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Archives Find past shows by date:  Complete archive Your purchase from Public Radio Market helps support the American Composers Forum and Composers Datebook.  |
June 16-22, 2008
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Monday, June 16
Bernard Herrman's low-budget classic ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Bernard Herrmann (1911 - 1975): Psycho (A Narrative for Orchestra) London Philharmonic; Bernard Herrmann, cond. London 443 895 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Bernard Herrmann On Hitchcock's film "Psycho" 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.
Tuesday, June 17
Victor Herbert classics, light and otherwise ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Victor Herbert (1859 - 1924): Babes in Toyland Razumovsky Symphony; Keith Brion, cond. Naxos 559 025 & Victor Herbert (1859 - 1924): Cello Concerto No. 1 in D, Op. 8 Lynn Harrell, cello; St. Martin's Academy; Neville Marriner, cond. London 417 672 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Victor Herbert 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.
Wednesday, June 18
Britten's Mahler premiere in Aldeburgh ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Gustav Mahler (1860 - 1911): Blumine, fr Symphony No. 1 Israel Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, cond. EMI 69816 & Thomas Adès (b. 1971): Asyla City of Birmingham Symphony; Sir Simon Rattle, cond. EMI 56818 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On the Aldeburgh Festival On Thomas Adès ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1757—Austrian-born composer and piano maker Ignaz Joseph Pleyel, in Ruppertsthal, near Vienna; He studied with Haydn and was one of the older composer's favorite pupils; 1904—Birth of French composer and conductor Manuel Rosenthal, in Paris; His ballet arrangement of Offenbach melodies, "Gaîté Parisienne," is his best-known work; 1843—Austrian cellist and composer David Popper, in Prague; 1905—Estonian-born Swedish composer Eduard Tubin, in Kalaste, near Tartu (Dorpat) (Julian date: June 5); 1942—English singer, composer and former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney, in Liverpool; Deaths: 1726—French composer Michel-Richard de Lalande (La Lande, Delalande), age 68, at Versailles; Premieres: 1821 — Weber: opera "Der Freischütz" (The Freeshooter), in Berlin at the Königliches Schauspielhaus; 1923 — Gershwin: musical revue, "George White's Scandals of 1923" at the Globe Theater in New York City; 1958 — Britten: opera "Noye's Fludde," in Orford Church, near Aldeburgh; 1980 — Persichetti: "Three Toccatinas" for Piano, by contestants in the International Piano Festival and Competition at the University of Maryland; 1992 — Anthony Davis: opera "Tania" at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia; Other: 1837—Mendelssohn finishes his String Quartet in e, Op. 44, no. 2, in Freiburg (Germany), while on his honeymoon.
Thursday, June 19
Variations (enigmatic and otherwise) by Elgar and Britten ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Edward Elgar (1857 - 1934): Enigma Variations. Op. 36 Philharmonia Orchestra; Andrew Davis, cond. Sony/CBS 44788 & Benjamin Britten (1913- 1976): Variations on a theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10 English Chamber Orchestra; Benjamin Britten, cond. London 417 509 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Elgar On Britten ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1717—Baptismal date of Bohemian violinist and composer Johann Wenzel Anton Stamitz, in Nemecký Brod (Deutsch-Brod, now Havlíckuv Brod); 1842—Austrian operetta composer Carl Zeller, in St. Peter in der Au; 1854—Italian opera composer Alfredo Catalani, in Lucca; Deaths: 1915—Russian composer Sergei Taneyev, age 58, in Dyud'kovo, near Zvenigorod (Julian date: June 6); Premieres: 1899 — Elgar: "Enigma Variations," in London, Queen's Hall, Hallé Orchestra conducted by Hans Richter; 1915 — Saint-Saëns: choral work, "Hail California," in San Francisco, composer conducting; 1926 — Antheil: "Ballet Mécanique," in Paris; 1984 — Bernstein: opera "A Quiet Place" (revised version), by La Scala Opera, John Mauceri conducting; The first version of this opera premiered at Houston Grand Opera on June 17, 1983, conducted by John DeMain. Other: 1869—final concert of a five-day "Great National Peace Jubilee" involving an orchestra of 1000 and a chorus of 10,000 organized by bandmaster Patrick Gilmore performing in a specially-constructed hall in Boston's Back Bay;
Friday, June 20
