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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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April 27-May 3, 2009
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Monday, April 27
Handel with "no strings attached" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: George Frederic Handel (1685 - 1759): Music for the Royal Fireworks Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, cond Sony 63073 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Handel ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1812—German opera composer Friedrich von Flotow, in Toitendorf (Teutendorf) estate, near Neu-Sanitz, Mecklenburg-Schwerin; 1894—Russian-born America composer and famous musical lexicographer Nicolas Slonimsky, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: April 15); Deaths: 1871—German composer and piano virtuoso Sigismond Thalberg, age 59, in Posillipo, Italy; 1915—Russian composer and pianist Alexander Scriabin, age 43, in Moscow (Julian date: April 14); 1992—French composer, organist and teacher Olivier Messiaen, age 83, in Paris; Premieres: 1720 — Handel: opera "Radamisto" (1st version), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket, during the first season of operas presented by the Royal Academy of Music (Gregorian date: May 8); The performance is attended by King George I and the Prince of Wales (Handel dedicates the score to the King); The singer Margherita Dursastanti appears in a Handel work for the first time in London; 1735 — Handel: opera "Alcina" (Julian date: April 16); 1736 — Handel: anthem "Sing unto God," in London at the German Chapel of St. James's Palace, during the wedding of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta, Princess of Saxe-Gotha (Gregorian date: May 8); 1749 — Handel: "Music for the Royal Fireworks" performed during fireworks display in London (Gregorian date: May 8); 1867 — Gounod: opera "Romeo and Juliet," in Paris at the Théatre-Lyrique; 1877 — Massenet: opera "Le Roi de Lahore" (The King of Lahore"), in Paris; 1893 — Rachmaninoff: opera "Aleko," in Moscow (Gregorian date: May 9); 1907 — Stravinsky: Symphony in Eb, at a private performance in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: May 10); The first public performance took place in St. Petersburg on January 23, 1908, conducted by F. Blumenfield (Gregorian date: Feb 5); 1927 — Weinberger: opera "Schwanda the Bagpiper," in Prague at the National Theater; 1928 — Stravinsky: ballet, "Apollon musagète," in Washington, D.C., choreographed by Adolf Bohm; The European premiere of this ballet occurred on June 12 in Paris, choreographed by Georges Balanchine; 1937 — Stravinsky: ballet, "Jeu de cartes" (Card Game), by the American Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, with the composer conducting; This work was part of a Stravinsky-Balanchine matinée consisting of "Apollon musagète," "Le Baiser de la fée," and the premiere of "Jeu de cartes"; 1987 — Daniel Pinkham: Sonata No. 3 for Organ and Strings, at St. Peter's Church in Osterville, Mass., by organist Richard Benefield, with a string quartet conducted by the composer; 1992 — George Tsontakis: "Perpertual Angelus" (No. 2 of "Four Symphonic Quartets" after poems by T.S. Eliot), by the Tuscaloosa Symphony, Ransom Wilson conducting;
Tuesday, April 28
Diamond's Fifth . . . finally! ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: David Diamond (1915-2005 ): Symphony No. 5 Juilliard Orchestra; Christopher Keene, cond. New World 80396 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Diamond ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1892—American folksinger and folksong collector John Jacob Niles, in Louisville, Ky.; Premieres: 1865 — Meyerbeer: opera "L'Africaine" (The African Woman), at the Paris Opéra; 1892 — Dvorák: "In Nature's Realm" Overture, Op. 91, in Prague; 1892 — Sibelius: symphonic poem/oratorio "Kullervo" for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra, in Helsinki, with the composer conducting; 1928 — Cowell: "Sinfonietta," in Boston, Nicholas Slonimsky conducting; 1938 — Diamond: "Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel," in Rochester, N.Y. 1948 — Stravinsky: ballet "Orpheus," by the American Society in New York City; 1966 — Douglas Moore: opera "Carrie Nation," in Lawrence, Kan.; 1981 — John Williams: "Pops on the March" by the Boston Pops with the composer conducting. 2005 — Arne Nordheim: “Fonos” for trombone and orchestra, in Bergen, Norway, by the Bergen Philharmonic.
