DECEMBER 14 Today in classical music history

Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH

1645 FP of Sacrati's La Finta Pazza in Paris.

1725 Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons concertos, Op. 8, published as part of 12 Concerti as The Contest between Harmony and Invention. Published by Gazette d'Amsterdam.

1738 Birth of Bohemian-Cezch composer Jan Evangelista Antonin KOZELUH in Velwary, Bohemia, Czech Republic. d-Prague, Czech Republic, 3 FEB 1814.  [Also see Anatoly KOSCHELICH?, KOZELUCH 1748-1818?, LEOPOLD ANTON KOZELUCH, b-Velvary, north-west of Prague in Bohemia on 20 JUN 1747-d-1818.]

1778 Birth of Hungarian cellist Nicolas KRAFT in Esterhazy. Son of Anton Kraft. Member Lichnowsky Quartet. Musician to Prince J. Lobkowitz.

1788 Death of Carl Philipp Emanuel BACH, in Hamburg at age 74. Third son of J.S. Bach. b-Weimar, 8 MAR 1714. Search CPE BACH.

1789 Birth of Polish composer Maria SZYMANOWSKA in Warsaw. d-St. Petersburg, Russia, 25 JUL 1831. 

1820 Death of Italian bass Giuseppe Naldi. Born 25 Feb 1770 in Bologna. Debut 1785, Created Michele in Caccia di Enrico IV (Pucitta).

1828 FP of Schubert's great C-Major Symphony. Forgotten until discovered by Schumann, in Vienna. CD-Schubert: The Complete Symphonies, Vol. 2.

1830 Birth of French tenor Jean-Francois Berthelier in Panissieres. Died 29 Sep 1888, Created Giraffier in Deux Aveugles (Offenbach) Ke-Ki-Ka-Ko in Ba-Ta-Clan (Offenbach) Paimpol in Nuit Blanche (Offenbach) Simplet in Mariage Extravagant (Gautier) Xailom in Barkouf (Offenbach) Aignelet in Maitre Pathelin (Bazin).

1847 Birth of French baritone Jean Lassalle in Lyons. Died 7 Sep 1909, Debut as St Bris in Huguenots (Meyerbeer) 1868 Teacher :- Novelli Pupils :- Pavel Ludikar, Robert Lasselle (son) Created Scindia in Roi de Lahore (Massenet) Severe in Polyeucte (Gounod) Ben Said in Tribut de Zamora (Gounod) Ascanio in Ascanio (Saint Saens) Sang in premiere of Patria (Paladilhe) Sigurd (Reyer) Henry VIII (Saint Saens) Francoise de Rimini (Thomas) Esclave (Membree) Ascanio (Saint-Saens).

1849 Death of German composer Konradin Kreutzer in Riga. b-Messkirch, 22 NOV 1780. Search Konradin Kreutzer.

1861 Death of German opera composer Heinrich Marschner at age 66, in Hanover. b-Zittau, 16 AUG 1795. Search Heinrich Marschner .

1864 Birth of American composer James David VAUGHAN. d-1941.

1864 Birth of French soprano Clementine Duchene de Vere in Paris.  Died 19 Jan 1954, Debut as Queen in Huguenots (Meyerbeer) 1881 Teacher :- Augusta Albertini-Baucarde.

1869 FP of Ludwig Minkus's ballet Don Quixote in Moscow. CD-Léon Minkus: Don Quijote.

1873 Birth of Belgian composer and organist Joseph JONGEN (zhoh sef ZHON gen), in Liège. d-Sart-les-Spa, 12 JUL 1953. Search Joseph JONGEN.

1879 Birth of German tenor Karl Seydel  in Dresden-Blasewitz. Died 7 Aug 1947, Debut 1907 Teacher :- Emil Pinks, Sang in premiere of Der Mond (Orff).

