Enescu's Greatest Hit

Synopsis

In Bucharest on today’s date in the year 1903, a 21 year-old Romanian composer named Georges Enescu conducted the premiere of two “Romanian Rhapsodies” he had written. These flashy orchestra showpieces quickly became his most popular works—a little to the composer’s later chagrin. He came to feel—and quite rightly—that the HUGE success of these toe-tappers had come to overshadow all his other compositions and accomplishments.

Enescu had good reason to be proud: In addition to being a fine composer and conductor, he was one of the great virtuoso violinists of his day. As both a conductor and violinist, he appeared with most of the great orchestras of Europe and America. For his 1923 American debut he appeared with the Philadelphia Orchestra in the triple role of conductor, violinist, and composer. Enescu wrote impressive symphonies, chamber music, and even an opera based on the Greek legend of Oedipus. As a teacher and general musical mentor, Enescu could count the great violinist Yehudi Menuhin as one of his star pupils and most devoted admirers.

Enescu died in Paris in 1955. Even though he had severed relations with his now Communist homeland, the Romanian government revered him as their great national composer: His native village, a street in Bucharest, and the State Philharmonic were all renamed in his honor.

Despite all that, for most music lovers, sad to say, the name “Enescu” equals “Romanian Rhapsodies” and little else.

Music Played in Today's Program

Georges Enescu (1881 - 1955) Romanian Rhapsody No 1 Dallas Symphony; Eduardo Mata, cond. RCA/BMG 63586

On This Day

Births

• 1714 - German composer Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (the third son of J.S. Bach), in Weimar;

• 1904 - Greek composer Nikos Skalkottas, on the island of Euboca;

• 1911 - American composer Alan Hovhaness, in Somerville, Mass.;

Deaths

• 1869 - French composer Hector Berlioz, age 62, in Paris;

• 1957 - Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck, age 70, in Zurich;

• 1961 - British conductor and arranger Sir Thomas Beecham, age 81, in London;

• 1983 - English composer and conductor Sir William Walton, age 80, in Ischia;

Premieres

• 1752 - Handel: oratorio "Jephtha," in London (Julian date: Feb. 26);

• 1896 - Rachmaninoff: symphonic fantasy "The Rock," in Moscow (Gregorian date: Mar. 20);

• 1898 - R. Strauss: tone-poem "Don Quixote," in Cologne, Wüllner conducting;

• 1902 - Sibelius: Symphony No. 2, by the Helsinki Philharmonic, with the composer conducting;

• 1903 - Enescu: "Rumanian Rhapsodies" Nos. 1 and 2, in Bucharest, with the composer conducting;

• 1934 - Piston: "Concerto for Orchestra," by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting;

• 1954 - Stravinsky: "Three Songs from William Shakespeare," at an "Evenings on the Roof" concert in Los Angeles conducted by Robert Craft;

• 1956 - David Diamond: Symphony No. 6, by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting;

• 1957 - Xenakis: "Pithoprakta," in Munich;

• 1979 - Rihm: opera "Jakob Lenz," in Hamburg at the Opera stabile (Staatsoper);

• 1991 - Daniel Asia: "At the Far Edge" for orchestra, by the Seattle Youth Symphony, Ruben Gurevich conducting;

• 2000 - Karen Tanaka: "At the Grave of Beethoven" for string quartet, in London, by the Brodsky Quartet;

• 2000 - John Tavener: "The Lord's Prayer," in Guildford (England), by the Tallis Scholars.