FEBRUARY 26

Francesco Nicola FAGO

1677 Birth of Italian composer Francesco Nicola FAGO in Naples. d-Naples, 18 FEB 1745.

1752 FP of Handel's oratorio Jephtha at Covent Garden in London. Composer conducts with poor eyesite. Handel: Jeptha.

1760 Birth of baritone Augustin Cheron. Born 26 Feb 1760 in Guyancourt.  Died 5 Nov 1829 Sang in premiere of Iphigenie en Tauride (Gluck) La Caravane du Caire (Gretry) Ossian ou les Bardes (Le Sueur) Iphigenie en Tauride (Piccini) Oedipe a Colone (Sacchini) Tarare (Salieri).

1770 Birth of French Bohemian composer Anton REICHA in Prague. d-Paris, 28 MAY 1836.

1770 Death of Italian composer Giuseppe Tartini in Padua. b-Piran, Slovenia 8 APR 1692.

1822 Birth of German hornist Franz STRAUSS, father of composer Richard, in Parkstein, suburban Bayreuth, Germany. d-31 MAY 1905.

1825 Birth of American composer Hans BALATKA. Founder of the Milwaukee Musical Society. Moved to Chicago in 1860 to create a forerunner of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. d-1899.

1828 Birth of baritone Carlo Casaccia in Naples.  Died 29 Feb 1828 Debut in Finta Zingari (Guglielmi) Pupil, Ferdinando Casaccia (grandson) Created Don Ramualdo in Emilia di Liverpool (Donizetti) Pappacione in Zingara (Donizetti) Lattanzio Latrughelli in Fortunato Ingano (Donizetti) Timoteo in Burgomastro di Saardam (Donizetti) Don Mercurio in Gelosia Corretta (Carafa) Don Pasquale in Agnese(Paer) Don Bartiletto in Li Sposi in Cimento (L Mosca) Don Saverio in Imbroglio ne Porta un Altro (L Mosca) Taddeo in Amore per Inganno (L Mosca) Don Marco Patacca in Ritorno Impensato (L Mosca) Don Tullio in Finta Viaggiatori (L Mosca) Don Totomaglio in Sposa a Sorte (L Mosca) Gallopino in Audacia Delusa (L Mosca) Don Ciccio in Amori e L'Arme (G Mosca) Bemollo in Diligenza a Toigni (G Mosca) Don Desiderio in Disperato per Eccesso di Buon Cuore (G Mosca) Don Ciccio in Poetessa Errante (G Mosca) Carlo in Elena (Mayr) Sang in premiere of Gazzetta (Rossini) Finta Zingara (Guglielmi).

1832 Chopin makes his debut in Paris, playing his F-minor Piano Concerto.

1861 Birth of tenor Henry Von Dulong Hamm in Westfalen Teacher, Vanoncini Pupil, Hermann Schey.

1877 Birth of soprano Celestina Boninsegna in Reggioi, Emilia.  Died 14 Feb 1947 Debut as Norina in Don Pasquale (Donizetti) 1892 Teachers, Mattioli, Virginia Boccabadati Pupil, Margherita Grandi Created Rosaura in Le Maschere (Mascagni) Jone in Jone (Petrella).

1877 Birth of American composer Russell ALEXANDER. d-1915.

1877 FP of Alexander Borodin's Symphony No. 2, in St. Petersburg. Borodin: Symphony No.2/In The Steppes Of Central Asia/Prince Igor.

1878 Birth of soprano Emmy Destinn  in Prague.  Died 28 Jan 1930 Debut as Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) 16 Jul 1898 Teacher, Marie Lowe Destinn Pupils, Ema Miriovska, Jarmila Novotna Created Minnie in Fanciulla del West (Puccini) Hedwig of Merian in Heirat wider willen (Humperdinck) Elsbeth in Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo) Sang in premiere Lange Kerl (Woikowsky-Biedaus). Emmy DESTINN Bio (Destinnova aka Kittl).

1879 Birth of English composer Frank BRIDGE, in Brighton. d-Eastbourne, 10 JAN 1941.

1882 Birth of English pianist Winifred CHRISTIE in Stirling. d- 1965.

1882 Death of soprano Hermine Rudersdorff. Born 12 Dec 1822 in Ivanowsky, Ukraine.  Died 26 Feb 1882 Debut 1841 Teachers, Giulio Bordogni, De Micherout Pupils, Anna Drasdil, Isabel Fassett, Lilian Henschel, Emma Thursby Mary Salter.

