APRIL 30

1717 Birth of composer Guillaume Gommaire Kennis

1713 Vivaldi takes off from Pieta for Vicenza for FP, in May, of his first opera Ottone in Villa, at the Teatro delle Grazie. Vivaldi life timeline.

1728 FP of Handel's "Tolomeo, rè di Egitto" London.

1757 FP of Giardini's "Rosmire" London.

1781 FP of Salieri's "Der Rauchfangkehrer" Lustspiel, Vienna.

1792 Birth of composer Johann Friedrich Schwencke

1805 FP of Boieldieu's "La Jeune Femme colère" St. Petersburg.

1837 Birth of composer Alfred Gaul

1843 Birth of French soprano Hortense SCHNEIDER in Bordeaux. d-6 MAY 1920. Debut as Inez in Favorita (Donizetti). Teacher was Schaffner. Created Helene in Belle Helene (Offenbach). Boulette in Barbe-Bleue (Offenbach). Grande Duchesse in Grande Duchesse de Geroldstein.

1848 Birth of German soprano Marie HANFSTANGEL in Breslau. d-1917. Debut 1867. Teachers were Luigi Vannuccini, Pauline Viardot-Garcia.

1855 Death of English opera conductor and composer Henry Rowley Bishop.

1855 FP of Hector Berlioz's Te Deum. The church of St. Eustache in Paris.

1857 FP of Offenbach's "Dragonette" Paris.

1870 Birth of Austro-Hungarian composer Franz LEHAR in Komaron. d-Bad Ischi, 24 OCT 1948. Works list.

1871 Birth of American soprano Louise HOMER in Shadyside, Pittsburgh, PA. d-Winter Park, FL, 6 MAY 1947. MET Opera Début 14 NOV 1900 [Amneris] Aida, 22 seasons (1900-14, 15-19, 27-30, 34-35) 734 perf., 46 roles, 40 works.

1873 FP of Dubois' "La Guzla de l'émir" Paris.

1883 Death of violinist and founder of the Rosa Opera Co, Carl Rosa in Paris.

1883 Birth of composer David John de Lloyd

1884 Birth of American composer Albert Israel ELKUS, Univ. Cal. music prof, in Sacremento, CA. d-1962.

1884 Birth of German tenor Georg BALDSZUN in Berlin. d-27 MAY 1948.

1885 (1881?)Boston Pops founded by Henry Lee Higginson, who was its director and financial backer until 1918. Espanade Concerts.

1885 Birth of Italian composer and futurist painter Luigi RUSSOLO. d-6 FEB 1947.

1886 Birth of English composer, pianist and teacher Frank MERRICK in Clifton, Bristol. d-London, 19 FEB 1981.

1889 Birth of American composer and conductor Chalmers CLIFTON.

1889 Birth of composer Acario Cotapos

1889 Birth of composer Rudolph Hermann Simonsen

1902 Birth of composer Andre-Fran‡ois Marescotti

1902 Birth of composer Rudolf Wittelsbach

1902 FP of Debussy's opera Pelleas and Melisande in Paris at the Opera Comique. Mary Garden as Melisande. Jeanne Gerville-Réache as Geneviève.

1903 Birth of German composer Gunther Raphael

1903 Victor records releases it's first Red Seal recording. Disc by contralto Ada Crossley.

1910 Birth of Romanian tenor Petre MUNTEANU. d-Milan, 18 JUL 1988.

1911 Birth of composer Hans Studer

1911 Debut of 10 year old violinist, Jascha Heifetz in St. Petersburg.

1912 Death of Czech composer Frantisek Kmoch. b-Zasmuky, suburban Kolín, Bohemia, 1 AUG 1848.

1916 (1920?)Birth of soprano Alda NONI in Trieste. Debut as Rosina in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini).

1916 Birth of American conductor Robert SHAW in Red Bluff, Iowa. d-New Haven, CT 25 JAN 1999.

1917 FP of Mascagni's "Lodoletta" Rome.

1920 Birth of soprano Alda NONI in Trieste.

1922 Death of French tenor Louis Cazette. b-Nantes, 9 DEC 1887. Debut as Noctambule in Louise (Charpentier). Teachers were A. Delpouget, Emile Engel, Jan Redev, Albert Saleza.

1925 FP of Paul Hindemith's Kammermusik No. 3, Op. 36, no. 2. The composer conducting with Rudolf Hindemith, cellist in Bochum, Germany.

1925 FP of Standford's "The Traveling Companion" in Liverpool, an amateur perferformance.

1929 Birth of Italian tenor Doro ANTONIOLI. d.-Edolo, Brescia, 18 JUN 1999.

1931 Birth of Italian bass Ferruccio MAZZOLI in b-Bologna. Debut as Palemon in Thais (Massenet) 1954. Teachers were Antonio Melandri, Rina Malatrasi.

1932 Birth of composer Anton Larrauri

1934 Birth of American baritone William CHAPMAN in Los Angeles. Debut as Macbeth in Macbeth (Verdi) 1957. Teachers were William De Mille, Edward Lippi, Leon Cepparo, Raymond Smolover. Created Prisoner in Maria Golovin (Menotti).

1939 FP of Weill's "Railroads on Parade" NYC.

1932 Opening of the first Yaddo, Festival of Contemporary Music at Saratoga Springs, NY.

1934 FP of Igor Stravinsky's opera Persephone. Ida Rubinsetin, speaker, and the composer conducting at the Paris Opéra.

1937 Death of Dutch baritone Carel Van Hulst. b-Amsterdam, 20 DEC 1881. Debut as Silvio in Pagliacci. Teacher was Cornelie Von Zanten.

1937 FP of U. Gadzhibekov's "Kyor-Oglu" Moscow.

1939 Birth of American violinist and composer Ellen Taaffe ZWILICH in Miami, FL. First female to win the Pulitzer Music prize, 1983.

1941 Birth of Spanish conductor Luis Antonio Garcia NAVARRO in Valencia, Chiva. d-11 OCT 2001.

1941 Birth of composer Wilfried Jentzsh

1944 Birth of Russian violinist Lydia Mordkovitch. d-9 DEC 2014 OBIT

1945 FP of Alfano's "Il Dottor Antonio" Rome.

1951 Death of soprano Désirée Ellinger. Sang in Pablo Luna's 1916 zarzuela, 1001 Nights, El asombro de Damasco `The Terror of Damascus'. The zarauela was performed in English as The First Kiss, opened at the New Oxford Theatre, London, on 10 NOV 1924. The cast also included Courtice Pounds. It ran for forty-three performances.

1951 Death of American soprano Lucy Gates. b-St. George, UT 5 NOV 1885. Debut as Annchen in Freischutz (Weber) 1909. Teacher was Blanche Corelli.

1956 Birth of composer Adrian WILLIAMS.

1968 Death of English baritone and singing teacher Clive Carey. b-Hedingham, 30 MAY 1883. Teacher was Jean De Reszke. Pupils were Edward Byles, Edith Coates, Arnold Matters, Elsie Morrison, Alberto Remedios,Eric Shilling, Joan Sutherland, David Ward, Ruth Naylor, Rita Hunter, Elizabeth van Rompaey, Kenneth Bowen, Margaret Nisbett, John Noble, Sybil Scanes.

1970 Birth of Spanish composer Josué Bonnin de GóNGORA in Madrid.

1970 Birth of composer Brian W. OGLE.

1970 Death of composer Hall Francis Johnson in NYC. b-Athens, GA 2 JUN 1887.

1973 FP of Lou Harrison's Concerto for Organ, at San Jose State University, with organist Philip Simpson.

1974 FP of Samuel Barber's Three Songs, op 45. D. Fischer-Dieskau, Chamber Music Society, Lincoln Center, NYC.

1976 MET Opera Debut of American baritone William Justus. [Escamillo] Carmen. His only performance there.

1979 FP of Harbison's "Full Moon in March" Cambridge, MA.

1983 Death of choreographer George Balanchine at age 78. b-St. Petersburg, Russia, 22 JAN 1904. aka Georgi Melitonovitch Balanchivadze .

1984 MET Opera Debut of Austrian bass-baritone Peter Wimberger. Wagner [Woton] Die Walküre.

1988 (29th?) Death of American tenor James McCracken. b-Gary, IN 16 DEC 1926. Debut as Rodolfo Boheme (Puccini) 1952. Teachers were Marcello Conati, Ezekiel, Joyce McLean, Mario Pagano, Elsa Seyfert.

1991 FP of Ellen Taaffe Zwilich's Bass Trombone Concerto. Charles Vernon with the Chicago Symphony, Daniel Barenboim conducting.

1994 FP of John Harbison's String Quartet No. 3. Lydian String Quartet at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA.

2000 Death of German-American composer and staff arranger for Detroit radio station WWJ, Bernhard Heiden. b-Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany 24 AUG 1910.

2003 FP of Augusta Read Thomas' Sun Threads. Avalon String Quartet, Lincoln Center, NYC.

APRIL 29

1584 Birth of copmposer Melchior Teschner.

1636 Birth of German composer Esaias REUSNER.

1660 Birth of composer Matthias Henriksen Schacht

1712 Death of Spanish composer Juan Bautista José Cabanilles at age 67, in Valencia. b-6 SEP 1644.

1720 Vivaldi leaves Pieta at Venice to go to Vienna.

1727 Birth of French dancer Jean-Georges Noverre.

1741 FP of Jommelli's "Ezio" Bologna.

1774 Birth of German soprano Anna GOTTLIEB. d-4 FEB 1856. Teacher was Wolfgang Mozart. Created Barbarina in Nozze di Figaro. Pamina in Zauberflote. Hulda in Donauweibchen (Kauer). Evakathel in Evakathel & Schmidt (Muller). Alceste in Die neue Alceste (Muller). Sang in FP of Das Neusonntagskund (Muller).

1771 Birth of composer Matthaus Stegmayer

1784 FP of Mozart's Violin Sonata in Bb, K. 454. Emperor Joseph II, with the composer at the piano and Italian violinist Regina Strinasacchi at Vienna's Kärtnertor Theater. Mozart also played his Concerto No. 17 in G, K. 453.

1788 FP of Sacchini's "Arvire et Evelina" unfinished, produced posth., Paris.

1792 FP of the Marseillaise. National Guard Band in Strasbourg, France.

1798 FP of Haydn's oratorio The Creation. Private performance at Schwarzenbgerg Palace, in Vienna. The first public performance on 19 MAR 1799.

