May

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    1 May

    1 May 1582 Marco da Gagliano is born in Florence.

    1 May 1679 Esaias Reusner dies in Cölln, Berlin, aged 43 years and two days.

    1 May 1753 George Frideric Handel (68) plays a voluntary on the organ at a performance of Messiah at the Foundling Hospital, London.  This is the last reported instance of Handel (68) performing on the organ in public.

    1 May 1761 Franz Joseph Haydn (29) signs a contract with Prince Paul Anton Esterházy, a fantastically wealthy Hungarian nobleman, for the post of assistant kapellmeister.  Haydn has been working for the Prince for at least a month already.

    Enea e Lavinia, an opera seria by Tommaso Traetta (34) to words of Sanvitale after de Fontenelle, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Ducale, Parma.

    1 May 1769 La finta semplice K.51, an opera buffa by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (13) to words of Coltellini after Goldoni, is performed for the first time, at the Archepiscopal Palace, Salzburg.  (There is no hard evidence that this performance actually took place, or if it did, that it was the first performance.  But this date is often cited in the sources.)

    1 May 1771 Il viaggiatore americano in Joanesberg, a farce by Carl Ditters (31) to words of Pinto, is performed for the first time, in the Turm-Theater, Johannisberg, near Jauernig (Javorník).

    1 May 1773 Il tutore e la pupilla, a dramma giocoso by Carl Ditters (33) to words of Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in the Turm-Theater, Johannisberg, near Jauernig (Javorník).

    1 May 1775 Il maniscalco, an operetta giocoso by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (35) to words after Quétant, is performed for the first time, in the Turm-Theater, Johannisberg, near Jauernig (Javorník).

    Medea, a melodrama by Georg Benda (52) to words of Gotter after Euripedes, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    1 May 1776 La Moda, o sia Gli scompigli domestici, a dramma giocoso by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (36) to words of Cipretti, is performed for the first time, in the Turm-Theater, Johannisberg, near Jauernig (Javorník).

    1 May 1786 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (30) opera buffa Le nozze di Figaro K.492 to words of da Ponte after Beaumarchais is performed for the first time, at the Burgtheater, Vienna, the composer directing from the keyboard.  The audience is divided.  Critics like the work but not the performance.

    1 May 1797 La jeunesse de Henri IV, a drame lyrique by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (33) to words of Bouilly, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Favart, Paris.  It will later be called Le jeune Henri. The work was composed in 1791 but was never produced owing to the increasingly anti-monarchical mood of the country that year.

    1 May 1799 Adelaide di Guesclino, a dramma per musica by Johann Simon Mayr (35) to words of Rossi after Voltaire, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

    1 May 1815 Luigi Cherbini (54) conducts the premiere of his Symphony in D with the Royal Philharmonic Society in London.

    1 May 1821 Blanche de Provence, ou La cour de fées, an opera by Luigi Cherubini (60), Adrien Boeildieu (45), Henri-Montan Berton, Rodolphe Kreutzer, and Ferdinando Paer to words of Théaulon de Lambert and de Rancé, is performed for the first time, at the Tuileries, Paris.

    1 May 1833 Variations brillantes on a march from Carl Maria von Weber’s (†6) Preciosa for two pianos by Felix Mendelssohn (24) and Ignaz Moscheles is performed for the first time, in London by the composers.  The composition was completed only two days ago.

    1 May 1835 The Lieder ohne Worte op.30 by Felix Mendelssohn (26) are published simultaneously in Germany, France and Britain.

    1 May 1848 Stanislaw Moniuszko’s (28) Bajka overture is performed for the first time, in Vilnius.

    1 May 1850 Albert Lortzing (48) takes up duties as Kapellmeister at the Friedrich-Wilhelmstädtisches Theater, Berlin.

    1 May 1851 While at his Bologna home entertaining friends, Gioachino Rossini (59) is visited by the Austrian governor Count Nobili.  As the count enters, Rossini’s friends leave and the composer receives his guest alone.

    1 May 1853 Veilchen-Polka op.132 by Johann Strauss (27) is performed for the first time, in the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    1 May 1859 Nachtigall-Polka op.222 by Johann Strauss (33) is performed for the first time, in Ungers Casino, Vienna.

    1 May 1862 Anton Bruckner’s (37) cantata for the laying of the foundation stone for the new Linz Cathdedral, Preiset denn Herrn, to words of Pammesberger, is performed for the first time.

    Fest-Ouvertüre im Marschstyl for orchestra by Giacomo Meyerbeer (70) is performed for the first time, at the opening of the London World Exhibition before Queen Victoria and other royals and notables.

    1 May 1871 In the first important musical evening in Royal Albert Hall, Gallia:  lamentation, a motet for soprano, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Charles Gounod (52) to his own words, is performed for the first time, for the opening of the London International Exhibition.  Also on the program is the premiere of On Shore and Sea, a cantata by Arthur Sullivan (28) to words of Taylor.  Both composers conduct their own works.

    1 May 1872 Te Deum and Domine salvam fac reginam for chorus and orchestra by Arthur Sullivan (29) is performed for the first time, in the Crystal Palace, London, as part of a day of national thanksgiving for the recovery of the Prince of Wales from typhoid.

    1 May 1877 Cello Sonata no.1 op.9 by Charles Villiers Stanford (24) is performed for the first time, at the Royal Academy of Music, London, the composer at the keyboard.

    1 May 1879 Une éducation manquée, an operetta by Emanuel Chabrier (38) to words of Leterrier and Vanloo, is performed for the first time, at the Cercle International, Paris.

    1 May 1884 Sevillana for orchestra by Edward Elgar (26) is performed for the first time, in Worcester.

    Désirée, an operetta by John Philip Sousa (29) to words of Taber after Morton, is performed for the first time, at the National Theatre, Washington.

    1 May 1886 The third version of Romeo and Juliet, a fantasy-overture by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (45), is performed for the first time, in Tiflis (Tbilisi).  Also on the program is the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Nocturne op.10/1 for piano.  See 16 March 1870 and 17 February 1872.

    Variations symphoniques for piano and orchestra by César Franck (63) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    1 May 1892 Béla Bartók (11) makes his first appearance as pianist and composer, at a charity concert for the town of Nagyszöllös (Vinogradov, Ukraine), 300 km northeast of Budapest.  Bártok plays the premiere of his The Course of the Danube as well as the first movement of the Waldstein Sonata of Beethoven (†65).

    1 May 1893 Festival Jubilate op.17 by Amy Cheney Beach (25) is performed for the first time, at the dedication of the Women’s Building of the World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago.

    1 May 1896 Pleurs d’or for two solo voices and piano op.72 by Gabriel Fauré (50) to words of Semain is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London.

    1 May 1897 A new march by John Philip Sousa (42) is performed for the first time, in Augusta, Maine by the Sousa band.  Sousa tells a reporter that this new march does not yet have a name.  There is good reason to believe that this is The Stars and Stripes Forever.  See 14 May 1897.

    1 May 1899 The String Quartet no.3 op.14 of Carl Nielsen (34) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.

    1 May 1902 Love is Enough op.9a/1, a chorus by Gustav Holst (27) to words of Morris, is performed for the first time, at the Watford Public Library.

    Romance for violin and small orchestra op.50/1 by Max Reger (29) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    1 May 1903 Quintet for piano and strings op.64 by Max Reger (30) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    1 May 1904 Antonín Leopold Dvorák dies suddenly at the dinner table of his home in Prague.  He is aged 62 years, seven months, and 23 days.

    Leos Janácek (49) misses a scheduled meeting with the Russian governor general in Warsaw.  As a result, he will not be offered the post of director of the Warsaw Conservatory.  He attends a concert in the evening.  After the conductor announces the death of Antonín Dvorák, the audience rises and Dvorák’s Hussite Overture is played.

    1 May 1905 Having both encountered the May Day demonstration in Vienna, Gustav Mahler (44) and Hans Pfitzner (35) have a lengthy argument lasting several hours about class and the merits of socialism, Mahler in favor, Pfitzner against.

    Max Reger (32) enters upon duties as a professor at the Akademie der Tonkunst, Munich.  He will resign in little more than a year because of differences with the conservative staff.

    1 May 1906 Charles T. Griffes (21) has his last lesson with Engelbert Humperdinck (51) at Humperdinck’s home near Berlin.  Griffes thinks that Humperdinck is going away to compose.

    1 May 1909 The Isle of the Dead, a symphonic poem by Sergey Rakhmaninov (36), is performed for the first time, in Moscow, conducted by the composer.

    1 May 1912 Gustav Holst’s (37) oriental suite Beni Mora op.29/1 is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    1 May 1913 Ferruccio Busoni (47) signs a contract to direct the Liceo Rossini in Bologna, to begin in the Autumn.

    1 May 1923 Prélude pour ‘La Tempête’ for orchestra by Arthur Honegger (31) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    1 May 1924 Nerone, a tragedia by Arrigo Boito (†5) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro alla Scala, Milan in a version completed by Tommasini and Toscanini.

    1 May 1925 Cortège macabre for orchestra (an excerpt from Grohg) by Aaron Copland (24) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York Howard Hanson (28) conducting.

    1 May 1928 Song Cycle on Words of Whitman for women’s voices and two pianos by Roy Harris (30) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York City.  One piano is played by Carlos Chávez (28).

    1 May 1929 String Quartet no.2 by Karol Szymanowski (46) is performed for the first time, at Warsaw Conservatory.

    1 May 1930 Three Children’s Songs for a Spring Festival for unison chorus, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (57) to words of Farrer, are performed for the first time, in the Drill Hall, Dorking.

    Preludio para un poema a la Alhambra for orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (28) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    1 May 1932 Several songs by Charles Ives (57) are performed for the first time, in Saratoga Springs, New York:  The See’r and Walking to his own words, Evening to words of Milton, Maple Leaves to words of Aldrich, and The Indians to words of Sprague.  The pianist is Aaron Copland (31).  Also premiered is the Serenade for string quartet by Marc Blitzstein (27).  In the audience is Elliott Carter (23).

