DECEMBER 28 today in classical music history

Vicente ESPINEL

1551 Baptismal of Spanish writer and guitarist Vicente ESPINEL. He added fifth string to guitar and it became popular through out Spain.

1731 Birth/Baptism of German composer Johann CANNABICH in Mannheim. d-Frankfurt, 20 JAN 1798. Search Johann CANNABICH.

1732 Birth of castrato Giuseppe Aprile in Bisceglia Apulia. d-11 Jan 1813, Debut in Barone Deluso (Sciroli) 1752 Teachers:- Girolamo Abos, Gregorio Sciroli Pupils :- Gaetano Crivelli, Francesca Festa, Michael Kelly, Andrea Nozzari Created Rinaldo in Armida Abbandonata (Jommelli) Sang in premiere of Ezio (Traetta) Caio Mario (Cimarosa) Tito nelle Gallie (Anfossi) Cresco (Sacchini) Ifigenie (Bertoni) Montezuma (Maio) Tamas Kouli Kau (Pugnani).

1736 Death of Italian composer Antonio Caldera in Vienna. b-Venice, 1670?.

1775 Birth of Portugese composer João Domingos BOMTEMPO in Lisbon. d-Lisbon, 18 AUG 1842.

1812 Birth of German cellist, conductor and composer Julius RIETZ. d-Dresden, 12 SEP 1877.

1837 Birth of American composer, pianist and organist Benjamin Johnson LANG. Conducted Handel and Haydn Society in Boston. d-1909. Father of composer Margaret Ruthven Lang.

1842 Birth of Canadian composer Calixa LAVALLéE in Verchères. d-Boston, MA 21 JAN 1891. Composed music of "O Canada", National Anthem. Search Calixa LAVALLéE.

1846 Birth of American composer Homer BARTLETT. d-1920.

1850 Birth of Italian tenor Francesco TAMAGNO in Turin. Was Verdi's first Otello. d-31 AUG 1905. Debut as Nearco in Poliuto (Donizetti) 1874 Teachers:- Carlo Pedrotti, Luigi Vannuccini Created Otello in Otello (Verdi) Didier in Marian Delorme (Ponchelli) Azaele in Figliuol Prodigo (Ponchielli) Hellion in Messaline (De Lara) Fabio Fabiani in Mary Tudor (Gomes) Sang in premiere of Gualterio Swarten (Gnaga) I Medici (Leoncavallo). Search Francesco TAMAGNO.

1860 Birth of German-Polish conductor and composer Alexander von FIELITZ in Leipzig. d-Bad Salzungen, 29 JUL 1930. Search Alexander von FIELITZ.

1870 Death of Russian army general, composer and violinist Alexei Feodorovich Lvov in Romano. b-Reval, 5 JUN 1795. Burial at Pazaislis Monastery, Kaunas, Lithuania. Composer of the Russian tsarist national anthem which you can hear at the end of Tchaikovsky's '1812' Overture.

1879 Birth of Swedish baritone Martin Oscar in Vanesborg, Sweden. Died 25 Apr 1921, Debut as Silvio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) 1902 Teacher :- John Forsell Pupil :- Folke Cembraeus.

1887 Birth of Russian bass Michael Gitowsky in Poltava, Russia. Debut 1923 Teachers:- Waldemar Bernhardt, Piero Coppola, August Iffert, Lapierre Vittorio Vanza.

1888 Birth of composer Gabriel von WAYDITCH. d-1969. 

1890 Birth of French pianist Yves NAT in Beziers. d-Paris 31 AUG 1956. 

1891 Birth of Danish bass-baritone Holger Byrding in Mariager, Denmark. Died 12 June 1980, Debut as Gremin in Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky) 1911 Teacher :- V Linke Pupil :- Erik Sjoberg.

