John Knowles Paine and the American Symphony
Sunday, January 09, 2005
It’s a birthday blast again this evening, as we tip a glass to the American composer John Knowles Paine, born in Portland, Maine in 1839.
Pianist Noel Lester plays Paine’s “Village Dance” as our festivities begin; more Paine (and plenty to gain) later. Kurt Masur conducts the New York Philharmonic in Richard Strauss’s tone poem, “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks.” Strauss refused to leave any programmatic clues as to the escapades of his wily prankster, saying that he will “leave it to the audience to crack the nuts that the rogue has prepared for them.” So you are free to invent your own tales as you listen to the thematic transformations provided for your delectation.
While John Knowles Paine did not write the first American symphony, his Symphony No. 1 was the first to be accepted both here and abroad as music of the first quality, and some say it marks the beginning of the American symphonic tradition. So tonight we celebrate two anniversaries: Paine’s birthday (1839), and the virtual birth of the American symphony (1875). Zubin Mehta conducts the New York Philharmonic in this groundbreaking work.
The evening’s program includes music from Debussy, Haydn, Franck, Bach, Schumann and more! Don’t turn that dial, because you’ll hear a wealth of excellent music right here, right now, this very evening.
Pianist Noel Lester plays Paine’s “Village Dance” as our festivities begin; more Paine (and plenty to gain) later. Kurt Masur conducts the New York Philharmonic in Richard Strauss’s tone poem, “Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks.” Strauss refused to leave any programmatic clues as to the escapades of his wily prankster, saying that he will “leave it to the audience to crack the nuts that the rogue has prepared for them.” So you are free to invent your own tales as you listen to the thematic transformations provided for your delectation.
While John Knowles Paine did not write the first American symphony, his Symphony No. 1 was the first to be accepted both here and abroad as music of the first quality, and some say it marks the beginning of the American symphonic tradition. So tonight we celebrate two anniversaries: Paine’s birthday (1839), and the virtual birth of the American symphony (1875). Zubin Mehta conducts the New York Philharmonic in this groundbreaking work.
The evening’s program includes music from Debussy, Haydn, Franck, Bach, Schumann and more! Don’t turn that dial, because you’ll hear a wealth of excellent music right here, right now, this very evening.
Leave a Comment
Register for your own account so you can vote on comments, save your favorites, and more. Learn more.
Please stay on topic, be civil, and be brief.
Email addresses are never displayed, but they are required to confirm your comments. Names are displayed with all comments. We reserve the right to edit any comments posted on this site. Please read the Comment Guidelines before posting. By leaving a comment, you agree to New York Public Radio's Privacy Policy and Terms Of Use.