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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.  |
March 26-April 1, 2007
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Monday, March 26
Glass in Rome ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Philip Glass (b. 1937): Rome Section, fr The Civil Wars Giuseppe Sabbatini, tenor; American Composers Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, cond. Nonesuch 79487 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Philip Glass On Robert Wilson ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1925—French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez, in Montbrison; Deaths: 1566—Spanish composer and organist Antonio de Cabezón, age c. 56, in Madrid; 1827—German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, age 56, in Vienna; 1918—Russian composer Cesar Cui, age 83, in Petrograd (St. Petersburg); 1977—British composer, pianist and actress Madeleine Dring, age 53, in Streatham, London; Premieres: 1723 — J.S. Bach: "St. John Passion," at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig; 1735 — Handel: Organ Concerto Op. 4, no. 5 in London as an intermission feature during a revival performance of Handel's oratorio "Deborah" at the Covent Garden Theater (Gregorian date: April 6); 1827 — Rossini: opera "Moïse et Pharaon" (Moses and Pharaoh) at the Paris Opéra; This is the 3rd and French-language version of Rossini's Italian opera "Mosè in Egitto" (see March 3 and 7 above); 1943 — William Schuman: cantata "A Free Song" (after Walt Whitman), in Boston; This work won the first Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1943; 1958 — Henry Cowell: "Ongaku" a symphonic suite on Japanese themes, by the Louisville Orchestra. Robert S. Whitney conducting; 1958 — Lutoslawski: "Marche funèbre" (in memory of Béla Bartók), in Katowice, Poland; 1960 — Ralph Shapey: "Evocation" for violin, piano and percussion, in New York City; 1984 — Philip Glass: Act V ("The Rome Section"), from "The CIVIL warS," at the Rome Opera, Marcello Panni conducting; 1986 — Ned Rorem: "The End of Summer" for clarinet, violin, and piano, at Patkar Hall in Bombay (India), by the Verdehr Trio; 1998 — Zwilich: Violin Concerto, at Carnegie Hall in New York, by the Orchestra of St. Luke's, Hugh Wolff conducting, with soloist Pamela Frank; 2001 — Corigliano: "Mannheim Rocket," in Mannheim (Germany), by the Mannheim National Theater Orchestra; Other: 1828—Franz Schubert gives a concert of his own works in Vienna, to great success.
Tuesday, March 27
Haydn in Vienna ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Franz Josef Haydn (1732 - 1808): The Creation The English Baorque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Archiv 449 217 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Haydn ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1851—French composer Vincent d'Indy, in Paris; 1892—American composer and arranger Ferde Grofé, in New York; Deaths: 1757—possible death date for the Bohemian-born composer and violinist Johann (Jan) Wenzel (Waczlaw /Václav) Anton (Antonin/Antonín) Stamitz, age 39, in Mannheim; He was buried in Mannheim on March 30; 1975—British composer Sir Arthur Bliss, age 83, in London; Premieres: 1745 — Handel: oratorio "Belshazzar," at the King's Theater in London (Gregorian date: April 7); 1897 — Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1, in St. Petersburg, conducted by Alexander Glazunov (Julian date: Mar. 15); 1914 — Vaughan Williams: original version of Symphony No. 2 ("A London Symphony"), at Queen's Hall in London; 1917 — Puccini: opera "La Rondine" (The Swallow), in Monte-Carlo at the Opéra du Casino; 1925 — Edward Joseph Collins: Piano Concerto No. 1 in Eb, by the Chicago Symphony, Frederick Stock conducting and the composer as soloist; 1960 — Mayuzumi: "Mandala-Symphonie," in Tokyo; 1984 — Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Starlight Express," in London; 2001 — Kevin Volans: String Quartet No. 6, in London, by the Vanbrugh Quartet; Other: 1808—Franz Joseph Haydn makes his last public appearance at a performance of his oratorio "The Creation" in Vienna in honor of the composer's approaching 76th birthday; Beethoven and Salieri attend the performance and greet Haydn.