1893 Birth of Spanish tenor Miguel Fleta in Albalata, Spain. Died 31 May 1938, Debut Paolo in Francesca da Rimini (Zandonai) 14 Nov 1919 Teachers:- Manuel Azo, Luisa Pierrick Created Calaf in Turandot (Puccini) Sang in premiere in Giuletta e Romeo (Zandonai) Flor de Nieve (Gaito). 

1896 Birth of American composer Roger SESSIONS in Brooklyn, NY. d-Princeton, 16 MAR 1985. 

BOOK-Roger Sessions: How a Difficult Composer Got That Way

1898 Birth of American composer Carl Ernest BRICKEN. d-1971.

1899 Birth of Italian composer Sebastiano CALTABIANO in Lucca. d-Lucca, 7 JUN 1987. Search Amazon.com for Sebastiano CALTABIANO.

1905 Birth of baritone Sven Olof Sandberg. Died 20 Sep 1974, Teacher :- Joseph Hislop Sang in premiere of Lips (Kreuder).

  Sven Olof Sandberg

1905 FP of Lehar's operetta The Merry Widow in Vienna. CD-Lehár - The Merry Widow / Schwarzkopf, Wächter, Steffek, Gedda, Knapp, von Matacic.

1910 FP of Humperdinck's Konigskinder in NYC at the MET Opera. The composer present. CD-Konigskinder-Complete Opera.

1912 Birth of bass Georges Vaillant in Algeria. Debut 1938 Teacher :- Paul Franz Sang in premiere of Moise (Levy).

1913 Birth of Italian baritone Paolo SILVERI in Balogna. Debut as Schwarz in Meistersingers (Wagner) 1939 Teacher :- Perugini Pupils :- Peter Jeffes, Rodney Gibson, John Riley-Schofield. Search Paolo SILVERI.

1916 Death of Austrian composer Eduard Strauss. b-Vienna, 15 MAR 1835. Search Eduard Strauss.

1929 Birth of Bulgarian tenor Stojan Stoyanov in Sofia. Debut as Rudolfo in Boheme (Puccini) 1962 Teacher :- Christo Brumbarov.

1930 Birth of Scottish soprano Noelle Barkerin  Aberdeen. Teacher :- Hans Hotter Pupils :- Susan Bickley, Ethna Robinson, Anna Steiger, Katarina Karneus Catherine Benson Created Tekla in Under Western Eyes (Joubert) Sophia in Lord Bateman (Sharp / Foster) 1st Woman in Tale of 2 Cities (Benjamin).

1930 FP of Henry Cowell's Piano Concerto, in Havana, Cuba. CD-American Piano Concertos: Henry Cowell

1932 Death of English organist Humphrey John Stewart in San Diego, CA. b-London, 22 MAY 1856.

1933 Birth of Italian mezzo-soprano Louisella Ciaffi Ricagno in Turin. Sang in premiere of Al gran sole carico d'amore (Nono).

1937 Birth of German baritone Klaus Hirte in Berlin. Debut 1964 Teacher Hans Hager.

1937 Birth of Italian soprano Rita Orlandin Malaspina in Bologna Debut as Giovanna in Giovanna d'Arco (Verdi) 1963 Teacher :- Carmen Melis.

1937 Death of French composer Maurice Ravel following brain surgery at age 62 in Paris. b-Ciboure, 7 MAR 1875. BOOK-Ravel: Man and Musician | Search Amazon.com for Maurice Ravel 

1939 Debut of soprano Helen Traubel in Die Walkure at the MET Opera, in NYC. Search Helen Traubel

1940 Birth of Swiss beritone Kurt Widmer Baritone in Canton, St Gallen, Switzerland. Teachers:- Paul Lohmann, Franziska Martienssen-Lohmann.

1940 Birth of American composer Alvin SINGLETON in Brooklyn, NY.

1944 FP of Leonard Bernstein's musical On The Town, in NYC and runs for 462 performances. CD-On the Town [Original Broadway Cast]

1944 FP of Miklós Rósza's Concerto for String Orchestra, in Los Angeles.

1945 American naturalization of Russian composer Igor Stravinsky.

1948 FP of Miaskovsky's Symphony No. 28, in Moscow.

1950 Birth of American composer Daniel Leo SIMPSON in Ft. Monmouth, NJ.

1953 Death of German baritone Robert Bussel. Born 2 July 1880 in Dresden. Pupil :- Wierner Faulhaber Created Welko in Arabella (Strauss). Search Robert Bussel.

