DECEMBER 26 Today in classical music history

Johann Georg PISENDEL

1687 Birth of German composer and violinist Johann Georg PISENDEL in Cadolzburg. d-Dresden, 25 NOV 1755. Per Monsiuer Pisendel -- Six Virtuoso Violin Sonatas of the Baroque.

1696 FP of Antonio Bononcini's opera Il Trionfo di Camilla in Naples. 

1709 FP of Handel's opera Agrippina.at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo with much acclaim in Venice. CD-Handel - Agrippina / D. Jones, A. Miles, Ragin, Chance, Brown, J. P. Kenny, von Otter, EBS, Gardiner.

1723 FP of J. S. Bach's Sacred Cantata No. 40 Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes and Magnificat in E-flat, on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig 1723-24.

1724 FP of Bach's Sacred Cantata No. 121 Christum wir colleen loben schon on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig 1724-25.

1725 FP of Bach's Sacred Cantata No. 57 Selig ist der Mann on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig 1725-27.

1734 FP of Bach's second part of the 6-part Christmas Oratorio S. 248 Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegen in Leipzig.

1762 Birth of German composer and clarinetist Franz Wilhelm TAUSCH. d-9 FEB 1817.

1767 FP of Gluck's opera Alceste, at the Imperial Court Theater in Vienna. CD-Gluck: Alceste.

1770 FP of Mozart's opera Mitridate, composed at age 14, at the Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan.CD-Mozart - Mitridate / Augér, Baltsa, Cotrubas, Gruberova, Weidinger, Hollweg, Kübler; Hager.

1772 FP of Mozart's opera Lucio Silla, composed at age 16, at the Teatro Regio Ducale in Milan. CD-Mozart - Lucio Silla / P. Schreier · Gruberova · Bartoli · Upshaw · Kenny · Harnoncourt.

1808 Birth of Belgian composer Albert GRISART, aka Grisar, in Antwerp. d-Paris, 15 JUN 1869.

1827 FP of Franz Schubert's Piano Trio in Eb, Op. 100 D. 929. Ignaz Schuppanzigh, violin, Josef Linke, cello and Carl Maria von Bocklet, piano; at the Music Society Hall in Vienna. CD-Franz Schubert: Complete Trios.

1828 Birth of German composer Josef WIEDEMAN.

1828 Death of Irish tenor John Johnstone. Born 1 Aug 1749 in Kilkenny. Debut as Lionel in Lionel and Clarissa (Dibdin) 1775 Created Dermot in Poor Soldier (Shield) Sang in the premiere of Woodman (Shield).

1830 FP of Donizetti's opera Anna Bolena at the Teatro Carcano, Milan. CD-Donizetti: Anna Bolena / Sutherland, Ramey, Mentzer, Bonynge.

1831 FP of Bellini's opera Norma, at La Scala, in Milan, unsuccessfully. CD-Bellini: Norma; Callas; Sutherland.

1833 FP of Donizetti's opera Lucretia Borgia in Milan. CD-Donizetti - Lucrezia Borgia / Caballé · Vanzo · Paskalis · Perlea.

1835 FP of Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor. CD-Donizetti - Lucia di Lammermoor / Sutherland · Pavarotti · Milnes · Ghiaurov · ROH Covent Garden · Bonynge.

1836 Death of Swiss music publisher and writer Johann Georg Nageli in Wetzikon. b-Zurich, 26 MAY 1773.

1838 Death of Polish composer Franciszek Lessel in Piotrkow Trybunalski. b-Warsaw, 1780. Search Amazon.com for Franciszek Lessel.

1855 Birth of Italian bass Francesco Navarini in Cittadella, Padua. Died 23 Feb 1923, Debut as Alfonso in Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti) 1878 Teachers:- Carlo Boroni, Giuseppe Felix Pupil :- Mario Albanese Created Lodovico in Otello(Verdi) Don Roldano Ximenes in Cristoforo Colombo (Franchetti) Almozor in Condor (Gomes) Giamshid in Regina del Nepal(Bottesini) Hermit in Melusina (Gramman) Maso in Fior d'Alpe (Franchetti).

1865 FP of Goldmark's Sakuntala Overture. Vienna Philharmonic performing, in Vienna. CD-Goldmark: Rustic Wedding Symphony/Sakuntala.

1867 FP of Bizet's La Jolie Fille De Perth at the Théatre-Lyrique in Paris. CD-Bizet: The Fair Maid of Perth / Sir Thomas Beecham.

1869 Birth of American composer, teacher and painter Harry Newton REDMAN in Mount Carmel, IL. d-Boston, 26 DEC 1958.

1871 FP of first Gilbert and Sullivan opera, Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, at the Gaiety Theatre, London. The music has been lost, except for one chorus that was reused in Pirates of Penzance.