1896 Birth of Finnish cellist and conductor Tauno HANNIKAINEN. d-12 OCT 1968. Conducted West Shore Symphony Orchestra.

1899 FP of Anton Bruckner's Symphony No. 6. Vienna Philharmonic, Gustav Mahler conducting.

1905 Birth of American composer William RUSSELL. d-1992.

1913 Birth of baritone Albin Fechner in Boehum.  Died 9 Feb 1986 Teacher, Adamo Didur.

1913 Death of German composer Felix Draeseke in Dresden. b-Coburg, 7 OCT 1835.

1914 Birth of Polish conductor Witold ROWICKI in Taganrog. d-Warsaw, 1 OCT 1989. Founded the Warsaw Philharmonic, conducted 1950-55.

1914 Death of bass-baritone Putnam Griswold. Born 23 Dec 1875 in Minneapolis. Debut as Leonato in Much Ado About Nothing (Stanford) Premiere 1901 Teachers, Jacques Bouhy, Franz Emmerich, Albert Randegger Julius Stockhausen Created Roman Governer in Mona (Parker) Leonato in Much Ado about Nothing (Stanford) Sang in premiere of Poia (Nevin).

1922? (See FEB 25) FP of Saint-Saens Carnival of the Animals, in Paris. Published postumosly at his request.

1924 Birth of Swiss opera conductor Silvio VARVISO. Conductor of Royal Swedish Opera, 1965-1972. Photo. [ED's NOTE: Grove's has him born on June 20.~Kevin Kelly] His management, Colbert Artists, indicates Varviso was born 2/26/24 in Zurich, Switzerland. See their biography.

1924 Birth of American composer Mark BUCCI in NYC.

1927 Birth of bass-baritone Donald Gramm in Milwaukee, Wisc. Died 2 Jul 1983 Debut as Raimondo in Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) 1944 Teachers, George Graham, Martial Singher, Ruth Streiter Created Fish in Fisherman & His Wife (Schuller) John in Miss Julie (Rorem).

1930 Birth of soprano Ruth Margret Putz in Krefeld. Debut as Nuri in Tiefland (D'Albert) 1950 Teacher,    Berthold Putz Created Circe in 17 Tage und 4 Minuten (Egk) Sang in premiere of Orfeide (Malipiero) Smile at Foot of the Ladder (Bibalo).

1930 Birth of Russian pianist Lazar BERMAN in Leningrad. d-Florence, It 6 FEB 2005. NYTimes Bio. Obituary

1932 Birth of mezzo-soprano Jean Allister in Ballymoney, N Ireland. Debut 1961 Teacher, Norman Allin Created Maggie in Visitors (Gardner) Arete in Castaway (Berkeley).

1933 Birth of soprano Gunilla Eva Af Malmborg in Lulea. Debut as Marzelline in Fidelio (Beethoven) Teacher, Ove Meyer Leegard Sang in premiere of Drommen om Therese (Werle).

1933 Death of tenor Albert Alvarez in Bordeaux.  Died 26 Feb 1933 Debut as Faust in Faust (Gounod) 1887 Teacher, A De Martini Created Araquil in Navarraise (Massenet) Nicias in Thais (Massenet) Paris in Helene (Saint-Saens) Leicester in Amy Robsart (De Lara) Mirko in Montagne Noire (Holmes) Merowig in Fredegonde (Giraud) Jean in Helle (Duvernoy) Guatier in Burgonde (Vidal) Hercule in Astarte (Leroux) Bar-Kokeba in Fils de L'Etoile (Erlanger) Guatier in Messidor (Bruneau) Earl of Longford in Lady of Longford (Bach) Sang in premiere of Messaline (De Lara).

1935 FP of Georges Bizet's Symphony No. 1. Felix Weingartner conducting in Basel, Switzerland. This symphony was performed posthumously; written by Bizet at age 17 in 1855 manuscript found in Conservatory archives, in Paris, 1933.

1936 Death of baritone Antonio Scotti. Born 25 Jan 1866 in Naples. Died 26 Feb 1936 Debut as Amonasro in Aida (Verdi) 1 Nov 1899 Teachers, Franceso Lamperti, Vincenzo Lombardi, Ester Trifani-Paganini Created Chim-Fen in Oracolo (Leoni).

1938 Death of tenor Emile Scaramberg. Born 1863 in Besancon.  Died 26 Feb 1938 Debut as Richard Couer de Lion (Gretry) 1893 Teachers, Charles Nicot, Pellin Pupils, Louis Guenot, Renee Camia Sang in premiere of Filibuster (Cui).

