DECEMBER 4 Today in classical music history

1660 Birth of French composer Andre CAMPRA in Aix-en-Provence. d-Versailles, 14 JUN 1744. Search Amazon.com for Andre CAMPRA

1667 Birth of French composer and teacher Michel Pignolet de MONTECLAIR in Andelot. d-22 SEP 1737. Search Amazon.com for Michel Pignolet de MONTECLAIR

1680 Death of Italian composer Petronio Franceschini in Venice. b-Bologna, 9 JAN 1651.

1687 (5th?)Birth of Italian violinist, theorist and composer Francesco GEMINIANI in Lucca, Italy. d-Dublin, 17 SEP 1762. Search Amazon.com for Francesco GEMINIANI

1693 FP of M.A. Charpentier's opera Médée in Paris. CD-Charpentier - Médée / HuB000005ED8nt, Padmore, Deletré, Zanetti, Salzmann, Les Arts Florissants, Christie

1732 Death of English composer John Gay in London at age 47. b- Barnstaple, Devon 1685. Search Amazon.com for John Gay

1806 Birth of German composer Johann BURGMULLER in Regensburg. d-Beaulieu, France 13 FEB 1874. Search Amazon.com for Johann BURGMULLER

1816 FP of G. Rossini's opera Otello at the Teatro del Fondo in Naples. CD-Rossini - Otello / Ford, Futral, Matteuzzi, D'Arcangelo, Lopera, Shkosa; Parry

1845 FP of Robert Schumann's Piano Concerto in a, Op. 54. Ferdinand Hiller conducting, with pianist Clara Schumann in Dresden. CD-Robert Schumann/Edvard Greig: Concertos For Piano And Orchestra

1855 Birth of American composer William J. HENDERSON. Music writer-critic for New York Sun. The American Spirit in Art (Pageant of America)

1861 Birth of American soprano Lillian RUSSELL in Iowa. Search Amazon.com for Lillian RUSSELL

1866 Birth of Czech tenor Frantisek Pacal in Litomysl.  Died 19 Oct 1938, Debut as Messenger in Aida (Verdi) Teacher :- Josef Lev. 

1867 Death of French mezzo-soprano Constance Nantier-Didier. Born 16 Nov 1831 in Ile de Bourbon. Debut as Giulia in Vestale (Mercadante) Teacher :- Louis-Gilbert Duprez Created Preziosilla in Forza Del Destino (Verdi).

1869 Birth of German baritone Fritz Feinhals in Cologne. d-3 Aug 1940, Debut as Silvio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) 1895 Teachers:- Alberto Giovannini, Alberto Selva Pupils :- Manfred Huebner, Andor Lendvai, Emma Trentini, Alexander Sved Created Carlo Borromeo in Palestrina (Pfitzner). 

1872 FP of Lecoq's opera La Fille de Madame Angot 500 performances in Brussels. Search Amazon.com for La Fille de Madame Angot

1877 Birth of American soprano Marcia van Dresser in Memphis. Died 11 Jul 1937, Teachers:- Hermine Bosetti, Jean De Reszke, Mrs Robinson-Duff. Search Amazon.com for Marcia van Dresser

1879 Birth of Irish composer and conductor Herbert Hamilton HARTY in Hillsborough, County Down. d-Brighton, 19 FEB 1941. Search Amazon.com for Herbert Hamilton HARTY

1881 FP of P. Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto. Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, Hans Richter conducting, Adolf Brodsky, soloist. CD-Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1 / Violin Concerto

1882 Birth of German bass Otto Helgers in Frankfurt. Debut 1909 Teacher :- Eugen Hildach Created 3rd Shopper in Peer Gynt (Egk) Cornelius Witsen in Rembrandt van Rijn (Klenau) Sang in premiere of Schwanda the Bagpiper (Weinberger). 

1886 Birth of Russian-American clarinetist Simeon BELLISON in Moscow. From 1920 principal of the New York Philharmonic. 

Search Amazon.com for Simeon BELLISON.

1888 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Emma Zador in New York City. Debut 1913 Pupil :- Doris Jung

1893 MET debut of Nellie Melba as Lucia in NYC. Search Amazon.com for Nellie Melba

1898 FP of Antonin Dvorák's symphonic poem Hero's Song Op. 111, in Vienna. CD-Dvorak: Symphonic Poems Search Amazon.com for DVORAK Hero's Song

1902 Death of Russian bass Feodor Stravinsky. Born 20 June 1843 in Noviy Dvor. Debut as Rudolfo in Sonnambula (Bellini) 1873 Teacher :- Camille Everardi Created Dunois in Maid of Orleans (Tchaikovsky) Andrey in Dubrovsky (Napravnik) Mamirov in Enchantress (Tchaikovsky) King Frost in Snow Maiden (Rimsky-Korsakov) Mayor in May Night (Rimsky-Korsakov) Ivan the Terrible in Merchant Kalashnikov (Rubinstein) High Highness in Vakula the Smith (Tchaikovsky). Deutsche Grammophon Centenary Collection Vol. 1 - The Early Years 1898 - 1947

1907 Birth of Ukranian tenor Solomon Khromchenko in Zlatopol. Teacher :- Engel-Krom. See how beneath the distant sky dome (sung in russian) (Aleko).

