Synopsis
Crossword puzzle solvers know the three-letter answer to the clue “Composer Brian” is: E-N-O. But even fans of this British composer, performer and producer might not know his full name, which is Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno.
Brian Eno was born in Suffolk, England on today’s date in 1948. He studied painting and music, and in his early 20s played synthesizer with the glam rock band Roxy Music before embarking on a solo career. In 1978, he released the album Music for Airports, which was, quite literally, meant as calming music that could be played in airports, since Eno was so annoyed by the inane, perky muzak he usually heard there.
Eno coined the term “ambient music” to describe his album, whose release coincided with the early days of minimalist movement, itself a reaction to music deemed too complex and complicated.
“I was quite sick of music that was overstuffed,” Eno said, commenting, “In the late 60s and early 70s, recording went from two-track to four-track to eight-track to 16-track to 32-track, and music got more and more grandiose, sometimes with good effect, but quite often not.”
Music Played in Today's Program
Brian Eno (b. 1948): Music for Airports; Brian Eno, synthesizers; Polydor 2310 647
On This Day
Births
1567 - Baptismal date of Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, in Cremona
1808 - Irish composer Michael William Balfe, in Dublin
1908 - Swedish composer Lars-Erik Larsson, in Akarp (near Lund)
1941 - American composer and pianist Richard Wilson, in Cleveland
Premieres
1913 - Debussy: ballet Jeux (Games), at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées by the Ballet Russe, Pierre Monteux conducting
1920 - Stravinsky: ballet Pulcinella, by Ballet Russe at the Paris Opéra, with Ernest Ansermet conducting
1939 - Douglas Moore: opera The Devil and Daniel Webster, in New York City
1949 - Hindemith: Concerto for Winds, Harp and Orchestra, in New York
1949 - Randall Thompson: Symphony No. 3, Columbia University, in New York, Thor Johnson conducting
1958 - Cage: Piano Concerto, in New York City
1960 - Shostakovich: String Quartet No. 7, in Leningrad, by the Beethoven Quartet
1972 - Rochberg: String Quartet No. 3, at Tully Hall in New York City, by the Concord Quartet
1992 - Stephen Paulus: Air on Seurat (The Grand Canal), for cello and piano, at the National Cello Competition at Arizona State University in Phoenix, Arizona
1993 - Steve Reich: opera The Cave, in Vienna at the Wiener Festspielhaus
Others
1750 - First documented report of an audience standing during the “Hallelujah Chorus” of Handel's Messiah. On May 1 and 15 in 1750, Messiah had been performed as a benefit for the Foundling Hospital charity (Gregorian dates: May 12 and 26, respectively).
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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.