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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive
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September 6-12, 2010
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Monday, September 6
Vaughan Williams and Gavin Bryars look back ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958): Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields; Sir Neville Marriner, cond. Argo 414 595 & Gavin Bryars (b.1943): Cadman Requiem Hilliard Ensemble; Fretwork Point 462 511 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Ralph Vaughan Williams On Gavin Bryars ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1644—Baptismal date of Spanish organist and composer Juan Bautista José Cabanilles, in Algemesi, province of Valencia; 1781—Austrian composer and music publisher Anton Diabelli, sometime on Sept 5/6, in Mattsee (near Salzburg); 1912—American composer Wayne Barlow, in Elyria, Ohio; One of his best-known works, "The Winter's Past," was recorded by the Eastman-Rochester Orchestra under Howard Hanson, Barlow's former teacher; 1923—American percussionist, composer and conductor William Kraft, in Chicago; 1938—American composer Joan Tower in New Rochelle, N.Y.; Deaths: 1937—American composer and conductor Henry Hadley, age 65, in New York; 1962—German composer Hans Eisler, age 64, in East Berlin; Premieres: 1791 — Mozart: opera, "La Clemenza di Tito," in Prague at the National Theater. Written for and performed on the eve of the coronation of Leopold II of Prague; 1910 — Vaughan William: "Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis," at the Glouchester Festival, with the composer conducting; 1961 — Elliott Carter: Double Concerto for Harpsichord and Piano with Two Chamber Orchestras, in New York during the Eight Congress of the International Musicological Society, with Gustav Meier conducting and harpsichordist Ralph Kirkpatrick and pianist Charles Rosen as the soloists; 1977 — Thea Musgrave: opera "Mary, Queen of Scots" at the Edinburgh Festival in Scotland, conducted by the composer; 1979 — Knussen: Symphony No. 3, by the BBC Symphony in London; 1995 — Lou Harrison: "A Parade for M.T.T.," by the San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas conducting.
Tuesday, September 7
Colorful music by Bliss and Torke ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Sir Arthur Bliss (1891-1975): Red, from A Color Symphony English Northern Philharmonia; David Lloyd-Jones, cond. Naxos 8.553460 & Michael Torke (b. 1961): Bright Blue Music Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Argo 433 071 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Sir Arthur Bliss On Michael Torke ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1726—French opera composer and chess master François André Danican-Philidor, in Dreux; 1923—English composer, pianist and actress Madeleine Dring, in Hornsey, London; 1924—American film composer Leonard Rosenman, in Brooklyn; Deaths: 1881—American poet, flutist and composer Sidney Lanier, age 39, in Lynn, N.C.; Premieres: 1922 — Bliss: "Colour Symphony," at the Three Choirs' Festival in Glouchester, England; 1940 — David Diamond: "Concerto for Orchestra," in Yaddo, N.Y.; 1949 — Ghedini: opera, "Billy Budd," in Venice (Benjamin Britten's more successful operatic treatment of the same Hermann Melville novella premiered in London on December 1, 1951); 1971 — Bernstein: "Mass" (public dress rehearsal), at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; The work's official gala premiere occurred on Sept. 8, 1971. 1996 — David Stock: String Quartet No. 3, in Pittsburgh, by Cuarteto Latinoamericano.
