Four Centuries of Great Music August 31, 2024 Composers with Birthday Anniversaries in August

FCGM-08-25-24 Composer Birthdays in August

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music I am celebrating the anniversaries of the birthdays of composers born in August. 
We begin with British composer and violist Rebecca Clarke.  Born on August 27, 1886, she was internationally renowned as a viola virtuoso, she also became one of the first female professional orchestral players in London.  Clarke had German and American parents, and spent substantial periods of her life in the United States, where she permanently settled after World War II.  We open with her Viola sonata which is in 3 movements:

Rebecca Clarke: Viola Sonata -  I. Impetuoso
Rebecca Clarke: Viola Sonata -  II. Vivace
Rebecca Clarke: Viola Sonata -  III. Adagio

Philip Dukes, viola   Sophia Rahman, piano
Clarke: Viola Music    Naxos Records

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Today on Four Centuries of Great Music I am celebrating the anniversaries of the birthdays of composers born in August.  Next is Claude Debussy who was born on August 22, 1862.  Debussy is of course one of the composers who brought us Impressionist music (a term that these labelled composers hated).  This music focuses on mood and atmosphere, "conveying the moods and emotions aroused by the subject rather than a detailed tone‐picture”. "Impressionism" is an aesthetic term borrowed from late 19th-century French painting after Monet's “Impression, Sunrise” in analogy to the Impressionist painters.  Today I am playing Debussy - Petite Suite which is in 4 movements:

Claude Debussy - Petite Suite, L.65 I. En bateau
Claude Debussy - Petite Suite, L.65 II. Cortège
Claude Debussy - Petite Suite, L.65 III. Menuet
Claude Debussy - Petite Suite, L.65 IV. Ballet

Quatuor Van Kuijk
Impressions Parisiennes- Debussy, Fauré, Poulenc, Ravel, Satie & Trotignon        Alpha Records

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Let’s close this first hour of Four Centuries of Great Music celebrating the anniversaries of the birthdays of composers born in August  with Alma Mahler born on August 31, 1879 with her Vier Lieder, which of course are four songs and are entitled

Alma Mahler: Vier Lieder Nr1 Licht in der Nacht
Alma Mahler: Vier Lieder Nr2 Waldseligkeit
Alma Mahler: Vier Lieder Nr3 Ansturm
Alma Mahler: Vier Lieder Nr4 Erntelied

Karen Lieber, voice & Martin Schelhaas, piano
Kennst Du Meine Nachte        Voice Records

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Today on Four Centuries of Great Music I am celebrating the anniversaries of the birthdays of composers born in August.  We open this second hour of Four Centuries of Great Music with Romanian composer George Enescu born on August 19, 1881.  Known for his Romanian Rhapsodies, he also wrote 3 important symphonies and today I am playing his third symphony.  Enescu employs the same thematic material throughout the symphony,, but develops it in different ways in each of the 3 movements of this work.

George Enescu: Symphony No. 3 - I. Vivace, ma non troppo
George Enescu: Symphony No. 3 - II. Andante giusto
George Enescu: Symphony No. 3 - III. Un poco lento, marziale,  allegro vivace, marziale

Orchestre National de France, Cristian Mǎcelaru
Enescu -  Symphonies Nos. 1-3 & 2 Romanian Rhapsodies
Deutsche Grammophon

And I am sure many of you are saying - how can you celebrate he anniversaries of the August births of composers without a celebration the music of Leonard Bernstein who was born on August 25, 1918.  Well that is because next week’s episode will be a full episode celebrating the music of Leonard Bernstein.  

So join me next Sunday from 3-5pm to celebrate the music of Leonard Bernstein born on August 25, 1918.  And remember there is an encore of today’s episode this coming Saturday from 3-5pm.FCGM-08-25-24 Composer Birthdays in August