Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Igor Stravinsky (1882–1971) Symphony of Psalms The Monteverdi Choir; London Symphony; John Eliot Gardiner, cond. DG 436 789

On This Day

Births

• 1676 - French composer and organist, Louis Nicolas Clérambault, in Paris;

• 1825 - American composer George Frederick Bristow, in Brooklyn, N.Y.;

• 1894 - German composer Paul Dessau, in Hamburg;

Premieres

• 1865 - Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 1, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Dec. 31);

• 1873 - Tchaikovsky: symphonic fantasia "The Tempest" (after Shakespeare), in Moscow (Julian date: Dec. 7);

• 1890 - Tchaikovsky: opera, "Pique Dame," in St. Petersburg, at the Mariinsky Theatre, Eduard Napravnik conducting (Julian date: Dec. 7);

• 1919 - Griffes: "The White Peacock" (orchestral version), by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting;

• 1930 - American premiere of Stravinsky: "Symphony of Psalms," by the Boston Symphony under Serge Koussevitzky (who commissioned the work to celebrate the Boston Symphony's 50th Anniversary); The world premiere had occurred in Brussels on December 13, 1930, conducted by Ernest Ansermet;

• 1991 - Corigliano: opera "The Ghosts of Versailles," in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera;

• 2002 - Rodion Shchedrin: “The Enchanted Wanderer” for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra, by the New York Choral Artists and New York Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel conducting;