Wednesday, April 29
Happy Birthday, Duke Ellington! ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington (1899-1974): The River Suite Detroit Symphony; Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos 9154 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Ellington ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1879—British conductor and occasional orchestrator-arranger of Handel scores, Sir Thomas Beecham, in St. Helens (near Liverpool); 1855—Russian composer Anatoly Liadov (Gregorian date: May 11); 1888—American popular song composer Irving Berlin (Isidore Balin) (Gregorian date: May 11); 1885—American composer Wallingford Riegger, in Albany, Ga.; 1899—American composer and jazz band leader, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, in Washington, D.C.; 1920—American composer Harold Shapero, in Lynn, Mass.; 1929—Australian composer Peter Sculthorpe, in Launeceston; Deaths: 1712—Spanish composer and organist Juan Bautista José (Juan Bautista Josep; Joan) Cabanilles (Cavanilles, Cabanillas, Cavanillas), age c. 67, in Valencia; Premieres: 1784 — Mozart: Violin Sonata in Bb, K. 454, at Vienna's Kärtnertor Theater in the presence of Emperor Joseph II, with the composer at the piano with Italian violinist Regina Strinasacchi; Mozart also performed one of his Piano Concertos, possibly the premiere performance of the Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453 (see also June 13, 1784); 1798 — Haydn: oratorio "The Creation" at a private performance in Vienna at Schwarzenbgerg Palace; The first public performance occurred n March 19, 1799 (Haydn's nameday); 1927 — Vladimir Dukelsky (Vernon Duke): "Zephyr et Flore"ballet suite, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1928 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 9, in Moscow; 1929 — Prokofiev: opera "The Gambler" (sung in French) in Brussels; 1962 — Stravinsky: "Eight Instrumental Miniatures" (based on his "Five Fingers" of 1921), in Toronto by the CBC Symphony conducted by the composer; 1980 — John Williams: "The Reivers " (Suite for narrator and orchestra) with a William Faulkner, as part of the first concert Williams conducted as music director of the Boston Pops, with Burgess Meredith as narrator; 1988 — Peter Maxwell Davies: "Strathclyde Concerto" No. 1 for oboe and orchestra, at Glasgow's City Hall, by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer, with soloist Robin Miller; 1990 — Philip Glass: chamber opera "Hydrogen Jukebox" (to poems by Allen Ginsberg), by the Philip Glass ensemble conducted by Martin Goldray, in a concert version presented at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia; A staged production was presented at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C,, on May 26, 1990; 1993 — Michael Torke: "Run" for orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Slatkin conducting; Other: 1906—Victor Herbert conducts a benefit concert at the Hippodrome in New York City for victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake; 1969—On his 70th birthday, Duke Ellington receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from then-President Richard Nixon.
Thursday, April 30
Operatic Intrigue and Debussy's "Pelleas" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918): Pelléas et Mélisande soloists & Montréal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 430 502 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Debussy On Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande” ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1870—Hungarian-born Austrian composer Franz Léhar, in Komorn; 1939—American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, in Miami, Fla.; She was the first female composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music (in 1983 for her Symphony No. 1); Premieres: 1728 — Handel: opera "Tolomeo, re