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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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December 29, 2008-January 4, 2009
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Monday, December 29
The recomposing of Mr. Bruch ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Max Bruch (1838 – 1920): Concerto for Two Pianos, Op. 88a Güher and Süher Pekinel, pianos; Philharmonia Orchestra; Sir Neville Marriner, cond. Chandos 9711 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Max Bruch ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1850—Spanish composer Tomás Bretón, in Salamanca; 1876—Spanish composer, cellist and conductor Pablo Casals, in Vendrell, Catalonia; 1912—Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks, in Melbourne; Deaths: 1785—German composer Johann Heinrich Rolle, in Magdeburg, age 69; 1900—Russian composer Vassili Sergeievitch Kalinnikov (Gregorian date: Jan. 11, 1901); Premieres: 1733 — Porpora: opera "Arianna in Nasso" (Ariadne on Naxos) opens the first London season of "The Opera of the Nobility," a company formed to rival Handel's "Royal Academy"; This date is according to the Julian "Old Style" calendar still in use in England that year; Under the Gregorian "New Style" calendar in use today, this premiere actually occurred 11 days later, on Jan. 9, 1734; 1882 — Brahms: Piano Trio No. 2 in C, Op. 87, and String Quintet No. 1 in F, Op. 88, in Frankfurt, with a violinist named Heermann and a cellist name Müller, with Brahms at the pianist; Brahms had completed the work during his summer holiday in Bad Ischl (near Salzburg), and had participated in a reading of the new work at a private home in Bad Ischl; On that occasion, as a joke, Brahms 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; 1893 — Debussy: String Quartet, in Paris, by the Ysaye Quartet; 1906 — Sibelius: tone poem, "Pohjola's Daughter," in St. Petersburg, Russia; 1916 — Max Bruch: Concerto for two pianos and orchestra, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting, with duo-pianists Rose and Ottilie Sultro; Other: 1903—First concert by the Seattle Symphony at Christensen's Hall in Seattle under the baton of violinist Harry F. West; The program includes music of Massenet, Bruch, Schubert and Rossini;
Tuesday, December 30
Handel and Mattheson bury the hatchet (and not in each other) ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: George Frederic Handel (1685 – 1757): Oboe Concerto No. 3 Heinz Holliger, oboe; English Chamber Orchestra; Raymond Leppard, cond. Philips 454 363 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Handel’s life and works ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1853—French composer André Messager, in Montlucon; 1859—Czech composer Joseph Bohuslav Foerster, in Prague; 1874 —Russian composer Reinhold Glière (Gregorian date: Jan. 11, 1875); 1904—Soviet composer Dimtri Kabalevsky, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Dec. 17); 1910—American composer and writer Paul Bowles, in Jamaica, N.Y.; Deaths: 1946—American composer Charles Wakefield Cadman, age 65, in Los Angeles; 1979—American composer Richard Rodgers, age 77, in New York City; Premieres: 1725 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 28 ("Gottlob, nun geht das Jahr zu Ende") performed on the Sunday after Christmas as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1725/27); 1877 — Brahms: Symphony No. 2, with Vienna Philharmonic conducted by Hans Richter; 1879 — Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," in Paignton at the Royal Bijou (partial preview to insure British copyright); The first full performance of the new work occurred at the Fifth Avenue Theater in New York City the following day, with Sullivan conducting and Gilbert in attendance; The New York premiere was arranged to register American copyright of the new work and pre-empt unauthorized "pirate" productions in the U.S.; 1884 — Bruckner: Symphony No. 7, with Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Arthur Nikisch; 1905 — Lehar: operetta "The Merry Widow," at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna; 1921 — Prokofiev: opera "The Love for Three Oranges," in Chicago, with composer conducting; 1943 — Khachaturian: Symphony No. 2 in Moscow; 1961 — Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4, by Moscow Philharmonic, Kiril Kondrashin conducting; This symphony was scheduled to be premiered in 1936, but the composer withdrew the score after performances of his opera "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" had cancelled after being was severely criticized in the official press; 1977 — Daniel Pinkham: "The Miracle at Cana" at King's Chapel in Boston, performed by flutist Liselyn Adams and organist Barry Turley at their own wedding; This music was later incorporated into a larger "Miracles" suite for flute and organ; 1992 — Christopher Rouse: Trombone Concerto, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Slatkin, with soloist Joseph Alessi; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1993.