    1 May 1935 The Federal Music Project is organized by the Roosevelt Administration to provide work for unemployed musicians.

    1 May 1938 The German Reichsmusikkammer rules that Aryan music instructors may not take Jewish pupils.

    Four of the Hebrew Solo Songs for voice and piano by Stefan Wolpe (35) are performed for the first time, in Jerusalem.

    1 May 1939 The Virgin Martyrs for female chorus by Samuel Barber (29) to words of Siegebert of Gembloux (tr. Waddell) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBS radio network originating in Philadelphia.

    1 May 1941 Piccolo Concerto per Muriel Couvreux for piano and chamber orchestra by Luigi Dallapiccola (37) is performed for the first time, in Teatro delle Arti, Rome, the composer at the keyboard.

    1 May 1942 Gold and the Señor Commandante, a ballet by William Bergsma (21), is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    1 May 1943 Variations on a Theme of Rossini for cello and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (52) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    1 May 1944 Howard Hanson (47) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony no.4. See 3 December 1943.

    1 May 1945 Listeners to German radio are told to stand by for an important announcement.  This is followed by excerpts from Götterdämmerung and the slow movement of Anton Bruckner's (†48) Seventh Symphony (composed for the death of Wagner (†62)).  Finally, Admiral Dönitz, speaking from Hamburg, announces the death of Hitler.  He also appeals that the fight against Bolshevism be continued.  Hans Werner Henze (18) is one of a small group of soldiers in a village near Esbjerg, Denmark who listens to the broadcast.  They light a candle and celebrate surviving the war. In Garmisch, Richard Strauss (81) writes in his diary, “...from 1 May onwards the most terrible period of human history came to an end, the twelve-year reign of bestiality, ignorance, and anti-culture under the greatest criminals, during which Germany’s 2,000 years of cultural evolution met its doom and irreplaceable monuments of architecture and works of art were destroyed by a criminal rabble of soldiers.  Accursed be technology!”

    1 May 1947 Three new works commissioned by Harvard University to accompany a symposium on music criticism are performed for the first time, at Sanders Theatre:  String Quartet no.3 of Walter Piston (53), String Trio op.45 of Arnold Schoenberg (72), and the Sixth String Quartet of Bohuslav Martinu (56).

    1 May 1948 As he exits a church in Athens, Christos Ladas, Justice Minister of Greece, is assassinated.  He is overseeing the arrest, deportation and execution of thousands of Greek citizens believed to hold left-of-center views. Mikis Theodorakis (22) is arrested at his parents’ home.  He will be charged with crimes his 15 cellmates are charged with and sentenced to exile on the island of Ikaria.

    Man in his labour rejoiceth for chorus and brass by John Ireland (68) to words of Bridges is performed for the first time, in Harringay Arena, London.

    1 May 1950 Gian Carlo Menotti (38) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his The Consul. See 1 March 1950 and 15 March 1950.

    Harry Partch (48) enters the hospital of the University of California for surgery.  A cyst is removed from his adrenal gland.  He will be hospitalized for three weeks.

    1 May 1955 Trois psaumes de David op.339 for chorus by Darius Milhaud (62) is performed for the first time, at Stanford University.

    1 May 1961 Walter Piston (67) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony no.7.  See 10 February 1961.

    Nocturnal for soprano, bass, chorus, and orchestra by Edgar Varèse (77) to words of Nin and nonsense syllables added by the composer, is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    1 May 1964 The Creator, an oratorio by Henry Cowell (67) to words of Derzhavin, is performed for the first time, in De Land, Florida.

    Stabat mater op.92 for chorus and orchestra by Vincent Persichetti (48) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    1 May 1965 Ontogeny for orchestra by Ralph Shapey (44) is performed for the first time, in Kleinhans Music Hall of the State University of New York at Buffalo, conducted by the composer.

    Introit for Strings op.96 by Vincent Persichetti (49) is performed for the first time, in Kansas City, Missouri.

    1 May 1966 “Your Love and the Crossing”, a section of Arc for piano, orchestra, and electronic sounds by Toru Takemitsu (35), is performed for the first time, in Nissei Hall, Tokyo.

    1 May 1967 Leon Kirchner (48) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his String Quartet no.3.  See 27 January 1967.

    Diastasis, As in Beer for two cybersonic guitars by Gordon Mumma (32) is performed for the first time, at Harvard University by the composer and Christian Wolff (33).

    December 8 for male chorus by Kenneth Gaburo (40) is performed for the first time, at Notre Dame University, South Bend, Indiana.

    Music for Violin with Various Instruments, European, Asian and African by Lou Harrison (49) is performed for the first time, at San Jose State University, California.

    1 May 1971 Horn Concerto by Thea Musgrave (42) is performed for the first time, in City Hall, Glasgow, the composer conducting.

    One Man for trombone and percussion by Ben Johnston (45) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.

    1 May 1972 Jacob Druckman (43) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Windows. See 16 March 1972.

    1 May 1973 Mannheim 87.87.87 by Charles Wuorinen (34) is performed for the first time, in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York.

    Forces for orchestra by Leslie Bassett (50) is performed for the first time, in Des Moines, Iowa.

    1 May 1974 The Lion and Androcles, a children’s opera by John C. Eaton (39) to words of Walter and Anderson after Silvius, is performed for the first time, in Indianapolis.

    The Image of Man for chorus and orchestra by Michael Colgrass (42) is performed for the first time, in Spokane, Washington.

    1 May 1976 Symphony no.5 “Canticles of America” for narrator, vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Robert Ward (58) to words of Whitman and Longfellow is performed for the first time, in Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, North Carolina.

    Psappha for percussion by Iannis Xenakis (53) is performed for the first time, in London.

    New Land, New Covenant for soprano, baritone, narrator, chorus, children’s chorus, and organ by Howard Hanson (79) to words of Watts, Eliot, Newton, the Bible, and Jefferson is performed for the first time, in Bryn Mawr Church, Pennsylvania.

    The Cloisters, a cycle for voice and orchestra by John Corigliano (38) to words of Hoffman, is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    1 May 1977 Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten for strings and bell by Arvo Pärt (41) is performed for the first time, in Tallinn.

    1 May 1978 Aram Ilyich Khachaturian dies in Moscow after a long illness, aged 74 years, ten months, and 25 days.  After lying in state in Bolshoy Hall of Moscow Conservatory and the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Yerevan, his mortal remains will be buried in Yerevan.

    1 May 1980 Symphony no.2:  A Christmas Symphony for orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (46) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    1 May 1981 Miss Havisham’s Wedding Night, a monodrama by Dominick Argento (53) to words of Olon-Scrymgeour after Dickens, is performed for the first time, in Tyrone Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis.

    1 May 1984 ...Nach einer Lektüre von Orwell, a Hörspiel by Mauricio Kagel (52), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR 3, directed by the composer.

    1 May 1987 Endless Parade for trumpet, vibraphone, and string orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle (52) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    1 May 1995 A Prolific Source of Sorrow for chorus and flute by Samuel Adler (67) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    1 May 2003 Concertino:  Baroque Meditations for orchestra by Lukas Foss (80) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    1 May 2005 The Cusp of Magic for string quartet and pipa by Terry Riley (70) is performed for the first time, in Hertz Hall of the University of California at Berkeley.

    1 May 2007 The Other Piano for piano and computer by Morton Subotnick (74) is performed for the first time, in Zipper Concert Hall, Los Angeles.

    2 May

    2 May 1627 Lodovico Viadana dies at Gualtieri, near Parma, aged approximately 67 years.

    2 May 1660 Alessandro Scarlatti is born in Palermo.

    2 May 1757 Georg Christoph Wagenseil (42) receives a second ten-year royal privilege to print his music in France, retroactive to 4 April.

    2 May 1759 So träufelt, ihr Himmel, a cantata by Georg Philipp Telemann (78), is performed for the first time, for the installation of Christian Adolf Fiebing as priest in the Waisenhaus, Hamburg.

    Ippolito ed Aricia, a tragedia by Tommaso Traetta (32) to words of Frugoni after Pellegrin and Racine, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Ducale, Parma.

    2 May 1765 Die heilige Freude, an eines Lehrers Hand, a cantata by Georg Philipp Telemann (84), is performed for the first time, for the installation of Rütger Höpfer as priest in the Pesthof, Hamburg.

    2 May 1766 Since his appointment as Esterházy kapellmeister affords him a little more security, Joseph Haydn (34) buys a little house in Eisenstadt.

    2 May 1768 Ifigenia in Tauride, an opera seria by Baldassare Galuppi (61) to words of Coltellini, is performed for the first time, at the Russian Court in St. Petersburg.

    2 May 1772 The last Bach (36)-Abel concert takes place at Mr. Almack’s Room, King Street.  The two split amicably.

    2 May 1781 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (25) moves into the house of the Weber family in Vienna.

    2 May 1817 Arianna e Bacco, a cantata for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Johann Simon Mayr (53), is performed for the first time, in the Scuola Musicale, Bergamo.

    2 May 1818 La morte di Didone, a cantata by Gioachino Rossini (26), is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice.  A review in the Gazzetta privilegiata di Venezia will state,  “Poetry beneath criticism, music nothing, performance indifferent.”

    2 May 1821 Les Arts rivaux, a scène lyrique by Adrien Boieldieu (45) and Berton to words of Chazet, is performed for the first time, at the Hôtel de Ville, Paris.

    2 May 1822 Maria Szymanowska (32) performs before the Russian royal family at the Noblemen’s Club in Moscow.

    2 May 1825 Samuel Wesley (59) is arrested for failure to pay £25 maintenance to his estranged wife.  He will be released on 7 May.

    2 May 1833 Giacomo Meyerbeer (41) is made a member of the Senate of the Prussian Academy of Arts.  The letter officially informing him of this will not be sent until 18 February 1834.

    L’Europe Littéraire, a newly founded magazine organized to foster the ideals of Romanticism, sponsors the first of a series of concerts in Paris showcasing the Romantic movement in music.  Six of the eight works programmed are by Hector Berlioz (29).

