Beethoven in Vienna

Synopsis

On today’s date in 1801, the world — or at least that portion of it seated in the Imperial Court Theater in Vienna — heard a new ballet for the first time. The real draw that evening was the prima ballerina of the company, a certain Fraulein Cassentini.

The music was by young, emerging composer Ludwig van Beethoven, and his ballet was called The Creatures of Prometheus. The creatures referred to in the title are two stone statues that are brought to life by Prometheus, the legendary Greek figure who stole fire from the gods and gave it to mankind. 

Beethoven’s commission came from Italian dancer Salvatore Vigano, who had been working in Vienna since 1793, and was — like Beethoven — seeking the attention and possible patronage of the culture-loving Austrian Empress Maria Theresa.

Although Beethoven’s ballet was performed 14 times the first season, and nine more the next, it was never published in his lifetime. Beethoven was evidentially pleased with at least one of its themes, a tune he recycled twice: first in the finale of his mammoth Eroica and again in 15 Variations for Solo Piano.

Music Played in Today's Program

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827): The Creatures of Prometheus; Orpheus Chamber Orchestra; DG 453 713

On This Day

Births

• 1871 - Dutch conductor Willem Mengelberg, in Utrecht

• 1890 - American bandleader Paul Whiteman, in Denver, Colorado

• 1930 - American composer Robert Ashley, in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Deaths

• 1881 - Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky, 42, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Mar. 16)

• 1911 - Lithuanian painter and composer Mikolajus Konstantinas Ciurlionis (Gregorian date: April 10)

• 1937 - Polish composer Karol Szymanowski, 54, in Lausanne, Switzerland

• 1943 - Russian-born composer Sergei Rachmaninoff, 69, in Beverly Hills, California. A few weeks before his death he became an American citizen.

• 1949 - Rumanian composer and violinist Grigoras Dinicu, 59, in Bucharest. He is best known for his virtuoso violin showpiece Hora Staccato (1906).

• 1958 - American composer and “father of the blues” William Christopher (W.C.) Handy, 84 in New York

Premieres

• 1733 - Handel: oratorio Deborah (Julian date: March 17)

• 1801 - Beethoven: ballet The Creatures of Prometheus, at the Burgtheater in Vienna

• 1871 - Tchaikovsky: String Quartet No. 1, in Moscow, by members of the Russian Musical Society (Julian date: Mar. 16)

• 1879 - Smetana: String Quartet (From My Life), in Prague, by Ferdinand Lachner, Jan Pelikán (violins), Josef Krehan (viola), and Alois Neruda (cello). This was the official premiere, although a private performance had taken place in Prague the previous year, with the young Antonín Dvořák performing on viola.

• 1896 - Giordano: opera Andrea Chénier, in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala

• 1940 - Britten: Violin Concerto, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by John Barbirolli, with Antonio Brosa the soloist

• 1951 - Douglas Moore: opera Giants in the Earth, in New York City; This work won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1951

• 1958 - Rochberg: Symphony No. 1, in Philadelphia

• 1960 - Cowell: Symphony No. 12, by the Houston Symphony, Leopold Stokowski conducting

• 1972 - Bernstein: Meditations Nos. 1 and 2 for Cello and Piano, in New York City, by cellist Stephen Katz and the composer at the piano

• 2003 - Ned Rorem: Cello Concerto, by the Kansas City Symphony with Michael Stern conducting and David Geringas the soloist

Others

• 1739 - London music publisher John Walsh the younger issues Handel’s Trio Sonatas, London (Gregorian date: April 8)

• 1842 - The Vienna Philharmonic plays its first concert (as the Vienna Court Orchestra) in the Redoutensaale under the director of composer Otto Nicolai, the director of the Vienna Court Opera; The program included Beethoven's Seventh Symphony, his concert aria Ah, Perfido, and the Leonore No. 3 and"Consercration of the House Overtures, along with other vocal selections by Mozart and Cherubini.