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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.  |
August 27-September 2, 2007
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Monday, August 27
Copland does Mexico (and Mexico does Copland) ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Aaron Copland (1900-1990): El Salòn Mexico New Philharmonia; Aaron Copland, cond. CBS/Sony 46559 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Copland ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1886—English light music composer, Eric Coates, in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire 1886—English-born American composer and viola player Rebecca Clarke, in Harrow 1944—Australian composer Barry Conyngham, in Sydney; Deaths: 1521—Flemish composer Josquin Des Prez, age c. 81, in Condé-sur-Escaut 1611—Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria, age c. 62, in Madrid; Premieres: 1748 — Rameau: opera-ballet "Pygmalion," in Paris; 1900 — Fauré: Prométhée," in Béziers, France; 1937 — Copland: "El Salon Mexico," in Mexico City, with Carlos Chávez conducting; 1940 — Meredith Wilson: Symphony No. 2 ("The Missions of California") during a San Francisco Symphony concert on Treasure Island conducted by the composer; On the same program was the premiere of Wilson's "Prelude to 'The Great Dictator'" (based on Wilson's film score to the Charlie Chapin film, whose musical themes were provided by Chaplin himself); 1979 — Bernstein: song "Piccola Serenata" (for Karl Böhm's 80th Birthday), at Salzburg Festival, with mezzo-soprano Christa Ludwig and pianist James Levine Other: 1734—Handel and John Rich agree to hold the next opera season of Handel's "Royal Academy" at Rich's Covent Garden Theater in London (Gregorian date: Sept. 7).
Tuesday, August 28
Liszt and Milhaud celebrate Goethe ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Franz Liszt (1811-1886): Tasso Orchestre de Paris; Sir Georg Solti, cond London 417 513 & Darius Milhaud (1892-1974): Aspen Serenade, Op 361 Stuttgart Radio Symphony; Gilbert Varga, cond. CPO 999114 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Liszt On Milhaud On the Aspen Festival ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1867—Italian opera composer Umberto Giordano, in Foggia; Deaths: 1572—Huguenot composer Claude Goudimel, age c. 52-58, in Lyons, sometime between August 28-31, during the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre of Protestants by Catholic partisans; 1914—Russian composer Anatol Liadov, age 59, at his estate near Novgorod (Julian date: Aug 16); 1959—Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu, age 68, in Liestal, Switzerland; Premieres: 1733 — Pergolesi: one-act opera "La Serva Padrona," in Naples, as a comic interlude during the presentation of his serious opera, "Il Prigionier superbo"; The comic interlude became his most famous work, while the serious opera has been long forgotten; 1849 — Liszt: tone-poem "Tasso," in Weimarduring Goethe Centennery Festival; 1850 — Wagner: "Lohengrin," in Weimar at the Hoftheater, with Liszt conducting; 1922 — Gershwin: one-act opera "Blue Monday," as a part of "George White's Scandals of 1922" at the Globe Theater in New York City; The opera was cut from the "Scandals" after its one opening night performance; Reorchestrated by Ferde Grofe, it was given again as a concert performance by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra at Carnegie Hall on Dec. 29, 1925; 1954 — Persichetti: Symphony No. 5 for strings, by the Louisville Orchestra; 1956 — Martinu: "Frescoes of Piero della Francesca," for orchestra, at the Salzburg Festival in Austria, by the Vienna Philharmonic, Rafael Kubelik conducting; 1963 — Tippett: "Concerto for Orchestra," at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland; 1999 — Philip Glass: Symphony No. 5 ("Requiem, Bardo and Nirmanakaya"), at the Salzburg Festival in Austra, with Dennis Russell Davies conducting soloists, choruses, and the Vienna Radio Symphony; Other: 1949—Founding of the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado as part of a celebration of the 200th anniversary of Goethe's birth.
Wednesday, August 29
John Cage at Woodstock ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: John Cage (1912-1992): Nos. 5 and 12, from Sonatas and Interludes for Prepared Piano Robert Miller, p. New World 80203 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Cage ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1920—Virtuoso jazz saxophonist and "Be-bop" innovator, Charlie Parker, in Kansas City; 1936—French composer and conductor Gilbert Amy, in Paris; Deaths: 1661—French composer Louis Couperin, in Paris; His brother, Charles Couperin (1638-1679) was also a composer, as was his nephew - the famous François Couperin (1668-1733), nicknamed "Le Grand." 1972—French composer and conductor, René Leibowitz, age 59, in Paris; Premieres: 1720 — Handel: oratorio, "Esther," at Canons, county seat of the Duke of Chandos (Gregorian date: Sept. 9); 1853 — Josef Strauss: "The First and the Last" Waltz (his first composition), at Unger's Casino in Hernals (Austria) by the Johann Strauss Orchestra, conducted by the composer (who had taken over the family orchestra for a time due to the sickness of his older brother, Johann Strauss, Jr.); 1882 — Brahms: Piano Trio in C, Op. 97, at a private home in Bad Ischl; Brahms played a practical joke on the audience by introducing the trio as having been composed by his friend, the composer and pianist Ignaz Brull, who was also in Bad Ischl at the time; The official premiere of the Trio occurred in Frankfurt on December 29 that year, with a violinist named Heermann and a cellist name Müller, with Brahms at the pianist; 1952 — John Cage "4:33," for any instrument, in Woodstock, N.Y.; 1981 — Stephen Paulus: "Courtship Songs" for flute, oboe, cello and piano, in St. Paul, Minn.; 1995 — Kaija Saariaho: "Graal Théàtre" for violin and orchestra, in London by the BBC Symphony, conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen with Gidon Kremer the soloist; 2000 — Wolfgang Rihm: "Deus Passus (after St. Luke)," at the International Bach Academy in Stuttgart, by the Gächinger Kantorei and Stuttgart Bach Collegium, conducted by Helmut Rilling; This work was one of four passion settings commissioned by the International Bach Academy to honor the 250th anniversary of Bach's death in the year 2000 (see also: Sept 1, 5 & 8).
