In 1670 Jean-Baptiste Lully’s comedy-ballet “Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme” (to a text by Molière) was premiered at the Château de Chambord.
In 1871 Alexander Zemlinsky was born in Vienna, Austria.
In 1883 Antonín Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, Op. 53, was premiered in Prague.
In 1924 Arnold Schoenberg’s opera “Die glückliche Hand” (The Fateful Hand) premiered in Vienna at the Volksoper.
In 1930 George Gershwin’s musical “Girl Crazy” opened to the first of 272 performances at the Alvin Theater in New York City. This show includes the classic Gershwin songs “Embraceable You” and “I Got Rhythm”. In the orchestra pit were Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Gene Kruppa, and Gershwin himself conducting.
In 1935 La Monte (Thorton) Young was born in Bern, Idaho.
In 1952 Kaija Saariaho was born in Helsinki, Finland
In 1956 Alan Hovhaness’ Symphony No. 3 was premiered by the Symphony of the Air, Leopold Stokowski conducting.
In 1960 Walter Piston’s Violin Concerto No. 2 was premiered by the Pittsburgh Symphony, William Steinberg conducting, with soloist Joseph Fuchs.
In 1970 Witold Lutoslawski’s Cello Concerto premiered in London by the Bournemouth Symphony conducted by Edward Downes, with Mstislav Rostropovich the soloist.
In 1971 Dominick Argento’s opera “Postcard from Morocco” was premiered by the Center Opera at the Cedar Village Theater, in Minneapolis, Minn.
In 1995 George Tsontakis’ “The Dove Descending” (No. 3 of “Four Symphonic Quartets” after poems by T.S. Eliot) was premiered by the Pasadena Symphony, Jorge Mester conducting.
In 1990 Leonard Bernstein died at age 72 in New York City.
In 1999 Peter Lieberson’s Piano Concerto No. 2 (“Red Garuda”) was premeired by soloist Peter Serkin with the Boston Symphony, Seiji Ozawa conducting.
The Classical Stream 