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June 11-17, 2007
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Monday, June 11
Riegger in Paris ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Wallingford Riegger (1885 – 1961): Three Canons, Op. 9 Samuel Baron, fl.; Ronald Roseman, ob.; Charles Neidich, cl.; Donald MacCourt, bsn. Bridge 9068 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Nicholas Slonimsky On the Slonimsky collection at Library of Congress On Wallingford Riegger ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1864—German composer and conductor Richard Strauss, in Munich; 1899—American composer George Frederick McKay, in Harrington, Wash.; 1926—American opera composer Carlisle Floyd, in Latta, S.C.; Premieres: 1913 — Pizetti: incidental music for "La Pisanella," in Paris; 1921 — Honegger: cantata "Le Roi David" (King David), in Mézières; 1925 — Honegger: opera "Judith" (1st version), at the Théatre du Jorat in Mézières im Waadt; 1960 — Britten: opera "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in Aldeburgh at the Jubilee Hall; 1960 — Stockhausen: "Kontakte" for electronic instruments, piano and percussion, in Cologne; 1970 — Hovhaness: "And God Created Great Whales" for taped song of humpback whales and orchestra, at a New York Philharmonic Promenade concert conducted by André Kostelanetz; 1987 — Michael Torke: ballet "Purple," at the New York State Theater, by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Lukas Foss conducting. Other: 1931—Nicholas Slonimsky conducts in Paris the second of two concerts (both financed by Charles Ives) devoted to new music; The June 11 program includes works for chamber orchestra by the Spanish-Cuban composer Pedro Sanjuan ("Sones de Castilla"), Mexican Carlos Chaves ("Energia"), Franco-American Carlos Salzedo ("Preamble et Jeux"). Cuban Alejandro Caturla ("Bembe"), American Wallingford Riegger ("Three Canons"), and Franco-American Edgard Varese ("Integrales"); See also June 6, 1931.
Tuesday, June 12
Jennifer Higdon ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Jennifer Higdon (b. 1962): Concerto for Orchestra Atlanta Symphony; Robert Spano, cond. Telarc 80620 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Jennifer Higdon ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1885—German-born American composer Werner Josten, in Elbereld; 1897—Polish-born French composer Alexandre Tansman, in Lodz; 1914—French composer Maurice Ohana, in Casablanca; 1941—American jazz pianist and composer, Chick (Armando Anthony) Corea in Chelsea, Mass.; 1952—Scottish composer and conductor Oliver Knussen, in Glasgow; Deaths: 1917—Venezuelan composer, pianist, conductor and singer, (Maria) Teresa Carreño, (Maria) Teresa, age 63, in New York City; 1962—British composer John Ireland, age 82, in Rock Mill, Washington (Sussex), England; Premieres: 1913 — Florent Schmitt: ballet "La Tragédie de Salomé" (The Tragedy of Salome), at the Théâtre des Champes-Elysées" by the Ballet Russe, Pierre Monteux conducting; 1917 — Pfitzner: opera "Palestrina," in Munich at the Prinzregententheater, with Bruno Walter conducting; 1926 — Szymanowski: opera "King Roger," in Warsaw at the Teatr Wielki; 1928 — European premiere of Stravinsky: ballet "Apollon musagete," at the Sarah Bernhardt Theater in Paris, choreographed by Georges Balanchine; The world premiere performance of this work had occurred in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 1928, choreographed by Adolf Bohm; 1938 — Leonard Bernstein's first public performance as composer-pianist in Brookline, Mass., performing his "Music for the Dance" Nos. 1 and 2 and "Music for Two Pianos" with Mildred Spiegel; 1946 — Prokofiev: opera "War and Peace" (1st version), in Leningrad; 1952 — Bernstein: chamber opera "Trouble in Tahiti," at Brandeis University as part of the first Festival of the Creative Arts, with composer conducting; 1961 — Martinu: opera "The Greek Passion," in Zürich at the Stadttheater; 1962 — Mayzumi: symphonic poem "Samsara," in Tokyo; 1964 — Britten: church opera "Curlew River," in Orford Church, near Aldeburgh; 1974 — Elie Siegmeister: String Quartet No. 3 ("on Hebrew Themes"), at Elkins Park, Pa., by the Vieuxtemps Quartet; 1987 — Morton Feldman: "For Samuel Beckett," for chamber ensemble, in Amsterdam; 2002 — Jennifer Higdon: "Concerto for Orchestra," in Philadelphia at the American Symphony Orchestra League National Convention, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Wolfgang Sawallisch conducting; Other: 1933—The first "concert" performance of the Duke Ellington Orchestra takes place at the London Palladium during the ensemble's first visit to England; Previously the orchestra had only performed at night clubs, dance halls, hotels and other "informal" entertainment venues; It would be ten years before Ellington would present a concert performance at Carnegie Hall in New York (on January 23, 1943).
