JUNE 17

HERBERT OWEN REED

1710 FP of Campra's opera Les Fetes Venitiennes in Paris.

1717 Birth of Bohemian violinist, composer and conductor Johann Wenzel STAMITZ in Nemecky Brod, Czech Republic. Director of The Mannheim School. d-Mannheim, 27 MAR 1757.

1725 Birth of composer Joseph Anton Bauer

1733 Resumption of performances by J.S. Bach's `Collegium Musicum` following a period of mourning for Elector Friedrich August I in Leipzig.

1750 Birth of composer Michel Woldemar

1806 Birth of German tympanist Ernst PFUNDT. Under Mendelssohn at Leipzig Gewandhaus and inventor of the pedal kettledrum.

1818 Birth of French composer, conductor and organist Charles GOUNOD, in Paris. d-Paris, 18 OCT 1893. Operas, "Sapho" (Paris, 1851 [rev] 1884); "La Nonne sanglante" (Paris, 1854); "Le Médecin malgaré" (Paris, 1858); "Faust" (Paris, 1859 [rev] 1860, and 1969); "Philémon et Baucis" Paris, 1860 [rev] 1876); "La Colombe" (Baden-Baden, 1860); "La Reine de Saba" (Paris, 1862); "Mireille" (Paris, 1864 [rev] 1864); "Roméo et Juliette" (Paris, 1867 [rev] 1888); "George Dandin" (incomplete, 1873); "Cing-Mars" (Paris, 1877 [rev] Lyon, 1977); "Maître Pierre" (inc, 1877); "Polyeucte" (Paris, 1878); "Le Tribut de Zamora" (Paris, 1881).

1822 Birth of vocal coach and baritone Enrico Delle SEDIE in Leghorn. d-28 NOV 1907. Debut as Nabucco in Nabucco (Verdi) 1851. Teachers were Domeniconi, Orazio Galassi, Persanola. Pupils were Emma Abott, Mme Bjorksten, Alessandro Bonci, Bianca Donado, Alma Hulting, Anna Hutting, Christine Nilsson, Carlo Albani.

1822 FP of Donizetti's "La lettera Anonima" Naples.

1848 Birth of French baritone Victor MAUREL in Marseilles. d-NYC, 23 OCT 1923. MET Opera Début 3 DEC 1894 [Iago] Otello, 3 seasons (18 94-96, 98-99) 112 perf., 12 roles.

1854 Death of soprano Henrietta Sontag. b-Coblenz, 3 JAN 1806. Debut in Jean de Paris (Boieldieu) 1821. Teachers were Bayer, Giulio Bordogni, Czegka, Pixis, Triebensee, George Smart, Joseph Rockel. Created Euryanthe in Euryanthe (Weber). Debut as William Tell in William Tell (Rossini) 1867. Teachers were Edmond Duvernoy, Vauthrot. Pupils were Eleanora De Cisneros, Franz Egenieff, Edwin Holland, Mary Jordan, Felia Litvinne, Edith Mason, Herbert Heyner, Reinald Werrenrath, Frances Ingram. Created Falstaff in Falstaff (Verdi). Iago in Otello (Verdi). Tonio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo). Capitaine Lionel in Moina (De Lara). Mathis in Juif Polonais (Erlanger).

1855 Birth of German conductor Fritz STEINBACH in Grunfeld, Baden. d-Munich, 13 AUG 1916. He was conductor of the Meiningen Court Orchestra from 1886 to 1903.

1858 Birth of Russian mezzo-soprano Maria SLAVINA in St Petersburg. d- 1951. Debut as Amneris in Aida (Verdi) 1877. Teachers were Ippolit Pryanishnikov, Camille Everardi, Natalya Iretskaya. Created Princess in Enchantress (Tchaikovsky). Countess in Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky). Clytemnestra in Oresteia (Taneyev).

1861 Birth of composer Sidney James Jones

1873 FP of Cellier "The Foster Brothers" London.

1880 Birth of American music writer Carl Van VECHTEN.

1882 (GC, JC=5 JUN) Birth of Russian-American composer Igor STRAVINSKY in Oranienbaum, Russia. Son of bass singer Feodor Stravinsky of the St. Petersburg Opera. d-NYC, 6 APR 1971. Stravinsky chose to observe his birthday on 18 JUN, but traditionally it was celebrated on the 17th. Operas, "Solovey [Le Rossignol]" (Paris, 1914); "Bayka [Renard]" (burlesque chamber opera, Paris, 1922); "Pulcinella" (Paris, 1920); "Mavra" (Paris, 1922); "Svadebka [Les noces]" (13.6.1923 Paris "Oedipus Rex" (opera- oratorio, Paris, 1927 [rev] 1948); "Perséphone" (Paris, 1934 [rev] 1949); "The Rakes Progress" (Venice, Sep. 11, 1951); "Noah and the Flood [The Flood]" (CBS-TV, 1962, and Hamburg, 1963).