    2 May 1835 In an attempt to satisfy his creditors, Richard Wagner (21) organizes a benefit concert for himself in Magdeburg, including a large orchestra and the famed singer Wilhelmine Schröder-Devrient.  The evening is a fiasco, with the orchestra outnumbering the audience.  Those strong enough to attend leave before the end of Wellington’s Victory.

    2 May 1841 Franz Liszt’s (29) review of Frédéric Chopin’s (31) 26 April concert appears in the Gazette musicale.  “All criticism of him is silenced, as though posterity had already spoken.  And the glittering audience which flocked to the concert to hear the poet who for far too long had been silent showed no opposition, no reservations:  unanimous praise was on everyone’s lips.”

    2 May 1853 At a performance in the Wierss’schen Room, Celle, Johannes Brahms (19), finding the piano a half-step low, transposes the entire program up a half-step rather than have his violinist, Eduard Reményi, tune down.

    The Hippodrome, a 4,000-seat facility with a canvas roof, opens in New York on 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

    2 May 1854 Luc et Lucette, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (34) to words of de Forges and Roche, is performed for the first time, at the Salle Herz, Paris.

    2 May 1856 Präludium und Fuge über das Motiv B.A.C.H. for organ by Franz Liszt (44) is performed for the first time, in Merseburg, in the presence of the composer.

    2 May 1858 Fromental Halévy’s (58) setting of Adonay zecharanu for soloists, chorus and orchestra is performed for the first time, at a wedding in Paris.  The groom is the nephew of Halévy’s wife.

    2 May 1862 Bedrich Smetana (38) leaves Göteborg for the last time to settle permanently in Prague.

    2 May 1864 05:40  Giacomo Meyerbeer dies in Paris, aged 72 years, seven months and 27 days.

    2 May 1869 Vladimir Stasov sends to Alyeksandr Borodin (35) an opera scenario based on the historical epic The Lay of Igor’s Campaign and The Ipatyevsky Chronicle.  The composer is delighted.

    2 May 1876 Isaac Albéniz (15) enrolls in the Leipzig Conservatory.  See 24 June 1876.

    2 May 1877 Hubert Parry (29), an ardent Wagnerite, meets Richard Wagner (63) for the first time, in London.  Neither man records his impressions of the meeting.

    2 May 1880 A Robert Schumann (†23) memorial sculpted by Adolf von Donndorf is unveiled in Bonn.  The music for the three-day event is provided by Johannes Brahms (46) and Joseph Joachim.  Clara Schumann (60) is somewhat disappointed.  “We could not get to like the relief; the likeness is not bad but it lacks the spiritual expression.”

    2 May 1883 The Nativity op.38, a cantata by John Knowles Paine (44) to words of Milton, is performed for the first time, in Boston.  It is very successful.

    2 May 1885 A setting of the Te Deum for chorus and two pianos by Anton Bruckner (60) is performed for the first time, in Vienna, conducted by the composer.  See 10 January 1886.

    2 May 1896 Two piano works by Gabriel Fauré (50) are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris:  Valse-caprice no.4 op.62 and Barcarolle no.5 op.66.

    2 May 1898 Der Abend op.34/1 for chorus by Richard Strauss (33) to words of Schiller is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    2 May 1901 The ballet Aschenbrödel by Johann Strauss (†1) on a scenario by Regel after Kollmann and completed by Josef Bayer, is performed for the first time, at the Royal Opera, Berlin.

    2 May 1903 Weary Wind of the West, for mixed chorus by Edward Elgar (45) to words of Brown, is performed for the first time, in Morecombe.

    2 May 1906 Pablo Casals and Edvard Grieg (62) perform Grieg’s Cello Sonata op.36 at a chamber music concert in Amsterdam.

    2 May 1907 Charles T. Griffes (22) meets Ferruccio Busoni (41) and his wife for the first time at an informal gathering at Busoni’s home in Berlin.  Griffes is very impressed and enjoys the Busoni’s greatly.

    2 May 1908 In the fugue portion of the Prix de Rome, the only female candidate, Nadia Boulanger (20), quite consciously composes an instrumental fugue instead of the required vocal fugue.  This will cause a controversy with some judges not wanting her to continue.  However, the majority votes in her favor and she will go on to win the second prix.

    2 May 1911 Invocation op.19/2 for cello and orchestra by Gustav Holst (36) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    2 May 1915 Two works for cello and piano by Enrique Granados (47) are performed for the first time, in Barcelona:  Madrigal and Trova.

    2 May 1921 Il piccolo Marat, a dramma lirico by Pietro Mascagni (57) to words of Forzano, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro Costanzi, Rome, the composer conducting.  While both communists and fascists are in the audience ready to demonstrate at the slightest offense, the work is a resounding success.

    Honor March of the Singing Brothers of Viipuri for male chorus by Jean Sibelius (55) to words of Eerola is performed for the first time, in Viipuri.

    2 May 1924 Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (27) appears as soloist with the Leningrad Philharmonic in the first performance of A Symphonic Mystery by Andrei Filippovich Pashchenko.  It is the first composition written specifically for the Termenvox.

    Serenade op.24 for bass and eight instruments by Arnold Schoenberg (49) to words of Petrarch (tr. Förster) is performed for the first time, privately, in Vienna.

    2 May 1925 The Months, three songs for voice and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (34), are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Piano Quintet op.81 by Vincent d’Indy (74) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    2 May 1926 Two works by Francis Poulenc (27) are performed for the first time, in the Salle des Agriculteurs, Paris:  Chansons gaillardes, a song cycle to various seventeenth century texts, and the Trio for oboe, bassoon, and piano.  In addition, Poulenc’s piano work Napoli is performed completely for the first time.  For the Chansons gaillardes, the composer accompanies Pierre Bernac for the first time.  They will be an important performing duo for decades to come.  See 17 March 1924.

    2 May 1930 Benedicite for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (57) to words from the apocrypha and Austin, is performed for the first time, at Dorking Drill Hall the composer conducting.

    2 May 1932 A Pulitzer Prize is awarded to George S. Kaufman, Morrie Ryskind, and Ira Gershwin for Of Thee I Sing.  It is the first time that the Pulitzer for drama is granted to a musical.  However, since this is a literary award, the name of the composer, George Gershwin (33) is not on the citation.

    2 May 1936 Peter and the Wolf op.67 for speaker and orchestra by Sergey Prokofiev (45) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    2 May 1937 Changing World, a dance with music by Lou Harrison (19) to nine choreographers (including the composer), is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    2 May 1938 Sécheresses, a cantata for chorus and orchestra by Francis Poulenc (39) to words of James, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    2 May 1941 Miss Sally’s Party, a ballet by William Grant Still (45) to a scenario by Arvey, is performed for the first time, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, Howard Hanson (44) conducting.

    2 May 1947 A German court acquits Werner Egk (45) on his own charges of being a Nazi.  See 7 July 1947.

    Adagio pour orgue op.211 by Charles Koechlin (79) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Two new works commissioned by Harvard University to accompany a symposium on music criticism are performed for the first time, at the Harvard University Memorial Church:  Apparebit repentina Dies for chorus and brass by Paul Hindemith (51) to an anonymous eighth century text, and In the Beginning for mezzo-soprano and chorus by Aaron Copland (46) to words from the Bible.

    2 May 1949 Virgil Thomson (52) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Louisiana Story. See 22 August 1948 and 26 November 1948.

    Lukas Foss (26) and Irving Fine (34) are among six composers who have each contributed a section to the cantata In Grato Jubilo, to words of McCord, which is premiered tonight at a farewell dinner for Serge Koussevitzky in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    2 May 1951 The name of Leonard Bernstein (32) is placed in the Prominent Individuals Subsection of the Security Index.  These are American citizens who will be arrested without due process in the case of a national emergency.

    Symphony in E by Ulysses Kay (34) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York, conducted by Howard Hanson (54).

    Dark Waters, an opera by Ernst Krenek (50) to his own words after Melville, is performed for the first time, in Bovard Auditorium at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

    2 May 1952 Water Music for pianist by John Cage (39) is performed for the first time, at the New School for Social Research, New York.  Also premiered is Extensions 3 for piano by Morton Feldman (26).

    Psalm for band op.53 by Vincent Persichetti (36) is performed for the first time, at the University of Louisville, conducted by the composer.

    2 May 1954 The first movement of the original version of Anton Bruckner’s (†57) Symphony no.8 is performed for the first time, 67 years after it was composed.  See 18 December 1892 and 2 September 1973.

    O Filii et Filiae for chorus by Charles Wuorinen (15) to words of 15th century French plainsong in English and Latin is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    2 May 1955 Gian Carlo Menotti (43) is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music for a second time, for The Saint of Bleecker Street. See 27 December 1954. 

    2 May 1956 Symphony no.8 by Ralph Vaughan Williams (83) is performed for the first time, in Free Trade Hall, Manchester.

    Ad Te Domine for chorus by Kenneth Gaburo (29) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.

    2 May 1958 Poéme électronique for three-track tape by Edgar Varèse (74) is performed for the first time, in the Philips Pavilion at the Brussels Exposition.  The music plays continuously as visitors ambulate through the pavilion, designed by Le Courboursier.

    2 May 1959 Fugues and Cantilenas for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (62) is performed for the first time, in Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan, the composer conducting.

    2 May 1960 Elliott Carter (51) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his String Quartet no.2.  See 25 March 1960.

    2 May 1965 Birthday Piece for piano by Ralph Shapey (44) is performed for the first time, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    Graffiti for orchestra by Roger Reynolds (30) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.

    2 May 1966 Leslie Bassett (43) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Variations for Orchestra. See 6 July 1963.

    2 May 1967 Solo no.19 for melody instrument and tape (oboe version) by Karlheinz Stockhausen (38) is performed for the first time, in Basel.  See 25 April 1966.

    2 May 1968 Symphony no.8 by Roger Sessions (71) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    2 May 1969 Cantata de Virtue for vocal soloists, narrator, children’s chorus, chorus, and orchestra by Peter Mennin (45) to words of Browning and various Latin texts is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    2 May 1973 Poems of Time and Eternity for chorus and nine instruments by Gunther Schuller (47) to words of Dickinson, is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.

