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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.  |
October 1-7, 2007
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Monday, October 1
Flagg-waving in Colonial Boston? ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Oliver Shaw: Gov. Arnold's March Members of the Federal Music Society; John Baldon, cond. New World 80299 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Music in Colonial America ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1832—American composer Henry Clay Work, in Middletown, Conn.; A printer by trade, he wrote some famous popular songs, including "Grandfather's Clock," "Father, Come Home," and "Marching Through Georgia"; 1865—French composer Paul Dukas, in Paris; 1931—Italian composer Sylvano Bussotti, in Florence; Deaths: 1708—British composer John Blow, age c. 59, in London; 1964—Austrian-born American composer Ernst Toch, age 76, in Santa Monica, Calif.; He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1956 for his Symphony No. 3; 1979—American composer Roy Harris, age 81, in Santa Monica, Calif.; Premieres: 1733 — Rameau: opera, "Hippolyte et Aricie," in Paris at the Palais Royal Opéra; 1913 — Elgar: symphonic poem, “Falstaff,” at the Leeds Festival, with the composer conducting; 1937 — Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 18, in Moscow, Alexander Gauk conducting; 1961 — Shostakovich: Symphony No. 12 ("The Year 1917"), by the Leningrad Philharmonic, Yevgeny Mravinsky conducting; 1967 — Sessions: Symphony No. 7, in Ann Arbor, Mich., by the Chicago Symphony, Jean Martinon conducting; 1975 — Shostakovich: Viola Sonata, in Leningrad, by Fyodor Druzhinin (viola) and Mikhail Muntyan (piano); 1992 — Michael Torke: “Chalk” for string quartet, at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester (U.K.), by the Balanescu Quartet; 1998 — Ives (arr. David G. Porter): "Emerson Overture," for piano and orchestra, with soloist Alan Feinberg and the Cleveland Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnányi conducting; 2005 — John Adams: opera "Dr. Atomic,," in San Francisco by the San Francisco Opera, Donald Runnicles, cond; Other: 1880—John Philip Sousa, age 25, is appointed 17th Leader of the U.S. Marine Band, a post he would hold for 12 years; During this time, the band made its first concert tour, premiered many of Sousa's most famous marches, and produced some of the first phonograph recordings ever made; 1924—Opening of The Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, funded by a gift of $12.5 million from the American patroness Mary Louise Curtis Bok, who had inherited her fortune from the Curtis Publishing Company; The faculty, providing instruction for 203 students, includes Leopold Stokowski and Josef Hofmann heading conducting and piano departments, respectively; Polish-born coloratura Marcella Sembrich; Hungarian violinist Carl Flesch; French-born harpist/composer Carlos Salzedo; and Italian composer Rosario Scalero.
Tuesday, October 2
Jr. takes over the Strauss Family Band ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Johann Strauss, Jr (1825-1899): Farewell Waltz Slovak State Philharmonic; Christian Pollack, cond. Marco Polo 8.223239 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Johann Strauss, Jr. ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1893 —American composer and pianist Leroy Shield, in Waseca, Minn.; His wrote much of the uncredited film music for the Hal Roach studios in the 1930s (including many classic Laurel & Hardy and "Our Gang," comedies); 1929—British composer Kenneth Leighton, in Wakefield, Yorkshire; Deaths: 1920—German composer Max Bruch, age 82, in Friedenau (near Berlin); 1943—Canadian-born American composer R. Nathaniel Dett, age 60, in Battle Creek, Mich.; 1996 —Finnish composer Joonas Kokkonen, age 74, in Jarvenpaa; Premieres: 1913 — Butterworth: "A Shropshire Lad," at the Leeds Festival, with Artur Nikisch conducting; 1960 — Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet; 2001 — Steven Heitzeg: "Nobel Symphony" at Gustavus Adolpus College in St. Peter, Minn., by the Gustavus Orchestra, soloists and choirs, conducted by Warren Friesen; Other: 1828—Two weeks before his death, Schubert writes a letter to a music publisher offering them his latest work, the String Quintet in C (D. 956); The publisher declined the offer; The work was first performed in public in 1850, and was not published until 1853; 1849—Johann Strauss, Jr., takes over his father's orchestra, one week after his father's death.
Wednesday, October 3
Ceremonial Beethoven and Schuman ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): Consecration of the House Overture Berlin Philharmonic; Bernhard Klee, cond. DG 453 713 & Willliam Schuman (1910-1992): To Thee Old Cause New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. Sony 63088 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Beethoven On William Schuman ALSO ON THIS DATE: Births: 1923—Polish-born American composer and conductor Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, in Lwow; 1936—American composer Steve Reich, in New York; Deaths: 1931—Danish composer and conductor Carl Nielsen, age 66, in Copenhagen; 1953—English composer Sir Arnold Bax, age 69, in Cork, Ireland; Premieres: 1822 — Beethoven: "Consecration of the House" Overture, Op. 124, for the opening of the Josephstadt Theater in Vienna; 1860 — Brahms: Serenade No. 1 in D, Op. 11, in Hanover, conducted by Joseph Joachim; 1888 — Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta, "The Yeomen of the Guard," at the Savoy Theatre in London; 1900 — Elgar: oratorio, "The Dream of Gerontius," at Birmingham, Hans Richter conducting; 1929 — Walton: Viola Concerto, by the Queen's Hall Orchestra conducted by the composer, with Paul Hindemith the soloist; 1963 — Ginastera: Violin Concerto, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting, with Ruggiero Ricci the soloist; 1968 — William Schuman's "To Thee Old Cause" at New York Philharmonic concert conducted by Bernstein (dedicated to memory of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy); 1971 — Copland: "Duo" for flute and piano, in Philadelphia, by flutist Elaine Shaffer and pianist Hephzibah Menuhin; 1984 — Corigliano: "Creations" for narrator and chamber orchestra, in Milwaukee, Wisc., with Lukas Foss conducting; 1996 — James MacMillan: Cello Concerto, at the Barbican in London, by Mstislav Rostropovich with the London Symphony, Sir Colin Davis conducting; 1997 — Anthony Davis: "Jacob's Ladder," by the Kansas City Symphony, Bill McGlaughlin conducting; Other: 1833—Berlioz marries Irish actress Harriet "Henrietta" Smithson at the British embassy in Paris; Liszt acts as one of the witnesses.
