Synopsis

Following the successful premiere of his First Symphony in 1876, the New England composer John Knowles Paine finished a Second, which he gave a German subtitle: “Im Fruehling” or “In Springtime.” In 19th century America, “serious” music meant German music, and “serious” musicians like Paine all studied in Germany. Returning home, Paine became the first native-born American to win acceptance as a symphonic composer, and, accepting a teaching post at Harvard, became that school’s first professor of music.

On today’s date in 1880, when Paine’s “Spring” Symphony was premiered at Sanders Theater, the normally staid Bostonians went nuts. One critic who was present, recalled that “ladies waved their handkerchiefs, men shouted in approbation, and the highly respected John S. Dwight, arbiter in Boston of music criticism, stood in his seat frantically opening and shutting his umbrella as an expression of uncontrollable enthusiasm.”

Paine’s music remained tremendously popular in his own day. In 1883 George Henschel, then the conductor of the Boston Symphony, was sent the following poetic suggestion about his programming:

Let no more Wagner themes thy bill enhance And give the native workers just one chance. Don’t give that Dvorák symphony a-gain; If you would give us joy, oh give us Paine!

Music Played in Today's Program

John Knowles Paine (1839 - 1906) — Symphony No. 2 (New York Philharmonic; Zubin Mehta, cond.) New World 350

On This Day

Births

• 1839 - American composer and organist Dudley Buck, in Hartford, Conn.;

• 1844 - Spanish composer and violinist Pablo de Sarasate, in Pamplona;

• 1892 - French composer Arthur Honegger, in Le Harve;

• 1903 - American composer and jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, in Davenport, Iowa;

Deaths

• 1832 - Italian-born composer Muzio Clementi, age 80, in Evesham, England;

• 1870 - Czech-born composer and pianist Ignaz Moscheles, age 75, in Leipzig;

• 1910 - German composer Carl Reinecke, age 85, in Leipzig;

• 1991 - American composer Elie Siegmeister, age 82, in Manhasset, N.Y.;

Premieres

• 1785 - Mozart: Piano Concerto No. 21 in C, K. 467, at the Burgtheater in Vienna, with the composer as soloist;

• 1837 - Mercadante: opera "Il Giuramento" (The Oath), in Milan;

• 1875 - Goldmark: opera "Die Königin von Saba" (The Queen of Sheba), in Vienna at the Court Opera (Hofoper);

• 1877 - Borodin: Symphony No. 2, in St. Petersburg, by the Russian Musical Society, Eduard Nápravik conducting (Julian date: Feb. 26);

• 1880 - Paine: Symphony No. 2 ("Spring"), at Sanders Theater in Boston, by the Boston Philharmonic, Bernard Listermann conducting; The following day, the orchestra of the Harvard Musical Association performed the same work downtown at Boston's Musical Hall, with Carl Zerrahn conducting;

• 1888 - Franck: symphonic poem "Pysché," in Paris;

• 1912 - Gliere: Symphony No. 3 ("Ilya Murometz") in Moscow (Gregorian date: Mar. 23);

• 1916 - Granados: "Intermezzo & Epilogue," from "Goyescas," by the Philadelphia Orchestra, Leopold Stokowski conducting;

• 1922 - Loeffler: "Irish Fantasies" (Nos. 2, 3 & 5 only) for voice and orchestra, by the Boston Symphony, with Pierre Monteux conducting and tenor John McCormack the soloist;

• 1932 - Wallingford Riegger: "Dichotomy" for orchestra, in Berlin;

• 1952 - David Diamond: Quintet for clarinet and strings, at Town Hall in New York City, by clarinetist David Oppenheim, Nathan Gordon and Lillian Fuchs (violins), and Aaron Twerdowsky and Bernard Greenhouse (cellos);

• 1963 - Henze: opera "Il re cervo" (The Stag King), in Kassel at the Staatstheater; This is the 2nd version of Henze's opera "König Hirsch" which was first staged in an abridged version in Berlin on September 24, 1956; The complete original version of the opera was eventually staged in Stuttgart on May 7, 1985;

• 1964 - John Harbison: "Sinfonia," in Cambridge, Mass., with violinist Rose Mary Harbison and the Bach Society Orchestra of Harvard, Gregory Biss conducting;

• 1977 - John Harbison: "Diotima" for orchestra, in Boston, with the Boston Symphony, Joseph Silverstein conducting;

Others

• 1937 - Frank Capra's film "The Lost Horizon" opens at the Four Stars Theater in Los Angeles, featuring a classic film score composed by Dmitri Tiomkin (and conducted by Max Steiner).