Synopsis
Mountains can have unforeseen consequences on the imagination.
For Philadelphia-native Melinda Wagner, serving as a composer-in-residence at a music festival in Vail, Colorado, this resulted in the composition of a new Trombone Concerto, a piece tailor-made for Joseph Alessi, the principal trombonist of the New York Philharmonic.
“During my free moments in Vail, I found myself gazing — in disbelief really — at the jagged, youthful beauty of the Rockies. By comparison, ‘my’ mountains — the old Endless, Allegheny, and Pocono ranges of Pennsylvania — seemed to be no more than a set of soft wrinkles in the skin of the earth!” said Wagner. “Nobility and power, hallmarks of the trombone sound, are words that come to mind in the presence of mountains, old and new. And a truly great musician, as I learned while hearing Joseph Alessi play, can coax so much more out of the trombone: aching tenderness, sadness, lyricism, mirth.”
Alessi gave the premiere performance of Wagner’s new concerto on today’s date in 2007, with the New York Philharmonic conducted by Lorin Maazel. She’s also written three major orchestral works for the Chicago Symphony, including Extremity of Sky, a piano concerto for Emanuel Ax.
Music Played in Today's Program
Melinda Wagner (b. 1957): Trombone Concerto; New York Philharmonic; Lorin Maazel, conductor; Bridge 9345
On This Day
Births
1810 - Polish composer and pianist Frederic Chopin, in Zelazowa Wola (This is the date contained in the composer’s baptismal certificate. Chopin gave March 1, 1810, as his birthdate)
1817 - Danish composer Niels W. Gade, in Copenhagen
1961 - American composer Lowell Liebermann, in New York City
Deaths
1903 - Austrian composer Hugo Wolf, 42, in Vienna
Premieres
1878 - Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4, in Moscow, with Nikolai Rubinstein conducting (Julian date: Feb. 10)
1881 - Bruch: Scottish Fantasy, in Liverpool, with the composer conducting and Joseph Joachim as soloist
1890 - Brahms: Piano Trio No. 1 (revised version), in Vienna, at one of the Rosé Chamber Concerts, with the composer at the piano. The first version of this Trio, composed in 1854, received one of its first public performances ever in New York City on November 27, 1855.
1907 - Ravel: Introduction and Allegro, in Paris
1938 - Kabalesvky: opera Colas Breugnon, in Leningrad
1941 - Paul Creston: Symphony No. 1, in New York City
1941 - Morton Gould: Latin American Symphonette, in Brooklyn, New York
1945 - Virgil Thomson: Symphony on a Hymn Tune, in New York City, with the composer conducting
1962 - Benjamin Lees: Concerto for Orchestra No. 1, in Rochester, New York
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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.