Wednesday, March 28
Beethoven in Vienna ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827): The Creatures of Prometheus Orpheus Chamber Orchestra DG 453 713 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Beethoven More on Beethoven ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1871—Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg, in Utrecht; 1890—American bandleader Paul Whiteman, in Denver, Colo.; 1930—American composer Robert Ashley, in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Deaths: 1881—Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, age 42, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Mar. 16); 1911—Lithuanian painter and composer Mikolajus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (Gregorian date: April 10); 1937—Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, age 54, in Lausanne, Switzerland; 1943—Russian-born composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, age 69, in Beverly Hills, Calif.; A few weeks before his death he became an American citizen; 1949—Rumanian composer and violinist Grigoras Dinicu, age 59, in Bucharest; He is best known for his virtuoso violin showpiece "Hora staccato" (1906); 1958—American composer and "father of the blues" William Christopher (W.C.) Handy, age 84 in New York; Premieres: 1733 — Handel: oratorio "Deborah" (Julian date: March 17); 1801 — Beethoven: ballet "The Creatures of Prometheus," at the Burgtheater in Vienna; 1871 — Tchaikovsky: String Quartet in D, Op. 11, in Moscow, by members of the Russian Musical Society (Julian date: Mar. 16); 1879 — Smetana: String Quartet in e ("From My Life"), in Prague, by Ferdinand Lachner, Jan Pelikán (violins), Josef Krehan (viola), and Alois Neruda (cello); This was the "official" premiere, although a private performance had taken place in Prague the previous year, with the young Antonin Dvorák performing on viola; 1896 — Giordano: opera "Andrea Chénier," in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; 1940 — Britten: Violin Concerto, Op. 15, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by John Barbirolli, with Antonio Brosa the soloist; 1951 — Douglas Moore: opera "Giants in the Earth," in New York City; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1951; 1958 — Rochberg: Symphony No. 1, in Philadelphia; 1960 — Cowell: Symphony No. 12, by the Houston Symphony, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1972 — Bernstein: "Meditations Nos. 1 and 2" for Cello and Piano, in New York City, by cellist Stephen Katz and the composer at the piano; 2003 — Ned Rorem: Cello Concerto, by the Kansas City Symphony with Michael Stern conducting and David Geringas the soloist; Other: 1739 —London music publisher John Walsh the younger issues Handel's Trio Sonatas, Op. 5 London (Gregorian date: April 8); 1842—The Vienna Philharmonic plays its first concert (as the "Vienna Court Orchestra") in the Redoutensaale under the director of composer Otto Nicolai, the director of the Vienna Court Opera; The program included Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, his concert aria "Ah, Perfido," and the "Leonore" No. 3 and "Consercration of the House" Overtures, along with other vocal selections by Mozart and Cherubini.
Thursday, March 29
Sheng's "Silent Temple" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Bright Sheng (b. 1955): String Quartet No. 4 (Silent Temple) Shanghai Quartet BIS 1138 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Bright Sheng ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1902—British composer Sir William Walton, in Oldham; 1936—British composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, in Broadstairs; Deaths: 1697—German composer and organist Nicolaus Bruhns, age c. 32, in Husum; 1888—French composer Charles-Henri Alkan, age 75, in Paris; 1911—French composer and organist Alexandre (Felix) Guilmant, age 74, in Meudon; 1924—British composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, age 71, in London; 2001—American jazz pianist and composer John Lewis, a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, age 80, in New York; Premieres: 1795 — possible premiere of Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in Bb, in Vienna, with the composer as soloist; This concerto was written and premiered before Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, which was, however, published first; 1806 — Beethoven: "Leonore" Overture No. 3, as part of the second, revised version of the opera "Fidelio," at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna; 1836 — Wagner: opera "Das Liebesverbot" (The Ban on Love), in Magdeburg at the Stadttheater; Wagner's libretto is based on Shakespeare's play "Measure for Measure"; 1874 — Dvorak: Symphony No. 3 in Eb, in Prague; 1879 — Tchaikovsky: opera "Eugene Onegin," in Moscow at the Malïy (Small) Theater (Julian date: Mar. 17); 1882 — Glazunov: Symphony No. 1, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Mar. 17); 1892 — Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 1 (first movement only), in Moscow, Vasily Safanov conducting and with the composer as soloist (Julian date: Mar. 17); 1911 — Chadwick: "Suite Symphonique," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, with the composer conducting; 2000 — Bright Sheng: String Quartet No. 4, in Richmond, Va., by the Shanghai String Quartet; Other: 1871—Royal Albert Hall is formally opened in London by Queen Victoria.
Friday, March 30
Symphonies by Strauss ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Richard Strauss (1864 - 1949): Symphony in d Bavarian Radio Symphony; Karl Anton Rickenbacker, cond. Koch/Schwann 365 322 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Richard Strauss (with many links to other sites) A Richard Strauss timeline . . . ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1935—American composer Gordon Muma, in Framingham, Mass.; Deaths: 1764—Italian composer Pietro Locatelli, age 68, in Amsterdam; Premieres: 1725 — Bach: "St. John Passion" (S. 245, second version) performed at Vespers on Good Friday as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25); The first version had premiered on Good Friday in 1724 (April 7); 1881 — R. Strauss: Symphony in d, in Munich, with Hermann Levi; This was Strauss' first major orchestral work; 1951 — Piston: Symphony No. 4, by the Minneapolis Symphony, Antal Dorati conducting; 2000 — Corigliano: "Phantasmagoria" (Suite from the opera "The Ghosts of Versailles"), in Minneapolis, by the Minnesota Orchestra, Giancarlo Guerrero conducting.
