Offenbach in America

Synopsis

On today date in 1876—America's Centennial Year—the popular French composer Jacques Offenbach came to New York and Philadelphia for a series of concerts. The newspaper announcement read as follows: "Mr. Offenbach, the illustrious maestro, assisted by a grand orchestra of one hundred skilled musicians, will inaugurate a series of twenty concerts at Gilmore's Gardens."

Offenbach's promoter jacked up ticket prices to double their usual amount—general admission was $1 and private boxes $5. Even so, on May 11th, 5000 people crowded into the hall to see and hear Offenbach, billed as "the most fascinating composer of the age, the Operatic Puck."

Offenbach was given a standing ovation when he mounted to podium, but half the audience left, disappointed, before the concert ended. Apparently pre-concert hype had led New York audiences to expect singing and dancing at the concert, and maybe even a rendition of that naughty French dance, the Can-Can. What they got was an orchestral concert—admittedly well-played and conducted—but no sign of any leggy dancing girls.

Offenbach was crushed, and offered to tear up his contract, but instead, the promoter suggested they just pep up the program with more variety, and Offenbach even wrote a special waltz for the remaining concerts, titled "The American Eagle Waltz." The waltz—and the remaining New York concerts—proved a great success.

Music Played in Today's Program

Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880) American Eagle Waltz Gulbenkian Orchestra; Michel Swierczewski, cond. Nimbus 5303

On This Day

Births

• 1791 - Bohemian composer Jan Václav (Johann) Voríšek(Worzischek), in Vamberk;

• 1855 - Russian composer Anatoly Liadov, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: April 29);

• 1888 - American popular song composer Irving Berlin (Isidore Balin) inTemun, Russia (Julian date: April 29);

• 1895 - American composer William Grant Still, in Woodville, Miss.;

• 1954 - Scottish composer Judith Weir, in Aberdeen;

Deaths

• 1849 - German composer Otto Nicolai, age 38, in Berlin;

• 1916 - German composer, Max Reger, age 43, in Leipzig;

• 1947 - Swedish composer Ture Rangström, age 62, in Stockholm;

Premieres

• 1728 - Handel: opera "Tolomeo, re d'Egitto" (Julian date: April 30);

• 1917 - Busoni: opera "Arlecchino" (Harlequin) and "Turandot" in Zürich at the Stadttheater;

• 1945 - Bernstein: "Hashkiveinu" (text from the Sabbath Evening Service) for Cantor, Choir and Organ, at Park Avenue Synagogue in New York City, by Cantor David Puttterman, Max Heffman conducting;

• 1948 - Cowell: "Hymn, Chorale, and Fuguing Tune" No. 8 for strings, at Florida State University Recital Hall by the School of Music Faculty String Quartet;

• 1955 - Bliss: Violin Concerto, in London;

• 1963 - William Grant Still: opera "A Southern Interlude," by the University of Miami Opera; This opera was later revised as "Highway 1, U.S.A.";

• 1966 - Andrew Imbrie: Symphony No. 1, by the San Francisco Symphony;

• 1981 - Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Cats" (after T.S. Eliot's "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats") in London at the New London Theatre; This enormously popular and long-running musical opened on Broadway on October 7, 1982;

• 1984 - John Harbison: "Ulysses' Bow," by the New Haven Symphony, Murry Sidlin conducting;

• 1995 - John Adams: musical "I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky"at the Zellerbach Playhouse in Berkeley, California, with the Paul Dresher Ensemble conducted by Grant Gershon;

• 2000 - Colin Matthews: "Pluto The Renewer" (as a new contribution to Gustav Holst's "The Planet"), in Manchester, by the Hallé Orchestra, Kent Nagano conducting;

• 2002 - Kenneth Frazelle: "Concerto for Chamber Orchestra," in Glendale, Calif., by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Jeffrey Kahane conducting.