New York City "firsts" by Rossini and Cole Porter

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) selections from The Barber of Seville Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Neville Marriner, cond. Philips 412 266

Cole Porter (1891-1964) Gay Divorce Overture London Sinfonietta; John McGlinn, cond. EMI 68589

On This Day

Births

• 1632 - Baptism of Italian-French composer Jean-Baptiste Lully, in Florence, Italy;

• 1797 - Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti, in Bergamo;

• 1915 - American jazz pianist and composer Billy Strayhorn, in Dayton, Ohio;

Deaths

• 1643 - Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, age 76, in Venice;

• 1924 - Italian composer Giacomo Puccini, age 65, in Brussels, Belgium;

• 1957 - Austrian-born composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold, age 60, in Los Angeles;

Premieres

• 1862 - Brahms: Piano Quartet No. 2 in A, Op. 26, at the old Gesellschaft for Musikfreunde Vereinsaal in Vienna, by the Hellmesberger Quartet, with the composer at the piano;

• 1879 - Brahms: Violin Sonata No. 1 in G, in Vienna;

• 1964 - Cowell: "26 Simultaneous Mosacis" for 5 players, at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, in Buffalo, N.Y., by an ensemble from the Music Department of the State University of New York, Buffalo, directed by Lukas Foss;

• 1983 - Messiaen: opera "St. Francis of Assisi," at the Paris Opéra, conducted by Seiji Ozawa;

• 1989 - Lukas Foss: “American Landscapes,” for guitar and orchestra, with guitarist Sharon Isbin and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, the composer conducting; On the same program were the premiere performances of John Duffy: Symphony No. 1 (“Utah”) and Joan Tower: “Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman” No. 2 (dedicated to Joan Briccetti, general manager of the St. Louis Symphony), with Peter Connelly conducting the Duiffy and Tower pieces;

• 1997 - Anthony Davis: opera "Amistad," by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Dennis Russell Davies conducting;

Others

• 1741 - Handel arrives in Dublin for an extended stay (see Julian date: Nov. 18);

• 1919 - Leo Ornstein performs a recital of his own works in New York City.