La Scena Musicale

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: October 25 (Bizet, J. Strauss II)

1838 - Georges Bizet, Paris, France; composer and pianist

Wikipedia
Grove's Dictionary biography

Julia Migenes Johnson sings the Habanera from Carmen (1985 film)


Minuet from L'Arlésienne Suite No. 2 (Bulent Evcil, flute, with the Instanbul State Symphony Orchestra)



1825 - Johann Strauss II, Vienna, Austria; violinist, conductor, composer

Wikipedia

Herbert von Karajan conducts the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra in "Unter Donner und Blitz" (New Year's Eve concert, Vienna 1987)


Kiri Te Kanawa sings "Klange der Heimat" (Czsárdás) from Die Fledermaus (Covent Garden 1984, Placido Domingo conducting)

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Friday, October 24, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: October 24 (Gobbi, Studer)

1913 - Tito Gobbi, Bassano del Grappa, Italy; opera baritone

Wikipedia
Associazione musicale Tito Gobbi

Tito Gobbi and Maria Callas perform the final scene of Act II of Puccini's Tosca (Covent Garden, 1964)


Gobbi sings "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1956, Carlo Maria Giulini
conducting)



1955 - Cheryl Studer, Midland, Michigan, U.S.A.; opera soprano

Wikipedia
Home page

Cheryl Studer sings "Allmacht Ge Junfrau" from Wagner's Tannhäuser (Bayreuth, 1990)

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: October 23 (Lortzing, Rorem)

1801 - Albert Lortzing, Berlin, Germany; composer, actor and singer

Wikipedia
Albert Lortzing website

"Heil, sei dem Tag" from Zar und Zimmerman (with Hans Sotin; Hamburg State Opera production, conductor Charles Mackerras, 1969)



1923 - Ned Rorem, Richmond, Indiana, U.S.A.; composer

Wikipedia
Official website

Rorem's Romeo and Juliet for flute and guitar, 8th mvt. (Ryu Cipris, flute, and Max Zuckerman, guitar, Baltimore, 2006)


Anne Hogan sings three songs by Ned Rorem (Dublin, 2008)

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Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Today's Birthday in Music: October 22 (Liszt)

1811 - Franz Liszt, Raiding, Hungary; pianist and composer

Wikipedia

Claudio Arrau plays "Jeux d'eau à la Villa d'Este" from Les Années de Pèlerinage (Boston, 1983)


Martha Argerich plays Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 1, 1st mvt. (Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Christoph von Dohnanyi conducting, Berlin 1981)

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Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: October 21 (Canteloube, Solti)

1879 - Joseph Canteloube, Annonay, France; composer

Wikipedia

Kiri Te Kanawa sings "Bailero" from Chants d'Auvergne (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Carl Davis conducting, London 1989)



1912 - Georg Solti, Budapest, Hungary; conductor

Wikipedia
Official website

Solti conducts the London Philharmonic Orchestra in Beethoven's Egmont overture (Cagliari, Italy, 1996)

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Monday, October 20, 2008

Today's Birthdays in Music: October 20 (Ives, Pogorelić)

1874 - Charles Ives, Danbury, U.S.A.; composer

Charles Ives Society official website

The Unanswered Question (New York Philharmonic, Leonard Bernstein conducting; William Vacchiano solo trumpet)



1958 - Ivo Pogorelić, Belgrade, Serbia; pianist

Wikipedia

Pogorelić plays Chopin's Polonaise Op. 44

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Sunday, October 19, 2008

Today's Birthday in Music: October 19 (Gilels)

1916 - Emil Gilels, Odessa, Ukraine; pianist

Biography and pictures

Emil Gilels plays:

Prokofiev's Sonata No. 3, Op. 28 (live at the Moscow Conservatory, 1978)


Tchaikovsky's Piano Concert No. 1, 3rd mvt. (conductor Zubin Mehta, New York 1979)

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