Thursday, August 30
Sousa gets stiffed in Minneapolis ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: John Philip Sousa (1854-1932): Foshay Tower (Washington Memorial) March Great American Main Street Band; Timothy Foley, cond. EMI/Angel 54130 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Sousa On the Foshay Tower ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1820—American song composer and music publisher George F. Root; He wrote "The Battle Cry of Freedom" and "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp - The Boys are Marching 1943—American composer David Maslanka, in New Bedford, Mass.; Premieres: 1933 — Barber: "School for Scandal" Overture, at a Robin Hood Dell concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra.
Friday, August 31
Weill’s “Three-penny Opera” in Berlin ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Kurt Weill (1900-1950): Three Penny Opera Suite Canadian Chamber Ensemble; Raffi Armenian, cond. CBC 5010 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Kurt Weill ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1834—Italian opera composer Amilcare Ponchielli, in Paderno Fasolaro, Cremona; Premieres: 1928 — Kurt Weill: "Die Dreigroschenoper" (The Threepenny Opera) in Berlin at the Theater am Schiffbauerdamm, to a libretto by German poet and playwright Bertolt Brecht 1970 — Birtwistle: "Verses for Ensembles," in London; 2000 — Philip Glass: opera "In the Penal Colony" (based on a story by Franz Kafka), by A Contemporary Theatre (ACT) in Seattle.
Saturday, September 1
Show information not yet available. ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1653—Baptismal date of German composer and organist Johann Pachelbel, in Nuremberg; 1854—German composer Engelbert Humperdinck in Siegburg (near Bonn); 1886—Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck, in Brunnen; 1952—Iranian-born American composer Reza Vali, in Ghazvin, Iran; Deaths: 1912—English composer of African descent, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, age 37, in Croydon; Premieres: 1816 — Spohr: opera "Faust" (1st version in German with spoken dialogue), in Prague at the Ständetheater; 1934 — Janácek: opera "Osud" (Fate), over Brno radio; the first staged performance of this work took place 24 years later at the Brno National Theater on Oct. 25, 1958; 1963 — Britten: "Cantata Misericordium," a Latin dramatization of the parable of the Good Samaritan, by the Suisse Romande Orchestra conducted by Ernest Ansermet, in Geneva, Switzerland, at a concert in celebration of the Red Cross; 2000 — Gubaidulina: "St. John's Passion," in Stuttgart (Germany), by the chorus and orchestra of the Kirov Opera Theater and the St. Petersburg Chamber Choir, conducted by Valery Gergiev; This work was one of four passion settings commissioned by the International Bach Academy to honor the 250th anniversary of Bach's death in the year 2000 (see also: Aug. 28 Sept 5 8); Other: 1785—Mozart dedicates the publication of his six new String Quartets (K. 387, 421, 428, 458, 464 465) to Haydn.
Sunday, September 2
Show information not yet available. ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1661—German composer and organist Georg Böhm, in Hohenkirchen (near Ohrdruf), Thuringia; 1862—Dutch composer Alphons Diepenbrock, in Amsterdam; 1917—Brazilian composer and guitarist Laurindo Almeida, in São Paulo; 1953 —American composer John Zorn, in New York City; Deaths: 1875—Depressed by the failure of his commercial ventures, violinist and conductor Ureli Corelli Hill, age 73, commits suicide by swallowing morphine in Patterson, New Jersey; Hill had played in the pit orchestra for the first performances of Italian opera in New York City staged by Manuel Garcia in 1825; He conducted the first American performance of Handel's "Messiah" with orchestral accompaniment in 1831; In 1842, he was one of the founding members of the New York Philharmonic, served as its first president, conducted portions of its first concert, and performed with the orchestra until 1873, when he retired due to his age; 1996—American composer Otto Luening, age 96, in New York; Premieres: 1924 — Rudolf Friml: operetta, "Rose Marie," to rave reviews, in New York; 1960 — Walton: Symphony No. 2 at the Edinburgh Festival by the Royal Liverpool Orchestra conducted by John Pritchard; 1966 — Nino Rota: ballet, "La Strada" (The Road) (after his score for the Fellini film), at La Scala in Milan; 1972 — Penderecki: Cello Concerto, at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland; 1975 — Kokkonen: opera "The Last Temptations" in Helsinki; 1980 — Peter Maxwell Davies: opera "The Lighthouse," in Edinburgh; 1992 — Reimann: opera "Das Schloss" (The Castle), after the novel by Franz Kafka, in Berlin at the Deutsche Oper; Other: 1773—The Empress Maria Therese is entertained by Haydn's chamber orchestra at the country estate of Prince Nicholas of Esterhazy. It is possible, but not certain, that Haydn's Symphony No. 48 was performed on this occasion (The symphony known today by the nickname "Maria Therese"). |
