FEBRUARY 23

John BLOW

1648 (1649?) Baptismal date of English composer and organist John BLOW, in Newark, Nottinghamshire. d-London, 1 OCT 1708.

1685 Birth of German-born British composer George Frideric HANDEL, aka as Georg Friedrich Händel, in Halle, Saxony. d-London, 14 APR 1759.

1704 Death of Austrian composer and organist Georg Muffat at age 50, in Passau, Germany. b-Mégève, France, 1 JUN 1653.

1732 FP of Handel's oratorio Esther at the Crown and Anchor Tavern, with the Children of the Chapel Royal on Handel's 47th birthday, in London. Handel: English Arias.

1835 FP of F. Joseph Halévy's opera La Juive 'The Jewess' at the Paris Opéra. Halévy: La Juive.

1848 Birth of American composer Thomas P. WESTENDORF. d-1923.

1749 Birth of soprano Gertrud Mara in Cassel.  Died 20 Jan 1833 Debut 1767 Teachers, Johann Adam Hiller, Pietro Paradisi, Venanzio Rauzzini Created Dido in Dido Queen of Carthage (Storace) Stratonica in Ariodante (Moretti) Euridice in Demetrio a Rodi (Pugnani) Teodelinda in Teodelinda (Andreozzi).

1834 Birth of tenor Ernest Nicolini in St Malo. Died 19 Jan 1898 Debut in Mousquetaires de la Reine (Halevy) Teachers, Giovanni Lamperti, Francesco Provenzale Created Celio in Velleda (Lenepveu).

1847 Birth of soprano Rosa Sucher  in Velburg. Died 16 April 1927 Debut as Waltraute in Walkure (Wagner) 1871 Teacher, Joseph Hasselbeck Pupils, Katharina Klafsky, Jane Osborn-Hannah Created Clarice / Francesca in Savonarola (Stanford) Chryssa in Nero (Rubinstein) Sang in premiere of Annchen von Tharau (Hofmann) Hiarne (Mme Ingeborg von Bronsart).

1854 FP of Franz Liszt's symphonic poem Les Préludes conducted by the composer in Weimar. 0675754664220:Product Link on Barnes & Noble.com.

1867 Death of singing coach George Smart. Born 10 May 1776 in London. Pupils, Henry Phillips, Jenny Lind, Henrietta Sontag, Harriet Cawse Louisa Pyne, Emma Romer, Willoughby Hunter Weiss, Mary Shaw William Winn, Charlotte Ann Birch, Eliza Ann Birch, Charles Lockney.

1878 Birth of tenor Arthur Preuss in Konigsberg. Died 20 Aug 1944 Debut 1899 Teachers, Franz Krolop, Benno Stolzenberg Sang in premiere of Dreimaderlhaus (Berte) Ein Wintermarchen (Goldmark) Der Musikant (Bittner) Der Verschenkte Frau (D'Albert).

1878 Birth of soprano Roxy King in Alliance, Ohio. Debut in Artemis (Nepomoceno) 1894 Teacher :- Selma Nicklass-Kempner. Roxy King.

1882 Birth of Czech composer Ladislav VYCPALEK in Vrsovice, Prague. d-Prague, 9 JAN 1969.

1882 FP of George W. Chadwick's Symphony No. 1. Boston Symphony.

1887 Birth of Swedish composer Fredrik LINDBERG in Gagnef. d-Stockholm, 10 APR 1955.

1897 Birth of American composer and mandolin virtuoso Dave APOLLON. d-1972.

1900 Birth of American composer Elinor Remick WARREN in Los Angeles, CA. d-1991.

1901 Birth of tenor Andre D'Arkor  in Liege.  Died 19 Dec 1971 Debut as Gerald in Lakme (Delibes) 1925 Teachers, Francois Malherbe, Elizabeth Seguin, Paul Verly.

1903 Death of German composer and cellist Friedrich Grutzmacher in Dresden. b-Dessau, 1 MAR 1832.

1903 FP of S. Rachmaninoff's Piano Preludes Nos. 1, 2, and 5, from Op. 23 and Variations on a Theme of Chopin with composer at piano in Moscow.

1910 Birth of soprano Maria Cebotari   in Kishinev.  Died 9 Apl 1949 Debut as Mimi in Boheme (Puccini) 1931 Teachers, Oscar Daniel, Alexander Wyruboff, Louis Bachner Created Aminta in Schweigsame Frau (Strauss) Lucile in Danton's Tod (Von Einem) Isolde in Vin Herbe (Martin) Gabriele in Das Schloss Durande (Schoeck) Julia in Romeo und Julia (Sutermeister) Sang in premiere of Mister Wu (D'Albert) Munchhausen (Lothar) Der Verlorene Sohn (Heger).

1912 Birth of American composer Rayner BROWN. d-1999.

1913 FP of Arnold Schoenberg's Gurre-Lieder in Vienna. Gurre-Lieder.

1914 Birth of tenor Ronald Dowd in Sydney. Died 20 Mar 1990 Debut as Hoffmann in Contes D'Hoffmann (Offenbach) 1948 Created in Claudius in Hamlet (Searle) Mosbie in Arden Must Die (Goehr).

1916 FP of Charles Tomlinson Griffes' White Peacock. Winifred Christie, pianist, in NYC. Griffes: Collected Works For Piano.

