Today's Birthdays in Music: January 31 (Schubert, Glass)

1797 - Franz Schubert, Vienna, Austria; composer

Wikipedia

Schubert documentary, Part 1


Schubert documentary, Part 2


Piano Quintet in A ("The Trout"), 4th mvt.  (Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta, Itzhak Perlman, Jacqueline DuPré, Pinchas Zuckerman)



1937 - Philip Glass, Baltimore, MD, U.S.A.; composer

Wikipedia

La Jolla Symphony and Chorus perform the North American premiere of Glass's Cello Concerto (Wendy Sutter, cello; Steven Schick, conductor)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 30 (Finley, Harrell)

1960 - Gerald Finley, Montreal, Canada; opera bass-baritone

Wikipedia
Official website

Gerald Finley sings "Batter, my heart" from John Adams's Doctor Atomic (Metropolitan Opera, 2008)



1944 - Lynn Harrell, New York City, U.S.A.; cellist

Wikipedia

Lynn Harrell's Cello Workshop


Lynn Harrell and James Levine play Mendelssohn's Cello Sonata No. 2 in D, 1st mvt.

Today's Birthday in Music: January 29 (Delius)

1862 - Frederick Delius, Bradford, England; composer

Wikipedia
Official website

"La Calinda" from Koanga


"Sunset" from Florida Suite (Welsh National Opera Orchestra, conducted by Charles Mackerras)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 28 (Arthur Rubinstein, Tavener)

1887 - Arthur Rubinstein, Łódź, Poland; pianist

Wikipedia
Arthur Rubinstein - The Artist

Arthur Rubinstein plays Chopin's Scherzo in B flat minor, Op. 31 (1973 recording)




1944 - John Tavener, Wembley, England; composer

Wikipedia
John Tavener - Life

The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, sings "The Lamb" (1998)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 27 (W.A. Mozart, Ehnes)

1756 - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Vienna, Austria; composer

Wikipedia

Symphony No. 41 in  C, K.551("Jupiter"), 3rd mvt. (Jeffrey Tate conducts the English Chamber Orchestra)


Clarinet concerto in A, K.622, 2nd mvt. (Eric Hoeprich, basset clarinet; orchestra of the Kölner Akademie, Michael Alexander Willens conducting.  Festival la Chaise-Dieu Abbatiale, 2005)


Leontyne Price sings "L'amerò, sarò costante" from Il Re Pastore with Izthak Perlman, violin; Zubin Mehta conducts the New York Philharmonic Orchestra (1980).



1976 - James Ehnes, Brandon, Canada; violinist

Wikipedia
Official website

James Ehnes plays the Largo from J.S. Bach's Sonata for violin solo #3 in C, BWV 1005

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 26 (Furtwängler, Dudamel)

1886 - Wilhelm Furtwängler, Berlin, Germany; conductor, composer

Wikipedia
"Genius forged in the cauldron of war"

Wilhelm Furtwängler conducts the Berlin Philharmonic in the Overture to Wagner's Die Meistersinger (1942)



1981 - Gustavo Dudamel, Barquisimeto, Venezuela; conductor, violinist

Wikipedia
Gustavo Dudamel website

Gustavo Dudamel conducts the Simon Bolivar Orchestra in Arturo Márquez's Danzón No. 2 (Promenade Concerts, London, 2007)

Today's Birthday in Music: January 25 (Lutosławski)

1913 - Witold Lutosławski, Warsaw, Poland; composer

Wikipedia

Witold Lutosławski conducts the London Sinfonietta in his Chain 1


Martha Argerich and Gabriela Montero play Lutosławski's Variations on a Theme of Paganini (Verbier Festival, 2007)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 24 (Farinelli, Hoffmann)

1705 - Farinelli (Carlo Boschi), Andria, Italy; castrato soprano

Wikipedia

1776 - E.T.A. Hoffmann, Königsberg, Germany; author, composer, music critic

Wikipedia

Harp Quintet by E.T.A. Hoffmann (Floraleda Sacchi, harp, with the Arion String Quartet)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 23 (Clementi, Żylis-Gara)

