Mendelssohn and Richard Rodgers make LP history

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Felix Mendelssohn (1809 - 1847) Violin Concerto in e Nathan Milstein, violin; New York Philharmonic; Bruno Walter, cond. Sony 64459

Rodgers and Hammerstein South Pacific Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin; orchestra; Lehman Engel, cond. Sony 53327

On This Day

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;

Others

• 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.