1799 FP of Haydn's "La vera costanza" Esterházy.

1801 FP of Bruneau's "L'Ouragan" Paris.

1828 Birth of soprano Virginia BOCCABADATI. d-16 AUG 1922. Debut as Linda in Linda Di Chamounix (Donizetti) 1847. Pupils were Celestina Boninsegna, Maria De Marchi, Giulia Grisi, Elisa Petri, Sofia Scalchi, Maria Farneti. Sang in FP of La Demente (Marchetti).

1832 Birth of singing teacher Julius HEY in Irmelshausen. d-22 APR 1909. Teacher was F. Schmitt. Pupils were Andreas Dippel, Albert Hoeberg, Charlotte Huhn, Rose Olitzka, Karl Perron, Georg Unger.

1842 Birth of Austrian operetta composer Karl MILLOCKER in Vienna. d-Baden, 31 DEC 1899. He suffered a stroke in 1894 which left him partially paralyzed. Operetta: "Der tote Gast" (Graz, 1865); "Die luistigen Binder" (Graz, 1865); "Diana" (Vienna, 1867); "Die Fraueninsel" (Budapest, 1868); The following had their premier's in Vienna: "Drei Paar Schuhe" (1871); "Wechselbrief und Briefwechsel. Or ein nagender Wurm" (1873); "Ein Abenteuer in Vienna" (1873); "Das verwunschene Scholss" (1878); "Gräfin Dugarry" (1879); "Apajune der Wassermann" (1880); "Die Jungfrau von Belleville" (1881); "Der Bettelstudent" (Vienna, 1882, In N.Y., as "Beggar Student" 1883); "Gasparone" (1884); "Der Feldprediger" (1884); "Der Vice-Admiral" (1886); "Die sidben Schwaben" (1887); "Der arme Jonathan" (1890); "Das Sonntagskind" (1892); "Der Probekuss" (1894); "Nordlicht, oder Der rote Graf" (1896).

1846 Birth of German violinist and teacher in America Henry SCHRADIECK in Hamburg.

1847 Birth of Danish flutist and conductor Carl Joachim ANDERSEN.

1855 Birth of German cellist and writer Edmund van der STRAETEN.

1856 FP of Adam's "Les Pantins de Violette" Paris.

1859 Birth of Czech violinist and teacher Franz ONDRICEK.

1860 Birth of American composer Alfred George ROBYN. d-1935.

1870 Birth of German baritone Julius Raatz-BROCKMANN in Hamburg. d- Perleberg, 7 DEC 1944. Popular concert and Lieder singer in Germany. Studied law then singing in Berlin and Milan. He was encouraged to seek a career in Wagnerian opera by the composer's widow, almost from the beginning he decided to devote himself to oratorio. In 1907 began teaching in Berlin, and in 1923 was appointed Professor of Singing at the Berlin Music School. Pupils were Paul Kotter, Hans Hermann Nissen, Arno Schellenberg, Else Schurhoff, Paula Linberg.

1855 Birth of composer Edmund van der Straeten

1855 Birth of composer Anatol K Liadov

1857 Birth of composer Frantisek Ondricek

1862 Birth of composer Vittorio Mario Vanzo

1870 Birth of Austrian march composer August Wilhelm JUREK in Vienna.

1870 Birth of German baritone Julius von RAATZ-BROCKMANN in Hamburg. d-Perleberg, 7 DEC 1944.

1872 Birth of Norwegian composer Eyvind ALNAES in Fredrikstad. d-Oslo, 24 DEC 1932.

1873 Death of Italian bass Ignazio Marini. b-Tagliuno, 28 NOV 1811. Debut 1832. Created Alcaide in Forza Del Destino (Verdi). Talbot in Maria Stuarda (Donizetti). Attila in Attila (Verdi). Senechal in Gianni di Parigi (Donizetti). Guido in Gemma di Vergy (Donizetti). Arnoldo in Adelia (Donizetti). Oberto in Oberto (Verdi). Eleazaro in Ebrea (Pacini). Marino in Giovanni II (Coccia). Lord Arcourt in Gioventu di Enrico V (Mercadante). Gusmano in Due Illustri Rivali (Mercadante).

1875 Birth of Swedish soprano Anna HELLSTROM-OSCAR in Stockholm. d-19 SEP 1915.

1875 Birth of Russian tenor Modest MENZINSKY in Novosilky Galicia. d-11 DEC 1935. Debut as Lionel in Martha (Flotow) 19 SEP 1901. Teachers were Julius Stockhausen, Valerie Wysocki. Created Nan in Irrelohe (Schreker).

1879 Birth of English conductor Sir Thomas BEECHAM in St. Helens, son of Sir Joseph Beecham, wealthy pill manufacturer. d-London, 8 MAR 1961. MET Opera Début 15 JAN 1942, Der Streit Zwischen Phoebus und Pan, 3 seasons (1941-44) 77 perf., 10 works. He founded The London Philharmonic.

1885 Birth of American composer Wallingford RIEGGER in Albany, GA. d-2 APR 1961.

1895 Birth of English conductor Sir Malcolm SARGENT. d- London, 3 OCT 1967.

1896 Birth of Rumanian-American composer Jacques WOLFE in Botoshan, Rumania. d-22 JUN 1973. In 1928, he published the two songs with which he is still associated today, "De Glory Road" and "Short'nin' Bread".

1897 FP of Battiatto's "Genesi" Parma.

1899 Birth of American composer Edward "Duke" ELLINGTON in Washington D.C. d-24 MAY 1974.

1899 Birth of composer Karl Yngve Skold

1901 Final performance at MET Opera of Jean de Reszke (b/t) (1850-1925) Pol. Wagner, [Tristan] Tristan und Isolde.

1902 Birth of American composer Theodore Ward CHANLER in Newport, RI.

1904 Birth of Hungarian soprano Ota HORAKOVA. d-1969.

1906 Benefit concert at the Hippodrome in New York City for victims of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Victor Herbert conducting.

1907 Birth of Italian tenor Tino ROSSI. d-26 SEP 1983.

1908 Birth of Czech soprano Ludmila CERVINKOVA in Prague. d-14 SEP 1980.

1920 Birth of American composer Harold SHAPIRO in Lynn, MA.

1921 Death of Polish bass Adam Ostrowski. b-Warsaw, 1873.

1921 Death of composer Gustav Pick. Known for his Fiakr-Lied.

1923 FP of Leoncavallo's "Il premo bacio" posthumous/operetta; Montecatini.

1926 FP of Bishop's "Aladdin" Drury Lane, London.

1926 Birth of Russian bass Jaroslav HORACEK in Dehylov CSSR. Debut as Kezal in Bartered Bride (Smetana). Teachers were Peter Burja, Apollo Granforte Karek Kugler, Rudolf Vasek. Sang in premiere of Kraluv Mincmistr (Vostrak).

1927 FP of Vladimir Dukelsky's Zephyr et Flore ballet suite, Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting. Composer aka popular music composer Vernon Duke.

1928 FP of N. Miaskovsky's Symphony No. 9, in Moscow.

1929 Birth of Australian composer Peter SCULTHORPE in Launceston, Tasmania. d-8 AUG 2014.

1929 Birth of Belgian tenor Alfons Von Goethem in Mortsel, Belgium. d-MAR 1968. Debut 1951. Teachers were Tino Pattiera, Eduard Lichtenstein.

1929 Birth of composer Vaclav Kucera

1929 FP of Prokofiev's opera The Gambler based on Dostoievski novel, in Brussells. Was sung in French.

1930 FP of Pizzetti's "Lo straniero" Rome. Maria Zamboni (s) (1895- 1976) It. [Maria].

1933 Birth of composer Darijan Bozic

1935 Birth of composer Otto M Zykan

1936 (28th?)Birth of Indian conductor Zubin MEHTA in Bombay, India. Studied medicine at St.Xavier College in Bombay. MET Opera Début, 25 DEC 1989, Die Fledermaus, 5 seasons (1965-69, 70-71) 96 perf., 7 works.

1938 Birth of German bass Harald STAMM in Frankfurt.

1938 Birth of American tenor Kenneth RIEGEL in Womelsdorf, PA. Debut as Alchemist in Konig Hirsch (Henze). Created Leper in St Francois D'Assise (Messiaen).

1940 First broadcast of "The Bell Telephone Hour".

1942 Birth of American pianist Susan STARR in Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia City Paper Net. Also see Photographs.

1947 Birth of Russian tenor Vladimir POPOV. Defected to the West.

1948 FP of Igor Stravinsky's Orpheus by Ballet Society, in NYC.

1948 Birth of Australian pianist Leslie HOWARD in Melbourne.

1951 Birth of Finnish composer Eero HAMEENNIEMI.

1955 Birth of Canadian baritone Gino QUILICO in NYC. L.A. Opera. MET Opera Début 22 SEP 1987 [Lescaut] Manon Lescaut, 12 seasons (1987-93, 94- thru 2000) 94 perf., 9 works. Debut in Medium (Menotti) 1978. Teacher was Louis Quilico (father). Created Gautier des Ormes in Montsegur (Landowski). Figaro in Ghost of Versailles (Corigliano E).

1962 FP of Igor Stravinsky's Eight Instrumental Miniatures based on his Five Fingers (1921). CBC Symphony conducted by the composer, in Toronto.

1968 Birth of American composer Timothy MELBINGER.

1969 "Duke" Ellington receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House from President Richard Nixon on Ellington's 70th birthday.

1970 Birth of American composer Robert PATERSON.

1971 FP of Reimmann's "Melusine" Schwetzingen.

1972 MET Opera debut of American soprano Betsy Norden in Mozart's [Barbarina] Le Nozze di Figaro.

1978 Death of Italian bass Giacomo Vaghi. b-Como, 21 NOV 1901. Debut in Manon (Massenet). Created Hanoch in Straniero (Pizzetti).

1979 Birth of American trombonist and composer Frank BUNGER. Student of Douglas Yeo, won the Zellmer-Minnesota Orchestra Trombone Competition.

1979 First production by the Providence Opera Theater, Providence Rhode Island. La Traviata, with soprano Anna Moffo at Ocean State Auditorium, Providence RI.

1980 FP of John Williams' The Reivers from filmscore, for narrator and orchestra, at his first concert as music director of the Boston Pops. Burgess Meredith was narrator.

1983 Death of Italian tenor Adriano Tocchio. b-Rovero, 1892. Debut, 1915 in Nabucco (Verdi). Pupils were Giuseppe Di Stefano, Gino Penno.

1988 FP of Peter Maxwell Davies' Strathclyde Concerto No. 1 for oboe and orchestra. Scottish Chamber Orchestra conducted by the composer, with soloist Robin Miller at Glasgow's City Hall.

1990 FP of Philip Glass's chamber opera Hydrogen Jukebox with poems by Allen Ginsberg. Philip Glass ensemble at the American Music Theater Festival in Philadelphia.

1993 FP of Michael Torke's Run for orchestra. New York Philharmonic, Leonard Slatkin conducting.

1997 Death of Dutch composer Willem Hendrik Zwart. b-26 MAY 1925.

2003 Death of French bass Jacques Mars aka Jacques Hochard. b-Paris, MAR 1926.

APRIL 28

1736 FP of Araja's "La gara dell'amore e del zelo" Cantata, St. Petersburg.

1783 FP of Gretry's "Thalie au nouveau théâtre" prologue, Paris.

1798 FP of Bruni's "La Rencontre en voyage" Paris.

1806 FP of Boieldieu's "Un Tour de soubrette" St Petersburg.

1848 (1865?) FP of Meyerbeer's last opera L'Africaine at Paris Opera in Paris. Jean-Bapiste Faure (b) (1830 -1914) Fr. [Nelusko].

1848 Birth of Welsh conductor and composer Ralph HORNER in Newport, Monmouthshire,(now in Gwent, Wales). d-Winnipeg, 7 APR 1926. Opera, "Confucius, Amy Rosbart, and The Belles of Barcelona."

1848 Birth of Danish composer and pharmacist Ludwig Theodor SCHYTTE in Aarhus. d-Berlin, 10 NOV 1909.

1858 Birth of Austrian soprano Anna BAIER in Vienna. d-4 JUN 1935.

1869 FP of Hervé's "Le Petit Faust" operetta, Paris.

1871 Birth of American contralto (mezzo-soprano) Louise HOMER in Pittsburgh, PA. d-Sewicley, PA 6 MAY 1947. Aunt of composer Samuel Barber. Debut as Leonora in Favorita (Donizetti) JUN 1898. Teachers were Miss Groff, Fidele Konig, Paul Lherie, Miss Whinnery, William Whitney, Jacques Bouhy. Pupil was Doris Doe. Created Witch in Konigskinder (Humperdinck). Mona in Mona (Parker).

1873 Birth of English-American pianist Harold BAUER.

1888 Birth of German tenor Laurenz HOFER in Cologne. d-29 NOV 1964. Pupils were Rudolf Schock, Wilma Schmidt.

1890 Birth of German soprano Rose ADER. d-1955.

1892 Birth of American balladeer John Jacob NILES d-1980.

1892 FP of Antonin Dvorák's In Nature's Realm Overture, Op. 91, in Prague.

1892 FP of Jean Sibelius' Kullervo for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra, composer conducting, at age 26, in Helsinki.

1906 Birth of Swiss conductor, billionaire, and arts patron Paul SACHER in Basel. d- 26 MAY 1999, after a long illness, in Zurich, age 93 years.

1910 Birth of American musicologist, historian and MET broadcast commentator Francis ROBINSON in Henderson, KY. d-NYC, (cancer) 14 MAY 1980. Assistant Manager of the Metropolitan Opera (1952-76).

1911 Birth of Czech soprano Marie TAUBEROVA in Vysoke Myto, Bohemia. d-16 JAN 2003. Debut as Gilda in Rigoletto 20 JUN 1936. Teachers were Fernando Carpi, Ferdinand Rebay.

1911 Birth of Dutch tenor Frans VROONS in Amsterdam. d-1 JUN 1983. Debut as Don Curzio in Nozze di Figaro. Teacher was Berthe Seroen. Pupils were Maya Bazuky, Wilma Driessen. Sang in FP of Apostrophe (Francaix). Martin Korda D P (Badings).

1919 Death of German bass Rudolf Moest in Vienna. b-Karlsruhe, 22 APR 1872. Debut 1892. Teachers were Carl Hermann, Fritz Krukl, Wilhelm Rode.

1920 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Nan [Katherine-Ann] MERRIMAN in Pittsburgh. Début: [La Cieca] La Gioconda, Cincinnati (1942). Biography. Toscanini heard her in 1944, and engaged her for his broadcasts and recordings of Gluck's Orfeo; [Meg] Falstaff; [Maddalena] Rigoletto, and [Emilia] Otello. Aix-en-Provence, the Piccola Scala, and Glyndebourne. In 1950. Sang in the first complete RCA opera, Verdi: [Maddalena] Rigoletto (spring, 1950). In 1950's she appeared at many of the leading European opera houses, Vienna, Milan and Paris. She married and retired in April 1965. Teachers were Lotte Lehmann, Alexia Bassian.

1920 FP of Graner's "Schirin und Gertraude" Dresden.

1922 Birth of Czech soprano Miroslava FIDLEROVA in Prague. aka Miroslava FIEDLEROVA.

1927 Birth of American soprano Edith LANG in Chicago. Debut as Cio Cio San in Madama Butterfly 1953. Teacher was Riccardo Picozzi.

1928 Birth of Russian tenor Zurab ANDZHAPARIDZE in Tifles, Georgia. d-12 APR 1997. Debut as Absalom in Absalom & Ateri (Paliashvili). Teacher was David Anguladses.

1928 FP of Henry Cowell's Sinfonietta. Nicholas Slonimsky conducting in Boston.

1935 Death of Scottish composer Alexander Campbell Mackenzie in London. b-Edinburgh, 22 AUG 1847.

1936 (29th?)Birth of Conductor Zubin MEHTA in Bombay, India.

1938 FP of David Diamond's Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel in Rochester, NY.

1940 Death of Italian soprano Luisa Tetrazzini in Rome at age 68. b-Florence, 1871. Debut as Inez in Africaine (Meyerbeer). Teachers were Ceccherini, Contrucci, Eva Tetrazzini (her sister).

1942 Birth of American soprano Giulia BARRERA in NYC. Debut as Aida in Aida (Verdi) 1963. Teacher was Dick Marzollo.

1943 Birth of Russian soprano Jana JONASOVA in Pilsen. Debut as Constanza in Entfuhrung. Teacher was Frau Bendlova.

1943 Birth of English conductor Jeffrey TATE in Salisbury. MET Opera Début 26 DEC 1980, 7 seasons (1980-87) 91 perf., 13 works.

1947 Birth of American soprano Elise ROSS. Teacher was Dickson Titus. Sang in premiere of Therese (Taverner).

1947 Birth of English composer Nicola Le FANU. NYU Prof. Mu. Daughter of composer Elizabeth Maconchy.

1948 FP of Igor Stravinsky's ballet Orpheus. American Society in NYC.

1952 Birth of Irish composer and conductor Gerald BARRY in Clarecastle. Opera, "The Intelligence Park" (1990), "The Triumph of Beayuty and Deceit" (1993).

1952 FP of Frazzi's "Don Chisciotte" Florence.

1954 Birth of composer Michael DAUGHERTY.

1955 Death of Irish tenor John O'Sullivan. b-Cork, 28 OCT 1877. Debut as Tannhauser 1908. Teacher was Masson.

1959 Birth of English baritone George MOSLEY in London. Debut as Dandini in Cenerentola (Rossini). Teachers were Joseph Loibl, David Mason, Laura Sarti.

1966 FP of Douglas Moore's opera Carrie Nation in Lawrence, KS.

1970 FP in USAmerica of K. Weill's "Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny" in NYC.

1974 FP of Jaques Charpentier's Fourth Symphony, Brasil in Paris.

1981 FP of John Williams' Pops on the March. Boston Pops with Williams conducting.

1992 Death of French composer Olivier Messiaen, in Paris at age 83. b-10 DEC 1908.

2000 Death of Finnish bass Kim Borg in Copenhagen. b-Helsinki 7 AUG 1919. Debut as Colline in Boheme (Puccini) 1951. Teachers were Magnus Anderson, Heikki Teittinen, Andrjeva von Skilondz. Sang in premiere of Visitation (Schuller).

Death of American cellist Janos Starker at age 88. b-5 July 1924. OBIT

APRIL 27

1622 Birth of English tenor Edward COLEMAN in London. d-29 AUG 1669. Debut as Alphonse in Premiere of Siege of Rhodes (Lawes / Locke) 1656

1623 Birth of German composer Jan Adams REINKEN. d-24 NOV 1722.

1673 FP of Buxtehude's Evening Music concerts at Lubeck.

1673 FP of Lully's opera Cadmus et Hermione at the Paris Opera.

1720 FP of Handel's opera Radamisto dedicated to the King, receives an ovation at the King's Theater in the Haymarket, London.

1736 Performance of Handel's anthem Sing Unto God at the wedding of the Price of Wales to Princess Augusta Saxe-Gotha.

1749 FP of Handel's Music for the Royal Fireworks in London's Green Park. Fireworks fizzel burn roof of palace. Everyone enjoys the music.

1762 FP of Hasse's "Il trionfo di Clelia " Vienna.

1765 FP of T. Arne's "L'olimpiade" London.

1767 Birth of composer German violinist and composer Andreas Jacob ROMBERG. d- 10 NOV 1821.

1770 FP of Sacchini's "L'Eroe cinese" Munich.

1778 FP of Gretry's "Les Trois Ages de l'opéra" prologue.

1795 FP of Dalayrac's "Adèle et Dorsan" Paris.

1803 FP of Fomin's "Zolotoye yabloko" St Petersburg.

1811 FP of Moscheles' "Die Feuerprobe" singspiel, Vienna.

1812 Birth of German composer Friedrich Von FLOTOW in Teutendorf. d-24 JAN 1883. Operas by Flotow.

1820 FP of Hellwig's "Die Bergknappen" Dresden.

1824 FP of Auber & Boïeldieu's "Les trois genres" Paris.

1829 FP of Herold's "La Belle au bois dormant" Paris.

1830 Birth of soprano Caroline BARBOT. d-c.1875. Created Leonora in Forza del Destino (Verdi).

1861 Death of Russian composer Georgi Lvovitch Catoire. b-21 MAY 1926.

1864 Birth of French tenor Julien LEPRESTE in Paris. d-1909. Debut as Faust in Faust (Gounod) 1890. Teacher was Bussine. Sang in FP of Chevalier D'Harmental (Messager).

