Joan Tower's "Fanfares"

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Joan Tower (b. 1938) Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman Colorado Symphony; Marin Alsop, cond. Koch 7469

On This Day

Births

• 1910 - French composer and conductor Jean Martinon, in Lyons;

• 1916 - American composer Milton Babbitt, in Philadelphia;

Deaths

• 1895 - French composer Benjamin Godard, age 45, in Cannes;

• 1941 - British composer Frank Bridge, age 61, in Eastbourne;

Premieres

• 1676 - Lully: opera "Atys," in St. Germain;

• 1713 - Handel: opera "Teseo" at the Queen's Theater in London; On the second night of the performance, the theater manager, a certain Owen Swiney, flees to Italy with the box office receipts (Gregorian date: Jan. 21);

• 1867 - Verdi: opera "Don Carlos" (2nd Italian-language version in 4 acts), in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala;

• 1886 - first performance with orchestra of Bruckner: "Te Deum" in Vienna;

• 1897 - d'Indy "Istar" for orchestra, simultaneously by Willem Mengelberg in Amsterdam and Eugène Ysayë in Brussels;

• 1928 - Gershwin (and Sigmund Romberg): musical "Rosalie" at the New Amsterdam Theater in New York City; This show included the classic Gershwin songs "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and "Say So!";

• 1931 - Ives: “Three Places in New England,” in New York City, by the Chamber Orchestra of Boston, Nicholas Slonimsky conducting;

• 1934 - Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 4, by Vienna Symphony, Oswald Kabasta conducting;

• 1960 - Stravinsky: "Movements," at Town Hall in New York, by pianist Margit Weber during a Stravinsky Festival, with the composer conducting;

• 1978 - Dutilleux: "Timbres, espaces, mouvement" for orchestra, in Washington, D.C.;

• 1987 - Joan Tower: "Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman" No. 1 (later dedicated to Marin Alsop), by the Houston Symphony, Hans Vonk conducting;

• 1998 - Kernis: String Quartet No. 2, at Merkin Concert Hall in New York, by the Lark Quartet; This work won that year's Pulitzer Prize for Music;

Others

• 1710 - Handel's music is performed in London for the first time, when orchestral works from his opera "Rodrigo" are performed as incidental music during a revival performance of Ben Jonson's play "The Alchymist" (Gregorian date: Jan. 21).