Gossec and Corigliano

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

François-Joseph Gossec (1734-1829) Symphony in D, Op. 5, no. 3 (Pastorella) London Mozart Players; Matthias Bamert, cond. Chandos 9661

John Corigliano (b. 1938) The Red Violin filmscore Joshua Bell, violin; Sony 63010

On This Day

Births

• 1709 - English composer and writer on music Charles Avison, in Newcastle upon Tyne;

• 1878 - Finnish composer Selim Palmgren, in Björneborg (now Pori);

• 1907 - American composer Alec Wilder (Alexander Lafayette Chew), in Rochester, N.Y.;

• 1938 - American composer John Corigliano, in New York;

Deaths

• 1829 - Belgian-born French composer François Joseph Gossec, age 95, in Paris;

• 1868 - Canadian composer Healey Willian, age 87, in Toronto;

• 1963 - Hungarian composer Laszlo Lajtha, age 70, in Budapest;

• 1987 - Soviet composer Dmitri Kabalevsky, age 82, in Moscow;

Premieres

• 1737 - Handel: opera “Giustino,” in London at the Covent Garden Theater (Gregorian date: Feb. 27);

• 1884 - Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No. 2, in Moscow (Julian date: Feb. 4);

• 1892 - Massenet: opera, "Werther," in Vienna at the Court Opera;

• 1893 - Sibelius: tone-poem "En Saga," in Helsinki;

• 1929 - Copland: "Vitebsky" Trio for Piano, Violin and Cello, at New York's Town Hall at a League of Composers concert featuring two members of the Pro Arte Quartet (violinist Alphonse Onnou and cellist Robert Mass) and the German pianist Walter Gieseking;

• 1936 - Varèse: "Density 21.5" for solo flute, in New York, by flutist Georges Barrère;

• 1956 - Leon Kirchner: "Toccata" for strings, winds and percussion, in San Francisco.