d'Egitto" (Ptolomy, King of Egypt), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: May 11); 1855 — Berlioz: "Te Deum," at the church of St. Eustache in Paris; 1902 — Debussy: opera "Pelléas and Mélisande," in Paris at the Opéra-Comique; 1925 — Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 3, Op. 36, no. 2, in Bochum, Germany, conducted by the composer with Rudolf Hindemith the cello soloist; 1934 — Stravinsky: opera "Persephone," at the Paris Opéra, with Ida Rubinsetin in the principal role (spoken part) and the composer conducting; 1973 — Lou Harrison: Concerto for Organ, at San Jose State University, with organist Philip Simpson; 1991 — Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Bass Trombone Concerto, by soloist Charles Vernon with the Chicago Symphony, Daniel Barenboim conducting; 1994 — John Harbison: String Quartet No. 3, at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., by the Lydian String Quartet; Other: 1932—Opening of the first "Yaddo" Festival of Contemporary Music at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
Friday, May 1
Leo Sowerby ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leo Sowerby (1895 – 1968): Classic Concerto David Mulbury, organ; Fairfield Orchestra; John Welsh, cond. Naxos 8.559028 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Sowerby An essay "Leo Sowerby at 100" ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1582—Early Italian opera composer Marco da Gagliano, in Gagliano; 1602 —Baptism of English madrigal composer William Lawes, in Salisbury ; He was the younger brother of the more famous English composer Henry Lawes (1696-1662); 1872—Swedish violinist and composer Hugo Alfvén in Stockholm; 1895—American organist and composer Leo Sowerby, in Grand Rapids, Mich.; 1899—Icelandic composer Jón Leifs, in Sólheimar; Deaths: 1904—Czech composer Antonin Dvorák, age 62, in Prague; 1978—Soviet composer Aram Khachaturian, age 74, in Moscow; Premieres: 1786 — Mozart: "The Marriage of Figaro" in Vienna at the Old Burgtheater; 1886 — Franck: "Symphonic Variations" for piano and orchestra, in Paris; 1909 — Rachmaninoff: "The Isle of the Dead," in Moscow, conducted by the composer (Julian date: April 18); 1925 — Piston: Three Pieces for flute, clarinet, and bassoon (his first published work), at the École Normale in Paris, by the Blanquart-Coste-Dherin trio; 1939 — Barber: "The Virgin Martyrs," with students from the Curtis Institute of Music on a CBS Radio broadcast, with the composer conducting; 1971 — Dave Brubeck: oratorio "Truth Has Fallen," at the opening of the Center for the Arts in Midland, Mich.; 1987 — Harrison Birtwistle: "Endless Parade" for trumpet, vibraphone and strings, in Zurich (Switzerland) by the Collegium Musicum conducted by Paul Sacher, with trumpeter Hakan Hardenberger; 2002 — Jennifer Higdon: "Blue Cathedral," by the Curtis Institute Symphony conducted by Robert Spano, commissioned to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Curtis Institute of Music; 2003 — Lukas Foss: Concertino ("Passacaglia, Bachanalia, Passacaglia") for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra, by the New York Choral Artists and the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur conducting; Other: 1761—Franz Joseph Haydn begins his 30-year tenure as Second-Kapellmeister at Prince Esterhazy's estate in Eisenstadt; In 1766, Haydn succeeded the much older composer Gregor Joseph Werner as First-Kapellmeister; 1825—first documented American performance of Haydn's Symphony No. 100 ("Military") at Boylston Hall in Boston, at a benefit concert for Haydn's former pupil, Johann Christian Gottlieb Graupner (1767-1836); 1837—American premiere of Rossini's opera "Semiramide" in New Orleans; 1938—The German Reichsmusikkammer (Imperial Ministry of Music) forbids Aryan music instructors to teach pupils of Jewish extraction.
