Historical Events of April 2
2 April
** 1772 - birth of Ignaz Franz Edler von Mosel (Vienna)
cellist, violinist, director of the concerts of the Imperial Riding School, court councillor, director of the opera, and court librarian. Also a composer (but, alas, nothing for cello!)
** 1802 - on this day Ignace Pleyel wrote to Muzio Clementi (then in London):
“I have three superb concertos for violoncello by Lamar {Jacques Michel Hurel de Lamarre}, who is a young Rode on the bass”. However, these three concertos were NOT by Lamarre, but four concertos in all appearing under his name were actually composed by Auber! What happened is that Auber was an intimate friend of Lamarre, and as a young professional beginner was anxious to make his name wider known with the help of a well-established name. The concerto in A minor is still occasionally played.
** 1821 - birth of Emile Norblin (France) d.1880
cellist & especially professor {son and pupil of the cellist Louis Pierre Martin Norblin}
** 1848 - birth of Cesare Casella (Malaga, Spain - but possibly in Oporto, Portugal)
cellist, chamber music player & composer {later based in Paris}
** 1881 - birth of Diran Alexanian (Constantinople, Turkey) d.1954
cellist & professor {based France & USA}
Diran Alexanian (1881-1954) was one of the most controversial cello teachers of his time. He was born in Constantinople, but his parents came from Armenia. In Leipzig he studied with Grutzmacher, and played chamber music with Brahms and the violinist Joseph Joachim. He was an accomplished cellist at a young age. When he was 20 he settled in Paris, where he met Pablo Casals, and both discovered that they had similar ideas with regard to general technique and the interpretation of music. In 1937 Alexanian moved to the United States, and taught at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, and the Manhattan School of Music in New York City.
** 1902 - on this day German cellist Paul Grümmer made a successful debut as soloist in London, where he had the honour to appear before the King and Queen.
** 1903 - birth of Gabriel Cusson (Roxton Pond, Quebec) d.1972
composer, music educator & cellist
** 1916 - cellist Juan Ruiz-Casaux gave his first performance as soloist in Strauss - Don Quixote, in Spain with the Orquesta Sinfónica of Madrid conducted by Fernández Arbós - he went on to perform it on countless occasions!
** 1922 – first performance of original works by cellist/composer Paul Bazelaire – ‘Les yeux d’Or de la Nuit’ for voice and orchestra, Op.93, and the first performance of his ‘Villanelle’ (also) for voice and orchestra, Op.98, in the Concerts Lamoureux of Paris
Soloist in both works: Mme Pritter Ciampi
** 1925 - Adele Clement, French cellist, performed tours in Morocco and Algeria in 1923 and 1925; the newspaper Oued-Sahel reported on April 2nd, 1925:
"For two hours, the public was literally taken by the talent of two artists, Melles Adèle Clément and Sandra-Mario".
A few days before the music critic had already predicted:
"With Melle Adèle Clément, it will be the exquisite, sentimental intoxication of the cello, this divine instrument whose sounds enchant and touch the most refractory”
** 1927 - cellist Judith Bokor performed as soloist with the Concertgebouw Orchestra, in Saint-Saëns – Cello Concerto No.1, Op.33. Concert in Amsterdam, conducted by Willem Mengelberg
** 1932 – in a Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra ‘Haydn Centenary Concert’, Pablo Casals performed as cello soloist in Haydn – Cello Concerto in D Major, in an all-Haydn programme. Conductor: Clemens Krauss / Musikverein, Golden Hall, Vienna
** 1969 - Jacqueline Du Pré performed Haydn - Cello Concerto in D Major, with the English Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Daniel Barenboim, at the Royal Festival Hall (London).