1883 Birth of composer Alexandre Cellier

1885 Birth of Swedish tenor Knut OHRSTROM in Stockholm. d-17 SEP 1964. Debut as Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni). Teachers were John Ostergren, Vittorio Vanzo.

1886 Birth of Scottish-American baritone Fraser GANGE in Dundee. d-Baltimore, MD 1962.

1888 Birth of composer Bernhard van den Sigtenhorst Meyer

1892 Birth of French tenor Georges JOUATTE in Monaco. d-Paris, 13 FEB 1969. Debut as Faust in Faust (Gounod) July 1935. Pupils were Regine Crespin, Alain Fondary, Mady Mesple, Roger Soyer.

1893 Death of Austrian composer Johann Schrammel. b-Vienna, 22 MAY 1850.

1894 Birth of mezzo-soprano Magda STRACK.

1894 Birth of Russian-American pianist Pierre LUBOSHUTZ in Odessa.

1895 Birth of Yugoslavian composer and teacher Slavko OSTERC.

1897 Birth of Italian baritone Antenore REALI in Verona. d-Milan, 23 JAN 1960. Debut as Rigoletto in Rigoletto (Verdi). Created Father in Maria D'Alessandria (Ghedini).

1900 Birth of German composer Hermann REUTTER in Stuttgart, Germany. d-1985.

1901 Death of German composer Cornelius Gurlitt in Altona, Germany. b-Altona, 10 FEB 1820.

1903 FP of Victor Herbert's Babes In Toyland in Chicago. DVD-Babes in Toyland

1904 Birth of German bass baritone Alexander BATURIN in Oschmjany. d-1 FEB 1983.

1908 Birth of American composer John VERRALL in Iowa, raised in Seattle.

1908 FP of Stravinsky's Fireworks for marriage of Rimsky-Korsakov's daughter to Maxmillian Steinberg. CD-Stravinsky: Rite Of Spring, Fireworks, Petrouchka / Ozawa, Tilson Thomas, Chicago Symphony

1910 Birth of American composer Herbert Owen REED in Odessa Mo. Died Athens GA 6 JAN 2014. Link to MUSIClassical's text and audio pages of our Green Valley AZ interview with Reed. CD-La Fiesta Mexicana | Search for H Owen REED

1912 Birth of American composer Don GILLIS in Cameron, MO. d-Columbia, SC 10 JAN 1978. At the time of his death he was the composer in residence, University of South Carolina. Operas, "The Park Avenue Kids" (Elkhart, IN, 1957); "Pep Rally" (Interlochen, MI, 1957); "The Libretto" (Norman, OK, 1961); "The Gift of the Magi" (Fort Worth, TX, 1965); "The Legend of the Star Valley Junction" (New York, 1969); "The Nazarene" (1970); "Behold the Man" (1973).

1914 Birth of Italian tenor Pietro MEDICI in Sassuolo Modena. d-31 JUL 1992. Debut in Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Jan 1937. Teacher was Emilio Piccoli.

1914 Finnish composer Jean Sibelius awarded Mus.D. by Yale University.

1916 Birth of French tenor Serge Rallier in Paris. Debut 1945. Teachers were Roger Bourdin, Gabriel Paulet,Jean-Emile Vanni-Marcoux.

1916 Birth of Finnish composer Einar ENGLUND.

1917 Birth of American tenor Donald Dame in NYC. d-21 JAN 1952. Teacher was Vera Schwarz.

1919 Birth of Russian composer and teacher Galina USTVOLSKAYA in Petrograd, St. Petersburg, Russia. Taught Boris Tishchenko at Leningrad Conservatory.

1922 Birth of composer Herbert Kelsey Jones

1924 Birth of English conductor Sir Edward DOWNS.

1924 FP of Andreae's "Abenteuer des Casanova" Dresden.

1925 FP of George Auric`s ballet Les Matelots in Paris.

1926 Birth of composer Manuel Enriquez

1929 FP of Clutsam's "The Damask Rose" musical comedy; arranged from Chopin's melodies, London.

1930 FP of Ernst Toch`s Geographic Fugue in Berlin.

1930 Birth of composer Romuald Twardowski

1932 ('31?)Birth of American mezzo-soprano Mignon DUNN in Memphis, TN. MET Opera Début 29 OCT 1958 [Nurse] Boris Godunov, 35 seasons (1958-69, 70-94) 652 perf., 64 roles, 46 works. Debut as Carmen in Carmen (Bizet) 1955. Teachers were Karim Branzell, Beverley Johnson. Created Madame Irma in Balcony (Diomenica). Veronica Coffey in Luck of Ginger Coffey (Pannell). Sang in FP of Lady from Colorado (Ward). Griffelkin (Foss). Susannah (Floyd).

