MAY 12

1679 Birth of composer Giovanni Antonio Ricieri

1736 (JC, GC=23 MAY) Dedication of Handel's Atalanta to the Prince of Wales at Covent Garden theater in London.

1739 Birth of Czech composer Jan VANHALL (Wanhall) in Nechanicz. d-Vienna, 20 AUG 1813. The prolific Bohemian Jan Vanhall composed over 100 symphonies and many string quartets, 26 Masses, 36 offertorios and many concertos.

1747 Death of German soprano Sophie Amalie Kayser. b-Darmstadt, 25 SEP 1711. Debut in FP of Margherita (Telemann) 1730.

1751 Birth of composer Gaetano Manna

1754 Birth of German composer and music publisher Franz Anton HOFFMEISTER in Rottenburg. d-Vienna, 9 FEB 1812. Published works of Mozart and Beethoven.

1755 Birth of Italian violinist and composer Giovanni Battista VIOTTI in Fontanetto da Po. d-London, 3 MAR 1824. His song 'La polacca de Viotti' was used in Paisiello's opera "La Serva padrona." [REF=Wikipedia:Born: May 12, 1755, Fontanetto Po, Italy
Died: March 3, 1824, London, United Kingdom]

1755 F. J. Haydn's love, Therese Keller, joins the convent. Heartbroken he conducts his compositions for the service.

1759 Birth of French composer and organist Gervais Francois COUPERIN.

1760 Birth of English baritone John BANNISTER in Deptford. d-7 NOV 1836. Created Robin in No Song No Supper (Storace). Edward in Haunted Tower (Storace).

1764 FP of Paisello's "Il ciarlone" Bologna.

1776 Birth of composer Juan Bros y Bertomel

1797 Birth of composer Johann Hermann Kufferath

1804 FP of Spontini's "Le Petite Maison" Paris.

1814 Birth of Bavarian pianist and composer Adolf von HENSELT.

1822 FP of Donizetti's "La Zingara" Naples.

1823 FP of Herold's "Le Muletier" Paris.

1828 FP of Donizetti's "Alina, Regina di Golconda" Genoa.

1829 - Birth of composer Paul Karrer, composer

1832 FP of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore in Milan.

1842 Birth of French composer Jules MASSENET in Montaud. d-Paris, 13 AUG 1912. Opera list.

1845 Birth of French composer Gabriel FAURE in Pamiers. d-Paris, 4 NOV 1924. Opera, "Barnabé" (1879; unfinished; not perf.)

1846 FP of Hartmann's "Little Christina" Copenhagen.

1857 Birth of American soprano Lillian NORDICA aka Norton, in Framingham, ME. d-Java, 10 MAY 1914. Debut as Violetta in Traviata (Verdi) 30 April 1879. Teachers were Mme Maretzek, John O'Neill, Giovanni Sbriglia, Antonio Sangovanni. Pupil was Frantz Proschowski.

1861 Birth of Belgian composer Ivan CARYLL aka Felix Tilken in Liége, Belgium. d-NYC 29 NOV 1921.

1862 FP of David's "Lalla-Roukh" Paris.

1863 Birth of French composer and organist Charles BORDES in LaRoche-Corbon. d-Toulon, 8 NOV 1909.

1867 Birth of American soprano Sophie TRAUBMANN. d-16 AUG 1951. MET Opera Début, 18 JAN 1888. [Helmwige] Die Walküre, 7 seasons (1887-90, 95-97, 98-99, 1901-02) 156 perf., 20 roles, 18 works.

1871 Death of French composer Daniel-François-Esprit Aubert at age 89 in Paris. b-Caen, 29 JAN 1782.

1872 Birth of Polish soprano Felice KASCHOWSKA in Warszawa. d-Bielskuj-Bialej, 18 JUL 1951. MET Opera Début, 28 NOV 1888, [Urbain] Les Huguenots, 4 seasons (1888-90, 91-92, 1908-09) 129 perf., 27 roles, 19 works. Debut as Alice in Robert Le Diable 1888. Teachers were Jean de Reszke, Joseph Gansbacher, Troschei, Enrico Tamberlik. Pupils were Maria Nemeth, Flora Nielsen.

1873 Birth of Polish tenor Antonin Viktor LEBEDA in Prague. d-15 APR 1946. Teachers were O. Parsova-Zikeskova, Konrad Wallerstein.

