Synopsis
For the 1958-59 season of the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein, the orchestra’s newly-appointed music director, was eager to program as much new American music as he dared. As luck would have it, early in 1958, 35-year old American composer Ned Rorem had just returned from Europe with a new symphonic score.
“I wrote most of my Symphony No. 3 in France. It’s a big piece but not a commission — I was still writing for the love of it in those days… So I showed it to Lenny and he said ‘Okay, I’ll do it, but I wish you would re-orchestrate the slow movement entirely for strings.’ I replied ‘Sure,’ but didn’t, because Bernstein was always saying things like that and then would forget all about it,” he said.
The premiere of Rorem’s Symphony No. 3 — as written — occurred at Carnegie Hall on today’s date in 1959, but for its composer, the thrill was tempered by some harsher realities.
He recalled, “I came late to the first rehearsal because in those days I was living off unemployment insurance … and I had to go down and stand in line to pick up my check. I guess they managed without me because Lenny conducted four wonderful performances.”
Music Played in Today's Program
Ned Rorem (1923-2022): Symphony No. 3; Utah Symphony; Maurice Abravanel, conductor; Vox Box 5092
On This Day
Births
1893 - Spanish composer Federico Mompou, in Barcelona
1924 - American composer Henry Mancini, in Cleveland
Deaths
1846 - Italian composer and double-bass virtuoso Domenico Dragonetti, 83, in London
Premieres
1735 - Handel: opera Alcina, in London at the Covent Garden Theatre. This was Handel's last operatic success in London (Gregorian date: April 27).
1791 - Mozart: Symphony No. 40 (re-scored to include a pair of clarinets) is performed in Vienna at concerts conducted by Antonio Salieri
1849 - Meyerbeer: opera Le Prophète (The Prophet), at the Paris Opéra
1896 - Dvořák: String Quartet, at the Prague Conservatory, by four students (at the composer’s special request, on the first anniversary of his returning home from America)
1909 - Arthur Foote: Suite for Strings in E, by the Boston Symphony with Max Fiedler conducting
1942 - Barber: Second Essay for orchestra, in New York City
1945 - Leo Sowerby: Canticle of the Sun for chorus and orchestra, in New York City
1956 - Persichetti: Symphony No. 6 (Symphony for Band), in St. Louis, by the Washington University Chamber Band, Clark Mitze conducting
1959 - Ned Rorem: Symphony No. 3, by the New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting
1967 - Ligeti: Cello Concerto, by the Berlin Radio Symphony conducted by Henryk Czyz, with Siegfried Palm the soloist
1994 - David Ward-Steinman: Cinnabar Concerto for viola and chamber orchestra, at the University of San Diego, California, by the San Diego Contemporary Music Ensemble conducted by Lily Hood Gunn, with Karen Elaine as soloist
Others
1888 - American premiere of Verdi’s opera Otello, at the Academy of Music in New York City
1920 - American premiere of Debussy: Fantasie, by Boston Symphony, Pierre Monteux 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.