Anderson and Golijov for the record

Synopsis

It’s a mark success when a new musical work is recorded shortly after its premiere, and even more when the recording session is the premiere. But that was the case with many works written by American composer Leroy Anderson, whose short and tuneful compositions from the 1940s, 50s and 60s proved enormously popular during his lifetime.

On June 20, 1962, Anderson was at New York’s Manhattan Center, conducting for Decca Records the premiere of his Clarinet Candy. By recording in the summer months, when many of New York’s best symphonic players were available for studio work, he was able to round up top-notch musicians for his recording sessions.

Contemporary Argentinean-born composer Osvaldo Golijov has also proved popular enough to have many of his new works recorded either at their premieres or shortly thereafter. This Klezmer-style clarinet piece, Rocketekya, was written for the 20th anniversary of New York’s Merkin Hall. Golijov explained, “I thought it would be interesting to write a different sort of celebratory piece, and I had an idea of a shofar blasting inside a rocket — an ancient sound propelled toward the future.”

Music Played in Today's Program

Leroy Anderson (1908-1975): Clarinet Candy; Decca Studio Orchestra; Leroy Anderson, conductor; MCA 9815

Osvaldo Golijov (b. 1960): Rocketekya; David Krakauer, clarinet; Alicia Svigals, violin; Martha Mooke, electric viola; Pablo Aslan, contrabass; Naxos 8.559403

On This Day

Births

• 1756 - German-Swedish composer Joseph Martin Kraus, in Miltenberg, near Mainz

• 1819 - German-born French cellist and operetta composer Jacques Offenbach, in Cologne

• 1931 - Norwegian composer Arne Nordheim, in Larvik

Deaths

• 1787 - German-born, London-based composer, gamba virtuoso and concert impresario Carl Friedrich Abel, 63, in London. He was a friend and associate of Johann Christian Bach (the “London“ Bach).

• 1940 - French organ composer Jehan Alain, 29, killed in action at Petits-Puis, near Saumur

Premieres

• 1716 - Handel: Concerto Grosso No. 4a, at the King’s Theater in London, performed between the acts of Handel’s opera Amadigi di Gaula (Gregorian date: July 1)

• 1901 - Elgar: Cockaigne Overture: In London Town, at a London Philharmonic concert

• 1938 - Jerome Moross: ballet, Frankie and Johnny, by the Page-Stone Ballet at the Great Northern Theater in Chicago. This production was part of the Federal Theater Project.

• 1947 - Britten: opera Albert Herring, at the Glyndebourne Opera

• 1952 - Hindemith: opera Cardillac (second version) in Zürich at the Stadttheater

• 1961 - Paul Creston: Dance Variations for soprano and orchestra, at Lewisohn Stadium by the Stadium Symphony (New York Philharmonic), Pierre Monteux conducting and Roberta Peters the vocal soloist

• 1962 - Leroy Anderson: Clarinet Candy at a Decca recording session in New York City, with the composer conducting. The four clarinet soloist for this classic recording were Vincent Abato, Herbert Blayman, Roger Hiller and Bernard Portnoy.

• 1969 - Penderecki: opera The Devils of Loudun, in Hamburg at the Staatsoper

Others

• 1948 - At the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, Edward Wallerstein conducts the first public demonstration of the revolutionary Columbia Records 33-rpm Long Playing (LP) discs for 50 members of the press.