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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.  |
September 22-28, 2008
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Monday, September 22
Bernstein gets a "Presidential" title ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Leonard Bernstein (1918 – 1990) arr. Bright Sheng: Arias and Barcarolles Jane Bunnell, mezzo-soprano; Seattle Symphony; Gerard Schwarz, cond. Delos 3078 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Leonard Bernstein ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1875 —Lithuanian composer Mikolajus Ciurlionis, in Varena (then the Kaunas province of the Russian Empire; Julian date: Sept. 10); 1933—Spanish composer Leonardo Balada, in Barcelona; 1961—American composer Michael Torke, in Milwaukee, Wisc.; Deaths: 1989—American song composer Irving Berlin, age 101, in New York City; Premieres: 1869 — Wagner: opera, "Das Rheingold," in Munich at the Hoftheater, Franz Wüllner conducting; The opera was performed at the Bavarian emperor Ludwig II's request, but against the composer's wishes; 1938 — Webern: String Quartet, Op. 28, at South Mountain, Pittsfield, Mass., during the Berkshire Chamber Music Festival; This work was commissioned for $750 by the American music patron, Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge; 1964 — Jerry Bock: musical "Fiddler On the Roof" opens on Broadway: It would run for 3,242 performances before closing; 1971 — Barber: "The Lovers" for solo voice and chorus (after a poem by Pablo Neruda), in Philadelphia; 1989 — Bernstein: "Arias and Barcarolles" (orchestrated version prepared by Bright Sheng), at the Tilles Center of Long Island University with the New York Chamber Symphony conducted by Gerard Schwarz and featuring vocalists Susan Graham and Kurt Ollmann; The first version of this work, for soloists and piano four-hands, premiered on May 9, 1988, at Equitable Center Auditorium in New York City; 1990 — James MacMillan: "The Beserking" (Piano Concerto), at Henry Wood Hall in Glasgow by pianist Peter Donohoue and the Royal Scottish Orchestra, Matthias Bamert conducting; 1990 — Christopher Rouse: "Jagannath" for orchestra, by the Houston Symphony Orchestra, Christoph Eschenbach conducting; 2000 — Philip Glass: “Tirol Concerto” for piano and orchestra, by Dennis Russell Davies (piano and conductor) with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, at the 7th annual Klangspuren Festival in Schwaz, Tirol (Austria); 2000 — Zwilich: "Millennium Fantasy" for piano and orchestra, by the Cincinnati Symphony, Jesús Lopez-Cobos conducting with soloist Jeffrey Biegel; Other: 1937 —During the Spanish Civil War, Mexican composer Silvestre Revueltas conducts his 1935 composition “Homage to Federico Garcia Lorca” in Madrid while the city was under siege by Spanish fascist forces; The Spanish poet Lorca had been killed by the Falangists;
Tuesday, September 23
Cadman's Trio ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881 – 1946): Piano Trio, Op. 56 Paul Posnak, piano; Peter Zazofsky, violin; Ross Harbrough, cello Naxos 8.559067 & Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881 – 1946): From the Land of the Sky-Blue Water , Op. 45, no. 1 Peter Zazofsky, violin; Paul Posnak, piano Naxos 8.559067 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Cadman More on Cadman (as a song composer) ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1899—American composer William Levi Dawson, in Anniston, Ala.; 1920—Armenian composer Alexander Arutiunian, in Yerevan; His Trumpet Concerto, composed in 1950, is his best-known work; 1926 —American composer and jazz saxophonist John Coltrane, in Hamlet, N.C.; 1928—American pianist and composer Robert Helps, in Passaic, New Jersey; Deaths: 1835—Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini, age 33, in Puteaux (near Paris); 2006—British composer Sir Malcolm Arnold, age 84, in Norfolk county, eastern England; Premieres: 1777 — Gluck: opera, "Armide," at the Académie Royale in Paris; 1913 — Charles Wakefield Cadman: Piano Trio in D, at a private home in Denver; The first public performance took place the following month in Minneapolis; 1958 — Stravinsky: "Threni," at San Rocco in Venice, by the North German Radio Orchestra of Hamburg (who had commissioned the work), conducted by the composer; 1962 — Copland: "Connotations" for Orchestra, at Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall) during the opening season of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Leonard Bernstein; This concert, televised by CBS, also included the "Gloria" from Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" and the first movement ("Veni, creator spiritus") from Mahler's Symphony No.8; 1965 — Diamond: "Elegies" for Flute, English Horn, and Strings, by Murray Panitz (flute), Louis Rosenblatt (English horn), and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting; 1990 — James MacMillan: "Sowetan Spring" for winds, at the Glasgow Hospitality Inn by the winds of the Royal Scottish Orchestra, John Paynter conducting.
