Handel "no strings attached"

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

George Frederic Handel (1685 - 1759) Music for the Royal Fireworks Tafelmusik; Jeanne Lamon, cond Sony 63073

On This Day

Births

• 1812 - German opera composer Friedrich von Flotow, in Toitendorf (Teutendorf) estate, near Neu-Sanitz, Mecklenburg-Schwerin;

• 1894 - Russian-born America composer and famous musical lexicographer Nicolas Slonimsky, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: April 15);

Deaths

• 1871 - German composer and piano virtuoso Sigismond Thalberg, age 59, in Posillipo, Italy;

• 1915 - Russian composer and pianist Alexander Scriabin, age 43, in Moscow (Julian date: April 14);

• 1992 - French composer, organist and teacher Olivier Messiaen, age 83, in Paris;

Premieres

• 1720 - Handel: opera "Radamisto" (1st version), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket, during the first season of operas presented by the Royal Academy of Music (Gregorian date: May 8); The performance is attended by King George I and the Prince of Wales (Handel dedicates the score to the King); The singer Margherita Dursastanti appears in a Handel work for the first time in London;

• 1735 - Handel: opera "Alcina" (Julian date: April 16);

• 1736 - Handel: anthem "Sing unto God," in London at the German Chapel of St. James's Palace, during the wedding of Frederick, Prince of Wales, and Augusta, Princess of Saxe-Gotha (Gregorian date: May 8);

• 1749 - Handel: "Music for the Royal Fireworks" performed during fireworks display in London (Gregorian date: May 8);

• 1867 - Gounod: opera "Romeo and Juliet," in Paris at the Théatre-Lyrique;

• 1877 - Massenet: opera "Le Roi de Lahore" (The King of Lahore"), in Paris;

• 1893 - Rachmaninoff: opera "Aleko," in Moscow (Gregorian date: May 9);

• 1907 - Stravinsky: Symphony in Eb, at a private performance in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: May 10); The first public performance took place in St. Petersburg on January 23, 1908, conducted by F. Blumenfield (Gregorian date: Feb 5);

• 1927 - Weinberger: opera "Schwanda the Bagpiper," in Prague at the National Theater;

• 1928 - Stravinsky: ballet, "Apollon musagète," in Washington, D.C., choreographed by Adolf Bohm; The European premiere of this ballet occurred on June 12 in Paris, choreographed by Georges Balanchine;

• 1937 - Stravinsky: ballet, "Jeu de cartes" (Card Game), by the American Ballet at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, with the composer conducting; This work was part of a Stravinsky-Balanchine matinée consisting of "Apollon musagète," "Le Baiser de la fée," and the premiere of "Jeu de cartes";

• 1987 - Daniel Pinkham: Sonata No. 3 for Organ and Strings, at St. Peter's Church in Osterville, Mass., by organist Richard Benefield, with a string quartet conducted by the composer;

• 1992 - George Tsontakis: "Perpertual Angelus" (No. 2 of "Four Symphonic Quartets" after poems by T.S. Eliot), by the Tuscaloosa Symphony, Ransom Wilson conducting;