Synopsis
Music Played in Today's Program
Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) Tapiola, Op. 112 Helsinki Philharmonic; Paavo Berglund, cond. EMI 68646
On This Day
Births
1687 - German violinist and composer and violinist Johann Georg Pisendel, in Cadolzburg;
1926 - American trumpeter and composer Earle Brown, in Lunenburg, Ma.;
Premieres
1709 - Handel: opera "Agrippina" in Venice at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo;
1723 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 40 ("Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes") and "Magnificat" in E-flat, (S. 243a) performed on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24);
1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 121 ("Christum wir colleen loben schon") performed on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25);
1725 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 57 ("Selig ist der Mann") performed in Leipzig on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle(1725/27);
1734 - Bach: Part 2 ("Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegen") of the 6-part "Christmas Oratorio," S. 248, in Leipzig;
1767 - Gluck: opera, "Alceste" (1st version) in Vienna at the Imperial Court Theater;
1770 - Mozart: opera, "Mitridate, Re di Ponto," (composed at age 14) in Milan, at the Teatro Regio Ducale;
1772 - Mozart: opera, "Lucio Silla," (composed at age 16) in Milan, at the Teatro Regio Ducale;
1827 - Schubert: Piano Trio in Eb, Op. 100 (D. 929), at the Music Society Hall in Vienna, by Ignaz Schuppanzigh (violin), Josef Linke (cello), and Carl Maria von Bocklet (piano);
1830 - Donizetti: opera, "Anna Bolena," at the Teatro Carcano, Milan;
1831 - Bellini: opera, "Norma," in Milan the Teatro alla Scala;
1833 - Donizetti: opera "Lucretia Borgia," in Milan;
1867 - Bizet: "La jolie fille de Perth," at the Théatre-Lyrique in Paris;
1880 - Brahms: "Tragic Overture," Op. 81, in Vienna;
1897 - Rimsky-Korsakov: "Sadko," in Moscow (Gregorian date: Jan. 7);
1926 - Sibelius: tone-poem "Tapiola" by the New York Symphony, Walter Damrosch conducting;
1931 - Gershwin: musical "Of Thee I Sing," at the Music Box Theater in New York City; This show includes the classic Gershwin songs "Love is Sweeping the Country," "Of Thee I Sing," and "Who Cares?" (see also Dec. 8 for Boston trial run premiere);
1941 - Robert Russell Bennett: Violin Concerto, on an NBC Symphony broadcast;
Others
1936 - First concert of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in Tel Aviv, with Arturo Toscanini 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.