DECEMBER 18 Today in classical music history

Edward MacDOWELL

1732 The Theatre Royal, Covent Garden was established by John Rich in London. 

1737 Death of violin craftsman Antonio Stradivari in Cremona. Search Antonio Stradivari | BOOK-Antonio Stradivari : His Life and Work.

1746 Birth of Italian singer, composer and teacher Venanzio RAUZZINI, in Camerino. d-Bath, 8 APR 1810.

1795 FP of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, Op. in Vienna at a Haydn concert where Haydn performed three of his London symphonies. CD-Beethoven: Piano Concertos (Box Set).

1848 Birth of German cellist and conductor Carl SCHRODER.

1848 (17th?) Birth of composer Frederick Grant GLEASON in Middletown, CT. d-Chicago, IL 6 DEC 1903.

1853 FP of Camille Saint-Saens First Symphony, in Paris. CD-Five Symphonies.

1857 Birth of English music writer and anotator Rosa NEWMARCH. d-1940. Rosa Newmarch and Russian Music in Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth-Century England (Royal Musical Association Monographs).

1860 Birth of American composer Edward MacDOWELL in Manhattan, NYC. d-NYC, 23 JAN 1908. Search Edward MacDOWELL | BOOK-Edward MacDowell.

1862 Birth of Polish pianist and teacher Moriz ROSENTHAL in (Lemberg) Lwow. d-NYC, 3 SEP 1946. Was a student of Liszt. He made his debut 1876 in Vienna. Concert tours of the USAmerica where he settled in 1938. Biography. | Search Moriz ROSENTHAL. | BOOK-Great Pianists.

1867 Birth of French tenor Leon David in Sables-D'Olonne. Died 27 Oct 1962, Debut in Cyptis (Sesajoyeaux) 9 Jun 1892 Teachers:- Leon Achard, Victor Warot Pupils :- Jose Luccioni, Elie Saint-Come, Jean Vieuille, Suzanne Lefort Maria Braneze, Louis Musy Sang in premiere of Juif Polonaise (Erlanger).

1869 Death of American composer and pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk in Tijuca, Rio de Janerio at age 40. b-New Orleans, LA 8 MAY 1829. Search Louis Moreau Gottschalk | BOOK-Louis Moreau Gottschalk : A Bio-Bibliography.

1870 Birth of Russian pianist and composer Arsene KORESTCHENKO in Moscow.

1872 Death of French bass-baritone Edouard Gassier. Born 30 Aug 1820 in Draguignan, France. Debut as Fresque in Barcarolle (Auber) 1845 (premiere).

1878 Death of Czech singing teacher Heinrich Proch. Born 22 July 1809, Bohmisch-Leipa.  Died 18 Dec 1878 Pupils :- Csillag, Dustmann, Amelie Materna, Therese Tietjens.

1880 FP of Tchaikovsky's Italian Caprice. Nicholas Rubinstein conducting, in Moscow. (Julian calendar, 6 DEC). CD-Tchaikovsky: 1812 Overture & Other Orchestral Works (SACD).

1892 FP of Anton Bruckner's Eighth Symphony in Vienna. Was completed in September 1887, but publisher Hermann Levi rejected it. Revised and premiered in Vienna with Hans Richter conducting the Vienna Philharmonic. CD-Bruckner: Symphony 8 | Bruckner: The Complete Symphonies (00-9).

1899 Birth of English mezzo-soprano Muriel Brunskill in Kendal, Westmorland. The daughter of Edmund Capstick Brunskill. She studied singing in London and Paris. Died Feb 1980. Debut 1922 Teachers:- Bachrich, Blanche Marchesi.

1911 Death of composer and singing coach Albert Randegger. Born 13 Apr 1832 in Trieste. Teacher :- Luigi Ricci Pupils :- David Bispham, Andrew Black, Dudley Buck Jnr, Ben Davies David Thomas Ffrangcon-Davies, Putnam Griswold Lawrence Kellie, Liza Lehmann, Robert Watkin Mills, Robert Radford, Frederick Ranalow, Darrell Fancourt Evangeline Florence.

1916 Death of soprano Marie Altona. Born 16 Dec 1868. Teacher :- Julias Stockhausen. Mlle. Marie Altona's Vocal Recital ... November 22nd, 1900 ... Book of Words, etc.

1919 Death of American composer and teacher, Horatio William Parker, in Cedarhurst, N.Y. at age 56. Chairman of the Yale music department in 1894. Taught Charles Ives. b-Auburndale, MA 15 SEP 1863. The Progressive Music Series for Basal Use in Primary, Intermediate, and Grammar Grades, Volume 3 

1920 Birth of German soprano Rita STREICH in Barnaul, Russia. d-1987? 20 Mar 1989 Debut as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos (Strauss) 1943 Teachers:- Erna Berger, Willi Domgraf-Fassbaender, Maria Ivogun Pupil :- Dinah Harris, Drew Minton Created Julietta in Julietta (Erbse). Search Rita STREICH.

1921 Death of German bass-baritone Leo Schutzendorf. Born 5 May 1886 in Cologne. Died 18 Dec 1931, Debut 1908 Teacher :- D'Arnals Created Wozzeck in Wozzeck (Berg) Sang in premiere of Schon ist die Welt (Lehar). Search Leo Schutzendorf. 

1922 Birth of Italian tenor Cesare Valletti in Rome. d- 12 May 2000. Debut as Alfredo in Traviata (Verdi) 1947 Teacher :- Tito Schipa.

