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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 30-August 5, 2007
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Monday, July 30
Ellington honored — finally! ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Edward Kennedy ("Duke") Ellington (1899-1974): The Golden Broom and the Green Apple Duke Ellington, piano; Cincinnati Symphony; Erich Kunzel, cond. MCA 42318 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Duke Ellington On Pulitzer Prizes (past and present) ALSO ON THIS DATE: Deaths: 1968—Icelandic composer Jon Leifs, age 68, in Reykjavik Premieres: 1965 — Duke Ellington: "The Golden Broom and the Golden Apples," by the New York Philharmonic, with the composer conducting, on the same concert as the belated premiere of Ives: "From the Steeples and the Mountains," with Lukas Foss conducting 1983 — Michael Torke: "Ceremony of Innocence," for chamber quintet, at the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox, Mass., by fellows of the Tanglewood Center, Gunther Schuller conducting Other: 1829—On a visit to Edinburgh, Mendelssohn visits Holyrood Palace and writes down the first measures of his "Scottish" Symphony
Tuesday, July 31
Bach at rest ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: J.S. Bach (1685-1750): St. Matthew Passion SW German Madrigal Chorus; Wolfgang Gönnenwein, cond. EMI Classics 79544 & J.S. Bach (1685-1750) arr. Chris Brubeck: Variations on Themes by Bach Joel Brown, guitar; London Symphony; Joel Revzen, cond. Koch International 7485 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Bach's life and music ALSO ON THIS DATE: Deaths: 1886—Hungarian composer and pianist Franz Liszt, age 74, in Bayreuth Premieres: 1922 — Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 1, Op. 42a, at Donaueschingen, Germany, with Hermann Scherchen conducting 1938 — Morton Gould: "Second American Sinfonietta," at a New York Philharmonic concert at Lewisohn Stadium conducted by the composer 1982 — Rochberg: opera "The Confidence Man" (after the novel by Hermann Melville), at the Sante Fe Opera in New Mexico 2004 — Jennifer Higdon: "Loco," at the Ravinia Festival, by the Chicago Symphony, Christoph Eschenbach conducting Other: 1750—Probable date of J.S. Bach's burial in Leipzig (see July 28).
Wednesday, August 1
Mozart in Salzburg, Dvořák in America ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Wolfgang Mozart (1756-1791): Piano Concerto No. 9 in Eb, K. 271 Mitsuko Uchida, p; English Chamber Orchestra; Jeffrey Tate, cond. Philips 438 634 & Antonin Dvořák (1841-1904): String Quintet in Eb, Op. 97 Smetana Quartet with Josef Suk, vla. Denon 72507 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Mozart On Dvořák ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1779—Baltimore lawyer Francis Scott Key, who in 1814 wrote the words of "The Star-Spangled Banner," setting his text to the tune of a popular British drinking song of the day, "To Anacreon in Heaven," written by John Stafford Smith; The text and the tune became the official national anthem by and Act of Congress in 1931; 1858—Austrian composer Hans Rott, in Vienna; 1913—American composer Jerome Moross, in Brooklyn; 1930—British pop song and musical composer Lionel Bart, of "Oliver!" fame, in London; Deaths: 1973—Gian-Francesco Maliperio, Italian composer and first editor of collected works of Monteverdi and Vivaldi, age 91, in Treviso; Premieres: 1740 — Thomas Arne: masque, “Alfred” (containing “Rule, Brittania”), in Clivedon (Gregorian date: August 12); 1921 — Hindemith: String Quartet No. 3, Op. 16, by the Amar Quartet (which included the composer on viola) in Donaueschingen, Germany; 1968 — Webern: "Rondo" for string quartet, written in 1906, at the Congregation of the Arts at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire; 1993 — Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Concerto for Horn and String Orchestra, at the Bravo! Music Festival in Vail, Colo., by soloist David Jolley with the Rochester Philharmonic, Lawrence Leighton Smith conducting; Other: 1892—John Philip Sousa , age 37, quits the U.S. Marine Corps Band to form his own 100-piece marching band; 1893—In Spillville Iowa, Antonin Dvorák finishes his String Quintet in Eb, Op. 97 ("The American") during his summer vacation at the Czech settlement.
