by Daniel Hathaway
HAPPENING TODAY:
Ohio Light Opera presents the next-to-last performances of Noël Coward’s Bitter Sweet at 2 pm, and Gilbert and Sullivan’s Patience (pictured) at 7:30 in Freedlander Theatre at The College of Wooster.
The last performances of these two titles will take place at the same times on Saturday.
Details in our Concert Listings.
NEWS BRIEFS:
Cleveland State University tubist and music performance major Ephrem King of Elyria has been selected to participate in the International Wind Ensemble Academy and Festival in Bangkok, Thailand from July 31-August 13, where he will share the stage with musicians from across the globe.
TODAY’S ALMANAC:
George Szell, The Cleveland Orchestra’s music director for 24 years, died on July 30, 1970 in Hannah House at University Hospitals during a Blossom concert conducted by Pierre Boulez, who had the task of informing the players following the performance. Read an obituary by Donal Henahan published the following day in The New York Times (the article has been automatically digitized and is full of misreadings of the original, but it’s worth reading for the collection of anecdotes that Henahan has included).
On July 30, 1921, American pianist Grant Johanneson was born in Salt Lake City. President of the Cleveland Institute of Music from 1974 to 1985, he was a frequent guest performer with The Cleveland Orchestra. Click here to listen to a live performance of de Falla’s Nights in the Gardens of Spain by Johanneson and The Cleveland Orchestra under Loren Maazel ca. 1978.
And back in 1899, English pianist and celebrated accompanist Gerald Moore was born on this date in Watford, Hertfordshire. During his long career, he appeared on stage and in recordings with most of the eminent singers of his time, and did much to elevate the role of the pianist in recitals. As humorous a writer as he was accomplished as a performer, Moore wrote a number of books: The Unashamed Accompanist, Am I Too Loud? and Furthermoore — Interludes in an accompanist’s life.
Listen here to his witty recorded version of The Unashamed Accompanist from 1955. And click here to listen to his recording of six Richard Strauss songs with Janet Baker, recorded in 1968.
