Synopsis
At the dawn of the 20th century, Teddy Roosevelt was president and America was in an upbeat, prosperous mood. Cultural affairs were not forgotten, either. To the already established American symphony orchestras in cities like New York, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati and San Francisco, new ensembles would spring up in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Cleveland, and Seattle.
In 1903, it was Minneapolis’ turn. On November 5 of that year, German-born musician Emil Oberhoffer led the first concert of the newly formed Minneapolis Symphony. In those days it was a 50-piece ensemble, but in the course of the next 100 years, would double in size and change its name to the Minnesota Orchestra.
As this is the Composers Datebook, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that the Minnesota Orchestra has enjoyed a special relationship with a number of leading American composers.
Aaron Copland conducted the orchestra on a memorable and televised Bicentennial Concert in 1976, and two young American composers, Stephen Paulus and Libby Larsen, served as composers-in-residence with the orchestra in the 1980s. The orchestra has also given the premiere performances of works by Charles Ives, John Adams, Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, Dominick Argento and Aaron Jay Kernis, among many others.
Music Played in Today's Program
Dominick Argento (1927-2019): A Ring of Time; Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue, conductor; Reference 91
On This Day
Births
1494 - German poet and songwriter (Master Singer) Hans Sachs, in Nuremberg. He is the subject of German Romantic operas by Lortzig (Hans Sachs, 1840) and Wagner (Die Meistersinger, 1868)
1935 - British composer Nicholas Maw, in Grantham, Lincolnshire
Deaths
1942 - American songwriter and vaudevillian George M. Cohan, 64, in New York City. He won the Congressional Medal for his patriotic song, Over There (recorded by Enrico Caruso among others).
1956 - American jazz pianist and improviser Art Tatum, 47, in Los Angeles
Premieres
1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 115 (Mache dich, Mein Geist, Bereit) performed on the 22nd Sunday after Trinity as part of Bach's second annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1724/25)
1846 - R. Schumann: Symphony No. 2, by Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, conducted by Felix Mendelssohn
1876 - Tchaikovsky: Marche Slav in Moscow (Gregorian date: Nov. 17)
1888 - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Nov. 17)
1895 - R. Strauss: tone-poem Till Eulenspiegels Merry Pranks, in Cologne, conducted by Franz Wüllner
1926 - de Falla: Harpsichord Concerto, with Wanda Landowska as soloist with the composer conducting
1927 - Shostakovich: Symphony No. 2 (To October), by the Leningrad Philharmonic and Academic Choir, Nikolai Malko conducting
1938 - Barber: Adagio for Strings and Essay for Orchestra No. 1, on a broadcast concert by the NBC Symphony, Arturo Toscanini conducting
1943 - Martinu: Concerto for Two Pianos, with Luboshutz and Nemenoff Duo, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting
1987 - Broadway premiere of Sondheim: musical Into the Woods
Others
1903 - First concert by a 50-member Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (the current Minnesota Orchestra), conducted by Emil Oberhoffer, with Metropolitan Opera soprano Marcella Sembrich as guest soloist
1955 - Karl Böhm conducts a performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio at the gala re-opening of Vienna Opera House (damaged by Allied bombs on March 12, 1945). During the rebuilding of the Opera House, performances had continued in two nearby Viennese halls: the Theatre and der Wien and the Volksoper.
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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.
