This Week in Classical Music: October 12, 2026. Pavarotti and Zemlinsky.Today is Luciano Pavarotti’s birthday: he was born in Modena in 1935.His was probably the most recognizable (and beautiful) voice since the era of Giuseppe Di Stefano and Franco Corelli (some would say since Beniamino Gigli).
Alexander von Zemlinsky was born on October 14th of 1871 in Vienna.He was born ¼ Jewish, but his whole family converted to Judaism, and he was raised Jewish (the aristocratic “von” in his name was his own invention).He fell in love with Alma Schindler, whom we know as Alma Mahler; that didn’t work out, but Zemlinsky eventually became a good friend of Gustav’s.He was a prominent teacher: among his students were Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, Alban Berg, and many others.He was also a respected conductor (among his assistants were Erich Kleiber, Webern, and George Szell).But we know him as a composer, even if his talent was acknowledged very late.
Zemlinsky started composing early, and by 1893 his music was publicly performed.In 1985, he was also conducting (in one of his orchestras, Schoenberg played the cello).In 1907, Zemlinsky joined Mahler in the Vienna Hofoper, then moved to the German opera of Prague and eventually to Berlin, where he became a conductor at the Kroll Opera.When the Nazis came to power, he fled to Vienna and, after the Anschluss in 1938, to the US via Prague.In the US, he remained practically unknown, even while Schoenberg and many of his other colleagues were feted.He suffered a stroke and died in Larchmont, NY, on March 15th of 1942.Here, from 1924, is Zemlinsky’s Third Quartet, performed by the La Salle Quartet.
Two Italians were also born this week, both on October 18th: Luca Marenzio, in 1553, and Baldassare Galuppi, in 1706.Marenzio lived during the era of the High Renaissance in music and was famous for his madrigals.He deserves a separate entry, which we hope to provide.These days, Galuppi is known mostly for one of his sonatas (no. 5), as performed by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (here), but during his lifetime, he was famous for his operas, both comic and serious. Even Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, knew of Galuppi and invited him to come to St. Petersburg.He spent three years there as court composer and conductor, before returning to Venice.He died in 1785.
Pavarotti and Zemlinsky, 2026
This Week in Classical Music: October 12, 2026. Pavarotti and Zemlinsky. Today is Luciano Pavarotti’s birthday: he was born in Modena in 1935. His was probably the most recognizable (and beautiful) voice since the era of Giuseppe Di Stefano and Franco Corelli (some would say since Beniamino Gigli).
Zemlinsky started composing early, and by 1893 his music was publicly performed. In 1985, he was also conducting (in one of his orchestras, Schoenberg played the cello). In 1907, Zemlinsky joined Mahler in the Vienna Hofoper, then moved to the German opera of Prague and eventually to Berlin, where he became a conductor at the Kroll Opera. When the Nazis came to power, he fled to Vienna and, after the Anschluss in 1938, to the US via Prague. In the US, he remained practically unknown, even while Schoenberg and many of his other colleagues were feted. He suffered a stroke and died in Larchmont, NY, on March 15th of 1942. Here, from 1924, is Zemlinsky’s Third Quartet, performed by the La Salle Quartet.
Two Italians were also born this week, both on October 18th: Luca Marenzio, in 1553, and Baldassare Galuppi, in 1706. Marenzio lived during the era of the High Renaissance in music and was famous for his madrigals. He deserves a separate entry, which we hope to provide. These days, Galuppi is known mostly for one of his sonatas (no. 5), as performed by Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli (here), but during his lifetime, he was famous for his operas, both comic and serious. Even Catherine the Great, the Empress of Russia, knew of Galuppi and invited him to come to St. Petersburg. He spent three years there as court composer and conductor, before returning to Venice. He died in 1785.