Wednesday, December 31
(New Year's Eve)
Gilbert and Sullivan take on the pirates ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Gilbert and Sullivan: The Pirates of Penzance D’Oyly Carte Opera; Royal Philharmonic; Isidore Godfrey, cond. London 425 196 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Gilbert and Sullivan ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1894—Anglo-Irish composer Ernest John Moeran, in Heston, Middlesex; 1899—Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, in Santiago, Papasquiaro; 1962 —American composer Jennifer Higdon, in Brooklyn, New York; Deaths: 1950—French composer Charles Koechlin, age 83, in Canadel, France; 1970—British composer Cyril Scott, age 91, in Eastbourne, England; Premieres: 1724 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 122 ("Das neugeborne Kindelein") performed on the Sunday after Christmas as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25); 1842 — Lortzing: opera "Der Wildschütz" (The Poacher), in Leipzig at the Stadttheater; 1865 — Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 1, in St. Petersburg, with Balakirev conducting (Julian date: Dec. 19); 1879 — Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta "The Pirates of Penzance," at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York, with the composer conducting (see also Dec. 30 above); 1943 — Martinu: Violin Concerto (No. 2), by the Boston Symphony with Serge Koussevitzky conducting and Micsha Elman the soloist; 1948 — Antheil: Symphony No. 5, by Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 1948 — Howard Hanson: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony with the composer conducting and Rudolf Firkusny the soloist.
Thursday, January 1
(New Year's Day)
Gabrieli gets the gig ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1556 – 1612): Deus, in nomine tuo Gregg Smith Singers; Texas Boys Choir; Vittorio Negri, cond. CBS 62426 & Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1556 – 1612): Canzona No. 27 Hesperion XX EMI 63141 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Gabrieli On Gabrieli and the Venetian School ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1866—Russian composer Vassili Sergeievitch Kalinnikov (Gregorian date: Jan. 13); 1923—Jazz vibraphone virtuoso, Milt Jackson, in Detroit; He was a member of the famous Modern Jazz Quartet; Deaths: 1782—German composer Johann Christian Bach, in London, age 47; He was the youngest surviving son of J.S. Bach; Premieres: 1724 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 190 ("Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied") performed (incomplete) on New Year's Day as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24); 1725 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 41 ("Jesu, nun sei grepreiset") performed on New Year's Day as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle (1724/25); 1726 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 16 ("Herr Gott, dich loben wir") performed on New Year's Day as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1725/27); 1729 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 171 ("Gott, wie dein Name, so ist auch dein Ruhm") probably performed in Leipzig on News Year's Day as part of Bach's fourth annual Sacred Cantata cycle (to texts by Christian Friedrich Henrici, a.k.a. "Picander") during 1728/29; 1735 — Bach: Part 4 ("Fallt mit Danken, fallt mit Loben") of the 6-part "Christmas Oratorio," S. 248, in Leipzig; 1848 — Moniuszko: opera “Halka” (1st version in 2 acts in a concert version), in Vilnius; 1858 — Moniuszko: opera “Halka” (2nd version in 4 acts), in Warsaw at the Weilki Theater; 1873 — Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "The Maid of Pskov," in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Jan. 13); 1879 — Brahms: Violin Concerto in D, Op. 77, by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, with soloist Joseph Joachim and the composer conducting; 1894 — Dvorák: String Quartet No. 12 in F, Op. 96 and String Quintet in Eb, Op. 97 (both nicknamed the "American"), in Boston, by the Kneisel Quartet (and violist M Zach in the Quintet); 1942 — Chavez: Piano Concerto, in New York City, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Dimtri Mitropoulos, with soloist Eugene List; 1953 — Bloch: "Suite Herbaïque" in Chicago; 1954 — Walter Piston: “Fantasy” for English horn and orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting; Other: 1585—Composer Giovanni Gabrieli becomes the second organist at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice; His uncle, the composer Andrea Gabrieli, is the first organist; 1791—Haydn arrives in England for a series of concerts at the invitation of orchestral conductor and impresario Johann Salomon; 1801—Eight members of the U.S. Marine band perform the first official music at the unfinished Executive Mansion (the "White House") at a New Year's Day reception hosted by President and Mrs. John Adams; 1908—Gustav Mahler makes his conducting debut at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, leading a performance of Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde."