Wednesday, September 8
Bernstein' s "Mass" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990): Sanctus, from Mass Empire Brass Telarc 80159 & Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990): Simple Song, from Mass Boston Pops; John Williams, cond. Philips 416 360 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Leonard Bernstein ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1841 —Czech composer Antonin Dvorák, in Nelahozeves; 1894—Dutch composer Willem Pijper, in Zeist; 1933—American composer Eric Salzman, in New York City; 1934—British composer Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (whose last name, despite its spelling, is pronounced "Davis" by the British); 1934—Canadian composer Srul Irving Glick, in Toronto; Deaths: 1613—Italian nobleman, composer, lutenist, and murderer (of his first wife and her lover) Don Carlo Gesualdo, age c. 53, at his castle in Gesualdo; 1949—German composer and conductor Richard Strauss, age 85, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen; 1991—American composer Alex North, age 80, in Pacific Palisades, Calif.; Premieres: 1961 — Earle Brown: "Available Forms I" for 18 players, in Darmstadt; 1971 — Bernstein: gala premiere "Mass (A Theater Piece)" at the inauguration of the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., choreographed by Alvin Ainley, directed by Gordon Davidson, and conducted by Maurice Peress (Bernstein shared a box section with members of the Kennedy family, including Senator Ted Kennedy and his mother, Rose; Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis did not attend this performance); A dress rehearsal performances of this new work was also open to the public and specially-invited members of Congress the preceding day; 1975 — Paul Chihara: "Ceremony V (Symphony in Celebration)," in Houston; 1994 — Michael Torke: "Javelin," by the Atlanta Symphony, Yoel Levi conducting; 1995 — Lou Harrison: "New First Suite for Strings," in Majorca, by the Stuttgart Symphony, Dennis Russell Davies conductin; 2000 — Tan Dun: "Water Passion after St. Matthew," in Stuttgart (Germany), with vocal soloists Elizabeth Keusch and Stephen Bryant, violinist Mark O'Connor, cellist Maya Beiser, and percussionist David Cossin, and the orchestra of the Bach Academy conducted by the composer; 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: Aug. 29 Sept 1 5).
Thursday, September 9
SYNOPSIS:
Friday, September 10
Berlioz the Parisian prudes ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Hector Berlioz (1803-1869): Benvenuto Cellini & Roman Carnival Overtures Staatskapelle Dresden; Sir Colin Davis, cond. BMG/RCA 68790 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Berlioz ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1714—Italian opera composer Niccolo Jommelli, in Aversa (near Naples); He was known as "the Italian Gluck"; 1866—Swedish violinist and composer Tor Aulin, in Stockholm; 1875—Lithuanian composer Mikolajus Ciurlionis, in Varena (Gregorian date: Sept. 22); His birthday is incorrectly listed as Oct. 4 in many reference works; Deaths: 1680—Italian composer Marco Uccellini, age c. 77, in Folimpopoli; Premieres: 1838 — Berlioz: opera, "Benvenuto Cellini," at the Paris Opera; 1950 — Karl Amadeus Hartmann: "Adagio" (Symphony No. 2), by the Southwest German Radio Orchestra, Hans Rosbaud conducting; 1955 — Cowell: "Hymn and Fuguing Tune" No. 10 for oboe and strings, in the Sunken Gardens of the Spanish Court House in Santa Barbara, Calif., by oboist Bert Gassman and the strings of the 3rd Annual Pacific Coast Music Festival orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1971 — Ginastera: opera "Beatrix Cenci" at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; 1989 — Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 4, at a BBC Proms Concert in London's Royal Albert Hall, by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer; 1998 — Joan Tower: "Wild Purple," for solo viola, at Lincoln Center in New York, by Paul Neubauer.
