DECEMBER 13 Today in classical music history

Jan Campanus Vodnansky

  • 1622 Death of Czech composer Jan Campanus Vodnansky, at 50. A humanist, he led the Hradec school in the 17th century and became rector of Prague University. b-1 JAN 1572. Search Jan Campanus Vodnansky.
  • 1729 FP of G. F. Handel's opera Lotario. Searchfor Lotario.
  • 1732 Birth of French composer Jean-Claude TRIAL. L'Amour ancien et l'Amour moderne, etc. [Song.]
  • 1738 Death of German composer Gotthard Wagner, at 59.
  • 1739 Revival of Handel's oratorio Acis and Galetea in English, at Lincoln's Inn Field in London.
  • 1740 Birth of German composer Franz Xaver SCHNITZER in Urtsbach. d-Ottobeuren.
  • 1759 H. Royer Smith opens the first music store in America in center city Philadelphia.
  • 1761 Birth of German piano craftsman Johann Andreas STREICHER.
  • 1770 Birth of composer John CLARKE-WHITFELD. Search John CLARKE-WHITFELD.
  • 1785 Birth of Turkish soprano Pauline Anna Milder-Hauptmann in Istanbul. Died 29 May 1836, Debut as Juno in Spiegel von Arkadien (Sussmayer) 9 Apr 1803 Teachers:- Joseph Haydn, Antonio Salieri, Tomaschelli Created Leonora in Fidelio (Beethoven) Faniska in Faniska (Cherubini) Namouna in Nurmahal (Spontini) Irmengard in Agnes von Hohenstaufen (Spontini).
  • 1793 Death of composer Johann Joachim Christoph Bode, at 63. b-1730.
  • 1812 Death of Austrian composer, singer and pianist Marianne von Martinez, at age 68 in Vienna. b-Vienna, 4 MAY 1744. 18th Century Women Composers: Music for Solo Harpsichord, Vol. 1.
  • 1819 Birth of English composer Edwin George MONK. Chants for the daily Psalms, as used in York Minster. Edited by E. G. Monk.
  • 1838 Birth of composer Alexis Vicomte de CASTILLON in Chartres. d- 5 MAR 1873.
  • 1835 Birth of Episcopal bishop and composer of Oh, Little Town of Bethlehem Phillips BROOKS . Search Phillips BROOKS.
  • 1843 Birth of composer George STEPHANESCU.
  • 1850 Birth of Norwegian composer Iver Paul Fredrik HOLTER in Østre Gausdal. d-Oslo, 21 JAN 1941.
  • 1852 Death of English bass Arthur Seguin. Born 7 April 1809 in London. Debut as Polyphemus in Acis & Galatea (Handel) 1831.
  • 1858 Birth of composer Jakab Gyula MAJOR. d- 30 JAN 1925.
  • 1865 Birth of German composer Gustav LUDERS. d-1913. King Dodo: A Musical Comedy in Three Acts.
  • 1868 Birth of music teacher and composer Paolo GALLICO. d-1955. The Apocalypse: Dramatic Oratorio in a Prologue and Three Parts, for Chorus of Mixed Voices with Soli and Piano Accompaniment
  • 1868 Birth of Italian baritone Mario Sammarco in Palermo. Died 24 Jan 1930, Debut as Valentin in Faust (Gounod) 1888 Teachers:- Antonio Cantelli, Franz Emmerich Pupils :- Imre Pallo, Paul Schoeffler, Alexander Sved Created Gerard in Andrea Chenier (Giordano) Carlo Worms in Germania (Franchetti) Juan Alvardo in Natoma (Herbert) Cascart in Zaza (Leoncavallo) Gaos in Vita Brettone (Mugnone) Sang in premiere of Dispettosi Amanti (Parelli). Lebendige Vergangenheit - Mario Sammarco
  • 1868 FP of Camille Saint-Saëns' Piano Concerto No. 2. Concert Popilaire in Paris. Anton Rubinstein conducts, composer soloist. CD- Saint-Saens: Piano Concertos 1-5
  • 1869 Birth of baritone Richard Breitenfeld Baritone in Riechenburg, Bohemia. Died 15 Dec 1942, Debut as Di Luna in Trovatore (Verdi) 1897 Teacher :- Johannes Ress.
  • 1874 Birth of Russian pianist Josef LHEVINNE in Orel. Photo. Taught in USA from 1906. BOOK-A Century of Music-Making: The Lives of Josef and Rosina Lhevinne. Search Josef LHEVINNE.
  • 1876 Death of Italian tenor Carlo Guasco. Born 13 Mar 1813, Solero, Alessandria. Died 13 Debut as Fisherman in William Tell (Rossini) 1836 Pupil :- Giovanni de Negri Created Ernani in Ernani (Verdi) Orontes in Lombardi (Verdi) Foresto in Attila (Verdi) Riccardo Chalais in Maria di Rohan (Donizetti) Sang in premiere of Corrado D'Altambura (Ricci F) Vallombra (Ricci F) Ermengardia (Sanelli) Sposa D'Abido (Poniatowski) Ildegonda e Rizzardo (Graffigna).