1752 - Muzio Clementi, Rome, Italy; composer

Wikipedia
Muzio Clementi Society website

Angela Hewitt plays the Presto from Clementi's Piano Sonata No.. 25, Op. 5



1935 - Teresa Żylis-Gara, Wilno, Poland; opera and concert soprano

Biography and pictures

Teresa Żylis-Gara sings "Gdyby rannem slonkiem" from Stanislav Moniuszko's Halka

Today's Birthday in Music: January 22 (R. Ponselle)

1897 - Rosa Ponselle, Meriden, CT, U.S.A.; opera soprano

Wikipedia
Rosa Ponselle Foundation website

Rosa Ponselle sings:

"Suicidio" from Ponchielli's La Gioconda (1925


"Pace, pace mio Dio" from Verdi's La Forza del Destino (1928)


Rosa and Carmela Ponselle sing Schubert's Ständchen (1926)

Today's Birthday in Music: January 21 (Domingo)

1941 - Plácido Domingo, Madrid, Spain; opera and concert tenor, conductor

Wikipedia
Official website

Plácido Domingo sings:

"E lucevan le stelle" from Puccini's Tosca (1992 production, on-site in Rome; Zubin Mehta conducting)



"No puede ser" from the zarzuela Luisa Fernanda by Federico Moreno Torroba (Operalia concert, 2006)


César Franck's Panis Angelicus at the Papal Mass for Pope Benedict, Washington Nationals Park (April 2008)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 20 (Chausson, Loriod)

1855 - Ernest Chausson, Paris, France; composer

Wikipedia

Elly Ameling sings Chausson's Le Colibri with Dalton Baldwin, piano (1980 recording)



1924 - Yvonne Loriod, Houilles, Seine-et-Oise, France; pianist

Biography

Yvonne Loriod plays "Le Moqueur Polyglotte" from Olivier Messiaen's Des Canyons aux étoiles

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 19 (Rattle, Hotter)

1955 - Simon Rattle, Liverpool, England; conductor

Wikipedia

Just Simon: Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmoniker



1909 - Hans Hotter, Offenbach am Main, Germany; opera bass-baritone

Wikipedia
Obituary (The Guardian, December 2003)

Hans Hotter sings "Die Frist ist Um" from Wagner's Der Fliegende Holländer

Today's Birthday in Music: January 18 (Ricciarelli)

1946 - Katia Ricciarelli, Rovigo, Italy; opera soprano

Wikipedia
Official website (in Italian)

Katia Ricciarelli sings:

The Mad Scene from Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor (Bregenz, 1982)

"Bel raggio lusinghier" from Rossini's Semiramide (1981)


Katia Ricciarelli and Lucia Valentini-Terrani sing "Quando corpus morietur" from Pergolesi's Stabat Mater (chorus and orchestra of La Scala, Claudio Abbado conducting; 1979)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 17 (G. Weir, Morawetz)

1941 - Gillian Weir, Martinsborough, New Zealand; organist

Wikipedia
Gillian Weir's website


1917 - Oskar Morawetz, Světlà nad Sàzavou. Czechoslovakia; composer

Wikipedia

Biography (Encyclopedia of Music in Canada)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 16 (Horne, Lorengar)

1934 - Marilyn Horne, Bradford, PA, U.S.A.; opera mezzo-soprano

Wikipedia

Marilyn Horne sings "Pensa alla patria" from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri (Metropolitan Opera, 1986)



1928 - Pilar Lorengar, Zaragoza, Spain; opera and zarzuela soprano

Wikipedia (mistakenly gives y.o.b. as 1929)
Obituary (New York Times, June 1996)

Pilar Lorengar sings "Mañanica era" by Granados (1988)

Today’s Birthday in Music: January 15 (Frager)

1935 – Malcolm Frager, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A.; pianist