1874 Birth of French bass Leon ROTHIER in Rheims. Died 6 Dec 1951 Debut as Jupiter in Philemon & Baucis (Gounod) 1899 Teachers:- Cresti, Pal Lherie, Leon Melchissedec Pupil :- Richard Crooks Created Father Time in Oiseau Bleu (Wolff) Junkman in Louise (Charpentier) Duquesnois in Peter Ibbetson (Deems Taylor) Sang in premiere of Le Juif Polonaise (Erlanger). Search Amazon.com for Leon ROTHIER .

1880 FP of J. Brahms' Tragic Overture Op. 81, in Vienna. CD-Brahms: Symphonies Nos. 1-4; Haydn-Variations; Tragic Overture.

1883 Birth of Greek composer Manolis KALOMIRIS in Smyrna. d-Athens, 3 APR 1962. Search Manolis KALOMIRIS.

1899 Birth of American composer, pianist, teacher and inventor Leopold MANNES in NYC. d-Cape Cod, MA 11 AUG 1964. Son of David Mannes founder of the Mannes School of Music. Worked for Eastman Kodak Co. and invented kodachrome color process with Leopold Godowsky, Jr. son of famed pianist. Search Amazon.com for Leopold MANNES.

1892 Death of Franch tenor Alexandre Talazac. Born 16 May 1853 in Bordeaux. Debut as Selim in Statue (Reyer) 22 Apl 1878 Teachers:- Louis-Henri Obin, Saint-Yves Bax Created Gerald in Lakme (Delibes) Des Grieux in Manon (Massenet) Hoffmann in Contes d'Hoffmann (Offenbach) Mylio in Roi D'ys (Lalo) Jean in Jean de Nivelle (Delibes).

1897 Birth of American contralto Marion TELVA (Toucke) in St. Louis, MO. d-Norwalk, CT, 23 OCT 1962. Debut as Singer in Manon Lescaut (Puccini) 1920 Teacher :- Lilli Lehmann Created Mrs Deane in Peter Ibbetson (Taylor).

1897 FP of Rimsky-Korsakov's Sadko in Moscow. CD-Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov: Sadko.

1902 Birth of German soprano Clara Ebers. Born 26 Dec 1902 in Karlruhe. Debut 1924 Teacher :- Eduard Erhard Pupil :- Elke Schary Created Isabella in Columbus (Egk) Countess in Figaro Lasst Sich Scheiden (Klebe).

1905 Death of German pianist and teacher Fritz Spindler in Dresden. b-Wurzbach, 24 NOV 1817.

1916 Death of German kapellmeister Bernard Scholz in Munich. b-Mainz, 30 MAR 1835.

1920 Birth of French cellist Maurice GENDRON in Nice, France. d-Grezsur-Loing, 20 AUG 1990. Search Maurice GENDRON.

1921 Reopening of La Scala Opera House in Milan. Presenting Verdi's Falstaff, Toscanini conducting.

1925 Birth of  Serbian baritone Tugomir Alaupovic in Zemun. Debut in Zigeunerbaron (Strauss J) 1953 Teachers:- Louis Kaderabek, Zlatko Sir.

1926 Birth of American Avant Garde composer and trumpeter Earl BROWN in Lunenburg, MA. d-Rye, NY 2 JUL 2002.

1926 FP of Sibelius' Tapiola tone poem. NY Sym Society, Walter Damrosch, conducting. CD-Sibelius: Karelia, Tapiola, Les Oceanides, Valse Triste, etc. / Davis, London SO.

1927 Birth of Rumanian tenor Ion Stoian in Konstanza, Rumania. Debut as Belmonte in Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart) Teachers:- Gheorghe Kulibin, Jean Rinzescu, Petre Stefanescu-Goanga Romulus Vrabiescu.

1936 FP by the Palistine Symphony Orchestra. Arturo Toscanini conducting music of Rossini, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Weber in Tel Aviv.

1937 Birth of Polish soprano Teresa KUBIAK (Wojtaszek) in Ldzan. Debut as Halka in Halka (Moniuszko) 1965 Teachers:- Olga Olgina, Gina Cigna Sang in premiere of Tragedyja albo rzecz O Janie i Herodzie (Twardowski).

1937 Death of English composer Ivor Gurney in Dartford. b-Gloucester, 28 AUG 1890. Search Ivor Gurney.

1937 Death of Welsh tenor Dan Beddoe. Born 16 Mar 1863 in Aberdare. Teachers:- H Howard Brown, J T Davies, Arthur Faffe, Allen Gill,Arthur Mees Eleanor McClellan, John Underner.

1938 Birth of Italian Soprano Adriana MALIPONTE in Brecia. Debut as Mimi in Boheme (Puccini) 1958 Teachers:- Carmen Melis, Suzanne Steppen Created Sardula in Last Savage (Menotti). 

