News archive – Musical anniversaries
Jommelli at 300
Along with C. P. E. Bach and Christoph Willibald Gluck, there is another composer who was born exactly 300 years ago: Niccolò Jommelli (1714 – 1774). Jommelli was famous in his lifetime for his numerous operas and also wrote a number of oratorios, masses, and other sacred vocal music. While...
10 September 2014
Teresa Milanollo @RISM
Today is the birthday of Italian violinist and composer Teresa Milanollo (1827-1904). As a nine-year-old, Teresa fascinated audiences with her violin playing. Together with her sister Maria, who was five years younger, they were a successful violin prodigy duo. Tragically, their celebrated performances came to an end in 1848 when...
28 August 2014
Does Christoph Willibald Gluck deserve better?
Last week, we celebrated the 300th birthday of one of the most important opera composers and reformers of the second half of the eighteenth century: Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714 - 1787). His birthday is an occasion for various events in Germany and abroad. The Bavarian town of Berching, where Gluck...
7 July 2014
Richard Strauss at 150
Today marks the 150th birthday of Richard Strauss (1864-1949). The Bavarian town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, where the composer lived for over 40 years, will begin its celebration with the Richard Strauss Festival. In numerous other events, the music of Strauss, one of the most performed composers in the world, will be...
11 June 2014
Carlo Gesualdo @RISM
Wagner and Verdi are not the only big musical names marking anniversaries this year. Carlo Gesualdo died on 8 September 1613 – 400 years ago. The Principe di Venosa was noted in his time for his bold chromaticisms and was a champion of polyphony in an era when others like...
25 September 2013
Michael Haydn @ RISM
This September marks the 275th birthday of Johann Michael Haydn. To celebrate the occasion, the city of Salzburg is hosting a variety of concerts and events where one can hear works by Michael Haydn (14 September 1737, Rohrau, Austria – 10 August 1806, Salzburg). A new, compact biography will be...
24 September 2012
Giovanni Gabrieli @ RISM
August 12 marks the 400th anniversary of the death of Giovanni Gabrieli (ca. 1554 - 1612). His music represents the high point of the Venetian School. Together with Claudio Monteverdi, he helped with the transition of Italian music from the Renaissance to the Baroque. Early on, he made use of...
15 August 2012
Ferdinand Hiller @ RISM
Ferdinand Hiller (October 24, 1811 – May 10, 1885) was born only two days after Franz Liszt (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886). Since Hiller is from Frankfurt am Main, maintained contact with his hometown throughout his life, and because his musical Nachlass is housed at the university library,...
27 October 2011
Peter Grønland @ RISM
Everybody is talking about Franz Liszt’s (October 22, 1811 – July 31, 1886) 200th birthday this month. But it is not only him who has a celebration in October 2011. Peter Grønland (October 15, 1761 – December 30, 1825), a Danish composer 50 years older than Liszt, is also observing...
17 October 2011
Luigi Cherubini @ RISM
This year marks the 250th birthday of Luigi Cherubini (14 September 1760, Florence – 15 March 1842, Paris). Luigi Cherubini was admired by his contemporaries, but it is rare nowadays to find his works on concert programmes or among the repertoires of the world’s opera houses. Cherubini dominated Parisian musical...
20 October 2010
