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Monday, March 21, 2016

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

Birthdays

Johann Sebastian Bach

In 1685 Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach. He was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He enriched established German styles through his skill in counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organisation, and the adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad, particularly from Italy and France.Bach’s compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two Passions, and over three hundred cantatas of which around two hundred survive. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty, and intellectual depth. Bach’s abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. 1

Modest Mussorgsky

In 1839 Modest Mussorgsky was born in Karevo. He was a Russian composer, one of the group known as “The Five”. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period. He strove to achieve a uniquely Russian musical identity, often in deliberate defiance of the established conventions of Western music. Many of his works were inspired by Russian history, Russian folklore, and other nationalist themes. Such works include the opera Boris Godunov, the orchestral tone poem Night on Bald Mountain and the piano suite Pictures at an Exhibition. For many years Mussorgsky’s works were mainly known in versions revised or completed by other composers. Many of his most important compositions have posthumously come into their own in their original forms, and some of the original scores are now also available. 2

Paul Tortelier

In 1914 Paul Tortelier was born in Paris. He was the son of a cabinet maker with Breton roots. He was encouraged to play the cello by his father Joseph and mother Marguerite (Boura), and gifted at 12 he entered the Paris Conservatoire. He studied the cello there with Louis Feuillard and then Gérard Hekking. He won the first prize in cello at the conservatoire when he was 16, playing theElgar cello concerto, and then he studied harmony under Jean Gallon. His debut was with the Orchestre Lamoureux in 1931 at the age of 17. He performed Lalo’s Cello Concerto. In 1935 Tortelier joined the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra as first cellist and played with them until 1937. He gave performances under Bruno Walter and Arturo Toscanini, and he also played the solo part in Richard Strauss’ Don Quixote under the composer. This is a piece which became closely associated with Tortelier, as he gave many performances and recorded it. In 1937 he joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Serge Koussevitsky, performing as first cellist through 1940. In 1938 he began a solo career at Boston’s Town Hall, accompanied by Leonard Shure. He was first cellist of the Orchestre de la Société des Concerts du Conservatoire, Paris, 1946–47. In 1947 he gave his British debut under Beecham, again performingDon Quixote at the Festival of Richard Strauss in London. “My boy” Beecham said “you will be successful in England because you have temperament”. In 1950 Tortelier was selected by Pablo Casals to play as the principal cellist in the Prades Festival Orchestra. Tortelier believed that of all the cellists, it was Casals who influenced him the most. A French critic wrote of him: “If Casals is Jupiter, then Tortelier is Apollo.” Tortelier performed for the Peabody Mason Concert series in Boston in 1952. 3

Erich Kunzel

In 1935 Erich Kunzel was born in New York. He  was an American orchestra conductor. Called the “Prince of Pops” by the Chicago Tribune, he performed with a number of leading pops and symphony orchestras, especially the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra (CPO), which he led for 32 years. 4

Owain Arwel Hughes

Happy birthday Owain Arwel Hughes! He is a Welsh orchestral conductor. Hughes was born in Ton Pentre, Rhondda, the son of another successful musician, composer Arwel Hughes. He studied at Howardian High School, Cardiff, University College, Cardiff and the Royal College of Music. He studied conducting under Sir Adrian Boult, Bernard Haitink and Rudolf Kempe. He became well known after a rousing televised performance of William Walton’s Belshazzar’s Feast, which won the praise of the composer himself. He later hosted a BBC series, The Much-Loved Music Show. He has also made numerous recordings, including works such as Verdi’s Requiem and Handel’s Messiah. He has championed less well-known composers, including recording a complete cycle of the symphonies of the Danish composer Vagn Holmboe. Hughes has previously been the Chairman of Governors at the John Lyon School, in Harrow – one of the country’s top independent day schools. A dedicated family man, Hughes has been married to his wife Jean for over 40 years. His son, Geraint is a familiar face to sports fans. He is a former Sports Correspondent for BBC News and currently works for Sky Sports. 5

Premieres

In 1825 Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 (“Choral“) was premiered in London.

In 1826 Ludwig van Beethoven’s String Quartet No 13 in B flat major, Opus 130 was premiered in Vienna.

In 1839 Franz Schubert’s Symphony No. 9 (“Great“) was premiered in Leipzig. It was conducted by Felix Mendelssohn and the score was actually discovered by Robert Schumann when he was visiting Schubert’s brother.

On This Day in Classical Music

In 1816 Felix Mendelssohn is baptized into the Lutheran faith. His parents were Jewish but not practicing.

In 1831 Giacomo Meyerbeer held a dinner party. Not a big deal? At this party were guests that included Niccolo Paganini, Luigi Cherubini and Gioachino Rossini!

In 1839 Glara Wieck (later Schumann) made her Paris debut at age 19.

In 1842 Joseph Lanner gave his final concert three weeks before his death at age 42.

In 1846 Adolphe Sax filed a patent for a new musical instrument – the saxophone.

In 1910 Gustav Mahler conducted his farewell performance at the New York Met.

Recommended Listening

Johann Sebastian Bach’s Cello Suite No. 1 in G performed by Mischa Maisky.

  1. Wikipedia contributors, “Johann Sebastian Bach,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Johann_Sebastian_Bach&oldid=709765895 (accessed March 18, 2016).
  2. Wikipedia contributors, “Modest Mussorgsky,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Modest_Mussorgsky&oldid=710611132 (accessed March 18, 2016).
  3. Wikipedia contributors, “Paul Tortelier,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paul_Tortelier&oldid=702623549 (accessed March 18, 2016).
  4. Wikipedia contributors, “Erich Kunzel,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erich_Kunzel&oldid=706852588 (accessed March 18, 2016).
  5. Wikipedia contributors, “Owain Arwel Hughes,” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Owain_Arwel_Hughes&oldid=708093299 (accessed March 18, 2016).