Schumann and extra, 2023

This Week in Classical Music: June 5, 2023.  Schumann and rather more.  Very first thing, in the present day is Martha Argerich’s 82^nd birthday.  Glad Birthday, Martha!

The nice German Romantic composer Robert Schumann was born on June 8^th of 1810, Richard Strauss – on June 11^th of 1864.  A number of different names among the many composers born this week: Tomaso Albinoni, as soon as regarded as an equal to Corelli and Vivaldi, on Jun 8^th of 1671.  Carl Nielsen, Denmark’s by far most well-known composer, on June 9^th of 1865.  The Soviet-Armenian Aram Khachaturian, whose ballets Spartacus and Gayane are nonetheless repeatedly staged in Russia, was born in Tiflis, now Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, on June 6^th of 1903 (in these years Tiflis boasted a big Armenian group).  Erwin Schulhoff, the Jewish composer, was born in Prague right into a German-speaking household on June 18^th of 1894.  His destiny was tragic: his 1941 determined try to flee to the Soviet Union failed; he was arrested, imprisoned in Bavaria, and died there of tuberculosis in 1942.  Schulhoff went by way of many phases in his life and composed in lots of types; his musical development is sort of distinctive: he began composing atonal items, then moved to the Dada, then Romantic, after which, lastly (and extremely) the Social Realism.  A few years in the past we promised to dedicate an entry to him however we’re nonetheless not there but.  Within the meantime, right here is Schulhoff’s Piano Concerto no. 2 (concerto with a chamber orchestra).  The pianist is Dominic Cheli; RVC Ensemble is carried out by James Conlon.

Then there are two conductors, Klaus Tennstedt and George Szell.  Szell, born on June 7^th of 1897, is taken into account one of many best conductors of the 20^th century.  We revealed an entry about him a few years in the past.  Klaus Tennstedt was born on June 6^th of 1926 in Merseburg, within the jap a part of Germany which, after WWII, grew to become the GDR.  He studied on the Leipzig Conservatory and, in 1958, grew to become the director of the Dresden opera.  Tennstedt emigrated from East Germany in 1971.  First, he settled in Sweden, the place he carried out the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra however a yr later moved to West Germany.  Tennstedt guest-conducted all main US orchestras and lots of in Europe, together with the Berlin Philharmonic and the Concertgebouw.  He was carefully related to two London orchestras, the London Symphony, and London Philharmonic.  He grew to become the principal conductor of the latter in 1987.  Tennstedt’s interpretations of the music of Mahler have been extremely acclaimed.  Right here is the majestic Finale of Mahler’s Symphony no. 3 with the London Philharmonic.

And let’s not overlook about Gaetano Berenstadt, a favourite alto-castrato of George Frideric Handel.  He was born in Florence on June 6^th of 1687.  His mother and father have been German, serving on the courtroom of the Duke of Tuscany.  Berenstadt first appeared in London in 1717, singing within the operas by Handel, Scarlatti and Ariosti.  He then moved to Germany and again to Italy, returning to London in 1722 to hitch Handel’s Royal Academy of Music.  He sang in a number of of Handel’s operas, together with Giulio Cesare, Flavio, and Ottone.  Berenstadt returned to Italy for good in 1726; he sang in Rome and Florence for one more six years.  In dangerous well being for the previous couple of years, he died in Florence on the age of 47.