Thursday, October 4
Belated — and timely — Dvorák and Copland premieres ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Antonin Dvorák (1841-1904): Symphony No. 1 in c Berlin Philharmonic; Rafael Kubelik, cond. DG 423 120 & Aaron Copland (1900-1990): Appalachian Spring Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, cond. Reference 93 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Dvorák On Copland ALSO ON THIS DATE: Deaths: 1970—American composer George Frederick McKay, age 71, in Stateline, Nev 1982—Canadian pianist and occasional composer Glenn Gould, age 50, in Toronto; Premieres: 1803 — Cherubini: opera "Anacréon," at the Paris Opéra; 1815 — Rossini: opera, "Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra" (Elizabeth I, Queen of England), in Naples; 1910 — Korngold: pantomime, "The Snowman," at the Vienna Court Opera, conducted by Alexander Zemlinsky; Korngold was 13 at the time; 1916 — R. Strauss: opera, "Ariadne auf Naxos" (revised version), at the Vienna Court Opera, conducted by Franz Schalk, with vocal soloists Maria Jertiza (Ariadne), Selma Kurz (Zerbinetta), Lotte Lehmann (Composer), and Bela Kornyey (Bacchus); An earlier version of this opera (minus its prologue) had premiered in Stuttgart on Oct. 24, 1912, conducted by the composer; 1936 — Dvorák: Symphony No. 1 in c ("The Bells of Zlonice"), in Prague, posthumously; This symphony was composed in 1865; 1941 — Manuel Ponce: "Concierto del Sur" for guitar and orchestra, in Montevideo; 1945 — Copland: "Appalachian Spring" Orchestra Suite, at Carnegie Hall by New York Philharmonic conducted by Artur Rodzinski, with simultaneous performances the next day by the Boston Symphony and Cleveland Orchestra; the original chamber orchestra version of Copland's complete ballet score(choreographed by Martha Graham) had premiered at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., on October 30, 1944; 1956 — Leon Kirchner: "Toccata" for strings, winds and percussion, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, by the Symphony of the Air, Leopold Stokowski conducting; 1956 — Martinu: Piano Concerto No. 4 ("Incantations"), at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, by the Symphony of the Air, Leopold Stokowski conducting, with pianist Rudolf Firkusny; 1959 — Shostakovich: Cello Concerto No. 1, by the Leningrad Philharmonic conducted by Yevgeny Mravinsky, with Mstislav Rostropovich as soloist; 1962 — William Schuman: Symphony No. 8 (commissioned for opening season of New York Philharmonic at Lincoln Center); 1982 — Glass: "Koyaanisqatsi" film score premiered at Radio City Music Hall Film Festival in New York; 1991 — Lou Harrison: "Homage to Pacifica," over KPFA radio in Berkeley, Calif.; 1997 — Michael Daugherty: "Niagra Falls" for winds, in Ann Arbor, by the University of Michigan Symphonic Band, conducted by H. Robert Reynolds. Other: 1738—London music publisher John Walsh the younger issues Handel's Organ Concertos, Op. 4 (Gregorian date: Oct. 15); 1739—Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in F, Op. 6, no. 2 (Gregorian date: Oct. 15); 1921—The American Academy in Rome awards American composer Leo Sowerby its first two-year composition fellowship; American composer Howard Hanson was awarded the second two-year composition fellowship on November 9, 1921; The third fellowship was awarded to Randall Thompson on June 6, 1922; The fellowship awards continue to this day.
Friday, October 5
Timely Argento and Takemitsu ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Dominick Argento (b. 1927): A Ring of Time Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, cond. Reference 91 & Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996): From Me Flows What You Call Time Pacific Symphony; Carl St. Clair, cond. Sony 63044 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Argento On Takemitsu (London Sinfonietta’s website) 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.
Saturday, October 6
Brahms and Rzewski for amateurs ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Johannes Brahms (1833-1897): Liebeslieder Waltz No. 18, Op..52a Silke-Thora Matthies & Christian Köhn, piano Naxos 553140 & Frederic Rzewski (b. 1938): The Days Fly By Ursula Oppens, piano companion CD to “The Carnegie Hall Millennium Piano Book” ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Johannes Brahms On Frederic Rzewski 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.
Sunday, October 7
Music and politics by Rimsky-Korsakov and Adams ... MUSIC PLAYED ON TODAY'S PROGRAM: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908): The Golden Cockerel Suite Russian National Orchestra; Mikhail Pletnev, cond. DG 447 084 & John Adams (b. 1947): The Chairman Dances San Francisco Symphony; Edo de Waart, cond. Nonesuch 79453 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: On Rimsky-Korsakov On John Adams 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. |
