-soprano and chorus, at Harvard University; 1947 — Schoenberg: String Trio, Op. 45, at Harvard University; 1951 — Cage: "Imaginary Landscape No. 4" for 12 radios, in New York; 1951 — Ulysses Kay: "Sinfonia" for orchestra, in Rochester, N.Y.; 1965 — Bolcom: "Oracle" for orchestra, in Seattle; 1965 — Grofé: "Trick or Treat: Halloween," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, André Kostelanetz conducting; 1981 — David Amram: Violin Concerto, by the St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting, with Charles Castleman the soloist; 1984 — Ezra Laderman: String Quartet No. 7, in New York City, by the Colorado Quartet; 1984 — Broadway premiere of Sondheim: musical "Sunday in the Park with George"; 1990 — Elliott Carter: Violin Concerto, by the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Herbert Blomstedt, with Ole Böhn as soloist; Other: 1855—American premiere of Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" (The Troubadour) at the Academy of Music in New York. 1872—First documented American performance of Beethoven's "Missa solemnis" in D (Op. 123), at Steinway Hall in New York , by the Church Music Association, Dr. James Pech conducting; Subsequent regional premieres of this work occurred in Cincinnati (May 19, 1880) and Boston (Mar. 12, 1897).
Wednesday, May 3
Moog moods by Carlos and Voegeli ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: J.S. Bach (1685 –1750) arr. Carlos: Fugue No. 7, fr WTC Book 1 Wendy Carlos, Moog synthesizer Sony 7194 & Don Voegeli (b. 1920): All Things Considered theme (1974 version) Don Voegeli, Moog synthesizer NPR recording ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Robert Moog and his synthesizers On Wendy Carlos On Don Voegeli and his ATC theme ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1886—French organist and composer Marcel Dupré, in Rouen; 1920—American composer and jazz pianist John Lewis, in LaGrange, Ill.; Deaths: 1704—Austrian composer Heinrich Biber, age 59, in Salzburg; Premieres: 1831 — Hérold: "Zampa," at the Opéra-Comique in Paris; 1893 — Horatio Parker: oratorio "Hora Novissima," in New York City; 1917 — Bloch: "Schlemo" and "Israel" Symphony at Society of the Friends of Music Concert, Artur Bodanzky conducting; 1919 — Debussy: Clarinet Rhapsody (orchestral version), in Paris, with clarinetist Gaston Hamelin, at Pasdeloup Concert; 1929 — Poulenc: "Concert champêtre" for harpsichord and orchestra, at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, by the Paris Symphony with Pierre Monteux conducting and Wanda Landowska the soloist; 1934 — Bernard Rogers: "Three Japanese Dances," in Rochester, N.Y.; 1943 — Cowell: "American Melting Pot" (Set for Chamber Orchestra), at Carnegie Hall in New York, by the Orchestrette of New York, Frédérique Petrides conducting; 1952 — Vaughan Williams: "Romance" for harmonica and orchestra, in New York City; 1958 — Walter Hartley: Concerto for 23 Winds, at the Eastman School in Rochester, N.Y., by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Frederick Fennell conducting; 1963 — Cowell: Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harp, at the University of Miami, by John Bitter (flute), Julien Balogh (oboe), Hermann Busch (cello), and Mary Spalding (Mrs. Fabien) Sevitzky (harp); The work is dedicated to the conductor Fabien Sevitzky "in honor of his many services to American music"; 1969 — Shostakovich: Violin Sonata, in Moscow, with David Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter; 1989 — James MacMillan: "Visions of a November Spring" for string quartet, at University Concert Hall in Glasgowm Scotland, by the Bingham String Quartet; Other: 1971—Debut broadcast of National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" with an electronic theme by composer Don Voegeli of the University of Wisconsin (In 1974, Voegeli composed a new electronic ATC theme, the now-familiar signature tune of the program).
