Saeverud's "Minnesota Symphony"

Synopsis

In 1958, the state of Minnesota was celebrating its centennial, and decided to commission a symphony in honor of the occasion.

Now, thanks to Garrison Keillor, just about everyone these days knows there are a lot of Norwegians in Minnesota, but even back in 1958, that was still fairly obvious, and so it seemed a good idea to ask a Norwegian composer to write a “Minnesota Symphony.”

And who better than Harald Saeverud, one of the most distinguished composers of that day, and a composer who had just been granted Norwegian knighthood in the order of Saint Olaf, first-class.

Nor was Saeverud new to the symphony-writing game. His “Minnesota Symphony” was his Symphony No. 8. Its premiere performance occurred at Northrop Auditorium in Minneapolis on today’s date in 1958, with the Minneapolis Symphony led by Antal Dorati. The capacity audience of 4000 gave Saeverud and his symphony a warm welcome.

For his part, Saeverud was equally gracious, and suggested his “Minnesota Symphony” was meant to be not only an occasional piece, celebrating the settlement and growth of a Midwestern American state, but music intended to have more universal significance:

“My whole life has been a preparation for writing this work,” he stated. “With the map of Minnesota above my desk and with all my thoughts and feelings concentrated on Minnesota’s history, I dived into the work, which proved increasingly fascinating as I became aware that it was simultaneously growing into a history of mankind.”

Music Played in Today's Program

Harald Saeverud (1897 – 1992) Symphony No. 8 (Minnesota) Stavanger Symphony; Ole Kristian Ruud, cond. BIS 972

On This Day

Births

• 1706 - Italian composer Baldassare Galuppi, in Burano, near Venice;

• 1924 - Norwegian composer Egil Hovland, in Mysen, near Oslo;

• 1961 - Jazz trumpeter and composer Wynton Marsalis in New Orleans;

Deaths

• 1545 - English composer and organist John Taverner, age 55, in Boston, England;

• 1817 - French composer Etienne Méhul, age 54, in Paris;

• 1893 - French composer Charles Gounod, age 75, in St. Cloud;

Premieres

• 1873 - Brahms: String Quartet in a, Op. 51, no. 2, in Berlin by the Joachim Quartet;

• 1887 - Brahms: Double Concerto in a, Op. 102, in Cologne, by the Gürzenich Orchestra, with Joseph Joachim (violin), Robert Hausemann (cello), and the composer conducting;

• 1881 - Tchaikovsky: Serenade for Strings (Gregorian date: Oct. 30);

• 1882 - Tchaikovsky: Piano Trio, Op. 50 (Gregorian date: Oct. 30);

• 1904 - Mahler: Symphony No. 5, in Cologne, by the Gürzenich Orchestra, with the composer conducting;

• 1923 - Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1, in Paris, at a concert conducted by Serge Koussevitsky, with Marcel Darrieux, the concertmaster of Koussevitzky's orchestra, as the soloist; At this same concert, Igor Stravinsky leads members of the orchestra in the premiere of his Octet for Winds;

• 1943 - Jerome Moross: Symphony No. 1, by the Seattle Symphony, Sir Thomas Beecham conducting;

• 1946 - Copland: Symphony No. 3 (in memory of Mme. Natalie Koussevitzky), by the Boston Symphony conducted by Serge Koussevitzky;

• 1953 - Stravinsky: "Preludium" for Jazz Ensemble, at an "Evenings on the Roof" concert in Los Angeles, with Robert Craft conducting;

• 1957 - Creston: "Toccata" for orchestra, by the Cleveland Orchestra;

• 1958 - Harald Saeverud: "Minnesota Symphony," by the Minneapolis Symphony. Antal Dorati conducting;

• 1981 - Pierre Boulez: "Répons" for 30 instruments and electronics, at the Donaueschingen Festival of Contemporary Music in West Germany;

• 1984 - Harrison Birtwistle: "Secret Theatre" for chamber ensemble, in London at Queen Elisabeth Hall, by the London Sinfonietta, David Atherton conducting;

• 1990 - Elisabetta Brusa: “Nittemero Symphony,” by the London Chamber Orchestra, Odaline de la Martinez conducting;

• 2000 - Lukas Foss: "Solo Transformed" for piano and orchestra, in Minneapolis by Peter Serkin with the Minnesota Orchestra, Eiji Oue conducting;

Others

• 1739 - Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in c, Op. 6, no. 8 (Gregorian date: Oct. 29);

• 1961 - premiere of United Artists film "West Side Story," based on the musical by Leonard Bernstein.