A belated Elgar premiere

Synopsis

We probably have the irrepressible playwright, music critic, and ardent socialist George Bernard Shaw to thank for this music—the Third Symphony of Sir Edward Elgar.

Shaw had been trying to persuade Elgar to write a Third Symphony, and, early in 1932, had written to Elgar: "Why don't you make the BBC order a new symphony. It can afford it!" A few months later, Shaw dashed off a postcard with a detailed, albeit tongue-in-cheek program for the new work: "Why not a Financial Symphony? Allegro: Impending Disaster; Lento mesto: Stone Broke; Scherzo: Light Heart and Empty Pocket; Allegro con brio: Clouds Clearing."

Well, there was a worldwide depression in 1932, but the depression that had prevented Elgar from tacking a new symphony was more personal: the death of his beloved wife in 1920. Despite describing himself as "a broken man," unable to tackle any major projects, when Elgar died in 1934, he left behind substantial sketches for a Third Symphony, commissioned, in fact, by the BBC.

Fast forward 64 years, to February 15th, 1998, when the BBC Symphony gave the premiere performance of Elgar's Third at Royal Festival Hall in London, in a performing version, or "elaboration" of Elgar's surviving sketches, prepared by the contemporary British composer Anthony Payne. It was a tremendous success, and, we would like to think, somewhere in the hall the crusty spirit of George Bernard Shaw was heard to mutter: "Well—about time!"

Music Played in Today's Program

Edward Elgar (1857-1934) Symphony No. 3 (elaborated by Anthony Payne) BBC Symphony; Andrew Davis, conductor. NMC 053

On This Day

Births

• 1571 - possible birth date of German composer Michael Praetorius, in Creuzberg an der Werra, near Eisenach;

• 1847 - Austrian composer Robert Fuchs, in Frauenthal, Styria;

• 1899 - French composer Georges Auric, in Lodève;

• 1907 - French composer and organist Jean Langlais, in La Fontenelle;

• 1947 - American composer John Adams, in Worcester, Mass.;

• 1949 - American composer Christopher Rouse, in Baltimore, Maryland;

Deaths

• 1621 - German composer Michael Praetorius, supposedly on his 50th birthday, in Wolfenbüttel;

• 1857 - Russian composer Mikhail Glinka, age 52, in Berlin;

• 1887 - Russian composer Alexander Borodin (Gregorian date: Feb. 27);

• 1974 - Swedish composer Kurt Atterberg, age 86, in Stockholm;

• 1992 - American composer William Schuman, age 81 in New York; He won the first Pulitzer Prize for Music in 1943 for his Walt Whitman cantata, "A Free Song";

Premieres

• 1686 - Lully: opera "Armide et Renaud," (after Tasso) in Paris;

• 1845 - Verdi: opera "Giovanna D'Arco" (Joan of Arc) in Milan at the Teatro all Scala;

• 1868 - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 1 ("Winter Dreams") (first version), in Moscow (Julian date Feb. 3); A revised version of this symphony premiered in Moscow on Nov. 19/Dec. 1, 1883;

• 1874 - Bizet: "Patrie" Overture, in Paris, by the Concerts Pasedeoup;

• 1884 - Tchaikovsky: opera "Mazeppa" in Moscow at the Bolshoi Theater (Julian date: Feb. 3);

• 1919 - Loeffler: "Music for Four Stringed Instruments" at New York's Aeolina Hall by the Flonzaley Quartet;

• 1939 - Miakovsky: Symphony No. 19 for wind band, in Moscow;

• 1945 - Paul Creston: Symphony No. 2, by the New York Philharmonic, with Arthur Rodzinski conducting;

• 1947 - Korngold: Violin Concerto, by the St. Louis Symphony, with Jascha Heifetz as soloist;

• 1958 - Diamond: orchestral suite "The World of Paul Klee," in Portland, Ore.;

• 1965 - B.A. Zimmermann: opera "Die Soldaten" (The Soldiers), in Cologne at the Städtische Oper;

Others

• 1940 - American Music Center, a library and information center for American composers, is founded in New York City.