This Week in Classical Music: August 9, 2021.Many composers and one Solomon.We’d like to acknowledge several composers, none of them great, all very interesting: a Venezuelan-born FrenchmanReynaldo Hahn (born August 9th of 1874): it’s not clear if these days he’s better known for his wonderful songs or the friendship with Marcel Proust.Alexander Glazunov, a Russian composer, was also born on August 9th, in 1865.He was a prolific composer of rather old-fashioned music.Glazunov led the St-Petersburg Conservatory during a very difficult time after the revolution; Dmitry Shostakovich was his pupil.Heinrich Ignaz Biber, an Austrian composer, was born in Bohemia on August 12th of 1644, he’s known for his violin music.Maurice Greene (born August 12th of 1696) was an English composer who wrote several popular “anthems.”Another English composer, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, one of the most unusual composers of all time, was born on August 14th of 1892 (we wrote a brief on him here).His father was a Parsi. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, yet another English composer, was born on August 15th of 1875.Coleridge-Taylor was highly regarded during his lifetime but then his fame faded rapidly.Coleridge-Taylor’s father was from the African country of Sierra-Leone, which may explain why his music was played more often throughout the last year than during the previous 30.This is not all: the delightful French composer, Jacques Ibert, was born on August 15th of 1890.August 15th is also the birthday of the American Lucas Foss (b. 1922).
Now, to the performers.The British pianist known professionally as Solomon was born Solomon Cutner on August 9th of 1902.He had a most unusual career: a child prodigy, he made his public debut at the age of eight, playing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto at the Queen’s Hall.Just a couple years later he stopped performing and disappeared for about 10 years.In 1924 he returned to the stage, his technique intact.He toured across Europe and in the US, played for the troops during WWII and later formed a famed trio with the violinist Zino Francescatti and cellist Pierre Fournier.Solomon brilliantly played a broad repertoire, including Brahms, Liszt and Tchaikovsky.He was a great interpreter of such disparate composers as Beethoven and Chopin.Here is Chopin’s Berceuse, recorded in 1946.Solomon loved to play Brahms’s Intermezzo in C Major Op. 119 No. 3, both during the main program or as an encore.Here’s a recording from 1952.
The wonderful Italian pianist Aldo Ciccolini was born on August 15th of 1925.Also this week: the brilliant violinist Ginette Neveu, born on the 11th of August of 1919, who tragically died in a place crash at the age of 30.
composers and Solomon, 2021
This Week in Classical Music: August 9, 2021. Many composers and one Solomon. We’d like to acknowledge several composers, none of them great, all very interesting: a Venezuelan-born Frenchman Reynaldo Hahn (born August 9th of 1874): it’s not clear if these days he’s better known for his wonderful songs or the friendship with Marcel Proust. Alexander Glazunov, a Russian composer, was also born on August 9th, in 1865. He was a prolific composer of rather old-fashioned music. Glazunov led the St-Petersburg Conservatory during a very difficult time after the revolution; Dmitry Shostakovich was his pupil. Heinrich Ignaz Biber, an Austrian composer, was born in Bohemia on August 12th of 1644, he’s known for his violin music. Maurice Greene (born August 12th of 1696) was an English composer who wrote several popular “anthems.” Another English composer, Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji, one of the most unusual composers of all time, was born on August 14th of 1892 (we wrote a brief on him here). His father was a Parsi. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, yet another English composer, was born on August 15th of 1875. Coleridge-Taylor was highly regarded during his lifetime but then his fame faded rapidly. Coleridge-Taylor’s father was from the African country of Sierra-Leone, which may explain why his music was played more often throughout the last year than during the previous 30. This is not all: the delightful French composer, Jacques Ibert, was born on August 15th of.jpg "Solomon")
1890. August 15th is also the birthday of the American Lucas Foss (b. 1922).
Now, to the performers. The British pianist known professionally as Solomon was born Solomon Cutner on August 9th of 1902. He had a most unusual career: a child prodigy, he made his public debut at the age of eight, playing Tchaikovsky’s First Piano Concerto at the Queen’s Hall. Just a couple years later he stopped performing and disappeared for about 10 years. In 1924 he returned to the stage, his technique intact. He toured across Europe and in the US, played for the troops during WWII and later formed a famed trio with the violinist Zino Francescatti and cellist Pierre Fournier. Solomon brilliantly played a broad repertoire, including Brahms, Liszt and Tchaikovsky. He was a great interpreter of such disparate composers as Beethoven and Chopin. Here is Chopin’s Berceuse, recorded in 1946. Solomon loved to play Brahms’s Intermezzo in C Major Op. 119 No. 3, both during the main program or as an encore. Here’s a recording from 1952.
The wonderful Italian pianist Aldo Ciccolini was born on August 15th of 1925. Also this week: the brilliant violinist Ginette Neveu, born on the 11th of August of 1919, who tragically died in a place crash at the age of 30.