September 1994
Classical Music Month was established by President Bill Clinton, who greatly appreciated the unifying power of classical music. On August 22, 1994, President Clinton spoke about the power of music:
Classical music is a celebration of artistic excellence. Great art endures through the ages… Classical music plays in harmony with that energy and spirit to become reinvigorated and reinvented with each new orchestra or chamber group, with every performance that rings out new and fresh.
This month we exalt the many talented composers, conductors, and musicians who bring classical music to our ears. These artists carry on a great tradition of musical achievement, and we are proud of their outstanding accomplishments. Whether in new American works or in the masterpieces of the great composers of old, music is a unifying force in our world, bringing people together across vast cultural and geographical divisions. Classical music speaks both to the mind and to the heart, giving us something to think about as well as to experience.1
September 18, 1899
On this day in piano history, Scott Joplin received copyright for the Maple Leaf Rag by the US Copyright Office. The Maple Leaf Rag grew to become the most famous ragtime composition, and Joplin became known as the “King of Ragtime.” Listen to a recording of Reginald Robinson performing the Maple Leaf Rag here!
September 30, 1935
George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess premiered in Boston and appeared shortly afterward on Broadway. Porgy, as it was originally titled, cast and celebrated African American singers, including the first African American woman to be admitted to the Juilliard School, Anne Brown, who played the role of Bess. Brown’s singing so captivated Gershwin that he expanded her role and changed the title of the opera to include Bess.
Notes
- William J. Clinton, “Proclamation 6716—Classical Music Month, 1994 Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley,” The American Presidency Project. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/218266.
2. Richard Tucker, The cast of Porgy and Bess, October 10, 1935. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress.
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