Thursday, May 4
Vaughan Williams' "London Symphony" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 – 1958): A London Symphony (Symphony No. 2) London Symphony; Richard Hickox, cond. Chanos 9902 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Vaughan Williams Society Web site (biography, timeline, and more) ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1744—Austrian composer of Spanish descent Marianne (Anna Katharina) von Martínez, in Vienna; She studied composition with Haydn, and Haydn and Mozart attended her musical soirées; 1860—Austrian composer Emil Nikolaus Von Reznicek, in Vienna; 1905—Hungarian-born British composer and teacher Mátyás(György) Seiber, in Budapest; Deaths: 1604—Italian composer and publisher Claudio Merulo, age 71, in Parma; 1955—Rumanian composer Georges Enesco, age 73, late on May 3 or early on May 4, in Paris; Premieres: 1795 — Haydn: Symphony No. 104, conducted by the composer, at the King's Theater in London; This symphony is sometimes nicknamed the "Salomon" Symphony, although it (along with Haydn's Symphonies 102 and 103) was in fact commissioned for and premiered at Viotti's Opera Concerts, not as part of the earlier series of Haydn concerts arranged by the impresario Salomon; 1895 — Dvorák: cantata "The American Flag," Op. 102, in New York; 1920 — Vaughan Williams : revised version of Symphony No.2 ("A London Symphony") at Queens Hall in London, conducted by Albert Coates; The first version of this symphony had premiered at Queen's Hall in London on March 27, 1914, conducted by Geoffrey Toye; A final (twice revised) version of this symphony was published in 1936; 1924 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 6, in Moscow; 1974 — Rautavaara: Flute Concerto, in Stockholm, with flutist Gunilla von Bahr and the Swedish Radio Symphony, Stig Westerberg conducting; 1976 — Bernstein: musical "1700 Pennsylvania Avenue" at the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City, conducted by Roland Gagnon; A trial run of this show had opened in Philadelphia at the Forrest Theater on February 24, 1976; 1976 — Sondheim: revue "Side by Side by Sondheim" (compiled from various Sondheim musicals by British singer-actor David Kernan and others); This revue opened on Broadway on April 18, 1977; 1989 — Joan Tower: "Island Prelude" for oboe and strings, by soloist Peter Bowman and the St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting.
Friday, May 5
Tchaikovsky at Carnegie Hall ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893): Coronation March Boston Pops; John Williams, cond. Philips 420 804 & Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 – 1893): Orchestral Suite No. 3, Op. 55 New Philharmonia; Antal Dorati, cond. Philips 464 747 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Carnegie Hall (timeline, hall information, etc.) A comprehensive Tchaikovsky Web site ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1819—Polish composer Stanislaw Moniuszko, in Ubiel, province of Minsk, Russia; 1869—German composer and conductor Hans Pfitzner, in Moscow, of German parents; Under the Julian "Old Style" calendar still in use in Russia in that year, this same date would be listed as April 23: Premieres: 1726 — Handel: opera "Alessandro," in London at King's Theater in the Haymarket, with the Italian soprano Faustina Bordini marking her London debut in a work by Handel (Gregorian date: May 16); 1917 — Debussy: Violin Sonata, in Paris, by violinist Gaston Poulet with the composer at the piano (his last public appearance); 1926 — Copland: Two Pieces ("Nocturne" and "Ukelele Serenade"), in Paris by violinist Samuel Dushkin with the composer at the piano; 1930 — Milhaud: opera "Christophe Colomb" (Christopher Columbus),at the Berlin State Opera; 1941 — Britten: "Paul Bunyan" (text by W.H. Auden) at Columbia University in New York City; 1945 — Barber: "I Hear an Army," "Monks and Raisins," "Nocturne,""Sure On This Shining Night," during a CBS radio broadcast, with mezzo Jennie Tourel and the CBS Symphony, composer conducting; 1946 — Douglas Moore: Symphony in A, in Paris; 1977 — George Crumb: oratorio "Star Child," by the New York Philharmonic, Pierre Boulez conducting; 1982 — Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Symphony No. 1, at Alice Tully Hall in New York, by the American Composers Orchestra, Gunther Schuller conducting; This work won the Pulitzer Prize in 1983; 1987 — John Williams: "A Hymn to New England," by the Boston Pops conducted by the composer (recorded by the Pops and Keith Lockhardt ); 1991 — Joan Tower: "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman" No. 3(dedicated to Frances Richard of ASCAP), at Carnegie Hall, by members of the Empire Brass and the New York Philharmonic, Zubin Mehta conducting; 2000 — Christopher Rouse: "Rapture" for orchestra, by the Pittsburgh Symphony, Mariss Jansons conducting; 2001 — Christopher Rouse: "Rapturedux" cello ensemble, by the Royal Northern College of Music Cellists in Manchester (U.K.); Other: 1891—Carnegie Hall opens in New York City with a concert that included Beethoven's "Leonore" Overture No. 3 conducted by Walter Damrosch, and Tchaikovsky's "Marche Solennelle" (Coronation March) conducted by its composer.
