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Wednesday, February 17, 2016

You can listen to the Classical Music Almanac Podcast Daily here.

Birthdays

Arcangelo Corelli

In 1653 Arcangelo Corelli was born in Fusignano, Italy. He was an Italian violinist and composer of the Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of the violin, and as the first coalescing of modern tonality and functional harmony. 1

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Ron Goodwin

In 1925 Ron Goodwin was born in Plymouth, England. He was an English composer and conductor known for his film music. He scored over 70 films in a career lasting over fifty years. His most famous works included Where Eagles Dare, Battle of Britain, 633 Squadron and Operation Crossbow. Goodwin learned to play the piano and trumpet from the age of five which allowed him to join the school band. When he was nine, the family moved to Harrow, London, where he attended Willesden County School and Pinner County Grammar School, in Middlesex. From there he went on to study the trumpet in London at theGuildhall School of Music. Whilst working as a copyist, he formed his own orchestra in his spare time and began arranging and conducting recordings for over fifty artists, which resulted in more than 100 chart successes. He wrote his first feature film score for Whirlpool, with screenplay by Lawrence P. Bachmann. After Bachmann became executive producer at MGM-British Studios in 1959, Goodwin composed and conducted the music for most of its productions, as well as working for other film studios. In the 1980s Goodwin began concentrating on live orchestral performances and appeared as guest conductor with many symphony orchestras at home and abroad including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. 2

Karl Jenkins

Happy 72nd birthday Karl Jenkins! He is a Welsh musician and composer known for “Adiemus”, The Armed Man and his Requiem. He was known for the bulk of his career for his jazz and jazz-rock music. As a composer, his breakthrough came with the crossover project Adiemus. Jenkins has conducted the Adiemus project in Japan, Germany, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, and Belgium, as well as London’s Royal Albert Hall and Battersea Power Station. The Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary (1995) album topped the classical album charts. It spawned a series of successors, each revolving around a central theme. Jenkins was the first international composer and conductor to conduct the University of Johannesburg Kingsway Choir led by Renette Bouwer, during his visit to South Africa as the choir performed his The Armed Man: A mass for peace together with a 70-piece orchestra. Jenkins’ choral work The Peacemakers, features texts from Gandhi, Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela, Anne Frank and Mother Teresa, as well as words from the Bible and the Qur’an with some new text specially written by Terry Waite. On the 2012 record the London Symphony Orchestra is joined by different vocal forces including Rundfunkchor Berlin, the City of Birmingham Youth Chorus, and the 1000-strong “The Really Big Chorus” made up of members of UK choirs from across the country brought together in one day, in one studio, to contribute to two movements on the album. Guest artists include violinist Chloë Hanslip, soprano Lucy Crowe,Davy Spillane on Uilleann pipes, Indian bansuri player Ashwin Srinivasan and jazz musicians Nigel Hitchcock and Laurence Cottle. The album was released on 26 March 2012. The world premiere of this seventeen-movement work took place, however, in New York City’s Carnegie Hall on 16 January 2012. Karl Jenkins conducted from the podium and John H. Briggs, Sr. conducted the Children’s Chorus from a seated position. Mr. Briggs was the Choral Arts Conductor of one of the participating schools and its two choruses: Il Bel Canto and Die Meistersingers of Gwynn Park Middle School, MD, USA Additional concerts in the UK and USA took place later in the year. Jenkins composed the music for the 2012 BBC Wales series The Story of Wales presented by Huw Edwards. A work entitled The Healer – A Cantata For St Luke was premiered on 16 October 2014 (7:30 pm) in St Luke’s Church, Grayshott, Hampshire, and was recorded and broadcast on Classic FM. The Healer received its US premiere at Carnagie Hall, New York on 19 January 2015. In September 2015, the recording of the premiere of The Healer was released on CD by Warner Classics as part of the 8 disc boxed set Voices. A compilation CD, Still With The Music was also released in September 2015, coinciding with the publication of his autobiography of the same name. 3

Premieres

In 1792 Joseph Haydn’s Symphony No. 93, which is actually the first of his ‘London’ symphonies (but not premiered in order), was premiered in London at the Hanover Square Rooms.

In 1855 Franz Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 was premiered in Weimar, with Hector Berlioz conducting and Liszt soloist. This must have been a relief for Liszt as it took him 26 years to complete the composition.

In 1872 Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet (second version) was premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1904 Giacomo Puccini’s Madam Butterfly was premiered in Milan.

In 1947 Aaron Copland’s Danzón Cubano (orchestral version) was premiered by the Baltimore Symphony.

In 1977 Elliott Carter’s A Symphony of Three Orchestra was premiered by the New York Philharmonic with Pierre Boulez conducting.

On This Day in Classical Music

In 1911 Edward Elgar was appointed the principal conductor of the London Symphony Orchestra after Hans Richter was forced to retire due to his failing eyesight.

In 1943 Sergei Rachmaninoff performed what would be his final concert in Knoxville, Tennessee. He died the following month due to melanoma.

Recommended Listening

Frederic Chopin’s Piano Sonata No. 2 performed by Sergei Rachmaninoff, recorded on February 18, 1930. 

  1. Wikipedia contributors, “Arcangelo Corelli,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arcangelo_Corelli&oldid=702150831 (accessed February 16, 2016).
  2. Wikipedia contributors, “Ron Goodwin,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ron_Goodwin&oldid=702650474 (accessed February 16, 2016).
  3. Wikipedia contributors, “Karl Jenkins,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Karl_Jenkins&oldid=704417750 (accessed February 16, 2016).