Today we look at a piece commissioned by Paul Sacher to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Basel Chamber Orchestra. Bela Bartok’s Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, premiered on this day in 1937.
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On This Day – January 20
20 JanToday we look at a composer whose life was cut short, leaving only 39 opuses, but leaving 39 works of great quality. Ernest Chausson, born on this day in 1855.
On This Day – January 19
19 JanToday we look at one of Mozart’s Late symphonies. Written in 1786, it was written to thank the people of Prague who devoutly followed his work. Mozart’s Prague symphony, Symphony No. 38, premiered on this day in 1787.
On This Day – January 18
18 JanToday we look at an army officer and a teacher of fortifications, a Russian of French and Lithuanian descent. No, I haven’t gone crazy, as he has particular significance in the history of music, being both a composer and music critic, and one of the members of The Five, or the mighty handful. He is César Cui, Born on this day in 1835.
On This Day – January 17
17 JanToday we look at a lesser known Belgian composer, who composed operas, string quartets, symphonies and choral works. While a lot of his works are not very well known, one work is known very well by all who have learnt violin through the Suzuki method. François-Joseph Gossec, born on this day in 1734.
On This Day – January 14
14 JanToday we return to the world of Opera, and look at one of the staples of the genre. This dramatic 3-act opera appears as number 8 in Opera America’s 20 most-performed Operas. Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca, premiered on this day in 1900.
On This Day – January 13
13 JanRussia, 1944. World War II is still raging, and Sergei Prokofiev is in a safe haven run by the Soviet Union. It has been 14 years since his last symphony, but his has been busy in that time. We have the famous Lieutenant Kije, Romeo and Juliet, Peter and the Wolf, the 3 War Sonatas, Cinderella and War and Peace. But Now he returns to the Symphonic form with his Symphony No. 5 in B-flat Major, Op. 100, premiered on this day in 1945.