    2 May 1974 The Flow of (U) for soprano, alto, and baritone by Kenneth Gaburo (47) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    2 May 1975 Ave maris stella for flute, clarinet, piano, marimba, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (40) is performed for the first time, at the Theatre Royal in Bath.

    Twelve Duos for two or four trombones by Leslie Bassett (52) are performed for the first time, in Boston.

    2 May 1976 Several works for solo cello are performed for the first time, in the Tonhalle, Zürich, to celebrate the 70th birthday of Paul Sacher.  Mstislav Rostropovich asked Benjamin Britten to write a theme on which other composers would create variations.  However, the other composers ended up writing individual compositions.  They will be published by Universal Edition as 12 Hommages à Paul Sacher. Among the works premiered today are Tema “Sacher” by Benjamin Britten (62), Sacher Variation by Witold Lutoslawski (63), and Puneña no.2 “Hommage à Paul Sacher” op.45 by Alberto Ginastera (60).  See 3 July 1977.

    2 May 1981 Symphony no.46 “to the Green Mountains” by Alan Hovhaness (70) is performed for the first time, in Vermont.

    2 May 1982 Duo for violin and cello by György Ligeti (58) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm in honor of the 90th birthday of Swedish composer Hilding Rosenberg.

    2 May 1984 Iannis Xenakis (61) is admitted to the French Académie, replacing Georges Auric.

    2 May 1986 Haddock's Eyes for amplified soprano, flute or piccolo, clarinet, horn, trumpet, piano, two violins, viola, cello, and bass by David Del Tredici (49), to words of Carroll and Moore, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York, the composer conducting.

    2 May 1987 Organ Fantasy op.65 by Robin Holloway (43) is performed for the first time, at Eton College.

    High Flight for chorus and piano by Samuel Adler (59) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    2 May 1990 Violin Concerto by Elliott Carter (81) is performed for the first time, in Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco.

    2 May 1991 Concerto grosso no.5 for violin, orchestra, and off-stage piano by Alfred Schnittke (56) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    2 May 1993 Christ is made the Sure Foundation for chorus and organ by Ned Rorem (69) is performed for the first time, in North Carolina.

    2 May 1995 A Sinking Love for soprano and viol consort by Tan Dun (37) is performed for the first time, in London.  See 16 May 1996.

    2 May 1996 Uninterrupted Movement op.59 for solo cello, four cellos, and other instruments by Alexander Goehr (63) is performed for the first time, at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester.

    2 May 2000 Concerto for horn and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (65) is performed for the first time, at the Barbican Center, London conducted by the composer.  He also conducts the premiere of his Roma Amor for orchestra.

    2 May 2002 Two Songs on Poetry of Elizabeth Bishop for soprano and chamber ensemble by John Harbison (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    2 May 2009 Proserpina, a monodrama for soprano, chorus, and chamber orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (57) is performed for the first time, in the Rokokotheater, Schwetzingen.

    Figment V for solo marimba by Elliott Carter (100) is performed for the first time, in Frederick Loewe Theatre of New York University, New York.

    3 May

    3 May 1704 Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber dies in Salzburg, aged 59 years, eight months, and 22 days.

    3 May 1729 Florian Leopold Gassmann is born in Brux (Most).

    3 May 1764 Francesco Algarotti dies in Pisa, aged 51 years, four months and 22 days.

    3 May 1792 Symphony no.97 by Joseph Haydn (60) is performed for the first time, in London.  (This could by May 4)

    Stratonice, a comédie-héroïque by Etienne-Nicolas Méhul (28) to words of Hoffman after Lucian and Corneille, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Favart, Paris.  It turns out to be very popular.

    3 May 1793 The Cologne Privy Council agrees to continue to subsidize Ludwig van Beethoven (22) as they had during the life of his father.

    3 May 1821 Johann Nepomuk Hummel (42) gives a concert in Berlin.  While in the city, he makes the acquaintance of royal Kapellmeister Gaspare Spontini (36).

    3 May 1825 Le maçon, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (43) to words of Scribe and Delavigne, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    3 May 1830 Manon Lescaut, a ballet by Fromental Halévy (30) to a scenario by Scribe and Aumer after Prévost, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It enjoys a good success.

    3 May 1831 Zampa, ou La fiancée de marbre, an opéra comique by Ferdinand Hérold (40) to words of Mélesville, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de Ventadour, Paris.

    3 May 1835 The Gazette musicale publishes the first of six installments of Franz Liszt’s (23) “On the Situation of Artists and Their Condition in Society.”  It is actually co-authored by Marie d’Agoult.

    3 May 1845 The mortal remains of Nicolò Paganini (†4) are laid to rest in the grounds of Villa Gaione, Parma almost five years after his death.

    3 May 1849 The citizenry of Dresden attempt to storm the city’s arsenal.  Militia called out to repel them join the people.  Fearing this possibility, militia commanders have not issued ammunition.  Saxon troops fire on this unarmed mob who respond with stones.  Robert (38) and Clara (29) Schumann return from a day in the country to find the city in revolution.

    3 May 1856 Adolph-Charles Adam dies in Paris, aged 52 years, eight months and nine days.

    3 May 1857 Ewas Kleines op.190, a polka française by Johann Strauss (31), is performed for the first time, in Ungers Casino, Vienna.

    3 May 1861 Anthony Philip (Anton Philipp) Heinrich dies in New York City, aged 80 years, one month and 22 days.

    3 May 1864 As Gioachino Rossini (72) seeks out Giacomo Meyerbeer in Paris he learns of the latter’s death and faints on the spot.  He is unconscious for ten minutes.  Later, Rossini will compose a Chant funèbre.

    After a search of nearly two months, Franz Seraph von Pfistermeister, cabinet secretary to King Ludwig II of Bavaria, catches up to Richard Wagner (50) in Stuttgart and conveys the king’s wish that Wagner come to Munich at once.  Later in the day, Wagner learns of the death of Meyerbeer.  He takes the coincidence of these two “happy” events as an omen of good fortune.

    3 May 1866 Edvard Grieg (22) reaches Berlin from Leipzig.  While in the city he buys a copy of Berlioz’ (62) book on orchestration.  While in the music store he asks for his own Humoresques but is told that the composer has so many friends in Berlin that they are sold out.

    3 May 1880 Books 3 and 4 of the Hungarian Dances WoO1 for piano four hands by Johannes Brahms (46) are performed for the first time, in Mehlem, near Bonn, by the composer and Clara Schumann (60).

    3 May 1883 Arthur Sullivan (40) receives a letter from Prime Minister Gladstone offering him a knighthood.  He will accept.

    3 May 1887 The mortal remains of Gioachino Rossini (†18), having been removed from Paris, are entombed in Santa Croce, Florence after a ceremonial trip through the city amidst thousands of admirers.

    Music of Richard Wagner (†4) is staged in Paris for the first time since his death with a production of Lohengrin at the Eden-Théâtre.  Among the audience are Gabriel Fauré (41), Ernest Chausson (32), and Claude Debussy (24).  Conductor Charles Lamoreux has been publicly accused of being a German agent.  A riot takes place outside the theatre with several hefty projectiles thrown at the building, breaking windows.  Numerous arrests ensue.

    O Praise the Lord of Heaven op.27, for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (34) to words of the Psalms, is performed for the first time, in Manchester.

    3 May 1893 Hora novissima op.30, an oratorio by Horatio Parker (29) to words of de Morlaix, is performed for the first time, in New York, the composer conducting.  It is an unbounded success and secures Parker’s reputation.

    3 May 1898 Two Madrigals for chorus by Albert Roussel (29) are performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris conducted by the composer.

    3 May 1901 Albert Carré, director of the Opéra-Comique, gives Claude Debussy (38) a written understanding that he will stage Pelléas et Mélisande.

    3 May 1905 Fea y con gracia, a zarzuela by Joaquín Turina (22) to words of S. and J. Alvárez Quintero, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Moderna, Madrid.

    3 May 1911 Alban Berg (26) marries Helene Nahowski, the daughter of an Austrian civil servant.  The bride’s father is so opposed to the marriage (on the grounds of Berg’s ill health and lack of profession) that as a condition of his consent, the couple must become Protestant, in order to facilitate a divorce.  They will return to Catholicism and remarry in the Church before Berg enters the army in 1915.

    By a unanimous decision of the judges, Mona by Horatio Parker (47) is chosen as the winner of a contest sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera of New York for an opera in English composed by a native-born American.  See 14 March 1912.

    3 May 1913 Violin Sonata no.1 op.3  by Darius Milhaud (20) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  The composer plays first violin.

    3 May 1916 The second and third parts of The Spirit of England op.80, for solo voice, chorus, and orchestra by Edward Elgar (58) to words of Binyon, are performed for the first time, in Leeds, the composer conducting.  See 4 October 1917.

    3 May 1917 An evening devoted entirely to the music of Ernst Bloch (36) takes place in Carnegie Hall, New York.  It includes the premieres of Schelomo for cello and orchestra, the Israel Symphony for two sopranos, two altos, bass, and orchestra, and three psalm settings:  22, 114, and 137.  The composer conducts the symphony.

    3 May 1919 Ballata and Ballabile for cello and orchestra op.160 by Charles Villiers Stanford (66) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.  This is in a piano reduction.  See 8 August 1988.

    The String Quartet op.83 and the Piano Quintet op.84 by Edward Elgar (61) are performed for the first time, in a private performance at the home of Leo Schuster.  See 21 May 1919.

    3 May 1920 Piano Sonata no.1 by Ernst Krenek (19) is performed for the first time, in Salzburg.

    3 May 1921 Symphony no.4 for chamber ensemble op.74 by Darius Milhaud (28) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    3 May 1926 Canto a Sevilla for voice and orchestra by Joaquin Turina (43) to words of San Roman, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Fernando, Seville.

    3 May 1928 George Gershwin (29) and Alban Berg (43) meet for the first time, in Vienna.

    Maurice Martenot demonstrates his new instrument, the Ondes musicales, at the Paris Opéra

    3 May 1929 Concert champêtre for harpsichord and orchestra by Francis Poulenc (30) is performed publicly for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    3 May 1931 Cris du monde, a stage oratorio by Arthur Honegger (39) to words of Bizet, is performed for the first time, in Solthurn.

    3 May 1935 The Société Musicale Indépéndente gives its last concert, in Paris.

    Four Canonic Choruses by William Schuman (24) to words of Millay, Cullen, Sandburg, and Tennyson, are performed for the first time, in New York.

    3 May 1940 Shoonthree for band by Henry Cowell (43) is performed for the first time, in Mansfield, Pennsylvania.

    3 May 1941 Leonard Bernstein (22) graduates from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia with a diploma in conducting.

    3 May 1942 An Organ Sonata by Ernst Krenek (41) is performed for the first time, in Vassar College Chapel, Poughkeepsie, New York.

    3 May 1943 William Schuman (32) turns on his radio at home to hear news about the fighting in Tunisia.  Instead, he learns that he has won the first Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Secular Cantata no.2, A Free Song. See 26 March 1943.

    The first and fourth movements of American Melting Pot for chamber orchestra by Henry Cowell (46) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Chamber Hall, New York.  See 2 October 1941.

    Harpalus, a song by Charles Ives (68) to anonymous words, is performed for the first time, at the YMCA Assembly Hall in Houston.

    3 May 1945 Dark Brother for baritone, viola, chromelodeon, kithara, and Indian drum by Harry Partch (43) to words of Wolfe, is performed for the first time, in Madison, Wisconsin.  Also premiered is Partch’s I’m very happy to be able to tell you about this... for soprano, baritone, kithara, and Indian drum.

    3 May 1947 Night Journey, a ballet by William Schuman (36) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University.

    3 May 1948 Walter Piston (54) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony no.3.  See 9 January 1948.

    3 May 1949 Rondó sobre temas infantiles argentinos op.19 for piano by Alberto Ginastera (33) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.

    3 May 1952 The Unforgettable Year 1919, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (45), is shown for the first time.

    Doce canciones españolas for voice and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (50) is performed for the first time, in the Ataneo de Madrid.  Also premiered is Rodrigo’s Dos canciones sefardies del siglo XV for chorus to anonymous words.

    Romance in Db for harmonica, strings and piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams (79) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    3 May 1960 Trio concertante for clarinet, trumpet, trombone, and band by TJ Anderson (31) is performed for the first time, in Langston, Oklahoma.

    3 May 1965 O Holy Ghost, a motet for chorus by Ernst Krenek (64) to words of Donne, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    3 May 1966 Ambages for flute by Roger Reynolds (31) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    3 May 1968 Nore for cello and piano by Isang Yun (50) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    3 May 1969 Sonata for violin and piano op.134 by Dmitri Shostakovich (62) is performed publicly for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall by David Oistrakh and Sviatoslav Richter.  See 8 January 1969.

    3 May 1971 Mario Davidovsky (37) wins the Pulitzer Prize for Music for Synchronisms no.6.  See 19 August 1970.

    3 May 1974 Memory for three voices and percussion by Isang Yun (56) is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    Fiddler at the Wedding, a cycle for mezzo-soprano, alto flute, mandolin, guitar, and percussion by Peter Maxwell Davies (39) to words of Brown is performed for the first time, in Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    3 May 1976 Ned Rorem (52) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Air Music.  See 5 December 1975.

    3 May 1977 Duo for viola and piano by Isang Yun (59) is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    Lachrymae for viola and strings by Benjamin Britten (†0) is performed for the first time, in Recklinghausen.  See 20 June 1950.

    3 May 1978 Birthday Fanfare for Sir William Glock’s 70th for three trumpets, vibraphone, and glockenspiel by Elliott Carter (69) is performed for the first time, in London.

    3 May 1979 Déplacements for amplified guitar and computer generated tape by Tod Machover (25) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    3 May 1980 Messages, a Creole Fantasy for orchestra by TJ Anderson (51) is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.

    3 May 1981 Toward the Sea for alto flute and guitar by Toru Takemitsu (50) is performed completely for the first time, in Seibu Theatre, Tokyo.

    3 May 1984 Hymset for organ by Samuel Adler (56) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    3 May 1986 Friffelkin Suite for orchestra by Lukas Foss (63) is performed for the first time, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.  See 6 November 1955.

    The multimedia version of Vertigo for electronic sound generators and video by Roger Reynolds (51) is performed for the first time, in La Jolla, California.  See 25 April 1987.

    3 May 1987 Symphony no.4 “Choral Odes” by Mikis Theodorakis (61) to words of Aschylos-Evmenides and Evripides-Phoenisses, is performed for the first time, in Athens.

    3 May 1988 Mishkenot for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (53) is performed for the first time, in the BBC Concert Hall, London.

    Ata for large orchestra by Iannis Xenakis (65) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.

    The Lodge of Shadows, a music drama by Samuel Adler (60) to words of Ramsey, is performed for the first time, in Fort Worth, Texas.

    3 May 1990 Sonata for cello and piano by William Bolcom (51) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    3 May 1992 La déesse Athéna for baritone and twelve instruments by Iannis Xenakis (69) to words of Aeschylus is performed for the first time, in Athens.

    3 May 1994 Theophany for orchestra, bandir drum and tape by John Tavener (50) is performed for the first time, in Basingstoke Concert Hall.

    3 May 1995 Schliemann, an opera by Betsy Jolas (68) to words of Bayen and the composer, is staged for the first time, in Lyon.  See 4 April 1990.

    3 May 1996 The Food of Love for chorus by Robin Holloway (52) to words of Shelley is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    3 May 2001 Fanfare for brass and percussion by Harrison Birtwistle (66) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    Gay Life for baritone and orchestra by David Del Tredici (64) to words of five authors is performed for the first time, in Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco.

    3 May 2002 The Mocking-Bird, an opera by Thea Musgrave (73) for baritone and chamber orchestra to her own words, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    3 May 2003 Fire and Blood for violin and orchestra by Michael Daugherty (49) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Detroit.

    3 May 2004 Trio for clarinet, cello, and piano by Donald Martino (72) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    3 May 2005 Walk the Walk for baritone saxophone and percussion by Michael Daugherty (51) is performed for the first time, at the Knitting Factory, New York.

    3 May 2006 Intermittences for piano by Elliott Carter (97) is performed for the first time, in Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, Michigan.

    3 May 2007 Brian Ferneyhough (64) is awarded the Siemens Prize for music in a ceremony in Munich.

    3 May 2008 Four Piedmont Choruses for chorus and piano by William Bolcom (69) to words of Byer is performed for the first time, at Salem College, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

    3 May 2009 Mary Lou for orchestra by John Harbison (70) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    The Choirmaster’s Burial for chorus by Dominick Argento (81) to words of Hardy is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis.

    4 May

    4 May 1604 Claudio Merulo dies in Parma, aged 71 years and 26 days.

    4 May 1655 Bartolomeo Cristofori is born in Padua.

    4 May 1765 Ripieno di una cantata in lode di San Gennaro by Nicola Porpora (78) to words of A. Gennaro, Duca de Belforte, is performed for the first time, at Sedile di Portanova, Naples.

    4 May 1766 Gottes Wort und Luthers Lehr, a cantata by Georg Philipp Telemann (85), is performed for the first time, for the installation of Georg Ludwig Herrnschmid as priest in St. Michael’s, Hamburg.

    4 May 1768 Trattenimento sagro drammatico by Nicola Porpora (†0) to words of di Gennaro, Duca di Belforte, is performed for the first time, in Naples.

    4 May 1772 Sie werden weder hungern for chorus and strings by Johannes Herbst (36) is performed for the first time.

    4 May 1778 L’amore soldato, a dramma giocoso by Antonio Sacchini (47) to words of Andrei after Tassi, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, London.

    4 May 1779 So spricht der Herr Zebaoth--Das ist unbeschreiblich for tenor, chorus and strings by Johannes Herbst (43) is performed for the first time.

    4 May 1781 Gesegnet bist du for chorus and strings by Johannes Herbst (45) is performed for the first time.

    4 May 1793 Cantata per la transalazione del sangue del glorioso martire S Gennaro by Giovanni Paisiello (52) to words of Pagliuca is performed for the first time, in Naples.

    Lasset uns lobsingen for chorus and strings by Johannes Herbst (57) is performed for the first time.

    4 May 1795 Symphony no.104 “London” by Joseph Haydn (63) is performed for the first time, at a benefit concert in London.  It is the last symphony he will compose.  Also premiered is Haydn’s cantata Berenice, che fai to words of Metastasio.

    4 May 1799 Giovanni Paisiello (58) is appointed direttore di cappella nazionale to the Parthenopaean Republic in Naples.  He will later claim that he does not want the post.

    4 May 1800 Ich freue mich for chorus and strings by Johannes Herbst (64) is performed for the first time.

    4 May 1809 The Austrian royal family evacuates Vienna, including Beethoven’s (38) patron Archduke Rudolph.  The composer pens the first movement of the piano sonata op.81a “Les adieux” at the occasion.

    4 May 1813 The Piano Concerto by Samuel Wesley (47) is performed for the first time, at his benefit in London.

    4 May 1820 The Dawning of Music in Kentucky, or The Pleasures of Harmony in the Solitudes of Nature, Opera Prima, is copyrighted by its author Anton Philipp Heinrich (39).

    4 May 1825 The opera season opens tonight in Palermo under its new director, Gaetano Donizetti (27).  The orchestra plays so badly that Donizetti is called to account by the Superintendant of Public Spectacles.

    4 May 1826 Confitebor tibi, Domine for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Samuel Wesley (60) is performed for the first time, in the Argyll Rooms, London.

    4 May 1835 Samuel Sebastian Wesley (24), organist at Hereford Cathedral, marries Mary Anne Merewether, sister of the dean of Hereford Cathedral, in the village of Ewyas Harold to the south.  The “runaway” nature of the wedding probably moved along Wesley’s departure from the cathedral.