Saturday, March 31
Dvorák's "Rusalka" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Antonin Dvorák (1841–1904): O Silver Moon, fr Rusalka Renee Fleming, soprano; London Symphony; Sir Georg Solti, cond. London 455 760 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Antonin Dvorák Dvorák in the Midwest ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1732—Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn, in Rohrau; 1872—Russian ballet impresario Sergei Diaghilev, in Gruzino, Novgorod district (Julian date: Mar. 19); Deaths: 1880—Polish composer and violinist Henryk Wieniawski, age 44, in Moscow; 1901—British composer Sir John Stainer, age 60, in Verona, Italy; Premieres: 1723 — Handel: Concerto in F (HWV 331) (Julian date: March 20); 1739 — Handel: Organ Concerto in A (HWV 296a) (Julian date: March 20); 1745 — Rameau: opera-ballet, "Platée," at Versailles; 1784 — Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 16 in D, K. 451, in Vienna, with composer as soloist; 1794 — Haydn: Symphony No. 100 ("Military"), conducted by the composer on his 62nd birthday, at the Hanover-Square Concert Rooms in London; 1841 — R. Schumann: Symphony No. 1 ("Spring"), by Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Felix Mendelssohn conducting; 1901 — Dvorák: opera "Rusalka," in Prague at the National Theater; 1913 — Webern: "Six Pieces" for orchestra, in Vienna; 1932 — Chávez: ballet "Horsepower," in Philadelphia; 1947 — Ulysses Kay: "Short Overture," in New York City; 1949 — William Grant Still: opera "Troubled Island," in New York City; 1951 — R. Strauss: "Munich Waltz," posthumously in Vienna; This music was originally written for the 1939 film; 1961 — Françaix: "L'Horloge de Flore," by oboist John de Lancie, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 2001 — Peter Lieberson: Piano Quintet, at Carnegie Hall, by pianist Peter Serkin with the Orion String Quartet; Other: 1837—Franz Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg, the two reigning virtuosi of their day, perform a sort of pianistic "duel" at a benefit concert in aid of Italian refuguees at the Parisian salon of Princess Cristina Belgiojso-Trivulzio.
Sunday, April 1
(April Fools' Day)
Show information not yet available. ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1866—Italian composer and pianist Ferruccio Busoni, in Empoli; 1873 —Russian composer and pianist Sergei Rachmaninoff, in Semyonovo, near Staraya Russa, Novgorod district (Julian date: Mar. 20); Rachmaninoff came to the U.S. in 1918, and became an American citizen shortly before his death in 1943; 1917 —Rumanian composer and pianist Dinu Lipatti, in Bucharest; 1921—American composer Williams Bergsma, in Oakland, Calif.; Deaths: 1917—American ragtime composer Scott Joplin, age 48, in a New York City hospital; Premieres: 1735 — Handel: Organ Concerto Op. 4, no. 4. as an intermission feature during the London premiere of Handel's oratorio "Athalia"at the Covent Garden Theater; "Athalia"had premiered at the Sheldonian Theater in Oxford on July 10, 1733 (Gregorian dates: April 12 and July 21, respectively); 1747 — Handel: oratorio "Judas Maccabaeus,"in London at the Covent Garden Theater; The event possibly included the premiere of Handel's "Concerto a due Cori"No. 3 as well (Gregorian date: April 12); 1873 — Verdi: String Quartet, at an informal performance in Verdi's hotel in Naples, by performers identified only as "the Pinto brothers (violins), Salvadore (viola), and Giarritiello (cello); 1894 — Rachmaninoff: symphonic fantasy "The Rock,"in Moscow, conducted by Vasily Safonov (Julian date: March 20); 1913 — de Falla: opera "La vida breve"(The Short Life), in Nice, at the Théatre du Casino Municipal; 1937 — Menotti: opera "Amelia Goes to the Ball,"at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia; Menotti was a Curtis alumnus and wrote "Amelia Goes to the Ball"while still a student there; The work is dedicated to Curtis founder Mary Bok; A year later, the opera is presented by the Metropolitan Opera; 1954 — Copland: opera "The Tender Land,"by the New York City Opera; 1976 — Diamond: Violin Concerto No. 3, in New York City; 1995 — Michael Torke: "December"for string orchestra, by the Des Moines (Iowa) Symphony, Joseph Giunta conducting; 1999 — Magnus Lindberg: "Cantiags"for orchestra, by the Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi, conducting; Other: 1888—The eccentric Parisian composer and piano virtuoso Alkan is buried in the Montmatre Cemetary; Isidore Philipp, one of only four mourners who attend Alkan's internment, claimed to have been present when the composer's body was found in his apartment and said the elderly Alkan was pulled from under a heavy bookcase, which apparently fell on him while Alkan was trying to reach for a copy of the Talmud on its top shelf; This story has been discounted by some Alkan scholars; 1902—American premiere of Debussy's "Prelude to ‘The Afternoon of a Faun'"by the Orchestral Club of Boston. |
