Appraising Kurt Weill

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Kurt Weill (1900-1950) Mahagonny Suite Berlin Philharmonic; Mariss Jansons, cond. EMI 56573

On This Day

Births

• 1889 - Rumanian composer and violinist Grigoras Dinicu, in Bucharest; He is best known for his virtuoso violin showpiece "Hora staccato" (1906);

• 1895 - Italian-born American composer Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, in Florence;

Deaths

• 1850 - Bohemian composer Jan Václav Tomášek (Johann Wenzel Tomaschek), age 75, in Prague;

• 1868 - Swedish composer Frans Berwald, age 71, in Stockholm;

• 1897 - German composer Johannes Brahms, age 63, in Vienna;

• 1950 - German-born American composer Kurt Weill, age 50, in New York City;

• 1972 - American composer and arranger Ferde Grofé, age 80, in Santa Monica, Calif.;

Premieres

• 1748 - Handel: oratorio "Alexander Balus" (Julian date: March 23);

• 1786 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 24 in c, K. 491, at the Burgtheater in Vienna, with the composer as soloist;

• 1869 - Grieg: Piano Concerto in a, Op. 16, in Copenhagen, by the Danish Royal Theater Orchestra conducted by Holger Simon Paulli, and Edmund Neupert the soloist;

• 1911 - Sibelius: Symphony No. 4, in Helsinki, with the composer conducting;

• 1923 - Roussel: ballet "Le Festin de l'araignée" (The Spider's Feast), in Paris;

• 1925 - Holst: opera "At the Boar's Head," in Manchester;

• 1931 - Hindemith: "Concert Music,"by the Boston Symphony (commissioned for the orchestra's 50 th anniversary), with Serge Koussevitzky conducting;

• 1998 - Tan Dun: "Concerto for Six Players " in Durham, N.C., by the Bang On A Can All-Stars;

• 2003 - Elliott Carter: "Boston Concerto," by the Boston Symphony, Ingo Metzmacher conducting;

Others

• 1834 - The "Neue Zeitschrift für Musik" (New Journal of Music) begins publication, with Robert Schumann as contributing editor;

• 1843 - The Leipzig Conservatory opens, with Felix Mendelssohn as its director;

• 1871 - American premiere of Wagner's opera "Lohengrin," at the Stadt Theater in New York City;

• 1926 - American premiere of Sibelius' Symphony No. 7, by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting.