DECEMBER 29 Today in classical music history

John Bull
  • 1617 English organist and composer, John Bull (c. 1562 - 1628) becomes organist of Antwerp Cathedral. Dr. John Bull Complete Works For Keyboard, Volume I.
  • 1733 Opera of the Nobility, competing with Handel, present Porpora's Ariadne on Naxos at the Lincoln's Inn Fields. Most of cast taken from Handel's company.
  • 1785 Death of German violist and composer Johann Rolle in Magdeburg. In the service of Frederick the Great. b-Quedlinburg, 1716.
  • 1812 FP of Beethoven's Violin Sonata No 10 in G, Op 96. CD-Beethoven: The Violin Sonatas.
  • 1814 Birth of bass-baritone Adolphe Alizard in Paris. Died 23 Jan 1850 Debut as St Bris in Huguenots (Meyerbeer) 1837 Teacher :- Davide Banderali Created Roger in Jerusalem (Verdi).
  • 1819 Death of Austrian soprano Josefa Weber. Born 1759 in Zell. Died 29 Dec 1819. Created Queen of the Night in Zauberflote (Mozart). (Maria) Josepha Weber (later Josepha Hofer, Josepha Mayer, was a sister-in-law of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
  • 1836 Death of Austrian composer Johann Baptist Schenk in Vienna. b-Vienna, 30 NOV 1753. Search Johann Baptist Schenk.
  • 1850 Birth of Spanish composer Tomas BRETON in Salamanca. Search Tomas BRETON. Tomas Breton Symphony No 2 in E flat, Salamanca (Newport Classic)
  • 1865 Birth of Chilean composer Eleodoro de ZARATE in Valparaiso. Composed first Chilean opera.
  • 1876 Birth of Spanish cellist, conductor and composer Pablo CASALS in (Vendrell) Tarragona, Catalonia. d-San Juan, Puerto Rico, 22 OCT 1973. Search Pablo CASALS.
  • 1876 Birth of English violist Lionel TERTIS. d-1975. Search Lionel TERTIS.
  •  Lionel Tertis: The First Great Virtuoso of the ViolaMy Viola & I
  • 1876 Birth of Italian tenor Giuseppe de LUCA in Rome. Search Giuseppe de LUCA.
  • 1882 FP of Brahms' Piano Trio No. 2 in C, Op. 87, and String Quintet No. 1 in F, Op. 88, in Frankfurt. CD-Johannes Brahms: Complete Trios.
  • 1890 Birth of French pianist Yves NAT. d-1956.
  • 1893 FP of C. Debussy's String Quartet. Ysaye Quartet in Paris. CD-Grieg & Debussy: String Quartets.
  • 1898 Birth of American bass and composer Jules BLEDSOE. d-14 JUL 1943.
  • 1906 FP of Sibelius' Pohjola's Daughter. In St. Petersburg, Russia. CD-Sibelius: The Complete Symphonies & Tone Poems.
  • 1908 Birth of American soprano Doris Doree in Newark. Died 13 Oct 1971, Debut as 3rd Norn in Gotterdammerung (Wagner) 1942 Teacher :- Euphemia Giannini-Gregory.
  • 1911 Birth of tenor Julian Miller in Calcutta. Died 23 Jan 1989, Teachers:- Ernesto Beraldi, Cristali
  • 1911 FP of a concert by the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, under Henry Hadley.
  • 1912 Birth of Australian composer and critic Peggy Glanville HICKS in Melbourne. d-1990. Search Peggy Glanville HICKS.
  • 1916 FP of Max Bruch's Concerto for two pianos and orchestra. Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting, with pianists Rose and Ottilie Sultro.
  • 1918 Birth of French soprano Mado Robin in Tours. Died 9 Dec 1960, Debut as Gilda in Rigoletto (Verdi) 12 Aug 1945 Teachers:- Mario Podesta, Mme Fourestier.
  •  Mado Robin, Historical Recordings from 1952-55Mado Robin, soprano: Volume 3
  • 1923 Death of American tenor Reed Miller. Born 29 Feb 1880 in South Carolina. Teacher :- E G Powell
  • 1927 Birth of American composer Norman WARD.
  • 1932 Birth of Norwegian tenor Kolbjorn Hoiseth in Borsa, Norway. Debut as Siegmund in Walkure (Wagner) 1959 Teachers:- Eigil Nordsjo, Ragnar Hulten, Set Svanholm.
  • 1937 Birth of American baritone Thomas Carey in Bennettsville, CT. Debut as Germont in Traviata (Verdi) 1964 Teachers:- Rose Bampton, Rupert Gundlach, Hans Hotter, Lola Urbach Created Mel in Knot Garden (Tippett).
  • 1938 Birth of Dutch composer Bart BERMAN in Rotterdam.
  • 1959 Death of English composer and teacher Robin Humphrey Milford in Lyme Regis. b-Oxford, 22 JAN 1903. Son of publisher Sir Humphrey Milford, who established the music department of the Oxford University Press. Search Robin Humphrey Milford.
  • 1965 Death of Japanese conductor Kosaku Yamada in Tokyo. b-Tokyo, 9 JUN 1886.
  • 1965 In NYC, at the MET Opera, conductor Zubin Mehta steps to the podium of the MET orchestra for the first time. Search Zubin Mehta.
  • 1967 Death of conductor and band leader, Paul Whiteman, at age 76. BOOK-Paul Whiteman: Pioneer in American Music: 1890-1930 (Studies in Jazz, 43).
  •  Rhapsody in BlueRhapsody in BlueThe Birth of Rhapsody in Blue: Paul Whiteman's Historic Aeolian Hall Concert of 1924
  • 1986 Death of Australian composer John Henry Antill in Sydney. b-Ashfield, New South Wales, 8 APR 1904. Music Director Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1936-1968. Studied composition with Alfred Hill. Member of the NSW Conservatory orchestra and ABC Symphony Orchestra. His major work is the ballet Corroboree (1944), blends Aboriginal and western themes. Composed operas, choral works, ballet suites, and a symphony.
  • 1989 Death of German soprano Irma Beilke. Born 24 Aug 1904 in Berlin. Debut as Bridesmaid in Freischutz (Weber) 1926 Teacher :- Gertrud Wirtschaft Pupils :- Evelyn Lear, Rose Wagemann Sang in premiere of Konig Hirsch (Henze) Die Pfiffige Magd (Weismann).
  • 1990 Death of Finnish soprano Aulikki Rautawaara. Born 2 May 1906 in Vassa. Debut 1932 Teachers:- Olga Eisner, Einojuhani Rautawaara Pupil :- Maiju Kuusoja.
  • 2004 Death of Italian soprano Floriana Cavalli. b-Bologna, 6 FEB 1926.