Saturday, September 11
Hanslick and Thomson, critics at large ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Act III excerpts, from Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg Deutschen Oper Berlin Orchestra; Eugen Jochum, cond. DG 415 281 & Virgil Thomson (1896-1989): Digging (A Portrait of Howard Rea) London Gabrieli Brass Ensemble; Christopher Larkin, cond. Hyperion 66517 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Eduard Hanslick On Virgil Thomson ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1711—Baptismal date of British composer William Boyce, in London; 1786—German-born Danish pianist and composer Friedrich Kuhlau, in Ülzen (near Hanover); 1825—Conservative Viennese music critic Eduard Hanslick, in Prague; 1935 —Estonian composer Arvo Pärt, in Paide; Deaths: 1733—French harpsichordist and composer François Couperin ("le Grand"), age 64, in Paris; 1949—French composer Henri Rabaud, age 76, in Paris; 1985—English composer William Alwyn, age 79, in Southwold; Premieres: 1887 — Dvorák: Mass in D, Op. 86, at a private performance in Luzany; 1924 — Gershwin: musical "Primrose," at the Winter Garden Theater in London; 1936 — Kodály: "Te Deum," in Budapest; 1951 — Stravinsky: opera, "The Rake's Progress," in Venice at the Teatro della Fenice, conducted by the composer; According to Opera America, this is one of the most frequently-produced American operas during the past decade; 1971 — Barber: "Fadograph from a Yestern Scene" (the title is a line from James Joyce's "Finnegans Wake"), by the Pittsburgh Symphony, at the opening concert in Heinz Hall; 1986 — Harbison: "Remembering Gatsby" for orchestra, in Atlanta, with the Atlanta Symphony, Robert Shaw conducting; This music became the prelude to Harbison's 1999 opera, "The Great Gatsby"; Other: 1840—German composer Robert Schumann gives his fiancée, Clara Wieck, his new song-cycle "Liederkreis," as a gift on the eve of their wedding; 1850—Swedish soprano Jenny Lind makes her American debut at the Castle Garden Theatre in New York City, inaugurating a 93-stop American tour arranged by showman and entertainment entrepreneur Phineas "P.T." Barnum; 1950—At a Decca recording session in New York City; Leroy Anderson conducts the premiere performance of his piece entitled "The Waltzing Cat" and also commits to disc six more of his most popular compositions: "Jazz Pizzicato" and "Jazz Legato" (both composed in 1938), "A Trumpeter's Lullaby" and "The Syncopated Clock" (both composed in 1945), and two of his pieces that had premiered at 1947 and 1948 Boston Pops concerts: "Serenata" (Arthur Fiedler's favorite Leroy Anderson composition) and "Sleigh Ride" (which was actually composed in July!); Anderson had conducted the premiere of "Jazz Pizzicato" (his first composition) at a 1938 Boston Pops concert, and "Jazz Legato" was written at the request of Arthur Fiedler as a companion piece for the second side of a 78-rpm recording of "Jazz Pizzicato"; "A Trumpeter's Lullaby" was written at the request of Roger Voison, principal trumpet of the Boston Pops, and "The Syncopated Clock" was popularized when it was used for 25 years as the theme music for "The Late Show" on WCBS-TV in New York City; 1962—At their third recording session at London's Abbey Road studios, The Beatles record one of their early hit songs: "Love me, do!"
Sunday, September 12
Mahler, Mickey and Masur? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Gustav Mahler (1860-1911): Symphony No. 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) London Philharmonic; Klaus Tennstedt, cond. EMI Classics 64476 & Aaron Kernis (b. 1960): Second Symphony (Alarm) City of Birmingham Symphony; Hugh Wolff, cond. Argo 448 900 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Mahler On Kernis ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1825—Austrian flautist and conductor Karl Doppler, in Lwow; 1901—German composer Ernst Pepping, in Duisburg; 1906—Soviet composer Dimitri Shostakovich, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Sept. 25); 1939—American composer Phillip Ramey, in Chicago; Deaths: 1764—French composer Jean Philippe Rameau, age 80, in Paris;. Premieres: 1910 — Mahler: Symphony No. 8 ("Symphony of a Thousand") in Munich, with the composer conducting; 1932 — Villa-Lobos: "Bachianas Brasilieras" No. 1, in Rio de Janerio; 1937 — Milhaud: "Suite Provençale" in Venice, conducted by the composer; 1954 — Bernstein: "Serenade" (after Plato's "Symposium") at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, with composer conducting and Isaac Stern the violin soloist; 1967 — Kokonen: Symphony No. 3, in Helsinki; 1969 — Henri Lazarof: Cello Concerto, in Oslo, Norway; Other: 1840—Marriage of Robert Schumann, age 30, to Clara Wieck, on the day before her 21st birthday. |
