This Week in Classical Music: November 9, 2020.Couperin and Borodin.François Couperin, the great French composer, harpsichordist and organist of the Baroque era, was born in Paris on November 10th of 1668.He was a member of an incredible musical dynasty, which flourished from the late 16th century to the mid-19th, or more than 250 years.His family came from Chaumes-en-Brie, a town in the Brie region famous for its cheese, and that’s where several generations of Couperins were born, even though all of them would then move to work in Paris; François was the first one to be born in Paris (there was at least one other, older, composer François Couperin, so to distinguish them, in France “our” Couperin is called Le Grand (the Great).Probably the most famous of François’s ancestors was Louis Couperin, born in 1626, who was also a viol and keyboard player.He was presented to the court of the young Louis XIV and was the first one to be appointed the organist at the church of St. Gervais; eight members of the Couperin family served as organists there, including François Le Grand, the last one serving till 1826.You can read more about François Couperin here.
A fine Russian composer Alexander Borodin was born on November 12th of 1833.If he were less of a chemist and more of a composer, we might have enjoyed more of his music, but even as an occasional composer he created a masterpiece, the opera Prince Igor though he left it unfinished (Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov completed the orchestration).His symphonies, especially Symphony no 2, and the symphonic piece In the Steppes of Central Asia are fine works and so are his many art songs and some piano pieces.Here’s more about this unusual composer.Also, Aaron Copland, one of the most significant American composers of the 20th century was born 120 years ago, on November 14th of 1900 in Brooklyn, New York.
Two Russian string players were born on November 14th: the violinist Leonid Kogan in 1924 and the cellist Natalia Gutman in 1942.Kogan is rightly considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century.He was born in Dnepropetrovsk (now Dnipro, Ukraine) into a Jewish family.He moved to Moscow to study with the famed violin teacher Abram Yampolsky.Kogan started widely performing at the age of 17.In 1951 he won the Queen Elizabeth Competition.In 1955 Leonid Kogan made his debuts in Paris and London and in 1957 – in the US.He has taught at the Moscow Conservatory since 1952.In the 1950s Kogan, Emil Gilels and Mstislav Rostropovich formed a very successful trio (Kogan and Gilels collaborated often, and Kogan married Emil’s sister, Elisaveta).Here’s the recording of Bach’s Chaconne from Partita no.2 in D minor BWV 1004 made live in 1954.
Natalia Gutman was born in Kazan, Russia.At the Moscow Conservatory she studied with Galina Kozolupova and Mstislav Rostropovich.She and her husband, the violinist Oleg Kagan, were friends with Sviatoslav Richter; they played together in many concerts.
Couperin and more, 2020
This Week in Classical Music: November 9, 2020. Couperin and Borodin. François Couperin, the great French composer, harpsichordist and organist of the Baroque era, was born in
Paris on November 10th of 1668. He was a member of an incredible musical dynasty, which flourished from the late 16th century to the mid-19th, or more than 250 years. His family came from Chaumes-en-Brie, a town in the Brie region famous for its cheese, and that’s where several generations of Couperins were born, even though all of them would then move to work in Paris; François was the first one to be born in Paris (there was at least one other, older, composer François Couperin, so to distinguish them, in France “our” Couperin is called Le Grand (the Great). Probably the most famous of François’s ancestors was Louis Couperin, born in 1626, who was also a viol and keyboard player. He was presented to the court of the young Louis XIV and was the first one to be appointed the organist at the church of St. Gervais; eight members of the Couperin family served as organists there, including François Le Grand, the last one serving till 1826. You can read more about François Couperin here.
A fine Russian composer Alexander Borodin was born on November 12th of 1833. If he were less of a chemist and more of a composer, we might have enjoyed more of his music, but even as an occasional composer he created a masterpiece, the opera Prince Igor though he left it unfinished (Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazunov completed the orchestration). His symphonies, especially Symphony no 2, and the symphonic piece In the Steppes of Central Asia are fine works and so are his many art songs and some piano pieces. Here’s more about this unusual composer. Also, Aaron Copland, one of the most significant American composers of the 20th century was born 120 years ago, on November 14th of 1900 in Brooklyn, New York.
Two Russian string players were born on November 14th: the violinist Leonid Kogan in 1924 and the cellist Natalia Gutman in 1942. Kogan is rightly considered one of the greatest violinists of the 20th century. He was born in Dnepropetrovsk (now Dnipro, Ukraine) into a Jewish family. He moved to Moscow to study with the famed violin teacher Abram Yampolsky. Kogan started widely performing at the age of 17. In 1951 he won the Queen Elizabeth Competition. In 1955 Leonid Kogan made his debuts in Paris and London and in 1957 – in the US. He has taught at the Moscow Conservatory since 1952. In the 1950s Kogan, Emil Gilels and Mstislav Rostropovich formed a very successful trio (Kogan and Gilels collaborated often, and Kogan married Emil’s sister, Elisaveta). Here’s the recording of Bach’s Chaconne from Partita no.2 in D minor BWV 1004 made live in 1954.
Natalia Gutman was born in Kazan, Russia. At the Moscow Conservatory she studied with Galina Kozolupova and Mstislav Rostropovich. She and her husband, the violinist Oleg Kagan, were friends with Sviatoslav Richter; they played together in many concerts.