1932 Birth of Bulgarian soprano Wiener-Chenisheva.

1933 Birth of French violinist Christian FERRAS in Le Touquet. d-Paris, 14 SEP 1982.

1936 Birth of mezzo-soprano Shelagh Squires. Debut as 3rd Boy in Zauberflote (Mozart) 1968. Created Lydia in Anna Karenina (Hamilton). Aunt in Clarissa (Holloway). Juno in Semele (Eccles).

1938 Birth of American composer Dexter MORRILL.

1938 Birth of Irish bass-baritone Thomas Lawlor in Dublin. Debut 1963. Created Giles Lacy in Rebecca (Joseph).

1940 Birth of American composer Donald WHEELOCK.

1941 Death of Dutch composer and organist Johan Wagenaar in The Hague. b-Utrecht, 1 NOV 1901.

1944 FP of S. Prokofiev's Violin Sonata No. 2, Op. 94a. A transcription of his Flute Sonata, Op. 94, violinist David Oistrakh and pianist Lev Oborin in Moscow. CD-Prokofiev: Violin Concertos 1 & 2/Sonata for Solo Violin

1947 Birth of Italian composer Livio BALDISSERA in Venice.

1952 Death of Argentine composer Alberto Williams in Buenos Aires. b-Buenos Aires, 23 NOV 1862.

1953 Death of Portugese mezzo-soprano Marie Giudice. b-Lisbon, 12 JUN 1870. Debut 1890. Teacher was Melchior Olivier.

1954 Birth of English baritone Gwion THOMAS in Swansea. Debut as Duphol in Traviata (Verdi) 1985. Teacher was Patrick McGuigan. Created Chao Lin in Night at Chinese Opera (Weir). Hostage in Position 7 (Chalmers). Wildman in Wildman (Le Fanu). Landlord / 2nd Sailor / Ist Mate in Tornak (Metcalf).

1955 Birth of American composer Thomas DUFFY.

1956 FP of Martin's "Der Sturm" The tempest, after Shakespeare, in Vienna.

? Birth of American soprano Linda ROARK-STRUMMER in Tulsa. She began her professional career with Western Opera Theater. She has also sung at NYCO, Kentucky Opera, Carnegie Hall, and as [Abigaille] Nabucco, in a PBS broadcast. In Europe she has appeared at the Vienna State Opera, Milan's Teatro alla Scala, Teatro alla Fenice in Venice, Teatro Massimo Bellini in Catania, Nice, Bilbao, Naples, Ravenna, Trieste, and Marseille. She is married to Peter Strummer (bs/b), and they live in Tulsa, OK, where she also teaches at the University of Tulsa.

1957 Birth of American composer and hornist Tom VARNER.

1957 FP of Igor Stravinsky's ballet score Agon. conducted by Robert Craft at a 75th birthday concert for Stravinsky in Los Angeles. The first ballet performance was choreographed by Georges Balanchine at the New York City Ballet on 1 DEC 1957. CD-Stravinsky in America

1958 Birth of American countertenor Derek Lee RAGIN in West Point NY. Debut in Tito (Cesti) 1983.

1959 FP of Samuel Barber's A Hand of Bridge at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoletto, Italy. CD-Schuman: Mighty Casey; Barber: Hand of Bridge

1969 Death of American tenor Brian Sullivan. b-Oakland, CA 9 AUG 1917. Debut as Almaviva in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini).

1972 Birth of American soprano Annelise SKOVMAND.

1973 Birth of American composer Reynold THARP. UC Berkeley.

1979 FP of Henderson's "The Last Leaf" 1-Act Chamber Opera in Saratoga, CA with Ronald Gerard [Mr. Behrman]; Catherine Edgerton [Cathy]; Mary Enman [Helen].

1982 Death of German soprano Dorothea Weiss. b-Burgeland, 1918. Created Crazy Molly in Untergang der Titanic (Siebert)

1982 Death of Austrian bass-baritone Gottlieb Zeithammer. b-Vienna, 8 MAR 1904. Pupil was Christa-Maria Ziese.

1983 Death of American composer Peter Mennin in Erie, PA. b-NYC, 17 MAY 1923.

1983 FP of Leonard Bernstein's opera A Quiet Place. Houston Grand Opera, John DeMain conducting. There was a revised version premiered at La Scala in Milan, Italy, conducted by John Mauceri on 19 JUN 1984.

1985 Death of Polish composer Czeslaw Marek in Zürich, Switzerland. b-Przemysl, Poland 16 SEP 1891.

1988 FP of Elliott Carter's Oboe Concerto. Zurich Collegium Musicum conducted by John Carewe, with Heinz Holliger in Zurich. CD-Carter:Sonata for Flute, Oboe, Cello & Harpsichord/Sonata for Cello & Piano/Double Concerto for Harpsichord & Piano w