Synopsis
Music Played in Today's Program
William Bolcom (b. 1938) Violin Concerto Sergiu Luca, violin; American Composers Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, cond. Argo 433 077
Charles Mingus (1922-1979)/arr. Schuller: Noon Night, from Epitaph jazz ensemble; Gunther Schuller, cond. Sony/Columbia 45428
On This Day
Births
1801 - Czech opera composer Franz (Frantiek) kroup, in Osice; One of his songs was eventually used as the Czech national anthem;
1832 - French operetta composer Charles Lecocq, in Paris;
Deaths
1875 - French composer Georges Bizet, age 36, at Bougival (near Paris);
1899 - Austrian composer Johann Strauss, Jr., age 73, in Vienna;
1939 - Spanish composer and conductor Enrique Fernandez Arbos, in San Sebastian;
Premieres
1896 - Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 5, in Paris, with the composer as soloist;
1915 - Chadwick: symphonic ballad "Tam O'Shanter" at the Norfolk Festival;
1922 - Stravinsky: opera "Marva," at the Paris Opéra;
1947 - Poulenc: opera "Les Mamelles de Tirésias" (The Breasts of Tiresias) in Paris at the Opéra-Comique;
1964 - Menotti: "Martin's Lie," at Bristol Cathedral in Bath, England;
1979 - Menotti: "La Loca," in San Diego, Calif.;
1988 - Michael Torke: "Copper" for brass quintet and orchestra, at the Midland (Michigan) Festival, with the Empire Brass and the Detroit Symphony conducted by Stephen Stein;
1999 - Tan Dun: "Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra (In Memory of Toru Takemitsu)," at Lincoln Center, with percussionist Christopher Lamb and the New York Philharmonic conducted by Kurt Masur.
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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.