1909 FP of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrarri's Secret of Suzanne at the Hoftheater in Munich. Secret Of Suzanne Overture - Wolf-Ferrari

1910 Birth of American (Russian father) composer and conductor Alex NORTH in Chester, PA, Philadelphia. Studied at Curtis. Film scores, ballets and orchestral works. Biography. Family developed site: published on 10th anniversary of death. d-8 SEP 1991. Search Amazon.com for Alex NORTH

1913 Death of Czech soprano Maria Koubatova. Born 10 Dec 1873 Prague. Teachers:- Franz Privoda, Maria Setova-Petzold.

1920 FP of Wolfgang Korngold's opera Die tote Stadt in Hamburg. CD-Korngold - Die tote Stadt / Leinsdorf

1922 FP of Sir Arnold Bax's Sym No 1, in London. CD-Sir Arnold Bax: The Complete Symphonies

1926 (1928?) Birth of American harpsichordist and teacher Fernando VALENTI in NYC. d- Red Bank, NJ 6 SEP 1990. Search Amazon.com for Fernando VALENTI

1927 FP of Mossolov's ballet Steel composed for Soviet Union tenth anniversary in Moscow.

1928 (1927?) Birth of American tenor Richard Cassily in Washington DC. Died 30 Jan 1998, Debut as Michele in Saint of Bleeker St (Menotti) 1955 Teacher :- Hans Heinz, Rosa Ponselle. Search Amazon.com for Richard Cassily

1929 Death of German organist and teacher Karl Walter.

1935 Death of Norwegian composer Johan Halvorsen at age 71, in Oslo. b-Drammen, 15 MAR 1864. Search Amazon.com for Johan Halvorsen

1937 Birth of German bass Artur Korn Bass in Wuppertal. Debut as Sam in Ballo in Maschera (Verdi) 1963 Created Zola in Dreyfus Affare (Meier). Search Amazon.com for Artur Korn

1938 Birth of Australian Mezzo Soprano Yvonne (Fay) MINTON in Sydney. Debut as Lucretia in Rape of Lucretia (Britten) 1964 Teachers:- Joan Cross, Henry Cummings, Marjorie Walker Created Thea in Knot Garden (Tippett) Maggie Dempster in One Man Show (Maw). Search Amazon.com for Yvonne MINTON

1944 Birth of Italian soprano Ileana Sinnone in Milan. Debut as Norina in Don Pasquale (Donizetti) Teacher :- Vladimiro Badiali.

1945 Birth of Canadian composer Ron HANNAH.

1946 Birth of German composer Pierre EVEN in Wiesbaden.

1947 Birth of English soprano Lillian WATSON in London Debut as Cis in Albert Herring (Britten) 1970 Teachers:- Jessica Cash, Vera Rozsa. Search Amazon.com for Lillian WATSON

1949 FP of Luigi Dallapiccola's opera I Prigioniero 'The Prisoner'. A concert Radio performance in Turin by the Italian Radio. The first staged performance 20 MAY 1950, in Florence.

1951 Birth of composer Kenneth LaFAVE in Tucson, AZ. Search Amazon.com for Kenneth LaFAVE

1953 Death of American composer and music writer Daniel Gregory Mason at age 80, in Greenwich, CT. Search Amazon.com for Daniel Gregory Mason

1958 Birth of American electronic music composer Daniel B. ROTHMAN.

1959 Death of tenor Hubert Marischka. Born 27 Aug 1882. Sang in premiere of Geschiedene Frau (Fall) Rosa von Stambul (Fall) Zigeunerliebe (Lehar) Ideale Gattin (Lehar) Endlich Allein (Lehar) Blaue Mazur (Lehar) Frasquita (Lehar) Gelbe Jacke (Lehar) Grafin Mariza (Kalman) Zirkusprinzessin (Kalman) Gold'ne Meisterin (Eysler).

1964 Death of  soprano Vera Schwarz. Born 10 July 1888, Zagreb. Debut 1912 Teacher :- Philip Forsten Pupils :- Donald Dame, Nelson Eddy Created Lisa in Land des Lachelns (Lehar) Sang in premiere of Paganini (Lehar) Zarewitsch (Lehar). Les Introuvables du Chant Mozartien: 50 Years of Mozart Singing on Records

1965 Death of German tenor Franz Volker. Born 31 Mar 1899, Frankfurt. Debut as Florestan in Fidelio (Beethoven) 2 Nov 1926 Teacher :- Alexander Wellig.  Search Amazon.com for Franz Volker.

1976 Death of British composer Benjamin Britten at age 63 in Aldeburgh. b-Lowestoft, 22 NOV 1913. Search Amazon.com for Benjamin Britten

1980 Death of baritone Zdenek Otava. Born 11 Mar 1902, Vitejeves, Serbia. Debut as Iago in Otello (Verdi) 25 Sep 1925 Teachers:- Bohumil Benoni, Max Koblizek, Joseph Masopust Pupils :- Ludmilla Hanzalikova, Nadezda Kniplova, Marcela Machotkova, Eva Zikmundova Sang in premiere of Kraluv Mincmistr (Vostrak) Makropulos Affair (Janacek). Search Amazon.com for Zdenek Otava

1981 Birth of American composer Ross POPOFF.

1993 Death of American composer and guitarist Frank Zappa at age 52 in Los Angeles, CA. b-Baltimore, MD 21 DEC 1940. Search Amazon.com for Frank Zappa classical works