Wikipedia

Malcolm Frager plays Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 5, K. 175, 3rd mvt. (Orchestra della Radio-televisione della Svizzera Italiana, Marc Andreae conducting; Mantua, 1989)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 14 (Heppner, Schweitzer)

1956 - Ben Heppner, Murrayville, Canada; opera and concert tenor

Biography (Encyclopedia of Music in Canada)

Ben Heppner sings Walter’s Prize Song from Wagner’s Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Metropolitan Opera, 2001)



1875 - Albert Schweitzer, Keyserberg, Germany; theologian, musician, philosopher, physician

Wikipedia
Albert Schweitzer and Music

Albert Schweitzer plays J.S. Bach’s Chorale Prelude in F minor, BWV 639

Today's Birthday in Music: January 13 (Flórez)

1973 - Juan Diego Flórez, Lima, Peru; opera tenor

Wikipedia
Official website

Juan Diego Flórez sings:

"Ah, mes amis, quel jour de fête" from Donizetti's La fille du régiment (Metropolitan Opera, 2008)


"A te o cara" from Bellini's I Puritani (with Mariola Cantarero as Elvira; Las Palmas, 2004)


"J'ai perdu mon Eurydice" from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice (2004)

Today's Birthday in Music: January 12 (Wolf-Ferrari)

1876 - Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Venice, Italy; composer

Wikipedia
Ermanno-Wolf Ferrari website

Renata Scotto sings "O gioia le nube leggera" from Il segreto di Susanna (1980 recording with the Philharmonia Orchestra under John Pritchard)


Tito Gobbi sings "Aprile o bella" from I gioielli della Madonna (1954 recording)


Concertino for bassoon, 2 horns and strings, 1st mvt. (Jim Morgan, bassoon, with the RI Community Orchestra, John Eells conducting; 2003)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 11 (Glière, Duruflé)

1875 - Reinhold Glière, Kiev, Ukraine; composer

Wikipedia
Life and Work

Emma Dogliani sings Glière's Concerto for Coloratura Soprano, 1st mvt.


Glière's Horn Concerto, 3rd mvt. (Ionut Podgoreanu, horn; Ploiesti Symphony Orchestra, Romania; Ilarion Ionescu-Galati, conducting)



1902 - Maurice Duruflé, Louviers, France; composer, organist; arranger

Wikipedia
Biography and pictures

Introit and Kyrie from Duruflé's Requiem (University Singers, Laura Artisani, organ; Dennis Cox conducting; University of Maine, 2008)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 10 (Milnes, Maisky)

1935 - Sherrill Milnes, Downers Grove, IL, U.S.A.; opera baritone

Wikipedia
Unofficial website

Sherrill Milnes sings The Prologue from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci (Arena di Verona, 1985)



1948 - Mischa Maisky, Riga, Latvia; cellist

Official website

Mischa Maisky performs "The Swan" from Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Saëns (introduction by Roger Moore; Richard Hyung-ki Joo, piano; Julian Rachlin and Friends Chamber Music Festival)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 9 (Bing, W. Meier)

1902 - Rudolf Bing, Vienna, Austria; opera impresario

Wikipedia
Obituary (New York Times, Sept. 1997)

Rudolf Bing's Farewell (Metropolitan Opera, 1972)



1956 - Waltraud Meier, Würzburg, Germany; opera mezzo-soprano

Wikipedia
Official website

Waltraud Meier sings Isolde's "Liebestod" from Wagner's Tristan und Isolde (filmed at Bayerische Staatsoper München, 1999; Zubin Mehta conducting)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 8 (Feltsman, Tozzi)

1952 - Vladimir Feltsman, Moscow, Russia; pianist

Wikipedia
Official website

Vladimir Feltsman demonstrates Chopin's Sonata #3 at SUNY New Paltz masterclass



1923 - Giorgio Tozzi, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.; opera bass

Wikipedia

Giorgio Tozzi sings "Wahn !Wahn!" from Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg (1970 film)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 7 (Poulenc, Rampal)

1899 - Francis Poulenc, Paris, France; composer

Wikipedia
Profile

Final scene from Dialogue des Carmélites (Teatro alla Scala, Riccardo Muti conducting)


Francis Poulenc and Jacques Février play Concerto for Two Pianos, 3rd mvt. (Orchestre national de la RTF, Georges Prêtre conducting)



1922 - Jean-Pierre Rampal, Marseilles, France; flautist

Biography
The Man with the Golden Flute

Jean-Pierre Rampal and Francis Poulenc play Poulenc's Flute Sonata, 2nd mvt.


