JANUARY 8

 Jean GILLES

1663 Italian composer and organist at Santa Maria Maggiore, Bergamo, Giovanni Legrenzi (1626-1690); published his third book of sonatas in Venice.

1668 Birth of French composer Jean GILLES in Tarascon. d-Toulouse, 5 FEB 1705.

1705 FP of Handel's first opera Almira in Hamburg. CD-Handel - Almira / Monoyios, Rozario, Gerrard, Fiori musicali, Lawrence-King.

1713 Death of Italian composer and violinist Arcangelo Corelli in Rome age 59 and is buried at the Pantheon. b-Fusignano, 17 FEB 1653.

1720 FP of new version of Handel's opera Radamisto in London.

1735 FP of Handel's opera Ariodante in London. CD-Handel - Ariodante / von Otter, Dawson, Cangemi, Podles, Croft, Sedov, Coadou, Les Musiciens du Louvre, Minkowski.

1735 FP of Pergolesi's opera L'Olimpiade, with libretto by Metastasio, at the Teatro Tordinona in Rome.

1788 Birth of Archduke Rudolph, Austrian amateur musician and music patron, Beethoven's friend and pupil. Youngest son of Emperor Leopold II and youngest brother of Emperor Franz, was Beethoven's greatest patron. Fidelio dedicated to him as well as Emporer concerto and Archduke Trio.

1792 Birth of American organist, composer and conductor Lowell MASON, in Medfield MA, composed Nearer My God To Thee. Father of pianist William Mason. Grandfather of composer Daniel Gregory Mason all influenced early American music. d-Orange, New Jersey 11 AUG 1872. Search  Lowell MASON | BOOK-Lowell Mason: A Bio-Bibliography (Bio-Bibliographies in Music).

1812 Birth of Swiss composer and pianist Sigismond THALBERG in Pâquis. d-suburban Napoli, 27 APR 1871. Search Sigismond THALBERG.

1822 Birth of Italian composer and cellist Alfredo PIATTI in Borgo Canale. d-Crosetta de Mozzo, 18 JUL 1901. Search Alfredo PIATTI.

1830 Birth of German pianist, conductor, musical writer and first husband of Cosima Liszt Wagner, Hans Von BULOW in Dresden, Germany. d-Cairo, 12 FEB 1894. Search  Hans Von BULOW.

1831 Death of Moravian-born composer and violinist Franz Krommer in Vienna. b-Kamenitz, Moravia 27 NOV 1759. Search Franz Krommer.

1840 Birth of Austrian soprano Antonietta Fricci in Vienna. Died 9 Sep 1912, Debut as Violetta in Traviata (Verdi) 1858 Teacher, Mathilde Marchesi Pupils :- Cesira Ferrani, Cesira Zanazzio Created Aldone in I Lituani (Ponchielli).

1843 FP of Schumann's Piano Quintet. Clara Schumann was pianist at Leipzig Gewandhaus. CD-Brahms,Johannes/Schumann,Robert: Quintets For Piano And Strings.

1846 Birth of American composer William Wallace GILCHRIST. Philadelphia choirmaster at St. Clement's Church. Founded Mendelssohn Club in Philadelphia in 1874. d-1916. William Wallace Gilchrist (1846-1916).

1852 Birth of French composer Gabriel Prosper MARIE in Paris. d-Puigcerdá, Spain, 29 AUG 1928.

1854 Birth of soprano Adele Isaac Soprano in Calais. Died 22 Oct 1915, Debut in Noces de Jeanette (Masse) 1870 Teacher :- Louis-Gilbert Duprez Created Olympia, Giuditta, Antonia & Stella in Contes d'Hoffman (Offenbach) Minka in Roi Malgre Lui (Chabrier).

1870 Birth of American mezzo-soprano Mme Charles Cahier in Nashville. Died 15 Apr 1951, Debut as Orfeo in Orfeo ed Euridice (Gluck) 1904 Teachers, Jean De Reszke, Ernestinoff, Amalie Joachim, Gustav Walter Pupils :- Rosette Anday, Gota Ljunberg, Else Brems. 

1880 Birth of Austrian soprano Melanie Kurt in Vienna. Died 11 Mar 1941, Debut as Elisabeth in Tannhauser (Wagner) 1902 Teachers, Marie Lehmann, Mark Lohmann, Fanny Mutter. 

1883 Birth of German tenor Waino Sola in Berlin. Died 12 Oct 1961. Teacher, Ettore Gandolfi, Sofia Roiha Created Esko in Nuumisuutarit (Kauppi).

1887 Birth of bass-baritone Benno Ziegler in Munich. Died 13 Apl 1963, Debut as Silvio in Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) 1909 Teacher, Paul Bender Created Husband in Von Heute auf Morgen (Schoenberg).

1890 Death of Italian baritone Giorgio Ronconi. Born 6 Aug 1810 in Milan. Debut as Valdeburgo in Straniera (Bellini) 1831 Teachers, Domenico Ronconi (father), Ciro Pinsuti, Elizabeth Seguin Pupils, Catherine Hayes, Ferdinand Sieber, Lorenzo Abrunedo Created Nabucco in Nabucco (Verdi) Don Pedro in Maria Padilla (Donizetti) Cardenio in Furioso all'Isola di San Domingo (Donizetti) Torquato Tasso in Torquato Tasso (Donizetti) Enrico in Campanello di Notte (Donizetti) Nello in Pia di Tolomei (Donizetti) Corrado di Waldorff in Maria Rudenz (Donizetti) Enrico of Chevreuse in Maria di Rohan (Donizetti) Memmo in Francesca Donato (Donizetti).

1891 Birth of ballet choreographer Bronislava NIJINSKA. BOOK-Bronislava Nijinska Early Memoirs.

1892 Birth of Dutch cellist and conductor Hans KINDLER in Rotterdam, Holland. In 1931 appointed first conductor of the National Symphony, Washington, DC. Search Hans KINDLER .

1895 FP of Johaness Brahms' Clarinet Sonata, Op. 120, no. 1 with clarinetist Richard Mühlfeld, Brahms at the piano, in Vienna.CD-Brahms: Clarinet Sonata In E Flat/Clarinet Sonata In F/Schumann: Fantasiestücke,Op.73.

1896 Birth of Czech composer Jaromir WEINBERGER in Prague. NYC resident from 1939. d-1967. Search Jaromir WEINBERGER.

1905 Birth of Italian composer Giacinto SCELSI, in La Spezia. d-Rome, 7 AUG 1988. Search Giacinto SCELSI.

1906 Pianist Arthur Rubinstein makes debut at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Search Arthur Rubinstein.

1911 FP of Florent Schmitt's orchestral work La tragédie de Salomé, in Paris.

1912 Birth of Dutch composer Rudolf ESCHER in Amsterdam. d-Amsterdam, 17 MAR 1980. Search Rudolf ESCHER.

1914 Birth of American composer Charles Borromeo MILLS. d-7 MAR 1982.

1915 Birth of bass-baritone Karl Donch in Hagen. Died 16 Sep 1994, Debut 1936 Created Leiokritos in Penelope (Liebermann) St Just in Danton's Tod (Von Einem) Sang in premiere of Zaubertrank (Martin) Sturm (Martin).

1922 Birth of American pianist Abby SIMON (male) in NYC.

1923 Birth of American bass Giorgio Tozzi in Chicago. Debut as Tarquinius in Rape of Lucretia (Britten) 1948 Teachers, Vida Harford, John Dagget Howell, Giulio Lorandi, Rosa Raisa Giacomo Rimini, Arnold Flogl Pupil, Willard White Created Old Doctor in Vanessa (Barber).

1923 First broadcast of an opera direct from a concert hall when the BBC broadcasts Mozart's The Magic Flute in London.

1924 Birth of Russian American composer Benjamin LEES (Lysniansky) in Harbin, Manchuria. Search  Benjamin LEES.

1924 Birth in Vienna of composer Robert STARER in Vienna. Personal website. d-Kingston NY, 22 APR 2001 age 77. Search Robert STARER.

1925 Birth of baritone Norman Foster.

1925 Russian composer Igor Stravinsky's American debut conducting the NY Philahrmonic in a concert of his works.

1926 Birth of soprano Evelyn LEAR in Brooklyn, NY. Death, July 1, 2012. Debut as Composer in Ariadne auf Naxos (Strauss) 1959 Teachers, Irma Beilke, Daniel Ferro, Maria Ivogun, Sergius Kagan John Yard, Frederick Cohen Created Margo in Minutes from Midnight (Ward) Lavinia Mannon in Mourning Becomes Electra (Levy) Irina Arkadina in Seagull (Pasatieri) Jeanne in Verlobung in San Domingo (Egk) Alkmene in Alkmene (Klebe) Ranyevskaya in Kirschgarten (Kelterborn). Search Evelyn LEAR.

1927 Birth of Italian baritone Mario Zanasi in Bologna. Debut as Herald in Lohengrin (Wagner) 1954.

1927 FP of Alban Berg's Lyric Suite for string quartet by the Kolisch Quartet in Vienna. CD-Alban Berg: Lyric Suite.

1928 FP of Paul Hindemith's Kammermusik No. 7, Op. 46, no. 2. Ludwig Rottenberg conducting and Reinhold Merten, organist in Frankurt. CD-Hindemith: Kammermusik No. 2, 3, 6, & 7.

1932 Birth of baritone Bruno Tomaselli in Buenos Aires. Debut as Falke in Fledermaus (Strauss) 1965 Teachers, Alfred Barsanti, Enrique Ricci, Maurice Sorin, Thea Vitulli Sang in premiere of Voz de Silencio (Perusso).

