MAY 29

Isaac ALBENIZ

1697 Death, by assasination, of Italian castrato Giovanni Grossi (Siface). b-Pistoia Tuscany, 12 FEB 1653. Debut 1672. Teacher was Tommaso Redi. Sang in FP of Favore degli Dei (Sabadini). Nerone (Pallavicino). Re Infante (Pallavicino).

1730 Birth of composer William Jackson

1731 Birth of composer Orazio Mei

1741 Birth of composer Johann Gottfried Krebs

1753 FP of Haydn's Singspiel, Der Krumme Teufel in Vienna.

1754 FP of Arne's "Eliza" London (1754).

1790 FP of Dalayrac's "La Soirée orageuse" Paris.

1791 Birth of composer Pietro Romani

1799 Death of French composer Claude-Benigne Balbastre in Paris. b-Dijon, 22 JAN 1727. Claude-Bénigne Balbastre: "Du Clavecin au Piano-Forte"

1801 FP of Haydn's oratorio The Seasons, in Vienna, with Beethoven in the audience. Seasons

1821 FP of Mercadante's "Maria Stuarda regina di Scozia" dramma serio, Bologna.

1836 Death of soprano Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann. b-Istanbul, 13 DEC 1785. Debut as Juno in Spiegel von Arkadien (Sussmayer) 9 APR 1803. Teachers were Joseph Haydn, Antonio Salieri, Tomaschelli. Created Leonora in Fidelio (Beethoven). Faniska in Faniska (Cherubini). Namouna in Nurmahal (Spontini). Irmengard in Agnes von Hohenstaufen (Spontini).

1837 Birth of composer Luca Fumagalli

1843 Birth of composer Emile Pessard

1852 Birth of composer Jindrich z Albestu Kaan

1853 Birth of band music composer Francesco FANCIULLI. d-1915. Photo

1860 Birth of Spanish composer Isaac ALBENIZ in Camprodón, Spain. d-Cambô-les-Bains, France 18 MAY 1909. Opera, "Cuanto más viejo" (Lost); "Catalanes de gracia" (Lost); "El canto de salvación" (Lost); "The Magic Opal" (London, 1893); "Poor Jonathan" (London, w/com. Millöcker, 1893); "San Antonio de la Florida" (Madrid, 1894), "Enrico Clifford" (Barcelona, (1895), "Pepita Jiménez" (Barcelona, 1896) "Merlin" 1st part of an uncompleted operatic trilogy on the legend of King Arthur. Search Isaac ALBENIZ

1868 Birth of French-English composer Frederic d'ERLANGER.

1873 Birth of Estonian composer Rudolf TOBIAS in Kaina on Haiiumaa Island. d-Berlin, 19 October 1918.

1873 FP of Franz Liszt's oratorio Christus. CD-Liszt: Christus

1873 FP in America of Brahms's Serenade No. 1 in D, by the New York Symphony, Theodore Thomas conducting at Steinway Hall in NYC.

1874 Death of American baritone Emilio de GOGORZA in Brooklyn. d-NYC, 10 MAY 1949. His parents were Spanish, and they took him to Spain as a child where he was educated. Teachers were E.Agramonte, C.Moderati. Pupils were John Brownlee, Doda Conrad, Kenneth Neate, Conrad Thibault, Agnes Davis, Fiorenzo Tasso, Max de Schauensee.

1876 Birth of Dutch composer Jan INGENHOVEN in Breda. d-subsurban Apeldoorn, 20 MAY 1951.

1876 Birth of German baritone Herman WEIL. d-6 JUL 1949 of a heart attack, while fishing in Blue Mountain Lake, NY. MET Opera Début 17 NOV 1911 [Kurwenal] Tristan und Isolde, 6 seasons (1911- 17) 193 perf., 18 roles, 16 works. Debut as Wolfram in Tannhauser (Wagner) 1901 Teachers were Adolf Deppe, Felix Mottl, Andreas Dippel.

1880 Death of Austrian theater director Maximilian Steiner. Was actor and influential manager of Vienna's Theater an der Wien and grandfather of filmscore composer Max Steiner.

