Bernstein does the town

Synopsis

Music Played in Today's Program

Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) On the Town excerpts New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, cond. CBS/Sony 39448

On This Day

Births

• 1812 - German composer, cellist and conductor Julius Rietz, in Berlin;

• 1837 - American composer, conductor, pianist and organist B. J. Lang, in Salem, Ma.;

• 1896 - American composer Roger Sessions, in Brooklyn;

Deaths

• 1937 - French composer Maurice Ravel, age 62, in Paris;

• 1963 - German composer Paul Hindemith, age 68, in Frankfurt;

Premieres

• 1720 - Handel: opera "Radamisto" (2nd version), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket, with the great Italian alto-castrato Senesino making his debut in one of Handel's works (Gregorian date: Jan. 8, 1721);

• 1737 - Handel: anthem "The Ways of Zion do Mourn"(Julian date: Dec. 17);

• 1894 - Henry Holden Huss: Piano Concerto in B, by the Boston Symphony, Emil Paur conducting, and the composer as soloist;

• 1925 - Gershwin: musical "Tip-Toes," at the Liberty Theater in New York City; This show included the classic Gershwin songs "Sweet and Low Down," "That Certain Feeling," and "These Charming People";

• 1930 - Cowell: Piano Concerto, in Havana, Cuba, by the Havana Philharmonic, with the composer at the piano;

• 1944 - Bernstein: musical "On the Town," in New York City at the Adelphi Theater; A trial run of this show had opened in Boston at the Colonial Theater on December 13, 1944; The 1944 Broadway production would run for 462 performances;

• 1944 - Miklós Rósza: Concerto for String Orchestra, in Los Angeles;

• 1948 - Miaskovsky: Symphony No. 26, in Moscow;

• 1952 - Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues for piano (part two of a two-part recital), in Leningrad, by pianist Tatyana Nikolayeva; See also Dec. 23rd;

Others

• 1945 - Igor Stravinsky becomes an American citizen;