FEBRUARY 28

Kalevala Day, in Finland. Kalevala Day is the day of the Finnish culture. Kalevala is Finland's national epic, a work contaning traditional Finnish poems. Elias Lönnrot gathered them in his journeys in Karelia from 1828 to 1845. Jean Sibelius captured them in much of his music. Finlandia, Karelia Suite, Four Legends from the 'Kalevala'

Gioachino Antonio Rossini
 (February 29, 1792 – November 13, 1868)

1688 FP of Marc-Antoine Charpentier's opera David and Jonathas in Paris.

1714 Birth of castrato Gioacchino Conti (Gizziello) in Arpino.  Died 25 Oct 1761 Debut in Artaserse (Vinci) 1730 Teacher, Domenico Gizzi Sang in premiere of Berenice (Handel) Giustino (Handel).

1728 FP of Handel's opera Siroe, re di Persia.

1734 Death of soprano Marianna Bulgarelli-Benti. Born 1684 in Rome. Created Dido in Didone Abbandonata (Sarro) Ismene in Siface Re di Numibia (Feo) Sang in premiere of Siroe Re di Persia (Vinci).

1739 Publication in London by music publisher John Walsh, Jr. of Handel's Trio Sonatas, Op. 5.

1747 Birth of American composer and horse breeder Justin MORGAN in Springfield, MA. d-1798.

1758 Birth of castrato Domenico Luigi Bruni in Umbertide. Died 17 Jan 1821 Debut 1772 Teacher, Francesco Paciotti.

1792 (29th*) Birth of Italian composer Gioachino ROSSINI. d-1868.

1796 Death of German composer Friedrich Rust in Dessau. b-Woerlitz, 7 JUL 1739.

1808 Birth of English harpist and composer Elias PARISH-ALVARS. d-Vienna, 25 JAN 1849.

1834 Birth of Charles Santley Baritone Born 28 Feb 1834 Liverpool Died 22 Sep 1922 Debut as Grenvil in Traviata (Verdi) 1857 Teachers:- Gaetano Nava, Manuel Garcia Jnr Pupils :- Amy Castles, Ada Crossley, Peter Dawson, Ruby Helder Edna Thornton, Tom Kinneburgh, Dennis O'Sullivan Created Rhine King in Lurline (Wallace) Danny Mann in Lily of Killarney (Benedict) Clifford in Puritan's Daughter (Balfe) Don Sallustio in Ruy Blas (Glover) Fabio in Armourer of Nantes (Balfe)

1837 Death of Luigi Zamboni Bass-Baritone Born 1767 Bologna Died 28 Feb 1837 Debut in Fanatico Burlato (Cimarosa) 1791 Pupil :- Giacomo Galvani Created Figaro in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Fausto in Pretendati Delusi (G Mosca)

1857 Birth of American composer and conductor Gustave KERKER in Herford, Westphalia. d-NYC, 29 JUN 1922. In 1879, at 22, he wrote his first operetta, The Cadets. m-ROSE LEIGHTON (Keene) a burlesque artist from London. She was a prominent character actress on Broadway.

1858 Birth of Marie Brema Mezzo-Soprano Born 28 Feb 1856 Liverpool Died 22 Mar 1925 Debut as Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) 1891 Teacher :- Georg Henschel Pupils :- Luella Paikin, Dorothy Reid Created Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing (Stanford)

1860 Birth of Mario Ancona Baritone Born 28 Feb 1860 Livorno Died 23 Feb 1931 Teachers:- Giuseppe Cima, Matteini Created Silvio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Marcello in Serana (Keil)

1862 FP of Gounod's opera The Queen of Sheba in Paris.

1876 Birth of American composer John Alden CARPENTER, in Park Ridge, IL. d-Chicago, IL 26 APR 1951.

1877 Birth of Russian pianist and composer Sergei BORTKIEWICZ in Kharkov. d-Vienna, 25 OCT 1952.

1882 Birth of American soprano Geraldine FARRAR, in Melrose, MA. Died 11 Mar 1967 Debut in Marguerite in Faust (Gounod) 15 Oct 1896 Teachers:- Francesco Graziani, Lilli Lehmann, Mrs J H Long, Emma Thursby Angelo Trabadello Created Rosaura in Donne Curiose (Wolf-Ferrari) Goose Girl in Konigskinder (Humperdinck) Angelica in Suor Angelica (Puccini) Orlanda in Reine Fiammette (Leroux) Catherine Huebscher in Madame Sans Gene (Giordano) Amica in Amica (Mascagni) Margareta in Ancetre (Saint Saens) Sang in premiere of Le Clown (Camondo)

