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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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October 5-11, 2009
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Monday, October 5
The New York Philharmonic on the air ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Wolfgang Mozart (1756 – 1791): Symphony No. 39 New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 60973 & Roy Harris (1898 – 1979): Symphony No. 3 New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 60594 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On the history of the NY Philharmonic ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1875—British composer and organist Cyril Bradley Rootham, in Bristol; 1962—American composer and pianist Ken Noda, in New York City; Deaths: 1880—French composer Jacques Offenbach, age 61, in Paris; 1940—Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas, age 40, in Mexico City; Premieres: 1762 — Gluck: opera, "Orfeo ed Euridice" (1st version in Italian), in Vienna at the Kaiserliches Hoftheater; 1898 — Elgar: cantata, "Caractacus," at the Leeds Festival. 1972 — Argento: "A Ring of Time," by the Minneapolis Symphony, Stanislaw Skrowaczewski conducting; 1973 — Havergal Brian: Symphony No. 28, by the New Philharmonia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1988 — Daniel Pinkham: "Sonata da Camera" (Chamber Sonata) for flute (alternating alto flute) and viola, at Jordan Hall of the New England Conservatory in Boston, by flutist Fenwick Smith and violist Burton Fine; 2001 — Stephen Paulus: "A Place for Hope" for chorus and chamber ensemble, at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., by members of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra with the Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester, Minn., conducted by Andreas Delfs; Other: 1867—The British musicologist George Grove (of Grove Dictionary fame) and the British composer Arthur Sullivan (of later Gilbert & Sullivan fame) arrive in Vienna, seeking lost works of Schubert; 1930—The New York Philharmonic begins its famous series of weekly Sunday afternoon national broadcasts with a program from Carnegie Hall conducted by Erich Kleiber; The first-ever radio broadcast of the New York Philharmonic had occurred on August 12, 1922, when a summer-time concert from Lewisohn Stadium conducted by Willem van Hoogstraten was relayed locally over WJZ in New York.
Tuesday, October 6
Hovhaness reaches No. 65 ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Alan Hovhaness (1911 – 2000): Symphony No. 2 (Mysterious Mountain) Chicago Symphony; Fritz Reiner, cond. RCA 61957 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Alan Hovhaness ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1882—Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, in Tymoszówska, Ukraine; 1943—German composer Udo Zimmermann, in Dresden; Deaths: 1909—American composer and organist Dudley Buck, age 70, in West Orange, N.J.; 1947—Finnish composer Leevi Medetoja. Age 59, in Helsinki; Premieres: 1600 — Jacopo Peri: opera, "Euridice," at the marriage of Maria de Medici to King Henri IV of France, in Florence, Italy. The oldest surviving complete opera; 1868 — Offenbach: operetta "La Périchole," at the Variétés, in Paris; 1911 — Reger: “A Comedy Overture,” by the Boston Symphony with Max Fiedler conducting; 1939 — William Schuman: "American Festival" Overture, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting; 1963 — Ibert: "Symphonie marine" (composed in 1931), in Paris; 1977 — Tippett: Symphony No. 4, by the Chicago Symphony, Sir Georg Solti conducting; 1991 — Hovhaness: Symphony No. 65, Op. 428 (Artstakh), at Carnegie Hall in New York, with the composer conducting; 1996 — Zemlinksy: opera "Der König Candaules" (King Candaules), posthumously, in Hamburg at the Staatsoper; This unfinished opera was written in 1936, and completed for its 1996 premiere by Anthony Beaumont; Other: 1739—Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in e, Op. 6, no. 3 (Gregorian date: Oct. 17); 1802—Beethoven files his will, the so-called "Heiligenstadt Testament," to be opened after his death.
Wednesday, October 7
The buzz about Part ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Arvo Pärt (b. 1935) : If Bach had Raised Bees Philharmonia Orchestra; Neeme Järvi, cond. Chandos 9134 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: More on Pärt ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1746—American composer of hymns, anthems, and "fuging tunes," William Billings, in Boston; Deaths: 1918—English composer Sir Hubert Parry, age 70, at Knight's Croft, Rustington (Sussex); Premieres: 1893 — Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta "Utopia Unlimited," at the Savoy Theatre in London; 1905 — Victor Herbert: operetta "Mlle. Modiste," in Trenton, N.J.; 1909 — Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "The Golden Cockerel," posthumously, in Moscow at the Solodovnikov Theater, Emil Cooper conducting (Julian date: Sept. 24); 1951 — Lukas Foss: Piano Concerto No. 2, in Venice, with the composer as soloist; 1955 — Milhaud: Symphony No. 6, by the Boston Symphony with the composer conducting; 1956 — Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 6, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet; 1961 — Henry Cowell: Symphony No. 15 ("Thesis"), in Murray, Ky., by the Louisville Orchestra, Robert Whitney conducting; 1963 — José Serebrier: "Poema Elegiaco," by the American Symphony Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1976 — Del Tredici: "Final Alice," in Chicago, with soprano Barbara Hendricks and the Chicago Symphony conducted by Sir Georg Solti; 1983 — Arvo Pärt: "If Bach Had Raised Bees" for harpsichord, electric bass guitar, tape and ensemble, in Graz, Austria; 1994 — Daniel Asia: "Gateways" for orchestra, by the Cincinnati Symphony, Herrman Michael conducting; 2000 — Jake Heggie: opera "Dead Man Walking," at the San Francisco Opera, Patrick Summers conducting.
