Verdi and Bach on wine

Synopsis

Today we dip into the “Composers’ Mailbag” for two letters, neither of them dealing with any significant musical matters, but both (coincidentally) with wine.

In a note dated November 2, 1894, Giuseppe Verdi writes (in his typically blunt style), “Dear Sig. Melani, I received yesterday the cases of wine. Now what is left is to pay for them. Please send me the bill for what I owe you minus the empty cases and returned bottles. Do it as soon as possible as I am going to the country and want to send you a check before I leave. As always, G. Verdi."

The second (and more personable) letter is dated November 2, 1748, and was penned by Johann Sebastian Bach to his cousin, Johann Elias Bach. It reads: “Most Esteemed Cousin, That you and your dear wife are still well I am assured by the agreeable note I received from you yesterday accompanying the excellent little cask of wine you sent, for which much thanks. It is, however, greatly to be regretted that the cask was damaged, either by being shaken in the wagon or in some other way, for when it was opened for the usual customs inspection here, it was almost 2/3 empty, and it is a pity that even the least drop of this noble gift of God should have been spilled. I remain your wholly devoted cousin and most willing servant, J.S. Bach.”

Music Played in Today's Program

Giuseppe Verdi (1813 – 1901) Libiamo (Brindisi), from La Traviata Frank Chacksfield Orchestra London 436 849

On This Day

Births

• 1739 - Austrian composer and violinist Karl Ditters von Dittersdorf, in Vienna;

• 1752 - Russian diplomat, violinist and music lover Count (later Prince) Andrei Razumovsky, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Oct. 22) Razumovsky was the Russian ambassador to Vienna from 1783 to 1809; Beethoven dedicated his three String Quartets, Op. 59, to him, and (with Prince Lokowitz) his Fifth and Sixth Symphonies;

• 1880 - English composer and conductor John Foulds, in Manchester;

• 1915 - New Zealand composer Douglas Lilburn, in Wanganui;

• 1929 - American composer and conductor Harold Farberman, in New York;

• 1946 - Italian conductor and composer Giuseppe Sinopoli, in Venice; Sinopoli died of a heart attack on April 20th, 2001, while conducting Verdi’s “Aida” at the German Opera in Berlin;

Deaths

• 1960 - Greek conductor and composer Dimitri Mitropoulos, age 64, of a heart attack, while rehearsing Mahler's Symphony No. 3 with the La Scala Orchestra in Milan;

Premieres

• 1723 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 194 ("Höchsterwünschtes Freudenfest") for the dedication of the Störmthal church and organ; Bach was in Störmthal to inspect the new organ;

• 1739 - Handel completes in London his Concerto Grosso in d, Op. 6, no. 10 (see Julian date: Oct. 22);

• 1873 - Brahms: "Variations on a Theme by Haydn," Felix Otto Dessoff conducting the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra;

• 1877 - Saint-Saëns: Piano Concerto No. 4 in C minor, in Paris, composer at piano;

• 1882 - Dvorák: String Quartet No. 11, in Berlin;

• 1928 - American premiere of Shostakovich: Symphony No. 1, by Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting;

• 1945 - Menotti: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony with Richard Burgin conducting with Rudolf Firkusny the soloist;

• 1959 - Henry Cowell: "Variations for Orchestra," by the Houston Symphony, Leopold Stokowski conducting;

• 1978 - Druckman: Concerto for Viola and Orchestra, soloist Sol Greiyzer, with James Levine conducting;

• 1990 - Lou Harrison: Symphony No. 4, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, by the Brooklyn Philharmonic (with tenor Damon Evan), Dennis Russell Davies conducting;

Others

• 1748 - J.S. Bach writes a letter to his cousin, J.E. Bach of Schweinfurt, regarding a mishap concerning a cask of wine his cousin sent to Leipzig as a gift;

• 1900 - French composer Vincent d'Indy reorganizes the Schola Cantorum of Paris as a music school;

• 1937 - Artur Rodzinski conducts a "dress rehearsal" broadcast of the NBC Symphony, an orchestra formed specifically for Arturo Toscanini; Pierre Monteux led the first "official" broadcast on Nov. 13, 1937; Toscanini's debut concert with the NBC Symphony occurred on Christmas Day, 1937; Toscanini's final NBC Symphony broadcast, an all-Wagner program, occurred on April 4, 1954;

• 1979 - Peter Shaffer's drama "Amadeus" premieres at the National Theatre in London, directed by Peter Hall, starring Simon Callow as Mozart and Paul Scofield as Salieri; The British composer Harrison Birtwistle acted as Music Director for this production.