1918 Death of German pianist and composer Sophie Menter in Munich. b-Munich, 29 JUL 1846.

1920 Birth of American composer Hall OVERTON in Bangor, Michigan. d-1972.

1920 Death of Russian composer Alexander Llyinsky in Moscow. b-Tsarskoye Selo, 24 JAN 1859.

1922 Birth of soprano Ilse Hollweg in Solingen.  Died 9 Feb 1990 Debut as Blonde in Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (Mozart) 1942 Teacher, Gertrude Forstel Sang in premiere of Titus Feuerfuchs (Sutermeister) Troilus und Cressida (Zillig) Der Goldene Bock (Krenek) Il Canto Sospeso (Nono).

1923 Death of tenor Georg Anthes. Born 12 Mar 1863 in Bad Homburg.  Died 23 Feb 1923 Debut as Max in Freischutz (Weber) 1888 Teachers, Cesare Galiera, Julius Stockhausen Pupils, Zoltan Zavodszny, Maria Budanovits, Rosette Anday, Maria Nemeth, Gabriella Relle, Imre Pallo Sang in premiere of Herrat (Draeseke) Odysseus Heimkehr (Bungert) Haschisch (Chelius) Evanthia (Umlauff).

1923 Death of bass Francesco Navarini. Born 26 Dec 1855 in Cittadella, Padua. 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 Melusine (Gramman) Maso in Fior d'Alpe (Franchetti) Sang in premiere of Vandea (Clementi).

1923 FP of Ernest Schelling's A Victory Ball. Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting.

1924 Birth of American composer Lejaren HILLER. d-1994.

1928 Birth of baritone Usko Viitanen in Orimattila, Finland. Debut as Arsamene in Xerxes (Handel) 1958 Teachers, Karl Hudez, Carl Martin Oehman, Lea Piltti, Luigi Ricci Created Yeoman in Horseman (Sallinen).

1929 Birth of soprano Galina Olejnitschenko in Odessa. Debut 1952 Teachers, Urbana Natalia Arkadievna, H A Urban.

1929 Birth of American composer Richard MORYL. Was founder and director of the Charles Ives Center in Danbury, CT.

1931 Birth of tenor Jon Weaving. Teachers, Browning Mummery, Audrey Langford, Ken Neate Anni Assian-Roehrling.

1931 Death of Mario Ancona.  Born 28 Feb 1860 in Livorno. Debut as Scindia in Re de Lahore (Massenet) 1889 Teachers, Giuseppe Cima, Matteini Created Silvio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Marcello in Serana (Keil).

1931 Death of soprano Nellie Melba.  Born 19 May 1859 Richmond Melbourne. Debut as Gilda in Rigoletto (Verdi) 13 Oct 1887 Teachers, Pietro Cecchi, Mathilde Marchesi, Charles R Adams Pupil, Stella Power, Gertrude Johnson Created Helene in Helene (Saint-Saens) Elaine in Elaine (Bemberg).

1934 Birth of tenor Miroslav Frydlewicz in Pilsen. Debut as Jenik in Bartered Bride (Smetana) 1957 Teacher, Jan Berlik Sang in premiere of the Hypochondriac (Pauer).

1934 Death of English composer Sir Edward Elgar at age 76, in Worcester, England. b-Broadheath, 2 JUN 1857.

1935 Death of tenor Heinrich Hensel. Born 29 Oct 1874 in Neustadt. Debut in Alessandro Stradella (Flotow) 1897 Teachers, Eduard Bellwidt, Franz Emmerich, Gustav Walker, Oscar Saenger Jacques Stuckgold Created Hans Kraft in Barenhauter (S Wagner) Prince in Dornroscher (Humperdinck).

1950 Birth of French composer Michel MEYNAUD in Paris.

1952 Birth of Costa-Rican composer Luis Diego HERRA-RODRIGUEZ in San José.

1954 Birth of bass Aivars Krancmanis. Teacher, Katia Angeloni.

1955 Birth of American composer Emily WONG.

1956 FP of Leon Kirchner's Piano Concerto No. 1. Kirchner, pianist, in NYC. 0017685104527:Product Link on Barnes & Noble.com. 

1957 Death of bass Rudolf Lanhaus. Born 6 Aug 1877 in Rozmital. Teacher, August Stareh.

1960 Birth of American composer Lawrence AXELROD.

1962 Death of bass Luigi Ferroni. Born 1883. Created Ogre in Piccolo Marat (Mascagni) Sang in premiere of Notte di Leggende (Franchetti).

1962 FP of Igor Stravinsky's A Sermon, A Narrative and A Prayer conducted by Paul Sacher, dedicatee, in Basle, Switzerland.

The Original Jacket Collection: Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky

1965 Birth of Costa_Rican composer Eddie MORA in San José. aka Eddie Mora Bermúdez.

1983 (24 FEB?)Death of English composer Herbert Henry Howells at age 90, in London.

1983 Death of Achille Braschi Tenor Born 1909 Rome Died 23 Feb 1983 Debut 1934 Teacher :- Morini Pupil :- Hassan Kamy

1999 Death of English composer Ruth Gipps in Bexhill-on-sea. b-Bexhill-on-sea, 20 FEB 1921.

2000 Death of Ernest Lough Treble / Baritone Born 17 Nov 1911.