Tag Archives: Music

December 13, 1907: The Annual Rite of ‘Messiah’ at Cold, Drafty Shrine Auditorium

Posted on December 13, 2025 by lmharnisch

December 13, 1907: An unidentified Times critic attends a performance of Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at Shrine Auditorium. An exercise in decrypting a music review of another era. Continue reading →

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November 20, 1947: Contralto Carol Brice to Perform in L.A.

Posted on November 20, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 20, 1947: Carol Brice, contralto, is performing at Philharmonic Auditorium on December 7. Continue reading →

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1944 on the Radio — NBC Symphony Orchestra, November 5, 1944

Posted on November 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 5, 1944: Arturo Toscanini conducts the NBC Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3. Continue reading →

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November 5, 1907: Bride Travels From Scotland to Marry Fiance Seeking Better Life in L.A.

Posted on November 5, 2025 by lmharnisch

November 5, 1907: John Richie led the bass section of the choir at St. Machar’s Cathedral in Aberdeen, Scotland, while Testristina Adams was a contralto. They sang in the choir for about 10 years, and fell in love.
Two years ago, John left Scotland and came to Los Angeles, but not before asking Testristina to marry him. Continue reading →

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October 29, 1907: ‘Oh, God, The Bassoon!’ Musicians Union Dispute Becomes Operatic

Posted on October 29, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 29, 1907: A labor dispute forces an opera company’s performance of “Mignon” to use local players, almost entirely unrehearsed, leading the conductor to exclaim: “Oh, God, the bassoon!” Continue reading →

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October 16, 1957: Paul V. Coates–Confidential File

Posted on October 16, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 16, 1957: Paul Coates has a moving tribute to a dead man and a son who loved to play the piano. Continue reading →

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1944 on the Radio – NBC Symphony With Marian Anderson, October 15, 1944

Posted on October 15, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 15, 1944: Marian Anderson performs with the NBC Symphony Orchestra. Continue reading →

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October 14, 1897: ‘La Boheme’ Receives American Premiere in Los Angeles

Posted on October 14, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 14, 1897: Puccini’s “La Boheme” receives its American premiere in Los Angeles, performed by the Del Conte Italian Grand Opera Company of Peru. Continue reading →

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1944 on the Radio — Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge

Posted on October 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

October 11, 1944: Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge from the U.S. Naval Air Station at Alameda. Continue reading →

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1944 on the Radio — Kay Kyser’s Kollege of Musical Knowledge: September 27, 1944

Posted on September 27, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 27, 1944: On the radio: Kay Kyser’s College of Musical Knowledge, with Phil Harris filling in. Continue reading →

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September 26, 1907: Disharmony for Conductor of Long Beach Band

Posted on September 26, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 26, 1907: Marco Vessella, conductor of Long Beach’s Royal Italian Band, has had nothing but trouble with Special Officer W.D. Cason after firing him from his job as ticket taker. On one September evening, Vessella and a young lady were waiting for a streetcar when Cason taunted him, calling him “spaghetti face” and “a longhaired dago.” Continue reading →

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September 11, 1947: Al Jarvis Replies to L.A. Sentinel’s Charges of Racism

Posted on September 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

September 11, 1947: KLAC disc jockey Al Jarvis replies to Earl Griffin’s criticisms in last week’s Sentinel. “To knowingly plug a sponsor who discriminates against the Negro race is contrary to every belief I have ever had or ever will have.” Continue reading →

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August 28, 1947: Margaret Harris Debuts in Piano Recital at Age 3

Posted on August 28, 2025 by lmharnisch

August 28, 1947: Margaret Harris, making her debut as a pianist at age 3, is splashed across the cover of the Los Angeles Sentinel. Harris was the musical director for “Hair” and the first Black woman to conduct the L.A. Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony Orchestra and many other major orchestras. Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘What Happened to Mary’ Introduces Cross-Promotions

Posted on August 11, 2025 by lmharnisch

Mary Mallory looks at one of the earliest examples of film cross-promotion, which the Edison Co. used for its 1912 serial ‘What Happened to Mary,’ Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Carrie Jacobs-Bond, Pioneering Songwriter and Publisher

Posted on March 12, 2024 by lmharnisch

As wildly popular as Taylor Swift in her day, Wisconsin born Carrie Jacobs-Bond became viral the old fashioned way, through the sale of sheet music. Several of her songs became standards employed for years for special occasions. Music wasn’t a … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: Ben Model’s Undercrank Productions Bring Silent Films to Life

Posted on June 2, 2023 by lmharnisch

For more than 40 years, Ben Model has been accompanying silent films and finding new ways to bring them to audiences all over the world. Besides being a resident film accompanist at the Museum of Modern Art in New York … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: The Paris Inn Sings for Its Supper

Posted on January 4, 2021 by lmharnisch

From its beginnings, Los Angeles attracted dreamers and schemers looking to devise new, more successful lives. Early leaders practiced hucksterism and hyperbole to draw Midwesterners and others to the golden, promised land of sunny Southern California and its budding metropolis … Continue reading →

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Mary Mallory / Hollywood Heights: ‘Oh Doctor’ Welcomes Prohibition

Posted on January 27, 2020 by lmharnisch

Popular culture often comments on social and political issues of the day when citizens have no other way to voice opinions, change policy, or confront government. During the early years of the 20th century, sheet music provided a running commentary … Continue reading →

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Black Dahlia: George Hodel and Rachmaninoff – A Meeting That Never Occurred

Posted on February 6, 2019 by lmharnisch

So here we have a passing mention of piano prodigy George Hodel, age 9, meeting Sergei Rachmaninoff “accompanied by the Russian minister of culture.” I’m particularly interested in this line because Rachmaninoff (Kristof Konrad) shows up in “I Am the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1917, 1919, 1947, Another Good Story Ruined, Black Dahlia, Books and Authors, Music | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Feb. 3, 1959: The Day the Music Died

Posted on February 4, 2019 by lmharnisch

I’m a day late but trying to catch up. Here’s the Mirror’s front page from 1959. This post originally ran on latimes.com and is available via Archive.org.

Posted in 1959, Aviation, Music | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments