Today in classical music history August 14

William Croft

1675 Birth of composer Johann Georg Christian Storl

1703 Johann Sebastian Bach becomes organist at the Bonifaciuskirche in Arnstadt.

1714 FP of MOURET: "Les Fêtes ou Le Triomphe de Thalie" opera/ballet, Paris (1714).

1727 Death of English composer William Croft in Nether Ettington. b-Bath, 30 DEC 1678.

1738 Birth of composer Leopold HOFMANN in Vienna. d-Vienna, 17 MAR 1793.

1763 Death of Italian violinist Giovanni Battista Somis. Founded Piedmontese school. b-Turin, 25 DEC 1686.

1769 Birth of composer Friedrich Ludwig Dulon, flautist

1804 Death of tenor George Mattocks. Born 1734. Created Lionel in Lionel and Clarissa (Dibdin) Rimenes in Artaxerxes (Arne T) Tom Jones in Tom Jones (Philidor) Palaemon in Chaplet (Boyce) Ferdinand in Duenna (Linley / Linley) Thomas in Love in a Village (Arne T) Lord Ainsworth in Maid of the Mill (Arnold S)

1810 Birth of English organist Samuel Sebastian WESLEY, in London, son of Samuel. d-Gloucester, 19 APR 1876.

1814 FP of Rossini's opera Il Turco in Italia at La Scala in Milan.

1823 Birth of composer Karel Miry

1865 Birth of French composer Paul DUPIN in Roubaix. d-Paris, 6 MAR 1949.

1868 Birth of Italian composer Leone SINIGAGLIA. d-Turin, 16 MAY 1944.

1869 Birth of Spanish bass José Mardones, in Fontecchia, Spain. d. May 4, 1932: MET: Début Nov. 12, 1917 [Ramfus] Aida, 9 seasons (1917-26) 409 perf., 24 roles.

1869 Birth of Finnish composer and conductor Edvard Armas JARNEFELT in Vyborg. d-Stockholm, 23 JUN 1958.

1870 Death of French soprano Josephine Fodor-Mainville. Born 13 Oct 1789 Paris. Debut in Cantatrici Villane (Fioravanti) 1810 Teachers, Eliodoro Bianchi, Caterino Cavos Pupil, Nikolay Ivanov Created Amazilia in Amazilia (Pacini) Almeriska in Costanzo ed Almeriska (Mercadante)

1870 Birth of American composer Lucius HOSMER in South Acton, MA. d. Jefferson, NH, May 9, 1935: Opera: "The Walking Delegate" rev., and produced under the title "Koreans, " "The Rose of Alhambra" Musical (New York, 1907).

1876 FP of Wagner's Ring Cycle with Die Walkure, at Bayreuth. Premiered in Munich on 26 JUN 1870.

1886 Birth of American soprano Mignon Nevada, [Mathilde Marie] d. Long Melford, Eng. June 25, 1971. Debut as Rosina in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) 1907 Teachers, Mathilde Marchesi, Emma Nevada (mother) Pupil, Kyra Vayne

1887 (15th?) Birth of American composer Marion BAUER in Walla Walla, WA. d-South Hadley MA, 9 AUG 1955.

1891 Birth of Dutch composer Marinus DeJONG in Oosterhout. d-Ekeren, Belgium, 13 JUN 1984.

1892 Birth of Belgian soprano Emma Luart, in Brussels. d. Brussels, Aug. 26, 1968. Debut 1914 Created Sophie Arnoult in Sophie Arnoult (Pierne) Jeanneton in Roi D'Yvetot (Ibert)

1892 Birth of English composer Kaikhosru Shapurji SORABJI (aka Leon DUDLEY) in Chingford. His Opus Clavacem Balisticum (1934) is the longest continuous keyboard work ever written. It takes some 5 and a half hours to play. d-Winfrith Newburgh, 14 OCT 1988.

1893 Birth of composer Alfred Alessandrescu

1899 Birth of composer Jaroslav Jeremias

1900 Birth of composer Shalva Mikhailovich Taktakishvili

1902 Birth of German opera composer Franz Konwitschny. d. 1962, Belgrade while conducting in a TV broadcast.

1904 Birth of French baritone Martial SINGHER,  in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Pyrenees. d-Santa Barbara, CA 10 MAR 1990. Educated as a public school teacher, then studied voice, at the Paris Conservatory. Début Amsterdamn [Orestes] Iphigénie en Tauride (1930). Sang at the Paris Opéra (1930-41); then Opéra-Comique, and arrived in the U.S. (1941). He taught at the Mannes College of Music (1951-62), and the Curtis Institute (1955-1968). He married Margareta Busch, (1940); the daughter of conductor Fritz Busch (con/opera) (1890-1951) Ger. MET: Début: Dec. 10, 1943 [Dappertutto] Les Contes d'Hoffmann, 12 seasons (1943-48, 49-50, 51- 52, 53-54, 55-59) 162 perf., 19 roles, 14 works.

1908 Birth of tenor Carl Wessely, in Troppan. Died 11 Oct 1946 Debut 1931 Sang in premiere of Hochzeit des Jobs (Haas)

1909 Birth of Hungarian opera composer Tibor Kozma. d. Bloomington, Ind., Mar. 24, 1976: (Auto-Accident) MET: Jan. 4, 1951, Die Fledermaus, 7 seasons (1950-57) 81 perf., 8 works.

