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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.  |
April 16-22, 2007
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Monday, April 16
Persichetti and Tania Leon for band ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Vincent Pershichetti (1915–1987): Symphony No. 6 (Symphony for Band) Eastman Wind Ensemble; Frederick Fennell, cond. Mercury 432 754 & Tania Leon (b. 1943): Alegre American Composers Forum Bandquest CD-ROM (Hal Leonard) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Persichetti On Tania Leon On other "BandQuest"composers ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1893—Spanish composer Federico Mompou, in Barcelona; 1924—American composer Henry Mancini, in Cleveland; Deaths: 1846—Italian composer and double-bass virtuoso Domenico Dragonetti, age 83, in London; Premieres: 1735 — Handel: opera "Alcina," in London at the Covent Garden Theatre; This was Handel's last operatic success in London (Gregorian date: April 27); 1791 — Mozart: Symphony No. 40 (re-scored to include a pair of clarinets) is performed in Vienna at concerts conducted by Antonio Salieri; 1849 — Meyerbeer: opera "Le prophète" (The Prophet), at the Paris Opéra; 1896 — Dvorák: String Quartet in Ab, Op. 105, at the Prague Conservatory, by four students (at the composer's special request, on the first anniversary of his returning home from America); 1909 — Arthur Foote: Suite for Strings in E, by the Boston Symphony with Max Fiedler conducting; 1942 — Barber: "Second Essay" for orchestra, in New York City; 1945 — Leo Sowerby: "Canticle of the Sun" for chorus and orchestra, in New York City; 1956 — Persichetti: Symphony No. 6 ("Symphony for Band"), in St. Louis, by the Washington University Chamber Band, Clark Mitze conducting; 1959 — Ned Rorem: Symphony No. 3, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting; 1967 — Ligeti: Cello Concerto, by the Berlin Radio Symphony conducted by Henryk Czyz, with Siegfried Palm the soloist; 1994 — David Ward-Steinman: "Cinnabar" Concerto for viola and chamber orchestra, at the University of San Diego, Calif., by the San Diego Contemporary Music Ensemble conducted by Lily Hood Gunn, with Karen Elaine as soloist; Other: 1888—American premiere of Verdi's opera "Otello," at the Academy of Music in New York City; 1920—American premiere of Debussy: "Fantasie," by Boston Symphony, Pierre Monteux conducting.
Tuesday, April 17
Mozart in New York ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): The Magic Flute Overture Capella Istropolitana; Barry Wordsworth, cond. Naxos 8.550185 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: H. E. Krehbiel on early opera in New York City (E-book) ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1683—German composer Johann David Heinichen, in Krüssuln; 1774—Bohemian composer Jan Václav Tomášek (Johann Wenzel Tomaschek), in Skutec; 1897—Norwegian composer Harald Saeverud, in Bergen; Deaths: 1790—American statesman, scientist, amateur musician and composer Benjamin Franklin, age 84, in Philadelphia; 2002—Canadian composer and conductor Srul Irving Glick, age 67, in Toronto; Premieres: 1918 — Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 4 and Two Sonatinas, Op. 54, in Petrograd, by the composer; 1941 — Edward Joseph Collins: ”Lament and Jig"for orchestra, by the Chicago Symphony, Frederick Stock conducting; 1964 — Rozsa: "Notturno Ungherese," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 1965 — Stravinsky: "Variations (Aldous Huxley in memoriam)" and "Introitus (T.S. Eliot in memoriam)" in Chicago, conducted by Robert Craft; 1998 — Libby Larsen: "Songs of Light and Love" (poems by May Sarton), in Philadelphia, by soprano Benita Valente and the Network for New Music; 2003 — Gubaidulina: " The Light of the End"for orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, with Kurt Masur conducting; Other: 1833—American premiere of Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" (sung in English), at the Park Theatre in New York City; 1849—Gottschalk's formal début at the Salle Pleyel in Paris (He had had performed his first recital there on April 2, 1845, with Chopin in the audience); He performs some of his own compositions and is hailed as the first authentic composer of the New World; 1906—On tour in San Francisco with the Metropolitan Opera touring company, the great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso sings a performace of Bizet's "Carmen" the day before the Great San Francisco Earthquake;
