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December 8-14, 2008
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Monday, December 8
Mr. Gershwin goes to Washington ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: George Gershwin (1898 – 1937): Of Thee I Sing soloists; Orchestra of St. Luke’s; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. Sony 42522 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On George Gershwin On "Of Thee I Sing" ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1731—Baptism of Bohemian composer and pianist Frantisek Xaver Dussek, in Choteborky; 1865—Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, in Tavastehus; 1882—Mexican composer Manuel Ponce, in Fresnillo, Zacatecas; 1890—Czech composer Bohuslav Martinu, in Policka; 1919—Polish-born Russian composer Moisei Vainberg (also Weinberg/Vaynberg, Moisey/Mieczyslaw), in Warsaw; Deaths: 1562—Flemish composer Adrian Willaert, age. c. 72, in Venice; 1924—German composer and pianist Xaver Scharwenka, age 74, in Berlin; 1980—John Lennon (of the Beatles), age 40, is shot dead in New York City; Premieres: 1733 — Bach: Secular Cantata No. 214 ("Tönet ihr Pauken, erchallet Trompeten") at a public performance in the garden of Zimmermann's Coffee House in Leipzig, for the birthday of the Princess-Elector and Queen of Poland, Maria Josepha (the wife of August III); One year later, Bach recycled some of the music for this secular cantata into his sacred "Christmas Oratorio" (S.213-219); 1743 — Handel: “Dettingen Te Deum and Anthem” in London (Julian date: Nov. 27); 1813 — Beethoven: Symphony No. 7, in Vienna, the composer conducting; Also on the program was the orchestral version of "Wellington's Victory" (originally conceived for performance by a mechanical orchestra invented by Maelzel called the "panharmonicon"; 1844 — Schumann: Piano Quartet, Op. 47, in Leipzig, at the Gewandhaus, with Clara Schumann (piano), Ferdinand David (viola), Niels W. Gade (viola), and Count Wielhorsky (cello); A private performance had also occured in Leipzig in 1842 (see Dec. 6); 1849 — Verdi: opera "Luisa Miller," in Naples at the Teatro San Carlo; 1879 — Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No. 1, in Moscow (Gregorian date: Dec. 20); 1915 — first version (of three) of Sibelius: Symphony No. 5, with the Helsinki Municipal Orchestra, with the composer conducting (on his 50th birthday); A second revision of this symphony was premiered by the same orchestral and conductor on Dec. 14, 1916, and a third and final version premiered in Helsinki under the composer's direction on Oct. 21, 1921; 1931 — Gershwin: musical show, "Of Thee I Sing," in Boston, at the Majestic Theater; This musical opened in New York on Dec. 26th that year, and went on to win a Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1932; 1943 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 24, in Moscow; 1992 — Michael Torke: “Monday and Tuesday,” for chamber ensemble, at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London, by the London Sinfonietta, Lothar Zagrosek conducting; Other: 1911—At the Cort Theater in San Francisco, American composer and conductor Henry Hadley leads the first subscription concert of the San Francisco Symphony; The program included Wagner's Act I Prelude from "Die Meistersinger," Tchaikovsky's "Pathétique" Symphony, the "Theme and Variations," from Haydn's "Emperor Quartet," and Liszt's tone-poem "Les Préludes."
