Aaron Copland and Ballet Suite Appalachian Spring

Classical Music Milestone. October 30, 1944.

Aaron Copland's ballet Appalachian Spring was first staged by the Martha Graham Ballet, in Washington.

Appalachian Spring is a modern ballet composed by Aaron Copland that premiered in 1944. Its popularity has endured as an orchestral suite. The ballet, scored for a thirteen-member chamber orchestra, was created upon commission of choreographer and dancer Martha Graham with funds from the Coolidge Foundation. It premiered on Monday, October 30th, 1944, at the Library of Congress in Washington D.C., with Martha Graham dancing the lead role.

The set was designed by the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi.

For his achievement of this popular ballet suite music, composer Aaron Copland was awarded the 1945 Pulitzer Prize for Music.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel

Science Datebook / Scientists: October 21


Alfred Bernhard Nobel (21 October 1833 – 10 December 1896) was a Swedish chemist, engineer, innovator, engineer, armaments manufacturer and industrialist. Aside from being famous for Nobel Prizes, he is also best known as the inventor of dynamite.

As inventor, Nobel held 355 different patents. He invented the patent for dynamite in Great Britain in 1866 and in the U.S. in 1867.  In his last will, he used his enormous fortune acquired from the manufacture of explosives and from interests in oil fields in Russia to institute the Nobel Prizes.  The synthetic element nobelium was named after him.  His name also survives in modern-day companies such as Dynamit Nobel and Akzo Nobel,  which are descendents of the companies Nobel himself established.  Nobel Prizes was first awarded in 1901.



Resource:

"Biographical Information". Nobelprize.org. 1 Nov 2011 http://www.nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/biographical/

Image Credit:

Alfred Nobel. en.wikipedia.org / Public Domain

Noah Webster, Writer and Lexicographer

American educator, lexicographer, textbook pioneer, editor, author

Often called the "Father of American Scholarship and Education", Noah Webster was an American educator, lexicographer, textbook pioneer, English spelling reformer, editor and writer.

Noah Webster was born on October 16, 1758 in West Hartford, Connecticut.  His father, Noah Sr. (1722–1813), was a descendant of Connecticut Governor John Webster; his mother Mercy (née Steele; 1727-1794) was a descendant of Governor William Bradford of Plymouth Colony.

His father was mainly a farmer though he was also deacon of the local Congregational church, captain of the town's militia, and a founder of a local book society, a precursor to the public library. After American independence, he was appointed a justice of the peace. He never attended college but valued education. His mother spent long hours teaching Noah and his siblings spelling, mathematics and music.

Ralph Vaughan Williams

Music / Composers Datebook:  October 12

Brief biography of English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, his life, influence and list of major works - symphonies, tone poems, sacred music and operas. His work is much a part of great English music began by Elgar.  He is mainly famous for Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis.

Ralph Vaughan Williams is best known for his deep love of the English countryside, English history, art and literature, all expressed in his music. With his affinity in English folk music, his roots surfaced, having been the great-nephew of the naturalist Charles Darwin. He was about seven, when the latter published his treatise on evolution, The Origin of Species. 

Brief Biography 

Ralph Vaughan Williams was born in Down Ampney on December 12, 1872, son of a clergy, and his mother related to Darwin. When his father died, the family moved to Surrey. 

Karol Szymanowski

Classical Music Datebook:  October 6

Polish composer and pianist Karol Szymanowski.

Karol Maciej Korwin-Szymanowski (October 6, 1882 - March 28, 1937), was a polish composer and pianist. He was born in Tymoszówka, then part of Poland, now in present-day Ukraine. He studied music privately with his father before going to Gustav Neuhaus' Elizawetgrad School of Music from 1892, and from 1901, the State Conservatory in Warsaw, of which he was later director.

Szymanowski was influenced by the music of Richard Strauss, Max Reger, Alexander Scriabin and the impressionism of Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel. He also drew much influence from his countryman Frédéric Chopin and Polish folk music, and like Chopin he wrote a number of mazurkas for piano (the mazurka being a Polish folk dance).