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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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August 24-30, 2009
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Monday, August 24
Bernstein's "hateful" luck ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leonard Bernstein (1918 - 1990): I Hate Music! Jennie Tourel, mezzo-soprano; Leonard Bernstein, piano Sony 60697 & Miklos Rosza (1907 - 1995): Theme, Variations and Finale The New Zealand Symphony; James Sedares, cond. Koch 7191 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Bernstein ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1803—French composer Adolphe Adam, in Paris; 1837—French composer and organist Théodore Dubois, in Rosnay; 1910—German-born American composer Bernhard Heiden, in Frankfurt; 1919—Danish composer Niels Viggo Bentzon, in Copenhagen; 1949—American composer Stephen Paulus, in Summit, N.J.; Deaths: 1985—American composer Paul Creston, age 78, in San Diego, Calif.; Premieres: 1846 — Suppé: operetta "Dichter und Bauer" (Poet and Peasant), in Vienna; 1907 — Elgar: "Pomp and Circumstance"March No. 4, in London; 1943 — Bernstein: song-cycle "I Hate Music!" at the Public Library in Lenox, Mass., with mezzo-soprano Jennie Tourel and the composer at the piano; The New York premiere of this work occurred on November 13, 1943 (the day before his surprise conducting debut with the New York Philharmonic), with the same performers; 1980 — Lutoslawski: Double Concerto, for oboe, harp and chamber orchestra, in Lucerne, Switzerland by oboist Heinz Holliger, harpisy Ursula Holliger, and the Collegium Musicum conducted by Paul Sacher; Other: 1724—Handel performs on the organ at St. Paul's Cathedral in London before the royal princesses Anne and Caroline (Gregorian date: Sept. 4); 1968—Czech conductor and composer Rafael Kubelik launches an appeal to world musicians to boycott performances in the five nations which invaded Czechoslovakia on August 20-21 until their military forces evacuate the country; The appeal was joined by Igor Stravinsky, Arthur Rubinstein, Yehudi Menuhin, Otto Klemperer, Bernard Haitink, Claudio Arrau, and others.
Tuesday, August 25
Auber starts a riot ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Daniel Auber (1782-1871): La Muette de Portici soloists; Monte Carlo Philharmonic; Thomas Fulton, cond. EMI 49248 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Auber 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."
Wednesday, August 26
Previn and Mutter tango ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: André Previn (b. 1929): Tango, Song and Dance Anne-Sophie Mutter, violin; André Previn, piano DG 471 500 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On André Previn On Anne-Sophie Mutter 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
Thursday, August 27
Rebecca Clarke ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979): Piano Trio Clementi-Trio of Cologne Largo 5103 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Rebecca Clarke BBC feature (includes comments from Clarke) 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).
Friday, August 28
Wagner's "Lohengrin" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883): Lohengrin Bayreuth Festival Orchestra; Peter Schneider, cond. Philips 438 500 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Richard Wagner 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.
Saturday, August 29
"Courtship Songs" by Stephen Paulus ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Stephen Paulus (b. 1949): Courtship Songs Jane Garvin, flute; Merilee Klemp, oboe; Mina Fisher, cello; Jill Dawe, piano innova 539 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Stephen Paulus 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).
Sunday, August 30
Root music? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: George F. Root (1820 -1895): Battle Cry of Freedom Jacqueline Schwab, piano Nonesuch 79256 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On George F. Root 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. |
