Category Archives: classical music

Retro holiday gift — Archive of Met broadcasts

Posted on December 19, 2008 by lmharnisch

What can only be described as a massive archive of opera broadcasts has turned up on EBay. The reel-to-reel recordings are mostly Met performances, with a few from Bayreuth, Salzburg and Spoleto. This collection has all the familiar names of … Continue reading →

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Found on EBay — Rachmaninoff in Los Angeles

Posted on December 15, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, an autographed program from Rachmaninoff’s 1933 concert at the Philharmonic Auditorium on EBay. It’s listed as Buy It Now for $671.40. According to The Times review, Rachmaninoff played six encores, including works by Tchaikovsky and Rimsky-Korsakov as well as … Continue reading →

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December 14, 1908: Mahler’s farewell concert with the New York Philharmonic

Posted on December 14, 2008 by lmharnisch

I stumbled across–guess what–a daily history blog at the New York Times, headed by William S. Niederkorn. Here’s the New York Times’ review of “Mr. Mahler’s Last Concert.” But wait, what’s this? Overemphasis of the brass? (gasp) … Untunefulness in … Continue reading →

Posted in @news, classical music, Front Pages, Music | 1 Comment

Stunt man dies in John Wayne film, December 6, 1958

Posted on December 6, 2008 by lmharnisch

  File this under quaint notions of the 1950s: Highway officials taking control of speeding cars and forcing them to slow down. U.S. moon launch fails. http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/k6UQe8Upiz1lVusxuj&related=1&canvas=mediumTHE HORSE SOLDIERS TRAILER At left, stuntman Fred Kennedy is killed when he takes … Continue reading →

Posted in classical music, Film, Freeways, Front Pages, Hollywood, Music, Obituaries, Sports, Stage, Transportation | 1 Comment

Blind Tom dies

Posted on July 24, 2008 by lmharnisch

he Daily Mirror overlooked the death of "Blind Tom" Wiggins, reported June 28, 1908. Blind Tom played the piano, but he was more than a pianist. He wrote music, but he was far more than a composer. Blind Tom was … Continue reading →

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June 8, 1908

Posted on June 8, 2008 by lmharnisch

  Above, vaudeville and movies at the Orpheum … At left, an automobile and a streetcar collide at 9th Street and Flower. Also note the Latin American Republican League–and that in 1908 this group included Spanish, French and Italians … … Continue reading →

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May 29, 1908

Posted on May 29, 2008 by lmharnisch

May 28, 1908 May 29, 1908 We will have to trust the Los Angeles Times when it says Peje Storck was a famous pianist of his day. According to The Times, the pianist arrived in town in 1903 with English … Continue reading →

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May 15, 1938

Posted on May 15, 2008 by lmharnisch

At left, John Charles Thomas performs in "Blossom Time." Below left, shots are fired in a raid on water taxis taking customers to the gambling ship Rex, right out of Raymond Chandler. Authorities also seize 51 Rex employees … In … Continue reading →

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May 1, 1938

Posted on May 1, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, Arnold Schoenberg’s orchestration of Brahms’ quartet for piano and strings receives its U.S. premiere. I once listened to a recording of a talk by Schoenberg and was surprised to hear him pronounce his name "Shane-berg" as in "Bei Mir … Continue reading →

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April 14, 1958

Posted on April 14, 2008 by lmharnisch

Above, the Dodgers get a champagne welcome from Lawrence Welk at the Aragon Ballroom. Below, can it really be 50 years since Van Cliburn won the Tchaikovsky piano competition?  And in case you’re wondering: Liu Shi-kun and Lev Vlasenko tied … Continue reading →

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Downtown rebirth

Posted on March 27, 2008 by lmharnisch

March 27, 1938Los Angeles Above, plans to modernize Philharmonic Auditorium at 5th Street and Olive, across from Pershing Square and on a diagonal from the Biltmore. And yes, today it’s a parking lot. A postcard of the new auditorium in … Continue reading →

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March 6, 1908

Posted on March 6, 2008 by lmharnisch

Fritz Kreisler and ostriches, with the White Sox thrown in. No shortage of things to do in 1908 Los Angeles … Below, in an ideal world The Times would have packaged its three stories about red activists, two on the … Continue reading →

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Requiem

Posted on September 16, 2007 by lmharnisch

  Sept. 16, 1957 Los Angeles Franklyn West Storer, 50, woke up on a Saturday morning to discover that his beloved 16-year-old daughter, Mary Alice, had taken a fatal overdose of sleeping pills. In despair, he also took a fatal … Continue reading →

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Stravinsky turns 75

Posted on June 3, 2007 by lmharnisch

  June 3, 1957 Los Angeles Los Angeles celebrates the 75th birthday of one of its most famous emigre composers with a concert at UCLA and  a party in Beverly Hills. Calling him "the dean of the world’s music composers" … Continue reading →

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