1867 FP of Gounod's opera Romeo and Juliet at the Théatre-Lyrique in Paris. Caroline Carvalho-Miolan (s) (1827-1895) Fr.

1867 FP of Suppe's "Banditenstreiche" Vienna.

1868 Birth of German tenor Hans BREUER in Cologne. d-Vienna, 11 OCT 1929. MET Opera Début 6 JAN 1900 [Steersman] Der Fliegende Holländer, 1 season (1899-1900) 19 perf. 9 roles, 8 works. Debut in Lohengrin (Wagner) 1894. Teachers were August Iffert, Benno Stotzenberg, Julius Kniese, Cosima Wagner.

1871 Birth of American composer Arthur Finlay NEVIN. d-1943.

1871 Death of German composer and piano virtuoso Sigismond Thalberg at age 59, in Posillipo, Italy. b-8 JAN 1812.

1874 Death of Italian tenor Pietro Mongini. b-Rome, 29 OCT 1828. Debut 1851. Created Radames in Aida (Verdi).

1877 FP of Massenet's Le Roi De Lahore in Paris.

1878 FP of Cellier's "Bella Donna or The Little Beauty and the Great Beast" Manchester.

1891 Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky prepares for the opening concert at New York's newly-constructed concert hall on 57th Street on 5 MAY. Future home of Carnegie Hall.

1892 Birth of German soprano Delia REINHARDT in Elberfeld, Germany. d.-Dornoch, Switzerland, 3 OCT 1974. MET Opera Début, 27 JAN 1923 [Sieglinde] Die Walküre, 2 seasons (1922-24) 17 perf., 8 roles. Debut as Friedensbote in Rienzi (Wagner) 1913. Teachers were Hedwig Schako, Maurice Strakosch.

1893 FP of Rachmaninof's "Aleko" Moscow.

1894 Birth of Russian-American musicologist, composer and conductor Nicolas SLONIMSKY in St. Petersburg. Editor of The Portable Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. d-LA,CA 25 DEC 1995.

1904 Birth of French bass-baritone Pierre NOUGARO. d-26 OCT 1988.

1907 FP of Igor Stravinsky's Symphony in Eb, at an intimate performance in St. Petersburg.

1907 FP of Donaudy's "Sperduti nel buio" Palermo.

1901 FP of Sullivan & German's "The emerald Isle" completed by E. German, London.

1913 Birth of German tenor Kurt MARSCHNER in Sudetenland. d-25 SEP 1984. Debut 1938. Created Timothy in Help Help the Globolinks (Menotti). Sang in premiere of Incidents at Emergency Landing (Blacher). Grune Kakadu (Mohaupt).

1915 Death of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin in Moscow of blood poisoning at age 43. b-6 JAN 1872.

1916 FP of Leoncavallo's "Goffredo Mameli" Genoa. Carmelo Alabiso (t) (1886-1966) It. & Eugenia Burzio (s) (1872-1922) It.

1920 Birth of Italian conductor Guido CANTELLI. d-Orly, Paris in air crash, 24 NOV 1956, after appointment as musical director of La Scala in Milan. Protégée of Toscanini. Refused to support the Fascist regime and was sent to the Nazi Stettin labor camp (1943-44). He escaped, was captured, and sentenced to death, but was saved by the liberation of his homeland.

1920 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Nan MERRIMAN in Pittsburgh, PA.

1925 (26?)Birth of Austrian soprano Wilma LIPP in Vienna. Debut as Rosina in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) 1942. Teachers were Toti Dal Monte, Paola Novikova, Friedel Sindel, Alfred Jerger.

1926 FP of William Walton's Facade with Dame Edith Sitwell's poems, in London.

1927 FP of Wienberger's light opera Schwanda, the Bagpiper at the National Theater in Prague.

1928 FP of Stravinksy's Apollon musagete choreographed by Adolf Bohm, at the Elizabeth Sprague Cooledge Festival in Washington, D. C.

1931 Birth of Russian violinist Igor OISTRAKH, son of David. m-pianist Natalia Zertsalova.

1931 FP of Weinberger's "Švanda dudák Stimme" (Schwanda the Bagpiper) Munich.

1935 Birth of Auistrian soprano Wilma LIPP in Vienna.

1937 Birth of German tenor Adalbert KRAUS in Aschaffenburg. Teacher was Frau H Klink-Schneider.

1937 Death of German baritone Gustav Schützendorf in Berlin. b-Cologne, 1883. MET Opera Début 17 NOV 1922 [Faninal] Der Rosenkavalier, 13 seasons (1922-35) 414 perf., 39 roles, 30 works. Debut as Don Giovanni 1905. Sang in FP of Compagnacci (Ricitelli).

1937 FP of Stravinsky's 'ballet in three deals' aka The Card Party. Jue de Cartes at The MET in NYC by the American Ballet, Stravinsky conducting.

1939 Birth of Scottish pianist Hamish MILNE.

1940 Birth of American soprano Judith BLEGEN in Lexington, Kentucky (according to Baker’s) or Missoula, Montana (according to Xrefer). Debut as Olympia in Tales of Hoffman 1965. Teachers were Euphemia Giannini-Gregory, Luigi Ricci, Martial Singher. Sang in FP of Madre (Hollingsworth). MET Opera Début 19 JAN 1970 [Papagena] Die Zauberflöte, 21 seasons (1969- 89, 1990-91) 284 perf. 21 roles.

1940 Birth of American composer Larry SOLOMON in New Kensington, PA.

1940 Birth of Australian bass-baritone Tom McDONNELL in Melbourne. Debut as Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore (Donizetti) 1965. Teacher was Lennox Brewer. Created King Arthur in Lancelot (Hamilton). Yuri in Ice Break (Tippett). Ram in Yan Tan Tethera (Birtwistle). Atahuallpa in Royal Hunt of the Sun (Hamilton). September in Story of Vasco (Crosse). Heima in Actor's Revenge (Miki). Aristaeous the Man in Mask of Orpheus (Birtwistle). Sang in Premiere of Hell's Angels (Osborne). We came to the river (Henze).

1943 Birth of American composer Jon DEAK in Hammond, IN.

1943 Birth of American tenor James ATHERTON in Montgomery, AL. d-St. Louis, 20 NOV 1987. Studied at the Peabody Conservatory, in Baltimore, later serving on the faculties there. Goucher College, Towson State University, and Dickinson College. Debut with the San Francisco Opera [Goro] Madama Butterfly (1971). 1977, Atherton turned to directing opera. Sang at Santa Fe, and Glyndebourne. MET Opera Début 17 OCT 1977, [Simpleton] Boris Godunov, 9-seasons (1977-86) 284-perf. of 22-roles in 18- works. Teachers were Rosa Ponselle, Martial Singher.

1944 Death of Russian tenor Dmitri Smirnov. b-Moscow, 19 NOV 1882. Debut as Gigi in Camorra (Esposito) 1904. Teachers were Emiliya Pavlovskaya, A. M. Dodonov, Khrhizhonovsky.

1945 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Carolyne JAMES in Wheatland, WY. Teachers were Daniel Ferro, Margaret Harshaw, Michael Trimble. Created Mrs Greenborough in Capt Jinks of the Horse Marines(Beeson). Mrs Cratchit in Christmas Carol (Musgrave). Mrs. Doe in Quiet Place (Bernstein)

1949 Birth of American electronic music composer Peter GENA.

1950 Birth of German pianist Christian ZACHARIAS.

1952 FP of Frazzi's "Don Quixote" Florence.

1953 Birth of Hungarian soprano Ilona TOKODY in Szeged.

1954 Death of Sedish tenor Torsten Ralf. b-Malmo, Sweden 2 JAN 1901. Debut as Cavaradossi in Tosca (Puccini) 1924. Teachers were Hertha Dehmlow, John Forsell, Hjaldis Ingebjart. Sang in premiere of Zauberinsel (Sutermeister).

1957 Debut of tenor Jon Vickers in London at Covent Garden. [Gustavus III] Un ballo in Maschera.

1970 Death of German mezzo-soprano Luise Willer. b-Munich, 1888. Debut as Annius in Clemenza di Tito (Mozart) 1910. Teacher was Maria Hepner. Pupils were Anni Frind, Hanna Ludwig, Sieglinde Wagner. Sang in premiere of Himmelsklied (Wolf-Ferrari). Violante (Korngold). Das Herz (Pfitzner).

1987 FP of Daniel Pinkham's Sonata No. 3 for Organ and Strings, by organist Richard Benefield, with a string quartet conducted by the composer at St. Peter's Church in Osterville, MA.

1992 FP of George Tsontakis' Perpertual Angelus, second of Four Symphonic Quartets after poems by T.S. Eliot. Tuscaloosa Symphony, Ransom Wilson conducting.

1999 Death of of Hungarian born Swiss soprano Maria STADER. b-Budapest, 5 NOV 1911. Teachers were Mathilde Baerbacher-Keller, Therese Behr-Schnabel, Ilona Durigo, Hans Keller, Vincenzo Lombardi, Giannina Arangi-Lombardi.

2003 FP of Michael Nyman's A Child's View of Color. Young People's Chorus, Nunuz, 92nd Street YMCA, NYC.

APRIL 26

1567 Birth of composer Nicolas Forme

1603 Birth of composer Francesco Nigetti

1738 FP of G. F. Handel's opera Xerxes at the King's Theater in the Haymarket in London.

1762 (25th?) Birth of French tenor Pierre-Jean GARAT in Bordeaux. d-1 MAR 1833. Teacher was Franz Beck. Pupils were Mme Barbier-Walbonne, Marie-Julie Boulanger, Alexandrine Branchu, Guillaume Cassel, Giuseppina Ronzi De Begnis, Roland Desparamons, Mlle Duchamp, Cecile Duret, Alexis de Garaude, Nicolas Levasseur, Louis Nourrit, Louis Antoine Ponchard, Marie Sophie Ponchard, Mme Rigaut.

1783 At 13 years of age Beethoven is appointed keyboard performer court orchestra in Bonn.

1783 FP of M. Arne's "Tristram Shandy" in London.

1784 FP of Salieri's "Les Danaïdes" in Paris.

1796 Birth of composer Auguste-Matthieu Panseron

1802 FP of Isouard's "La Statue ou Femme avare" in Paris.

1806 - Birth of composer Ludwig Friedrich Hetsch, composer

1821 Birth of American composer John Gordon McCURRY. d-1866.

1822Birth of composer Jan Albert van Eyken, composer/organist

1824 FP of Carafa's "L'Auberge supposée" in Paris.

1834 - Birth of composer Horatio Richmond Palmer, composer

1847 Birth of English composer Sir Alfred Scott GATTY.

1854 Birth of German bass Georg SIEGLITZ in Mainz. d-3 NOV 1917. Debut as Masetto in Don Giovanni (Mozart) 1880. Sang in premiere of Barenhauter (S Wagner). Le Donne Curiose (Wolf-Ferrari). I Quattro Rusteghi (Wolf-Ferrari).

1856 FP of Halévy's "Valentine d'Aubigny" in Paris.

1860 FP of Campana's "Almina" in London.

1862 FP of Suppe's "Die Kartenaufschlägerin" in Vienna.

1863 Birth of French tenor Scaremberg, Emile SCAREMBERG in Besançon. d- 26 FEB 1938.

1865 Birth of Costa Rican composer of religious music Alejandro MONESTEL.

1875 Birth of American composer Natalie Curtis BURLIN. d-1921.

1879 Birth of Danish baritone Albert HOEBERG in Copenhagen. d-21 JUL 1949. Debut in Kain (D'Albert) 1904. Teacher was Julius Hey. Pupil was Poul Hansen.

1880 Birth of Russian ballet dancer and choreographer, Michel FOKINE in St. Petersburg.

1881 Birth of Yugoslavian composer Alexander SAVINE in Belgrade. d-Chicago, 19 JAN 1949. Opera, "Xenia" (Zürich, 1919); with his wife Lillian Bauvelt. Taught at the Musical Academy Winnipeg, Canada. Director of the opera department at the Institute of Musical Art, New York (1922-24); moved to Chicago (1929).

1884 Birth of Norwegian soprano Eide NORENA in Horten, nr Oslo. d- Lausanne, 19 NOV 1968. MET Opera Début 9 FEB 1933 [Mimi] La Bohème, 6 seasons (1933-38) 22 perf., 6 works. Debut as Amor in Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) 1907. Teachers were Ellen Gulbranson, Raimund Von Zur Muhlen.

1891 Death of French tenor Charles Marie Ponchard. b-Paris, 17 NOV 1824. Debut in Ame en Peine (Flotow). Teacher was Louis Ponchard (father). Pupil was Albert Vaguet.

1891 Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky arrives in New York City.

1894 Birth of Australian soprano Florence AUSTRAL aka Mary Wilson in Melbourne. d-15 MAY 1968. Won a scholarship at the Melbourne Conservatory (1914). Début Covent Garden [Brünhilde] The Die Walküre (1922). Sang in a concert version of Gotterdammerung and Bach's Mass in B Minor, in NYC (1927). She suffered from arteriole sclerosis and her operatic performances became less frequent. She continued to sing into the early 1940s. Following World War II, she took up permanent residence in Australia, and taught at the conservatory in Newcastle, N.S.W. Teachers were Gabriele Sibella, Mme Wiedermann.

1897 Death of Italian tenor Roberto Stagno in Genoa. b-Palermo, 1836. m-soprano Gemma Bellincione. MET Opera Debut 26 OCT 1883 [Manrico] Il Trovatore, 1 season (1883-84) 51. perf., 11 works. Debut as Rodrigo in Otello (Rossini) 1862. Teachers were Giovanni Lamperti. Pupil was Gemma Bellincioni. Created Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana. Sang in premiere of Labilia (Spinelli). Rudello (Ferroni). A Santa Lucia (Tasca). Mala Vita (Stagno).

1899 FP of original version of Jean Sibelius' First Symphony. Composer conducting in Helsinki. The final version was FP by the Helsinki Philharmonic in Stockholm, 4 JUL 1900, on tour conducted by Robert Kajanus.

1900 Birth of American violinist and Cleveland Orchestra concertmaster (1926-1940), Joseph FUCHS, in NYC. Known for his performances of works by Ben Weber, Nikolai Lopatnikoff and Walter Piston. He taught music at Juilliard from 1946 until his death.

1901 Death of Russian mezzo-soprano Anna Yakovlevna Vorobyeva-Petrova. b-St. Petersburg, 14 FEB 1816. Debut as Pippo in Gazza Ladra (Rossini). Teachers were Sapienza, Mikhail Glinka. Created Khivria in Sorochintsky Fair (Mussorgsky). Vanya in Life for the Tsar (Glinka). Ratmir in Ruslan & Ludmilla (Glinka).

1901 FP of Hüe's "Le Roi de Paris" in Paris. Jean Noté (b) (1859-1922) Fr. [Longnac] (1901).

1906 Birth of composer Leopold SPINNER in Lwow (Lemberg) Austria (now Poland). d-12 AUG 1980.

1910 Birth of composer Erland von KOCH.

1910 - Birth of composer Ernst Tittel, composer

1914 Birth of British composer Professor Wilfrid MELLERS.

1915 FP of Paul Hindemith's String Quartet No. 1 in C, Op. 2, at Hoch's Conservatory in Frankfurt.

1916 - Birth of composer Arnoldus Christian Vlok van Wyk, composer

1920 - Birth of composer Juan C Lampe, Aruba, pianist/composer

1920 (1924?)Birth of Australian tenor Raymond NILSSON in Sydney, New South Wales. Created 2nd Young Man in Blood Moon (Dello Joio). Bramble in Our Man in Havana (Williamson). Headmaster in Sleeping Children (Easdale). Sang in premiere of English Eccentrics (Williamson).

1921 Birth of German mezzo-soprano Marga HOFFGEN in Mulheim. d-7 JUL 1995. Teachers were Anna Erler-Schnaudt, Hermann Weissenborn.

1922 Birth of British ballet director Dame Margaret SCOTT, founding director, Australian Ballet School.

1922 - Birth of composer Paul-Andre Gaillard, composer

1923 FP of Respighi's "Belfagor" in Milan. Margaret Sheridan (s) (1889- 1958) Ir; Francesco Merli (t) (1887-1976) It; and Mariano Stabile (b) (1888-1968) It.

1925 Birth of Austrian soprano Wilma LIPP in Vienna. Vienna State Opera from 1945; Covent Garden from 1950.

1926 - Birth of composer Oldrich Frantisek Korte, composer

1926 FP in USAmerica of Monteverdi's opera L'Incoronazione di Poppea (1642) 'The Coronation of Poppea', at Smith College in Northampton, MA.

1930 FP of Vittadini's "La Sagredo" La Scala.

1934 (1939?)Birth of Yugoslavian soprano Olivera MILJAKOVIC in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Début, (1960). Teachers were Gina Cigna, Josip Raivez, Ludwig Weber.

1935 Birth of American composer Conrad SUSA. d-21 NOV 2013

1935 Death of Russian composer Victor Ewald in Leningrad. b-St. Petersburg 27 NOV 1860.

1936 FP of Grisar's "Sarah" in Paris.

1941 Birth of American composer John MITCHELL in Hollywood, CA.

1943 Death of German soprano Else Gentner-Fischer. b-Frankfurt, 5 SEP 1883. Debut 1905. Created Wife in Von Heute auf Morgen (Schoenberg).

1949 Birth of British ballet dancer and choreographer Peter SCHAUFUSS.

1950 Birth of Belgian composer Michel BERO in Melin.

1951 Death of American composer John Alden Carpenter in Chicago at age of 75. b-28 FEB 1876.

1951 FP of Ralph Vaughan Williams opera The Pilgrim's Progress Covent Garded, London.

1953 Birth of English soprano Patrizia KWELLA.

1955 Birth of Gisele Ben-Dor an American-Israeli orchestra conductor of Uruguayan origin.

1959 Birth of Swedish baritone David ALER in Stockholm.

1959 FP of John Cage's Fontana Mix in NYC.

1961 Birth of Canadian baritone Mark TINKLER in Toronto. Debut as Morales in Carmen 1986. Teacher was Nicholas Powell.

1965 Death of German bass-baritone Michael Bohnen. b-Cologne, 2 MAY 1887. Debut as Caspar in Freischutz (Weber). Teachers were Louis Bachner, Schulz-Dornburg, Fritz Steinbach. Created Rappelkopf in Rappelkopf (Blech). Holofernes in Holofernes (Von Reznicek). Title Role in Stier von Olivera (D'Albert).

1965 FP of Charles Ives' 4th Symphony. Posthumously under conductors Leopold Stokowski, Jose Serebrier and David Katz, leading the American Symphony Orchestra and members of the Schola Cantorum.

1966 Birth of American composer Jerilyn SYKES.

1966 Death of Russian soprano Maria Kuznetsova in Paris. b-Odessa, 1880. Debut as Marguerite in Faust 1905. Teachers were William Thorner, Joachim Tartakov. Created Cleopatra in Cleopatra (Massenet). Fausta in Roma (Massenet). Fevronia in Invisible City of Kitezh (Rimsky-Korsakov). Sang in Premiere of Tarass Boulba(Samuel-Rousseau). Venise (Gunsbourg).

1966 Final performance at MET Opera by soprano Licia Albanese.

1967 Death of American bass-baritone James Pease. b-Franklin Indiana, 9 JAN 1916. Debut as Mephistopheles in Faust Nov 1941. Created Socrates in Pallas Athene Weint (Krenek). Grigoris in Greek Passion (Martinu).

1968 Birth of Polish-American composer Laura ANDEL.

1972 Birth of Russian pianist Nikolai LUGANSKY in Moscow.

1977 Birth of American guitarist and composer David NIELSEN.

1990 FP of John Harbison's Concerto for Double Brass Choir and Orchestra. Los Angeles Philharmonic, André Previn conducting in L.A., CA.

1991 Death of French-born American composer and arranger Leo Noël Arnaud, age 86, in Los Angeles. Composed theme Bugler's Dream which had 'legs' as theme for the Olympic Games for ABC-TV.

2002 FP of Michael Hersch's Symphony No. 2. Pittsburgh Symphony, Mariss Jansons conducting.

2003 FP of Joan Tower's Incandescent. Emerson String Quartet, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.

APRIL 25

Pauline LUCCA

1567 Birth of composer Aurelio Signoretti.

1614 Birth of composer Marc'Antonio Pasqualini

1666 Birth of composer Johann Heinrich Buttstett

1690 Birth of German composer Gottlieb Theophil MUFFAT son of Georg. d-9 DEC 1770.

1723 Birth of Italian composer Marco RUTINI in Florence, musical director at the courts of Modena and Tuscany, composer of operas and church music.

1727 Birth of Italian composer Pasquale ANFOSSI in Taggia, Imperia. d-Rome, 1797.

1730 Birth of composer Fedele Fenaroli

1779 FP of Haydn's "La vera costanza", Esterházy.

1788 Birth of German bass-baritone Heinrich BLUME in Berlin. d-2 NOV 1856. Debut in Unterbrochene Opferfest (Winter). Created Caspar in Freichutz (Weber). Uldibrand in Undine (E. T. A. Hoffmann).

1818 Birth of composer Marek Konrad Sokolowski

1837 Birth of composer William Charles Levey

1841 Birth of Austrian soprano Pauline LUCCA in Vienna. d-28 FEB 1908. Debut as 2nd Boy in Zauberflote (Mozart) 1859. Teachers were Richard Lewy, Uschmann. Pupils were Ottilie Fellwock, Vera Nikolayevna Garina.

1857 Opening of First Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires with Verdi's "La Traviata" w/ Enrico Tamberlik (t) [Rodolfo].

1861 Birth of Italian organist, composer and teacher, Marco Enrico BOSSI. Director of the Academy of St. Cecilia in Rome. d-20 FEB 1925.

1865 FP of Delibes' "Le boeuf Apis" in Paris.

1865 Title of 'Abbé' confered on composer Franz Liszt by Pope Pius IX.

1868 Birth of American baritone Denis O'SULLIVAN in San Francisco, CA. d-1 FEB 1908. Debut as Ferrando in Trovatore (Verdi) 25 AUG 1895. Created Shamus in Shamus O'Brien (Stanford). Marquis of Saint Andre in Little Corporal (Englander).

1869 Birth of composer Karl Prohaska

1875 Birth of French composer Jean NOUGUÈS in Bordeaux. d-Auteuil, 28 AUG 1932. Operas, "Le Roi du Papagey" (Before age 16); "Yannha" (Bordeaux, 1897); "Thamyris" (Bordeaux, 1904); "La Mort de Tintagiles" (Paris, 1905); "Quo Vadis" (Nice, 1909); "L'auberge rouge" (Nice, 1910); "La Vendetta" (Marseilles, 1911); "L'aglon" (Rouen, 1912); "Le scarabée bleu" (1931).

1876 Birth of composer Ruben Marcos Campos

1881 FP of Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta Patience in London.

1884 Birth of German soprano Helena FORTI in Berlin. d-Vienna, 11 MAY 1942. Debut as Valentine in Huguenots (Meyerbeer) 1906. Teachers were Theodore Emmerich, Karl Scheidemantel. Created Myrtocle in Toten Augen (D'Albert).

1896 Birth of bass Fred BORDON. d-15 SEP 1966.

1897 Birth of composer Haro Levoni Step'anyan

1901 Birth of composer Ernst Gernot Klussmann

1903 Birth of composer Carl Gustav Sparre Olsen

1906 Birth of composer Zoltan Gardonyi

1906 Death of American composer John Knowles Paine at age 67, in Cambridge, MA. b-Portland, Maine, 9 JAN 1839.

1900 Birth of Italian tenor Bruno LANDI in Milan. d-Buenos Aires, 8 MAY 1968. MET Opera Début 12 JAN 1938 [Duke] Rigoletto, 7 seasons (1937-38, 40-43, 44-46, 50-51) 55 perf., 6 works.

1907 Birth of composer Vasily Pavlovich Solov'yov-Sedoy

1909 Birth of composer Jaroslav Doubrava

1911 Birth of American baritone Kenneth Spencer in Alabama. d-25 FEB 1964. Teacher was Roland Hayes.

1913 FP of Massenet's "Panurge" Théâtre-Lyrique de la Gaîté, in Paris.

1915 Birth of Italian bass Italo TAJO in Pinerolo. d-28 MAR 1993. MET Opera Début, 28 DEC 1948 [Basilio] Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 17 seasons (1948-50, 75-80, 81-91) 252 perf., 12 works. Debut as Fafner in Rheingold 1935. Teacher was Nilde Stinchi-Bertozzi. Pupils were Kathleen Battle, Sheryl Woods, Barbara Daniels. Created Samuel in David (Milhaud). Tortured man in Intolleranza 1960 (Nono). Bass-player in Contrabasso (Bucchi).

1918 Birth of Swedish soprano Astrid VARNAY  in Stockholm. MET Opera debut, 6 DEC 1941 [Sieglinde] Die Walküre, 19 seasons (1941-56, 74-77, 79-80) 200 perf., 24 roles, 18 works.

1918 FP of Franz Schreker's opera Die Gezeichneten 'The Branded' at the Opernhaus in Frankfurt.

1919 Birth of American soprano Irene JORDAN in Birmingham, AL. Début [Mallika] Lakmé (Delibes)(1946). Teachers were Ivan Rasmussen, Clytie Mundy, Marti-Folgado.

1919 Birth of composer Heinz Wunderlich

1921 Death of Swedish baritone Martin Oscar b-Vanersborg, Sweden, 28 DEC 1879. Debut as Silvio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) 1902. Teacher was John Forsell. Pupil was Folke Cembraeus.

1922 Birth of American composer John BAVICCHI.

1922 FP of Donaudy's "La Fiamminga" in Naples. Angelo Mercuriali (t) (1909-1999) It.

1924 Birth of composer Erzsebet Szonyi

1924 Birth of composer Franco Mannino

1925 Birth of Scottish bass Harold BLACKBURN in Hamilton, Scotland. d-NOV 1981. Début [Ferrando] Il Trovatore (1947). Teacher was Percy Hemings. Created William Humpage in Penny for a Song (Bennett). M. Corfan in Story of Vasco (Crosse). Sailor in Nelson (Berkeley).

1926 FP of Puccini's opera Turandot at La Scala with Toscanini conducting, in Milan. Completed by Franco Alfano. Rosa Raisa (s); her husband Giacomo Rimini (b), sang [Ping]; Miguel Fleta (t) (1893-1938) Sp. [Calaf]; Maria Zamboni (s) (1895-1976) It. [Liù].

1926 Birth of composer Paul Walter Furst

1927 Birth of composer Ernst Widmer

1927 Birth of German cellist Siegfried PALM.

1929 Birth of German tenor Hans-Joachim ROTZSCH in Leipzig.

1929 FP of Albert Roussel's Psalm 80 for tenor, chorus and orchestra, in Paris.

1931 FP of S. Prokofiev's String Quartet No. 1 in b, Op. 50. Brosa Quartet at Library of Congress in Washington, DC.

1933 Birth of Czech bass Fritz HUBNER in Sachsengrim. d-2000. Debut 1957. Created Priest in Nightrider (E H Mayer).

1937 Birth of Italian tenor Franco BONISOLLI in Rovereto. d-Vienna, 30 OCT 2003. MET: Feb. 24, 1971 [Almaviva] Il Barbiere di Siviglia, 5 seasons (1970-72, 86-88, 89-90) 25 perf., 7 works.

1943 Birth of baritone Richard CLARK. MET Opera Début 26 JUN 1981. [High Priest] Samson et Dalila, 10 seasons (1980-90) 191 perf., 20 roles, 19 works.

1946 Birth of American soprano Irene JORDAN. Début: [Mallika] Lakmé.

1946 Birth of Finnish tenor Seppo Juhani RUOHONEN in Turku. Debut as Alvaro in Forza del Destino (Verdi) 1973. Teachers were Anton Dermota, Kolo, Lea Piltti, Ricci. Sang in FP Last Temptation (Kokkonen).

1947 Birth of American composer Bill FONTANA in Cleveland OH.

1949 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Cynthia CLAREY in Smithfield, VA. Created Kanaxa in Under the Double Moon (Davis).

1951 Death of Polish composer Jerzy Fitelberg in NYC. b-Warsaw, 20 MAY 1903.

1961 Birth of Norwegian cellist Truls MORK.

1963 FP of Paul Hindemith's Organ Concerto, at a jubilee concert for the New York Philharmonic, Hindemith conducting with soloist Anton Heiller in NYC.

1964 Birth of American baritone Kenneth SPENCER in Alabama. d-25 FEB 1964.

1966 Death of Russian soprano and dancer Maria Kuznetsova in Paris. b-Odessa, 1880.

1974 FP of William Walton's Cantico del sole by BBC Northern Singers, conductor Stephen Wilkinson. University College, Cork, Ireland.

1979 MET Opera debut of Philip Creech (t) U.S. From, Hempstead, Long Island. [Renard] Dance Works, 19 seasons (1978-82, 83- 98) 275 perf., 28 roles, 25 works.

1980 FP of George Rochberg's octet A Grand Fantasia at Alice Tully Hall, by the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center in NYC.

1981 MET Opera debut of soprano Johanna Meier, Mozart: [Anna] Don Giovanni.

1983 Death of Dutch baritone Caspar Broecheler. b-Vaals Holland, 7 OCT 1911. Sang in FP of Martin Korda D P (Badings). Alexander (Holterdorf). Grune Kakadu (Mohaupt).

1984 Death of French bass Jean Borthayre, in Montmorency. b-Mauléon, 1902.

1999 FP of André Previn's Bassoon Sonata. Nancy Goeres and Previn at the piano in NYC.

2003 FP of Robert X. Rodriguez's Flight, The Story of Wilbur and Orville Wright for female narrator and recorded airplane sounds. Dayton Philharmonic, Gittleman, in Dayton, OH.

2004 FP of Bright Sheng´s The Boatman´s Song for children´s treble choir. Young People´s Chorus of New York City/Nuñez at 92nd Street Y, NYC.

