Today in classical music history August 13

 Sir George GROVE

1655 Birth of German instrument maker Johann Christoph DENNER in Leipzig. He crafted the first clarinet, in 1700 in Nuremburg, Germany.

1692 Birth of composer Anton Simon Ignaz Praelisauer

1704 Birth of composer Lorenzo Fago

1717 Birth of German composer Christoph Nichelsmann

1721 Birth of composer Francis Ireland

1742 Handel leaves Dublin for England to start oratorio season at Covent Garden.

1747 Birth of composer Adrien-Joseph van Helmont

1770 FP of CAFARO: "Antigono" Naples.

1794 FP of PAËR: "Ero e Leandro" Naples.

1795 FP of ANDREOZZI: "Arsinoe" Naples.

1801 Birth of English baritone Henry Phillips in Bristol.   Died Nov 1876 Teachers, Broadhurst, George Smart Pupil, Tom Karl

1817 Birth of composer Karoly Thern

1820 Birth of English musicographer Sir George GROVE in Clapham, South London. d-Sydenham, 28 MAY 1900. Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

1826 Birth of English organist William T. BEST in Carlisle. Edited Bach's works. d-Liverpool, 10 MAY 1897.

1831 Birth of German conductor, teacher and composer Salomon JADASSOHN in Breslau. d-Leipzig, 1 FEB 1902.

1841 Death of German composer, conductor and cellist Bernhard Romberg in Hamburg. b-Dinklage, Oldenburg, 11 NOV 1767.

1841 FP of Robert Schumann's Concert Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, in Leipzig a Gewandhaus Orchestra rehearsal conducted by Felix Mendelssohn, with soloist Clara Schumann. It was revised as the first movement of his Piano Concerto in a, Op. 54.

1852 Birth of Austrian (German) cellist Robert HAUSMANN in Rottleberode, Harz. d-Vienna, 18 JAN 1909. Joachim Quartet 1879 - 1907.

1852 FP of FLOTOW: "Rübezahl" Retzien (1852); private perf. Public Frankfurt, Nov. 26, 1853.

1865 Birth of American soprano Emma EAMES (Hayden) in Shanghai, China. d- NYC, 13 JUN 1952. Debut Juliette in Romeo and Juliette (Gounod) 13 Mar 1889 Teachers:- Mathilde Marchesi, Clara Munger, Charles R Adams Created Colombe in Ascanio (Saint-Saens) Zaire in Zaire (De la Nux) Ghisele in Ghisele (Franck) Countess of Longford in Lady of Longford (E Bach)

1876 FP Wagner's Das Rheingold in Bayreuth complete version. It had received its premiere performance in Munich on 22 SEP 1869.

1878 Birth of composer Leonid Vladimirovich Nikolayev

1879 Birth of English composer John IRELAND in Inglewood, Bowdon, Cheshire. d-Rock Mill, Washington, Sussex, 12 JUN 1962.

1884 Birth of blind American violinist and composer Edwin GRASSE in NYC. d-NYC, 8 APR 1954.

1887 Birth of Hipolito Lazaro Tenor Born 13 Aug 1887 Barcelona Died 14 May 1974 Debut as Fernando in Favorita (Donizetti) 26 Mar 1910 Teacher, Ernesto Colli Created Gianetto in Cene delle Beffe (Giordano) Ugo in Parisina (Mascagni) Prince in Piccolo Marat (Mascagni) Sang in premiere of Fedra (Romani) Euda D'Urlach (Vives) Eustudiante de Salamanca (Gaig)

1894 Birth of Russian composer Leonid POLOVINKIN in Kurgan. d-Moscow, 8 FEB 1949.

1901 Birth of composer Ian Whyte

1912 Birth of Albanese, Francesco (t) It. b. nr. Naples, Aug, 13, 1912; Début Venice [Ramiro] La Cenerentola, (1942). Teacher :- F Salvi

1912 Birth of Spanish composer Francisco ESCUDERO in Zarautz. d-Donostia (San Sebastian) Spain, 7 JUN 2002.

1912 Death of French composer Jules Massenet in Paris at age 70. b-Montaud, 12 MAY 1842.

1913 Birth of Czech opera composer Ladislav HOLOUBEK in Prague. d. Bratislava, Sep. 4, 1994: Opera: "Stella" (1939); "Svitanie" (1941); "Tuzba" (1944); "Túzba" (Bratislava, 1944); "Rodina" (Bratislava, 1960); "Professor Mamlock" (Bratislava, 1966).

