Synopsis
In 1986, the city of Chicago celebrated its 150th anniversary, and an anonymous music patron was willing to back the commission of a big new orchestral work for the pride of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and its superstar conductor back then, namely George Solti.
The manager of the Chicago Symphony approached American composer George Rochberg about writing something, suggesting that the patron specifically wanted a concerto for brass and orchestra. Not that surprising, since the Chicago Symphony then and now has special reason to be proud of its brass section. Rochberg’s counter-proposal was that he would write a symphony, reassuring the orchestra’s manager: “When I write my new symphony, I will not neglect the brass.”
Some months later, the composer met with Solti to outline his revised plans for the Chicago commission. When Solti requested extra brass and percussion, Rochberg recounted the story of the anonymous patron’s commission of a Concerto for Brass, to which Solti, smiling broadly, replied: “Oh, that was me!” — and readily agreed to a symphony instead of a concerto.
Rochberg’s brassy Symphony No. 5, was premiered by Solti and the Chicago Symphony on today’s date in 1986.
Music Played in Today's Program
George Rochberg (1918-2005): Symphony No. 5; Saarbrucken Radio Symphony; Christopher Lyndon-Gee, conductor; Naxos 8.559115
On This Day
Births
1700 - French composer and flutist Michel Blavet, in Besançon
1860 - Austrian composer and music critic Hugo Wolf, in Windisch-Graz
Deaths
1842 - Italian-born composer Luigi Cherubini, 81, in Paris
Premieres
1744 - Handel: oratorio Joseph and his Brethren (Julian dater: March 2)
1797 - Cherubini: opera Médée (Medea), in Paris
1845 - Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto, by the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra conducted by Niels Gade, with Ferdinand David the soloist
1861 - Wagner: opera Tannhäuser (Paris version), at the Théâtre Imperial de l'Opéra
1947 - Messiaen: Hymne for orchestra, by the New York Philharmonic, Leopold Stokowski conducted
1954 - Schoenberg: (unfinished) opera Moses and Aaron, in a concert performance by the Hamburg Radio; The first staged performance took place in Zürich, Switzerland, on June 6, 1957)
1964 - Ernst Toch: Symphony No. 5 (Jeptha - Rhapsodic Poem), in Boston
1976 - Babbitt: Concerti for Violin, Small Orchestra and Tape, in New York City
1986 - George Rochberg: Symphony No. 5 (Commissioned for the sesquicentennial celebration of the city of Chicago), by the Chicago Symphony, with Sir Georg Solti conducting
1992 - Peter Maxwell Davies: Strathclyde Concerto No. 5 for violin, viola and strings, at Glasgow’s City Hall, by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer, with soloists James Clarke and Catherine Marwood
1998 - Mark Adamo: opera Little Women at Houston Opera Studio, with Christopher Larkin conducting
Others
1970 - George Crumb completes his Black Angels for electric string quartet, percussion and water-tuned musical glasses. The score is inscribed: “finished on Friday the Thirteenth, March 1970 in tempore belli” (in time of war).
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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.