Hovhaness in "Hooston"

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Alan Hovhaness (1911 – 2000) Symphony No. 2 (Mysterious Mountain) London Symphony; John Williams, cond. Sony Classical 62729

On This Day

Births

• 1833 - Russian composer Alexander Borodin, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Nov. 12);

• 1806 - American composer Louise Talma, in Arcachon, France;

• 1949 - Cuban-American composer and conductor Odaline de la Martinez, in Matanzas, Cuba;

Deaths

• 1870 - Hungarian composer Mihály Mosonyi (Michael Brand), age 55, in Pest;

Premieres

• 1724 - Handel: opera "Tamerlano" in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: Nov. 11); This was the London debut of the Italian tenor Francesco Borosini in a work by Handel;

• 1865 - Brahms: "Theme and Variations" in d (after slow movement of Brahms' String Sextet No. 1), in Frankfurt am Main;

• 1866 - Offenbach: operetta, "La Vie Parisienne," in Paris, at the Palais-Royal;

• 1875 - Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 4 in c, Op. 44, in Paris at a concert conducted by Edouard Colonne, with the composer as soloist;

• 1891 - Mascagni: opera "L'amico Fritz," at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome;

• 1924 - Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 2, Op. 36, no. 1, in Frankfurt, with Clemens Kraus conducting and Emma Lübbecke-Job the piano soloist;

• 1932 - Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 5, by the Berlin Philharmonic, Wilhelm Furtwängler conducting, with the composer as soloist;

• 1947 - Chávez: "Toccata" for percussion, in Mexico City;

• 1949 - Mark Blitzstein: opera "Regina," in New York City;

• 1955 - Hovhaness: Symphony No. 2 ("Mysterious Mountain"), by the Houston Symphony, Leopold Stokowski conducting;

• 1966 - Stravinsky: "The Owl and the Pussycat" (dedicated to Vera Stravinsky), in Los Angeles; This was Stravinsky's last composition;

• 1970 - Crumb: "Ancient Voices of Children," in Washington, D.C.;

• 1985 - Rorem: "String Symphony," by the Atlanta Symphony, Robert Shaw conducting.

Others

• 1739 - Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in b, Op. 6, no. 12 (see Julian date: Oct. 20);

• 1933 - Arnold Schoenberg, accompanied by his wife, baby daughter, and family pet terrier "Witz," arrives in New York on the liner Isle de France.