  • 1877 Birth of composer Mykola Dmytrovich LEONTOVYCH.
  • 1884 FP of Richard Strauss' Symphony in f, Theodore Thomas conducts, in NYC.
  • 1889 Birth of composer Clarence LOOMIS.
  • 1891 Birth of Russian-American violinist Samuel DUSHKIN. d-1976. Samuel Dushkin Repertoire.
  • 1895 FP of the Mahler Second Symphony, Resurrection conducted by the composer in Berlin. CD- Mahler: Symphony No. 2 / Mehta, Vienna P O.
  • 1898 Birth of composer Daniel LAZARUS. d-27 JUN 1964.
  • 1898 Birth of Italian soprano Iva Pacetti in Prato. Died 19 Jan 1981, Debut as Aida in Aida (Verdi) 1920 Teacher :- Giovanni Binetti. Lebendige Vergangenheit: Iva Pacetti
  • 1898 Death of American composer George Frederick Bristow in NYC, at age 72. Search George Frederick Bristow.
  • 1900 Birth of Polish baritone Andrei Ivanov in Zamoste, Poland. Died 1 Oct 1970, Debut 1925 Teacher :- Lund.
  • 1899 Birth of composer Yusef GREISS. d-7 APR 1961.
  • 1900 Birth of Romanian composer and conductor Jonel PERLEA in Ograda, Romania. d-NYC 1 JUL 1970. Search Jonel PERLEA.
  • 1901 Birth of Russian musicologist Georg M. RIMSKI-KORSAKOV.
  • 1902 Birth of German composer Paul KURZBACH. Search Paul KURZBACH.
  • 1903 Birth of Spanish flamenco guitarist Carlos MONTOYA in Madrid, Spain. d-3 MAR 1993. CD-Guitar & Flamenco. Search Amazon.com for Carlos MONTOYAArt Of The Flamenco (Digitally Remastered)
  • 1906 Birth of composer Ingemar LILJEFORS. Search Ingemar LILJEFORS.
  • 1906 Birth of Polish mezzo-soprano Stepanka Stepanova Mezzo-Soprano in Bielsko, Poland. Died 19 Sep 1992, Teachers:- J Egem, Egon Fuchs, Apollo Granforte Pupil :- Libuse Marova.
  • 1908 Birth of Russian pianist and composer Victor BABIN. Director of the Cleveland Institute of Music from 1961. d-1972. Search Victor BABIN.
  • 1913 FP of Rachmaninov's The Bells in St. Petersburg. A choral symphonic work after Edgar Allen Poe. CD- Rachmaninov - The Bells ~ Chernov, Larin, Pletnev.
  • 1917 Richard Strauss conducts the 100th performance of his opera Der Rosenkavalier, in Dresden.CD- Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier.
  • 1917 FP of Pick-Mangiagalli's Sortilegi in Milan.
  • 1918 Death of Russian tenor Nicolai Figner. Born 21 Feb 1857 in St Petersburg. Died 13 Dec 1918, Debut in Philemon et Baucis (Gounod) 1882 Teachers:- De Roxas, Camille Everadi, Francesco Lamperti Ippolit Pryanishnikov Created Hermann in Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky) Count Vaudemont in Iolanta.(Tchaikovsky) Vladimir in Dubrovsky (Napravnik) Sang in premiere of Caramo (Lortzing).
  • 1919 Death of Italian composer Amintore Galli, at 74. Search Amintore Galli.
  • 1922 Birth of Polish pianist Halina CZERNY-STEFANSKA. Halina Czerny-Stefanska
  • 1927 Debut of 11 year old violinist Yehudi Menuhin, in NYC. Search Yehudi Menuhin.
  • 1928 FP of George Gershwin's An American In Paris in NYC. Walter Damrosch conducts. CD- Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue - Piano, Previn/Pittsburgh.
  • 1929 Death of Swedish conductor and composer Knut Algot Hakanson, at age 42 in Helsingborg. b-Kinna, 4 NOV 1887.
  • 1929 FP of Arnold Bax's Second Symphony by the BSO, in Boston. CD- Sir Arnold Bax: The Complete Symphonies.
  • 1930 FP of Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms to...'the glory of God'. For the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony, in Brussels. Palais des Beaux-Arts, Ernest Ansermet, conducts. CD- Stravinsky Conducts Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms.
  • 1933 Birth of American pianist and composer Borah BERGMAN in Brooklyn, NY. Search Borah BERGMAN.
  • 1938 Birth of American composer Alvin CURRAN in Providence, RI. Search Alvin CURRAN.