    4 May 1836 Giuseppe Verdi (22) marries Margherita Barezzi, daughter of Antonio Barezzi, a grocer and Verdi’s patron, in the Chiesa Collegiata di San Bartolomeo, Busseto.

    Felix Mendelssohn (27) arrives in Frankfurt on his way to Düsseldorf to direct the Niederrheinisches Musikfest.  Upon his arrival he is introduced to several people, including a young chorus member Cécile Jeanrenaud.  She will eventually become his wife.

    4 May 1844 At a concert in the Théâtre-Italien, Paris where he plays many solo works, Franz Liszt (32) performs the Konzertstück of Carl Maria von Weber (†17).  The orchestra is directed by Hector Berlioz (40).

    4 May 1847 Jenny Lind makes her London debut in Giacomo Meyerbeer’s (55) Robert Le Diable.  At the conclusion, Queen Victoria, in an unprecedented gesture, throws a wreath at the singer’s feet.  It is a glittering triumph, for the singer and the music.  Felix Mendelssohn (38) is also present.

    4 May 1849 During the night, barricades appear in Dresden.  Richard Wagner (35) attempts to win the troops over by appealing to their nationalistic sensibilities in the face of a possible Prussian invasion.  The royal cabinet, fearful that the King might accede to demands, induces His Royal Highness to flee to his summer palace.  The revolutionaries set up a provisional government which swears to uphold the Frankfurt constitution.

    4 May 1855 Hector Berlioz (51) and Giuseppe Verdi (41) dine together in Paris.  During these few weeks these two giants of Romanticism become as acquainted as they ever will.

    4 May 1860 A statement appears in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik mocking the letter from Brahms (26) and Joachim which will appear two days from today.  It is written by Carl Friedrich Weitzmann.

    A bronze statue of Felix Mendelssohn (†12) by Charles Bacon , measuring eight feet (2.4 m) high, is unveiled at the Crystal Palace, London.

    4 May 1864 Richard Wagner (50) meets King Ludwig II of Bavaria for the first time, in the Residenz, Munich.  Ludwig offers Wagner an annual stipend, a house and to pay all his outstanding debts.  Wagner accepts.  According to the composer, “It was one unending love scene.”

    4 May 1886 Queen Victoria officially opens the Colonial and Indian Exhibition in Royal Albert Hall, London.  Ode for the Opening of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition by Arthur Sullivan (43) to words of Tennyson is performed for the first time for the event.

    4 May 1893 The first all-Pfitzner concert takes place in Berlin on the eve of the composer’s 24th birthday.  Herr Oluf op.12, a ballade for baritone and orchestra to words of Herder, is performed for the first time.  The press is universally positive about the entire concert and the future of the young composer.

    4 May 1895 Symphonic Suite op.8 for piano and the song cycle Songs and Verses by J.P. Jacobsen op.6 by Carl Nielsen (29) are performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.

    The American Flag, a cantata for alto, tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra by Antonín Dvorák (53) to words of Drake, is performed for the first time, in New York.  Critics are not impressed.

    4 May 1899 Concert Variations upon an English Theme “Down among the dead men” op.71 for piano and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (46) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London conducted by the composer.

    Inno ad Adelaide Cairoli for voice and piano by Pietro Mascagni (35) is performed for the first time in Teatro Palacorda, Pesaro.

    4 May 1909 Incidental music to The Stepney Children’s Pageant op.27b by Gustav Holst (34) is performed for the first time, in Whitechapel Art Gallery, London.

    4 May 1910 Trois Mélodies for voice and piano by Manuel de Falla (33) to words of Gautier are performed completely for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris, the composer at the keyboard.  See 14 March 1910.

    4 May 1925 Darius Milhaud (32) marries his cousin Madeleine Milhaud in the synagogue of Aix.

    4 May 1934 Deux poèmes chinois op.47, for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (65) to words of Roché after Giles are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    4 May 1937 18 months after its founding, La Spirale gives its last concert, in Paris.  See 12 December 1935.

    London Pageant for orchestra by Arnold Bax (53) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    Ruth Crawford Seeger (35) gives birth to a third child, Barbara Mona, in Washington.

    4 May 1941 Commemorative March for violin, cello, and piano by Samuel Barber (31) is performed for the first time, at the wedding of the composer’s sister on this day in the New York apartment of Barber and Gian Carlo Menotti (29).

    4 May 1942 Benjamin Britten (28) makes his “Statement to the Local Tribunal for the Registration of Conscientious Objectors.”  He begins, “Since I believe that there is in every man the spirit of God, I cannot destroy, and feel it my duty to avoid helping to destroy as far as I am able, human life, however strongly I may disapprove of the individual’s actions or thoughts.”

    4 May 1947 String Quartet in a minor by William Walton (45) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, originating in London.  See 5 May 1947.

    4 May 1948 Symphony no.4 by Bernard Rogers (55) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York conducted by Howard Hanson (51).

    4 May 1950 Seconde Sonate pour piano and Barcarolles for piano by Ned Rorem (26) are performed for the first time, in the United States Embassy, Paris.

    L’allegra brigata, an opera by Gian Francesco Malipiero (68) to his own words after Sacchetti, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    4 May 1952 Structures Ia for two pianos by Pierre Boulez (27) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, by the composer and Olivier Messiaen (43).  The hall is full, the audience uneasy.  Some violence occurs.  Igor Stravinsky (69) is present and is not impressed.  See 13 November 1953.

    Evocations de Slovaquie for clarinet, viola, and cello by Karel Husa (30) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    4 May 1953 The Mighty Casey, an opera by William Schuman (42) to words of Gury after Thayer, is performed for the first time, at the Hartt College of Music in Hartford, Connecticut.  See 6 April 1976.

    Irmelin, an opera by Frederick Delius (†18) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in New Theatre, Oxford, 61 years after it was composed.

    Sonata for horn and piano by Leslie Bassett (30) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    4 May 1957 Festival Overture op.68 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (72) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    4 May 1958 Serenata d’estate for harp, flute, guitar, violin, viola and cello by George Rochberg (39) is performed for the first time, in the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    Largo Risoluto nos.1 and 2 for string quartet and piano by Charles Ives (†3) are performed for the first time, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    4 May 1962 Volumina for organ by György Ligeti (38) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Bremen.  This was to be a live performance by Karl-Erik Welin but when Welin practiced the piece at Göteborg Cathedral the electronic organ was overloaded and began to smoke, giving off the smell of burning rubber.  Upon hearing of this, the Bremen Cathedral authorities refused to allow the performance to proceed and the premiere over Bremen Radio consists of a tape recording made of Welin practicing the piece at the Johanniskyrkan in Stockholm.  Unfortunately, the tape was too short and the last few minutes are missing.  A complete premiere will take place in the Westerkerk, Amsterdam on 10 May.  Also premiered is Improvisation ajoutée for organ and two assistants by Mauricio Kagel (29).

    Night Music for accordion and string quartet by David Diamond (46) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    4 May 1964 Ned Rorem’s (40) Lift Up Your Heads for chorus, brass quintet, and organ to words of Beaumont is performed for the first time, in Washington Cathedral.

    Several works by Charles T. Griffes (†44) are performed for the first time, at Indiana University in Bloomington:  the songs Entflieh mit mir, Es fiel ein Reif, Le Jardin, Impression du Matin, La Mer, Le Réveillon, Gedicht von Heine, In the Harem, Meeres Stille, Mir war als müßte ich graben, Song of the Dagger Mit schwarzen segeln and Two Birds Flew Into the Sunset Glow, as well as De profundis and Legend for piano, and Symphonische Phantasie for two pianos.

    4 May 1965 Interludes for the Space Theatre, a sound-producing dance by Robert Ashley (35), is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    4 May 1966 Eclipse for shakuhachi and biwa by Toru Takemitsu (35) is performed for the first time, in Nissei Theatre, Tokyo.

    Second Piece for Violin Alone by Stefan Wolpe (63) is performed for the first time, in the YMHA, New York.

    Piano Concerto no.1 by Charles Wuorinen (27) is performed for the first time, at the University of Iowa, Iowa City the composer at the keyboard.

    4 May 1968 Capriccio per Siegfried Palm for cello by Krzysztof Penderecki (34) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    4 May 1969 Paragraph 2 of The Great Learning for singers and drummers by Cornelius Cardew (32), to words of Confucius, (tr. Pound), is performed publicly for the first time, at the Round House, London.

    4 May 1970 The Pulitzer Prize in music is awarded to Charles Wuorinen (31) for his Time’s Encomium.  When asked about the meeting of 9 April, Pulitzer board member Vermont C. Royster repeats his performance over the telephone for a New York Times reporter.  “It goes something like this:  ‘bum, beep, deetely doot.’”

    4 May 1971 Namo for three sopranos and orchestra by Isang Yun (53) to a Buddhist sacred text is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    At the “official” premiere, eleven of the twelve movements from Who are these Children? op.84, a cycle for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (57) to words of Soutar, are performed in the National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, by Peter Pears and the composer.  See 7 March 1971 and 26 September 1971.

    4 May 1972 Carnival Music, a suite for piano by George Rochberg (53), is performed for the first time, in the Academy of Music, Philadelphia.

    4 May 1973 Six Early Songs for Lyric Soprano and Orchestra by Gunther Schuller (47) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston, conducted by the composer, 28 years after they were written.

    4 May 1974 Herbstmusik no.40 for four players by Karlheinz Stockhausen (45) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    4 May 1976 Varii capricci for orchestra by William Walton (74) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.  The work is a free transcription of the composer’s Five Bagatelles for Guitar and was commissioned by the Greater London Council for the 25th anniversary of the opening of Royal Festival Hall.  See 27 May 1972.

    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, a musical by Leonard Bernstein (57) to words of Lerner, is performed for the first time in New York at the Mark Hellinger Theatre.  It is a popular and critical disaster.  See 24 February 1976.

    4 May 1979 Chip and His Dog, an opera for children by Gian Carlo Menotti (67) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph, Ontario.

