DECEMBER 21 Today in classical music history

1810 Birth of German composer Ludwig SCHUNCKE. d- 7 DEC 1834. Robert Schumann's Closest "Jugendfreund": Ludwig Schuncke (English and German Edition).

1826 Birth of Austrian pianist and teacher Ernst PAUER in Vienna. Pupil of Mozart. d-Jugenheim, 9 MAY 1905. Search Ernst PAUER.

1830 Birth of Italian bass Gian Francesco Angelini. Created Padre Guardiano in Forza Del Destino (Verdi).

1843 Death of Irish folksong collector Edward Bunting in Dublin. Search Edward Bunting.

1846 Birth of German-American pianist and teacher Carl FAELTEN.

1848 Birth of American composer Edward Everett RICE. d-1924.

1850 Birth of Czech-Bohemian composer Zdenek FIBICH in Šerborice near Caslav. d-Prague, Czech Republic, 15 OCT 1900. Search Zdenek FIBICH.

1863 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Zelie De Lussan in Brooklyn, NY. d- 18 Dec 1949, 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).

1867 Birth of American composer John Winter THOMPSON. d-1951.

1872 Birth of Italian priest and choral director Lorenzo PEROSI in Tortona. d-Rome, 12 OCT 1956. Search Lorenzo PEROSI.

1880 Birth of American pianist Richard BUHLIG.

1880 Birth of German soprano Gertrude Forstel in Leipzig. Died 7 June 1950, Debut as Amina in Sonnambula (Bellini) 1900 Teachers:- Angelo Neumann, Selma Nicklass-Kempner, Aglaia von Orgeni Pupils :- Anny Helm, Ilse Hollweg, Marianne Warneyer, Aga Joesten Julius Katona Created Nuri in Tiefland (D'Albert).

1882 Birth of Italian baritone Enrico Molinari in Venice. d- 15 Jun 1956, Debut 1907 Sang in premiere of Lodoletta (Mascagni).

 

1883 FP in USAmerica of Ponchielli's La Gioconda at the MET opera in NYC.

1890 FP of last version of Bruckner's Third Symphony. Hans Richter conducting, in Vienna. CD-Anton Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 in d minor.

1890 Death of Danish composer Niels W. Gade in Copenhagen, at age 73. b-Copenhagen, 22 FEB 1817. Search Niels W. Gade.

1896 Birth of American composer Laurel ANDERSON in Fountain Green, Utah.

1896 Birth of American composer Leroy J. ROBERTSON. d-1971. Hymns from the crossroads B-lat instruments piano, all organs, or voice.

1897 Birth of German mezzo-soprano Paula Lindberg in Frankenthal. Died 17 April 2000, Debut as Erda in Ring (Wagner) Teachers:- Julius von Rattz-Brockmann, August Perron Pupils :- Rotraud Hansmann, Marjon Lambriks.

1900 Death of German tenor Heinrich Vogl. Born 15 Jan 1845 in Munich. Died 21 Dec 1900, Debut as Max in Freichutz (Weber) 1865 Teachers:- Karl Jenke, Franz Lachner Pupils :- Mathilde Mallinger, Gustav Walter Created Loge in Rheingold (Wagner) Siegmund in Walkure (Wagner) Baldur in Fremdling (Vogl) Sang in premiere in Faule Hans (Ritter).

1905 Birth of American film score composer Harry REVEL. d-3 NOV 1958. Search Harry REVEL.

1906 FP of Glazunov's Eighth Symphony, in St. Petersburg. CD-Glazunov: Symphonies Nos. 5 & 8.

1908 FP of A. Schoenberg's Quartet No. 2 for strings and soprano. Rosé Quartet with soprano Marie Gutheil-Schoder, in Vienna. CD-Schoenberg: The String Quartets.

1912 Birth of Latvian soprano Mascia Predit Soprano. Teachers:- Salvatore Salviati, Rosina Storchio

1919 Birth of Ernst Wiemann Bass Born 21 Dec 1919 Stapelburg Died 17 May 1980 Debut 1938 Sang in premiere of Grune Kakadu (Mohaupt) Teachers:- Philomena Herbst-Latour, Paul Bender. Schubert : Symphony No. 3 / De Falla: El sombrero de tres picos / Roussel: Bacchus et Ariane, Op. 43 / Mussorgsky / Markevitch: songs.

1924 Birth of Italian baritone Gian Giacomo Guelfi in Rome. Debut as Rigoletto in Rigoletto (Verdi) 1950 Teacher :- Titta Ruffo Created 2nd Priest in Prigioniero (Dallapiccola) Herod in Figlia del Diavolo (Mortari) Stranger in Prosperina y el Extranjero (Castro) Sang in premiere of Figlia di Jorio (Pizzetti) Mas'aniello (Napoli).

