Maxwell Davies tackles the Symphony

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Johannes Brahms (1833 - 1897) Symphony No. 1 Berlin Philharmonic; Herbert von Karajan, cond. DG 447 408

Peter Maxwell Davies (b. 1934) Symphony No. 1 BBC Philharmonic; Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, cond. Collins Classics 14352

On This Day

Births

• 1669 - French composer and organist Louis Marchand, in Lyons;

• 1813 - Russian composer Alexander Dargomizhsky (Gregorian date: Feb. 14);

• 1873 - Austrian operetta composer Leo Fall, in Olmütz;

• 1875 - Austrian-American composer and violinist Fritz Kreisler, in Vienna;

Deaths

• 1594 - Italian composer Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, age 68, in Rome;

• 1789 - French composer, organist and harpsichordist Armand-Louis Couperin, age 61, in Paris;

• 1934 - Brazilian composer and pianist Ernesto Nazareth, age 70, in Rio de Janeiro;

• 1974 - Belgian composer Jean Absil, age 80, in Brussels;

Premieres

• 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 83 ("Erfreute Zeit im neuen Bunde") performed on the Feast of the Purification as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24);

• 1725 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 125 ("Mit Fried und Frued ich fahr dahin") performed on the Feast of the Purification as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25);

• 1795 - Haydn: Symphony No. 102, in London at the King's Theater, with the composer conducting;

• 1884 - Loeffler: "Fantastic Concerto," by the Boston Symphony, Emil Paur conducting;

• 1890 - Dvorák: Symphony No. 8, Op. 88, in Prague, with the composer conducting;

• 1900 - Chadwick: "Adonais" (Elegiac Overture), by the Boston Symphony, Wilhelm Gericke conducting;

• 1900 - Gustave Charpentier: opera, "Louise," in Paris at the Opéra-Comique;

• 1920 - Stravinsky: ballet, "The Song of the Nightingale," at the Paris Opéra, with choreography by Massine;

• 1921 - Bretan: opera "Luceafarul" (The Evening Star), in Cluj, Romania;

• 1926 - Cowell: String Quartet No. 1 ("Quartett Pedantic"), at Aeolian Hall in New York City by the Ralph Henkle String Quartet;

• 1977 - Ned Rorem: "A Quaker Reader" for organ, in New York City;

• 1978 - Peter Maxwell Davies: Symphony No. 1, in London at Royal Festival Hall, by the Philharmonia Orchestra, Simon Rattle conducting.