1881 Birth of composer Frederik Septimus Kelly

1883 Birth of composer William Beatton Moonie

1890 Birth of composer Francis de Bourguignon

1892 Birth of American tenor Mario CHAMLEE aka  Archer Cholmondeley, in Los Angeles. d-13 NOV 1966. Sang in the University of Southern California College Glee Club. Début, Lombardi Opera Company [Edgardo] Lucia (1916); San Francisco [Duke] Rigoletto (1917). Antonio Scotti heard him and signed him for a season with his Grand Opera Company. This led to his engagement with the Met. He also sang extensively on the radio. Chamlee sang in London, Paris, Prague, and Vienna. Recorded for Brunswick. M-Soprano Ruth Miller (1893-1983). MET Opera Début, 22 MAY 1920 [Cavaradossi] Tosca, 14 seasons (1920-28, 32-34, 35-39) 219 perf. 23 roles. Teachers were Agostini, Achille Alberti, Riccardo Dellera, Gabrielle Sibella. Pupil was Mary Costa.

1897 Birth of American-German-Bohemian composer Eric Wolfgang KORNGOLD in Brno. Went to Hollywood in 1936. d-Los Angeles, CA 29 NOV 1957. Opera, "Der Schneemann" The Snowman, (Vienna, 1910); "Der Ring des Polykrates" and "Violanta" (Munich, 1916); "Die Tote Stadt" (Hamburg & Cologne, 1920); "Das Wunder der Heliane" (Hamburg, 1927); "Die Kathrin" (Stockholm, 1939); "Die stumme Serenade" (Dortmund, 1954). Search  Eric Wolfgang KORNGOLD

1897 Birth of composer Ignace Lilien

1898 Birth of French bass Humbert TOMATIS in Nice. d-FEB 1968.

1901 FP of Paderewski's only opera Manru in Dresden.

1902 Birth of German mezzo-soprano Johanna BLATTER in Ludwigshaven. d-15 DEC 1965.

1905 FP of Scriabin's Devine Poem Third Symphony under Arthur Nikisch, in Paris. CD-Scriabin - Symphonies Nos.1-3 · Le Poème de l'extase · Promethée, le poème du feu / Stefania Toczyska · Michael Myers · Dmitri Alexeev · Riccardo Muti

1905 Birth of composer Fela Sowande

1906 Birth of composer Hans Joachim Schaeuble

1910 Death of Russian composer Mily Balakirev at age 73 in St. Petersburg. b-Nizhni Novgorod, Russia 2 JAN 1837.

1911 Death of British lyricist Sir William S. Gilbert at age 74 after giving swimming lessons to a women in his lake at Grim's Dyke. Gilbert dived in to save her and died of heart failure at Harrow Weald, England. b-17 Southampton Street, Strand, London, 18 NOV 1836.

1912 Birth of Austrian bass Jaroslav VEVERKA in Vienna.

1912 Birth of German bass Fritz OLLENDORFF in Darmstedt. d-29 MAR 1977. Debut as Leporello in Don Giovanni (Mozart) 1937. Teacher was Herbert Graf Created Mayor in Revisor (Egk).

1912 Birth of Dutch baritone Theo BAYLE in Holland, Laren Netherlands. d-1 MAY 1971. Debut 1938. Teachers were Sergei Radamsky, Aaltje Noordewierreddingius. Created Achilles in Penelope (Liebermann). 2nd Shepherd in Irische Legend (Egk). Sang in FP of Philomela (Andriessen).

1912 FP of Debussy's ballet version of Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun at the Chatelet, in Paris. CD-Debussy: Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune/Images for orchestra/Printemps

1913 FP of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring at the Ballet Russe under Diaghilev, in Paris. CD-Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring, Scriabin: The Poem of Ecstasy

1915 Birth of German conductor Karl MUNCHINGER, in Stuttgart. Founded Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra in 1945. Search Amazon.Karl MUNCHINGER

1915 Birth of American conductor Igor BUKETOFF in Hartford, CT.

1919 FP of Savine's "Xenia" Zürich with Lillian Blauvelt (s) (1873-1947) U.S. wife of composer.

1922 Birth of Greek-French composer Iannis XENAKIS  in Braila, Roumania. d-Paris, 4 FEB 2001.

1924 FP of Gretchaninov's Third Symphony, composer conducting, in Kiev.

1929 Death of Italian tenor Giuseppe Anselmi. b-Catania, 6 OCT 1876. Debut as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) 1896. Teacher was Luigi Mancinelli. Pupils were Jerzy Garda, Jose Reira, Robert Weede.