"Véloce" from Claude Bolling's Suite for Flute and Jazz Piano Trio, played by Jean-Pierre Rampal , Claude Bolling and Marcel Sabiani

Today's Birthday in Music: January 6 (Bruch)

1838 - Max Bruch, Cologne, Germany; composer and conductor

Wikipedia

Gil Shahan plays Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1, 1st mvt. (Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Dan Ettinger conducting; Tel Aviv 2002)


Jascha Heifetz plays and conducts Bruch's Scottish Fantasy, 2nd mvt.


"Nachtgesang" from Eight Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano (Brise Soleil Trio, Wisconsin-Milwaukee Peck School of the Arts, 2006)

Today's Birthday in Music: January 5 (Brendel)

1931 - Alfred Brendel, Wiesenberg, Moravia (now Czech Republic); pianist

Wikipedia
Alfred Brendel website

Alfred Brendel plays:

Schubert's Piano Sonata in B flat major, D. 960, 1st mvt. (1988)


Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3, 3rd mvt. (Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Claudio Abbado conducting)

Today's Birthday in Music: January 4 (Bumbry)

1937 - Grace Bumbry, St. Louis, MO, U.S.A.; opera soprano and mezzo-soprano

Wikipedia
"Grace Ann Under Pressure" (Opera News, March 2001)

Grace Bumbry sings:

"Nel giardin del velo" from Verdi's Don Carlo (Théâtre Antique d'Orange, 1984)


"Les tringles des sistres tintaient" from Bizet's Carmen (1967 film, Herbert von Karajan conducting)


Grace Bumbry and Juan Diego Flórez sing "Angels from the realm of glory" (Christmas in Vienna, 2006)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 3 (Borge)

1909 - Victor Borge, Copenhagen, Denmark; pianist and humourist

Wikipedia
Biography and analysis

"Hands Off" - Victor Borge with Marilyn Mulvey


Victor Borge conducts "The Dance of the Comedians" (from Smetana's The Bartered Bride)


Victor Borge plays Debussy's "Clair de Lune"

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 2 (Pentland, Tippett)

1905 - Barbara Pentland, Winnipeg, Canada; composer, pianist

Biography (Encyclopedia of Music in Canada)

1905 - Michael Tippett, London, England; composer

Wikipedia

Profile

Michael Tippett conducts the first public performance of The Shires Suite, part 2, "Cantata" (Leicestershire Schools Symphony Orchestra and Schola Cantorum of Oxford. Cheltenham, England, 1970)

Today's Birthdays in Music: January 1 (Verreau, Greenhouse)

1926 - Richard Verreau, Château-Richer, Canada; opera tenor

Biography (Encyclopedia of Music in Canada)

Richard Verreau sings "Du moment qu'on aime" from Zémire et Azor by André Grétry



1916 - Bernard Greenhouse, Newark, NJ, U.S.A., cellist (a founding member of Beaux Arts Trio) (some sources give birthdate as January 3)

Wikipedia
Conversation with Bernard Greenhouse (1998)

Bernard Greenhouse: Introduction



The Beaux Arts Trios (Isidore Cohen, violin, Bernard Greenhouse, cello, Menahem Pressler, piano) plays Ravel's Piano Trio, 4th (final) mvt. (1970s)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 31 (Milstein)

1903 - Nathan Milstein, Odessa, Russia; violinist

Wikipedia
Biography and more

Nathan Milstein plays:

Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata, 1st mvt. (Georges Pludermacher at the piano)


