Synopsis
Music Played in Today's Program
Aaron Copland (1900–1990) Piano Variations Stephen Hough, piano Hyperion 67005
On This Day
Births
1870 - Hungarian-born Austrian composer Franz Léhar, in Komorn;
1939 - American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, in Miami, Fla.; She was the first female composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music (in 1983 for her Symphony No. 1);
Premieres
1728 - Handel: opera "Tolomeo, re d'Egitto" (Ptolomy, King of Egypt), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: May 11);
1855 - Berlioz: "Te Deum," at the church of St. Eustache in Paris;
1902 - Debussy: opera "Pelléas and Mélisande," in Paris at the Opéra-Comique;
1925 - Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 3, Op. 36, no. 2, in Bochum, Germany, conducted by the composer with Rudolf Hindemith the cello soloist;
1934 - Stravinsky: opera "Persephone," at the Paris Opéra, with Ida Rubinsetin in the principal role (spoken part) and the composer conducting;
1973 - Lou Harrison: Concerto for Organ, at San Jose State University, with organist Philip Simpson;
1991 - Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Bass Trombone Concerto, by soloist Charles Vernon with the Chicago Symphony, Daniel Barenboim conducting;
1994 - John Harbison: String Quartet No. 3, at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., by the Lydian String Quartet;
Others
1932 - Opening of the first "Yaddo" Festival of Contemporary Music at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.
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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.