Meyerbeer and Lloyd Webber — "On Ice"

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791-1864) Les Patineurs (The Skaters) Ballet Philadelphia Orchestra/ Eugene Ormandy CBS/Sony 46341

Andrew Lloyd Webber (b. 1948) Starlight Express Suite Cincinnati Pops; Erich Kunzel, cond. Telarc 80405

On This Day

Births

• 1893 - Spanish composer Federico Mompou, in Barcelona;

• 1924 - American composer Henry Mancini, in Cleveland;

Deaths

• 1846 - Italian composer and double-bass virtuoso Domenico Dragonetti, age 83, in London;

Premieres

• 1735 - Handel: opera "Alcina," in London at the Covent Garden Theatre; This was Handel's last operatic success in London (Gregorian date: April 27);

• 1791 - Mozart: Symphony No. 40 (re-scored to include a pair of clarinets) is performed in Vienna at concerts conducted by Antonio Salieri;

• 1849 - Meyerbeer: opera "Le prophète" (The Prophet), at the Paris Opéra;

• 1896 - Dvorák: String Quartet in Ab, Op. 105, at the Prague Conservatory, by four students (at the composer's special request, on the first anniversary of his returning home from America);

• 1909 - Arthur Foote: Suite for Strings in E, by the Boston Symphony with Max Fiedler conducting;

• 1942 - Barber: "Second Essay" for orchestra, in New York City;

• 1945 - Leo Sowerby: "Canticle of the Sun" for chorus and orchestra, in New York City;

• 1956 - Persichetti: Symphony No. 6 ("Symphony for Band"), in St. Louis, by the Washington University Chamber Band, Clark Mitze conducting;

• 1959 - Ned Rorem: Symphony No. 3, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting;

• 1967 - Ligeti: Cello Concerto, by the Berlin Radio Symphony conducted by Henryk Czyz, with Siegfried Palm the soloist;

• 1994 - David Ward-Steinman: "Cinnabar" Concerto for viola and chamber orchestra, at the University of San Diego, Calif., by the San Diego Contemporary Music Ensemble conducted by Lily Hood Gunn, with Karen Elaine as soloist;

Others

• 1888 - American premiere of Verdi's opera "Otello," at the Academy of Music in New York City;

• 1920 - American premiere of Debussy: "Fantasie," by Boston Symphony, Pierre Monteux conducting.