Thursday, August 2
Gluck and Glass in the Underworld ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787): Dance of the Blessed Spirits, fr Orphée Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, cond. L'oiseau Lyre 410 553 & Philip Glass (b.1937): Act 2 Interlude, fr Orphée Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, cond. Nonesuch 79496-2 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Gluck On Glass ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1891—English composer Sir Arthur Bliss, in London; 1905—German composer Karl Amadeus Hartmann, in Munich; 1936—British composer Anthony Payne, in London; Deaths: 1827—English-born early American composer James Hewitt, age 57, in Boston; 1945—Italian opera composer Pietro Mascagni, age 81, in Rome; 1945—Austrian composer Emil Nikolaus von Reznicek, age 85, in Berlin; 1978—Mexican composer and conductor Carlos Chavez, age 79, in Mexico City; Premieres: 1774 — Gluck: opera, "Orphee" (2nd version) in Paris at the Academie Royale; This is the French version of his Italian opera "Orfeo ed Euridice," which had premiered in Vienna in 1762; 1964 — Persichetti: Piano Concerto, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire; 1990 — David Matthews: Romanza for cello and small orchestra (Mstislav Rostropovich, soloist); Patrick Gowers: Suite for solo violin and chamber orchestra (José-Luis Garcia soloist) and Patrick Doyle "The Thistle and the Rose" (soprano Maria McLaughlin soloist), at the ballroom of Buckingham Palace in London, by the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Raymond Leppard; All three works were specially written for a concert celebrating the 90th birthday of HM Queen Elisabeth (aka the Queen Mother); 1993 — John Harbison: "Three City Blocks" for symphonic band, in Fort Smith, Ark., by the U.S. Air Force Band, Lt. Col. Alan Bonner conducting; Other: 1921—Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, age 48, dies in Naples; 1923—First festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music in Salzburg, Austria, offering chamber music by Schönberg, Berg and Bartók; Even though the Berg String Quartet, Op. 3 had premiered it Vienna on April 24, 1911, it was the 1923 Salzburg performance by the Havemann Quartet that established Berg's worldwide reputation in musical circles.
Friday, August 3
Rossini asks “Who was that masked man?” ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868): William Tell Overture Philharmonia Orchestra; Carlo Maria Giulini, cond. EMI 69042 & Dimitri Shostakovich (1906-1975): Symphony No. 15 in A, Op. 141 London Philharmonic; Mariss Jansons, cond. EMI 56591 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Rossini On other famous radio themes ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1884—Russian-born American composer Louis Gruenberg, near Brest-Litovsk (Julian date: July 22); 1896—Russian inventor Lev Sergeivitch Termen (anglicized to Leon Theremin) in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: August 15) Deaths: 1784—Italian composer and teacher Giovanni Battista Martini, age 78, in Bologna; His students included Gluck, Mozart, Grétry, and Jommelli; Premieres: 1829 — Rossini: opera, "Guillaume Tell" (William Tell), at the Paris Opéra; 1941 — Robert Russell Bennett: Symphony in D ("For the Dodgers"), in New York; 1961 — John Cage: "Atlas Eclipticalis," at the "International Week of Today's Music," in Montréal; 1967 — Lalo Schifrin: cantata, "The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich" (adapted from the composer's filmscore) by the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl, with Lawrence Foster conducting; Other: 1668—German composer Dietrich Buxtehude marries the daughter of Franz Tunder, retiring organist at St. Mary's Church in Lübeck, as a condition to succeed Tunder in his position at St. Mary's; It is thought that both Handel and J.S. Bach were both interested in the position - but not in Tunder's daughter; 1778—Milan’s famous Teatro alla Scala (La Scala) opens with a performance of “L’Europa riconosciuta” by Italian opera composer Antonio Salieri, a work written specially for the occasion; The theater took its name from the site previously occupied by the church of Santa Maria della Scala (named after Bernabo Visconti’s wife, Beatrice della Scala); This same opera, conducted by Riccardo Muti, was performed on Dec. 7, 2004 at the Gala reopening of La Scala after three years of major renovation; 1779—Mozart finishes in Salzburg his "Posthorn" Serenade; 1795—The Paris Conservatory of Music is founded by the National Revolutionary Convention.