Tuesday, December 9
Myakovsky's last symphony ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Nikolai Myaskovsky (1881 – 1950): Symphony No. 27 USSR Academic Symphony; Yevgeny Svetlanov, cond. Olympia 168 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Myaskovsky On Myaskovsky and Prokofiev ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1837—French composer Emil Waldteufel, in Strasbourg; 1882—Spanish composer and pianist Joaquín Turina, in Seville; Premieres: 1721 — Handel: opera "Floridante" in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: Dec. 20); 1832 — Berlioz: the lyric monodrama "Lélio, ou Le Retour à la vie" (Lelio, or The Return to Life" - performed with "Symphonie fantastique" as its sequel - in Paris, with François-Antoine Habaneck conducting and the composer performing as an extra timpanist; 1836 — Glinka: opera “A Life for the Tsar,” at the Main Theater in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Nov. 27); This work was originally to be titled “Ivan Susanin” after its lead character, but as a tribute to the Tsar was retitled (After the Russian Revolution, it was staged under its original title); 1842 — Glinka: opera “Russlan and Ludmilla,” at the Main Theater in St. Petesrburg (Julian date: Nov. 27); 1900 — Debussy: "Nuages" and "Fêtes" (two of the three "Nocturnes" for orchestra), in Paris at a Lamoureux concert conducted by Camille Chevillard; 1905 — R. Strauss: opera "Salome," in Dresden at the Hofoper, conducted by Ernst von Schuch; 1906 — Glazunov: Symphony No. 8, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Dec. 22); 1926 — Milhaud: "Carnival d'Aix" for piano and orchestra, in New York, with the composer as the piano soloist; 1928 — Castelnuovo-Tedesco: Piano Concerto No. 1, in Rome; 1938 — Cage: "Trio for Percussion," in Santa Monica, Calif.; 1939 — Cage: "First Construction (in Metal)," for six percussionists, in Seattle; 1942 — Copland: "Danzón Cubano" for Two Pianos at a League of Composers 20th Anniversary concert at the Town Hall Forum, with the composer and Leonard Bernstein; At this concert, the piece was billed as "Birthday Piece (on Cuban Themes"); 1949 — Barber: Piano Sonata, by Vladimir Horowitz, in Havana, Cuba; 1950 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 27, posthumously, in Moscow; 1969 — Peter Maxwell Davies: "Vsalii Icones," in London; 1974 — Lou Harrison: Suite for Violin with American Gamelan, at Lone Mountain College, San Francisco, with violinist Lauren Jakey;
Wednesday, December 10
Chadwick's "New World" Symphony? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: George Whitefield Chadwick (1854 – 1931): Symphony No. 2 Detroit Symphony; Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos 9334 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Chadwick On Chadwick as an opera composer On Chadwick as a song writer ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1822—Belgian composer and organist César Franck, in Liège; 1908—French composer and oranist Olivier Messiaen, in Avignon; 1913—American composer and conductor Morton Gould, in Richmond Hill, N.Y.; Deaths: 1965—American composer Henry Cowell, age 68, in Shady, N.Y.; Premieres: 1825 — Boieldieu: opera "La dame blanche" (The White Lady), in Paris at the Opéra-Comique; 1854 — Berlioz: oratorio "L'Enfance du Christ," in Paris; 1886 — Chadwick: Symphony No. 2, by the Boston Symphony, with the composer conducting; 1895 — Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "Christmas Eve," in St. Petersburg, Napravnik conducting (Julian date: Nov. 28); 1896 — Mussorgsky: opera "Boris Godunov" (Rimsky-Korsakov version), as a concert performance at the Great Hall of the St. Petersburg Conservatory (Julian date: Nov. 28); 1910 — Puccini: "La Fanciulla del West" (The Girl of the Golden West), in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera, with a cast including soprano Emmy Destinn and tenor Enrico Caruso, with Arturo Toscanini conducting; 1936 — David Diamond: "Psalm" for orchestra, in Rochester, N.Y.; 1937 — William Grant Still: Symphony in g, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1950 — B.A. Zimmermann: Violin Concerto, in Baden-Baden, Germany; 1963 — Bernstein: Symphony No. 3 ("Kaddish"), at Frederic Mann Auditorium in Tel Aviv, by Israel Philharmonic and choirs conducted by the composer, with speaker Hannah Rovina and mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel as vocal soloist;
Thursday, December 11
