Historical Events of March 2
2 March
** 1861 - birth of Anton Hegner (Denmark) d.1915
cellist & composer {based Denmark-USA}
** 1887 - Julius Klengel (cello) and Miss Emily Winant (vocal) were invited soloists with the London Symphony Orchestra
** 1892 – the famous George Bernard Shaw wrote a review in ‘The World’ (London) with the now well-known phrases: “The inevitable Popper ..." "... elegant and fanciful in its lighter phases, and elegiac on its sentimental side"
** 1895 – Dvorak had made a version of Waldesruhe (Silent Woods), Op. 68, No. 5, for cello and piano that he and Hans Wihan performed on Dvorak's farewell tour of Bohemia before the composer left for a stint as director of the National Conservatory in New York City (1892-5). Then, in 1894, Dvorak's orchestration of the piano part was published, and Alwin Schroeder was perhaps the first cellist to perform this new version in the U.S.A. when he paired it with an orchestrated version of Julius Klengel's Capriccio, Op. 3, on 1st and 2nd March, 1895 with the Boston Symphony Orchestra
** 1899 – cellist/composer Paul Bazelaire wrote (or completed) the 'Danse égyptienne’ for violin and piano, Op.14, on this day (this was one of two dances)
** 1899 - birth of Harald Søltoft Agersnap (Denmark) d.1982
composer, conductor, cellist, and pianist
** 1917 – on this date the premiere was heard of Heitor Villa-Lobos’s Élégie, Op.87 (written 1915), in version with piano accompaniment, in Rio de Janeiro, Salão Nobre do Jornal do Commercio, with Alfredo Comes (cello) and Lucilia Villa-Lobos (piano)
** 1922 – birth of Eric Feldbush (Grivegnée, Belgium) d.2007
cellist, conductor and composer
He studied cello at the Liege Conservatoire (1934–39), and later took courses in composition with Quinet and Legley (1947–48). He was director of the Mons Conservatoire (1963–72) and of the Brussels Conservatoire (1974–87).
Of special interest to cellists is that he wrote a cello concerto in 1988 that was premiered by Edmond Baert. He also adapted the ‘Concerto Militaire’ by François Servais for cello and strings or small orchestra, and wrote an original work for three cellos and string orchestra.
** 1936 – birth of Buell Neidlinger (New Yprk City, U.S.A.) d.2018
cellist – pop, jazz and classical session musician. Also a double bassist.
** 1937 - in the Meister-Saal (Berlin) a “Sonaten-Abend” took place with Hans Andreae (cello) and Renata Borgatti (piano)
** 1950 - cellist Pierre Fournier performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in Dvorak – Cello Concerto, Op.104. Two concerts, in Amsterdam (1st and 2nd March), conducted by Rafael Kubelik
** 1956 - on this day cellist Pierre Fournier finished recording with violinist David Oistrakh the Brahms - Double Concerto, with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Alceo Galliera, at the Kingsway Hall, London (started on 29th February ’56)
** 1963 - at the Maison Francaise, Oxford (England), the Oxford University Musical Club and Union organized a recital with Moray Welsh (cello) and Roger Vignoles, (piano), including Edmund Rubbra - Cello Sonata, Op.60
** 1967 - Joan Dickson was cello soloist in a Reid Orchestral Concert - she performed Kenneth Leighton - Cello Concerto with The Reid Orchestra, conducted by Sidney Newman
** 1984 - Felix Schmidt was cello soloist with the London Concert Orchestra, conducted by Edward Heath, at the London Barbican (this was first of a tour programme, 2-11 March 1984).
** 1989 - the premiere of Karel Husa’s Cello Concerto was performed by Lynn Harrell, with the USC Symphony was conducted by Daniel Lewis (the work underwent a certain revision, reaching its definitive form in November 1991)
