FEBRUARY 9

Elisabetta de Gambarini

1664 FP of Cavalli's opera Scipio Africanus at the Teatro Santi Giovanni e Paolo in Venice.

1740 Death of German composer, organist and teacher Vincent LüBECK, at age 85, in Hamburg. b-Padinbüttel SEP 1654.

1744 Birth of composer Amos BULL. d-1825.

1765 Death of English composer, soprano, organist and painter Elisabetta de Gambarini in London. b-London, 9 FEB 1765.

1771 Birth of American composer Daniel BELKNAP. d-1818.

1794 Death of soprano Marie Fel Born 24 Oct 1713 in Bordeaux. Debut as Venus in Philomene (La Coste) 1734 Teacher, Christina Vanloo Pupil :- Sophie Arnould Created Altisidore in Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (Boismortier) Folly in Platee (Rameau) Amelite in Zoroastre (Rameau) Phrygian Woman in Dardanus (Rameau) L'Amour in Castor et Pollux (Rameau) Nais in Nais (Rameau) Sang in premiere of Daphmis et Alcimadure (Mondonville) Scylla et Glaucus (Leclair) Les Fetes d'Hebe (Rameau) Les Fetes de l'Hymen et de l'amour (Rameau) La Guirlande (Rameau) Les Surprises de l'Amour (Rameau).

1812 Death of German composer Franz Anton Hoffmeister, at age 57, in Vienna. b-Rothenberg, 12 MAY 1754.

1812 FP of Beethoven's Overture and incidental music to play 'The Ruins of Athens', in Pest. CD-Beethoven: Complete Overtures.

1834 Birth of German composer and writer of church music Franz Xaver WITT in Walderbach, Bavaria.

1834 Birth of tenor and coach Charles R Adams in Charles Town, Mass.  Died 3 July 1900 Debut as Elvino in Sonnambula (Bellini) 1863 Teachers, Giovanni Lamperti, Carlo Barbieri Pupils, Ellen Beach Yaw, Marcella Craft, Emma Eames, Nellie Melba.

1840 Birth of soprano Bronislava Dowiakowska in Warsaw.  Died 3 Oct 1910 Debut as Leonora in Alessandro Stradella (Flotow) Teacher, Jan Quattrini Created Eve in Countess (Moniuszko) Hanna in Haunted Manor (Moniuszko) Zuzia in Verbum Nobile (Moniuszko) Neale in Pariah (Moniuszko).

1863 Birth of soprano Poldi Augustin in Vienna. Died Jan 1951 Sang in premiere of Die Landstreicher (Ziehrer).

1882 Birth of tenor Fritz Windgassen in Hamburg.  Died 18 Apl 1963 Debut as Manrico in Trovatore (Verdi) 1909 Pupils, Gottlob Frick, Wolfgang Windgassen (son) Created Michael Kohlhaas in Michael Kohlhaas(Von Klenau) Sang in premiere of Brautwahl (Busoni) Gondoliere des Dogen (von Reznicek).

1884 Birth of American ragtime composer Henry LODGE. Composed popular Temptation Rag. d-1933.

1885 Birth of Austrian composer Alban BERG in Vienna. d-Vienna, 24 DEC 1935.

1893 FP of Verdi's Falstaff, in Milan. It was the last of his 26 operas, composed at the age of 80. DVD-Verdi - Falstaff / Muti, Maestri, Frittoli, Florez, Frontali, Antonacci, Busseto Teatro Verdi.

1909 Birth of German composer Harald GENZMER near Bremin. Germany's oldest living composer celeberates 95th birthday. See Soundgenerator.com. A special birthday concert, at the Bayern Academy of Fine Art in Munich.

1909 FP of Albeniz Iberia piano suite, in Paris. CD-Albéniz: Iberia; Granados: Goyescas.

1918 Birth of soprano Siv Ericsdotter in Norrkopine, Sweden. Debut 1948 Teacher, Nanny Larsen-Todsen Sang in premiere of Gilgamesch (Rangstrom).

1919 Death of soprano Bessie Abott. Born 1878 Riverside, N Y. Debut as Juliette in Romeo et Juliette (Gounod) 1901 Teachers, Jacques Bouhy, Victor Capoul, Mathilde Marchesi Frieda Ashford, Fidele Konig Created Nariste in Nariste (Bellenot). 

1919 FP of Chadwick's symphonic poem Angel of Death in NYC. CD-Chadwick: Orchestral Works

1923 Birth of American pianist Constance KEENE in NYC.

1924 Birth of English organist Dr. George GUEST. d-20 NOV 2002. Was organist and choirmaster for St. John's College, Cambridge.