1913 Birth of Russian opera composer Anatoly Vasilievitch BOGATYREV in Vitebsk.

1913 Birth of composer Francisco Escudero

1914 Birth of Mariano, Luis (t) (1914-1970) It. b. Aug. 13, 1914; d. 1970:

1916 Death of German conductor Fritz Steinbach in Munich. b-Grunsfeld, Baden, 17 JUN 1855.

1920 Birth of Fretwell, Elizabeth (s) Aussie. b. Melbourne. Debut as Senta in Flying Dutchman (Wagner) 1947 Teacher, Joseph Hislop Created Blanche Stroeve in Moon & Sixpence (Gardner)

1921 Birth of French conductor Louis FREMAUX in Aire-sur-la-Lys.

1926 Birth of Valentino Levko Mezzo-Soprano Born 13 Aug 1926

1929 Birth of composer Augustyn Bloch

1930 Birth of composer Heino Jurisalu

1930 Birth of American contralto Margareth Bence, in Kingston, NY.

Birth of Belgian tenor Louis Dister, in Comblain La Tour. d. Comblain La Tour, Oct. 23, 1964. Teachers, Res Fischer, Elinor Junker-Giesen, Mielsch-Nied Created Babekan in Verlobung in San Domingo (Egk) Sang in premiere of Ludos de Nato (Orff)

1930 Death of German singing coach August Iffert. Born 13 May 1859 in Braunschweig. Pupils, George Armin, Hans Breuer, Katherine Fleischer-Endel Michael Gitowsky, Frieda Langendorff, Erik Schmedes Eva von der Osten, Otto Watrin

1934 Birth of composer Leifur Thorarinsson

1937 Birth of American soprano Felicia Patricia WEATHERS in St. Louis. MET Début: Oct. 21, 1965 [Lisa] The Queen of Spades, 2 seasons (1965-67) 6 perf., 1 role. Debut 1961 Teachers, Charles Kullmann, Dorothea Manski Sang in premiere of Visitation (Schuller)

1938 Birth of Jahn, Gertrude (m/s) Yugoslav. b. Zagreb, Aug. 13, 1938;

1940 Birth of Gertrude Jahn Mezzo-Soprano Born 13 Aug 1940 Zagreb Debut as Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) 1963 Teachers:- Lily Kolar, Elisabeth Rado, Erik Werba, Josef Witt Created Laura in Schwarze Maske (Penerecki)

1942 Birth of English soprano Sheila ARMSTRONG in Ashington, Northumberland. Debut as Belinda in Dido & Aeneas (Purcell) 1966 Teachers:- J E Hutchinson, Frederick Jackson, Flora Nielsen

1942 Birth of English composer Philip GODDARD in Harrow Weald, Middlesex.

1942 Birth of American cellist, conductor and lawyer Jerome KESSLER in Ithaca NY.

1943 Death of Jane Osborn-Hannah Soprano Born 8 July 1873 Wilmington Oh Died 13 Aug 1943 Debut as Elisabeth in Tannhauser (Wagner) 1904 Teachers, Mathilde Marchesi, Giovanni Sbriglia, Rosa Sucher

1944 Birth of American composer David MAHLER. Had residencies at Mills College, Oakland, CA, and California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.

1946 Birth of Helena Dose Soprano Born 13 Aug 1946 Goteborg Debut as Aida in Aida (Verdi) 1971 Teachers, Luigi Ricci, Vera Rozsa

1948 Birth of American soprano Kathleen BATTLE in Portsmouth Ohio. MET: Début: Dec. 22, 1977 [Shepherd] Tannhäuser, 16 seasons (1977- 93) 224 perf., 15 roles. Debut as Suzanne in Nozze di Figaro (Mozart) 1976 Teachers, Franklin Bens, Italo Tajo

1946 Birth of Swedish soprano Helena Doese.

1949 Birth of Scotish baritone Gordon Sandison in Aberdeen Debut as Casada in Merry Widow (Lehar) 1973 Teacher, David Kelly Sang in premiere of Catiline Conspiracy (Hamilton)

1955 Death of soprano Florence Easton. Born 24 Oct 1882 Middlesborough. Debut as Shepherd Boy in Tannhauser (Wagner) 1903 Teachers, Elliott Haslam, Agnes Larkham Pupils, Nadine Conner, Arthur Carron, Jean Tennyson Created Lauretta in Gianni Schicci (Puccini) Mummy Tyl in Oiseau Bleu (Wolff) Aelfrida in King's Henchman (Deems Taylor) Sang in premiere of Angelus (Naylor)

1964 FP of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 10, arranged by Deryck Cooke. London Symphony conducted by Berthold Goldschmidt.

1973 FP of Thea Musgrave's Viola Concerto at a London Proms Concert. Her husband, Peter Mark was the soloist.

1976 FP of Duke Ellington's ballet Three Black Kings by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Duke Ellington Orchestra conducted by Mercer Ellington. Performed posthumously at the New York State Theater at Lincoln Center in NYC.

1987 Death of American composer Vincent Persichetti in Philadelphia at age 72. b-Philadelphia, PA 6 JUN 1915.

1996 Death of American composer Louise Victoria Talma in Yaddo, NY. b-Arcachon, France, 31 OCT 1906.

1996 Death of American composer David TUDOR. Web Links - b-20 JAN 1926.

2014 Death of Dutch flutist, musicologist and recorder virtuoso Franz BRUGGEN, in Amsterdam. Search Amazon.com for Franz BRUGGEN b-Amsterdam, 30 OCT 1934.. Obit.