Synopsis
In 1885, 20-year old violinist Franz Kneisel came to America to become concertmaster of the Boston Symphony. That same year he formed the Kneisel Quartet, the first professional string quartet in America. For the next 30 years, their concerts were major musical events.
On today’s date in 1894, this review of a Kneisel Quartet performance appeared in the Boston Globe:
“It was one of the most interesting concerts ever given in Chickering Hall. First on the program was the Dvořák Quartet in F Major, which has never before been played in public. It was given a private performance in New York recently, and the composer was so pleased with the playing of the Kneisels that he gave them the manuscript which they used last night. This composition was written last summer and … the melodious parts strongly recall the type of music that the composer says he had in mind when he wrote the quartet … [The performance] was exceptionally good, and the listeners were stirred to a high pitch of enthusiasm. It is safe to say that the Dvořák quartet is a success.”
Not a bad “morning after” review for the premiere of Dvorák’s famous American String Quartet.
Music Played in Today's Program
Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904): String Quartet No. 12 (American); Keller Quartet; Warner 44355
On This Day
Births
1732 - Baptism of Bohemian composer Frantisek Xaver Brixi, in Prague
1837 - Russian composer Mily Balakirev, in Nizhny-Novgorod (Julian date: Dec. 21, 1836)
1913 - American composer Gardner Read, in Evanston, Illinois
1905 - British composer Sir Michael Tippett, in London
Deaths
1780 - German composer Johann Ludwig Krebs, 65, in Altenburg
1915 - Austro-Hungarian composer Karl Goldmark, 84, in Vienna
Premieres
1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 153 (Schau, Lieber Gott, wie meine Feind) performed on the Sunday after New Year’s Day as part of Bach’s first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24)
1735 - Bach: Part 5 (Ehre sei dir, Gott, Gesungen) of the six-part Christmas Oratorio, in Leipzig
1843 - Wagner: opera, Der Fliegende Holländer (The Flying Dutchman), in Dresden at the Hoftheater, conducted by the composer
1936 - Morton Gould: Chorale and Fugue in Jazz, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting
2000 - Christopher Rouse: Concert de Guadi for guitar and orchestra, in Hamburg (Germany), by guitarist Sharon Isbin and the NDR (North German Radio) Symphony, Christoph Eschenbach conducting. On the same program was the premiere of Bright Sheng’s Nanking! Nanking! for orchestra.
Others
1955 - Canadian pianist Glenn Gould plays his first U.S. recital in Washington, D.C.
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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.