Saturday, May 6
Leoncavallo's "La Boheme" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Ruggero Leoncavallo (1857 – 1919): La Bohème Soloists; Bavarian Radio Chorus and Orchestra; Heinz Wallberg, cond. Orfeo 023 822 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: An overview of Leoncavallo and his works ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1915—American composer George Perle, in Bayonne, N.J.; 1918—Canadian composer Godfrey Ridout, in Toronto; Deaths: 1667—(on May 6 or 7) German composer and keyboard player Johann Jakob Froberger, age 50, in Hericourt, nearr Montbeliard , France; Premieres: 1897 — Leoncavallo: opera "La Boheme" in Venice; 1981 — Rautavaara: Double-bass Concerto ("Angel of Dusk"),in Helsinki, with bassist Olli Kosonen and the Finnish Radio Symphony, Leif Segerstam conducting; 1985 — Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: "Concerto for Trumpet and Five Players," by the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble; 1992 — Libby Larsen: Symphony No. 3 ("Lyric"), by the Albany Symphony (NY), Joel Revzen conducting; 1999 — Magnus Lindberg: Cello Concerto, by the Orchestre de Paris, with Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting and Anssi Karttunen the soloist; 1999 — Christopher Rouse: "Seeing" (Piano Concerto), at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Slatkin, with Emanuel Ax the soloist; Other: 1872—Theodore Thomas conducts the first concert of the Cincinnati Music Festival ("May Festival"); His program includes Beethoven's Fifth, Handel's "Dettingen Te Deum," a Mozart aria, and a chorus from Haydn's "Creation."
Sunday, May 7
Salieri leaves, Seidl arrives ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Wolfgang Mozart (1756 – 1791): Symphony No. 25 St. Martin's Academy; Sir Neville Marriner, cond. Fantasy 104/105 & Antonin Dvorák (1841 – 1904): Symphony No. 9 (From the New World) Vienna Philharmonic; Rafael Kubelik, cond. Decca 466 994 & Antonio Salieri (1750 – 1825): "La Folia" Variations London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, cond. Chandos 9877 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A BBC story on "Rehabilitating Salieri" On the Seidl papers at Columbia University ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1833—German composer Johannes Brahms, in Hamburg; 1840—Russian composer Pyotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, in Votkinsk, district of Viatka (Julian date: April 25); 1850—Hungarian conductor Anton Seidl, in Budapest; He was Wagner assistant at the first Bayreuth Festival performances of the "Ring" operas in 1876-79, was engaged to conduct the German repertory at the Metropolitan Opera in 1885, and in 1891 as the permanent conductor of the New York Philharmonic; He conducted the American premieres of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" in 1886 and the world premiere of Dvorák's "New World" Symphony in 1893; He died of ptomaine poisoning in 1898; Deaths: 1793—Italian composer and violinist Pietro Nardini, age 71, in Florence; 1818—Bohemian composer Leopold (Jan Antonín, Ioannes Antonius)Kozeluch (Kotzeluch, Koželuh), age 70, in Vienna; 1825—Italian composer Antonio Salieri, age 74, in Vienna; Premieres: 1824 — Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 ("Choral") at the Kärntnertor Theater in Vienna, with the deaf composer on stage beating time, but with the performers instructed to follow the cues of Beethoven's assistant conductor, Michael Umlauf; 1888 — Lalo: "Le Roi d'Ys" (The King of Ys) at the Opéra Comique, in Paris; 1926 — Milhaud: opera "Les malheurs d'Orphée" (The Sorrows of Orpheus), in Brussels at the Théatre de la Monnaie; 1944 — Copland: "Our Town" Film Music Suite (revised version), by the Boston Pops conducted by Leonard Bernstein; An earlier version of this suite aired on CBS Radio on June 9, 1940, with the Columbia Broadcasting Symphony conducted by Howard Barlow; 1947 — Virgil Thomson: opera "The Mother of Us All," at Columbia University in New York City; 1985 — David Ward-Steinman: "Chroma" Concerto for multiple keyboards, percussion, and chamber orchestra, in Scottsdale, Ariz., by the Noveau West Chamber Orchestra conducted by Terry Williams, with the composer and Amy-Smith-Davie as keyboard soloists; 1988 — Stockhausen: opera "Montag von Licht" (Monday from Light), in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; 1988 — Michael Torke: ballet "Black and White," at the New York State Theater, with the NY City Ballet Orchestra, David Alan Miller conducting; 1993 — Harrison Birtwistle: "Five Distances for Five Instruments," in London at the Purcell Room, by the Ensemble InterContemporain; 1998 — Joan Tower: "Tambor," by the Pittsburgh Symphony, Mariss Jansons conducting; 1999 — Robert X. Rodriguez: "Bachanale: Concertino for Orchestra," by the San Antonio Symphony, Wilkins conducting; Other: 1747—J.S. Bach (age 62) visits King Frederick II of Prussia at his court in Potsdam on May 7-8; Bach improvises on a theme submitted by the King, performing on the King's forte-piano; In September of 1747 Bach publishes a chamber work based on the royal theme entitled "Musical Offering." 1937—The RKO film "Shall We Dance?" is released, with a filmscore by George Gershwin; This film includes the classic Gershwin songs "Beginner's Luck," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," "They Can't Take That Away from Me" and an instrumental interlude "Walking the Dog" (released as a solo piano piece under the title "Promenade"). |
