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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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August 25-31, 2008
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Monday, August 25
Bernstein asks a musical question in Moscow ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Charles Ives (1874 – 1954): The Unanswered Question New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony Classical 46701 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Leonard Bernstein ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1880—Austrian operetta composer Robert Stoltz, in Graz; 1902—German-born American composer Stefan Wolpe, in Berlin; 1918—American composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, in Lawrence, Mass.; Deaths: 1742—Portuguese composer José Antonio Carlos de Seixas, age 38, in Lisbon; 1774—Italian opera composer Niccolò Jommelli, age 59, in Naples; Premieres: 1830 — Auber: opera, "La muette de Portici" (aka "Masaniello"), in Brussels, igniting political riots leading to expulsion of Dutch and the Belgian Revolution of 1830; 1948 — Henze: Symphony No. 1 at Bad Pyrmont; 1978 — Rorem: "Sunday Morning" at Saratoga Springs, New York, by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy; Other: 1830 —Auber: opera, “La muette de Portici” (aka “Masaniello”), in Brussels, igniting political riots leading to expulsion of Dutch and the Belgian Revolution of 1830; 1870—Richard Wagner marries Cosima Liszt von Bulow; 1959—On his 41st birthday, Leonard Bernstein conducts a tour performance by the New York Philharmonic in Moscow; The program includes Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" and Ives' "The Unanswered Question."
Tuesday, August 26
Rawsthorne's version of "Cats" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Alan Rawsthorne (1905 – 1971): excerpt, fr Practical Cats Robert Donat, speaker; Philharmonia Orchestra; Alan Rawsthorne, cond. EMI Classsics 66935 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Alan Rawsthorne ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1887—Nicaraguan composer Luis Delgadillio, in Managua; 1915—British composer Humphrey Searle, in Oxford; Deaths: 1958—British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, age 85, in London; Premieres: 1815 — Weber: Clarinet Quintet in Bb, Op. 34, in Munich, featuring clarinetist Heinrich Bärmann; 1846 — Mendelssohn: oratorio "Elijah," at Birmingham Festival in England, with composer conducting; 1954 — Alan Rawsthorne: "Practical Cats" (after T.S. Eliot), for speaker and orchestra, at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland 1956 — Martinu: "Frescoes of Piero della Francesca," for orchestra, at the Salzburg Festival in Austria 1957 — Panufnik: "Rhapsody" for orchestra, in London 2001 — André Previn: "Tango, Song and Dance," at the Lucerne Festival in Switzerland, with violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and pianist Lambert Orkis. Other: 1717—French flutist and composer Jacques-Martin Hotteterre is appointed royal flutist (“flutte de la chamber de Roy”) at a salary of 6000 livres
Wednesday, August 27
Rameau's "Pygmalion" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683 – 1764): Pygmalion La Petite Bande; Gustav Leonhardt, cond. BMG/Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 77143 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Rameau More on Rameau 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).
Thursday, August 28
Gershwin's operatic flop ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: George Gershwin (1898 – 1937): Blue Monday Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, cond. Telarc 80434 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: More on "Blue Monday" More on Gershwin 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.
Friday, August 29
Saariaho at the Proms ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: J.S. Bach (1685 – 1750) arr. Henry Wood: Toccata and Fugue in D minor BBC Symphony; Andrew Davis, cond. Teldec 97868 & Kaija Saariaho (b. 1952): Graal Theatre Gidon Kremer, violin; BBC Symphony; Esa-Pekka Salonen, cond. Sony Classical 60817 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: 2008 BBC Proms website (with taped and live on-line broadcasts) On Kaija Saariaho 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).
Saturday, August 30
Barber's "scandalous" Overture ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Samuel Barber (1910 – 1981): School for Scandal Overture Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Argo 436 288 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Samuel Barber More on Barber 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.
Sunday, August 31
Johann Strauss, "right" and "left" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Johann Strauss Sr. (1804 – 1849): Radetzky March Johann Strauss Orchestra; Christopher Warren-Green, cond. Black Box 1059 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Johann Strauss Senior And Johann Strauss Junior 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. |