1886 Birth of American composer and Ethnomusicologist, teacher and composer Charles SEEGER in Mexico City. Patriarc of famous Seeger Family. d-1979. A Harvard graduate, 1908. His folk music collection inspired a generation of performers and scholars, among them his children Pete, Peggy, and Mike. m-composer Ruth Crawford. BOOK-Understanding Charles Seeger, Pioneer in American Musicology

1891 Birth of tenor Karel Zavrel. Died 11 Apr 1963, Sang in premiere of Katya Kabanova (Janacek).

1897 Birth of French tenor Georges Thill in Paris. Died 17 Oct 1894, Debut as Nicias in Thais (Massenet) 24 Feb 1924 Teachers:- Fernando De Lucia, Ernest Dupre, Andre Grosse Agostino Roche, Angelica.Pandolfini Pupil :- Paul Finel Sang in premiere of Broceliande (Bloch) Naila (Gaubert) Tour de Feu (Lazzari) Vercingetorix (Canteloube) Rolande (Rabaud). 

1898 Birth of Swedish mezzo-soprano Irma Bjorck in Stockholm. Debut as Nancy in Martha (Flotow) 1925 Teachers:- Gertrud Grubbstrom-Gronberg, Thekla Hofer, Sigrid Terlizza Sang in premiere of Birgitta (N Berg) Fredlos (Linberg).

1898 Birth of American composer Frederick Douglass HALL. d-1982. 

1891 Debut at MET Opera in NYC of Emma Eames as Juliette in Gounod's Romeo and Juliette. Search  Emma Eames.

1901 Death of German composer Adolf Muller, Jr.

1907 Death of Austrian soprano Anna D'Angeri. Born 14 Nov 1853 in Vienna. Died 14 Dec 1907, Debut as Selika in Africaine (Meyerbeer) 1872 Teacher :- Mathilde Marchesi Sang in premiere of Figliuol Prodrigo (Ponchielli).

1911 Birth of American composer, arranger and outragious classical exhibitionist Spike JONES. d-1965. His comical recordings of classical themes introduced children to classical music in the mid-twentieth century. VHS-Spike Jones: The Best of Spike Jones, Vol. 1. 

1914 Birth of American pianist and harpsichordist Rosalyn TURECK in Chicago. d-Riverdale, The Bronx, NYC 17 JUL 2003. Known as specialist of Bach on the piano, harpsichord and clavichord, died at age 88. NY Times, Obituary. On CD: Rosalyn TURECK.

1914 Death of Italian pianist and teacher Giovanni Sgambati in Rome. b-Rome, 28 MAY 1841. Search Giovanni Sgambati.

1915 Birth of English conductor and founder of The NY Opera, Dame Ruth RAILTON. d-2001.

1916 FP of final version of Sibelius' Fifth Symphony, in Helsingfors. CD-Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies

1918 FP of Giacomo Puccini's trilogy Il Trittico of Il Tabarro, Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi at the MET in NYC.

1922 Birth of German mezzo-soprano Gisela Litz in Hamburg. Debut 1952 Sang in premiere of Grune Kakadu (Mohaupt).

1924 FP of Respighi's The Pines of Rome, Bernardino Molinari conducting The Augusteo Orchestra of Rome, at the Augusteo. CD-Respighi: Pini di Roma/Feste Romane/Fontane di Roma

1925 FP of Alban Berg's Wozzeck with Eric Kleiber conducting, in Berlin. After 137 rehearsals. CD-Alban Berg: Wozzeck (Opera in 3 Acts) - Franz Grundheber / Hildegard Behrens / Weiner Philharmoniker / Claudio Abbado

1929 Birth of American composer Ron NELSON in Joliet IL. For many years on the Brown University Faculty. Search Ron NELSON.

1930 Birth of Italian soprano Rossana Carteri in Verona. Debut as Elsa in Lohengrin (Wagner) 1945 Teachers:- Iris Adami Corradetti, Feruccia Cusinati, Nino Ederle Created Ifigenia in Ifigenia (Pizzetti) Portia in Mercante Di Venezia (Castelnuovo-Tedesco) Metarosa in Calzare D'Argento (Pizzetti) Flavia in Prosperina y el Extranjero (Castro) Vivi in Vivi (Manino) Sang in premiere of Misteri Gloriosi (Cattozzo) Linguaggio dei Flori (Rossellini).

1936 FP of S. Barber's String Quartet, Op. 11. Pro Arte Quartet in Rome.

1938 Death of French composer Maurice Emmanuel in Paris. b-Bar-sur-Aube, 2 MAY 1862.

1940 Death of German soprano Marie Dietrich. Born 27 Jan 1865 in Weinsberg. Debut 1889 Teachers:- Frau Bauder, Ferdinand Jager, Pauline Viardot-Garcia Pupil :- Elisabeth Schumann.