Wednesday, June 13
Weill's "The Eternal Road" ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Kurt Weill (1900 – 1950): The Eternal Road Ernst Senff Chorus; Berlin Radio Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Naxos 8.559402 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Kurt Weill ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1761—Czech composer and violinist Anton (Antonín) Wranitzky (Vranický, Wraniczky, Wranizky), in Nova Rise, Moravia; He studied with Haydn and Mozart in Vienna and was a friend of Beethoven; 1766—Austrian composer and pianist Anton Eberl; Some of his works were mistakenly (or perhaps deliberately) published as Mozart's; 1899—Mexican composer and conductor Carlos Chávez, in Calzada de Tacuba, near Mexico City; Deaths: 1962—English composer and conductor Sir Eugene Goosens, age 69, in Hillingdon; 2002—American composer and conductor Ralph Shapey, age 81, in Chicago; 2005—American composer David Diamond, age 89; Premieres: 1784 — Mozart: Piano & Winds Quintet (K. 452), Sonata for Two Pianos (K. 448), and the Piano Concerto No. 17 (K. 453), at the home of Mozart's pupil, Barbara Ployer, outside Vienna; The Piano Concerto may have been premiered earlier that year on April 29, at a concert given by Mozart at Vienna's Kärtnertor Theater in the presence of Emperor Joseph II; 1855 — Verdi: opera "Les Vêspres Siciliennes" (The Sicilian Vespers), in Paris at the Grand Opéra; 1911 — Stravinsky: ballet "Petrushka," in Paris at the Théatre du Châtelet, with Pierre Monteux conducting; 1923 — Walton: "Façade," in London, with Dame Edith Sitwell reciting her poems, the composer conducting; 1923 — Stravinsky: "Les Noces," at the Gaîté Lyrique in Paris; 1942 — Honegger: opera "Joan of Arc at the Stake" (first staged production), in Zürich at the Stadttheater; This work was premiered in a concert performance in Basel on May 12, 1938; 1967 — David Ward-Steinman: Cello Concerto, in Toyko, by the Japan Philharmonic conducted by Milton Katims, with Edgar Lustgarten the soloist; 1986 — John Adams: "Short Ride in a Fast Machine" at Great Woods, Mansfield, Mass., with Pittsburgh Symphony conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. 1999 — first staging in Germany of the original German version of Kurt Weill’s opera "Der Weg der Verheissung" (The Eternal Road), in Chemnitz, Germany, with John Mauceri conducting; The English-language premiere staging had occurred at the Manhattan Opera House in New York City on January 7, 1937, in a production staged by Max Reinhardt that ran for 153 performances;
Thursday, June 14
Godfrey's Quartet No. 3 ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Daniel S. Godfrey (b. 1949): String Quartet No. 3 Cassatt String Quartet Koch 7573 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Daniel S. Godfrey ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1730—Italian opera composer Antonio Sacchini, in Florence; 1835—Russian composer, pianist and conductor Nicolai Rubinstein (brother of Anton), in Moscow (Julian date: June 2); He is probably best known for his severe criticism of Tchaikovksy's Piano Concerto No. 1 when the new work was submitted to him for consideration in 1874; He eventually changed his mind, and conducted the work as part of all-Russian concerts at the Paris Exposition in 1878; Deaths: 1594—Flemish composer Orlande de Lassus (aka Orlando di Lasso, Orlandus Lassus, Roland Delattre), in Munich, age 61 or 62 (exact date of his birth is not known); 1911—Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist Johan Svendsen, age 70, in Copenhagen; Premieres: 1876 — Delibes: ballet, "Sylvia," in Paris; 1927 — Gliere: ballet, "The Red Poppy," in Moscow; 1952 — Americanized version of Kurt Weill's "The Threepenny Opera" translated by Marx Blitzstein premieres at Brandeis University as part of the first Festival of the Creative Arts, with Leonard Bernstein conducting; 1962 — Stravinsky: "The Flood," on CBS Television; 1985 — John Harbison: Concerto for Oboe, Clarinet and Strings, in Sarasota, Fla., with oboist Sarah Bloom and clarinetist Charles Russo, with the New College Festival Orchestra, Paul Wolfe conducting; 2001 — Daniel S. Godfrey: revised version of String Quartet No. 3, at the Seal Bay Music Festival in Rockport, Maine, by the Cassett Quartet;
Friday, June 15
Byrne and Eno in Minneapolis ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: David Byrne (b. 1952): High Life Balanescu Quartet Argo 436 565 & Brian Eno (b. 1948) arr. Gordon: Music for Airports Bang on a Can All-Stars Point Music 314 536 847 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On David Byrne On Brian Eno On "Bang on a Can" ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1763—Baptismal date of German composer Franz Danzi, in Mannheim; 1843—Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, in Bergen; 1864—French composer Guy Ropartz, in Guingamp, Brittany; 1894—American composer and arranged Robert Russell Bennett, in Kansas City, Mo.; 1900—American composer Otto Luening, in Milwaukee, Wis.; Deaths: 1772—French composer and organist Louis-Claude Daquin, age 77, in Paris; 1893—Hungarian opera composer Ferenc Erkel, age 82, in Budapest; Premieres: 1810 — Beethoven: "Egmont" Overture and Incidental Music, at the Court Theater in Vienna, as part of a production of Goethe's drama of the same name; 1889 — Sousa: "Washington Post March," in Washington, D.C., outside the Smithsonian Institution, composer conducting the U.S. Marines Band; 1914 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 1, in Pavlovsk (Julian date: June 2); 1980 — David Byrne: "High Life for Strings,," at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, during the New Music America Festival; 1989 — Michael Torke: ballet "Slate," at the New York State Theater, by the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Hugo Fiorato; 1991 — Thomas Oboe Lee: "Seven Jazz Pieces" for string quartet, at Brandeis University, by the Lydian String Quartet; 1991 — David Ward-Steinman: "Cinnabar" for viola and piano, in Ithaca, N.Y., at the 19th Annual Viola Congress by violist Karen Elaine with the composer at the piano; Other: 1707—J.S. Bach appointed organist at Blasiuskirche, Muehlhausen; 1733—In London the "Opera of the Nobility" is established by several noblemen and supported by the Prince of Wales, as a rival opera company to Handel's company, the "Royal Academy"; Porpora's opera "Arianna in Nasso" (Ariadne on Naxos) opens their first season on December 29th that year; The company folded in 1737, with its final opera performance on June 11, 1737, at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (The original home of Handel's company); These dates are all according to the Julian "Old Style" calendar still in use in England that year.
