Fritz (Delius) in Florida

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Frederick Delius (1862-1934) Florida Suite Welsh National Opera Orchestra; Sir Charles Mackerras, cond. Argo 430 206

On This Day

Births

• 1824 - Bohemian composer Bedrich Smetana, in Leitomischl;

• 1900 - German-born American composer Kurt Weill, in Dessau;

• 1905 - American composer Marc Blitzstein, in Philadelphia;

• 1917 - British composer John Gardner, in Manchester;

• 1921 - British composer Robert Simpson, in Leamington;

Deaths

• 1959 - Finnish composer Yrjö (Henrik) Kilpinen, age 97, in Helsinki; He was the most famous Finnish composer of art songs (lieder);

• 2003 - Italian composer Goffredo Petrassi, age 98, in Rome;

• 2003 - Australian composer Malcolm Williamson, age 71, in Cambridge, England; In 1975 he became the first non-British born composer to serve as the Queen's Master of Music;

Premieres

• 1724 - Handel: opera "Giulio Cesare" in London (Julian date: Feb. 20);

• 1744 - Handel: oratorio "Joseph and his Brethren" in London at the Covent Garden Theater (Gregorian date: March 13);

• 1792 - Haydn: Symphony No. 98, conducted by the composer, at the Hanover-Square Concert Rooms in London;

• 1795 - Haydn: Symphony No. 103 ("The Drumroll"), conducted by the composer, at the King's Theater in London;

• 1874 - Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 3, in St. Petersburg, with the composer conducting; This was a benefit concert for the victims of the Volga famine, and marked Rimsky-Korsakov's debut as a conductor (Julian date: Feb. 18);

• 1887 - R. Strauss: "Aus Italien" (From Italy), in Munich;

• 1911 - Scriabin: Symphony No. 5 ("Prometheus: Poem of Fire"), in Moscow (Gregorian date: Mar. 15);

• 1961 - Copland: Nonet for Strings, at Dumbarton Oaks in Washington, D.C., by members of the National Symphony conducted by the composer;

• 1977 - Benjamin Lees: "Dialogue" for cello and piano, in New York City.