1937 Birth of American composer Robert MORAN, in Denver, CO. 

1938 Birth of Russian bass Evgeny NESTERENKO in Moscow. Debut as Gremin in Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky) 1963 Teachers:- Vassily Lukanin, Maria Matveyeva Pupils :- Nicolai Reshetniak, Arutjun Kotchinian, Laszlo Polgar Barseg Tumanyan. Search Evgeny NESTERENKO.

1940 FP of Roger Sessions' Violin Concerto. Illinois Symphony conducted by Izler Solomon, Robert Gross was soloist.

1942 Death of Norwegian composer Catharinus Elling in Oslo. b-Oslo, 13 SEP 1858.

1943 Birth of American composer James MARSHALL.

1946 Birth of Australian opera producer Elijah MOSHINSKY.

1948 Death of Austrian-English tenor and composer Richard Tauber in London at 55 years. Born 16 May 1891 Linz Austria Died 8 Jan 1948 Debut Tamino in Zauberflote (Mozart) 2 Mar 1913 Teacher, Carl Beines Created Totenhaus in Eroberer (Brangts-Buys) Hein in Fremde (Kaun) Goethe in Frederike (Lehar) Octavio in Giuditta (Lehar) Sou Chong in Land des Lachelns (Lehar) Tsarevich in Zarewitsch (Lehar) Sang in premiere of Perlen der Cleopatra (Straus O) Fruhlingstraume (Weinberger). Search Richard Tauber.

1950 Death of baritone Hilbert Vavra. Born 9 Apr 1888 in Prague. Debut as Onegin in Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky) 21 Jan 1912 Teachers, Mattia Battistini, Dinh Gilly, Antonin Vavra (father) Pupils, Jaroslav Gleich, Stepanka Jelinkova, Ladislav Mraz Jarmila Novotna, Jarmila Palivcova.

1951 Birth of American composer Paul DRESHER. Search  Paul DRESHER.

1952 Birth of Russian pianist Vladimir FELTSMAN in Moscow. Search Vladimir FELTSMAN.

1956 Birth of American composer Pierre SCHROEDER.

1957 Birth of American composer David LANG. 

1963 FP of second version of Dmitri Shostakovich's opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District at the Stanislavsky-Nemirovich-Dachenko Music Theater in Moscow. CD-Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

1964 Birth of American composer Robert MAGGIO in NJ. Search Robert MAGGIO.

1966 Birth of British soprano Amanda ROOCROFT. Search Amanda ROOCROFT. 

1970 Birth of American composer Alan Frederick SHOCKLEY.

1971 FP of D. Shostakovich's Symphony No. 15. All-Union Radio and Television Symphony, the composer's son, Maxim, conducting in Moscow. CD-Shostakovich: Symphonies (Box Set).

1975 Death of opera star Richard TUCKER on a tour in Michigan. Born 28 Aug 1913 Brooklyn. Debut as Alfredo in Traviata (Verdi) 1943 Teachers, Paul Althouse, J S Weiser, Martino, Borghetti, Wilhousky. Search  Richard TUCKER. 

1976 Death of  baritone George Baker. Born 10 Feb 1885 in Birkenhead. Teachers, Gustave Garcia, John Acton Pupil, Richard Angus. 

1987 Death of Spanish composer Manuel Blancafort in Barcelona. b-Barcelona, 12 AUG 1897. Search Manuel Blancafort.

1987 FP of Christopher Rouse's Phaethon. Philadelphia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti conducting. CD-Rouse: Symphony No. 2/Flute Concerto/Phaethon.

1988 FP of Joseph Schwantner's Fantasy for Guitar and Orchestra, From Afar... Guitarist Sharon Isbin with the St. Louis Symphony, Leonard Slatkin conducting.

1998 Death of British composer Sir Michael Tippett at his south London home at 93 years. b-London, 2 JAN 1905. Search Amazon.com for Sir Michael Tippett. | BOOK-Michael Tippett: Music and Literature (Music and Literature). 

2004 Postponment of FP of Oliver Knussen's Cleveland Pictures. In a Cleveland Plain Dealer article the Cleveland Orchestra's, Franz Welser-MÖst, conductor, says they hope to do it in the 2004-05 season. The composer was unable to finish the final movement in time for rehearsals. The Lutoslawski Symphony No. 4 will be moved from next weeks program for performance on this program which also features the R. Strauss Horn Concerto No. 1 with Richard King on horn and Beethoven's Symphony No. 2. 8 p.m. Severance Hall, 11001 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH.

2004 FP of Stephen Jones' at the exactest point by the Chicago Symphony. Jones is the dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at Brigham Young University. Conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, music director of the Chicago Lyric Opera. Also on the program Prokofiev's Suite from Cinderella and Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 featuring pianist Louis Lortie, at the Chicago Symphony Center.

2012 Death of Bulgarian pianist Alexis Alexis Weissenberg. b-26 Jul 1929.