Tsontakis tackles TSE

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

George Tsontakis (b. 1951) Four Symphonic Quartets Monte Carlo Philharmonic; James DePreist, cond. Koch International 7384

On This Day

Births

• 1876 - American composer John Alden Carpenter, in Park Ridge, Illinois;

Premieres

• 1688 - M.-A. Charpentier: opera "David et Jonathas," in Paris;

• 1728 - Handel: opera “Siroe, re di Persia” (Julian date: Feb. 17);

• 1862 - Gounod: opera "La Reine de Saba" (The Queen of Sheba), in Paris;

• 1888 - Tchaikovsky: “Pezzo capriccioso” for cello and orchestra, in Paris;

• 1898 - Kalinnikov: Symphony No. 2 (Gregorian date: Mar. 12);

• 1904 - d'Indy: Symphony No. 2 in Paris;

• 1912 - Nielsen: Symphony No. 3 ("Sinfonia espansiva" & Violin Concerto (with soloist Emil Telmányi), in Copenhagen, with the composer conducting;

• 1920 - Ravel: orchestral suite "Le Tombeau de Couperin," at a Pasdeloup Concert in Paris;

• 1929 - Pizzetti: "Concerto dell'estate" (Summer Concerto) by the New York Philharmonic, Arturo Toscanini conducting;

• 1936 - Roy Harris: Symphony No. 2, by the Boston Symphony & "Prelude and Fugue" for strings by the Philadelphia Orchestra;

• 1940 - Cowell: "Old American Country Set," by the Indianapolis Symphony, Fabien Sevitzky conducting;

• 1976 - Ralph Shapey: oratorio "Praise" in Chicago;

• 1991 - John Harbison: Symphony No. 3, by the Baltimore Symphony, David Zinman conducting;

• 1994 - George Tsontakis: "Winter Lightning" (No. 4 of "Four Symphonic Quartets" after poems by T.S. Eliot), by the Seattle Symphony, Gerard Schwarz conducting;

Others

• 1739 - London music publisher John Walsh the younger issues Handel’s Trio Sonatas, Op. 5 (Gregorian date: Mar. 11);

• 1874 - American premiere of J.S. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 3, at New York's Academy of Music, by the Theodore Thomas Orchestra; Thomas also introduced this concerto to Cincinnati (May 19, 1882) and Chicago (Feb. 5, 1892);

• 1882 - The Royal College of Music is founded in London.