Saturday, June 16
Handel and the Royals ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: George Frederic Handel (1685 – 1759): Rinaldo Overture Academy of Ancient Music; Christopher Hogwood, cond. Philips 434 992 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Handel's life and works On British Kings & Queens ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1931—American composer Lucia Dlugoszewski, in Detroit; Deaths: 1970—Estonian composer Heino Eller, age 83, in Tallinn; 1986 —French composer and organist Maurice Duruflé, age 84, in Paris; Premieres: 1929 — Shostakovich: opera "The Nose," in Leningrad at the Malïly Opera Theater; 1937 — Blitzstein: opera-review, "The Cradle Will Rock," in New York City, composer at piano; 1950 — Persichetti: "Divertimento for Band," by the Goldman Band, with the composer conducting; 1961 — Schoenberg: "Jacob's Ladder," in Vienna, posthumously; at 35th Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music; 1973 — Britten: opera "Death in Venice," in Snape at The Maltings; Other: 1708 —While in Italy, Handel completes the score to his "Aci, Galatea e Polifemo," presumably for the wedding of the Duke of Alvito to Donna Beatrice Sanseverino on July 19th that year; 1710—Handel is appointed Kapellemeister to Georg Ludwig, Elector of Hanover (the future King George I), at a salary of 1000 thaler under condition that Handel receive an immediate 12-month leave of absence to London; 1891—Czech composer Antonin Dvorák receives an honorary degree from Cambridge University in England.
Sunday, June 17
Stravinsky on a date? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971): Fireworks, Op. 4 Montreal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, cond. London 414 409 & Igor Stravinsky (1882 – 1971): Agon Ballet London Symphony; Michael Tilson Thomas, cond. BMG 68865 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Stravinsky More on Stravinsky "Time" magazine's Stravinsky profile ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1818—French opera composer Charles Gounod, in Paris; 1882—Russian-born American composer Igor Stravinsky, in Oranienbaum (now Lomonosov), near St. Petersburg (Julian date: June 5); In the 19th century, the Julian calendar lagged behind the Gregorian by 12 days, and in the 20th by 13 days; For most of his life in Europe and America, Stravinsky chose to observe his birthday on June 18, but "officially" it was celebrated on June 17; 1916—Finnish composer Einar (Sven) Englund, in Ljugard, Gotland (Sweden); Deaths: 1983—American composer Peter Mennin, age 60, in New York; Premieres: 1903 — Victor Herbert: operetta, "Babes In Toyland," in Chicago; 1908 — Stravinsky: "Fireworks," for the marriage of Rimsky-Korsakov's daughter to Maxmillian Steinberg (Julian date: June 4); 1944 — Prokofiev: Violin Sonata No. 2, Op. 94a (transcription of the Flute Sonata, Op. 94), in Moscow, by violinist David Oistrakh and pianist Lev Oborin; 1957 — Stravinsky: ballet score "Agon," at a 75th birthday concert for Stravinsky in Los Angeles conducted by Robert Craft; The first ballet performance of "Agon" occurred at the New York City Ballet on December 1, 1957, choreographed by Georges Balanchine; 1959 — Barber: "A Hand of Bridge," at Festival of Two Worlds in Spoletto, Italy; 1983 — Bernstein: opera "A Quiet Place" (first version), by Houston Grand Opera, John DeMain conducting; A revised version of this opera premiered at La Scala in Milan, Italy, on June 19, 1984, conducted by John Mauceri; 1988 — Elliott Carter: Oboe Concerto, in Zurich, by the Zurich Collegium Musicum conducted by John Carewe, with Heinz Holliger as soloist; Other: 1733—Performances by J.S. Bach's "Collegium Musicum" in Leipzig resume after a period of mourning for Elector Friedrich August I; 1914—Finnish composer Jean Sibelius awarded honorary degree by Yale University. |