Wednesday, September 24
Barber at Lincoln Center ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Samuel Barber (1910 – 1981): Piano Concerto, Op. 38 John Browning, piano; Saint Louis Symphony; Leonard Slatkin, cond. RCA/BMG 60732 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Samuel Barber ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1914—Polish composer and conductor Andrzej Panufnik, in Warsaw; 1919—Czech-born American composer Vaclav Nelhybel, in Polanska; 1945—English composer and conductor John Rutter, in London; Deaths: 1813—Belgian-born French composer André Grétry, age 72, in Montmorency; 1892—Irish-born American bandmaster and composer Patrick Gilmore, age 62, in St. Louis; Premieres: 1909 — Rimsky-Korsakov: opera "The Golden Cockerel," posthumously, in Moscow (Gregorian date: Oct. 7); 1962 — Barber: Piano Concerto, with soloist John Browning and the Boston Symphony conducted by Erich Leinsdorf; This performance was the second concert scheduled at the newly-opened "Philharmonic Hall" (now Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center in New York City; 1965 — George Rochberg: "Black Sounds" for winds and percussion, on a "Lincoln Center" television broadcast (as a ballet by Anna Sokolov under the title "The Act"); 1992 — Tobias Picker: "Bang!" by the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur onducting (A New York Philharmonic 150th Anniversary commission); 1994 — Zwilich: "American" Concerto for trumpet and orchestra, at the inaugural concert of the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, by the San Diego Symphony, JoAnn Faletta conducting, with soloist Doc Severinson; Other: 1947—German-born composer Hans Eisler is questioned about his former membership in the Communist Party by the House Committee on Un-American activities; Eisler had been a member of the Party in the 1920s, left Germany when Hitler came to power in 1933, and had been working in Hollywood on film scores and as the musical assistant to Charlie Chaplin; He left the U.S. in 1948 and settled in East Germany - where he composed that country's national anthem.
Thursday, September 25
Adams rolls into the new century ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: John Adams (b. 1947): Century Rolls Emanuel Ax, piano; Cleveland Orchestra; Christoph von Dohnányi, cond. Nonesuch 79607 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On John Adams ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1683—French composer Jean-Philippe Rameau, in Dijon; 1862—French organist and composer Léon Boëllmann, in Ensisheim, Alsace; 1896—Catalonian-born British composer Roberto Gerhard, in Valls (near Tarragona, Spain); 1906 —Soviet composer Dimitri Shostakovich, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Sept. 12); 1932—Canadian pianist and occasional composer Glenn Gould, in Toronto; Deaths: 1849—Austrian composer Johann Strauss, Sr., age 45, in Vienna; 1916—Czech band composer Julius Fucik, age 44, in Leitmeritz; He composed the famous "circus" march entitled "Entrance of the Gladiators"; 1997—French composer and pianist Jean Françaix, age 85, in Paris; The composer himself has written that his family name is pronounced with the final "x" sounded (as in "Aix"-en-Provence), although it's commonly pronounced "Français" by many; Premieres: 1870 — Smetana: opera "The Bartered Bride" (4th version), in Prague at the Provisional Theater; 1907 — Sibelius: Symphony No. 3, in Helsinki, with the composer conducting; 1925 — Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 4, Op. 36, no. 3, in Dessau, Germany, conducted by Franz von Hoesslin, with Licco Amar the violin soloist; 1936 — R. Vaughan Williams: choral suite "Five Tudor Portraits," in Norwich, England, conducted by the composer; 1960 — Paul Ben-Haim: "Capriccio" for Piano and Orchestra, in Tel Aviv; 1962 — Piston: "Lincoln Center Festival Overture," by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy, at the third concert scheduled at the newly-opened "Philharmonic Hall" (now Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center in New York City; 1966 — Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 2, in Moscow, by the USSR State Symphony, with Mstislav Rostropovich the soloist and the composer's son, Maxim, conducting; 1980 — Bernstein: "Divertimento" for Orchestra, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Seiji Ozawa; 1986 — Husa: Concerto for Orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic, conducted by Zubin Mehta; 1997 — John Adams: Piano Concerto ("Century Rolls"), at Severance Hall, with pianist Emanuel Ax and the Cleveland Orchestra, conducted by Christoph von Dohnányi; Other: 1966—On the occasion of his 60th birthday, Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich is nominated as a "Hero of Socialist Labor" by the Soviet government.
