Gershwin's Jazz Age concerto

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

John Harbison (b.1938) Remembering Gatsby Baltimore Symphony; David Zinman, cond. Argo 444 454

George Gershwin (1898-1937) Piano Concerto in F Peter Jablonski, piano; Royal Philharmonic; Vladimir Ashkenazy, cond. London 430 542

On This Day

Births

• 1729 - Baptism of Spanish composer and organist, Padre Antonio Soler, in Olot;

• 1883 - Austrian composer Anton Webern, in Vienna;

• 1914 - American composer Irving Fine, in Boston;

• 1938 - Uruguayan-born American composer and conductor, José Serebrier, in Montevideo;

Deaths

• 1866 - Bohemian composer Johann Wenzel Kalliwoda, age 65, in Karlsruhe, Germany;

• 1876 - German opera composer Hermann Goetz, age 35, in Hottingen, near Zurich, Switzerland;

• 1941 - Norwegian composer Christian Sinding, age 85, in Oslo;

• 1978 - American composer William Grant Still, age 83, in Los Angeles;

Premieres

• 1712 - Handel: opera “Il pastor fido,” in London (Julian date: Nov. 22);

• 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 62 ("Nun komm der Heiden Heiland" I) performed on the 1st Sunday in Advent as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25);

• 1739 - Handel: “Ode for St. Cecilia’s Day,” in London (Julian date: Nov. 22);

• 1740 - Handel: opera “Imeneo” in London (Julian date: Nov. 22);

• 1908 - Elgar: Symphony No. 1, at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester, England, with the Hallé Orchestra conducted by Hans Richter;

• 1913 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Sonata No. 2 (Gregorian date: Dec. 16);

• 1913 - Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 2, in Vienna;

• 1925 - Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F, at Carnegie Hall in New York, with the composer as soloist and the New York Symphony conducted by Walter Damrosch;

• 1931 - Edward Joseph Collins: Piano Concerto No. 2 in a (“Concert Piece”), by the Chicago Symphony, Frederick Stock conducting and the composer as soloist;

• 1943 - Hanson: Symphony No. 4 ("Requiem"), with the Boston Symphony conducted by the composer; This work was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1944;

• 1949 - Grofé: "Death Valley" Suite, at Desolation Canyon, Calif., by the Hollywood Bowl, conducted by the composer;

• 1953 - Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 4, in Moscow, by the Beethoven Quartet;

• 1954 - Barber: oratorio “Prayers of Kierkegaard” for soloists, chorus and orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting;

• 1954 - Walton: opera "Troilus and Cressida," at Covent Garden in London;

• 1958 - Colin McPhee: "Nocturne" for orchestra, by Lepold Stokowski and "his orchestra"';

• 1963 - Copland: ballet "Dance Panels," in Munich;

• 1992 - John Harbison: Oboe Concerto, with soloist William Bennett and the San Francisco Symphony, Herbert Blomstedt conducting;

Others

• 1721 - J.S. Bach (age 36) marries his second wife, Anna Magdalena Wülken (age 20) at Cöthen;