Saturday, May 2
Purcell's"really big show" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Henry Purcell (1659 – 1695): The Fairy Queen Le Concert des Nations; Jordi Savall, cond. Auvidis 8583 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A Purcell Web page from the British Library A list of Purcell's works ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1660—Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti, in Palermo; founder of the "Neopolitan School" of music and father of the composer, Dominico Scarlatti; 1752—Baptismal date of German oboist and composer Ludwig August Lebrun, in Mannheim; 1810—Danish conductor and composer Hans Christian Lumbye, in Copenhagen; 1843—Austrian conductor and operetta composer Carl Michael Ziehrer, in Vienna; 1905—English composer Alan Rawsthorne, in Haslingden; Deaths: 1864—German composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Jakob Liebmann Beer), age 72,in Paris; 1990—American composer William Levi Dawson, age 90, in Montgomery, Ala.; Premieres: 1692 — Purcell: opera "The Fairy Queen," in London at the Queen's Theater, Dorset Garden; 1935 — Ibert: "Concertino da Camera" for saxophone and chamber orchestra, in Paris; 1936 — Prokofiev: "Peter and the Wolf" at a children's concert by the Moscow Philharmonic, conducted by the composer; 1947 — Copland: "In the Beginning" for mezzo-soprano and chorus, at Harvard University; 1947 — Schoenberg: String Trio, Op. 45, at Harvard University; 1951 — Cage: "Imaginary Landscape No. 4" for 12 radios, in New York; 1951 — Ulysses Kay: "Sinfonia" for orchestra, in Rochester, N.Y.; 1965 — Bolcom: "Oracle" for orchestra, in Seattle; 1965 — Grofé: "Trick or Treat: Halloween," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, André Kostelanetz conducting; 1981 — David Amram: Violin Concerto, by the St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting, with Charles Castleman the soloist; 1984 — Ezra Laderman: String Quartet No. 7, in New York City, by the Colorado Quartet; 1984 — Broadway premiere of Sondheim: musical "Sunday in the Park with George"; 1990 — Elliott Carter: Violin Concerto, by the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Herbert Blomstedt, with Ole Böhn as soloist; Other: 1855—American premiere of Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" (The Troubadour) at the Academy of Music in New York. 1872—First documented American performance of Beethoven's "Missa solemnis" in D (Op. 123), at Steinway Hall in New York , by the Church Music Association, Dr. James Pech conducting; Subsequent regional premieres of this work occurred in Cincinnati (May 19, 1880) and Boston (Mar. 12, 1897).
Sunday, May 3
Moog moods by Carlos and Voegeli ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: J.S. Bach (1685 –1750) arr. Carlos: Fugue No. 7, fr WTC Book 1 Wendy Carlos, Moog synthesizer Sony 7194 & Don Voegeli (b. 1920): All Things Considered theme (1974 version) Don Voegeli, Moog synthesizer NPR recording ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Robert Moog and his synthesizers On Wendy Carlos On Don Voegeli and his ATC theme ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1886—French organist and composer Marcel Dupré, in Rouen; 1920—American composer and jazz pianist John Lewis, in LaGrange, Ill.; Deaths: 1704—Austrian composer Heinrich Biber, age 59, in Salzburg; Premieres: 1831 — Hérold: "Zampa," at the Opéra-Comique in Paris; 1893 — Horatio Parker: oratorio "Hora Novissima," in New York City; 1917 — Bloch: "Schlemo" and "Israel" Symphony at Society of the Friends of Music Concert, Artur Bodanzky conducting; 1919 — Debussy: Clarinet Rhapsody (orchestral version), in Paris, with clarinetist Gaston Hamelin, at Pasdeloup Concert; 1929 — Poulenc: "Concert champêtre" for harpsichord and orchestra, at the Salle Pleyel in Paris, by the Paris Symphony with Pierre Monteux conducting and Wanda Landowska the soloist; 1934 — Bernard Rogers: "Three Japanese Dances," in Rochester, N.Y.; 1943 — Cowell: "American Melting Pot" (Set for Chamber Orchestra), at Carnegie Hall in New York, by the Orchestrette of New York, Frédérique Petrides conducting; 1952 — Vaughan Williams: "Romance" for harmonica and orchestra, in New York City; 1958 — Walter Hartley: Concerto for 23 Winds, at the Eastman School in Rochester, N.Y., by the Eastman Wind Ensemble, Frederick Fennell conducting; 1963 — Cowell: Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Cello and Harp, at the University of Miami, by John Bitter (flute), Julien Balogh (oboe), Hermann Busch (cello), and Mary Spalding (Mrs. Fabien) Sevitzky (harp); The work is dedicated to the conductor Fabien Sevitzky "in honor of his many services to American music"; 1969 — Shostakovich: Violin Sonata, in Moscow, with David Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter; 1989 — James MacMillan: "Visions of a November Spring" for string quartet, at University Concert Hall in Glasgowm Scotland, by the Bingham String Quartet; Other: 1971—Debut broadcast of National Public Radio's "All Things Considered" with an electronic theme by composer Don Voegeli of the University of Wisconsin (In 1974, Voegeli composed a new electronic ATC theme, the now-familiar signature tune of the program). |