  • 1940 Death of American vocalist and composer Eleanor Everest Freer, at age 78 in Chicago, IL. b-Philadelphia, PA 14 MAY 1864. Search Eleanor Everest Freer.
  • 1940 Birth of Polish soprano Urszula Koszut in Pszczyna, Poland. Debut as Lucia in Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti) Teachers:- Maria Eichler-Choleva, Bogdan Ruskiewicz.
  • 1944 FP of Leonard Bernstein's musical On the Town. A trial run in Boston, Colonial Theater. New York City premiere at the Adelphi Theater 28 DEC 1944. CD- On the Town [Original Broadway Cast]
  • 1945 (Nov 13?) Birth of American-Canadian composer John PLANT in Yonkers, NY.
  • 1945 Death of Italian composer Vittorio Mario Vanzo, at age 83. 29 APR 1862. Peoples Guide to Opera II
  • 1946 Birth of Yugoslav mezzo-soprano Marjana LIPOVSEK in Ljubljana. Search Marjana LIPOVSEK.
  • 1951 Death of Finnish composer and pianist Selim Palmgren, at age 73 in Helsinki. b-Björneborg, 16 FEB 1878. Search Selim Palmgren.
  • 1952 Birth of American composer Roger BOURLAND in Evanstown, IL. Roger Bourland, Michael Carnes, Richard Cornell, Robert Aldridge.. [Vinyl-LP].
  • 1960 Death of American baritone John Charles THOMAS, popular in the '20s to the 50s. Headliner of concerts, opera and on the radio. He introduced such songs as Home on the Range and The Lord's Prayer, and became popular through his network radio broadcasts. d-Apple Valley, CA. b-Meyersdale, PA 6 SEP 1891. Debut as Amonasro in Aida (Verdi) 3 Mar 1924 Teachers:- Blanche Blackman, Adelin Ferman Pupil :- Shirley Verrett, Charles Karel Created Orphee in Malheurs d'Orphee (Milhaud).
    •  John Charles Thomas: Beloved Baritone of American Opera And Popular MusicJohn Charles Thomas: An American Classic
  • 1964 Birth of American conductor and composer Lisa DeSPAIN in NYC.
  • 1964 Birth of Taiwan composer Tung-Lung Lin.
  • 1966 FP of Joseph Druckman's String Quartet No. 2. Juilliard String Quartet in NYC. CD- Druckman: Group For Contemporary Music.
  • 1967 Birth of American composer Christopher MILMERSTADT in Long Island, NY.
  • 1967 Death of American tenor David Poleri. Born 10 Jan 1927 in Chestnut Hill, Pa, Debut as Faust in Faust (Gounod) 1950 Teacher :- Albert Sciaretta Created Michele in Saint of Bleeker Street (Menotti).
  • 1968 Death of German composer Siegfried Reda, at 52. b-Bachum 1916. Search Siegfried Reda.
  • 1970 FP of D. Shostakovich's String Quartet No. 13. Beethoven Quartet, in Leningrad. CD- Shostakovich: The String Quartets
  • 1972 Birth of American composer, conductor and arranger Kevin KASCA in Seattle, WA.
  • 1973 Death of German soprano Fanny Heldy. Born 28 Feb 1888 in Liege. Debut as Elena in Ivan the Terrible (Gunsbourg) in premiere 1910 Created Andromeda in Persee et Andromede (Ibert) Portia in Marchand de Venise (Hahn) Eaglet in Aiglon (Honneggar / Ibert ) Abla in Antar (Dupont) Elena in Ivan the Terrible (Gunsbourg).
  • 1976 Birth of American composer Kristy ADAMS.
  • 1981 Death of English composer Cornelius Cardew, at age 45, traffic accident in London. b-Winchcombe, 7 MAY 1936. Search Cornelius Cardew. Cornelius Cardew: A Life Unfinished
  • 1986 Death of soprano Suzanne Steele. Born 1931 South Africa. Debut as Hansel in Hansel & Gretel (Humperdinck) Teachers:- Joan Cross, Gwen Knight.
  • 1991 Death of French soprano Marcelle Bunlet. Born 9 Oct 1900 Fonteney-le-Comte. Debut as Brunnhilde in Gotterdammerung (Wagner) 1928 Pupil :- Elaine Manchet.
  • 1996 Death of Hungarian baritone Lorenzo Alvary. Born 20 Feb 1909 Debreczen Hungary. Debut 1934 Teacher :- F Tanara.
  • 1999 Death of German bass Manfred Schenk. Born 23 Jan 1930 in Stuttgart. Debut 1960 Created Charles Bovary in Madame Bovary (Sutermeister).
  • 2000 Death of Italian baritone Cesare Bardelli. Born 1 Jan 1911 in Sanpierdarena, Genoa. Debut as Amonasro in Aida (Verdi) 1937 Teacher :- Alfredo Bardelli.