Andrzej Panufnik

Synopsis

Today’s date in 1914 marks the birthday of Polish-born composer and conductor Andrzej Panufnik, whose life was dramatic — and romantic — enough for a Netflix mini-series.

It involved resisting the Nazis in war-torn Warsaw, struggles with the Communist Party in the post-war years, a daring Swiss escape to Great Britain worthy of a John Le Carré novel, love affairs and marriages with beautiful women, the tragic death of one of his children, and long years trying to balance the demands of his conducting and composing careers. And, despite the admiration of some of the biggest names in classical music, for years his music met with indifference from the general public.

But at this point in the mini-series, cue the triumphant grand finale soundtrack theme. In the closing decades of his life, Panufnik won increasing recognition as one of the 20th century’s finest composers and was showered with high-profile commissions by major orchestras around the world.

Panufnik refused to return to Poland until democracy was restored in 1990. Shortly before his death in 1991, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, and posthumously awarded the Polonia Restituta Medal by his native land.

Music Played in Today's Program

Andrzej Panufnik (1914-1991): Old Polish Suite; Polish Chamber Orchestra; Mariusz Smolij, conductor; Naxos 8.570032

On This Day

Births

• 1914 - Polish composer and conductor Andrzej Panufnik, in Warsaw

• 1919 - Czech-born American composer Vaclav Nelhybel, in Polanska

• 1945 - English composer and conductor John Rutter, in London

Deaths

• 1813 - Belgian-born French composer André Grétry, 72, in Montmorency

• 1892 - Irish-born American bandmaster and composer Patrick Gilmore, 62, in St. Louis

Premieres

• 1909 - Rimsky-Korsakov: opera The Golden Cockerel, posthumously, in Moscow (Gregorian date: Oct. 7)

• 1962 - Barber: Piano Concerto, with soloist John Browning and the Boston Symphony conducted by Erich Leinsdorf; This performance was the second concert scheduled at the newly-opened Philharmonic Hall (now Avery Fisher Hall) at Lincoln Center in New York City

• 1965 - George Rochberg: Black Sounds for winds and percussion, on a Lincoln Center television broadcast (as a ballet by Anna Sokolov under the title "The Act")

• 1992 - Tobias Picker: Bang! by the New York Philharmonic, Kurt Masur onducting (A New York Philharmonic 150th Anniversary commission)

• 1994 - Zwilich: American Concerto for trumpet and orchestra, at the inaugural concert of the California Center for the Arts in Escondido, by the San Diego Symphony, JoAnn Faletta conducting, with soloist Doc Severinson

Others

• 1947 - German-born composer Hans Eisler is questioned about his former membership in the Communist Party by the House Committee on Un-American activities. Eisler had been a member of the Party in the 1920s, left Germany when Hitler came to power in 1933, and had been working in Hollywood on film scores and as the musical assistant to Charlie Chaplin. He left the U.S. in 1948 and settled in East Germany, where he composed that country's national anthem.