Friday, September 26
William Billings ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: William Billings (1746 – 1800): When Jesus Wept and Methinks I see a heavenly host His Majestie's Clerkes; Paul Hillier, cond. Harmonia Mundi 90.7048 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On William Billings More on Billings ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1898—American pianist and composer George Gershwin in Brooklyn; Deaths: 1800—Early American composer William Billings, age 53, in Boston; He died in poverty and was buried in an unmarked grave in Boston Common; 1945—Hungarian pianist and composer Béla Bartók, age 64, in New York City; Premieres: 1835 — Donizetti: opera "Lucia di Lammermoor," at the Teatro San Carlos in Naples; 1898 — Victor Herbert: operetta, "The Fortune Teller," in Toronto; 1907 — Sibelius: Symphony No. 3, by the Helsinki Philharmonic, with the composer conducting; 1915 — Schillings: opera "Mona Lisa," in Stuttgart at the Hoftheater; 1938 — Kurt Weill: musical, "Knickerbocker Holiday," during trial run in Hartford, Conn.; The musical opened in New York on October 19, 1938; 1957 — Bernstein: musical "West Side Story," at the Winter Garden in New York City; A trial run of the musical had premiered during a trial run in Washington, D.C. at the National Theater on August 19, 1957; 1967 — Shostakovich: Violin Concerto No. 2 by the Moscow Philharmonic, Kirill Kondrashin conducting, with soloist David Oistrakh; 1991 — Wuorinen: cantata "Genesis," in San Francisco, Herbert Blomstedt conducting; 1997 — Kirchner: "Of Things Exactly As They Are," with vocalists Roberta Alexander and William Stone, with the Boston Symphony and Tanglewood Chorus conducted by Seiji Ozawa; 1998 — Philip Glass: opera "The White Raven," by the San Carlos National Theater at the World Expo in Lisbon, Portugal, with Dennis Russell Davies conducting; Other: 1962—Igor Stravinsky concert by the Moscow State Symphony during the composer's first visit to Russia in 48 years; Stravinsky conducts his "Ode" and "Orpheus" Ballet, Stravinsky's assistant Robert Craft conducts "The Rite of Spring," with the composer returning to conduct his 1917 arrangement of the "Volga Boatmen's Song" as an encore.
Saturday, September 27
Dvorak in America ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Antonin Dvořák (1841 – 1904): American Suite Royal Liverpool Philharmonic; Libor Pešek, cond. Virgin 90723 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Antonin Dvořák PBS "Dvořák and America" documentary on DVD ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1879—English composer Cyril Scott, in Oxton, Cheshire; 1898—American composer Vincent Youmans, in New York City; 1903—Russian-born American composer and songwriter Vernon Duke (Vladimir Dukelsky), in Parfianovka (Pskov) (Gregorian date: Oct. 10); Deaths: 1921—German composer Engelbert Humperdinck, age 67, in Neustrelitz; 1956—British composer Gerald Finzi, age 55, in Oxford; Premieres: 1960 — Stravinsky: "Monumentum pro Gesualdo di Venosa ad CD annum" (three madrigals by Gesualdo transcribed for orchestra), in Venice, with the composer conducting; Other: 1827—At a private party in Vienna, Franz Schubert performs selections from his last piano sonatas; 1892—Czech composer Antonin Dvorák arrives in New York City to take up a position at the National Conservatory.
Sunday, September 28
Herrmann and Daugherty look to the skies ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Bernard Herrmann (1911 - 1975): The Day the Earth Stood Still filmscore National Philharmonic; Bernard Herrmann, cond. London 443 899 & Michael Daugherty (b. 1954): UFO Evelyn Glennie, percussion; North Texas Wind Symphony; Eugene Migliaro Corporon, cond. Klavier 11121 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (fan site) On Bernard Herrmann On Michael Daugherty ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1870—French composer Florent Schmitt, in Blámont; 1913—American composer Vivian Fine, in Chicago; Deaths: 1825 —Russian composer Dimitri Bortniansky, age c. 74, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Oct. 10); 1964—English composer Sir George Dyson, age 81, in Winchester; Premieres: 1918 — Stravinsky: "The Soldier's Tale" for narrator and seven instruments, in Lausanne at the Théatre Municipal with Ernest Ansermet conducting; 1961 — Bartók: "Scherzo" for Piano and Orchestra, an early work by the late composer, in Budapest; 1972 — Petrassi: Concerto for Orchestra No. 8, in Chicago; 1997 — James MacMillan: Symphony ("Vigil"), at the Barbican in London, by the London Symphony, Mstislav Rostropovich conducting; Other: 1951—Sci-fi classic "The Day the Earth Stood Still" opens in theaters across America, featuring memorable score by Bernard Herrmann that included eerie, other-worldly sounds imitating the electronic instrument known as a "Theremin" (after its Russian-born inventor, Leon Theremin); In the movie, actress Patricia Neal's rendition of the space alien command "Gort: Klaatu barada nikto" prevents Earth's destruction by a death-ray robot from outer space. 2007—Conductor Philip Brunelle awarded the "Champion of New Music" Award by the American Composers Forum at their 2007 Annual Meeting in St. Paul, Minn.; This award recognizes artists who have commissioned and performed a significant number of new works by living composers. |