1924 Birth of French tenor Paul Finel. Born 18 Dec 1924 in Villeveyrac. Debut 1947, Teachers:- Mario Podesta, Georges Thill.

1925 ('26?)FP of Janacek's opera The Makropoulos Case at the National Theater in Brno. CD-Leos Jacácek: Vec Makropulos (The Makropulos Case) / Lachian Dances.

1929 Birth of Brazilian baritone Giuseppe Zecchillo in Sao Paolo. Debut as Germont in Traviata (Verdi) 1953 Teachers:- Aureliano Pertile, Carlo Tagliabue Created Kostilov in Albergo Dei Poveri (Testi) Sang in premiere of Persefone (Lupi) Rappesentazione e Festa (Malipiero) Don Tartufo Bacchettone (Malipiero) Buon Soldato Svejk (Turchi) Amante Cubista (Hazon) Alfabeto a Sorpresa (Mortari) Vieni qui carla (Negri).

1929 FP of Anton Webern's Symphony for Chamber Orchestra, in NYC.

1932 Death of American bass Clarence Whitehill. Born 5 Nov 1871 in Marego, Iowa. Died 18 Dec 1932. Debut as Friar Lawrence in Romeo & Juliet (Gounod) 1899 Teachers:- Alfred Auguste Giraudet, L A Phelps, Giovanni Sbriglia Julius Stockhausen Created Koanga in Koanga (Delius) Sang in premiere of Tanzerin (Friedheim).

1935 At The MET in New York City, the debut of Australian soprano Marjorie Lawrence as Brunnhilde in Die Gotterdammerung. First time horse runs through flames.

1937 Birth of Norwegian baritone Knut Skram in Hjorundfjord, Norway. Debut as Amonasro in Aida (Verdi) 1964 Teachers:- George Buckbee, Paul Lohmann, Luigi Ricci, Kristian Riis Created William Wilson in Je vous dis que je suis mort (Aperghis).

1939 Death of French soprano Jean Granier. Born 31 Mar 1852 in Paris. Created Ben-Buol in Adorable Ben-Buol (Massenet) Sang in premiere of Girofle-Girofla (Lecocq) Petit Duc (Lecocq) Cigale et la Fourmi (Audran). Y'a d'la joie (J.Granier - C.Trenet - M.Emer).

1941 FP of Darius Milhaud's Piano Concero No. 2, composer soloist in Chicago.

1948 Birth of English conductor William BOUGHTON. Walton: Violin Concerto, Symphony No. 1.

1948 Birth of American tenor Elliott Palay in Milwaukee, WI. Debut as Matteo in Arabella (Strauss) 1972 Teacher :- Charles Kullmann, Clemens Kaisier-Breme Created Don Juan in Flammen (Schulhoff).

1949 Birth of American composer David LIPTAK. Search David LIPTAK.

1949 Death of American mezzo-soprano Zelie De Lussan. Born 21 Dec 1863 in Brooklyn, NY. Debut as Arlene in Bohemian Girl (Balfe) 1884 Pupils :- Olga Haley, Janet Howe, Beatrice Waycott Created Olof in Thorgrim (Cowen). American Divas (Les Divas Americaines).

(11 DEC?) 1958 Birth of American composer Julia WOLFE. Schirmer, her publisher-distributor in its Composer's anniversary pages has JW's 50th birth anniversary scheduled for 18 DEC 2008. Search Julia WOLFE.

1959 At the MET in NYC, the opera debut of Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, as Wagner's Isolde.

1962 Death of Joseph-Paul Lucazeau Tenor Born 26 Oct 1879 Royan Died 18 Dec 1962 Debut as Alain in Griseldis (Massenet) 25 Sep 1905 Created King in Miarka (Georges).Search Birgit Nilsson.

1962 FP of D. Shostakovich's Symphony No. 13 Babi Yar. Moscow Philharmonic, with bass Vitaliy Gromadsky, and the Republican State and Gnesin Institute Choirs, Kirill Kondrashin conducting. CD-Shostakovich: Symphonies (Box Set).

1964 FP of Paul Creston's Concerto for Koto and Orchestra, koto soloist Kimio Eto, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting.

1966 Death of English tenor Steuart Wilson. Born 21 July 1889 in Clifton. Debut as Tamino in Zauberflote (Mozart) 1910 Teachers:- George Henschel, Jean De Reszke Pupil :- Inia Te Wiata, Theodore Uppmann. English singer: the life of Steuart Wilson.

1967 Birth of Greek-American composer Christopher THEOFANIDIS [Thee-off-a-NEE-deez]. Search Christopher THEOFANIDIS.

1969 Birth of American composer Michael KARMON.

1972 Death of Bohemian bass Rudolf Watzke. Born 5 Apr 1892 in Niemes. Debut 1923 Teachers:- George Armin, Karl Kittel, Frau Kreisel-Hauptfeld Pupil :- Dieter Brencke. Search Rudolf Watzke.

1991 Death of Italian tenor Antonio Savastano. Born 1948 in Rome. Debut in Rigoletto 1976 Teacher :- Jolanda Magnoni Pupils :- Franco Lo Giudice, Piero Terranova. Search Antonio Savastano.

1999 FP of André Previn's Three Dickinson Songs, soprano René Fleming, pianist Richard Bado in Quebec. CD-André Previn - Diversions · Songs / Fleming · Bonney · Wiener Phil. · LSO · Previn

2006 Death of American composer Daniel Pinkham. b-June 5 1923 in Lynn, MA. Daniel Pinkham: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in Music)