Historical Events of May 20
20 May
** 1850 - English cellist Robert Lindley performed, with Lucas (2nd cello) and Howel (double bass), a sonata of Corelli - Lindley’s last known performance of a Corelli work (his favourite bassist, Dragonetti, with him he had closely collaborated, had died in 1846).
** 1859 - birth of William Edward Whitehouse (London) d.1935
cellist and pedagogue. Professor Royal Academy of Music, Royal College of Music, both in London, and at King’s College, Cambridge. Cellist of The London Trio, and performed regularly with violinist Joseph Joachim.
** 1868 - (probable) London debut concert of Friedrich Grützmacher
(Philharmonic, London)
** 1899 - London debut concert of Pau Casals
Lalo - Cello Concerto, at the Crystal Palace
** 1905 – cellist Alwin Schroeder gave many performances of the Locatelli – Cello Sonata in D Major (version Piatti) from coast to coast of the U.S.A. during the 1904-1907 period, and the reception of both the work and Schroeder's playing was even warmer. In Los Angeles Schroeder's rendition purportedly - according to the Los Angeles Herald, on 20th May 20, 1905:
“drove the great audience quite mad with enthusiasm; especially exquisite was his rendition of the adagio movement with its profound passion and depth of sadness. Eight times the dignified little man, faintly smiling at the shaking clamor of the house, bowed his thanks. Louder and louder grew the applause, finally forcing an encore.”
** 1917 - birth of Eleanor Aller {Slatkin} (New York City) d.1995
cellist, orchestra principal cellist, principal cellist of the Warner Brothers Orchestra, chamber musician, film and session musician
Her mother, Fannie Altschuler, was a pianist, and her father, Gregory, was a cellist. He came to the United States from Russia around the turn of the twentieth century with his brothers Joe and Simeon. Their original family name was Altschuler, but they changed the name to Aller when they came to America.
** 1932 – birth of Ricardo Roberto Francia (Buenos Aires, Argentina) d.2021
Argentine musician, cellist and musical arranger.
** 1973 - a seventieth birthday for Gregor Piatigorsky was celebrated by a Carnegie Hall (New York) concert at which eleven musicians performed. Piatigorsky performed with seven of his students (who were all outstanding young artists in their own right), the soprano Beverly Sills, and with the pianists John Browning and Charles Wadsworth
** 1973 - first performance of Gian Carlo Menotti - Suite for two cellos and piano
(New York)
** 1975 - first performance of David Diamond - Solo Cello Sonata
** 1975 - first performance of Werner Thärichen - Hommage aux Douze, for 12 Cellos
The 12 Cellos of the Berlin Philharmonic (Philharmonie, Berlin)
** 1982 – cellist Anthony Ross, principal cellist of the Minnesota Orchestra, recorded live the Victoria Jagling – Solo Cello Suite (written the same year, as a compulsory piece for the Moscow International Tchaikovsky Competition). However, as a reel-to-reel tape, it has never been released commercially.
** 1987 - Demetri Motatu/cello and Sebastián Mariné/piano performed Jesús María Legido González - ‘Fantasia’ for cello and piano (1984) and ‘Confidencias’ for cello and piano in a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio [note: the Fantasia is a second version of Elegíaca for viola and piano (1980)]
Paraninfo de la Universidad, Valladolid, Castilla y León, Spain
** 1987 - Felipe Alfonso Temes Hinojosa/cello and Juan Padrosa/piano performed José María Usandizaga - ‘Fantasía’ for cello and piano, in a concert recorded by Spanish National Radio
Iglesia Capuchinos, Renteria, Basque Country
