Beethoven's Fourth

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 – 1827) Symphonies Nos. 3 and 4 Chamber Orchestra of Europe; Nikolaus Harnoncourt, cond. Teldec 46452

On This Day

Births

• 1835 - Austrian composer and conductor Eduard Strauss, in Vienna; He was the youngest son of Johann Strauss, Sr.;

• 1864 - Norwegian composer, conductor and violinist Johan Halvorsen, in Drammen;

• 1901 - American composer Colin McPhee, in Montréal, Canada;

• 1926 - American composer Ben Johnston, in Macon, Ga.;

• 1928 - American composer Nicolas Flagello, in New York City;

Deaths

• 1842 - Italian composer Luigi Cherubini, age 81, in Paris;

• 1918 - French composer Lili Boulanger, age 24, in Mezy;

• 1942 - Austrian composer Alexander von Zemlinsky, age 70, in Larchmont, N.Y.;

Premieres

• 1807 - Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 (first public performance), in Vienna, at a benefit concert conducted by the composer;

• 1885 - Franck: symphonic poem "Les Dijinns" (The Genies), in Paris;

• 1897 - Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 (Gregorian date: Mar. 27);

• 1908 - Ravel: "Rapsodie espagnole" (Spanish Rhapsody), in Paris;

• 1911 - Scriabin: Symphony No. 5 ("Prometheus: Poem of Fire"), in Moscow, conducted by Serge Koussevitzky and with the composer performing the solo piano part (Julian date: Mar. 2);

• 1981 - Stockhausen: opera "Donnerstag, aus Licht" (Thursday, from Light), in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala; This is one of a projected cycle of seven operas, each named after a day of the week;

• 1994 - Peter Maxwell Davies: "Chat Moss" (the name of a quagmire in Lancashire) for orchestra, in Liverpool by the orchestra of St. Edward's College, John Moseley conducting;

• 2000 - Corigliano: "Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems of Bob Dylan," at Carnegie Hall, by soprano Sylvia McNair and pianist Martin Katz; An orchestrated version of this song-cycle premiered in Minneapolis on October 23, 2003, with soprano Hila Plitmann and the Minnesota Orchestra conducted by Robert Spano;

Others

• 1895 - Italian tenor Enrico Caruso, age 22, makes his operatic debut at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples, singing the lead tenor role in Domenico Morelli's comic opera "L'Amico Francesco."