by Daniel Hathaway
INTERESTING READ:
Anthony Tomassini has written a tribute article in the New York Times about the life and career of conductor and composer Michael Tilson Thomas, who died on April 22 at his home in San Francisco at the age of 81.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
On April 27, 1894, Russian-American musicologist, composer and conductor Nicolas Slonimsky entered the world in St. Petersburg. His literary credentials include serving as editor of Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians (his own bio is priceless) as well as of his Lexicon of Musical Invective, a collection of “critical assaults on composers since Beethoven’s time.” Slonimsky’s career has been summarized in the documentary A Touch of Genius. Filmed in St. Petersburg and Los Angeles, the 60-minute PBS video is narrated by British actor Michael York. Watch it here.
And on this date in 1915, Russian composer Alexander Scriabin died of blood poisoning in Moscow at the age of 43. Watch a video of 2009 Cleveland International Piano Competition first prize winner Martina Filjak performing his Nocturne for the left hand in the semi-final round.