1941 Birth of American soprano Karen Armstrong in Horne MT. Debut as Elvira in Italiani in Algeri (Rossini) 1966 Teachers:- Tilly De Garmo, Aldo Di Tullio, Lotte Lehmann, Alberta Masiello Dean Verhines, Fritz Zweig Created Soprano 1 in Re in Ascolta (Berio) Death in Jesu Hochzeit (Von Einem) Lou Salome in Lou Salome (Sinopoli) Margarita in Meister und Margarita (Holler) Megara in Desdemona und Ihre Schwestern (Matthus) Sang in premiere of Montsegua (Landowski).

1947 Birth of American guitarist Christopher PARKENING in Los Angeles, CA. Search Christopher PARKENING. CD-Christopher Parkening - The Great Recordings ~ By America's Preeminent Guitar Virtuoso.

1949 Birth of English baritone John RAWNSLEY in Lancashire. Debut as Kilian in Freischutz (Weber) 1975 Teachers:- Albert Haskayne, Ellis Keeler, Otakar Krauss.   Search John RAWNSLEY. 

1951 Birth of American composer and conductor Anthony KORF. Search Anthony KORF.

1951 Birth of American composer David FROOM in CA. Search David FROOM.

1952 Death of Norwegian organist and musicologist Olav Fartein Valen in Haugesund. b-Stavanger, 25 AUG 1887.

1955 Birth of French tenor Christian Papis in Metz. Teacher :- Michel Senechal.

1957 Death of Italian singing instructor Giovanni Binetti. Pupils :- Marcello Cortis, Nicola Tagger, Boris Carmelli, Iva Pacetti Gina Cigna, Aureliano Pertile.

1959 Birth of American composer Evan ZIPORYN. Search Evan ZIPORYN.

1962 Death of Italian bass Nazareno De Angelis. Born 17 Nov 1881 in Naples. Debut as Aquila in Linda di Chamounix (Donizetti) 1903 Teacher :- Ricci, Prati Pupils :- Rosalind Elias, Mario Rinaudo, Giuliana Raymondi Created Archibaldo in Amore dei Tre Re (Montemezzi).

1968 Death of German soprano Margarete Klose. Born 6 Aug 1902 in Berlin. Died 14 Dec 1968 Debut as Marija in Countess Maritza (Kalman) 1926 Teachers:- Bultemann, Franz Marschalk, Hans Grahl Pupil :- Irene Dalis Sang in premiere of Irische Legend (Egk). Search Margarete Klose. 

1969 Death of Italian soprano Rina De Ferrari. Born 1904 in Genoa. Sang in premiere of Vedova Scaltra (Wolf-Ferrari). 

1969 FP of Ligeti's String Quartet No. 2. The LaSalle Quartet in Baden-Baden. CD-György Ligeti Edition 1: String Quartets and Duets - Arditti String Quartet.

1975 Death of Hungarian soprano Rose Pauly. Born 15 Mar 1894 in Eperjes, Hungary. Debut in Martha (Flotow) 1918 Teachers:- Rosa Papier-Paumgartner Pupil :- Hilde Zadek Created Agave in Bakchantinnen (Wellesz). 

1975 FP of Ruth Crawford Seeger's Suite for Piano and Woodwind Quintet, in Cambridge, MA. Her husband's birthday, 1886, see entry above. CD-Ruth Crawford Seeger: Portrait

1983 FP of George Perle's Serenade No. 3 for Piano and Chamber Orchestra, by Richard Goode and the Music Today Ensemble, Gerard Schwarz cond. in NYC. CD-Perle: Serenade No. 3; Ballade; Concertino

1997 FP of Joan Tower's Rain Waves, by the Verdehr Trio at the Frick Museum in NYC. CD-American Images 2.

1999 Death of Dutch soprano Gre Brouwenstijn. Born 26 Aug 1915 in Den Helder, Holland. Debut as Lady in Zauberflote (Mozart) 1940 Teachers:- Ruth Horna, Boris Pelsky, Jap Stroombergh.

2001 Opening of the new home of The Philadelphia Orchestra at Verizon Hall at Kimmel Center for Performing Arts. The Gala premiere with Andre Watts, Denyce Graves, Frederica Von Stade and Elton John with the Fabulous Philadelphians under Wolfgang Sawallish.