Today in WMH: Dancing With the Right Crowd
4/30 Today in Weird Music History: 1934. Igor Stravinsky’s Persephone, a quasi-opera for speaker, solo singers, chorus, dancers and orchestra, is premiered at the Paris Opera. For the leading role, which is both spoken and danced, Stravinsky reaches into the past and chooses a former dancer with the Ballet Russe, the celebrated 59-year-old ballerina, Ida Rubinstein. Her early career found her dancing with Nijinsky. Later she had her own ballet company, who also danced the premiere of Stravinsky’s work. She also spent a lot of time with her boyfriend and sponsor Walter Guinness, heir to the brewing empire. Success rule: Keep good company.
Today in WMH: Knowing When to Hold ‘Em
4/29 Today in Weird Music History: 1929. Russian composer Sergei Prokofiev’s opera The Gambler is premiered in Brussels. The opera is sung in French, not unusual at the time for a Russian composer living abroad. The American premiere of Prokofiev’s work was not until 1975, and was such a flop that the final performance had to be canceled. I suppose this supports Kenny Rogers prophetic words from another The Gambler, three years hence:
“You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em”
(Sorry, couldn’t resist!)
Today (well, yesterday) in WMH: A Shift of “Tech” Plates (in a way…)
4/28 Today in Weird Music History: 1987. It might surprise many to know that the first time a compact disc of an album was released before its vinyl version was not from a rock band. The album was “The Art of Excellence” by Tony Bennett. It might also surprise many to learn that 26 years later, CDs are fast becoming obsolete. But that is another story…
Today in WMH: It’s Not “Für” You Think It’s “Für”…
4/27 Today in Weird Music History: 1810. Ludwig van Beethoven pens a short piano piece mistakenly thought to be called Für Elise. In actuality, it is probably Für Therese. Not published until 40 years after Beethoven’s death, it is surmised that the copyist had trouble reading Beethoven’s famously bad handwriting and made an incorrect assumption. Therese Malfatti is widely believed to be the dedicatee of the piece. She was a friend and student of Beethoven’s to whom he proposed in 1810. Although other theories exist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BCr_Elise
The manuscript is considered lost, so we may never know for certain.
Today in WMH: Tchaikovsky’s Travels
4/26 Today in Weird Music History: 1891. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky steps on American soil. An avid traveler, the reason for his visit is to conduct at the May 5, opening concert at the brand new “Music Hall”(later renamed “Carnegie Hall”). In his notebook titled, Trip to America, he poses the following concerns about his trip:
“Things to ask. Is it safe to drink the water in America? What kind of cigarettes do men smoke in New York City? What kind of hats do they wear? Can I get my laundry done there? Check acoustics of the new music hall.”
For more info on this piece of American music history: http://www.carnegiehall.org/ch/pages/1-3-1-3-1-3-1.aspx?pageid=4294981013
Today in WMH: Change of Wardrobe
4/25 Today in Weird Music History: 1865. Pianist and composer Franz Liszt, whose life to this date had been far from chaste, takes holy orders and dons a cassock for the rest of his life.
Today in WMH: Better Late than Never
4/24 Today in Weird Music History: 1957. Charles Ives’ String Quartet No. 1 was premiered in New York City. It was another delayed premiere for America’s first iconic composer. The score was written a few years earlier, in 1896.
Today in WMH: Utilizing the Technology of the Day
4/22 Today in Weird Music History: 1939. Giancarlo Menotti’s opera The Old Man and the Thief is premiered in New York City as a NBC radio broadcast. Menotti would embrace technology again later in his career with the 1951 NBC television premiere of Amahl and the Night Visitors. ∞
Today in WMH: The City Can’t “Handel” It.
4/21 Today in Weird Music History: 1749. George Friedrich Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks is performed in an open-air public rehearsal, 6 days before official premiere. An estimated 12,000 people attended, unexpectedly causing traffic jams throughout the city. Perhaps anticipating the crush, the composer had strongly advised against the event.
Today in WMH: Bon Voyage!
4/20 Today in Weird Music History: 1862. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov sets sail for 2 years and 8 months as a midshipman the Tsar’s Navy. But the itch to compose stayed with him. During his voyages, he mailed scores to the eldest member of the Russian Five, Mily Balakirev, who corrected his scores and gave suggestions for improvement.
Weird Music History 