Salzedo and the Harp

Synopsis

Carlos Salzedo, the most influential harpist of the 20th century, was born in Arcachon, France, on today’s date in 1885. Salzedo transformed the harp into a virtuoso instrument, developing new techniques showcased in his own compositions and that others like Stravinsky, Schoenberg, and Britten adopted in theirs.

In 1921, Salzedo and Edgard Varese co-founded the International Composers Guild, promoting works by progressive composers like Bartok and Honegger. Salzedo’s compositions for harp include both transcriptions as well as original works like Scintillation, probably his most famous piece, and Four Preludes to the Afternoon of a Telephone, based on the phone numbers of four of his students.

He taught at the Curtis Institute and the Juilliard School, and offered summer courses in Camden, Maine. Hundreds of Salzedo pupils filled harp positions with major orchestras around the world. Salzedo himself entered the Paris Conservatory at 9 and won the premiere prize in harp and piano when he was 16. He came to America in 1909 at the invitation of Arturo Toscanini, who wanted him as harpist at the Metropolitan Opera, and — curious to note — Salzedo died in the summer of 1961, at 76, while adjudicating Metropolitan Opera regional auditions in Maine.

Music Played in Today's Program

Carlos Salzedo (1885-1961): Scintillation; Carlos Sazledo, harp; Mercury LP MG-80003

On This Day

Births

• 1660 - German composer and organist Johann Kuhnau, in Geising Erzgebirge; He was Bach's predecessor as cantor at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig

• 1672 - Baptismal date of French composer André Cardinal Destouches, in Paris

• 1815 - German composer Friedrich Robert Volkman, in Lommatzsch, near Dresden

• 1885 - French-born American composer and harpist Carlos Salzedo, in Arcachon

• 1887 - Rumanian opera composer Nicolas Bretan, in Nasaud

• 1921 - American composer Andrew Imbrie, in New York City

• 1929 - Soviet composer Edison Denisov, in Tomak. His engineer father named him after Thomas Edison.

• 1929 - German-born American composer, pianist and conductor, André Previn, in Berlin

Deaths

• 1971 - Russian-born American composer Igor Stravinsky, 88, in New York City

Premieres

• 1731 - Handel: opera Rindalo (second version), in London at the King's Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: April 17)

• 1735 - Handel: Organ Concerto No. 5 (Julian date: March 26)

• 1797 - Beethoven: possible public premiere of the Quintet for Piano and Winds, Op. 16, at a Schuppanzig concert in Vienna

• 1892 - Dvorak: Symphony No. 4, in Prague

• 1900 - Amy Beach: Piano Concerto, by the Boston Symphony with Wilhelm Gericke conducting and the composer as soloist

• 1945 - Randall Thompson: The Testament of Freedom (to texts by Thomas Jefferson) for men's chorus and orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, Serge Koussevitzky conducting. This was the first performance with orchestra; The world premiere (with piano accompaniment) had taken place at the University of Virginia on April 13, 1943.

• 1964 - Stravinsky: Elegy for J.F.K., in Los Angeles, conducted by Robert Craft

• 1967 - Miklós Rózsa: Piano Concerto, by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, with Leonard Pennario as soloist