    4 May 1980 Five Settings of European Poets for tenor and piano by Arthur Berger (67) is performed for the first time, in Sanders Theatre, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    String Quartet by Morton Feldman (54) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    4 May 1982 Ragomania:  A Classical Overture for Orchestra by William Bolcom (43) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    4 May 1983 RA for about 25 singers, actors, and dancers along with various middle eastern and western instruments by R. Murray Schafer (49) to words from the Egyptian Book of the Dead, is performed for the first time, in Toronto.  The work takes eleven hours to perform.  Critics are mixed.

    4 May 1984 Piano Concerto no.3 by Charles Wuorinen (45) is performed for the first time, in Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, New York.

    Lines from The First Book of Urizen and Vala, or a Dream of Nine Nights for solo voices and chorus by Otto Luening (83) to words of Blake is performed for the first time, in New York.

    4 May 1988 An die Musik for soprano and ten players by Harrison Birtwistle (53) to words of Rilke is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, conducted by the composer.

    4 May 1989 Fantasy and Polka for orchestra by Ned Rorem (65) is performed for the first time, in Evian, France.

    4 May 1990 Two2 for two pianos by John Cage (77) is performed for the first time, in Cooper Union, New York.

    Lost Moon Sisters for soprano and ten players by Anthony Davis (39) to words of DiPrima is performed for the first time, in New York.

    4 May 1991 Festive Chant for violin, piano, chorus, and orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (56) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    4 May 1995 To Music for orchestra by John Corigliano (57) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    4 May 1996 Bach Measures for chamber orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle (61) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    String Quartet no.9 by Ralph Shapey (75) is performed for the first time, in Mills Concert Hall of the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

    4 May 1997 A joint concert by Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis (71) and Turkish composer Zülfü Livaneli in the House of Cultures of the World in Berlin continues the efforts of the two men to bridge differences between the two countries.  It is designed to be the first of a concert tour, but during the concert, Theodorakis suffers recurring respiratory problems.  The tour will go on without him.

    4 May 1999 Double Violin Concerto by Kevin Volans (49) is performed for the first time, at Queen’s University.

    4 May 2000 Parting Gift for Tam Farrow for chorus by John Tavener (56) to words of the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, at St. Ignatius Loyola, New York.

    4 May 2002 Another Sleep, for baritone and piano by Ned Rorem (78) is performed for the first time, at Fairfield University, Connecticut.

    4 May 2003 The Rhodora for chorus by William Bolcom (64) is performed for the first time, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Ralph Waldo Emerson.

    4 May 2005 Transfigured Wind IV for flute and quadraphonic computer processed sound by Roger Reynolds (70) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

    4 May 2006 Copperwave for brass quintet by Joan Tower (67) is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School, New York.

    4 May 2007 A Little Trowie Music for six cellos by Peter Maxwell Davies (72) is performed for the first time, in Haden Freeman Concert Hall, Manchester.

    5 May

    5 May 1755 Christoph Willibald Gluck’s (40) componimento pastorale La danza to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, at the Laxenburg, the summer palace near Vienna for the birthday of Archduke Leopold.

    5 May 1763 The Lord is King be the people never so impatient, an anthem by William Boyce (51), is performed for the first time.

    5 May 1774 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (18) dates his Symphony no.30 K.202 in Salzburg.

    5 May 1787 Giovanni Paisiello’s (46) Cantata fatta in occasione della translazione del sangue di San Gennaro, to words of Marchese di Gatalone, is performed for the first time, in Naples.

    5 May 1802 Giovanni Paisiello (61) is introduced to First Consul Napoléon in Paris.  In the evening he attends a performance of his own Zingari in fiera.  He is recognized and applauded vociferously.  The composer thereupon is invited to spend the third act in Napoléon’s box and the two apparently begin a very amicable relationship.

    Jan Ladislav Dussek (42) makes the acquaintance of Ludwig Spohr (18) in Hamburg, at a dinner at the home of Herr Kiekhöver.

    5 May 1812 Dies Haus is zu verkaufen, a singspiel by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (33) to words of Klebe after Duval, is performed for the first time, at the Leopoldstadt Theater, Vienna.

    5 May 1819 04:00  Stanislaw Moniuszko is born at Ubiel near Minsk, the son of Czeslaw Moniuszko, a poet and painter, and Elzbieta Madzarska, an amateur pianist.

    The Decurionato (city council) of Catania, Sicily vote to grant their favorite son, Vincenzo Bellini (17), a pension enabling him to go to Naples to study.

    5 May 1823 The First Piano Concerto of Frédéric Kalkbrenner (37) is performed for the first time.

    5 May 1824 Daniel-François-Esprit Auber’s (42) opéra comique Le concert a la cour, ou La débutante to words of Scribe and Mélesville is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    5 May 1830 Franz Liszt (18) dines at the home of Victor Hugo in Paris where he meets Prosper Mérimée.

    5 May 1832 Recognized at a rehearsal of the London Philharmonic, Felix Mendelssohn (23) is given an ovation by the musicians.  To the composer this was “more precious than any distinction…”

    5 May 1834 The last movement of the Concerto for piano and orchestra no.1 by Clara Wieck (14) is performed for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus, the composer at the keyboard and Felix Mendelssohn (25) conducting.  See 9 November 1835.

    5 May 1842 01:00  Fire breaks out in Hamburg and rapidly spreads fed by strong winds.  It burns for four days, destroying over 1,700 buildings in a 12-15 hectare area of the city.  51 people are killed and 20,000 left homeless.  20% of the city is leveled.  A change of wind saves the home and family of musician Johann Jakob Brahms, including his son, Johannes (8).

    5 May 1847 Hector Berlioz (43) conducts a performance of Roméo et Juliette in St. Petersburg.  The Russian critic Stasov writes, “These were the most magnificent, most crowded, most brilliant, most deafening concerts that were presented (this) year.  Everyone flocked to them; how could they do otherwise, when Berlioz has such a colossal reputation throughout all of Europe?”

    5 May 1849 As revolutionary guards come to the Schumann home in Dresden intent on impressing Robert (38) into their cause, Clara (29), seven months pregnant, convinces them that he is not there.  In actuality he is at that moment fleeing through the garden door with seven-year-old Marie.  Later, Robert, Clara and Marie leave the younger children in the care of servants and take a train to Mügeln, walk to Donha and take refuge with a friend in Maxen.  In the evening, Schumann composes his Frühlingslied op.79/18.

    During the Dresden revolt, Richard Wagner (35) mans the observation post in the tower of the Kreuzkirche and, under constant fire from Prussian troops, relays messages to the rebels below.

    Valentin Alkan (35) gives his last concert for 25 years, in Paris.

    5 May 1855 In an insane asylum near Bonn, Robert Schumann (44) writes to his wife Clara (35) for the last time.

    5 May 1864 Saison-Quadrille op.283 by Johann Strauss (38) is performed for the first time, in Pavlovsk.

    5 May 1869 Hans Erich Pfitzner is born in Moscow, the second child of Robert Pfitzner, a violinist and Anne Wilhelmine Henriette Reimer.

    5 May 1878 Johannes Brahms (44) writes to Simrock advocating the publication of Antonin Dvorák’s (36) music.  “The best that a musician can have, Dvorák has...”

    5 May 1882 The first complete performance in London of Der Ring des Nibelungen opens today.  It will continue on May 6, 8, and 9.

    5 May 1887 Conductor Charles Lamoreux, perhaps under intense official pressure, announces that the production of Lohengrin currently being staged at the Eden-Théâtre, Paris, is to be cancelled.  As a reason, he gives the possible international incident which may ensue should nationalistic rioters at the theatre transfer their anger to the German embassy.  See 16 September 1891.

    5 May 1889 The first and third movements of a Quintet for piano and strings in g minor by Jean Sibelius (23) are performed for the first time, at the Helsinki Music Institute.

    5 May 1890 Richard D’Oyly Carte, after hearing again from Gilbert, writes to Arthur Sullivan (47) rejecting a meeting between the three of them.  He believes that Gilbert is in the same frame of mind.  Gilbert writes to Carte, revoking his license to perform Gilbert’s words as of Christmas 1890.  Sending a copy to Sullivan, Gilbert suggests that “the time for putting an end to our collaboration has at last arrived.”

    The first and third movements of a String Quintet by Jean Sibelius (24) are performed for the first time, in Helsinki.  The second movement is cut due to a lack of rehearsal time.  See 11 October 1890.

    5 May 1891 Three Choruses for unaccompanied voices by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky (50) to words of Tsyganov and Pushkin are performed for the first time, in the Hall of the City Council, St. Petersburg.

    Carnegie Hall opens in New York with a gala concert.  The most illustrious person present is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (50) who conducts his own Coronation March.  “Excitement.  My turn.  Was loudly received.  The March went by very well.  Great success.”  He will conduct several performances over the next week.

    5 May 1892 Phoenix Expirans, a cantata for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra by George Whitefield Chadwick (37) is performed for the first time, in the City Hall of Springfield, Massachusetts.

    5 May 1896 Fantasy Sonata no.2 op.19 for piano by Alyeksandr Skryabin (24) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Erard, Paris by the composer.  He also premieres the fifth of the 24 Preludes op.11.

    The trustees of Columbia University offer Edward MacDowell (35) the post of Professor of Music.  He will accept.

    5 May 1897 Wo uns’re Fahne weht op.473, a march by Johann Strauss (71), is performed for the first time, in “Zum wilden Mann”, Vienna.

    5 May 1902 Sonata for violin and piano by Albert Roussel (33) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    5 May 1904 After a funeral procession through Prague where thousands line the route, the body of Antonín Dvorák is buried in the Vysehrad Cemetery, in an area reserved for the leading figures of the nation.

    5 May 1909 Bacchus, an opera by Jules Massenet (66) to words of Mendès, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is a dismal failure, receiving only six performances.

    5 May 1910 Two Sacred Songs op.105 for medium voice and organ by Max Reger (37) are performed for the first time, in Dortmund, the composer at the keyboard.

