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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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May 25-31, 2009
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Monday, May 25
Delibes plays with dolls? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leo Delibes (1836 –1891): Coppelia Lyons Opera Orchestra; Kent Nagano, cond. Erato 91730 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A history of "Coppelia" ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1926—American composer and jazz trumpet Miles Davis, in Alton, Ill.; Deaths: 1934—English composer Gustav Holst, age 59, in London; Premieres: 1715 — Handel: opera "Amadigi di Gauli" at the King's Theater in London (Gregorian date: June 5); 1723 — Handel: opera "Flavio, re de' Langobardi" (Julian date: May 14); 1870 — Delibes: ballet "Coppelia" at the Paris Opéra; 1878 — Gilbert and Sullivan: "H.M.S. Pinafore," at the Opera Comique Theatre in London; This production ran for 700 consecutive performances; 1953 — Marc Blitzstein: musical "The Harpies," at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City; 1961 — Castelnuovo-Tedesco: opera "Il Mercante di Venzia" (The Merchant of Venice), at the Maggio Musicale Festival in Florence, Italy; 1962 — Webern: "Im Sommerwind" (composed in 1904), at the First International Anton von Webern Festival at the University of Washington in Seattle; 1984 — Stockhausen: opera "Samstag von Licht" (Saturday from Light), in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; 2001 — Philip Glass: "Voices" for pipe organ, two didgeridoos, clap sticks and narrator performed by didgeridoo virtuoso Mark Atkins, Calvin Bowman (organ), Ron Murray (second didgeridoo and clapsticks) and Wurundjeri elder Joy Murphy Wandin (narrator) at City of Melbourne Town Hall to celebrate the refurbishment of the Melbourne (Australia) Town Hall Grand Organ; 2001 — Salonen: "Fanfare for Betty," dedicated to the 80-year old music patron, Betty Freeman, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with the composer conducting; See May 26-27 as well; 2001 — David Ward-Steinman: "Millennium Dances," for percussion and orchestra, by soloist John Flood and the San Diego Symphony, Jung-Ho Pak conducting; Other: 1869—The newly completed Vienna Opera on the Ringstrasse opens with a production of Mozart's "Don Giovanni" (sung in German); 1944—Arturo Toscanini conducts the combined NBC Symphony and New York Philharmonic in a benefit concert of music by Wagner, Verdi, and Sousa at the old Madison Square Garden; The concert raised $100,000 for the Red Cross; During an intermission auction, New York mayor Fiorello LaGuardia auctioned off Toscanini's baton for $10,000.
Tuesday, May 26
Lou Harrison's "Pacifika Rondo" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Lou Harrison (1917 – 2003): Pacifica Rondo Oakland Youth Orchestra; Robert Hughes, cond. Phoenix 118 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A June 2002 interview with Lou Harrison (audio version also available) ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1893—British composer and conductor Sir Eugene Goosens, in London; 1898—American composer, pianist and conductor Ernst Bacon, in Chicago; 1938—American composer and pianist William Bolcom, in Seattle; Deaths: 1924—Irish-born American composer and cellist Victor Herbert, age 65, in New York; Premieres: 1914 — Stravinsky: opera, "Le Rossignol" (The Nightingale), at the Paris Opéra, with Pierre Monteux conducting; 1919 — Gershwin: musical "La, La, Lucille," at the Henry Miller Theater in New York City; 1923 — Edward Joseph Collins: "Tragic Overture (1914)" and "Maardi Gras" performed at Northwestern University by the Chicago Symphony under Frederick Stock as part of the finalists' concert of the North Shore Festival competition for new works for orchestra; Collins won the $1000 first prize for his "Tragic Overture (1914)"; 1953 — Stockhausen: "Kontra-Punkte" for ten instruments, in Cologne; 1963 — Lou Harrison: "Pacifika Rondo" for an orchestra of Western and Oriental instruments, at the University of Hawaii; 1964 — Copland: "Music for a Great City" (from the filmscore to "Something Wild"), by the London Symphony conducted by the composer; 1967 — George Crumb: "Echoes of Time and the River (Four Processionals for Orchestra)", in Chicago; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1967; 1990 — Philip Glass: chamber opera "Hydrogen Jukebox" (to poems by Allen Ginsberg), by the Philip Glass ensemble conducted by Martin Goldray, in a staged version presented at the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, S.C,; A concert version was premiered at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia, on April 29, 1990; 2001 — Birtwistle: "Tango for Betty," dedicated to the 80-year old music patron, Betty Freeman, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting; (see May 25 & 27 as well); 2002 — Henry Brant: "Ghosts and Gargoyles" for solo flute and flute ensemble, in Toronto, Canada, by soloist Robert Aitken and the New Music Concerts Ensemble, conducted by the composer; Other: 1731—London's "Academy for Vocal Music" is renamed "The Academy of Ancient Music, with Johann Christoph Pepsuch its artistic director (Gregorian date: June 6).
