Historical Events of May 17
17 May
** 1822 - birth of Bernhard Cossmann (Dessau, Germany) d.1910
cellist, composer, arranger and pedagogue
During his early prpfessional life, he worked for the Grand Opera in Paris and became acquainted with Franz Liszt, with whom he went to Weimar. In 1866, Cossmann was appointed professor of cello studies at the Moscow Conservatory. Then, in 1878, Cossmann helped found the Hoch Conservatory in Frankfurt, where he occupied the post of teacher of cello. He composed many etudes and studies for the cello, many of which are still used today by advanced students.
** 1848 - birth of Hugo Jäger (Warmbrunn, Silesia)
cellist, solo cellist positions in Ems, Altenburg, Brunswick and Pawlowsk (near St. Petersburg); first solo cello in theDucal Chapel of Dessau
** 1897 - birth of Enrico Mainardi (Milan, Italy) d.1976
cellist, composer, arranger & pedagogue
At just thirteen (1910) he gave his London première in a Promenade concert conducted by Henry Wood. However, World War I halted Mainardi’s performances and touring for four years. He took advantage by studying at the Berlin Hochschule with Hugo Becker, relearning all he had previously known and successfully relaunching his solo career. In 1941, he succeeded Becker at the Berlin Hochscule, becoming known primarily as a teacher with a talent for spotting and, crucially, remedying bad habits and mental blocks in young players
** 1910 - first performance of Kodaly - Sonata for cello and piano
Jenö Kerpely/cello and Bela Bartok/piano
** 1918 – birth of Julius Drossin (Philadelphia, U.S.A.) d.2007
An American composer and cellist. He joined the Cleveland Orchestra as a cellist in 1948. Following the awarding of a Ph.D in Music Composition from Western Reserve University, he left the Orchestra to found the Music department at Fenn College which became Cleveland State University in 1965 (he retired as Chairman in 1984). He and his wife Barbara wrote the music and words for many special occasions including Jewish worship services. He wrote a cello concerto which was published around 1979.
** 1942 - at the Cambridge Theatre (London) the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Basil Cameron, performed with invited cello soloist Anthony Pini.
** 1947 - cellist Enrico Mainardi performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in Hindemith - Cello Concerto (1940). Two concerts, in Amsterdam (15th and 17th May), conducted by the composer
** 1955 - first performance of Einar Englund - Concerto for Cello and Orchestra
(Helsinki)
** 1962 – birth of Steven Honigberg (Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.)
American cellist specializing in contemporary classical repertoire. He is a member of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Potomac String Quartet. From 1994 - 2002, Honigberg served as chamber music series director at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. From 1990 - 2009, he was principal cellist, chamber music director of the Edgar M. Bronfman series in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Honigberg is author of “LEONARD ROSE: AMERICA'S GOLDEN AGE and ITS FIRST CELLIST”, published in 2010 and revised in 2013.
** 1971 - first performance of Joan Tower - Six Variations for cello
(New York)
** 1994 – on today’s date and starting the previous day, cellist Maria Kliegel recorded both Schumann – Cello Concerto in A minor, and the Brahms – Double Concerto in A minor alongside violinist Ilia Kaler, with the National Symphony orchestra of Ireland, conducted by Andrew Constantine.
