The reclusive Mr. Alkan departs the scene

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Charles Valentin Alkan (1813 – 1888) Etudes Nos. 5 and 1, fr Op. 35 Bernard Ringeissen, piano Naxos 555495

On This Day

Births

• 1902 - British composer Sir William Walton, in Oldham;

• 1936 - British composer Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, in Broadstairs;

Deaths

• 1697 - German composer and organist Nicolaus Bruhns, age c. 32, in Husum;

• 1888 - French composer Charles-Henri Alkan, age 75, in Paris;

• 1911 - French composer and organist Alexandre (Felix) Guilmant, age 74, in Meudon;

• 1924 - British composer Sir Charles Villiers Stanford, age 71, in London;

• 2001 - American jazz pianist and composer John Lewis, a member of the Modern Jazz Quartet, age 80, in New York;

Premieres

• 1795 - possible premiere of Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 2 in Bb, in Vienna, with the composer as soloist; This concerto was written and premiered before Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 1 in C, which was, however, published first;

• 1806 - Beethoven: "Leonore" Overture No. 3, as part of the second, revised version of the opera "Fidelio," at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna;

• 1836 - Wagner: opera "Das Liebesverbot" (The Ban on Love), in Magdeburg at the Stadttheater; Wagner's libretto is based on Shakespeare's play "Measure for Measure";

• 1874 - Dvorak: Symphony No. 3 in Eb, in Prague;

• 1879 - Tchaikovsky: opera "Eugene Onegin," in Moscow at the Malïy (Small) Theater (Julian date: Mar. 17);

• 1882 - Glazunov: Symphony No. 1, in St. Petersburg (Julian date: Mar. 17);

• 1892 - Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 1, Op. 1 (first movement only), in Moscow, Vasily Safanov conducting and with the composer as soloist (Julian date: Mar. 17);

• 1911 - Chadwick: "Suite Symphonique," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, with the composer conducting;

• 2000 - Bright Sheng: String Quartet No. 4, in Richmond, Va., by the Shanghai String Quartet;

Others

• 1871 - Royal Albert Hall is formally opened in London by Queen Victoria.