Synopsis
Music Played in Today's Program
Kurt Weill (1900-1950) Mahagonny Suite Berlin Philharmonic; Mariss Jansons, cond. EMI 56573
On This Day
Births
1889 - Rumanian composer and violinist Grigoras Dinicu, in Bucharest; He is best known for his virtuoso violin showpiece "Hora staccato" (1906);
1895 - Italian-born American composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, in Florence;
Deaths
1850 - Bohemian composer Jan Václav Tomáek (Johann Wenzel Tomaschek), age 75, in Prague;
1868 - Swedish composer Frans Berwald, age 71, in Stockholm;
1897 - German composer Johannes Brahms, age 63, in Vienna;
1950 - German-born American composer Kurt Weill, age 50, in New York City;
1972 - American composer and arranger Ferde Grofé, age 80, in Santa Monica, Calif.;
Premieres
1748 - Handel: oratorio "Alexander Balus" (Julian date: March 23);
1786 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in c, K. 491, at the Burgtheater in Vienna, with the composer as soloist;
1869 - Grieg: Piano Concerto in a, Op. 16, in Copenhagen, by the Danish Royal Theater Orchestra conducted by Holger Simon Paulli, and Edmund Neupert the soloist;
1911 - Sibelius: Symphony No. 4, in Helsinki, with the composer conducting;
1923 - Roussel: ballet "Le Festin de l'araignée" (The Spider's Feast), in Paris;
1925 - Holst: opera "At the Boar's Head," in Manchester;
1931 - Hindemith: "Concert Music,"by the Boston Symphony (commissioned for the orchestra's 50 th anniversary), with Serge Koussevitzky conducting;
1998 - Tan Dun: "Concerto for Six Players " in Durham, N.C., by the Bang On A Can All-Stars;
2003 - Elliott Carter: "Boston Concerto," by the Boston Symphony, Ingo Metzmacher conducting;
Others
1834 - The "Neue Zeitschrift für Musik" (New Journal of Music) begins publication, with Robert Schumann as contributing editor;
1843 - The Leipzig Conservatory opens, with Felix Mendelssohn as its director;
1871 - American premiere of Wagner's opera "Lohengrin," at the Stadt Theater in New York City;
1926 - American premiere of Sibelius' Symphony No. 7, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting.
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About Composers Datebook®
Host John Birge presents a daily snapshot of composers past and present, with timely information, intriguing musical events and appropriate, accessible music related to each.
He has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.
