Dvořák reviewed

Synopsis

In 1885, a 20-year old violinist named Franz Kneisel came to America to become concertmaster of the Boston Symphony. That same year he formed the Kneisel Quartet, the first professional string quartet in America. For the next 30 years, their concerts were major musical events.

On today’s date in 1894, this review of a Kneisel Quartet performance appeared in the Boston Globe:

“It was one of the most interesting concerts ever given in Chickering Hall. First on the program was the Dvorák Quartet in F Major, which has never before been played in public. It was given a private performance in New York recently, and the composer was so pleased with the playing of the Kneisels that he gave them the manuscript which they used last night.”

“This composition,” the reviewer continued, “was written last summer and … the melodious parts strongly recall the type of music that the composer says he had in mind when he wrote the quartet … [The performance] was exceptionally good, and the listeners were stirred to a high pitch of enthusiasm. It is safe to say that the Dvorák quartet is a success.”

Not a bad “morning after” review for the premiere of Dvorák’s famous “American” Quartet, Op. 96.

Music Played in Today's Program

Antonín Dvořák (1841 –1904) String Quartet, Op 96 (American) Keller Quartet Warner 44355

On This Day

Births

• 1732 - Baptism of Bohemian composer Frantisek Xaver Brixi, in Prague;

• 1837 - Russian composer Mily Balakirev, in Nizhny-Novgorod (Julian date: Dec. 21, 1836);

• 1913 - American composer Gardner Read, in Evanston, Illinois;

• 1905 - British composer Sir Michael Tippett, in London;

Deaths

• 1780 - German composer Johann Ludwig Krebs, age 65, in Altenburg;

• 1915 - Austro-Hungarian composer Karl Goldmark, age 84, in Vienna;

Premieres

• 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 153 ("Schau, lieber Gott, wie meine Feind") performed on the Sunday after New Year's Day as part of Bach's first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24);

• 1735 - Bach: Part 5 ("Ehre sei dir, Gott, gesungen") of the 6-part "Christmas Oratorio," S. 248, in Leipzig;

• 1843 - Wagner: opera, "Der fliegende Holländer" (The Flying Dutchman), in Dresden at the Hoftheater, conducted by the composer;

• 1936 - Morton Gould: "Chorale and Fugue in Jazz," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting;

• 2000 - Christopher Rouse: "Concert de Guadi" for guitar and orchestra, in Hamburg(Germany), by guitarist Sharon Isbin and the NDR (North German Radio) Symphony, Christoph Eschenbach conducting; On the same program was the premiere of Bright Sheng's "Nanking! Nanking!" for orchestra;

Others

• 1955 - Canadian pianist Glenn Gould plays his first U.S. recital in Washington, D.C.