The Cleveland Orchestra opens with Victor Herbert ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Victor Herbert (1859 - 1924): American Fantasia Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, cond. Vox Box 3035 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On the Cleveland Orchestra On Victor Herbert ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1803—French composer Hector Berlioz, in Côte-St.-André, near Grenoble; 1876—Polish composer Mieczyslaw Karlowicz, in Wiszniew (Swiecany district), Lithuania; 1908—American composer Elliott Carter, in New York; Premieres: 1726 — Bach: Secular Cantata No. 207 ("Vereinigte Zwietracht der wechselnden Saiten") for the installation of philologist and jurist Gottleib Kortte as Professor of Law at the University of Leipzig; 1873 — Brahms: String Quartet in c, Op. 51, no. 1, in Vienna by the Hellmesberger Quartet; 1908 — Delius: "In a Summer Garden," by the London Philharmonic; 1925 — Nielsen: Symphony No. 6 ("Sinfonia semplice"), by Royal Orchestra in Copenhagen, with the composer conducting; 1935 — Cowell: "Mosaic Quartet" (String Quartet No. 3), by the Modern Art Quartet at the 7th of the WPA Composers' Forum-Laboratories, at the Midtown Community Center in New York; 1950 — Hindemith: Clarinet Concerto, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting, with Benny Goodman the soloist; 1959 — Dutilleux: Symphony No. 2, by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting; 1981 — David Diamond: Violin Sonata No. 2, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., by Robert McDuffie (violin) and William Black (piano); 1985 — Philip Glass & Robert Moran: opera "The Juniper Tree," at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass.; Other: 1721—J.S. Bach's employer, Prince Leopold of Cöthen (age 27) marries Frederica Henrietta von Anhalt-Berngurg (19) at Bernburg; The new Princess of Cöthen does not share her husband's passion for music, and one year later, Bach applies for a new job in Leipzig; 1918—Russian-born conductor Nikolai Sokoloff leads the first concert of the Cleveland Orchestra at Gray's Armory, presented as a benefit for St. Ann's Church; His program included Victor Herbert's "American Fantasy," Bizet's "Carmen" Suite, two movements of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4, Liadov's "Enchanted Lake," and Liszt's "Les Préludes"; 1928—The Society of Friends of Music organized by The Library of Congress;
Friday, December 12
Brahms and the clarinet ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Johannes Brahms (1833 – 1897): Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115 Charles Neidich, clarinet; Juilliard String Quartet Sony 66285 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Johannes Brahms On clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1887—Swedish composer Kurt Atterberg, in Göteborg; Deaths: 1707—British composer and organist Jeremiah Clarke (Julian date: Dec. 1); Premieres: 1891 — Brahms: Clarinet Trio in a, Op. 114, and Clarinet Quintet in B, Op. 115, at the Singakadmie in Berlin, both with clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, accompanied by cellist Robert Hausmann, and the composer at the piano (in the Trio) and the Joachim Quartet (in the Quintet); A private performance of the Clarinet Trio had occurred earlier in Meiningen on November 24, 1891, with the same performers; 1902 — Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "Kashchey the Immortal," in Moscow (Gregorian date: Dec. 25); 1909 — Liadov: “Kikimora” for orchestra, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Nov. 29); 1926 — Shostakovich: Piano Sonata No. 1, in Leningrad, by the composer; 1929 — Constant Lambert: "Rio Grande" for piano and orchestra, in Manchester, England; 1932 — Britten: "Phantasy Quartet" No. 2 for oboe and strings, in London, with oboist Leon Goossens and members of the International String Quartet; 1948 — Henze: Violin Concerto, in Baden-Baden; 1997 — Kevin Volans: Cello Concerto, in Munich, by soloist Wen-Sinn Yang with the Bavarian Radio Orchestra; 2001 — Henry Brant: "Ice Field" for orchestra, by the San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting; This work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2002;
Saturday, December 13
Chopin is smitten ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849): Polonaise in c#, Op. 26 Garrick Ohlsson, piano Arabesque 6642 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Chopin On George Sand ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1838—French composer Alexis Vicomte de Castillon, in Chartres; Deaths: 1898—American composer George Frederick Bristow, age 72, in New York.; Premieres: 1729 — Handel: opera "Lotario" (Julian date: Dec. 2); 1739 — Handel: revival performance of oratorio "Acis and Galetea" (all-English version), in London at Lincoln's Inn Field, with the premiere performances of two unspecified instrumental concertos from Handel's recently completed Op. 6 set of 12 Concerti Grossi (Gregorian date: Dec. 24); 1868 — Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 2, at a Concert Popilaire in Paris conducted by Anton Rubinstein, with the composer as soloist; 1884 — R. Strauss: Symphony in f, in New York, with Theodore Thomas conducting; 1895 — Mahler: Symphony No. 2 ("Resurrection"), by Berlin Philharmonic, with the composer conducting; The Berlin Philharmonic had premiered the first three movements of this symphony earlier that same year (on March 4), again with the composer conducting; 1913 — Rachmaninov: choral symphonic poem, “The Bells,” in St. Petersburg, composer conducting (Julian date: Nov. 30); 1928 — Gershwin: "An American in Paris," in New York, at Carnegie Hall, by the New York Philharmonic, Walter Damrosch conducting; 1929 — Bax: Symphony No. 2, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Kouusevitzky conducting; 1930 — Stravinsky: "Symphony of Psalms," in Brussels at the Palais des Beaux-Arts, conducted by Ernest Ansermet; Serge Koussevitzky (who commissioned the work to celebrate the Boston Symphony's 50th Anniversary), conducted the American premiere in Boston on December 19, 1930; 1936 — Barber: “Symphony in One Movement” (No. 1), Op. 9, at the Adriano Theater in Rome, with the Augusteo Orchestra conducted by Bernardino Molinari; Rudolf Ringwall conducted the American premiere of the Symphony with the Cleveland Orchestra (Jan. 21, 1937) and Artur Rodzinski conducted the new work with the Vienna Philharmonic at the Salzburg Festival (July 35, 1937); 1944 — Bernstein: musical "On the Town," as trial run in Boston at the Colonial Theater; The show opened in New York City at the Adelphi Theater on December 28, 1944; 1966 — Druckman: String Quartet No. 2, in New York City, by the Juilliard String Quartet; 1970 — Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 13, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet; Other: 1836—At a musical soiree at Chopin's apartments in Paris, the female writer "George" Sand, determined to make a good impression with her host, arrives wearing white pantaloons and a scarlet sash (the colors of the Polish flag); Paris Opéra tenor Adolphe Nourit sings some Schubert songs, accompanied by Franz Liszt; Liszt and Chopin play Moschele's Sonata in Eb for piano four-hands;
Sunday, December 14
Puccini’s triple premiere in New York ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924): Gianni Schicchi Angela Gheorghiu, soprano; London Symphony; Antonio Pappano, cond. EMI 56587 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Puccini and his operas ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1873—Belgian composer and organist Joseph Jongen, in Liège; 1929—American composer Ron Nelson, in Joliet, Illinois; Deaths: 1788—German composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, age 74, in Hamburg; 1861—German opera composer Heinrich Marschner, age 66, in Hanover; Premieres: 1918 — Puccini: one-act opera trilogy "Il Trittico" ("Il Tabarro," "Suor Angelico," and "Gianni Schicchi") at the Metropolitan Opera in New York; 1924 — Respighi: tone poem, "The Pines of Rome," in Rome, at the Augusteo, Bernardo Molinari conducting; 1925 — Berg: opera, "Wozzeck," in Berlin, at the Staatsoper, with Erich Kleiber conducting; 1936 — Barber: String Quartet, Op. 11, at the Villa Aurelia in Rome (Italy), by the Pro Arte Quartet; 1969 — Ligeti: String Quartet No. 2, in Baden-Baden, Germany, by the LaSalle Quartet; 1975 — Ruth Crawford Seeger: Suite for Piano and Woodwind Quintet, in Cambridge, Mass.; 1983 — George Perle: Serenade No. 3 for Piano and Chamber Orchestra,in New York City, by Richard Goode and the Music Today Ensemble conducted by Gerard Schwarz; 1997 — Morten Lauridsen: “Ave Maria” for a cappella chorus, by the Los Angeles Master Chorale, Paul Salamunovich conducting; 1997 — Joan Tower: "Rain Waves," at the Frick Museum in New York, by the Verdehr Trio; |
