Synopsis
On today’s date in 1930, Igor Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms received its American premiere by the Boston Symphony. Russian-born conductor and new music impresario Serge Koussevitzky had commissioned the work to celebrate the Boston Symphony’s 50th anniversary.
Stravinsky said later that for some time he had been carrying around the idea for a choral symphony based on Psalm texts. Since Koussevitzky’s commission was for “anything Stravinsky had on his mind” that is exactly what emerged.
Even though Stravinsky is on record stating that “music is, by its very nature, essentially powerless to express anything at all,” in Symphony of Psalms, Stravinsky gave powerful expression to his own deep religious convictions. Koussevitzky’s performance was supposed to be the world premiere of the new work, but the conductor took ill, forcing the world premiere in Boston — originally scheduled for December 12 — to be postponed until the 19. By then, a European performance of Stravinsky’s new score conducted by Ernest Ansermet had already occurred.
No matter. Koussevitzky had the satisfaction of knowing that he had commissioned a masterpiece. Stravinsky’s Symphony of Psalms has come to be regarded as one of the great sacred works of the 20th century.
Music Played in Today's Program
Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971): Symphony of Psalms; The Monteverdi Choir; London Symphony; John Eliot Gardiner, conductor; DG 436 789
On This Day
Births
1676 - French composer and organist, Louis Nicolas Clérambault, in Paris
1825 - American composer George Frederick Bristow, in Brooklyn, New York
1894 - German composer Paul Dessau, in Hamburg
Premieres
1865 - Rimsky-Korsakov: Symphony No. 1, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Dec. 31)
1873 - Tchaikovsky: symphonic fantasia The Tempest (after Shakespeare), in Moscow (Julian date: Dec. 7)
1890 - Tchaikovsky: opera, Pique Dame, in St. Petersburg, at the Mariinsky Theatre, Eduard Napravnik conducting (Julian date: Dec. 7)
1919 - Griffes: The White Peacock (orchestral version), by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting
1930 - American premiere of Stravinsky: Symphony of Psalms, by the Boston Symphony under Serge Koussevitzky (who commissioned the work to celebrate the Boston Symphony's 50th Anniversary). The world premiere had occurred in Brussels on December 13, 1930, conducted by Ernest Ansermet.
1991 - Corigliano: opera The Ghosts of Versailles, in New York City at the Metropolitan Opera
2002 - Rodion Shchedrin: The Enchanted Wanderer for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra, by the New York Choral Artists and New York Philharmonic, Lorin Maazel conducting
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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.