1910 Birth of French composer Pierre SCHAEFFER in Nancy. Developed 'musique concrete'. d-Les Milles 19 AUG 1995.

1911 Birth of Dutch conductor and composer Jan KOETSIER, in Amsterdam.

1913 Birth of tenor Ferrucio Tagliavini,  in Reggio Emilia. d. Reggio Emilia, Jan. 28, 1995: MET: Début: Jan 10, 1947 [Rodolfo] La Bohème, 9 seasons (1947-54) 95 perf., 9 roles, 9 works. Debut as Rodolfo in Boheme (Puccini) 26 Oct 1938 Teachers, Amedeo Bassi, Italo Brancucci, Giulia Tess Sang in premiere of Campagne (Rossellini)

1914 Birth of American composer Alexei HAIEFF. d-1994.

1916 FP of BOUGHTON: "The Round Table" Glastonbury (1916).

1923 Birth of American composer and newspaper music critic William FLANAGAN in Detroit. d-NYC, 31 AUG 1969 of drug overdose.

1924 Birth of French conductor Georges PRETRE in Waziers, France. MET: Oct. 17, 1964, Samson et Dalila, 4 seasons (64-67, 76-77) 102 perf., 7 works.

1934 Birth of tenor Horst Hiestermann, in Ballenstedt Debut 1957 Sang in premiere of Gespenstersonate (Reimann)

1934 Birth of Rumanian tenor Ion Buzea, in Cluj. MET: Début: [Rodolfo] La Bohème, Jan. 6, 1970, 3 seasons (1969-72) 15 perf., 8 works. Debut as Alfredo in Traviata (Verdi) 1960 Teachers, Lya Pop, Luigi Ricci

1937 Birth of American composer, pianist and conductor Brian FENNELLY in Kingston, New York.

1938 Death of English composer and conductor Sir Landon Ronald, (aka Landon Ronald Russell) in London. b-London, 7 JUN 1873.

1942 FP of Edmund Rubbra's Symphony No.4 in London.

1946 Birth of English composer Bjørn KRUSE in London.

1948 Birth of American bass-baritone John CHEEK in Greenville, South Carolina.

1950 Birth of American composer Joseph PEHRSON in Detroit, MI.

1951 Birth of American composer Philip CARLSEN in Coulee Dam, WA.

1952 FP of Richard Strauss' opera Die Liebe der Danae produced posthumously at the Salzburg Festival.

1953 Birth of American composer James HORNER in Los Angeles.

1953 Death of Hungarian baritone Friedrich Schorr. Born 2 Sep 1888 in Nagyvarad, Hungary. Debut as Wotan in Walkure (Wagner) 20 Jun 1912 Teacher, Adolf Robinson Pupils, Carlos Alexander, Ezio Flagello, Ossie Hawkins, Nell Tangeman Grace Hoffmann, Corneil MacNeil, Arturo Sergi, Marilyn Tyler Sang in premiere of Singing Devil (Schreker)

1954 FP of Malcolm Arnold's Harmonica Concerto. Larry Adler was soloist at a Proms Concert in London.

1959 Birth of Italian soprano Cecilia Gasdia, in Verona. MET: Début: Nov. 6, 1986 [Juliette] Roméo et Juliette, 1 Season (1986-87) 4 perf., 1role, 1 work.

1960 Birth of Italian soprano Cecilia GASDIA in Verona Debut Giulietta in Contes D'Hoffmann (Offenbach) 1982

1961 Death of English tenor Heddle Nash. Born 14 Jun 1894 in London. Debut as Almaviva in Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) 1924 Teachers, Giuseppe Borgatti, Julien Kimbell Pupils, John Mitchinson, John Heddle Nash(son) Created Doctor Manette in Tale of Two Cities (Benjamin)

1961 Death of Italian composer Guido Alberto Fano in Tauriano, Udine, Italy. b-Padua, 18 MAY 1875.

1961 FP of Henry Cowell's Scherzo from Air and Scherzo for saxophone. Sigurd Rascher was soloist at the Camp Kinhaven in Weston, VT. Composer also arranged it for saxophone and chamber orchestra.

1966 Birth of Japanese composer Michio SHIRASAWA in Tokyo.

1968 FP of Schoenberg: "Die Jakobsleiter" (Jacob's Ladder) First Stage interpretation anywhere, Santa Fe (1968).

1969 FP of PENDERECKI: "Devils of Loudun" U.S. Premier, Santa Fe, NM (1969).

1972 Death of American pianist and film actor Oscar Levant,  at age 65, in Beverly Hills, CA. b-Pittsburgh, PA 27 DEC 1906. Search  for Oscar Levant

1974 Birth of Canadian composer and pianist Heather SCHMIDT in Calgary, Alberta.

1981 Death of German conductor Karl Böhm, in Salzburg. b-Graz, 28 AUG 1894. Search Karl Böhm

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

1994 Death of baritone Hubert Dilworth.

1996 Death of Rumanian conductor Sergiu Celibidache  in Paris. b-Roman, 28 JUN 1912.