J.S. Bach's Partita for solo violin in D minor (filmed in Paris, 1968)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 30 (J. Anderson)

1952 - June Anderson, Boston, MA, U.S.A.; opera soprano

Wikipedia
Official website

June Anderson sings:

"Casta diva" from Bellini's Norma (Teatro Regio di Parma, 2001)


"Salut à la France" from Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment (Opéra Comique, Paris, 1985)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 29 (Casals)

1876 - Pablo Casals, El Vendrell, Spain; cellist, composer

Wikipedia
In Search of Pablo Casals

Pablo Casals plays J.S. Bach's Suite No. 1 for Cello Solo (filmed at the Abbaye Saint-Michel-de Cuxa, France, August 1954)


Maynooth Chamber Choir sings "O vos omnes" composed by Pablo Casals


Mendelssohn's Piano Trio No. 1 played by Pablo Casals, cello, Jacques Thibaud, violin and Alfred Cortet, piano (HMV recording, 1927)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 28 (Kennedy, Sessions)

1956 - Nigel Kennedy, Brighton, England; violinist and violist

Wikipedia

Nigel Kennedy with Aisling Casey and the Irish Chamber Orchestra plays J.S. Bach's Concerto for Violin and Oboe, BWV 1060, 1st mvt.



1896 - Roger Sessions, Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.; composer

Wikipedia
Biography

Duo for Violin and Piano, 2nd mvt. (Carlos Bernales and Chris Christopher, Queen's College, 2008)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 27 (Schipa)

1888 - Tito Schipa, Lecce, Italy; opera tenor

Wikipedia
Schipa family website

Tito Schipa sings:

"Che farò senza Euridice?" from Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice (Orchestra of La Scala, Milan, conducted by Carlo Sabajno.  1932 HMV recording)


"M'appari" from Flotow's Martha

Todays's Birthdays in Music: December 26 (Thea King, Earle Brown)

1925 - Thea King, Hitchin, England; clarinetist

Wikipedia
Obituary (The Independent, UK, June 2007)

Thea King, with the Allegri String Quartet, plays Crusell's Clarinet Quartet in C minor



1926 - Earle Brown, Lunenburg, MA, U.S.A.; composer

Wikipedia
Memorial

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 25 (De Luca, Swarthout)

1876 - Giuseppe De Luca, Rome, Italy; opera baritone

Wikipedia
Official website

Giuseppe De Luca sings the Largo al Factotum from Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (1920s?)



1900 - Gladys Swarthout, Deepwater, MO, U.S.A.; opera contralto

Biography and more

Gladys Swarthout sings "Stride la vampa" from Verdi's Il Trovatore (1937 recording)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 24 (Larsen, Stich-Randall)

1950 - Libby Larsen, Wilmington, DE, U.S.A.; composer

Official website
Interview

"Concert Piece for Tuba and Piano" (Beth McDonald, tuba; Tedrin Lindsay, piano.  Singletary Center for the Arts, 2008)



1927 - Teresa Stich-Randall, New Hertford, CT, U.S.A.; opera and concert soprano

Biography and pictures
Obituary (The Times, London, July 2007)

Teresa Stich-Randall sings "Non mi dir" from Mozart's Don Giovanni (1960)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 23 (Gruberová, Boismortier)

1946 - Edita Gruberová, Bratislava, Slovakia; opera and concert soprano

Wikipedia
Biography and pictures

Edita Gruberová sings "Ach ich liebt" from Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail (1989, Karl Böhm conducting)



1689 - Joseph Boismortier, Thionville, France; composer

Wikipedia

"Air de dessus" from Motet à grand choeur (Véronique Gens, soprano, with Le Concert Spirituel, directed by Hervé Piquet)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 22 (Puccini)

1858 - Giacomo Puccini, Lucca, Italy; composer

Wikipedia

Tito Gobbi and Maria Callas in the finale of Act 2 of Tosca (Covent Garden, 1964)



