Offenbach, Wagner and Satsuma in New York

Synopsis

In the 19th century, much like today, New Yorkers looking for musical entertainment had a lot to choose from. For example, on today’s date in 1871, the options included these three offerings:

First: at Lina Edwin’s Theater, a musical burlesque, Pluto, which The New York Times billed as an “Anglicized and condensed” version of Jacques Offenbach’s racy operetta, Orpheus in the Underworld, with interpolated comic sketches and monologues by the show’s star, the Jerry Seinfeld of the day, the ever-popular comedian Mr. Lingard.

Second: for the more serious sort, the American staged premiere of Richard Wagner’s opera, Lohengrin, at the Stadt Theater. The Times noted that Wagner’s opera was “brought out in Germany some 20 years earlier but was unknown here in its entirety until now.” A large audience showed up for the “entirety” of “Lohengrin,” which lasted over four hours and ended around midnight.

Finally: at Broadway’s Minstrel Hall, directly from Japan, Satsuma’s Circus offered the amazing Mr. Yadunochi, who first smoked a pipe, then ate it, then while playing on a flute expelled the pipe’s smoke through his instrument; for his finale, Mr. Yadunochi reproduced, as the Times put it “the original pipe whole and unsullied.” Now, that’s entertainment!

Music Played in Today's Program

Jacques Offenbach (1819-1890) (arr. Rosenthal): Cancan from Gaite Parisienne; Montréal Symphony; Charles Dutoit, conductor; London 430 718

Richard Wagner (1813-1883): Act 3 Prelude from Lohengrin; Berlin Philharmonic; Daniel Barenboim, conductor; Teldec 81791

Kozaburo Hirai (1910-2002): Sonata; Kazue Frances Asawa, flute; Kazue Kudo, koto; Crystal 316

On This Day

Births

• 1889 - Rumanian composer and violinist Grigoras Dinicu, in Bucharest. He is best known for his virtuoso violin showpiece Hora Staccato (1906).

• 1895 - Italian-born American composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, in Florence

Deaths

• 1850 - Bohemian composer Jan Křtitel Tomášek (Johann Wenzel Tomaschek), 75, in Prague

• 1868 - Swedish composer Frans Berwald, 71, in Stockholm

• 1897 - German composer Johannes Brahms, 63, in Vienna

• 1950 - German-born American composer Kurt Weill, 50, in New York City

• 1972 - American composer and arranger Ferde Grofé, 80, in Santa Monica, California

Premieres

• 1748 - Handel: oratorio Alexander Balus (Julian date: March 23)

• 1786 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24, at the Burgtheater in Vienna, with the composer as soloist

• 1869 - Grieg: Piano Concerto, in Copenhagen, by the Danish Royal Theater Orchestra conducted by Holger Simon Paulli, and Edmund Neupert the soloist

• 1911 - Sibelius: Symphony No. 4, in Helsinki, with the composer conducting

• 1923 - Roussel: ballet Le Festin de L’araignée (The Spider’s Feast), in Paris

• 1925 - Holst: opera At the Boar’s Head, in Manchester

• 1931 - Hindemith: Concert Music, by the Boston Symphony (commissioned for the orchestra’s 50th anniversary), with Serge Koussevitzky conducting

• 1998 - Tan Dun: Concerto for Six Players in Durham, North Carolina, by the Bang On A Can All-Stars

• 2003 - Elliott Carter: Boston Concerto, by the Boston Symphony, Ingo Metzmacher conducting

Others

• 1834 - The Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New Journal of Music) begins publication, with Robert Schumann as contributing editor

• 1843 - The Leipzig Conservatory opens, with Felix Mendelssohn as its director;

• 1871 - American premiere of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin, at the Stadt Theater in New York City

• 1926 - American premiere of Sibelius’ Symphony No. 7, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting