Strauss, Tchaikovsy, Bruckner and Vienna's "Golden Hall"

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Johann Strauss, Sr. (1804 - 1849) Zampa Galop Jhn. Strauss Orchestra; Christopher Warren-Green, cond. Black Box 1059

Peter Tchaikovsky (1840 –1893) Violin Concerto, Op. 35 Ilya Gringolts, violin; Israel Philharmonic; Itzhak Perlman, cond. DG 471 616

Anton Bruckner (1824 –1896) Symphony No. 3 SWR Symphony; Michael Gielen, cond. Hänssler 93.031

On This Day

Births

• 1792 - American composer Peter Wolle, in New Herrnhut, St. Thomas, West Indies;

• 1871 - American composer Frederick Shepherd Converse, in Newton, Massachusetts;

• 1880 - Russian composer and pianist Nicolai Medtner, in Moscow (Julian date: Dec. 24, 1879);

• 1881 - Russian composer Nicolai Roslavetz, in Dushatino, Chernigov region, Ukraine (Julian date: Dec. 24, 1880);

Deaths

• 1869 - Russian composer Alexander Dargomizhsky (Gregorian date: Jan. 17);

• 1970 - Catalan-born British composer Roberto Gerhard, age 73, in Cambridge, England;

• 1979 - American jazz composer and bassist Charles Mingus, age 56, in Mexico City;

Premieres

• 1677 - Lully: opera "Isis," in Paris;

• 1727 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 58 ("Ach Gott, wie manches Herzeleid" II) performed on the Sunday after New Year's Day as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1725/27);

• 1745 - Handel: musical drama "Hercules" at the King's Theater in London (Gregorian date: Jan. 16);

• 1868 - Bruch: Violin Concerto in g, Op. 26 (final version), in Bremen, with Karl Martin Rheintahler conducting and Joseph Joachim the soloist; An earlier version of this work had been premiered on April 24, 1866, which Bruch substantially revised with the assistance of Joachim;

• 1884 - Gilbert & Sullivan: operetta, "Princess Ida," at the Savoy Theatre in London;

• 1932 - Ravel: Piano Concerto for the Left Hand, in Vienna, with Vienna Symphony conducted by Robert Heger, with Paul Wittgenstein (who commissioned the work) as soloist;

• 1941 - Mark Blitzstein: opera "No for an Answer," in New York City;

• 1949 - Henry Cowell: Symphony No. 5, at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C., by the National Symphony, Hans Kindler conducting;

• 1949 - Morton Gould: symphonic suite, "Fall River Legend," Pierre Monteux conducting San Francisco Symphony Orchestra;

• 1961 - Easley Blackwood: Symphony No. 2, in Cleveland (commissioned by music publisher G. Schirmer to celebrate its centenary);

• 1962 - Ross Lee Finney: Piano Quintet No. 2, in Los Angeles;

• 1973 - Pierre Boulez: ". . . explosante/fixe" at a concert by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in New York City.