Synopsis
Many political deals started in smoke-filled rooms, but not many piano trios can claim such a venue for their inspiration. On today’s date in 1987, composer and pianist Paul Schoenfield joined a violinist and cellist from the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra for the premiere of one of them: Café Music, a new piano trio the orchestra had commissioned.
Here’s how Schoenfield explains it: “The idea came to me in 1985 after sitting in one night for the pianist at Murray’s Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge in Minneapolis. Murray’s employed a house trio which played entertaining dinner music in a wide variety of styles. My intention was to compose a kind of high-class dinner music — music which could be played at a restaurant but might also (just barely) find its way into a concert hall.” Much to Schoenfield’s surprise, Café Music did indeed become a concert hall hit.
Schoenfield said he had two lasting memories of that night he filled in at Murray’s: first, a realization of what hard work it was to play dinner music for hours on end, and second — in the days before smoke-free restaurants — how his clothes smelled of cigars and cigarettes for days afterwards!
Music Played in Today's Program
Paul Schoenfield (1947-2024): Café Music; Eroica Trio; EMI 56482
On This Day
Births
1851 - Flemish composer Jan Blockx, in Antwerp
1886 - German composer and conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler, in Berlin
1911 - American composer and pianist Julia Smith, in Denton, Texas
1913 - Polish composer Witold Lutoslawski, in Warsaw
1921 - American composer and conductor Alfred Reed, in New York City
Premieres
1817 - Rossini: opera, La Cenerentola (Cinderella), in Rome at the Teatro Valle
1902 - Franz Schmidt: Symphony No. 1, in Vienna
1909 - R. Strauss: opera Elektra, in Dresden at the Hofoper, conducted by Ernst von Schuch, with soprano Annie Krull in the title role
1946 - R. Strauss: Metamorphosen, in Zürich
1957 - Walton: Cello Concerto, by the Boston Symphony conducted by Charles Munch, with Gregor Piatigorsky the soloist
1963 - Karl Amadeus Hartmann: Symphony No. 8, by the West German Radio Symphony, Rafael Kubelik conducting
1987 - Paul Schoenfield: Café Music for piano trio at a Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra concert
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About Composers Datebook®
Host John Birge presents a daily snapshot of composers past and present, with timely information, intriguing musical events and appropriate, accessible music related to each.
He has been hosting, producing and performing classical music for more than 25 years. Since 1997, he has been hosting on Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Service. He played French horn for the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra and performed with them on their centennial tour of Europe in 1995. He was trained at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Eastman School of Music and Interlochen Arts Academy.