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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.  |
January 22-28, 2007
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Monday, January 22
Rorem's "Evidence" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Ned Rorem (b. 1923): : Evidence of Things Not Seen Soloists; Michael Barrett and Steven Blier, pianists New World 575 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Rorem Celebrating Rorem's 80th (with audio interview/profile) ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1727—French composer Claude-Bénigne Balbastre, in Dijon; 1870—French composer and organist Charles Tournemire, in Bordeaux; 1901—Austrian composer Hans Erich Apostel, in Karlsruhe, Germany; 1903—English composer Robin Milford, in Oxford; 1916—French composer Henri Dutilleux, in Angers; 1923—American composer Leslie Bassett, in Hanford, Calif.; 1924—American jazz composer and trombonist James Louis ("J.J.") Johnson, in Indianapolis; Deaths: 1964—American composer Marc Blitzstein, age 58, from injuries suffered in a barroom fight, in Fort-de-France, Martinique; Premieres: 1723 — Handel: opera "Ottone, re di Germania" (Julian date: Jan. 12); 1859 — Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 1 in d, Op. 15, with the Hanover Court Orchestra conducted by Joseph Joachim and the composer as the soloist; 1887 — Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta "Ruddigore" at the Svoy Theatre in London; 1894 — Glazunov: Symphony No. 4, in St.Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 3); 1908 — Stravinsky: Symphony in Eb, Op. 1, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 4): 1934 — Shostakovich: opera "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" (1st version), in Leningrad at the Maliiy Opera Theater; 1936 — Hindemith: "Trauermusik (Music of Mourning)" for Viola and String Orchestra,on a BBC memorial concert for King George V of England (who had died on January 20, 1935), with Sir Adrian Boult conducting and the composer as soloist; 1970 — Carlisle Floyd: opera "Of Mice and Men," in Seattle; According to Opera America, this is one of the most frequently-produced American operas during the past decade; 1980 — John Williams: "Cowboys Overture," by the Boston Pops, conducted by the composer; 1998 — Ned Rorem: song-cycle “Evidence of Things Not Seen,” as Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York City, by the New York Festival of Song; 1998 — Bright Sheng: "Postcards," in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota, by the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Hugh Wolff conducting; Other: 1575—The Protestant Queen of England, Elizabeth I, grants a license to Thomas Tallis and William Byrd (both Catholics), to print music for 22 years; 1889—Columbia Phonograph Company founded in Washington, D.C.; 1907—The Metropolitan Opera production of R. Strauss' opera "Salome," with soprano Olive Fremstad in the title role, creates a scandal; The opera is dropped after a single performance, and not staged at the Met again until the 1930s.
Tuesday, January 23
MacDowell premieres ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Edward MacDowell (1860 –1908): Piano Concerto No. 1 Seta Tanyel, piano; BBC Scottish Symphony; Martyn Brabbins, cond. Hyperion 67165 & Edward MacDowell (1860 –1908): Suite No. 2 (Indian) Ulster Orchestra; Takuo Yuasa, cond. Naxos 8.559075 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On MacDowell & The MacDowell Colony: ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1752—Italian composer Muzio Clementi, in Rome; 1878—English composer Rutland Boughton, in Aylesbury; Deaths: 1837—Irish composer John Field, age 54, in Moscow (Julian date: Jan.11); 1908—American composer and pianist Edward MacDowell, age 47, in New York; 1981—American composer Samuel Barber, age 70, in New York; Premieres: 1724 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 73 ("Herr, wie du willst, so schicks mit mir") performed on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24); 1729 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 156 ("Ich steh mit einem Fuss im Grabe") probably performed in Leipzig on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's fourth annual Sacred Cantata cycle (to texts by Christian Friedrich Henrici, a.k.a. "Picander") during 1728/29; 1895 — MacDowell: Suite No. 2 (":Indian"), at the old Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, by the Boston Symphony, with Emil Paur conducting; On the same program, MacDowell appeared as the soloist in his own Piano Concerto No. 1; 1933 — Bartók: Piano Concerto No. 2, in Frankfurt, with Hans Robaud conducting and the composer as soloist; 1936 — Chavez: "Sinfonia India," on a radio broadcast by the Columbia Symphony, conducted by the composer; 1948 — Diamond: Symphony No. 4, by the Boston Symphony, Leonard Bernstein conducting; 1963 — Peter Mennin: Symphony No. 7, by the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting; 1973 — Elliott Carter: String Quartet No. 3, in New York City, by the Juilliard String Quartet; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for music in that year (This was Carter's second Pulitzer Prize); 1999 — Thea Musgrave: "Three Women," in San Francisco, by the Women's Philharmonic, A. Hsu conducting; Other: 1894—Czech composer Antonin Dvorák presents a concert of African-American choral music at Madison Square Concert Hall in New York, using an all-black choir, comprised chiefly of members of the St. Philip's Colored Choir; On the program was the premiere performance of Dvorák's own arrangement of Stephen Foster's "Old Folks at Home," which featured vocal soloists Sissierette Jones and Harry T. Burleigh; 1943—Duke Ellington and his orchestra present their first concert at Carngie Hall in New York, presenting the "official" premiere of Ellington's "Black, Brown and Beige" Suite (This work had received its world premiere at a trial performance the preceding day at Rye High School in Rye, New York).
Wednesday, January 24
Bellini's "Puritans" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Vincenzo Bellini (1801 –1835): A te, o cara , from I Puritani Raul Gimenez, tenor; Scottish Chamber Orchestra; Michelangelo Veltri, cond. Nimbus 5224 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Bellini More on Bellini ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1712—Frederick II the Great, King of Prussia, monarch, flutist and composer, in Berlin; 1776—German composer, author, conductor and music critic E. T. A. Hoffmann, in Königsberg; 1913—American composer Norman Dello Joio, in New York City; 1918—Austrian composer Gottfried von Einem, in Bern, Switzerland; 1919—American composer Leon Kirchner, in Brooklyn, N.Y.; Deaths: 1851—Italian opera composer Gaspare Spontini, age 76, in Ancona, Italy; 1883—German opera composer Friedrich von Flotow, age 70, in Darmstadt; Premieres: 1835 — Bellini: opera "I Puritani," in Paris at the Théatre-Italien; 1875 — Saint-Saëns: "Dance macabre" for orchestra, in Paris; 1885 — Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No. 3, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Jan.12); 1895 — ; Ippolitov-Ivanov: “Caucasian Sketches” (Gregorian date: Feb. 5); 1906 — Rachmaninoff: two one-act operas "The Miserly Knight" and "Francesca da Rimini" in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater (Julian date: Jan.11); 1922 — Walton: entertainment, "Façade," with Edith Sitwell reciting her poetry; 1922 — Nielsen: Symphony No. 5, in Copenhagen, with composer conducting; 1946 — Stravinsky: "Symphony in Three Movements," by New York Philharmonic, with the composer conducting; This work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic-Society; 1957 — Piston: Wind Quintet, at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC, by the Boston Woodwind Quintet; 1959 — Shostakovich: operetta "Moscow, Cheryomushki," at the Moscow Operetta Theater; 1981 — John Harbison: Violin Concerto, at Emmanuel Church in Boston, with soloist Rose Mary Harbison and the Emmanuel Chamber Orchestra, Craig Smith conducting; 1991 — George Perle: Piano Concerto No. 1, with San Francisco Symphony conducted by David Zinman, with Richard Goode the soloist; Other: 1705—Birthdate if the famous Italian castrato singer Carlo Farinelli (born Carlo Broschi), in Andria; His life is depicted in the 1994 film "Farinelli"; 1813—The Royal Philharmonic Society in formed in London.
Thursday, January 25
Strauss raw and cooked ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Richard Strauss (1864 –1949): Elektra Alessandra Marc, sop.;Vienna Philharmonic; Giuseppe Sinopoli, cond. DG 453 429 & Richard Strauss (1864 –1949): Der Rosenkavalier Waltz Suite Philadelphia Orchestra; Eugene Ormandy, cond. Sony 60989 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Richard Strauss (with many links to other sites) A Richard Strauss timeline ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1851—Flemish composer Jan Blockx, in Antwerp; 1886—German composer and conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, in Berlin; 1911—American composer and pianist Julia Smith, in Denton, Texas; 1913—Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski, in Warsaw; 1921 —American composer and conductor Alfred Reed, in New York City; Premieres: 1817 — Rossini: opera, "La Cenerentola" (Cinderella), in Rome at the Teatro Valle; 1902 — Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 1, in Vienna; 1909 — R. Strauss: opera "Elektra," in Dresden at the Hofoper, conducted by Ernst von Schuch, with soprano Annie Krull in the title role; 1946 — R. Strauss: "Metamorphosen," in Zürich; 1957 — Walton: Cello Concerto, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Charles Munch, with Gregor Piatigorsky the soloist; 1963 — Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Symphony No. 8, by the West German Radio Symphony, Rafael Kubelik conducting; 1987 — Paul Schoenfield: "Café Music" for piano trio at a St. Paul Chamber Orchestra concert.