APRIL 24

Jeno Huszka

1538 Birth of composer Gugliemo Gonzaga

1594 Birth of composer Benedikt Lechler

1670 Birth of composer Christian Ludwig Boxberg

1706 Birth of Italian composer Giovanni MARTINI in Bologna. d-4 OCT 1784.

1721 Birth of German composer Johann Philipp KIRNBERGER. d- 27 JUL 1783.

1742 Birth of composer Roman Hoffstetter

1764 FP of Hasse's "Egeria" in Vienna.

1792 Claude Joseph Rouget de l'Isle writes the words and music of the La Marseillaise.

1800 Birth of Austrian violinist, composer and teacher (of Auer, Joachim and others) Georg HELLMESBERGER.

1801 Haydn finishes his oratorio The Seasons and performs it same day at the Schwasrtzenberg Palace in Vienna.

1819 FP of Rossini's "Eduardo", later known as "Edoardo e Cristina" in Venice.

1821 FP in USAmerica of the first movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 1 by The Musical Fund Society of Philadelphia at its first concert.

1846 Death of Italian soprano-castrato Girolamo Crescentini. b-Urbino, 2 FEB 1762. Debut 1776. Teacher was Lorenzo Gibelli. Pupils were Violante Camporese, Isabella Colbran, Angelica Catalani, Giuseppina Grassini, Gustav Wilhelm Teschner, Alexis de Garaude, Giuseppe Curci, Louise Albert-Himm, Giuditta Pasta, Raffaele Mirate. Created Curiatus in Orazi e I Curiazi (Cimarosa). Romeo in Giulietta e Romeo (Zingarelli). Artaserse in Artaserse (Cherubini)

1847 FP of Offenbach's "L'Alcôve" in Paris.

1854 Birth of Austrian baritone-tenor Adolf WALLNOFER in Vienna. d-9 JUN 1946.

1860 FP of Hernándo's "El tambor", a zarzuela, in Madrid.

1867 Birth of Czech composer Karel NAVRATIL in Prague.

1869 FP of Delibes' "La Cour du roi Pétaud" in Paris.

1870 Birth of German baritone Otto REUTTER in Gardelegen. d-Düsseldorf 3 MAR 1931.

1874 FP of Tchaikovsky's "Oprichnik" in St Petersburg.

1875 Birth of composer Jeno Huszka

1877 Birth of composer Charles Cuvillier

1884 Birth of Norwegian, French-school lyric-coloratura soprano, Eide NORENA   in Oslo. d-Lausanne, 1948.

1886 Birth of American coloratura soprano Mabel GARRISON   in Baltimore, MD. d-20 AUG 1963. Studied at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore and in NYC. Début with a small provincial opera group as [Philine] Mignon 19 APR 1912. In Europe she appeared with the Berlin State Opera, Hamburg and Cologne. Recorded after she left the Met (1921). In 1925, she sang with the Chicago Opera, later active as a concert and recital singer. In retirement she taught in Northampton, MA. MET Opera Début in concert 15 FEB 1914. Stage, [Flower Maiden] Parsifal, 11 APR 1915, 8 seasons (1913-21) 109 perf. 17 roles, 15 works. Teachers were Edward Heimendahl, Pietro Minetti, Lucien O'Denthal, Oscar Saenger, Herbert Witherspoon.

1897 Birth of composer Gyorgy Kosa

1907 Birth of composer Vaclav Trojan

1909 Birth of Swedish soprano Hjördis SCHYMBERG in Alno, Sweden. MET Opera Début 15 FEB 1947 [Susanna] Le Nozze di Figaro, 1 season (1946-47) 4 perf., 2 works. Debut as Berthe in Poupee de Nuremberg (Adam) 1934. Teacher was Brita Von Vegesach. Pupils wre Leila Anderssen, Karin Langebo, Sylvia Lindenstrand, Tord Slattegaard. Sang in FP of Marionetter (Rosenberg).

1911 Birth of composer Sigursveinn David Kristinsson

1915 Birth of bass Italo TAJO  . MET OPera. d-Yes.

1918 Birth of Swedish soprano Astrid VARNAY.

1920 Birth of Italian baritone-tenor Rinaldo PELIZZONI. d-Sissa, 7 DEC 1998.

1921 Birth of Italian tenor Luigi INFANTINO in Radalmuto, Sicily. d-22 JUN 1991. Début: [Rodolfo] La Bohème (1943). Teacher was Italo Branducci. Sang in premiere of Stripe di David (Mannino). Amleto (Zafred).

1921 Death of Dutch composer Alfons Diepenbrock at age 58, in Amsterdam. b-1862.

1921 Birth of composer Laci Boldemann

1924 Birth of composer Yehoshua Lakner

1924 FP of Sauguet's "Le Plumet du colonel" in Paris.

1924 FP of Berners' "Le Carrosse du Saint-Sacrement" in Paris.

1928 Birth of composer Gustav Krivinka

1929 Birth of composer Ferit Tuzun

1931 Death of Hungarian baritone Dezso Zador. b-Horna Krupa, Hungary, 8 MAR 1870. Debut as Count Almaviva in Nozze di Figaro (Mozart)1898. Teacher was Adele Passy-Cornet.

1932 FP of Kódaly's "Székely Fonó" in Budapest.

1934 Laurens Hammond patents his electric organ.

1936 Death of Dutch composer Bernard van Dieren in London. b-Rotterdam, 27 DEC 1887.

1939 Death of English composer John Herbert Foulds in Calcutta, India. b-Hulme, Manchester, 2 NOV 1880.

1941 Birth of Australian guitarist John Christopher WILLIAMS in Melbourne.

1944 Birth of Irish soprano Norma BURROWS, aka Norma Burrowes, in Bangor, Co. Down. MET Opera Début 12 OCT 1979 [Blonde] Die Entführung aus dem Seral, 1 season, 8 perf. 1 work. Debut as Zerlina in Don Giovanni 1970. Teachers were Rupert Bruce-Lockhart, Flora Nielsen.

1945 Birth of Hungarian mezzo-soprano Karla TAKACS in Budapest.

1946 Birth of American composer and teacher Bruce SAYLOR.

1948 Death of Mexican composer Manuel Ponce (POHN seh) at age 65, in Mexico City. b-8 DEC 1882.

1950 FP of Leonard Bernstein's incidental music Peter Pan based on the play by J.M. Barrie, conducted by Ben Steinberg at the Imperial Theater in NYC.

1954 Birth of American bass Kevin MAYNOR in Mount Vernon, NY.

1957 FP of Charles Ives' String Quartet No. 1,[1896] in NYC.

1960 Death of German bass-baritone Carl Braun. b-Meisenheim, 2 JUN 1886. Debut 1906. Teachers were Hermann Gausche, Eugen Weiss.

1962 Birth of Norwegian trumpeter Ole Edvard ANTONSEN.

1964 Birth of American composer Augusta Read THOMAS in NYC.

1964 Birth of American composer Brian ROBISON.

1966 Death of Icelandic tenor Einar Kristiansson. b-Reykjavik Iceland, 24 NOV 1910. Debut as Elemer in Arabella 1933. Teacher was Waldemar Staegemann.

1966 Death of Croatian tenor Tino Pattiera. b-Cavtat, 27 JUN 1890. Debut as Manrico in Trovatore 1915. Teacher was Ritter Horboucky Raniers. Pupils were Hans Beirer, Miluse Dvorakova, Keith Engen, Josef Heriban, Neil Howlett, Rudolf Jedlicka, Patrick McGuigan, Jarmila Palivcova, Hans Christian, Alfons Van Goethem, Camille Meghor.

1970 Death of Italian soprano Adriana Guerrini. b-Florence, 22 SEP 1907. Debut Iris in Iris (Mascagni) 1935. Created Bettina in Miseria e Nobilita (Napoli).

1970 Birth of American composer James MATHESON.

1976 FP of Argento's "The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe" in St. Paul, MN. With George Livings [Poe]; Karen Hunt [Virginia]; John Brandstetter [Griswold]; Vern Asman, Vern Sutton, Barbara Brandt, Kathryn Asman, and Rose Taylor.

1981 FP of C. Floyd's "Willie Stark" in Houston. Jan Curtis (m/s) [Sadie], Timothy Nolen (b) [Willie]; Julia Conwell, Alan Kays, and Don Garrard.

1985 FP of Argento's "Casanova's Homecoming", opera buffa, in St Paul, MN. With Julian Patrick, Elaine Bonzaai, and Douglas Perry as Marquis de Lisle.

1988 FP of Anthony Davis' Notes from the Underground dedicated to Ralph Ellison. American Composers Orchestra, Paul Lustig Dunkel conducting at Carnegie Hall in NYC.

1990 FP of Bright Sheng's Four Movemenets for piano trio. The Peabody Trio at Alice Tully Hall in NYC.

1992 FP of Joan Tower's Violin Concerto. The soloist Elmar Oliveira and the Utah Symphony, Joseph Silverstein conducting.

1997 FP of Stephen Paulus' opera The Three Hermits at House of Hope Presbyterian Church Thomas Lancaster conducting in St. Paul, MN.

1998 Death of Pulitzer Prize (1990) winning American composer Mel Powell at age 75 in Sherman Oaks, CA. b-12 FEB 1923. See Obits. m. Film actress Martha Scott.

2003 FP of David Lang's Difficulty. Ethyl String Quartet, Miller Theater, in NYC.

2003 FP of Michael Nyman's Manhatta a score for a film by Paul Strand. Also, FP of Nyman's Samhitha: Compilation of Colours for electric mandolin. Eos Orchestra, Sheffer, NYC.

2004 FP of Steven Stucky´s SONATE EN FORME DE PRÉLUDES. Stephen Taylor, Oboe, William Purvis, Horn, Emanuel Ax, Harpsichord, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center. Zankel Hall, at Carnegie Hall, New York City.

2004 FP of Daniel Dorf´s THE BEAR WENT UNDER THE MOUNTAIN for Narrator and Mixed Quintet. Charlotte Blake Alston, narrator, members of The Philadelphia Orchestra: Kazuo Tokito, flute, Blair Bollinger, bass trombone, Bob Cafaro, cello, Christopher Deviney, marimba, Suzanne Son, piano. Philadelphia Orchestra “Sound All Around” series, Innovation Studio, Verizon Hall, Kimmel Center, Philadelphia, PA.

APRIL 23

Giovanni Legrenzi 

1464 Birth of English composer Robert FAYRFAX, in Deeping Gate, Lincolnshire. d-St. Albans, Hertfordshire 24 OCT 1521.

1547 Birth of Spanish writer Miguel de CERVANTES Saavedra. Don Quioxite.

1564 Birth of English writer William SHAKESPEARE. d-Stratford, 1616. Inspiring many classical music works.

1605 Birth of Tsar of Muscovy, Boris GUDUNOV.

1623 Birth of German organist and composer Jan Adams REINCKEN. d-24 NOV 1722.

1627 FP of Heinrich Schütz's opera Dafne at Hartenfels Castle. Wedding of Princess Sophia of Saxony. Perhaps the first German opera.