Wednesday, April 18
Bernstein's "Fancy Free" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leonard Bernstein (1918- 1990): Fancy Free Ballet New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 63085 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Bernstein and his music ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1819—Austrian opera composer Franz von Suppé, in Spalato, Dalmatia; 1882—British-born American conductor, arranger and new music champion, Leopold Stokowski, in London; 1907 —Hungarian-born American composer Miklós Rósza, in Budapest; Deaths: 1936—Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, age 56, in Rome; Premieres: 1713 — Handel: "Utrecht Te Deum" (Julian date: April 7); 1800 — Beethoven: Horn Sonata, in Vienna, with horn virtuoso Wenzel Punto and the composer at the piano; 1898 — Chausson: Symphony, in Paris; 1909 — Rachmaninoff: "The Isle of the Dead" (Gregorian date: May 1); 1930 — Charles Wakefield Cadman: Violin Sonata, in Los Angeles, with violinist Vera Barstow; 1944 — Bernstein: ballet "Fancy Free," at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, choreographed by Jerome Robbins, with the Ballet Theater orchestra conducted by the composer; 1958 — Easley Blackwood: Symphony No. 1, in Boston; 1958 — Quincy Porter: "New England Episodes", in Washington; 1977 — Broadway premiere of Sondheim: revue "Side by Side by Sondheim" (compiled from various Sondheim musicals by British singer-actor David Kernan and others); This revue opened in London on May 4, 1976; 1986 — John Harbison: "Music for 18 Winds," in Cambridge, Mass., by the MIT Chamber Players, John Harbison conducting.
Thursday, April 19
Mozart's Quintets ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756–1791): String Quintet in C, K.515 Tokyo String Quartet; Pinchas Zukerman, viola BMG 60940 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Wolfgang Mozart ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1868—German composer Max von Schillings, in Duren; 1892—French composer Germaine Tailleferre, in Pau-St.-Maur; Deaths: 1799—Dutch composer, violinist and organist Pieter Hellendaal, age 78, in Cambridge (England); 1986—Swedish composer Dag Wiren, age 80, in Stockholm; Premieres: 1774 — Gluck: opera "Iphigenia in Aulis," in Paris at the Palais Royale Opéra; 1899 — Franck: String Quartet, in Paris; 1936 — Berg: Violin Concerto, in Barcelona at the Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music, by the Pablo Casals Orchestra conducted by Hermann Scherchen with Louis Krasner (who had commissioned the work) as the soloist; 1964 — Stravinsky: "Fanfare for a New Theater," at the Inauguration of the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center; 1975 — Rameau: unfinished opera "Les Boréades," in London; This was Rameau's last opera, composed in 1764 and left unfinished at the time of the composer's death; For the 1975 premiére in London, conductor John Eliot Gardiner prepared a performing edition of the score; 2000 — Kernis: "Valentines" for soprano and orchestra, in Minneapolis, with Renée Fleming and the Minnesota Orchestra, Eiji Oue conducting; 2001 — Michael Daugherty: "UFO" for solo percussion and winds, in Denton, Texas, by Evelyn Glennie and the North Texas Wind Symphony, Eugene Migliaro Corporon conducting; 2001 — Poul Ruders: "Paganini Variations" for guitar and orchestra, with soloist David Starobin and the Odense Symphony of Denmark; Other: 1787—Mozart finishes his String Quintet in C (K. 515) in Vienna; Mozart had offered this work on a subscription basis via announcements in the Wiener Zeitung on April 2,5, and 9 of that year; due to the poor response, Mozart extended the offer June 25 through Jan. 1, 1789. 1851 —First documented American performance of Beethoven's "Coriolanus"Overture, at the Melodeon in Boston, during a "Grand Symphony Concert"conducted by C.C. Perkins.