1932 Birth of German bass Karl RIDDERBUSCH in Recklinghausen. MET Opera Début, 21 NOV 1967 [Hunding] Die Walküre, 3 seasons (1967-69, 76- 77) 15 perf. 3 works. Debut King Philip in Don Carlos (Verdi) 1961. Teacher was Clemens Kaiser-Breme.

1930 Birth of opera choreographere Eleanor Fazan

1933 Birth of German organist, teacher and conductor Helmut RILLING.

1935 Death of Czech composer Josef Suk at age 61, in Benesov. b-1874. Grandfather of violinist Josef Suk.

1937 Birth of composer Peter Kolman

1948 Birth of Scottish soprano Linda Esther GRAY in Greenock. Teacher was Eva Turner. Search  Linda Esther GRAY

1948 Birth of English composer Michael BERKELEY in London. The son of English composer Sir Lennox Berkeley.

1951 Death of Czech composer Josef Bohuslav Foerster at age 91, in Vestec, Stará Boleslav.

1953 Birth of American composer Danny ELFMAN in Amarillo, TX.

1954 Birth of American composer Robert BEASER in Boston, MA.

1954 FP of Henry Cowell's Symphony No. 11 Seven Rituals. Louisville Symphony conducted by Robert Whitney, in Louisville, KY.

1960 Birth of American composer Jody NAGEL in Franlin, PA.

1961 Death of Finnish composer Uuno Klami in Helsinki. b-Virolahti, 20 SEP 1900.

1962 FP of Tippett's "King Priam" Coventry with Marie Collier (s) (1927- 1971) Aussie. [Hecuba].

1963 The first New York Philharmonic Promenade concerts.

1966 FP of Reutter's "Der Tod des Empedokles" Schwetzinger with Raymond Wolansky (b) (1926-1998) U.S.

1968 Death of tenor Adolf Leoltgen. b-Remscheid, 16 APR 1881. Debut as Siegmund in Walkure (Wagner) 1908. Teachers were Nikolaus Rothmuhl, Giuseppe Borgatti.

1968 Death of German tenor John Glasser. b-Berlin, 1887. Debut 1911. Created Elis in Schatzgraber (Schreker).

1969 Birth of Ukranian composer and guitarist Alexander VYNOGRAD in Kharkov.

1970 FP of Einojuhani Rautavaara's Piano Concerto. The composer was soloist with the Finnish Radio Symphony, Paavo Berglund conducting in Helsinki. CD-Rautavaara: Cantus Articus; Piano Concerto

1972 Death of American composer Margaret Ruthven Lang in Boston. b-Boston, 27 NOV 1867.

1972 Death of Algerian mezzo-soprano Emma VECLA. b-Algeria, 1883. Debut as Mignon in Mignon (Thomas) 1898. Created Amadis in Amadis (Massenet).

1989 Death of Croate soprano Zinka Milanov.  b-Zagreb, 17 MAY 1906. Debut as Leonora in Trovatore (Verdi) Oct 1927. Teachers were Fernando Carpi, Maria Kostrencio, B. Kunc, Jacques Stuckgold, Milka Ternina, Ettore Verna. Pupils were Betty Allen, Christa Ludwig. Obituary.

2005 Death of American composer George Rochberg,  who is credited with leading American composers out of esoteric modernism with some of the more emotionally visceral pieces of the late 20th century, died from complications following May 2 surgery. LINK to complete news story. LINK to complete BIOGRAPHY.. b-Paterson, NJ 5 JUL 1918. Search  for George Rochberg