Topic: CLASSICALmanac.com
1923 Birth of Polish-American conductor and composer Stanislaw SKROWACZEWSKI in Lwow. 
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Alexander Lazarev has been named the principal conductor of the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra. During his term from September 2008 to August 2011, he will focus on the works of Sergei Prokofiev and other Russian composers, reports the Itar-Tass news agency. The 62-year-old Lazarev was born in Moscow and studied with Leo Ginsbourg at the Moscow Conservatory. In 1971 and 1972, he won first prizes in the Soviet Union's national conducting competition and the Karajan Competition in Berlin, respectively. 
Naxos collaborates with top violinists in a new series dedicated to 19th century virtuoso violin music While many other record labels are content to record the same violin music over and over again, Naxos has chosen to raise the bar to a new level by recording 200 albums—possibly even more—dedicated exclusively to music composed by 19th century violin virtuosos. Our list of fine virtuosos dedicated to this project includes Friedemann Eichhorn, Chloe Hanslip, Misha Keylin, Philippe Quint, and Tianwa Yang. With the dedication and skill of these and other astounding violinists, this series will revive this unjustly neglected segment of the classical repertoire and create excitement among a whole new generation of listeners for the golden age of violin music. With this series we will reintroduce the world to the great names and music of the 19th century virtuosi. For instance the name Pierre Baillot (1771-1842) is not well known today but was one of the biggest names in 19th century France, both as a pedagogue and a performer. Along with two other famous violin virtuosos, Pierre Rode and Rodolphe Kreutzer, he created one of the most famous violin methods in history, the then-official method of the Paris Conservatory. In addition to his teaching duties and travels, Baillot managed to compose many works, including nine violin concertos. All of Baillot’s nine violin concertos, many of which have not been played for well over a century, make their world premiere recording within this collection. This project will also mark the recording debut of concertos by Rodolphe Kreutzer (1766-1831, 19 Concertos), Felipe Libon (1775-1838, 6 Concertos), Francois Habeneck (1781-1849, 2 Concertos), Alfredo d’Ambrosio (1871-1914, 2 Concertos), Ferdinand David (1810-1873, 5 Concertos), Ludwig Maurer (1789-1878, 9 Concertos), Nicholas Wery (1789-1867, 3 Concertos), Jacques Mazas (1782-1849, 2 Concertos), and numerous others. One part of this collection of complete violin concertos includes the thirteen violin concertos by the French virtuoso Pierre Rode (1774-1830). Earlier this year Friedemann Eichhorn recorded concertos 7, 10, and 13 with the SWR Radio Orchestra Kaiserslautern conducted by Nicolas Pasquet. When this collection of amazing concertos is complete it will be a 'must own’ for discerning music collectors everywhere, providing listening pleasure for years to come. 
A SCOTTISH conductor who made his name in the opera houses of Germany and the United States, but who for years dropped out of sight from the Scottish music scene, was picked yesterday to lead one of the country's top orchestras. Donald Runnicles, born in Edinburgh 52 years ago, was named yesterday as the new chief conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, replacing Ilan Volkov, the Israeli 20 years his junior. 
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz (Russian: Владимир Самойлович Горовиц, Vladimir Samojlovič Gorovits; Ukrainian: Володимир Самійлович Горовиць, Volodymyr Samiylovich Horovyts) (1 October 1903 – 5 November 1989) was a Russian-American pianist. In his prime, he was considered one of the most distinguished pianists of any age. His technique, use of tone color and the excitement of his playing are legendary. Though sometimes criticized for being overly mannered and showy, he has a huge and passionate following and is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the twentieth century. 
Soprano Angela Gheorghiu, scheduled to sing Mimi in Puccini's "La boheme" at Lyric Opera of Chicago, was dismissed Friday for missing rehearsals, said general director William Mason. The action marks the first time that Lyric has taken such a drastic action since 1989, when supertenor Luciano Pavarotti was banished from the Civic Opera House. 
"Dictatorships work for a reason,'' says conductor Marin Alsop. ``In the old days, conductors achieved their goals through fear. That's not how I work. I want the experience to be rewarding as well as effective.'' When she steps in front of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra on Sept. 27, she'll have a chance to put her wishes into practice. The concert inaugurates Alsop's tenure as the first-ever female music director of a major American orchestra. 
1935 FP of George Gershwin's Porgy and Bess with book by DeBose Heyward at Boston's Colonial Theater starring American Todd Duncan [photo](1903-1998) as Porgy. Porgy and Bess is an opera with lyrics by Ira Gershwin and Dorothy Heyward. It was based on Heyward's novel Porgy and the play of the same name that he co-wrote with his wife Dorothy. All three works deal with African American life in the fictitious Catfish Row in Charleston, South Carolina, in the early 1930s. 
1918 FP of Gustav Holst's 'The Planets' in Queen's Hall, London. It was noted that during rehearsals, custodians stopped working and listened in awe to the work which within one year brought Holst international fame. By far his most popular orchestral composition- it left him professionally frustrated for the rest of his life as he could not top it's popularity. 