Friday, January 2
Rouse's "Concert de Gaudi" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Christopher Rouse (b. 1949): Concert de Gaudi Sharon Isbin, guitar; Gulbenkian Orchestra; Muhai Tan, cond. Teldec 81830 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On composer Christopher Rouse On guitarist Sharon Isbin On Antoni Gaudi ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1732—Baptism of Bohemian composer Frantisek Xaver Brixi, in Prague; 1837—Russian composer Mily Balakirev, in Nizhny-Novgorod (Julian date: Dec. 21, 1836); 1913—American composer Gardner Read, in Evanston, Illinois; 1905—British composer Sir Michael Tippett, in London; Deaths: 1780—German composer Johann Ludwig Krebs, age 65, in Altenburg; 1915—Austro-Hungarian composer Karl Goldmark, age 84, in Vienna; Premieres: 1724 — Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 153 ("Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind") performed on the Sunday after New Year's Day as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24); 1735 — Bach: Part 5 ("Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen") of the 6-part "Christmas Oratorio," S. 248, in Leipzig; 1843 — Wagner: opera, "Der fliegende Holländer" (The Flying Dutchman), in Dresden at the Hoftheater, conducted by the composer; 1936 — Morton Gould: "Chorale and Fugue in Jazz," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 2000 — Christopher Rouse: "Concert de Guadi" for guitar and orchestra, in Hamburg(Germany), by guitarist Sharon Isbin and the NDR (North German Radio) Symphony, Christoph Eschenbach conducting; On the same program was the premiere of Bright Sheng's "Nanking! Nanking!" for orchestra; Other: 1955—Canadian pianist Glenn Gould plays his first U.S. recital in Washington, D.C.
Saturday, January 3
Rachmaninoff dances ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943): Symphonic Dances Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, cond. Reference 96 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Rachmaninoff ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1909—Danish pianist and musical humorist Victor Borge, in Copenhagen; 1943—Austrian composer, singer (?), and double bass player H.K. Gruber, in Vienna; Deaths: 1785—Italian composer Baldassare Galuppi, age 68, in Venice; 1942—Russian composer and violinist Julius Conus, age 72, in Malenski (USSR); Premieres: 1738 — Handel: opera "Faramondo" in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket; This was the opening production of Handel's opera season that year, and featured the London debut of Gaetano Majorano (called "Caffarelli"), a male soprano castrato (Gregorian date: Jan. 14); 1843 — Donizetti: opera "Don Pasquale," in Paris; 1890 — Tchaikovsky: ballet, "Sleeping Beauty" (Gregorian date: Jan. 15); 1897 — Dukas: Symphony in C, in Paris; 1903 — Glazunov: Symphony No. 7, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Dec. 21, 1902); 1941 — Rachmaninoff: "Symphonic Dances," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; Other: 1925—German conductor and composer Wilhelm Furtwängler makes his Americandebut, conducting the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.
Sunday, January 4
Liszt gets political ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Franz Liszt (1811 – 1886): Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 Valentina Lisitsa, piano Audiofon 72055 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Franz Liszt ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1710—Italian composer Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, in Jesi, Marche; 1720—German composer, organist, singing teacher and writer on music Johann Friedrich Agricola, in Dobitschen, Saxe-Altenburg; 1874—Czech composer and violinist Josef Suk, in Krecovice; The famous contemporary Czech violinist and Supraphon recording artist Josef Suk (b. 1929) is this composer’s grandson; Premieres: 1869 — Symphony No. 1, at a Russian Musical Society Concert in St. Petersburg conducted by Mily Balakirev (Gregorian date: Jan. 16); 1880 — Brahms: Piano Pieces, Op. 76, in Leipzig; 1881 — Brahms: "Academic Festival Overture," in Breslau, with the composer conducting; 1961 — Gunther Schuller: jazz ballet "Variants," in New York City; 1996 — Richard Danielpour: "Toward the Splendid City" for Orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Leonard Slatkin and commissioned by the Philharmonic for its 150th Anniversary; Other: 1840—The climax of Franz Liszt's triumphal return to his native land occurs at the old Hungarian National Theatre, where the composer is presented with a bejeweled "Sword of Honor"; Liszt delivers an impassioned speech that calls for Hungarian cultural and political independence; 1950—RCA announces it will produce long play records as Columbia did two years earlier (RCA had unsuccessfully attempted to compete with Columbia's new 33.3-rpm LPs by issuing some of their classical catalog as multiple disc 45-rpm sets). |