Friday, April 20
Biblical Torke ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Michael Torke (b. 1961): Song of Isaiah Present Music Innova 590 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Michael Torke ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1881—Russian composer Nikolai Miaskovsky, in the fortress of Novo-Georgiyevsk (now Modlin), Poland (Julian date: April 8); Deaths: 1869—German song composer Karl Loewe, age 72, in Kiel; Premieres: 1910 — Ravel: "Ma Mère l'oye" (Mother Goose) for piano four-hands, in Paris, by two young female pianists, at the first concert of the newly-formed "Société musicale indépedante"; On the same program was the premiere of Gabriel Fauré's "Le Chanson d'Eve" with the composer at the piano; 1979 — George Perle: Concertino for Piano, Winds, and Timpani, by Morey Ritt and the Contemporary Chamber Players of the University of Chicago, Ralph Shapey conducting; 1983 — Thomas Oboe Lee: "Quartet on B-flat" for string quartet, at the Harvard Music Association in Beacon Hill, Mass., by the Manhattan String Quartet; 2001 — Danielpour: String Quartet, in Kansas City, Mo., by the American String Quartet; 2002 — Michael Torke: "Song of Isaiah"for voice and chamber ensemble, at the Milwaukee Art Museum by the Present Music Ensemble, with the composer conducting; Other: 1759—Burial of Handel in Westminster Abbey, London; 1928—In Paris, the first public demonstration of an electronic instrument invented by Maurice Martenot called the "Ondes musicales"; The instrument later came to be called the "Ondes Martenot," and was included in scores by Milhaud, Messiaen, Jolivet, Ibert, Honegger, Florent Schmitt and other 20th century composers.
Saturday, April 21
Copland's "Hurricane" for kids ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Aaron Copland (1900–1990): The Second Hurricane High School of Music and Art; New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 60560 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: Copland reviews from the NY Times (including "The Second Hurricane") ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1899—American composer and teacher Randall Thompson, in New York; 1933—American composer and pianist Easley Blackwood, in Indianapolis; Premieres: 1845 — Lortzing: opera "Undine," in Magdeburg at the Stadttheater; 1889 — Puccini: opera "Edgar," in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; 1917 — Debussy: Sonata No. 2 for flute,viola, and harp, at a concert of the Société Musicale Indépendante in Paris, by the trio of Manouvirier (flute), Jarecki (viola), and Jamet (harp); 1918 — Prokofiev: Symphony No. 1 ("Classical"), in Petrograd, by the former Court Orchestra with the composer conducting; 1922 — Frederick Converse: Symphony No. 2, by the Boston Symphony, Pierre Monteux conducting; 1924 — Youmans: musical "No, No Nanette," in Detroit; After stops in Chicago and London, the musical opened on Broadway on Sept. 16, 1925; 1937 — Copland: a play-opera for high school "The Second Hurricane," at the Grand Street Playhouse in New York City, with soloists from the Professional Children's School, members of the Henry Street Settlement adult chorus, and the Seward High School student chorus, with Lehman Engle conducting and Orson Welles directing the staged production; One professional adult actor, Joseph Cotton, also participated (He was paid $10); 1939 — Leonard Bernstein's first appearance as a conductor, leading his own incidental score to "The Birds" at Harvard; 1942 — Bernstein: Clarinet Sonata, in Boston, with clarinetist David Glazer and the composer at the piano; 1948 — Vaughan Williams: Symphony No. 6, at Royal Albert Hall in London, by the BBC Symphony, Sir Adrian Boult conducting; 1973 — Bliss: "Variations" for orchestra, in London, with Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1985 — Morton Feldman: "For Philip Guston," for chamber ensemble, in New York; 1988 — Bernstein: "Missa brevis," in Atlanta by the Atlanta Symphony Chorus conducted by Robert Shaw; Other: 1749—Against Handel's wishes, in advance of its official premiere scheduled for April 27, a public rehearsal of Handel's "Music for the Royal Fireworks" at Vauxhall Gardens takes place; Reports suggest 12,000 attended, causing traffic jams on London Bridge (Gregorian date: May 2); 1829—Mendelssohn, age 20, arrives in London for his first visit. 1863 —American premiere of J.S. Bach's Concerto for Two Claviers and Orchestra No.2 in C Major, at Dodworth's Hall in New York during a Mason-Thomas chamber music "Soiree,"with Henry C. Timm and William Mason performing on two pianos.