Renata Scotto sings "Quando m'en vo'" (Musetta's Waltz Song) from La Bohème (1982 Franco Zeffirelli Metropolitan Opera production; conductor James Levine)


"Gloria" from Messa di Gloria (Coro Rossini, Sassano, Sardinia)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 21 (Turp, Tilson Thomas)

1925 - André Turp, Montreal, Canada; opera tenor

Biography (Encyclopedia of Music in Canada)

1944 - Michael Tilson Thomas, Los Angeles, U.S.A.; conductor, pianist, composer

Wikipedia

Official website

Michael Tilson Thomas conducts the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5, 1st mvt. (BBC Promenade Concert, London, 2007)

Today's Birthday s in Music: December 20 (Uchida)

1948 - Mitsuko Uchida, Atami, Japan; pianist

Wikipedia
Official website

Mitsuko Uchida plays:

Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 9, "Jeunehomme", 1st mvt. (Mozarteum Orchestra, conducted by Jeffrey Tate, Salzburg, 1989)


Excerpt from Schoenberg's Piano Concerto Op.42 (Rotterdams Philharmonisch Orkest, conducted by Jeffrey Tate)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 19 (Isserlis, Reiner)

1958 - Steven Isserlis, London, England; cellist

Wikipedia
Personal website

Steven Isserlis gives a masterclass on Schumann's "Fantasy Pieces"



1888 - Fritz Reiner, Budapest, Hungary; conductor

Wikipedia
Reminiscences

Fritz Reiner conducts the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in two movements from Respighi's Pines of Rome

Today's Birthday in Music: December 18 (Streich)

1920 - Rita Streich, Barnaul, Russia; opera soprano

Wikipedia

Rita Streich sings:

"Song to the Moon" from Dvořák's Rusalka


Felix Mendelssohn's "Auf Flügein des Gesanges" (1972 performance)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 17 (Beethoven)

1770 - Ludwig van Beethoven, Bonn, Germany; composer and pianist (baptized December 17; date of birth probably December 15 or 16)

Wikipedia
The Magnificent Master

Claudio Abbado conducts the Berlin Philharmonic in Beethoven's Symphony No. 3, 1st mvt. (Rome, 2001)


Glenn Gould plays Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5, final mvt. (Toronto Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Karel Ančerl)


String Quartet No. 16, Op. 135, 3rd mvt. (Amadeus Quartet, 1973)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 16 (Kodály, Pinnock)

1882 - Zoltán Kodály, Kecskemét, Hungary; composer

Wikipedia

Janos Starker plays Kodály's Sonata for Solo Cello, 1st mvt. (Tokyo, 1988)


Dances of Galánta (Philharmonia Hungarica, conducted by Ervin Acél at the Vatican)




1946 - Trevor Pinnock, Canterbury, England; conductor and harpsichordist

Wikipedia

Trevor Pinnock and the English Concert play J.S. Bach's Harpsichord Concerto No. 1 in D minor, BWV 1052, 1st mvt. (Allegro)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 15 (I. Haendel)

1928 - Ida Haendel, Chelm, Poland; violinist

Biography (Encyclopedia of Music in Canada)
"The one they don't want you to hear" (La Scena Musicale, June 2000)

Ida Haendel plays Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy, 1st mvt. (Orchestre de Radio-Canada, conducted by Franz-Paul Decker, 1981)


Brahms Violin Concerto, 2nd mvt. (Orchestre de Radio-Canada, conducted by Franz-Paul Decker, 1981)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 14 (Tureck, Thill)

1914 - Rosalyn Tureck, Chicago, IL, U.S.A.; pianist and harpsichordist

Wikipedia
Tureck Bach Research Foundation webpage

Rosalyn Tureck plays Prelude and Fugue from J.S. Bach's Well Tempered Klavier Book II, No. 22, in B flat minor



1897 - Georges Thill, Paris, France; opera tenor

Life and career

Georges Thill sings:

 "J'aurais sur ma poitrine" from Massenet's Werther


Adolphe Adam's Cantique de Noël (1932 recording)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 13 (Belmont, Lhévinne)