1939 FP of A. Copland's Sextet, an arrangement of his Short Symphony, by a Juilliard graduate ensemble at Town Hall in NYC.

1943 FP of Roy Harris' Fifth Symphony dedicated to the people of the Soviet Union on 25th anniversary of the Red Army.

1943 Birth of English bass David THOMAS (Lionel Mercer).

1944 Birth of tenor Peter Lindroos in Pojo, Finland. Debut as Rodolfo in Boheme (Puccini) 1968 Teachers,  Mario Del Monaco, Jolanda di Maria Petris, Luigi Ricci Created Pied Piper in Rattenfanger (Cerha) Johann von Gobyn in Thomas (Rautavaara) King in Der Singende Baum (Bergmann E) Duke of Albany in King Lear (Sallinen) Sang in premiere of Thomas (Rautavaara) Rattenfanger (Cerhas).

1946 Birth of bass Dimitri Kavrakos in Athens. Debut as Zaccaria in Nabucco (Verdi) 1970

1946 FP of Richard Strauss' Oboe Concerto. Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra, Volkmar Andreae, conducting. Marcel Saillet was soloist. Suggested by American soldier and oboist John de Lancie at Strauss' home in Bavaria.

1949 (46?)Birth of English soprano Emma KIRKBY.Emma Kirkby in Camberley Surrey. Debut as Mother Nature in Cupid & Death (Locke) 1983 Teacher, Jessica Cash

1951 Death of soprano Giannina Russ. Born 27 Mar 1873 Lodi Died 26 Feb 1951 Debut as Mimi in Boheme (Puccini) 13 Jun 1903 Teacher, Alberto Leoni,Giacosa Pupils, Ruth Althen, Maria Benedetti, Gina Cigna, Margherita Grandi Sara Menkes, Maria Nemeth, Clara Petrella, Marie Powers Created Hellera in Hellera (Montemezzi).

1953 Death of Dutch composer Elisabeth Kuyper in Lugano, Switzerland. b-Amsterdam, 13 OCT 1877.

1953 FP of Leonard Bernstein's musical Wonderful Town at the Winter Garden Theater in NYC, after New Haven try out.

1953 FP of Elliott Carter's String Quartet No. 1 by the Walden Quartet at Columbia University in NYC.

1957 Birth of American composer and conductor Les MARSDEN. Founding Music Director and Conductor of The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra, Mariposa, CA.

1958 Birth of English composer Tim EWERS in Welwyn Garden City.

1958 Death of tenor Emile Graf. Born 11 Jul 1886. Sang in premiere of Der Friedenstag (Strauss) Der Mond (Orff).

1959 Death of bass-baritone Thor Mandahl. Born 6 Jan 1875 in Goteburg.  Died 26 Feb 1959 Debut as Lothario in Mignon (Thomas) 1899 Teacher, Julius Gunther.

1959 FP of George Rochberg's Symphony No. 2, in Cleveland.

1963 Birth of Italian-American composer Marco TREVISANI.

1970 Birth of American composer Michael Sidney TIMPSON.

1981 Death of American conductor, composer and Eastman School of Music director, Howard Hanson, in Rochester, NY.

1981 FP of Peter Maxwell Davies Symphony No. 2. Boston Symphony, Seiji Ozawa conducting at Symphony Hall in Boston.

1986 Death of mezzo-soprano Georgine Von Milinkovic. Born 7 July 1913 in Prague. Died 26 Feb 1986 Debut as Erda in Rheingold (Wagner) 1935 Teacher, Maria Kostrencic Pupils, Ruza Pospis Baldani Created Countess Helfenstein in Mathis der Maler (Hindemith) Sang in premiere of Die Liebe der Danae(Strauss).

1987 Birth of American composer Christopher SHAVER in Clearwater, FL.

1991 Death of tenor Andre Turp. Born 21 Dec 1925 in Montreal. Debut in Gianni Schicci (Puccini) 1945 Teachers, Luigi Marletta, Mme Vita, Frank H Rowe, Edouard J Woolley Created Lover in Andrea del Sarto (Lesur).

1996 Death of Polish composer Moishei Mieczyslaw Samuilowicz Vainberg, aka Weinberg, in Moscow. b-Warsaw, 8 DEC 1919.

2001 FP of Klass De Vries' ...sub nocte per umbras 'through the reality of spirits'. San Francisco Contemporary Players at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

2013 Death of French organist Marie-Clair Alain. b-10 August 1926. Obit