Sunday, April 22
Orchestral openings and closings ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Modest Mussorgsky (orch. Ravel) (1839 - 1881): Pictures at an Exhibition Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, cond. Reference 79 & Franz Josef Haydn (1732–1808): Symphony No. 104 Philharmonia Hungarica; Antal Dorati, cond. London 425 935 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Serge Koussevitzky On the Philharmonia Hungarica ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1658—Italian composer and violinist Giuseppe Torelli, in Verona; 1858—British composer and women's rights advocate Dame Ethel Smyth, in Rectory; 1922—American composer and jazz bassist Charles Mingus, in Nogales, Ariz.; 1932—American composer Michael Colgrass, in Chicago; Deaths: 1892—French composer Edouard Lalo, age 69, in Paris; 1925—French composer André Caplet, age 46, in Paris; 2001—American composer, pianist and author Robert Starer, age 77, in Woodstock, N.Y.; Premieres: 1749 — Rameau: opera-ballet "Naïs," in Paris; 1885 — Dvorák: Symphony No. 7, in London, with the Royal Philharmonic conducted by the composer; 1904 — Chadwick: "Euterpe" overture, by the Boston Symphony with the composer conducting; 1912 — Dukas: ballet "La Péri," in Paris; 1927 — Roger Sessions: Symphony (No. 1) in e, by the Boston Symphony with Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1938 — Leo Sowerby: Organ Concerto, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1939 — Menotti: opera "The Old Man and the Thief," in New York City as a NBC radio broadcast; The first staged performance took place in Philadelphia on February 11, 1941; 1944 — Harry Partch: "Eight Hitchhiker Inscriptions from a Highway Railing," at the chamber concert room at Carnegie Hall; 1961 — Ginastera: Piano Concerto No. 1, in Washington, D.C.; 1969 — Peter Maxwell Davies: "Eight Songs for a Mad King," in London; 1975 — Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Jeeves" (book and lyrics by Alan Ayckbourn), in London; An almost totally revised version of this musical, retitled "By Jeeves,: opened in London on July 2, 1996; 1999 — Harbison: "Four Psalms," by vocal soloists Lisa Affer, Lorraine Hunt, Frank Kelley, and James Maddalena, with the Chicago Symphony and Chorus, Christoph Eschenbach conducting; Other: 1723—J.S. Bach is elected cantor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig; 1853—First documented American performance of Beethoven's "Leonore"Overture No. 2, at Niblo's Rooms in New York City, by the New York Philharmonic, Theodore Eisfeld conducting; 1869—First documented American performance of Beethoven's "King Stephen"Oveture (Op. 117), at the Academy of Music in New York, by the Theodore Thomas Orchestra; 1876—American premiere of Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet" Fantasy-Overture, by the New York Philharmonic, George Matzka conducting; 1921—In Paris, the first of the "Koussevitzky Concerts" organized and conducted by the wealthy Russian emigree conductor and music patron, Serge Koussevitzky; 2001—Philharmonic Hungarica gives its final concert in Düsseldorf; The orchestra was founded by Hungarian musicians who fled to West Germany after the Soviet invasion of Hungary in 1956; For London/Decca Records the Philharmonic Hungarica made the first complete set of all of Haydn's symphonies under the baton of its honorary president, the Hungarian-American conductor Antal Dorati. |