1879 - Eleanor Robson Belmont, Wigan, England; founder of Metropolitan Opera Guild 

Wikipedia
Biography (Metropolitan Opera Guild)


1874 - Josef Lhévinne, Orel, Russia; pianist

Wikipedia

Josef Lhevinne plays Chopin's Etude No. 12, Op. 25 (Welte piano roll)


Josef and Rosina Lhevinne play Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos, K.448, 3rd mvt. (1939 recording)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 12 (Tan)

1953 - Margaret Tan, Singapore; pianist

Wikipedia
Some Notes on Margaret Leng Tan

Margaret Tan plays John Cage's "In the name of the Holocaust" on prepared piano


Margaret Tan performs Guy Klucevsek's "SweetChinoiserie" on toy piano and other instruments (Lincoln Center, N.Y., 2008)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 11 (Berlioz, E. Carter)

1803 - Hector Berlioz, La-Côte-Saint-André, France; composer

Wikipedia
Hector Berlioz website

"Un bal" (2nd mvt.) from Symphonie Fantastique (Orchestre de Paris, conducted by Herbert von Karajan, 1970)


"Gloire à Didon" from Les Troyens (N.Y. Metropolitan Opera, 1983)



1908 - Elliott Carter, New York, U.S.A.; composer

Wikipedia
Elliott Carter at 99 (Los Angeles Times, August 2008)

Interview with Elliott Carter (2008)


Quintet for Piano and Strings (Part 1) (Arditti Quartet with Ursula Oppens, piano; Amsterdam, 1999)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 10 (Messiaen, Franck)

1908 - Olivier Messiaen, Avignon, France; composer, organist

Wikipedia

Turangalîla Symphony, Final (10th) mvt. (Orchestre de l'Opéra Bastille, Paris, Myung-Whun Chung conducting, 1990)


Messiaen on Birds (Yvonne Loriod, piano)



1822 - César Franck, Liège, Belgium; composer, organist

Wikipedia

Symphonic Variations for Piano and Orchestra (Georges Cziffra, piano; György Cziffra Jr. conducting)


Renée Fleming sings "Panis Angelicus" (Mainz Cathedral, 2005)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 9 (Schwarzkopf, Bell)

1915 - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Jarotschin, Germany; opera and lieder soprano

Wikipedia
Obituary (The Times, London, August 2006)

First part of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf documentary (1985)


"Frühling" and "September" from Richard Strauss's Four Last Songs (Georg Szell conducts the Radio Symphonie Orchestra Berlin



1967 - Joshua Bell, Bloomington, IN, U.S.A.; violinist

Wikipedia
Official website

Joshua Bell plays and conducts Haydn's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra No. 1 in C (Verbier Festival Chamber Orchestra, July 2008)


Joshua Bell plays The Girl with the Flaxen Hair, by Debussy (with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra)

Today's Birthdays in Music: December 8 (Sibelius, Martinů)

1865 - Jean Sibelius, Hämeenlinna, Finland; composer

Wikipedia
Jean Sibelius website

Finlandia (Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paavo Berglund)


Violin Concerto in D minor, 1st mvt. (Christian Fatu, violin, with the Kansas City Philharmonia, conducted by Andres Franco)



1890 - Bohuslav Martinů, Polička, Bohemia; composer

Wikipedia

Piano Quartet, 3rd mvt. (Carl Banner, piano, David Cho, cello, Judith Spokes, violin, Andrea Vercoe, viola; Washington Musica Viva concert, 2008)

Today's Birthday in Music: December 7 (Mascagni)

1863 - Pietro Mascagni, Livorno, Italy; composer

Wikipedia
Mascagni and Mussolini

Fiorenza Cossotto and chorus sing "Inneggiamo, Il Signor non è morto" ("Easter Hymn") from Cavalleria Rusticana (Herbert von Karajan conducting)


Meray Boustan and Adam Shelton sing "Suzel, buon di" ("Cherry Duet") from L'Amico Fritz (University of Arizona production)