Monteverdi and Carlisle Floyd opera premieres

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Claudio Monteverdi (1567 - 1643) excerpt, from L'Orfeo Monteverdi Choir; English Baroque Soloists; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. Erato 88032

Carlisle Floyd (b.1926) excerpts, from Susannah Cheryl Studer, sop.; Lyons Opera Orchestra; Kent Nagano, cond.

On This Day

Births

• 1766 - English composer and organist Samuel Wesley, in Bristol England; He was the nephew of John Wesley (1703-1791), the founder of the Methodist Church;

• 1842 - Italian opera composer and librettist Arrigo Boito, in Paudua;

• 1846 - Italian song composer Luigi Denza, in Castellammare; His most famous song is "Funiculi, Finicula."

Deaths

• 1704 - French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier, age 78, in Paris;

• 1929 - French composer André Messager, age 75, in Paris;

Premieres

• 1607 - Monteverdi: opera "Orfeo," at the Palazzo Ducale in Mantua;

• 1711 - Handel: opera, “Rinaldo, ”in London at the Queen’s Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: Mar. 7); This was the first Handel opera produced in London, and the first Italian opera written specifically composed for the London stage;

• 1725 - Handel: opera “Rodelinda,” in London (Julian date: Feb. 13);

• 1730 - Handel: opera “Partenope,” in London at the King’s Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: Mar. 7);

• 1745 - Rameau: comedy-ballet "La Princesse de Navarre" (to a text by Voltaire, for the wedding of the Dauphin with Maria Teresa of Spain), at Versailles;

• 1876 - Grieg: incidental music for Ibsen's play "Peer Gynt, "as part of a staged production in Christiania (Oslo), Norway;

• 1935 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 14, in Moscow;

• 1939 - Roy Harris: Symphony No. 3, by the Boston Symphony, Koussevitzky conducting;

• 1955 - Carlisle Floyd: opera "Susannah" at Florida State University in Tallahassee; According to Opera America, this is one of the most frequently-produced American operas during the past decade;

• 1956 - Piston: Symphony No. 5, in New York City;

• 1976 - Bernstein: musical "1700 Pennsylvania Avenue," in Philadelphia as a trial run at the Forrest Theater, conducted by Roland Gagnon; The show opened in New York City at the Mark Hellinger Theater in New York City on May 4, 1976, also conducted by Gagnon;

• 1979 - Berg: opera "Lulu" (first staging of complete version as arr. by Friedrich Cerha), at the Paris Opéra, with Pierre Boulez conducting;

• 1985 - Andrew Lloyd-Webber: "Requiem," in New York City at St. Thomas Episcopal Church; The London premiere occurred on April 21, 1984, in Westminster Abbey; The soloists in both cases were soprano Sarah Brightman and tenor Placido Domingo, with Lorin Maazel conducting;

• 2000 - Joan Tower: "The Last Dance," at Carnegie Hall, by the Orchestra of St. Luke's;

Others

• 1727 - Handel applies for British citizenship (Julian date: Feb. 13);

• 1894 - First documented American performance of Handel's Concerto Grosso in D Minor (op. 6, no.10), by the Boston Symphony, Emil Paur conducting.