Wednesday, May 27
Stravinsky and Larsen "do" Eliot ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971): The Dove Descending The Gregg Smith Singers; St. Luke's Orchestra; Robert Craft, cond. MusicMasters 67152 & Libby Larsen (b. 1950): Ring of Fire London Symphony; Joel Revzen, cond. Koch 7370 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Libby Larsen ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1799—French opera composer Jacques-François-Fromental-Elie Halévy, in Paris; 1822—German composer Joseph Joachim Raff, in Lachen, near Zürich; 1888—French composer and member of "Les Six," Louis Durey, in Paris; 1922—German-born American composer Margaret Buechner, in Hannover; 1928—Scottish composer Thea Musgrave, in Edinburgh; Deaths: 1840—Italian composer and violinist Nicollo Paganini, age 57, in Nice; Premieres: 1899 — Ravel: "Sh é h érazade (Fairy Overture)," at a Societe Nationale Concert at the Salle du Nouveau-Thèâtre in Paris; 1906 — Mahler: Symphony No. 6, in Essen, with the composer conducting; 1947 — Martinu: Symphony No. 5, in Prague; 1976 — Dello Joio: "Colonial Variants" for orchestra, in Philadelphia; 1981 — Bernstein: "Halil" for Flute and Orchestra, in Tel Aviv, with the Israel Philharmonic conducted by the composer, with Jean-Pierre Rampal the soloist; 1995 — Libby Larsen: "Ring of Fire" for orchestra, by the Charlotte Symphony (N.C.), Peter McCoppin conducting; 2001 — Saariaho: "Song for Betty," dedicated to the 80-year old music patron, Betty Freeman, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting; See May 25 & 26 as well.
Thursday, May 28
Josiah Flagg, Music Man? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: John Greenwood: The Hessian Camp First Michigan Colonial Fife and Drum Corps Private release & G.F. Handel (1685 – 1757): Water Music English Concert; Trevor Pinnock, cond. DG 439 147 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: A history of early American music A PDF file of notes on the music of the American Revolution ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1737—American bandmaster and music publisher Josiah Flagg, in Woburn, Mass.; He organized the first militia band in Boston, published music engraved by Paul Revere, and in 1773 organized a "Grand Concert" at Boston's Faneuil Hall involving 50 players, one of the first public concerts in America which presented European music; 1779—Irish singer, poet and composer Thomas Moore, in Dublin; 1841—Italian composer, conductor and pianist Giovanni Sgambati, in Rome; 1883—English composer Sir George Dyson, in Halifax (Yorkshire); 1913—Soviet composer Tikhon Khrennikov, in Elets (Gregorian date: June 10); 1923—Hungarian composer György Ligeti, in Dicsöszentmartin (now Tirnaveni), Transylvania; Deaths: 1787—Leopold Mozart, composer, and Wolfgang's father, age 67, in Salzburg; 1805—Italian composer Luigi Boccherini, age 62, in Madrid; 1836—Czech composer Anton Reicha, age 66, in Paris; Premieres: 1608 — Monteverdi: opera "Ariana," for a ducal wedding in Mantua; This opera now lost; 1904 — Puccini: “Madama Butterfly” (successful revised version), in Brescia; the opera’s original version, premiered on Feb. 17 at La Scala in Milan, was hissed; 1922 — Zemlinsky: opera "Der Zwerg" (The Dwarf), at the Cologne Opera; 1938 — Hindemith: opera "Mathis der Mahler," in Zurich at the Stadttheater, conducted by Robert Denzler; 1966 — Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 11, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet; 1993 — Stockhausen: opera "Dienstag aus Licht" (Tuesday from Light) at the Leipzig Opera; 1993 — Michael Torke: "Proverbs" for female voice and ensemble, at the Milwaukee Museum of Art, by the Present Music ensemble, conducted by the composer; Other: 1904—Puccini: "Madama Butterfly" (successful revised version), in Brescia; the opera's original version, premiered on Feb. 17 at La Scala in Milan, was hissed.
