Synopsis
On today’s date in 1938, a new opera by 74-year-old German composer Richard Strauss premiered at the Munich National Theater. It was titled Friedenstag or Peace Day — a rather ironic title, considering that World War II was imminent.
The opera takes place during the Thirty Years War in 17th century Germany. The military commander of a besieged town decides to blow the whole place up rather than surrender and is about to do so when he misinterprets a signal and opens the gates, allowing a peaceful takeover. The surprised commander is reconciled to his enemy, and everyone celebrates their deliverance from the horrors of war.
Hitler did not attend the Munich premiere, and supposedly thought the historical peace following the Thirty Years War a disaster for Germany. But the opera could be interpreted many ways, and, after the “peaceful” takeover of Austria by Nazi Germany, Hitler did in fact attend the Viennese premiere of Peace Day in 1939.
The new opera played in other German opera houses briefly, but after the outbreak of war was quickly dropped. And to this day, depending on whom you ask, Strauss’ ambiguous opera is either a work celebrating peace — or appeasement.
Music Played in Today's Program
Richard Strauss (1864-1949): Friedenstag; Bavarian Radio Symphony; Wolfgang Sawallisch, conductor; EMI 56850
On This Day
Births
1803 - French opera composer Adolph-Charles Adam, in Paris
1880 - Swiss-born American composer Ernest Bloch, in Geneva
1904 - French-born American composer and arranger Leo (Noël) Arnaud, in Lyon
1922 - American composer Leo Kraft, in New York City
Deaths
1739 - Italian composer Benedetto Marcello, in Brescia
1971 - British composer Alan Rawsthorne, in Cambridge, England
Premieres
1926 - Hindemith: Concert Music for Winds, Op. 4, in Donaueschingen, Germany, with Hermann Scherchen conducting
1938 - R. Strauss: opera, Friedenstag (Peace Day), in Munich at the National Theater, Clemens Krauss conducting, with vocal soloists Hans Hotter (Commandant) and Viorca Ursuleac (Maria)
1964 - Ginastera: opera, Don Rodrigo, at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires
1983 - Elisabetta Brusa: Favole (Fables) for chamber orchestra, by the Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, George Hanson conducting
1995 - Michael Torke: opera Strawberry Fields, at Cooperstown, New York, by the Glimmerglass Opera, Stewart Robinson conducting
Others
1838 - Mendelssohn finishes his String Quartet No. 3 in Berlin. In a letter dated July 30 that year, he writes to the violinist Ferdinand David: “I have just finished my third Quartet, in D Major, and like it very much. I hope it may please you as well. I rather think it will, since it is more spirited and seems to me likely to be more grateful to the players than the others.”
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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.