1649 Birth of composer Andreas Kneller.

1685 Italian composer Giovanni Legrenzi becomes director of music at St. Mark's in Venice.

1691 Death of French composer, harpsichordist and organist Jean Henri d'Angelbert at age 62, in Paris. b-1828.

1715 Birth of composer Johann Friedrich Doles

1735 Birth of composer Ildephons Haas.

1747 Birth of composer Alexandre-Auguste Robineau.

1756 Birth of Philadelphia composer Alexander REINAGLE. d-1809.

1757 Birth of Italian composer Alessandro ROLLA in Pavia. d-Milan, 15 SEP 1841.

1764 Austrian composer Leopold Mozart and his two children arrive in London from Paris.

1775 FP of Mozart's opera Il Re pastore, Salzburg.

1776 FP of revised version of W. Von Gluck's Alceste at the Académie Royale in Paris.

1787 Death of Italian castrato Giovanni Battista Andreoni. b-Lucca, 1720. Created Odysseus in Deidamia (Handel). Tirinto in Imeneo (Handel).

1807 FP of Catel's "L'Auberge de Bagnères", Paris.

1809 Birth of composer and singing teacher Eugène (Prosper) PRéVOST. d-1872.

1812 Birth of French composer Louis JULLIEN. An excentric he was aka by the unusually long name of George Maurice Adolph Roch Albert Abel Anonio Alexandre Noé Jean Lucien Daniel Eugène Joseph-le-brun Joseph-Barême Thomas Thomas Thomas-Thomas Pierre Arbon Rierre-Maurel Barthélemi Artus Alphonse Bertrand Dieudonné Emanuel Josué Vincent Luc Michel Jules-de-la-plane Jules-Bazin Julio César. d-14 MAR 1860 in an insane asylum. Opera, "Pietro il Grande", London, 1852.

1830 FP of Adam's "Danilowa".

1835 FP of Hartmann's "The Corsairs", Copenhagen.

1852 FP of Halévy's "La Juif errant", Paris.

1856 FP of Offenbach's "Les Dragées du baptême", Paris.

1864 FP of Benvenuti's "La Stella di Toledo", Milan.

1872 Birth of American composer George Arthur FARWELL in St. Paul, MN. d-NYC, 20 JAN 1952.

1876 Birth of Finnish sopranop Aïno ACKTE in Helsingfors. d-Nummela, 8 AUG 1944. MET Opera Début 8 FEB 1904, [Marguerite] Faust 2 seasons (1903-1905) 40 perf., 8 roles. Teachers were Emmy Ackte, Edmond Duvernoy, Paul Vidal, Alfred Auguste Giraudet.

1877 Birth of Polish soprano Ruszkowska, Elena RUSZKOWSKA in Lemberg d-Krakau, 3 NOV 1948. 

1881 Birth of composer Otakar Sini.

1881 FP of Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta Patience at the Opéra-Comique in London.

1882 Birth of composer and conductor Albert Coates, in St Petersburg, Russia. BIO.

1882 FP of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Patience" in NYC.

1884 (1883?)Birth of Belgian baritone and composer of songs Armond Crabbé in Brussels. d-Brussels, 4 JUL 1947. He studied at the Brussels Conservatory. Début Monnaie [Night watchman] Les Maitres Chanteurs, and sang at CG, Manhattan, Chicago (1910/14). Teachers were Desire Demest, Raymond Gilles. Created Pice in Natoma (Herbert). Ramon in Ardid de Amor (Pedrell). King in Re (Giordano).

1884 FP of Standford's "The Canterbury Pilgrims", London.

1890 Birth of American conductor and composer Donald TWEEDY. He founded the Danbury Music Centre and became the conductor of the Danbury Community Chorus and the first conductor of the Young People's Chorus. d-1948.

1891 Birth of Russian composer Sergei PROKOFIEV in Sontzovka, Ekaterinoslav, Ukraine. aka Sergeievich Prokofieff. d-Moscow, 5 MAR 1953.Bio. / Bio. Operas, "Velikan" (Not produced, 1900); "Pir vo vremya chumi" (np, 1903, [rev] 1909, np); "Undina" (np, 1907); "Maddalena" (1913, Graz, 1981, w/com. Downs); "The Gamble" (Brussels, 1929); "Love for 3 Oranges" (Chicago, 1921); "The Fiery Angel" (Paris, 1928); "Igrok" (Bruselles, 1929); "Semyon Kotko" (Moscow, 1940); "Betrothal in a Convent" (Leningrad, 1946); "War and Peace" (13 scenes with a choral epigraph, Moscow 1959); "A Tale about a Real Man" (private perf., Lenningrad, 1948).

1900 Birth of French composer [Not Henri] Henry (sic) BARRAUD in Bordeaux. Opera, "La Farce de Maître Pathelin" (1948); "Cervantes" (1950); "Numance" (Paris, 1955); "Lavinia" (1961); "La Fée aux Miettes" (composed for radio) (1968).

1900 Birth of composer Ary Verhaar.

1904 FP of George Whitefield Chadwick's concert overture Euterpe. Boston Symphony.

1908 - Frederick Hawkins, dancer

1910 FP of Nevin's "Poia", Berlin. Florence Easton, soprano; Putmam Griswold, bass and Emma Lucy Gates Bowen, soprano.

1911 FP of Alban Berg's String Quartet, Op.3. Brunner-Holzer-Buchbinder-Hasa Quartet in Vienna.

1912 Birth of American composer Bernard BRINDEL Chicago, IL. d-San Francisco, CA 13 MAY 1997.

1913 Birth of German-American composer Jan MEYEROWITZ. d-1998.

1913 FP of Schubert's "Claudine von Villa Bella" singspiel, only the Overture and Act I completed, Vienna.

1919 Birth of Latvian composer composer Talivaldis KENINS.

1919 FP of Boughton's "The Moon Maiden", Glastonbury.

1920 Birth of composer Louis Barron

1920 FP of Leos Janácek's opera The Excursions of Mr. Broucek at the National Theater in Prague. Aka, "Výlet pana Broucka do mesíce", Mr. Broucek's Excursion to the Moon.

1922 FP of Edgard Varèse's Offrandes for voice and small orchestra, Carlos Salzedo conducting in NYC.

1923 Birth of Ukrainian bass-baritone Vladimir VALAITIS in Selo. Teacher was P. V. Golubev.

1924 Birth of American composer Arthur FRACKENPOHL in Irving, NJ.

1927 Birth of American composer Russell SMITH in Tuscalousa AL. d-Munich, 1998. He studied Columbia University and with Aaron Copland, Bernard Rogers and Edgard Varese. Assistant professor at Queens College and Hunter College for Musik Literatur and Theory. Editor for G. Ricordi & Co. and H.W. Gray & Co. A composer in residence for the Cleveland Orchestra and the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra. An assistant professor for Composition, Theory and Piano at the University of New Orleans. Retired in Munich, Germany was a free-lance composer.

1934 Birth of Italian tenor Sergio TEDESCO in La Spezia.

1941 Birth of American composer Elizabeth VERCOE.

1943 Birth of composer Hugh Davies

1946 Death of Guatimalan composer Jesús Castillo in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala. b-San Juan Ostuncalco, Guatemala 9 OCT 1877.

1948 Birth of American composer Jarrad POWELL.

1948 FP of Andre Caplet's concerto for Ondes Martenot and Orchestra, in Vienna.

1950 Death of Italian soprano Gemma Bellincioni. b-Monza, 18 AUG 1864. Debut in Segreto della Duchessa (Orefice) MAY 1879. Teachers were Cesare Bellincioni (father) Giovanni Corsi, Luigia Ponti Dell'Armi, Carlotta Soroldoni (mother), Roberto Stagno (husband). Pupils were Bianca Bellincioni, Desma De Cecco Created Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana. Fedora in Fedora. Marcella in Marcella (Giordano). Cristine in Mala Vita (Giordano). Moina in Moina (De Lara). Sang in premiere of Cabrera (Dupont).

1952 Death of German soprano Elizabeth Schumann at age 66. b-Marseburg, 13 JUN 1885. Debut as Shepherd in Tannhauser 1909. Teachers were Marie Dietrich, Natalie Hanisch, Alma Schadow. Pupils were Pierette Alarie, Claire Watson, Barbara Troxell, Shirlee Emmons, Muriel Smith, Lola Rodriguez Aragon, Kenneth Neate.

1953 Birth of American composer Jody DIAMOND.

1958 FP of Robert Kurka's opera The Good Soldier Schweik New York City Opera, NYC.

1960 Birth of Irish pianist Barry DOUGLAS in Dublin.

1963 FP of Martin's "Monsieur de Pourceaugnac" after Molière, Geneva.

1975 Birth of Russian pianist Olga KERN.

1975 Death of tenor Ernest Wilhelm. b-16 MAY 1912. Debut 1941. Teachers were Paul Bender, Edith Lukaschick.

1976 FP of Menotti's "The Egg" church opera, Washington Cathedral, DC.

1979 FP of George Rochberg's The Slow Fires of Autumn with flutist Carol Wincenc at Tully Hall in NYC.

1981 FP of Ezra Laderman's String Quartet No. 6 The Audubon. Audubon Quartet in NYC.

1983 Death of German composer Heinrich Konietzny. b-10 MAY 1910.

1998 FP of James MacMillan's Why is this night different?. Maggini Quartet at Wigmore Hall in London.

2004 FP of Gabriela Lena Franks´s Three Latin American Dances Keith Lockhart conducting the Utah Symphony, Salt Lake City, UT.

2004 FP of Thomas Pasatieri´s THE SEAGULL. Merola Singers of the San Francisco Opera, conducted by Robert Lyall. Re-written and re-orchestrated, now in 2 versions, for full orchestra and reduced orchestra (ca. 27 players).

2005 Death of English composer Robert Farnon in Guernsey. b-Toronto, 24 JUL 1917. Farnon Society Biography.

2005 FP of Les Marsden's Concerto Burlesco for Trombone and Orchestra with the Mariposa Symphony Orchestra and guest artist virtuoso trombonist Tom Ashworth, for whom the work was composed; Mariposa, CA.