Friday, January 26
Harris's "1933" in 1934 ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Roy Harris (1898 –1979): Symphony 1933 (No. 1) Louisville Orchestra; Jorge Mester, cond Albany 012 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Roy Harris ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1924—American composer Warren Benson, in Detroit, Michigan; Deaths: 1795—German composer Johann Christioph Friedrich Bach, age 62, in Bückeburg 1993—American composer and teacher Kenneth Gaburo, age 66, in Iowa City; Premieres: 1732 — Handel: opera "Ezio" (Julian date: Jan.15); 1790 — Mozart: opera, "Così fan tutte," in Vienna at the Burgtheater; 1873 — Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 2, in Moscow (Gregorian date: Feb. 7); 1882 — Borodin: String Quartet No. 2 in D, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 7); 1905 — Schoenberg: symphonic poem "Pelleas und Melisande," in Vienna, with the composer conducting; 1908 — Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 2 in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 8); 1911 — Richard Strauss: opera, “Der Rosenkavalier,” in Dresden at the Hofoper, conducted by Ernst von Schuch, with vocal soloists Margarethe Siems (Marschallin), Eva von der Osten (Octavian), Minnie Nast (Sophie), Karl Perron (Baron Ochs), and Karl Scheidemantel (Faninal); 1920 — Prokofiev: "Overture on Hebrew Themes," in New York by the Zimro Ensemble, with the composer at the piano; 1922 — Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 3 "Pastoral," by the Royal Philharmonic, London, Sir Adrian Boult conducting; 1934 — Roy Harris: Symphony No. 1, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1952 — Ernst von Dohnányi: Violin Concerto No. 2, in San Antonio, Texas; 1957 — Bernstein: "Candide" Overture (concert version), by New York Philharmonic conducted by the composer; The musical "Candide" had opened at the Martin Beck Theater in New York City on December 1, 1956; 1957 — Poulenc: opera, "Les dialogues des carmélites" (The Dialogues of the Carmelites) in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala, Nino Sanzogno conducting; 1962 — Diamond: Symphony No. 7, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 1966 — Dominick Argento: Variations for Orchestra and Soprano (The Masque of Night"), at the St. Paul Campus Student Center of the University of Minnesota, by the Minneapolis Civic Orchestra, Thomas Nee conducting, with soprano Carolyn Bailey; A second performance took place on Jan. 27th at Coffmann Memorial Union on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota; 1967 — Frank Martin: Cello Concerto, in Basel, Switzerland; 1994 — Elisabetta Brusa: “La Triade” for large orchestra, by the Tirana (Albania) Radio and Television Orchestra, Gilberto Serembe conducting; 1994 — Christopher Rouse: Cello Concerto, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by David Zinman, with Yo-Yo Ma the soloist; 1995 — Joan Tower: "Duets for Orchestra," by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Christoph Perick conducting.
Saturday, January 27
A battle for Verdi ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Giuseppe Verdi (1813 –1901): La Battaglia di Legnano ORF Symphony; Lamberto Gardelli, cond. Philips 422 435 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Verdi and his operas ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1756—Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, in Salzburg; 1806—Spanish composer Juan Crisostomo Arriage, in Rigoitia; 1823—French composer Edouard Lalo, in Lille; 1885—American composer Jerome Kern, in New York City; Deaths: 1901—Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi, age 87, in Milan; Premieres: 1726 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 72 ("Alles nur nach Gottes Willen") performed on the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1725/27); 1733 — Handel: opera "Orlando" in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket(Gregorian date: Feb. 7); 1844 — Erkel: opera "Hunyady László," considered the first national Hungarian opera, in Budapest; 1849 — Verdi: opera "La battaglia di Legnano" (The Battle of Legnano), in Rome at the Teatro Argentina; 1874 — Mussorgsky: opera "Boris Godunov", in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 8); 1944 — Paul Creston: Saxophone Concerto, in New York; 1947 — Stravinsky: Concerto in D, in Basle (Switzerland), by the Basle Chamber Orchestra conducted by Paul Sacher (who commissioned the work); 1955 — Tippett: opera "The Midsummer Marriage," in London at the Royal Opera House, with John Pritchard conducting (and soprano Joan Sutherland in the cast); 1967 — Leon Kirchner: Quartet No. 3 for strings and electronic tape, in New York City, by the Beaux Arts Quartet; This work was awarded the 1967 Pulitzer Prize for Music; 1991 — Off-Broadway premiere of Sondheim: musical "Assassins."