1882 Birth of Octave Dua Tenor Born 28 Feb 1882 Ghent Died 8 Mar 1952 Debut as Vasek in Bartered Bride (Smetana) 1904 Created Truffaldino in Love of 3 Oranges (Prokofiev)

1882 The Royal College of Music is founded in London.

1888 Birth of French conductor Eugene BIGOT in Rennes. d- Paris, 17 JUL 1965.

1888 Birth of Fanny Heldy Soprano Born 28 Feb 1888 Liege Died 13 Dec 1973 Debut as Elena in premiere of Ivan the Terrible (Gunsbourg) 26 Oct 1910 Created Andromeda in Persee et Andomede (Ibert) Portia in Merchand de Venise (Hahn) Eaglet in Aiglon (Honeggar / Ibert) Abla in Antar (Dupont) Sang in premiere of Nerto (Widor) La Tour de Feu (Lazzari)

1888 FP of P. I. Tchaikovsky's Pezzo capriccioso for cello and orchestra, in Paris.

1895 Birth of Brazilian pianist Ms. Guiomar NOVAES in Sao Joao da Bao Vista, Brazil. d-Sao Paulo, 7 MAR 1979.

1898 FP of V. Kalinnikov's Symphony No. 2.

1904 Birth of Maria Laurenti Soprano Born 28 Feb 1904 Rome Debut as Liu in Turandot (Puccini) 1927 Teachers:- Elena Cerasoli, G Fati, Rosina Storchio Sang in premiere of Giuliano (Zandonai)

1904 FP of Vincent d'Indy's Symphony No. 2 in Paris. CD- Indy: Symphony No. 2.

1907 Death of Rosina Brandram Contralto Born 2 Jul 1845 Southwark Died 28 Feb 1907 Debut in Sorcerer (Sullivan) Created Lady Blanche in Princess Ida (Sullivan) Katisha in Mikado (Sullivan) Duchess of Plaza-Toro in Gondoliers (Sullivan) Sang in premiere of Rose of Persia (Sullivan)

1908 Death of Paulie Lucca Soprano Born 25 Apr 1841 Vienna Died 28 Feb 1908 Debut as 2nd Boy in Zauberflote (Mozart) 1859 Teachers:- Richard Lewy, Uschmann, Otto Uffmann Pupils :- Ottilie Fellwock, Vera Garina Sang in premiere of Der Storn von Turan (Wuerst)

1912 FP of Carl Nielsen's Symphony No. 3 Sinfonia Espansiva and Violin Concerto, soloist Emil Telmányi, composer conducting in Copenhagen. CD- Nielsen: Symphonies no 1-3 | Sibelius/Nielsen: Violin Concertos.

1915 Birth of American music editor and music librarian of the Library of Congress William LICHTENWANGER,in Asheville, NC. d-16 DEC 200..

1917 Birth of English conductor and harpsichordist George MALCOLM. Master of the Music at Westminster Cathedral, in which time the continental tone of the choristers was acclaimed by some and derided by others. d-14 OCT 1997.

1918 Birth of Rosina Raisbeck Soprano Born 28 Feb 1918 Ballarat Victoria Debut 1944 Teachers:- Dino Borgioli, Gustav Sacher Sang in premiere of Little Mermaid (Boyd)

1920 FP of Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin in Paris at Pasdeloup Concert in Paris. CD- Ravel: Le Tombeau de Couperin

1926 Birth of American composer Seymour SHIFRIN. d-1979.

1927 Birth of Ragnar Ulfung Tenor Born 28 Feb 1927 Oslo Debut as Magadoff in Consul (Menotti) 1951 Teacher :- Minghetti Created John Taverner in Taverner (Maxwell Davies) Christopher in Reise (Werle) Deaf Mute in Aniara (Blomdahl)

1929 Birth of Joseph Rouleau Bass Born 28 Feb 1929 Matane Quebec Debut as Philip in Don Carlos (Verdi) Teachers:- Mario Basiola, Pauline Donalda, Ruzena Herlinger Rachaeli Mori, Martial Singher Created Bishop Tache in Louis Riel (Somers) Pranzini in Therese (Tavener)

1929 FP of Ildebrando Pizzetti's Concerto dell'estate 'Summer Concerto'. New York Philharmonic, Arturo Toscanini conducting.