1924 Birth of American composer Charles BESTOR. Search Charles BESTOR.

1925 Birth of singing coach Lucie Manen. Died 2 Feb 1991 Pupils :- James Bowman, David Galliver, Thomas Hemsley, Anne Pashley Peter Pears, Laura Sarti.

1925 Birth of Canadian tenor Andre Turp in Montreal. Died 26 Feb 1991, Debut in Gianni Schicci (Puccini) 1945 Teachers:- Luigi Marletta, Mme Vita, Frank H Rowe, Edouard Woolley Created Lover in Andrea del Sarto (Lesur).

1926 Birth of American composer John Herbert McDOWELL. d-1985.

1927 Death of English tenor Courtice Pounds. Born 30 May 1862 in London. Debut 1881 Created Fairfax in Yoeman of the Guard (Sullivan) Mario Palmieri in Gondoliers (Sullivan) Harry Benn in Boatswain Mate (Smyth) Indru in Nautch Girl (Solomon).

1928 Birth of Italian tenor Bruno Prevedi in Mantua. Died 12 Jan 1988, Debut as Tonio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) 1959 Teachers:- Vladimiro Badiali, Alberto Soresina.

1931 Birth of American teacher, composer and cellist David Nathanial BAKER in Indianapolis, IN.

1934 Birth of Sandor Solyom-Nagy Baritone Born 21 Dec 1934 Siklos Hungary Debut as Scarpia in Tosca (Puccini) 1966 Teacher :- Eva Kutrucz Sang in premiere of Ecco-homo (Szokolay). 

1934 FP, on Moscow Radio, of music suite from film score of Prokofiev's Lt.Kijé. CD-Prokofiev: Scythian Suite; Lt. Kijé; Khachaturian: Gayaneh.

1936 Debut at the MET Opera in NYC, of Swedish soprano Kerstin Thorborg. 'Fricka' in Die Walkure.

1939 FP of S. Prokofiev's cantata Zdravitza 'A Toast'. Celebrate the 60th birthday of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin in Moscow. 

1940 Birth of Domenico Trimarchi Search Amazon.com for Domenico Trimarchi Baritone Born 21 Dec 1940 Naples Debut as Belcore in Elisir D'Amore (Donizetti) 1964 Teacher :- Gino Campese.

1940 Birth of American composer and guitarist Frank ZAPPA in Baltimore, MD. d-Los Angeles, CA 1993. BOOK-Electric Don Quixote: The Definitive Story of Frank Zappa

1941 Birth of American composer Roger NORTMAN in Leonia, NJ.

1944 Birth of American conductor and pianist Michael Tilson THOMAS in Hollywood, CA. Search Amazon.com for Michael Tilson THOMAS. 

1945 Birth of Dutch violist and composer Ig HENNEMAN in Haarlem. Website

1946 Birth of American conductor and general director of the New York City Opera, Christopher KEENE in Berkeley, CA. d-8 OCT 1996.

1953 Birth of American soprano Nadine Secunde in Independence, Ohio. Teacher :- Margaret Harshaw Created Prima Donna in Venus & Adonis (Henze). 

1953 Birth of Hungarian pianist Andras SCHIFF in Budapest.  Search Andras SCHIFF.

1957 Death of English composer Eric Coates in Chichester. b-in the midlands of England, Nottinghamshire, in 1886. Search Amazon.com for Eric Coates.

1958 Birth of American tenor Thomas RANDLE in Los Angeles Created Dionysus in Bakxai (Buller) Vladimir Davidov & Agathon in Syposion (Schat) Rimbaud in Man who strides the Wind (Volans) Judas in Last Supper (Birtwistle). 

1961 Birth of Slovakian composer Peter ZAGAR in Bratislava, Slovak Republic. Search Peter ZAGAR

1964 Death of Albanian composer Thomas Nassi in Orleans, MA. b-Dardha, Albania, 2 MAR 1892.

1965 Death of Canadian composer Claude Champagne in Montreal. b-Montreal, 27 MAY 1891.

1978 Birth of American composer Jon DeROSA. Search Amazon.com for Thomas Nassi

1984 Death of American soprano Judith Raskin. Born 21 June 1928, N Y. Debut as Baby Doe in Ballad of Baby Doe (Moore) 1956 Teachers:- Anna Hamlin, Tibor Kozma Created Bride in Labyrinth (Menotti) Sang in premiere of Deseret (Castle).

1993 Death of Russian tenor Ivan Kozlovsky. Born 24 Mar 1900 in Kiev. Died 21 Dec 1993, Debut as Faust in Faust(Gounod) 1918 Teachers:- N V Lysenko, Muravyova.