Sunday, January 28
Armer's musical sci-fi in SF ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Elinor Armer (b. 1939): Uses of Music in Uttermost Parts SF Chamber Singers; Women's Philharmonic; JoAnn Falletta, cond. Koch 7331 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Elinor Armer and Ursula K. Le Guin ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1791—French opera composer Louis Joseph F. Herold, in Paris; 1898—Italian-American composer Vittorio Rieti, in Alexandria, Egypt; 1944—British composer Sir John Tavener, in London; Deaths: 1935—Russian composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, age 75, in Moscow; 1947—Venezuelan-born French composer Reynaldo Hahn, age 72, in Paris; Premieres: 1725 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 92 ("Ich hab in Gottes Herz und Sinn") performed on Septuagesimae Sunday after Epiphany as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25); 1828 — Schubert: Piano Trio in Bb, Op. 99 (D. 898), at a private performance by Ignaz Schuppanzigh (violin), Josef Linke (cello), and Carl Maria von Bocklet (piano); 1830 — Auber: opera "Fra Diavolo" in Paris at the Opéra-Comique; 1876 — Tchaikovsky: "Serenade mélancolique" for violin and orchestra, in Moscow (Julian date: Jan. 18); 1897 — Glazunov: Symphony No. 5, in London; 1915 — Ravel: Piano Trio in a, in Paris, by Gabriel Wilaume (violin), Louis Feuillard (cello), and Alfredo Casella (piano); 1916 — Granados: opera "Goyescas," at the Metropolitan Opera in New York; 1927 — Copland: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky, with the composer as soloist; 1941 — Copland: "Quiet City," at Town Hall in New York City by the Little Symphony conducted by Daniel Saidenberg; This music is based on incidental music Copland wrote for Irwin Shaw's play of the same name produced by the Group Theater in New York in 1939; 1944 — Bernstein: Symphony No. 1 ("Jeremiah"), at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh by the Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by the composer, with mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel as vocal soloist; 1972 — Scott Joplin: opera "Treemonisha" (orchestrated by T.J. Anderson), in Atlanta; 1990 — Joan Tower: Flute Concerto, at Carnegie Hall in New York, with soloist Carol Wincenc and the American Composers Orchestra, Hugh Wolff, conducting; 1995 — Elinor Armer: “Island Earth” (to a text by Sci-Fi writer Usula K. Le Guin), at the University of California, Berkeley, by the various San Francisco choirs and the Women’s Philharmonic, conducted by JoAnn Falletta; On the same program were the premiere performance’s of Chen Yi’s “Antiphony” for orchestra and Augusta Read Thomas’s “Fantasy” for piano and orchestra (with piano soloist Sara Wolfensohn); 1997 — Morten Lauridsen: “Mid-Winter Songs” (final version) for chorus and orchestra, by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, John Currie conducting; Earlier versions of this work with piano and chamber orchestra accompaniment had premiered in 1981, 1983, and 1985 at various Californian venues; 2000 — André Previn: "Diversions," in Salzburg, Austria, by the Vienna Philharmonic, the composer conducting; Other: 1742—Jonathan Swift, Dean of St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin (and the author of "Gulliver's Travels"), objects to the cathedral singers taking part in performances of Handel's works while the composer is in that city (Gregorian date: Feb. 8); Rehearsals for the premiere performance of Handel's "Messiah" would begin in April of that year, involving the choirs of both Christ Church and St. Patrick's Cathedrals in Dublin; 1971—William Bolcom completes his "Poltergeist" Rag (dedicated to Teresa Sterne, a one-time concert pianist who was then a producer for Nonesuch Records); According to the composer's notes, the "Poltergeist" Rag was written "in a converted garage next to a graveyard in Newburgh, N.Y." |