Thursday, October 8
Stravinsky's "Ode" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971): Ode London Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. BMG 68865 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Igor Stravinsky ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1870—French composer and organist Louis Vierne, in Poitiers; 1930—Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu, in Tokyo; 1953—English composer Robert Saxon, in London; Deaths: 1834—French composer François Boieldieu, age 58, in Jarcy; Premieres: 1903 — Nielsen: "Helios" Overture, in Copenhagen; 1943 — Stravinsky: "Ode" (in memory of Natalie Koussevitzky), by the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky; 1960 — Prokofiev: opera "The Story of a Real Man" (posthumously) at the Bolshoi in Moscow; A semi-public performance of this opera was given in Leningrad on Dec. 3, 1948, but the opera was rejected by Soviet authorities for subsequent performances during the composer's lifetime; 1966 — Stravinsky: "Requiem Canticles," in Princeton, with Robert Craft conducting; 1992 — Ligeti: Violin Concerto, in Cologne, by the Ensemble Moderne conducted by Peter Eötvös, and Saschko Gawriloff the soloist; 1993 — Corigliano: "Troubadours (Variations for Guitar and Orchestra)," at the Ordway Music Theater in St. Paul, with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra conducted by Hugh Wolff, and guitar soloist Sharon Isbin; 1999 — Kernis: "Garden of Light" and Torke: "Four Seasons" (both commissioned by the Disney Company at the urging of its Chief Executive, Michael Eisner), for the Millennium season of the New York Philharmonic, with Kurt Masur conducting the orchestra, vocal soloists, and choirs in both pieces; Other: 1739—Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in a, Op. 6, no. 4 (Gregorian date: Oct. 19); 1898—The first issue of the magazine "Musical America" is published.
Friday, October 9
Bolcom's "View" on choral matters ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: William Bolcom (b. 1938): A View from the Bridge Lyric Opera of Chicago; Dennis Russell Davies, cond. New World 80558 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On William Bolcom ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1585 —Baptismal date of German composer Heinrich Schütz, in Bad Löstritz; 1835—French composer, conductor and pianist Camille Saint-Saëns, in Paris; 1914—American composer Roger Goeb, in Cherokee, Iowa; 1938—Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, in Helsinki; 1940—John Lennon (of the Beatles), in Liverpool, England; Deaths: 1999—Jazz vibraphone virtuoso, Milt Jackson, age 76, in New York City; He was a member of the famous Modern Jazz Quartet; Premieres: 1826 — Rossini: opera, "The Siege of Corinth," at the Paris Opéra; 1891 — Dvorák: "Requiem," Op. 89, in Birmingham, England; 1896 — Dvorák: String Quartet No. 13 in G, Op. 106, in Prague, by the Bohemian Quartet; 1921 — Janácek: "Taras Bulba" (after Gogol), in Brno; 1955 — Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 1, by the Leningrad Philharmonic conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky, with David Oistrakh the soloist; 1963 — Henze: Symphony No. 4 in Berlin, with the composer conducting; 1980 — Jon Deak: Concerto for Oboe d'amore and Orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta with Thomas Stacy as soloist; 1985 — Anthony Davis: opera "X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X," in Philadelphia; The opera's New York City Opera premiere occurred the following year on September 28, 1986; 1986 — Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Phantom of the Opera," at Her Majesty's Theatre in London; The musical opened on Broadway at the Majestic Theater on January 26, 1988; 1987 — Corigliano: "Campane di Ravello" (Bells of Ravello) for orchestra (a birthday tribute to Sir Georg Solti), in Chicago, with Kenneth Jean conducting; 1992 — David Ott: Symphony No. 3, by the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Symphony, Catherine Comet conducting; 1997 — Robert X. Rodriguez: "Il Lamento di Tristano," by flutist Susan Morris De Jong and guitarist Jeffrey Van, at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis; 1999 — Bolcom: opera "A View From the Bridge," by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dennis Russell Davies, cond. 1999 — Michael Torke: symphonic oratorio "Four Seasons," at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, by soloists, chorus, and the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur conducting; Other: 1973—Leonard Bernstein gives the first of six lectures entitled "The Unanswered Question," as the Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry at Harvard University.