Mendelssohn and Tavener consort with royals ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847): Symphony No. 3 (Scottish) Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Nikolaus Harnoncour, cond. Teldec 72308 & John Tavener (b. 1944): Fall and Resurrection City of London Sinfonia; Richard Hickox, cond. Chandos 9800 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Mendelssohn On Tavener ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1756—German-Swedish composer Joseph Martin Kraus, in Miltenberg, near Mainz; 1819—German-born French cellist and operetta composer Jacques Offenbach, in Cologne; 1931—Norwegian composer Arne Nordheim, in Larvik; Deaths: 1787—German-born, London-based composer, gamba virtuoso and concert impresario Carl Friedrich Abel, age 63, in London; He was a friend and associate of Johann Christian Bach (the "London" Bach); 1940—French organ composer Jehan Alain, age 29, killed in action at Petits-Puis, near Saumur; Premieres: 1716 — Handel: Concerto Grosso in F, Op. 3, no. 4a, at the King's Theater in London, performed between the acts of Handel's opera "Amadigi di Gaula" (Gregorian date: July 1); 1901 — Elgar: "Cockaigne Overture: In London Town," at a London Philharmonic concert; 1938 — Jerome Moross: ballet, "Frankie and Johnny," by the Page-Stone Ballet at the Great Northern Theater in Chicago; This production was part of the Federal Theater Project; 1947 — Britten: opera "Albert Herring," at the Glyndebourne Opera; 1952 — Hindemith: opera "Cardillac" (2nd version) in Zürich at the Stadttheater; 1961 — Paul Creston: "Dance Variations" for soprano and orchestra, at Lewisohn Stadium by the Stadium Symphony (New York Philharmonic), Pierre Monteux conducting and Roberta Peters the vocal soloist; 1962 — Leroy Anderson: "Clarinet Candy" at a Decca recording session in New York City, with the composer conducting; The four clarinet soloist for this classic recording were Vincent Abato, Herbert Blayman, Roger Hiller and Bernard Portnoy; 1969 — Penderecki: opera "The Devils of Loudun," in Hamburg at the Staatsoper; Other: 1948—At the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, Edward Wallerstein conducts the first public demonstration of the revolutionary Columbia Records 33-rpm "Long Playing" (LP) discs for fifty-odd members of the press.
Saturday, June 21
The sounds of summer by Barber and Wagner ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981): Summer Music, Op. 31 Reykjavik Wind Quintet Chandos 9174 & Richard Wagner (1813 - 1881): Act I Prelude, fr Die Meistersinger SWR Radio Symphony; Roger Norrington, cond. Hänssler Classics 93000 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Barber On Wagner ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1732—German composer Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach (9th son of J.S.), in Leipzig; 1862—American pianist and composer Henry Holden Huss, in Newark, N.J.; 1892—Swedish composer Hilding Rosenberg, in Bosjökloster (Ringsjon, Skane); 1932—Argentinian-born American composer Lalo Schifrin, in Buenos Aires; He wrote the famous "Mission Impossible" TV theme; Deaths: 1908—Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, age 64, in Lyubensk, near St. Petersburg (Julian date: June 8); 2000 —American composer Allan Hovhaness, age 89, in Seattle; Premieres: 1868 — Wagner: opera "Die Meistersinger von Nürenberg" (The Mastersingers of Nuremberg), in Munich at the Hofoper; 1890 — R. Strauss: tone-poem "Death and Transfiguration" and "Burleske" for Piano and Orchestra, in Eisenach, at a convention of the General German Music Association, with the composer conducting and Eugen d'Albert as the piano soloist in the "Burleske"; 1898 — Fauré: incidental music, "Pelléas et Mélisande," in London; 1980 — Peter Maxwell Davies: "Farwell to Stromness" for piano, at the St. Magnus Festival in Orkney, performed by the composer; 1980 — Persichetti: "Mirror Etudes," in Lawton, Oklah., by pianist Virginia Sircy; 1985 — Rautavaara: "Thomas," in Joensuu, Finland. 1994 — Philip Glass: opera "La Belle et la Bête" (Beauty and the Beast) based on the film by Jean Cocteau), by the Philip Glass Ensemble, in Gibellina, Italy;
Sunday, June 22
Roy Whelden's new music for an old instrument ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Roy Whelden (b. 1950): Prelude and Divisions on She's So Heavy Roy Whelden, viola da gamba New Albion 59 & Carl Friedrich Abel (1723-1787): Gamba Quartet American Baroque New Albion 59 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On the ensemble American Baroque ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1763—French composer Étienne-Nicola Méhul, in Givet, Ardennes; Deaths: 1974—French composer Darius Milhaud, age 81, in Geneva; Premieres: 1911 — Elgar: "Coronation March," at coronation of King George V and Queen Mary; 1926 — Walton: "Portsmouth Point" Overture, in Zurich, at Festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music; 1938 — Krenek: opera "Karl V," in Prague at the New German Theater. Other: 1871 —Wagner: "Kaiser March" at a Theodore Thomas Orchestra concert at Central Park Garden in New York City. |