Saturday, August 4
A “Theme Noir” by David Raksin ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: David Raksin (b. 1912): Laura Theme New Philharmonia; David Raksin, cond. BMG/RCA 1490 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Raksin A list of Rakin’s film and TV scores ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1875—Italian opera composer Italo Montemezzi, in Vigasio (near Verona); 1901—Jazz trumpeter Louis Armstrong, in New Orleans; Uncertain of the exact day (or year), Armstrong and his manager came up with the idea of saying he was born on the 4th of July in the year 1900; 1910—American composer William Schuman, in New York; He won the first Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1943 for his Walt Whitman cantata, "A Free Song"; 1912—American composer David Raksin, in Philadelphia, Pa.; He wrote more than 100 film scores, including the 1944 film noire classic "Laura"; Deaths: 1930—German opera composer and conductor Siegfried Wagner, age 61, in Bayreuth; He was the son of the 19th century German composer Richard Wagner, and little Siegfried's birth was celebrated musically in the elder Wagner's "Siegfried Idyll"; Premieres: 1940 — Milhaud: "Le Cortège funèbre" (Funeral March), on a CBS Radio broadcast conducted by the composer; 1972 — Wuorinen: Violin Concerto, for amplified violin and orchestra, at the Tanglewood Festival in Mass., by violinist Paul Zukofsky and the Boston Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting; 1976 — Menotti: Symphony No. 1 ("The Halcyon"), at Saratoga Springs, N.Y., by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 1998 — Danielpour: Bassoon Quintet, by bassoonist Stephen Walt and the Muir String Quartet, in Williamstown, Mass.; 2001 — John Tavener: "Song of the Cosmos," at a Proms Concert in London, by soprano Patricia Rozario, baritone Father Meliton, The Bach Choir and the BBC Philharmonic, Hill conducting; Other: 1705—In Arnstadt, J.S. Bach and a bassoonist named Johann Heinrich Geyersbach cross paths late a night and an argument ensues; Geyerbach threatens Bach with a stick and Bach draws his sword; Both are hauled up before the city magistrate and reprimanded for their behavior (See also: August 9 and 14, 1703) 1782—Mozart marries Constanze Weber at St. Stephen's in Vienna, with the grudging consent of Mozart's father, Leopold. 1967—The scheduled local premiere at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires of Argentinean composer Alberto Ginastera's opera "Bomarzo" is cancelled by the military government due to the opera's unacceptable level of sex and violence depicted on-stage; The work had received its world premiere performance on May 19th in Washington, DC.
Sunday, August 5
Of Mountains and Messiaen ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992): Bryce Canyon and the Red-Orange Rocks, fr From the Canyons to the Stars London Sinfonietta; Esa-Pekka Salonen, cond CBS/Sony 44762 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Messiaen ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1623—Italian opera composer Marc Antonio Cesti, in Arezzo; 1694—Italian composer and organist Leonardo Leo, in San Vito degli Schiavi(near Brindisi); He was one of the founders of the Neapolitan School of composition; 1811—French composer Ambroise Thomas, in Metz; 1926—French composer of American parentage Betsy Jolas, in Paris; Deaths: 1891—English-born French composer, pianist and music publisher Charles Henry Litolff, age 73, in Bois-Colombes (near Paris); 1916—English composer George Butterworth, age 31, in France, as a British soldier during the battle of Pozières; Premieres: 1956 — Ned Rorem: Symphony No. 2, at La Jolla, Calif.; 1972 — David Del Tredici: "Vintage Alice" for soprano and chamber ensemble (to a text by Lewis Carroll), in Saratoga, California; 2000 — Richard Danielpour: Violin Concerto ("A Fool's Paradise"), at the Saratoga Center for the Performing Arts, in Saratoga, N.Y., by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Charles Dutoit, with soloist Chantal Juillet; Other: 1717—J.S. Bach appointed Kapellmeister to Prince Leopold at Coethen, but is at first prevented by his current employer, Duke Wilhelm Ernst of Weimar, from taking up the post (Bach was even imprisoned for a time by Duke Wilhelm Ernst); 1978—The citizens of Patowan, Utah, decided to name a local mountain Mr. Messiaen, in honor of the French composer, Olivier Messiaen, who spent a month in Utah in 1973 an composed a symphonic work, "Des canyons aux etoiles" (From the canyons to the stars), which glorified the natural beauty of the region. |
