Composers Datebook®

Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf"

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Sergei Prokofiev (1873 - 1943) arr. Albert Markov Peter and the Wolf Alexander Markov, violin; Dmitri Cogan, piano Erato 98481

On This Day

Births

  • 1660 - Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti, in Palermo; founder of the "Neopolitan School" of music and father of the composer, Dominico Scarlatti;

  • 1752 - Baptismal date of German oboist and composer Ludwig August Lebrun, in Mannheim;

  • 1810 - Danish conductor and composer Hans Christian Lumbye, in Copenhagen;

  • 1843 - Austrian conductor and operetta composer Carl Michael Ziehrer, in Vienna;

  • 1905 - English composer Alan Rawsthorne, in Haslingden;

Deaths

  • 1864 - German composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Jakob Liebmann Beer), age 72,in Paris;

  • 1990 - American composer William Levi Dawson, age 90, in Montgomery, Ala.;

Premieres

  • 1692 - Purcell: opera "The Fairy Queen," in London at the Queen's Theater, Dorset Garden;

  • 1935 - Ibert: "Concertino da Camera" for saxophone and chamber orchestra, in Paris;

  • 1936 - Prokofiev: "Peter and the Wolf" at a children's concert by the Moscow Philharmonic, conducted by the composer;

  • 1947 - Copland: "In the Beginning" for mezzo-soprano and chorus, at Harvard University;

  • 1947 - Schoenberg: String Trio, Op. 45, at Harvard University;

  • 1951 - Cage: "Imaginary Landscape No. 4" for 12 radios, in New York;

  • 1951 - Ulysses Kay: "Sinfonia" for orchestra, in Rochester, N.Y.;

  • 1965 - Bolcom: "Oracle" for orchestra, in Seattle;

  • 1965 - Grofé: "Trick or Treat: Halloween," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, André Kostelanetz conducting;

  • 1981 - David Amram: Violin Concerto, by the St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting, with Charles Castleman the soloist;

  • 1984 - Ezra Laderman: String Quartet No. 7, in New York City, by the Colorado Quartet;

  • 1984 - Broadway premiere of Sondheim: musical "Sunday in the Park with George";

  • 1990 - Elliott Carter: Violin Concerto, by the San Francisco Symphony conducted by Herbert Blomstedt, with Ole Böhn as soloist;

Others

  • 1855 - American premiere of Verdi's opera "Il Trovatore" (The Troubadour) at the Academy of Music in New York.

  • 1872 - First documented American performance of Beethoven's "Missa solemnis" in D (Op. 123), at Steinway Hall in New York , by the Church Music Association, Dr. James Pech conducting; Subsequent regional premieres of this work occurred in Cincinnati (May 19, 1880) and Boston (Mar. 12, 1897).

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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.

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