Sibelius' $400 finale

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) Tapiola, Op. 112 Helsinki Philharmonic; Paavo Berglund, cond. EMI 68646

On This Day

Births

• 1687 - German violinist and composer and violinist Johann Georg Pisendel, in Cadolzburg;

• 1926 - American trumpeter and composer Earle Brown, in Lunenburg, Ma.;

Premieres

• 1709 - Handel: opera "Agrippina" in Venice at the Teatro San Giovanni Grisostomo;

• 1723 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 40 ("Darzu ist erschienen der Sohn Gottes") and "Magnificat" in E-flat, (S. 243a) performed on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24);

• 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 121 ("Christum wir colleen loben schon") performed on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25);

• 1725 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 57 ("Selig ist der Mann") performed in Leipzig on the 2nd Day of Christmas as part of Bach's third annual Sacred Cantata cycle(1725/27);

• 1734 - Bach: Part 2 ("Und es waren Hirten in derselben Gegen") of the 6-part "Christmas Oratorio," S. 248, in Leipzig;

• 1767 - Gluck: opera, "Alceste" (1st version) in Vienna at the Imperial Court Theater;

• 1770 - Mozart: opera, "Mitridate, Re di Ponto," (composed at age 14) in Milan, at the Teatro Regio Ducale;

• 1772 - Mozart: opera, "Lucio Silla," (composed at age 16) in Milan, at the Teatro Regio Ducale;

• 1827 - Schubert: Piano Trio in Eb, Op. 100 (D. 929), at the Music Society Hall in Vienna, by Ignaz Schuppanzigh (violin), Josef Linke (cello), and Carl Maria von Bocklet (piano);

• 1830 - Donizetti: opera, "Anna Bolena," at the Teatro Carcano, Milan;

• 1831 - Bellini: opera, "Norma," in Milan the Teatro alla Scala;

• 1833 - Donizetti: opera "Lucretia Borgia," in Milan;

• 1867 - Bizet: "La jolie fille de Perth," at the Théatre-Lyrique in Paris;

• 1880 - Brahms: "Tragic Overture," Op. 81, in Vienna;

• 1897 - Rimsky-Korsakov: "Sadko," in Moscow (Gregorian date: Jan. 7);

• 1926 - Sibelius: tone-poem "Tapiola" by the New York Symphony, Walter Damrosch conducting;

• 1931 - Gershwin: musical "Of Thee I Sing," at the Music Box Theater in New York City; This show includes the classic Gershwin songs "Love is Sweeping the Country," "Of Thee I Sing," and "Who Cares?" (see also Dec. 8 for Boston trial run premiere);

• 1941 - Robert Russell Bennett: Violin Concerto, on an NBC Symphony broadcast;

Others

• 1936 - First concert of the Palestine Symphony Orchestra in Tel Aviv, with Arturo Toscanini conducting;