Four Centuries of Great Music December 8, 2024 Composer Birthday Anniversaries of the Month of December

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music, I am featuring four of the composers whose birthday anniversaries are in December: Jean Sibelius, Maria Teresa Carreno, Manual Ponce and Ludwig van Beethoven.

We will first be listening to Jean Sibelius:  Symphony #2 In D Major, Op. 43.  Jean Sibelius is considered by many to be the foremost composer in Finland and his memorial statue in Helsinki speaks to that veneration.  He was born on December 08, 1865 in Hämeenlinna, Finland.  He is credited with helping Finland maintain its cultural autonomy during a period where forces were pushing for Russification.  Although the core of his oeuvre is his set of seven symphonies, many of his compositions focused on Finnish mythology and finish folk music with compositions such as Finlandia, the Karelia Suite, Valse triste, the choral symphony Kullervo, and The Swan of Tuonela (from the Lemminkäinen Suite). His other works include pieces inspired by nature, Nordic mythology, and the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala.  Today I will be playing his Symphony #2 In D, Op. 43 which is in 4 movements: 1. Allegretto; 2. Andante Ma Rubato; 3. Vivacissimo and 4. Allegro Moderato

Here is a performance of Jean Sibelius:  Symphony #2 In D major, Op. 43 by Adrian Leaper conducting the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra from the album Sibelius:  Symphonies #2 & 7

Jean SIBELIUS
Jean Sibelius:  Symphony #2 In D major, Op. 43 – 1. Allegretto
Jean Sibelius:  Symphony #2 In D major, Op. 43 – 2. Andante Ma Rubato
Jean Sibelius:  Symphony #2 In D major, Op. 43 – 3. Vivacissimo
Jean Sibelius:  Symphony #2 In D major, Op. 43 – 4. Allegro Moderato

Adrian Leaper conducting the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra
Sibelius:  Symphonies #2 & 7        Smooth Classical

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music, I am featuring four of the composers whose birthday anniversaries are in December.  We will close out this first hour with the first two movements of
Maria Teresa CARRENO’s String Quartet in B minor

Maria Teresa Carreno was born in Caracas, Venezuela on December 22, 1853. Carreno was a pianist, soprano, composer, music teacher and conductor.

In 1862 her family emigrated to New York City During the first few weeks in New York City, she met American pianist and composer Louis Moreau Gottschalk, who heard her perform and immediately began promoting her as an artist.  At the age of eight on November 25 she made her debut at Irving Hall in New York City.  And following that debut  Carreño entered the musical world with a series of private and public concerts.

Over the course of her 54-year concert career, she became an internationally renowned virtuoso pianist and was often referred to as the “Valkyrie of the Piano”.  Carreño was an early adopter of the works of one of her students, American composer and pianist Edward MacDowell, whose birthday is also in December.  Carreño composed approximately 75 works for solo piano, voice and piano, choir and orchestra, and instrumental ensemble. Additionally,  composers dedicated their compositions to Carreño, including Amy Beach ( her Piano Concerto in C-sharp minor) and Edward MacDowell ( his Piano Concerto No. 2).

Today I am playing Maria Teresa Carreno’s String Quartet in B minor.  It is in 4 movements and we will complete this first hour of Four centuries of Great Music with the first two movements allegro and andante

Here is a performance by Tamas Strasser, Camilla Heller, Joseph Roche, and Robert Zelnick from the album The Essential Latin American Composer Collection

Maria Teresa CARRENO:  String Quartet in B minor – I. Allegro
Maria Teresa CARRENO:  String Quartet in B minor – II. Andante
Maria Teresa CARRENO:  String Quartet in B minor – III. Scherzo
Maria Teresa CARRENO:  String Quartet in B minor – IV. Allegro risoluto

Tamas Strasser, Camilla Heller, Joseph Roche, Robert Zelnick
The Essential Latin American Composer Collection
Countdown Media/BMG

We will open this second hour of Four centuries of Great Music with the third and fourth movements of Maria Teresa Carreno’s
String Quartet in B minor marked Scherzo and allegro.  And again this is a performance by Tamas Strasser, Camilla Heller, Joseph Roche, and Robert Zelnick from the album The Essential Latin American Composer Collection

Today on Four Centuries of Great Music, I am featuring four of the composers whose birthday anniversaries are in December.  

For the next birthday anniversary we are staying in Latin America with Mexican composer Manuel PONCE.  Ponce was born in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico on December 8, 1882, yes 17 years to the date after the birth of Jean Sibelius.  

He was famous for being a musical prodigy; according to his biographers, he was barely four years of age when, after having listened to the piano classes received by his sister, Josefina, he sat in front of the instrument and interpreted one of the pieces that he had heard. Immediately, his parents had him receive classes in piano and musical notation.  In 1901 Ponce entered the National Conservatory of Music, already with experience and a reputation as a pianist and composer. There he remained until 1903, and continued his studies at the  Conservatorio Giovanni Battista Martini in Bologna. And the Stern conservatory in Berlin. After his years abroad, Ponce returned to Mexico to teach piano and music history at the National Conservatory of Music from 1909 till 1922, becoming a freelance composer after that until his death in 1948.  Today we will be listening to Manuel Ponce’s String Quartet.  It is in 4 movements: I. Allegro Moderato Ma Energico
II. Interludio Fugado
III. Andante Con Espressione
IV. Vivo

Here is performance of Manuel Ponce’s String Quartet by Cuarteto Latinoamericano from the album
Ponce, M.M._ String Quartet – String Trio – Sonata for Violin and Viola – Petite Suite Dans Le Style Ancient – Miniatures

Manuel PONCE
Manuel PONCE:  String Quartet –  I. Allegro Moderato Ma Energico
Manuel PONCE:  String Quartet –  II. Interludio Fugado
Manuel PONCE:  String Quartet –  III. Andante Con Espressione
Manuel PONCE:  String Quartet –  IV. Vivo

Cuarteto Latinoamericano
Ponce, M.M._ String Quartet – String Trio – Sonata for Violin and Viola – Petite Suite Dans Le Style Ancient – Miniatures
Urtext Records

I will close today’s episode of Four Centuries of Great Music  featuring four composers whose birthday anniversaries are in December with two short works by Ludwig van BEETHOVEN. The anniversary of Beethoven’s birth is on December 15th.  First we have a performance of Beethoven’s 7 variations in E-Flat Major On “Bei Mannern, Welche Liebe Fuhlen” from Mozart’s the Magic Flute, WoO 46 with Yo-Yo Ma, cello and Imanuel Ax, piano from the album Hope Amid Tears – Beethoven: Cello Sonatas. Sony

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: 7 variations in E-Flat Major On “Bei Mannern, Welche Liebe Fuhlen” from Mozart’s the Magic Flute
Yo-Yo Ma, cello and Imanuel Ax, piano
Hope Amid Tears – Beethoven: Cello Sonatas          Sony

Finally,  Beethoven’s 20 Irish Songs No. 11, When Far From the Home as performed by Nicola Benedetti, violin;  Benjamin Grosvenor,  piano and Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello with baritone Gerald Finley from the album Beethoven – Triple Concerto. Decca Classics

Ludwig van BEETHOVEN: