Elsa Barraine

Synopsis

Today’s date in 1910 marks the birthday in Paris of a French composer you perhaps have never heard of, but Elsa Barraine is well-deserving of your attention.

Barraine’s father was a cellist at the Paris Opera, and as a teen she attended the Paris Conservatory, studying composition with Paul Dukas. Olivier Messiaen was her classmate and remained a lifelong friend. She won several prizes for her compositions, including the prestigious Prix de Rome in 1929 when she was just 19.

Barraine worked at the French National Radio from 1936 to 1940. During World War II, she was heavily involved in the French Resistance, and from 1944 to 1947 was the Recording Director of the French record label Le Chant du Monde. In 1953 she joined the faculty at the Paris Conservatoire, where she taught until 1972, the year the French Ministry of Culture named her Director of Music. She died in 1999.

Barraine’s catalog of works includes a variety of vocal and instrumental works, an opera, ballets, and two symphonies, but her music is seldom performed today. We’re sampling one of her chamber works, a piece for French horn and piano, Crépuscules, or Twilights.

Music Played in Today's Program

Elsa Barraine (1910-1999): Crépuscules; Lin Foulk Baird, French Horn; Martha Fischer, piano; Centaur CRC-3857

On This Day

Births

• 1778 - Spanish composer and guitarist Fernando Sor, in Barcelona

• 1870 - American composer and virtuoso pianist Leopold Godowsky, in Soshly, near Vilnius

• 1946 - English composer Colin Matthews, in London

Deaths

• 1741 - Austrian composer Johann Joseph Fux, 80, in Vienna

• 1883 - German composer composer Richard Wagner, 69, in Venice

• 1968 - Italian composer Ildebrando Pizetti, 87, in Rome

Premieres

• 1724 - Bach: Sacred Cantata No. 181 (Leichgesinnte Flattergeister) and No. 18 (Gleichwie der Regen und Schnee) performed on Sexagesimae Sunday as part of Bach’s first annual Sacred Cantata cycle in Leipzig (1723/24).

• 1725 - Handel: opera Rodelinda, in London at the King’s Theater in the Haymarket (Gregorian date: Feb. 24). On May 6/17 that same year, the score to this opera was published, the first Handel score to be offered to the public by subscription.

• 1867 - Johann Strauss, Jr.: Blue Danube Waltz, in Vienna

• 1881 - Tchaikovsky: opera The Maid or Orleans, in St. Petersburg (Gregorian date: Feb. 25)

• 1926 - Honegger: opera Judith (second version), at the Monte Carlo Opéra;

• 1943 - William Schuman: Prayer in Time of War, by the Pittsburgh Symphony, Fritz Reiner conducting

• 1944 - Antheil: Symphony No. 4, by the NBC Symphony, Leopold Stokowski conducting

• 1956 - Toch: Peter Pan (A Symphonic Fairy Tale) for orchestra, in Seattle

• 1959 - Martinu: The Parables for orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, Charles Munch conducting

• 1961 - Bernstein: Symphonic Dances, from West Side Story, by the New York Philharmonic conducted by Lukas Foss

• 1978 - Roger Reynolds: Fiery Winds for orchestra, in New York

Others

• 1727 - Handel applies for British citizenship (Gregorian date: Feb. 24). Handel received his official citizenship seven days later, on Feb. 20/Mar. 3.

• 1914 - ASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is formally organized in New York City, with composer Victor Herbert as its first director