1953 Death of Cezch mezzo-soprano Marie Slechtova. Born 17 May 1885 in Prague. Debut as Blazenka in Secret (Smetana) 25 Feb 1909.

1955 Birth of American composer Jeff HARRINGTON.

1956 Birth of English violinist Nigel Paul KENNEDY in Brighton.  Search Nigel Paul KENNEDY.

1963 Birth of American composer Scott BRICKMAN in Oak Park, IL. Search Scott BRICKMAN.

1963 Death of German bass-baritone Ludwig Hofmann. Born 14 Jan 1895 in Frankfurt. Debut 1918 Teachers:- Rigutini, Ernst Grenzebach Created Overseer/Peasant/Clergyman/Manufacturer in Prozess (von Einem).

1963 Death of German composer Paul Hindemith in Frankfurt. b-Hanau, 16 NOV 1895. Search Paul Hindemith | BOOK-Selected Letters of Paul Hindemith.

1966 Death of German bass Peter Roth-Ehrang. Born 8 June 1920 in Trier. Debut as Hermit in Freischutz 1950 Teachers:- Paul Lohmann, Kurt Prasse Song in premiere of Hochzeit des Jobs (Haas) Visitation (Schuller). L'Orfeo / Act 3 - Ben mi lusinga al quanto.

1967 Death of Hungarian soprano Maria Nemeth. Born 13 Mar 1897 in Kormend, Hungary. Debut as Sulamith in Queen of Sheba (Goldmark) 1923 Teachers:- Gyorgy Anthes,Fernando De Lucia, Felicie Kaschovska Geza Laszlo, Giannina Russ, Laura Hilgermann. 

1969 Birth of American composer Randy NORDSCHOW. Search Randy NORDSCHOW.

1971 Death of Austrian-born, American film score composer Max Steiner in Los Angeles, CA. b-Vienna, 10 MAY 1888. Now Voyager, Casablanca, King Kong, Gone with the Wind and the popular Theme from 'A Summer Place'. Search Amazon.com for Max Steiner | BOOK-Max Steiner's Now, Voyager : A Film Score Guide | Max Steiner: The Lost Patrol; Virginia City; The Beast With Five Fingers.

1973 Death of American mezzo-soprano Marie Powers. Born 1910 in Mt Carmel, PA. Teachers:- Paul Althouse, Franchetti, Giannina Russ Ernestine Schumann-Heink Created Mother in Consul (Menotti) Azelia in Troubled Island (Still).

1987 Death of Spanish tenor Pablo Civil. Born 20 Nov 1899 in Teia, Nr Barcelona. 28 Dec 1987 Debut as Duke in Rigoletto (Verdi) 9 Sep 1925 Teacher :- Jose Sabater Created Orfeo in Proserpina (Bianchi) Sang in premiere of Lucrezia (Respighi) Morte de Frine (Rocca) Canigo (Massana).

1969 Death of Italian soprano Chiarini Fino-Savio. Born 17 Jun 1878 in Turin.  Debut as Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) 1899 Teacher :- Maddalena Martinotti-Tacconis.

1991 Death of bass-baritone George Hancock. Born 1906,   Died 28 Dec 1991 Teacher :- Dino Borgioli.

1992 Death of  Canadian soprano Ina Souez. Born 3 June 1908 in Windsor, Ontario. Debut as Mimi in Boheme (Puccini) 1928 Teachers:- Sofia Del Campo,Florence Hinrichs, Rudolfo Mele Florence Lamont Hinman.

1997 Death of French composer Henry Barraud. b-Bordeaux, 23 APR 1900.

 Hector Berlioz by Henry Barraud.