This Week in Classical Music: June 5, 2023.Schumann and much more.First thing, today is Martha Argerich’s 82nd birthday.Happy Birthday, Martha!
The great German Romantic composer Robert Schumann was born on June 8th of 1810, Richard Strauss – on June 11th of 1864.Several other names among the composers born this week: Tomaso Albinoni, once thought of as an equal to Corelli and Vivaldi, on Jun 8th of 1671.Carl Nielsen, Denmark’s by far most famous composer, on June 9th of 1865.The Soviet-Armenian Aram Khachaturian, whose ballets Spartacus and Gayane are still regularly staged in Russia, was born in Tiflis, now Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, on June 6th of 1903 (in those years Tiflis boasted a large Armenian community).Erwin Schulhoff, the Jewish composer, was born in Prague into a German-speaking family on June 18th of 1894.His fate was tragic: his 1941 desperate attempt to escape to the Soviet Union failed; he was arrested, imprisoned in Bavaria, and died there of tuberculosis in 1942.Schulhoff went through many phases in his life and composed in many styles; his musical progression is quite unique: he started composing atonal pieces, then moved to the Dada, then Romantic, and then, finally (and incredibly) the Social Realism.A couple of years ago we promised to dedicate an entry to him but we’re still not there yet.In the meantime, here is Schulhoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2 (concerto with a chamber orchestra).The pianist is Dominic Cheli; RVC Ensemble is conducted by James Conlon.
Then there are two conductors, Klaus Tennstedt and George Szell.Szell, born on June 7th of 1897, is considered one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century.We published an entry about him a couple of years ago. Klaus Tennstedt was born on June 6th of 1926 in Merseburg, in the eastern part of Germany which, after WWII, became the GDR.He studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and, in 1958, became the director of the Dresden opera.Tennstedt emigrated from East Germany in 1971.First, he settled in Sweden, where he conducted the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra but a year later moved to West Germany.Tennstedt guest-conducted all major US orchestras and many in Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Concertgebouw. He was closely associated with two London orchestras, the London Symphony, and London Philharmonic.He became the principal conductor of the latter in 1987.Tennstedt’s interpretations of the music of Mahler were highly acclaimed.Here is the majestic Finale of Mahler’s Symphony no. 3 with the London Philharmonic.
And let’s not forget about Gaetano Berenstadt, a favorite alto-castrato of George Frideric Handel.He was born in Florence on June 6th of 1687.His parents were German, serving at the court of the Duke of Tuscany.Berenstadt first appeared in London in 1717, singing in the operas by Handel, Scarlatti and Ariosti.He then moved to Germany and back to Italy, returning to London in 1722 to join Handel’s Royal Academy of Music.He sang in several of Handel’s operas, including Giulio Cesare, Flavio, and Ottone.Berenstadt returned to Italy for good in 1726; he sang in Rome and Florence for another six years.In bad health for the last few years, he died in Florence at the age of 47.
Schumann and more, 2023
This Week in Classical Music: June 5, 2023. Schumann and much more. First thing, today is Martha Argerich’s 82nd birthday. Happy Birthday, Martha!
Then there are two conductors, Klaus Tennstedt and George Szell. Szell, born on June 7th of 1897, is considered one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century. We published an entry about him a couple of years ago. Klaus Tennstedt was born on June 6th of 1926 in Merseburg, in the eastern part of Germany which, after WWII, became the GDR. He studied at the Leipzig Conservatory and, in 1958, became the director of the Dresden opera. Tennstedt emigrated from East Germany in 1971. First, he settled in Sweden, where he conducted the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra but a year later moved to West Germany. Tennstedt guest-conducted all major US orchestras and many in Europe, including the Berlin Philharmonic and the Concertgebouw. He was closely associated with two London orchestras, the London Symphony, and London Philharmonic. He became the principal conductor of the latter in 1987. Tennstedt’s interpretations of the music of Mahler were highly acclaimed. Here is the majestic Finale of Mahler’s Symphony no. 3 with the London Philharmonic.
And let’s not forget about Gaetano Berenstadt, a favorite alto-castrato of George Frideric Handel. He was born in Florence on June 6th of 1687. His parents were German, serving at the court of the Duke of Tuscany. Berenstadt first appeared in London in 1717, singing in the operas by Handel, Scarlatti and Ariosti. He then moved to Germany and back to Italy, returning to London in 1722 to join Handel’s Royal Academy of Music. He sang in several of Handel’s operas, including Giulio Cesare, Flavio, and Ottone. Berenstadt returned to Italy for good in 1726; he sang in Rome and Florence for another six years. In bad health for the last few years, he died in Florence at the age of 47.