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In 1724 Johann Sebastian Bach’s Sacred Cantata No. 139 (“Wohl dem, der sich auf seinen Gott”) was premiered on the 23rd Sunday after Trinity as part of Bach’s second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25). 

Alexander Borodin

In 1833 Alexander Borodin was born in St. Petersburg (see Julian date: Oct 31). He was a member of the group of composers called The Five (or “The Mighty Handful”), who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music. He is best known for his symphonies, his two string quartets, In the Steppes of Central Asia and his opera Prince Igor. Music from Prince Igor and his string quartets was later adapted for the US musical Kismet. He was a notable advocate of women’s rights and a proponent of education in Russia and was a founder of the School of Medicine for Women in St. Petersburg. 1

In 1866 Léo Delibes’ ballet “La Source'” premiered at the Paris Opéra. 

In 1881 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 2 was premiered by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Theodore Thomas, with Madeleine Schiller the soloist. 

In 1888 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s symphonic fantasy overture “Hamlet” premiered in Moscow (Gregorian date: Nov. 24).  

In 1931 Sergei Rachmaninoff performed the premier of his own “Oriental Sketch” for solo piano in New York City. 

In 1943 William Schumann’s Symphony No. 5 (“Symphony for Strings”) premiered by Boston Symphony Orchestra. This piece was written for the Koussevitzky Music Foundation as a memorial to Mme. Natalie Koussevitzky. 

In 1948 Umberto Giordano died at age 81 in Milan. 

In 1966 Quincy Porter died at age 69 in Bethany, Conn. 

In 1972 Rudolph Friml died at age 92 in Los Angeles. 

In 1973 Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 14 premiered by the Beethoven Quartet in Leningrad. 

In 1974 George Crumb’s “Makrokosmos II” for amplified piano, dedicated to pianist Robert Miller, premiered in New York. The instrument is “amplified” so that the incredibly wide dynamic range (ffff to pppp) can be better felt by audience members far back from the stage. In addition, the piano must be “prepared” beforehand by the insertion of foreign objects – a strip of paper, glass tumblers, etc. – into the string area to produce carefully calculated sonic effects. When it comes time to actually play the piano, the pianist must, in addition to employing ordinary keyboard techniques, stick his or her hands into the guts of the piano and pluck strings, knock on the soundboard, and so on. He or she must also use his or her voice – “singing” certain mystic words, making rhythmic breath sounds, and at one point whistling. This piece usually lasts lasts a little over 30 minutes in performance. 2

In 1976 Walter Piston died at age 82 in Belmont, Mass.

In 2002 David Del Tredici’s “Grand Trio” premiered  by the Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio in New York City at the 92nd Street Y. 

In 2013 Sir John Tavener died at age 69 in Child Okeford, Dorset.

  1. Wikipedia contributors, “Alexander Borodin,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexander_Borodin&oldid=679279567 (accessed November 12, 2015).
  2. Taken from the website “AllMusic” http://www.allmusic.com/composition/makrokosmos-ii-for-amplified-piano-mc0002382695 (accessed November 12, 2015).