Four Centuries of Great Music October 12, 2025 October Composer Birthdays

Four Centuries of Great Music October 12, 2025 October Composer Birthdays

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music I am celebrating some of the composers whose Birthday anniversaries are in October

Giuseppe VERDI

First is Giuseppe VERDI who was born on October, 9, 1813 in Le Roncole, Italy.  Verdi is best  know for his operas and his sacred music such as his requiem.  But to celebrate the anniversary of his birth, I am going in another direction with one of only two published examples of his chamber music, his String Quartet in E minor.  Verdi's production of Aida in early March, 1873 was delayed due to the sudden illness of soprano Teresa Stolz. Verdi focused his time in Naples on the writing of his String Quartet in E minor. The work was premiered two days after the opening of Aida during an informal recital at his hotel on April 1, 1873.  He wrote afterward “I don't know whether the Quartet is beautiful or ugly, but I do know that it's a Quartet!”   It is in four movements marked Allegro,Andantino, Prestissimo and Scherzo Fuga -  Allegro assai mosso

Here is a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s String Quartet in E minor by the Schumann Quartet from the album Mozart, Ives and Verdi Quartets.  Ars Produktion

Giuseppe Verdi: String Quartet in E minor   I. Allegro
Giuseppe Verdi: String Quartet in E minor   II. Andantino
Giuseppe Verdi: String Quartet in E minor   III. Prestissimo
Giuseppe Verdi: String Quartet in E minor   IV. Scherzo Fuga -  Allegro assai mosso


Roberto SIERRA

Next of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music on which I am celebrating some of the composers, whose  Birthday anniversaries are in October is 72 year old Roberto SIERRA whose birthday was three days ago on October 9th.  Sierra was born in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico.    He studied composition at the Royal College of Music and at the Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg, Germany, notably with György Ligeti from (1979–1982).  Sierra came to prominence in 1987 when his first major orchestral composition, Júbilo, was performed at Carnegie Hall by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.  For more than three decades his works have been part of the repertoire of many of the leading orchestras, ensembles and festivals in the USA and Europe. His Fandangos was performed at the opening night of the 2002 Proms, performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.  Sierra is a retired professor at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, where he taught composition.   

Today I will be featuring his Sinfonía No. 6.  It is in 4 movements:

Roberto SIERRA:  Sinfonía No. 6  - I. Reflexión urbana
Roberto SIERRA:  Sinfonía No. 6  - II. De noche
Roberto SIERRA:  Sinfonía No. 6 -  III. Huracán
Roberto SIERRA:  Sinfonía No. 6 -  IV. Final

Domingo Hindoyan & Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra
Roberto Sierra: Symphony No. 6, Sinfonietta for String Orchestra,   Two Pieces for Orchestra, Fandangos, Allegria 
Onyx Records

Let’s close this first hour of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music on which I am celebrating some of the composers, whose  Birthday anniversaries are in October  with twoDiferencias by Roberto Sierra number 1 Fanfarria and number 2 Sonoro as performed by the Eastman Wind Ensemble from the album Sierra Live
Roberto Sierra: Diferencia Number 1 Fanfarria 
Roberto Sierra: Diferencia Number 2 Sonoro 
Eastman Wind Ensemble
Sierra Live
Summit Records


Paul DUKAS

Lets open this second hour of this episode of Four Centuries of Great Music on which I am celebrating some of the composers Birthdays anniversaries are in October is French composer Paul DUKAS.  Paul DUKAS was born in Paris on October 1, 1865 and is best known for his work The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  In the first two years of the 20th century, following the immense success of his orchestral work The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Dukas completed two complex and technically demanding large-scale works for solo piano: the Piano Sonata (1901), dedicated to Saint-Saëns, and Variations, Interlude and Finale on a Theme by Rameau (1902).  Today I will be sharing his Piano Sonata in E-flat minor.  It is in four movements: 
Paul Dukas: Piano Sonata in E-flat minor   I.  Modérément vif (expressif et marqué)
Paul Dukas: Piano Sonata in E-flat minor   II.  Calme – un peu lent – très soutenu
Paul Dukas: Piano Sonata in E-flat minor   III.  Vivement – avec légèreté
Paul Dukas: Piano Sonata in E-flat minor   IV.  Très lent

Chantal Stigliani, piano
Dukas:  Piano Sonata - Variations On A Theme of Rameau
Naxos Recordings

Toru TAKEMITSU

We will close today’s episode of Four Centuries of Great Music on which I am celebrating some of the composers, whose  Birthday anniversaries are in October with the music of Toru Takemitsu.

Toru Takemitsu was born in Tokyo on October 8, 1930.  His education was cut short by military conscription in 1944, yes he was conscripted into the Japanese military at the age of 14. Takemitsu described his experience of military service at such a young age, under the Japanese Nationalist government, as "... extremely bitter”.  Takemitsu first became conscious of Western classical music during his term of military service, in the form of a popular French Song ("Parlez-moi d'amour") which he listened to with colleagues in secret.  He started composing right after the war at the age of 16 and was largely self taught.  His big break internationally was when his music was heard by Igor Stravinsky in 1958 during his visit to Japan.  At a press conference later, Stravinsky expressed his admiration for Takemitsu’s work, praising its "sincerity" and "passionate" writing.  After Stravinsky returned to the U.S., Takemitsu soon received a commission for a new work from the Koussevitsky Foundation which, he assumed, had come as a suggestion from Stravinsky to Aaron Copland.  During the 1970’s his music evolved into more tonal and incorporated more  Japanese elements.  On today’s episode, I am closing with his Toward the Sea II. for alto flute, harp & string orchestra written in 1981 and is in three movements:

Toru TAKEMITSU: Toward the Sea II. for alto flute, harp & string orchestra - I. The Night       
Toru TAKEMITSU: Toward the Sea II. for alto flute, harp & string orchestra - II. Moby Dick       
Toru TAKEMITSU: Toward the Sea II. for alto flute, harp & string orchestra - III. Cape Cod     

Stathis Karapanos, flute; Marie-Pierre Langlamet, harp with Garrett Keast conducting the Berlin Academy of American Music
Transatlantic
Onyx Records