Beatrice and Benedict and Berlioz

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869) Beatrice and Benedict Overture Dresden State Orchestra; Sir Colin Davis, cond. BMG 68790

On This Day

Births

• 1781 - Austrian composer, violinist, and conductor Michael Umlauff, in Vienna; He conducted the orchestra, chorus, and soloists assembled for the premiere performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony at Vienna's Kärtnertor Theater on May 7, 1824; After the totally deaf Beethoven set the initial tempos for each movement, the performers were instructed to ignore Beethoven if he continued to beat time, and to follow Umlauf;

• 1874 - Venezuelan-born French composer, conductor and music critic Reynaldo Hahn, in Caracas;

• 1875 - English light music composer Albert William Ketèlbey, in Aston;

Deaths

• 1919 - Italian composer Ruggero Leoncavallo, age 62, in Montecatini;

• 1975 - Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, age 68, in Moscow;

• 1988 - Italian composer Giacinto Scelsi, age 83, in Rome;

Premieres

• 1862 - Berlioz: opera "Beatrice and Benedick," in Baden-Baden at the Neues Theater, with the composer conducting; The libretto (by Berlioz himself) is based on Shakespeare's comedy "Much Ado About Nothing";

• 1949 - Orff: opera "Antigone," in Salzburg at the Felsenreitschile;

• 1972 - London premiere of Andrew Lloyd-Webber: musical "Jesus Christ Superstar";

• 1978 - Dave Brubeck: oratorio “Beloved Son,” at the American Lutheran Women’s Convention in Minneapolis, Minn., with Richard Sieber conducting;

• 1979 - Hanson: ballet "Nymph and Satyr" in Chautauqua, Tennessee;

• 1988 - Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 5, during a BBC Proms Concert at London's Royal Albert Hall, by the Philharmonia Orchestra, with the composer conducting;

Others

• 1703 - J.S. Bach appointed organist at Neuekirche, Arnstadt (see also: August 4 and 14)

• 1928 - Australian-born American composer Percy Grainger marries Swedish poet and painter Ella Viola Strom at the Hollywood Bowl in front of an audience of 22,000 concert-goers; Grainger conducted the LA Philharmonic Orchestra in a performance of his "To a Nordic Princess," dedicated to his bride.