1938 Death of German mezzo-soprano Irene von Chavanne. Born 18 Apr 1868 Graz Died 26 Dec 1938 Debut as Orsini in Lucrezia Borgia (Donizetti) 1885 Teachers:- Desiree Artot de Padilla, Johannes Ress, Mme Souvestre-Paschalis Created Herodias in Salome (Strauss) Sang in premiere of Feuersnot (Strauss). Alt: Irene von Chavanne, Inger Karén, Zarah Leander, Ursula Boese, Giulietta Simionato, Maureen Forrester, Maria Farantouri, Hanna Schwarz (German Edition).

1940 Birth of American soprano Kay Griffel in Eldoro, Iowa. Debut as Mercedes in Carmen (Bizet) 1960 Teacher :- Lotte Lehmann.

1940 Birth of American composer William Foster McDANIEL in Columbus, OH. 

1941 Birth of American composer Wayland ROGERS in Montecello, KY.

1941 FP of Robert Russell Bennett's Violin Concerto, NBC Symphony broadcast. The Violin Artistry of Louis Kaufman.

1945 Birth of American composer David R. HOLSINGER in Hardin, Missouri. Search David R. HOLSINGER. 

1947 Death of French soprano Marguerite Carre. Born 16 Aug 1880 in Cabourg. Debut as Mimi in Boheme (Puccini) 1899 Pupil :- Janine Micheau Created Nina in Cherubin (Massenet) Zina in Vieil Angle (Gunsbourg) Jana in Cobzar (Ferrari) Jacqueline in Fortunio (Messager) Louise in Julien (Charpentier) Sang in premiere of Mariage de Telemaque (Terrasse) La fille de Roland (Rabaud) La Reine Fiametta (Leroux) La Lepreuse (Lazzari). 

1950 Death of Dutch composer and American lawyer Henri Emile Enthoven in NYC. b-Amsterdam, 18 OCT 1903.

1952 Birth of French-American pianist Andre Michel SCHUB in Paris. Search Andre Michel SCHUB.

1953 Birth of English choral conductor Harry CHRISTOPHERS in Goudhurst, Kent, England. Search Harry CHRISTOPHERS.  Search The Sixteen.

1958 Death of Canadian mezzo-soprano Eva Gauthier. Born 20 Sep 1886 in Ottawa. Debut as Micaela in Carmen (Bizet) 1910 Teachers:- Jacques Bouhy, Dubulle, Giuseppe Oxilia, Anna Schoen-Rene William Shakespeare, Carlo Carigigiani, Frank Buels.

1963 Death of Welsh tenor Parry Jones. Born 14 Feb 1891 in Blaina, Wales. Debut 1914 Teachers:- John Coates, Ernesto Colli, Karl Scheidemantel, Alberto Visetti Pupils :- Patricia Kern, Ramon Remedios, Evelyn Dalberg.

1964 Birth of Irish composer Ian WILSON in Belfast. 

1967 Death of Swedish tenor Carl Martin Oehman. Born 4 Sep 1887 in Floda, Sweden. Debut as Chenier in Andrea Chenier (Giordano) 1914 Teachers:- Gentzel, Giuseppe Oxilia, Quadri Pupils :- Nicolai Gedda, Carl-Axel Hallgren, Erik Saeden Uno Stjernqvist, Martti Talvela, Usko Viitanen.

1974 Death of Danish composer and professor Knudage Riisager in Copenhagen. b-Port Kunda, Estonia, 6 MAR 1897.

1974 Death of German bass-baritone Wilhelm Schirp. Born 27 July 1906 Elberfeld 26 Dec 1974 Debut 1935 Teacher :- Erna Thiele.

1985 Death of American soprano Doris Doe. Born 23 Mar 1899 in Bar Harbour, Maine. Died 26 Dec 1985 Debut as Erda in Ring (Wagner) 1930 Teachers:- Frank La Forge, Louise Homer. 

1988 Death of Spanish composer Pablo Sorozabal in Madrid. b-Donostia, San Sebastian, 1897.

1989 Death of English composer Lennox Berkeley (BARK' lee) in London. b-Oxford, 12 MAY 1903. BOOK-Lennox Berkeley: A Source Book.

1991 Death of German bass-baritone Gustave Neidlinger. Born 21 Mar 1910 in Mainz. Debut 1931 Teacher :- Otto Rottsieper Sang in premiere of Saul (Reutter).

2003 Death of English violinist Hugh Bean. Born in Beckenham, Kent, 22 SEP 1929. London Guardian. Bean was for more than half a century one of Britain's most distinguished and versatile violinists. From recording with the bands of Geraldo and Billy Cotton, he went on to lead the Philharmonia Orchestra. ~ age 74. Search Hugh Bean. On CD- celebrated interpretation of Vaughan Williams: Lark Ascending.