Saturday, October 10
Mr. Dukelsky and Mr. Duke ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Vladimir Dukelsky (1903 – 1969): Zephyr et Flore Ballet Hague Orchestra; Gennady Rozhdestvensky, cond. Chandos 9766 & Vernon Duke (1903 – 1969): Autumn in New York Dawn Upshaw, soprano; orchestra; Eric Stern, cond. Nonesuch 79531 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Vernon Duke ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1813—Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi, in Le Roncole, near Parma. Probable true date of his birth, according to parish records, though Verdi celebrated it on the 9th, the date he believed correct; 1903—Russian-born American composer and songwriter Vernon Duke (Vladimir Dukelsky), in Pskov (Julian date: Sept. 27); 1906—American composer Paul Creston (Giuseppe Guttoveggio), in New York; 1920—American Jazz composer and pianist Thelonious Monk, in Rocky Mount, N.C.; Deaths: 1825 —Russian composer Dimitri Bortniansky, age c. 74, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Sept. 28); Premieres: 1919 — R. Strauss: opera, "Die Frau ohne Schatten" (The Woman Without a Shadow) at the Vienna Staatsoper, conducted by Franz Schalk, and with vocal soloists Lotte Lehmann (Barak's wife), Maria Jeritza (The Empress), Karl Oestvig (The Emperor), Richard Mayr (Barak), and Lucie Weidt (The Nurse); 1931 — Walton: oratorio, "Belshazzar's Feast," at the Leeds Festival; 1935 — Gershwin: opera "Porgy and Bess" at the Alvin Theater in New York City; The opera had a trial run in Boston which opened on September 30, 1935; 1938 — Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 1, in Leningrad, by the Glazunov Quartet; 1948 — Bernstein: song-cycle, "La Bonne Cuisine" (Four Recipes for Voice and Piano), at Town Hall in New York City, with mezzo-soprano Marion Bell and pianist Edwin MacArthur; 1968 — Berio: "Sinfonia," by New York Philharmonic and The Swingle Singers, with the composer conducting; 1985 — Benjamin Lees: Symphony No. 4 ("Memorial Candles") in Dallas, with Pinchas Zukerman the soloist; Other: 1739—Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in D, Op. 6, no. 5 and possibly his Concerto Grosso in F, Op. 6, no. 9 as well (Gregorian date: Oct. 21). 1739—Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in G, Op. 6, no. 1 (see Julian date: Sept. 29);
Sunday, October 11
Vivaldi and Messiaen for the birds ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741): Flute Concerto, R. 428 (Goldfinch) Patrick Gallois, flute; Orpheus Orchestra DG 437 839 & Olivier Messiaen (1908 – 1992): Le Reveil des oiseaux Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano; Cleveland Orchestra; Pierre Boulez, cond. DG 453 478 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Olivier Messiaen And some birdsong samples! ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1882—Canadian-born American composer R. Nathaniel Dett, in Drummondsville, Ontario; Deaths: 1896—Austrian composer Anton Bruckner, age 72, in Vienna; Premieres: 1727 — Handel: "Coronation Anthems," in London at Westminster Abbey during the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline (Gregorian date: Oct. 22); 1830 — Chopin: Piano Concerto No. 1 in E minor, in Warsaw, composer as soloist; 1928 — Nielsen: Clarient Concerto, at a public concert in Copenhagen, with the composer conducting and Aage Ozenvad the soloist; This concert had been given a private performance in Humlebaek on September 14, 1928); 1947 — Prokofiev: Symphony No. 6, by Leningrad Philharmonic, Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting; 1952 — Prokofiev: Symphony No. 7, ny Moscow Philharmonic, Samuil Samosud conducting; 1953 — Messiaen: "Réveil des oiseaux," in Donaueschingen, Germany; 1955 — B.A. Zimmermann: "Nobody Knows de Trouble I See" for Trumpet and Orchestra, in Hamburg, by the North German Radio Orchestra conducted by Ernest Bour, with Adolf Scherbaum the soloist; 1962 — Carlisle Floyd: opera "The Passion on Jonathan Wader," by the New York City Opera; 1977 — Bernstein: "Songfest," "Three Mediations from 'Mass,'" and "Slava!" by the National Symphony, conducted by the composer ("Songfest" and "Meditations"‚ and Mstislav Rostropovich ("Slava!"); Rostropovich was also the cello soloist in the "'Meditations"; 1980 — Bernstein: "A Musical Toast ( A Fanfare in Memory of André Kostelanetz)" by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Zubin Mehta; 1980 — Zemlinksy: opera "Der Traumgörge" (Goerge the Dreamer), posthumously, in Nuremberg at the Opernhaus (This opera was written in 1906); 1985 — John Harbison: String Quartet No. 1, at the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, D.C., by the Cleveland Quartet. 1985 — Michael Torke: “Vanada” for brass, keyboards and percussion, at the Concertgebouw Chamber Hall in Amsterdam, by the Asko Ensemble, Lukas Vis conducting. |
