Synopsis
Music Played in Today's Program
Steve Heitzeg (b. 1959) "Nobel Symphony" The Gustavus Orchestra; Warren Friesen, cond. Gustavus Adolphus 60171-10022
On This Day
Births
1893 - American composer and pianist Leroy Shield, in Waseca, Minn.; His wrote much of the uncredited film music for the Hal Roach studios in the 1930s (including many classic Laurel & Hardy and "Our Gang," comedies);
1929 - British composer Kenneth Leighton, in Wakefield, Yorkshire;
Deaths
1920 - German composer Max Bruch, age 82, in Friedenau (near Berlin);
1943 - Canadian-born American composer R. Nathaniel Dett, age 60, in Battle Creek, Mich.;
1996 - Finnish composer Joonas Kokkonen, age 74, in Jarvenpaa;
Premieres
1913 - Butterworth: "A Shropshire Lad," at the Leeds Festival, with Artur Nikisch conducting;
1960 - Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 8, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet;
2001 - Steven Heitzeg: "Nobel Symphony" at Gustavus Adolpus College in St. Peter, Minn., by the Gustavus Orchestra, soloists and choirs, conducted by Warren Friesen;
Others
1828 - Two weeks before his death, Schubert writes a letter to a music publisher offering them his latest work, the String Quintet in C (D. 956); The publisher declined the offer; The work was first performed in public in 1850, and was not published until 1853;
1849 - Johann Strauss, Jr., takes over his father's orchestra, one week after his father's death.
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About Composers Datebook®
Host John Birge presents a daily snapshot of composers past and present, with timely information, intriguing musical events and appropriate, accessible music related to each.
He has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.