1876 FP of Massenet's "Bérangère et Anatole" Paris.

1877 Birth of Italian soprano Emma CARELLI. d-17 AUG 1928, in an automobile accident. Debut in Vestale (Mercadante). Teacher was Beniamino Carelli (father). Created Stella in Stella (De Nardis). Sang in FP of Collana di Pasqua (Luporini). Felma (Smareglia). Anton (Galeotti).

1884 Death of Bohemian composer Bedrich Smetana at age 60 in Prague. b-Litomysl, 2 MAR 1824.

1886 - Hermann Grabner, composer

1887 Birth of Hungarian conductor, violinist and composer Ferdinand Zsolt in Esztergon. d- Budapest, 24 JUN 1936.

1888 Birth of Italian baritone Mariano STABILE in Palermo. Photo. d-Milan, 11 JAN 1968. Debut as Marcello in Boheme (Puccini) 1909. Teacher was Antonio Cotogni. Pupil was Eduardo Cittanti. Created Belfagor in Belfagor (Respighi).

1894 FP of Richard Strauss´ opera Guntram with Strauss conducting in Weimar.

1895 FP of Jarno's "Die schwarze Kaschka" Breslau.

1901 Birth of composer Hyam Greenbaum

1903 Birth of English composer Lennox BERKELEY at Boar's Hill, Oxford. d-London, 26 DEC 1989.

1903 Birth of Swedish mezzo-soprano Gota ALLARD in Ornskoldsvik. d-?

1909 Birth of American soprano, mezzo-aoprano Margaret HARSHAW aka Margaret Irvine Harshaw Eichna, in Narberth, PA. d-7 NOV 1997. Photo. MET Opera Début, 15 MAR 1942, concert. 1st Opera 25 NOV 1942 [Second Norn] Götterdammerung, 22 seasons (1941-62, 63-64) 375 perf. 39 roles, 25 works. At the time sang more Wagner than any other singer in the Met's history. Teacher was Edoardo Cittanti. Pupils were Richard Best, Patricia Brooks, Gary Burgess, Leo Goeke, Carolyne James, John Reardon, Benite Valente, Eduardo Villa, Nancy Maultsby, Ron Poe, Bruce Baumer, Katherine Ciesinski, Patrice Michaels Bedi.

1910 Birth of Italian mezzo-soprano-contralto Giulietta SIMIONATO in Forli. MET Opera Début, 26 OCT 1959 [Azucena] Il Trovatore, 4 seasons (1959-61, 62-63, 64-65) 28 perf., 5 works. Debut as Lola in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni). Teachers were Ettore Locatello, Guido Palumbo. Pupils were Paata Burchuladze, Maria Luisa Nave. Created Pirene in Atlantide (De Falla). Sang in premiere of Villen (Bruni-Tedeschi). Orseolo (Pizzetti). Prosperina y el Extranjero (Castro).

1912 Death of Swiss mezzo-soprano Clotilde Bressler-Gianoli. b-Geneva, 3 JUN 1872. Photo.Debut as Delilah in Samson & Delilah (Saint-Saens). Teachers were G. Giacosa, Sebastiano Ronconi, Antonio Sangiovanni.

1916 Birth of composer Ellis B. KOHS. d-2000.

1917 FP of Bela Bartók's ballet The Wooden Prince in Budapest.

1921 Birth of composer Edvard Mikcaeli Mirzoyan

1922 FP of Lehar's "Frasqiuita" operetta, Vienna.

1926 FP of Shostakovich´s First Symphony, composed at the age of 19. Nicolai Malko conducting in Leningrad.

1931 Death of French composer Eugène Ysaÿe at age 72 in Brussels. b-Liège, 16 JUL 1858.

1932 Death of German tenor Andreas Dippel. b-Kassel, 30 NOV 1866. Debut as Lionel in Martha (Flotow) 1887. Teachers were Julius Hey, Alberto Leoni, Johannes Ress, Nina Zottmayr. Pupil was Hermann Weil. Created Asrael in Asrael (Franchetti). Also an impresario. Debut Bremen, 1887 as Lionel in Martha. Had over 150 roles.

1934 Birth of American soprano Jeanette Gloria [Ginetta] La BIANCA in Buffalo, NY. Started singing at age nine. At age thirteen she appeared with the Buffalo Civic Orchestra, she was the youngest opera singer in the world. She made her opera début at the Rome Opera House, age 15 years, 361 days [Rosina] "Il barbieri di Seville, she had appeared in Verdi's: Rigoletto, [Gilda] 45 days earlier at Velletri (1950). She appeared at Central City, CO, in 1963, Don Giovanni, and again in 1965, Lakme, and The Barber.

1936 FP of D. Kabalevski´s Piano concerto in Moscow.

1936 FP of V. Williams' "The Poisoned Kiss" a 'romantic extravaganza' Cambridge.

1937 FP of Walter Damrosch's The Man Without a Country at The MET in NYC.

1937 MET Opera Debut of soprano Helen Traubel in Damrosch's [Mary Rutledge] "The Man without a Country".

1938 FP of W. Korngold´s The Adventures of Robin Hood. Motion picture score from film premiered by Warner Bros. in Los Angeles, CA.

1938 FP in concert of A. Honegger's "Jeanne d'Arc au Bücher" dramatic oratorio Joan of Arc at the Stake at the Grosser Musiksaalin Basel, Switzerland. The first staged production was in Zürich on 13 JUN 1942.

1941 Birth of American harpsichordist and organist Anthony NEWMAN in Los Angeles.

1943 FP of R. Glière's Concerto for Coloratura Soprano and Orchestra, in Moscow.

1944 FP of Alberto Ginastera's Overture to the Creole Faust in Santiago, Chile.

1945 Birth of Spanish-Catalan tenor Dalmacio GONZALES in Olot. MET Opera Début, 4 APR 1979 [Ernesto] Don Pasquale, 6 seasons (1978-80, 81-83, 84- 86) 39 perf., 5 works. Debut as Ugo in Parisiana (Mascagni) 1977. Teachers were Arleen Auger, Anton Dermota, Gilbert Price, Paul Schilharsky.

1946 ('48?)Birth of German mezzo-soprano Doris SOFFEL in Hechingen. Teacher was Marianne Schech. Created Cassandra in Troades (Reimann). Ubu's mother in Ubu Rex (Penderecki).

1946 FP of Prokofiev's "Voyna y Mir" Leningrad.

1949 FP of Goffredo Petrassi's one-act opera Il Cordavano. Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

1950 FP of Milhaud's "Bolivar" Paris with Jeanine Micheau (s) (1914-1976) Fr. [Manuela]; Roger Bourdin (b) (1900-1973) Fr. [Bolivar].

1951 FP of Baranovic's "Nevjesta or Cetingrada" Beograd.

1952 Birth of American composer Scott JOHNSON in Madison, WI.

1954 Birth of American composer and lyricist Dale LYLES.

1957 Death of American soprano Marie Rappold [née Winterroth] in LA, CA. b-Brooklyn NY, 1873. MET Opera Début, 22 NOV 1905 [Sulamith] Die Königin von Saba, 15 Seasons (1905-20) 198 perf. 23 roles, 22 works. Teacher was Oscar Saenger.

1964 Birth of American composer and the editor/publisher of NewMusicBox, a monthly web magazine Frank J. OTERI..

1970 Death of Chilean baritone Carlo Morelli, brother of Renato Zanelli, a famed Otello who also began as a baritone. b-Valparaiso, 1898. Debut 1922. Teachers were L. Mugnone, Angelo Quieze. Pupil was Placido Domingo.

1978 Death of Austrian bass-baritone Alois Pernerstorfer. b-Vienna, 3 JUN 1912. Debut as Biterolf in Tannhauser (Wagner) 1936. Teachers were Josef Krips, Theodor Lierhammer, Sergio Nazor. Created Willem & Court Attendant in Prozess (Von Einem).

1980 FP of John Harbison's Concerto for Piano, soloist Robert Miller and the American Composers Orchestra, Gunther Schuller conducting at Alice Tully Hall in NYC.

1983 FP of Earle Brown's Sounder Rounds for orchestra, in Saarbrücken, Germany.

2000 Death of Italian tenor Cesare Valletti. b-Rome, 18 DEC 1922. Debut as Alfredo in Traviata (Verdi) 1947. Teacher was Tito Schipa.

2002 FP of Steve Reich & Beryl Korot's multi-media presentation Three Tales, Hindenburg, Bikini, and Dolly by members of the Ensemble Moderne and Synergy Vocals, directed by Bradley Lubman at the Vienna Festival in Austria.