1934 Birth of Sylvia Geszty Soprano Born 28 Feb 1934 Hungary Debut 1959 Teacher :- Erzsebeth Hoor-Tempis Sang in premiere of Leonce und Lena (Schwaen)

1936 FP of Roy Harris' Symphony No. 2. Boston Symphony. Prelude and Fugue for strings, Philadelphia Orchestra.

1940 FP of Henry Cowell's Old American Country Set in Indianapolis. CD- Henry Cowell: Set

1942 Birth of Alexander Malta Bass-Baritone Born 28 Feb 1942 Switzerland Debut as Monk in Don Carlos (Verdi) 1962 Teachers:- Enzo Mascherini, Desider Kovacz, Gennaro Barra-Caracciolo Sang in premiere of Lebensregeln (Wimberger) Der Gestiefelte Kater (Valdanbrinbi) Da Schoss (Laporte)

1949 Birth of American composer Meira WARSHAUER.

1950 Birth of American composer Stephen CHATMAN in Minnesota.

1953 Death of Felix Vieuille Bass Born 15 Oct 1872 Saugeon Died 28 Feb 1953 Debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni (Mozart) 1897 Teachers:- Leon Achard, Alfred Auguste Giraudet Pupils :- Jean Vieuille (son) Created Bluebeard in Ariane et Barbe-Bleue (Dukas) Arkel in Pelleas et Melisande (Debussy) Father-in-law in Pauvre Matelot (Milhaud) Sultan of Khaitan in Marouf (Rabaud) Maitre Pierre in Chemineau (Leroux) Eumee in Penelope (Faure) Walter in Juif Polonaise (Erlanger) Macduff in Macbeth (Bloch) Sang in premiere of Louise (Charpentier) Beatrice (Messager) Fille de Roland (Rabaud) Dans l'Ombre de la Cathedrale (Hue) Lorenzaccio (Moret) Le Carilloneur (Leroux) Danseuse di Pompei (Nougues) Le Roi aveugle (Fevrier) Les Pecheurs de Saint-Jean (Widor) Circe (P & T Hillomacher) Chiquito (Nougues) Berenice (Magnard) La Lepreuse (Lazzari) Peau de Chagran (Levade) Le Sicilien (Letorey)

1958 Death of Alice Gentle Mezzo-Soprano Born 1884 Died 28 Feb 1958 Created Frugola in Tabarro (Puccini)

1960 Birth of Russian composer Dmitri CAPYRIN in Moscow.

1961 Birth of Finnish composer Petri KULJUNTAUSTA in Tampere.

1965 (29th*) Birth of German conductor Marcus STENZ.

1968 Birth of American composer Charles GRIFFIN in Richmond, NY.

1968 Death of Lily Hafgren Soprano Born 7 Oct 1884 Stockholm Died 28 Feb 1965 Debut as Freia in Rheingold (Wagner) 1908 Teacher :- Max Fleisch

1976 Death of Fritz Krauss Tenor Born 16 Jun 1883 Cologne Died 28 Feb 1976 Debut 1910 Pupil :- Marcel Cordes Created Asmus Modiger in Herz (Pfitzner) Prince in Himmelskleid (Wolf-Ferrari)

1976 FP of Ralph Shapey's oratorio Praise in Chicago.

1988 Death of Gundrun A Simonar Soprano Born 1923 Reykjavic Died 28 Feb 1988 Teacher :- Carmen Melis Created Freya in Die Dame von Thyrn (Asgeirsson)

1991 FP of John Harbison's Symphony No. 3. Baltimore Symphony, David Zinman conducting.

1994 FP of George Tsontakis' Winter Lightning fourth of Four Symphonic Quartets from poems by T.S. Eliot. Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz conducting.

2000 Death of Amedeo Zambon Tenor Born 19 Jul 1934 Villorba Died 28 Feb 2000 Debut as Rodolfo in Boheme (Puccini) 1960 Teacher :- Marcello Del Monaco (*)Also see February 29th, leap year date.