APRIL 5

John Wilson

1595 Birth of composer John Wilson. d- 22 February 1674), was an English composer, lutenist and teacher. Born in Faversham, Kent, he moved to London by 1614, where he succeeded Robert Johnson as principal composer for the King's Men, and entered the King's Musick in 1635 as a lutenist. He received the degree of D.Mus from Oxford in 1644, and he was professor of music there from 1656 to 1661. Following the Restoration, he joined the Chapel Royal in 1662. He died at Westminster.

1598 Birth of composer Laurentius Erhard.

1698 Birth of composer Georg Gottfried Wagner.

1705 Grand opening of Queens Theatre with the first Italian opera in London, Greber: Gli amori d'Ergasrto.

1727 Birth of Italian composer Pasquale ANFOSSI in Taggia, nr Naples. d-Rome, FEB 1797.

1752 Birth of French piano and harp manufacturer Sebastian ERARD.

1779 FP of GAZZANIGA´s "Il disertore" Florence.

1784 Birth of German violinist and composer Louis SPOHR in Brunswick, d-22 NOV 1859.

1798 Birth of American piano manuacturer Jonas CHICKERING.

1799 Birth of composer Vincenzo Fioravanti.

1803 FP of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 and Symphony No. 2 at a benefit concert in Vienna.

1824 Death of Italian bass Francesco Benucci. b-1745. Created Figaro in Nozze di Figaro (Mozart). Don Alfonso in Cosi Fan Tutte (Mozart); Robinson in Matrimonio Segreto (Cimarosa); Trofonio in Grotta di Trofonio (Salieri); Axur in Axur Re D'Ormus (Salieri); Tita in Cosa Rara (Martin y Soler).

1828 Birth of composer Pietro Plantania.

1839 Birth of composer Stanislaw Pilinski.

1853 Birth of composer Alfonso Randano.

1854 Birth of composer Vicente Goicoechea Errasti.

1859 Birth of composer Wilhelm Harteveld.

1862 Birth of composer Louis Ganne.  

1866 Death of soprano Louise-Therese Lemonnier. b-Brest, 24 AUG 1789. Debut 1805. Created Princesse de Navarre in Jean de Paris (Boieldieu). Sang in premiere of Cendrillon (Isouard). Enfant Prodique (Gaveux); Jean D'Arc a Orleans (Carafa); Leicester (Auber); Danilowa (Adam); Josephine (Adam).

1869 Birth of French composer Albert ROUSSEL in Tourcoing, France. d-23 AUG 1937. More about Albert Roussel, Biography

1870 Birth of German baritone Hermann GURA   in Breslau. d-Bad Wiessee, 13 SEP 1944. Debut as Dutchman in Fliegende Hollander (Wagner) 1890. Teachers were Eugen Gura (father), Hasselbeck, Zenger.

1874 FP of Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss Jr. in Vienna.

1876 Birth of Swedish composer, organist and music critic Viktor Patrik VRETBLAD. d-Stockholm, 15 JAN 1953.

1882 ('04?) Birth of English tenor Joseph HISLOP in Edinburgh. d - Upper Largo, Fife 6 MAY 1977. Debut as Faust in Faust (Gounod) 12 Sep 1914. He was married to Nancy Fraser, daughter of Walter Passmore. Teacher was Gillis Bratt. Pupils were Einar Andersson, Jussi Bjorling, Joyce Blackham, Charles Craig, Keith Erwin, Elizabeth Fretwell, John Fryatt, Peter Glossop, Hugo Hasslo, Anna Pollak, Karin Langebo, Donald Maxwell, Birgit Nilsson, Arne Ohlson, Alberto Remedios, Ramon Remedios, Sven Olof Sandberg, Noel Mangin, Anders Naslund, Erik Sjoberg, Thomas Round, Alvar Lidell, Rowland Jones, William McAlpine, Francis Loring, Per Grunden, Conny Soderstrom.

1885 Birth of composer Dimitrie Cuclin.

1892 Birth of bass Rudolf WATZKE in Niemes. d-18 DEC 1972. Debut 1923. Teachers were George Armin, Karl Kittel, Frau Kreisel-Hauptfeld Pupil was Dieter Brencke.

1898 Birth of soprano Edytha FLEISCHER in Falkenstein. Debut as Susanna in Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) 1919. Teacher was Lilli Lehman. Pupil was Noemi Souza. MET Début 16 MAR 1927 [First Lady] Die Zauberflöte, 10 seasons (1926-36) 401 perf., 37 roles, 33 works.

1902 FP of Ravel's Jeux d'eau by pianist Riccardo Vines (Veen yes) in Paris.

1903 Birth of composer Thomas Baron Pitfield.

1905 Birth of composer Jef Maes.

1906 Birth of Italian organist Fernando GERMANI.

1908 Birth of Czech conductor George SCHICK in Prague. Chicago Symphony.

1908 Birth of Austrian conductor Herbert von KARAJAN in Salzburg. d-Anif, Austria, 16 JUL 1989.

1911 Birth of English born American recording executive Goddard LIEBERSON. Classical recording producer for Columbia Records. d-1977.

1914 FP of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring in Paris.

1917 Birth of American composer Richard YARDUMIAN in Philadelphia. d-Philadelphia, 15 AUG 1985.

1922 Birth of composer Harry Freedman.

1924 Birth of Italian soprano Onelia FINESCHI in Florence. Debut as Desdemona in Otello (Verdi) 1943. Francesco Albanese.

1925 Birth of American bass Keith ENGEN in Frazee, Minnesota. d-Murnau, Bavaria 2 SEP 2004. Debut 1954. Teachers were Pavel Ludikar, Frau McMurray, Tino Pattiera, Elisabeth Rado. Created Okeanos in Prometheus (Orff); Jerome de Courvoisier in Play of Love & Death (Cikker); Alexander Dumas in Blood Moon (Dello Joio); Johannes Melendez in Don Juan de Manera (Tomasi). Sang in premiere of Ubu Rex (Penderecki); Harmonie der Welt (Hindemith); Aucassin und Nicolette (Bialas).

1925 Birth of composer Oldrich Flosman.

1927 Birth of bass-baritone James MILLIGAN in Halifax Nova Scotia. d-28 NOV 1961. Debut 1955.

1928 Birth of composer David Farquhar Andress.

1932 Birth of American soprano and actress Mary COSTA in Knoxville. Photo. Debut in Carmina Burana (Orff) 1959. MET Début Jan. 6, 1964 [Violetta] La Traviata, 7 seasons (1963-67, 73-75, 77-78) 36 perf. 7 works. Teachers were Mario Chamlee, Ernest St John Metz, Ruth Miller. Created Ninette in Blood Moon (Dello Joio). Was 22 when Walt Disney asked her to be the voice of Princess Aurora in his 1959 animated feature "Sleeping Beauty." TV-Climax (1954) - Co-host (1956-1958). Golden Globe nomination, New Star Of The Year- The Great Waltz, 1972.

1933 Birth of Swiss soprano Eugenia RATTI in Geneva, 5 APR 1933.

1936 Birth of English composer John White in Berlin. BIO.

1946 FP of Samuel Barber's Cello Concerto.

1946 Birth of Miss Jennifer PENNEY, senior principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, 1974-88.

1948 Birth of Italian tenor Dano RAFFANTI in Lucca. Debut in Nottetempo (Bussotti) 1976.

1949 Birth of Dutch mezzo-soprano Marion LAMBRINKS in Vallenburg.

1949 FP of Roy Harris's symphonic scherzo Kentucky Spring. Composer conducting Louisville Orchestra.

1959 Birth of English pianist Julius DRAKE. ON CD.

1961 Birth of Italian soprano Anna Caterina ANTONACCI in Ferrara. Debut as Rosina in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) 1986.

1967 Death of Russian violinist Mischa Elman in NYC at age 76. ON CD.

1969 Death of Russian soprano Andrjeva von Skilondz. b-St. Petersburg, 27 JAN 1881. Debut 1904. Pupils were Anna-Lisa Bjorling, Kim Borg, Kjerstin Dellert, Eva Gustavson, Sonja Norin, Carl Axel Hallgren, Arne Hendriksen, Benna Lemon-Brundin, Astrid Ohlson, Margit Mandahl, Stina Britta Melander, Kerstin Meyer, Rut Moberg, Eva Prytz, Isa Quensel, Greta Sodermann, Elisabeth Soderstrom.

1974 Death of English soprano Jennifer Vyvyan at age 49 in London. b- 13 MAR 1898.

1978 Death of Italian baritone Carlo TAGLIABUE. b-Como, 13 JAN 1898. Debut as Amonasro in Aida (Verdi) 1922. Teachers were Gennai, Ghidotti. Pupils were Raffeale Arie, Giuseppe Zecchillo, Vasile Martinoiu, Angelo Gobbato. Created Scedeur in Straniero (Pizzetti). Sang in premiere of Fiamma (Respighi). Morte di Frine (Rocca); Guido del Popolo (Robbiani).