Composers Datebook®

On today’s date in 1940, the “Standing Room Only” signs went up early as a crowd of 23,000 stormed the Hollywood Bowl to hear the great Paul Robeson perform.

Manuel de Falla’s ballet “The Three-Cornered Hat” received its premiere performance at the Alhambra Theatre in London on today’s date in 1919.

On today’s date in 1824, Mendelssohn wrote a letter describing the Como Inglese di Basso as "a large brass instrument with a fine, deep tone, that looks like a watering can or a stirrup pump."

On today’s date in 1945, the weather in DC was clear and warm when Alexander Smallens conducted an outdoor Watergate Concert that included the recently-composed suite from Aaron Copland’s ballet “Rodeo,” and “Newsreel,” an orchestral suite by William Schuman.

James MacMillan’s “The World’s Ransoming” was premiered at the Barbican Center in London on today’s date in 1996.

On today’s date in 1984, the Kronos Quartet was at the Kukmo Music Festival in Finland, where they gave the premiere performance of the 5th String Quartet of the Finnish composer, Aulis Sallinen, subtitled “Pieces of Mosaic.”

In 1985, three hundred years after the birth of Handel, American composer Libby Larsen composed a Symphony she titled “Water Music,” written as a tribute to Handel and as an expression of her own enthusiasm for sailing.

Dale Trumbore’s “How to Go On” received its premiere performance on today’s date in 2016 in Anaheim, California by the Choral Arts Initiative.

Bernstein conducted the premiere performance of “Chichester Psalms” at Lincoln Center on July 15th, 1965

Roger de Lisle (1760-1836) La Marseillaise Detroit Symphony; Paul Paray, cond. Mercury 434 332 Today is Bastille Day, and on today’s date in 1900, the Opera-Comique in Paris premiered a patriotic opera entitled “La Marseillaise.”