Friday, May 29
Cowell's "Seven Rituals" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Henry Cowell (1897 – 1965): Symphony No. 11 (Seven Rituals of Music) The Louisville Orchestra; Robert S. Whitney, cond. First Editions 0003 (distributed by Harmonia Mundi) ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Henry Cowell An essay on Cowell's legacy ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1860—Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz, in Camprodón; 1873—Estonian composer Rudolf Tobias, in Kaina on Haiiumaa Island; 1897—Austrian composer Eric Wolfgang Korngold, in Brno; 1922—Greek composer Iannis Xenakis, in Braila, Roumania; 1948—English composer Michael Berkley, in London; He is the son of English composer, Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903-89); Deaths: 1910—Russian composer Mily Balakirev, age 73, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: May 16); 1911—British lyricist Sir William S. Gilbert (of "Gilbert & Sullivan" fame), age 74, from a heart attack after rescuing a drowning woman, at Harrow Weald, England; 1935—Czech composer Josef Suk, age 61, in Benesov; 1951—Czech composer Josef Bohuslav Foerster, age 91, in Vestec, near Stará Boleslav; Premieres: 1901 — Paderewski: "Manru," in Dresden; Also staged at the Metropolitan Opera in 1902; 1905 — Scriabin: Symphony No. 3 ("'Divine Poem"), in Paris, Arthur Nikisch conducting; 1913 — Stravinsky: "Le Sacre du printemps" (The Rite of Spring), in Paris, by Diaghilev's Ballet Russe, Pierre Monteux conducting; 1954 — Cowell: Symphony No. 11 ("Seven Rituals"), by the Louisville Orchestra, Robert S. Whitney conducting; 1970 — Rautavaara: Piano Concerto, in Helsinki, with composer as soloist, and the Finnish Radio Symphony, Paavo Berglund conducting; Other: 1873 —American premiere of Brahms's Serenade No. 1 in D, at Steinway Hall, by the New York Symphony, Theodore Thomas conducting; 1963—The New York Philharmonic "Promenade" concert series is inaugurated.
Saturday, May 30
Piston goes to the dogs ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Walter Piston (1894 -1976): The Incredible Flutist Columbia Symphony; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 61849 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Walter Piston ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1883—Italian opera composer Riccardo Zandonai, in Sacco, Trentino; 1932—American composer Pauline Oliveros, in Houston, Texas; 1953—American composer Anne LeBaron, in Baton Rouge, La.; Deaths: 1971—French composer and organist Marcel Dupré, age 85, in Meudon; Premieres: 1846 — Lortzing: opera "Der Waffenschmied" (The Armorer), in Vienna at the Theater an der Wien; 1866 — Smetana: "The Bartered Bride" (1st version) in Prague at the Provisional Theater; 1923 — Hanson: Symphony No. 1 ("Nordic"), in Rome, composer conducting; 1927 — Stravinsky: opera-oratorio "Oedipus Rex," at the Sarah Bernhardt Theater in Paris (in concert performance; first staged performance took place in Berlin on Feb. 25, 1928); 1938 — Piston: ballet "The Incredible Flutist," in Boston; 1962 — Britten: oratorio "War Requiem," in the rebuilt Coventry Cathedral in England; 1991 — Harrison Birtwistle: opera "Gawain" in London at the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden), Elgar Howarth conducting; 1995 — Alla Pavlova: Symphony No. 1 (“Farewell Russian”), in Moscow at the Concert Hall of the Union of Russian Composers, by the Russian Philharmonia, Konstantin Krimets, conducting; Other: 1723—Bach's first cantata performance in Leipzig (Cantata No. 75, "Die Elenden sollen essen"), presented at St. Nicolai Church, the day before his official induction as Cantor in that city.
Sunday, May 31
Marais goes to the movies ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Marin Marais (1656 - 1728): The Bells of St. Genevieve Spectre de la Rose Ensemble Naxos 8.550750 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Marin Marais On the film "Tous les matins du monde" ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1656—French composer and viola da gamba virtuoso, Marin Marais, in Paris; 1804—French composer, pianist and teacher (Jeanne-) Louise Farrenc (née Dumont), in Paris; Deaths: 1809—Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn, age 77, in Vienna; 1967—American composer and arranger Billy Strayhorn, age 51, in New York City; Premieres: 1817 — Rossini: "La Gazza Ladra" (The Thieving Magpie"), at La Scala in Milan; 1884 — Puccini: opera "Le villi" (The Willies), in Milan at the Teatro dal Verme; 1961 — Penderecki: "Threnody in Memory of the Victims of Hiroshima" for strings, in Warsaw; 1998 — Melinda Wagner: Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion, at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Purchase, with flutist Paul Lustig Dunkel and the Westchester Philharmonic, Mark Mandarano conducting; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1999. |
