Copland at Yaddo

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Aaron Copland (1900–1990) Piano Variations Stephen Hough, piano Hyperion 67005

On This Day

Births

• 1870 - Hungarian-born Austrian composer Franz Léhar, in Komorn;

• 1939 - American composer Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, in Miami, Fla.; She was the first female composer to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music (in 1983 for her Symphony No. 1);

Premieres

• 1728 - Handel: opera "Tolomeo, re d'Egitto" (Ptolomy, King of Egypt), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: May 11);

• 1855 - Berlioz: "Te Deum," at the church of St. Eustache in Paris;

• 1902 - Debussy: opera "Pelléas and Mélisande," in Paris at the Opéra-Comique;

• 1925 - Hindemith: "Kammermusik" No. 3, Op. 36, no. 2, in Bochum, Germany, conducted by the composer with Rudolf Hindemith the cello soloist;

• 1934 - Stravinsky: opera "Persephone," at the Paris Opéra, with Ida Rubinsetin in the principal role (spoken part) and the composer conducting;

• 1973 - Lou Harrison: Concerto for Organ, at San Jose State University, with organist Philip Simpson;

• 1991 - Ellen Taaffe Zwilich: Bass Trombone Concerto, by soloist Charles Vernon with the Chicago Symphony, Daniel Barenboim conducting;

• 1994 - John Harbison: String Quartet No. 3, at Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass., by the Lydian String Quartet;

Others

• 1932 - Opening of the first "Yaddo" Festival of Contemporary Music at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.