1926 Birth of soprano Gisela Vivarelli in Geneva. Died Feb 1950. Teacher, Anna-Maria Guglielmetti.

1927 Birth of American composer Joseph Gabriel Esther MANERI.

1928 Birth of tenor Rolf Apreck in Leipzig. Debut as Ottavio in Don Giovanni (Mozart) 1952 Teachers, Friedrich Hartel, Hans Lissmann.

1929 Birth of composer James M. DREW.

1932 Death of mezzo-soprano and coach Rosa Papier-Paumgartner. Born 15 Sep 1859 in Vienna. Debut 1881 Teacher, Mathilde Marchesi Pupils, Anna Bahr Mildenberg, Helene Offenberg, Bella Paalen Rose Pauly, Charlotte von Seebock, Luci Weidt, Grete Holm Helene Wildbrunn, Felicie Huni-Mihaczek, Paula Buchner Yella Hochreiter Sang in premiere Der Vasall von Szigeth (Smareglia).

1937 Birth of German soprano Hildegard BEHRENS in Oldenburg. Debut as Countess in Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) 1971 Teacher, Ines Leuwen Sang in premiere of Cronaca del Luogo (Berio).

1937 Birth of baritone Alessandro Cassis. Died 20 Nov 1998 Sang in premiere of La Favola D'Orfeo (Casella).

1940 Debut at the MET Opera in NYC of Licia Albanese.

1941 FP of Morton Gould's Spirituals for Orchestra in NYC. CD-Composers in New York.

1943 Birth of English tenor Ryland DAVIEA in Cwm Ebbw Vale. Debut as Almaviva in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) 30 Sep 1964 Teachers, Frederic Cox, Patrick MacGuigan Created M.Ploc in Belle Vivette (Offenbach).

1944 Birth of soprano Marilyn Zschau in Chicago. Teachers, Geraldine Cate, Walter Golde, Florence Page Kimball Lotte Leonard, John Lester, Christopher West Created Woman in Before Breakfast (Pasatieri). 

1946 Death of baritone Robert Burg. Born 29 Mar 1890 in Prague. Died 9 Feb 1946 Debut Valentin in Faust (Gounod) 1914 Teacher, Hans Pokorny Created Faust in Doktor Faust (Busoni) Cardillac in Cardillac (Hindemith) Sang in premiere Der Eroberer (Brandt-Buys) Lord Spleen (Lothar).

1949 Birth of English baritone and conductor Paul HILLER near Dorchester.

1949 Death of Italian tenor Giovanni Zenatello in NYC, age 72. b-22 FEB 1876.

1950 Birth of American composer Jay REISE.

1951 Death of soprano Mila Kocova. Born 10 Jun 1898 in Vienna. Debut as Antonia in Contes D'Hoffmann (Offenbach) 22 Mar 1924 Teacher, Dadla Skardova.

1952 Birth of soprano Marilyn Hill Smith in Carshalton, Surrey. Debut in Adele in Fledermaus (J Strauss) 1978 Teacher, Arthur Reckless.

1953 Birth of soprano Kaaren Eickson in Seattle.  Died 30 Aug 1997, Debut as Gilda in Rigoletto (Verdi) 1982 Teachers, Martial Singher, Maurice Abravanel. Sang in premiere of The Voyage (Glass).

1960 Death of Hungarian composer, pianist and conductor Ernst Von Dohnanyi at age 82, in NYC. b-Pozsony, 27 JUL 1877.

1964 Birth of American composer Mary Lou NEWMARK.

1966 Birth of English soprano Amanda ROOCROFT in Lancashire. Debut as Sophie in Rosenkavalier (Strauss) 1990 Teacher, Barbara Robotham.

1967 Death of mezzo-soprano Marta Curellich. Born 1877 in Trieste.  Died 9 Feb 1967, Debut in Mignon (Thomas) 1901 Sang in premiere of La Feste del Grano (Finoteil).

1967 Arrest of 'topless cellist'... Charlotte Moorman. See Paik TV documentary.

1968 Birth of composer Carlos R. CARRILLO-COTTO.

1981 Death of baritone Leone Paci. Born 18 Dec 1887 in Perugia. Debut in Favorita (Donizetti) 1910 Sang in premiere of Lodoletta (Mascagni) Il Dibuk (Rocca) Don Giovanni (Lattuada).

1990 Death of soprano Ilse Hollweg. Born 23 Feb 1922 in Solingen. 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).

1994 Death of soprano Jarmila Novotna. Born 23 Sep 1907 in Prague. Debut as Violetta in Traviata (Verdi) 1926 Teachers, Emmy Destinn, Antonio Guarnieri, Hilbert Vavra, Victor Fuchs Raffaele Tenaglia Created Giuditta in Giuditta (Lehar) Sang in premiere of Fruhlingssturme (Weinberger).