    5 May 1914 Alban Berg (29) witnesses a performance of Büchner’s play Wozzeck.  He decides immediately that he will compose an opera on this play.

    5 May 1917 The Violin Sonata of Claude Debussy (54) is performed for the first time, in Paris the composer at the piano.  This is Debussy’s last public performance in Paris.

    5 May 1921 Chant funéraire, an orchestral work by Gabriel Fauré (75), is performed for the first time, on the occasion of the centennial of the death of Napoléon I, at the Hôtel des Invalides, Paris.

    5 May 1922 Love’s Sacrifice, a pastoral opera by George Whitefield Chadwick (67) to words of Stevens, is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.

    5 May 1924 Edward Elgar (66) is officially appointed Master of the King’s Music.

    Pan’s Holiday for female chorus, piano and strings by Frank Bridge (45) to words of Shirley is performed for the first time, in Petersfield.

    5 May 1926 New works by Americans are performed for the first time in a concert sponsored by the US ambassador Myron T. Herrick at the Salle des Concerts, Maison Gaveau, Paris:  Two Pieces for violin and piano by Aaron Copland (25), the composer at the keyboard, Piano Sonata by Walter Piston (32) and the Sonata da chiesa for Eb clarinet, D trumpet, viola, horn, and trombone by Virgil Thomson (29).

    5 May 1927 Albert Roussel’s (58) Concerto for Small Orchestra op.34 is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    Fathers of the Free for chorus and orchestra by George Whitefield Chadwick (72) to words of Brown is performed for the first time, at New York University, the Bronx.

    5 May 1928 The Soldier and the Dancer, an opera by Bohuslav Martinu (37) to words of Budin after Plautus, is performed for the first time, in Brno.

    George Gershwin (29) and Alban Berg (43) meet for the first time, in Vienna.

    5 May 1930 Five Short Pieces for violin and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (39) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Serenade for string quartet op.1 by Samuel Barber (20) is performed for the first time, at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.  On the same program is the premiere of Variations on a Theme of Schumann for piano by fellow student Gian Carlo Menotti (18).

    Christophe Colomb, an opera by Darius Milhaud (37) to words of Claudel, is performed for the first time, in the Staatsoper, Berlin.

    5 May 1933 La Guiablesse, a ballet by William Grant Still (37) to a scenario by Page, after Hearn, is performed for the first time, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York under the baton of Howard Hanson (36).

    5 May 1935 The King Shall Rejoice, an anthem for chorus by Ernest MacMillan (41) to words of the Psalms, is performed for the first time, in Toronto.  The work was commissioned by the Governor-General of Canada, the Earl of Bessborough to celebrate the silver jubilee of King George V.

    Kaintuck’ for piano and orchestra by William Grant Still (39) is performed for the first time, in Musart Theatre, Los Angeles.

    5 May 1936 Chatterbox, the first of the Three Children’s Songs op.68 for voice and piano by Sergey Prokofiev (45), is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    5 May 1937 Igor Stravinsky (54) and Nadia Boulanger (49) are fellow passengers on the SS Paris sailing from New York to France.  Boulanger brings to him the offer of a commission from a mutual acquaintance, Mildred Bliss, to celebrate her 30th wedding anniversary and to be performed at the Blisses’ mansion in Georgetown, Dumbarton Oaks.

    5 May 1938 A number of leading Hungarian artists and scientists publicly declare their opposition to the anti-Semitic legislation currently being written.  Among them are Béla Bartók (57) and Zoltán Kodály (55).

    5 May 1941 Paul Bunyan op.17, an operetta by Benjamin Britten (27) to words of Auden, is performed for the first time, in Brander Matthews Hall, Columbia University, New York.

    5 May 1944 Sonata for violin and piano by Paul Hindemith (48) is performed for the first time, in Lisbon.

    5 May 1946 92nd Psalm for chorus by Arthur Berger (33) is performed for the first time, in Park Avenue Synagogue, New York.

    5 May 1947 The first performance before a live audience of the String Quartet in a minor by William Walton (45) takes place in Broadcasting House, London.  See 4 May 1947.

    It is announced that Charles Ives (72) has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music for his Symphony no.3, completed around 1911.  Ives writes to the man who conducted the premiere last year, Lou Harrison (29), “As you are very much to blame for getting me into that Pulitzer Prize street, and for having a bushel of letters to answer and for having a check of $500 thrown over me by the Trustees of Colum. Uni. you have got to help me by taking 1/2 of this...and the rest I’ll send to the New Music Edition and Arrow Press.”  See 5 April 1946.

    5 May 1948 Evangeline, an opera by Otto Luening (47) to his own words after Longfellow, is performed for the first time, at Brander Matthews Theatre, Columbia University, New York conducted by the composer.

    5 May 1949 Ballad of the Two Mothers for chorus by Henry Cowell (52) to words of Harald is performed for the first time, in Redlands, California.

    5 May 1950 The Asi-Gonia Festival, a ballet by Mikis Theodorakis (24), is performed for the first time, at Athens Conservatory.  It is a smashing success with the public and press.  The composer, a member of the armed forces and a recent graduate of the conservatory, is called to the stage, but he refuses.  His only belt fell apart this morning and he has to hold his pants up.

    5 May 1951 Miniatures for a Curious Child for orchestra by Vladimir Ussachevsky (39) is performed for the first time, at Columbia University conducted by the composer.

    5 May 1952 Four Trumpets for Alan for four trumpets and muted piano by Henry Cowell (55) is performed for the first time, in Cherry Lane Theatre, New York.

    The Snow Queen, an opera by Kenneth Gaburo (25) to words of Wilson, is performed for the first time, in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

    5 May 1953 Prelude and Fugue op.52 for band by Wallingford Riegger (68) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.

    Cantilena One for soprano by Kenneth Gaburo (26) is performed for the first time, at McNeese State University, Lake Charles, Louisiana.

    5 May 1956 An orchestral suite from Dominick Argento’s (28) unperformed ballet The Resurrection of Don Juan is performed for the first time, at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York.  See 24 May 1959.

    5 May 1957 This is the Garden, a cantata for chorus and orchestra by Marc Blitzstein (52) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    5 May 1958 Samuel Barber (48) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his opera Vanessa.

    5 May 1960 Introduction and Goodbyes, an opera for baritone and chorus by Lukas Foss (37) to words of Menotti (48), is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York Leonard Bernstein (41) conducting.

    5 May 1965 Rozart Mix for magnetic tape by John Cage (52) is performed for the first time, at the Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.  The work is performed by the dedicatee, Alvin Lucier (33), and his students.  Also premiered is Lucier’s Music for a Solo Performer.  In this work, percussion instruments are activated by human brain waves.

    Short Sonata for piano by George Perle is performed for the first time, in New York, on the eve of the composer’s 50th birthday.

    5 May 1966 Nomos alpha for cello by Iannis Xenakis (43) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    5 May 1968 Kurzwellen no.25 for six players by Karlheinz Stockhausen (39) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.  Also premiered is Funktion Grün for tape by Gottfried Michael Koenig (41).

    5 May 1969 Synchronstudie for actor, solo voice, film, and one, two, or three tape recorders by Mauricio Kagel (37) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    5 May 1971 At a meeting of the executive committee of the Naumburg Foundation, which includes Aaron Copland (70) and William Schuman (60), chairman Peter Menin (47) makes a presentation of agenda and budget issues which Schuman calls “amateursville.”  The committee retires to a dinner meeting of the entire board where Menin immediately resigns.

    5 May 1972 Intervall, no.6 of Für kommende Zeiten no.33 by Karlheinz Stockhausen (43) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Link for specialized and non-specialized performers by Pauline Oliveros (39) is performed for the first time, at Palomar College, Oceanside, California.

    5 May 1973 Detto II for cello and chamber ensemble by Sofia Gubaidulina (41) is performed for the first time, in Malyi Hall of Moscow Conservatory.

    5 May 1975 Dominick Argento (47) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his From the Diary of Virginia Woolf. See 5 January 1975.

    5 May 1976 Khoaï for harpsichord by Iannis Xenakis (53) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    Wind Music for flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, bassoon, and alto saxophone by Leslie Bassett (53) is performed for the first time, at the University of Wisconsin, River Falls.

    5 May 1977 Star Child for soprano, children’s choir, male choir, bell ringers, and orchestra by George Crumb (47) to words from the Dies Irae, the Massacre of the Innocents, and the Bible, is performed for the first time, in New York conducted by Pierre Boulez (52).

    5 May 1982 Symphony no.1 (Three Movements for Orchestra) by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (43) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York, conducted by Gunther Schuller (56).  The work will win the Pulitzer Prize.  See 18 April 1983.

    5 May 1984 The three-act opera Elisabeth by Gaetano Donizetti (†136) is found as a result of discoveries in London and Paris.

    Dances for cello and piano by Ned Rorem (60) is performed for the first time, in Detroit.

    5 May 1985 The original uncut version of König Hirsch, an opera by Hans Werner Henze (58) to words of von Cramer, is staged for the first time, in Stuttgart 30 years after it was composed.  See 4 October 1957 and 23 September 1956.

    5 May 1986 Umriss for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    5 May 1990 Hans Werner Henze’s (63) music drama Das verratene Meer to word of Treichel after Mishima, is performed for the first time, in the Deutsche Oper, Berlin.

    Etude 9 from György Ligeti’s (66) Etudes for piano Book II is performed for the first time, in Gütersloh.

    5 May 1991 Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman no.3 for brass by Joan Tower (52) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York as part of a gala concert celebrating the 100th anniversary of the hall.

    5 May 1993 Antiphonies for solo piano and orchestra by Harrison Birtwistle (58) is performed for the first time, in Paris conducted by Pierre Boulez (68).

    5 May 1995 Carolísima for chamber orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (60) is performed publicly for the first time, in City Halls, Gloucester conducted by the composer.  See 30 August 1994.

    5 May 1998 Wake up...and Die for cello and cello ensemble by John Tavener (54) is performed for the first time, in Beauvais.

    5 May 2001 A second setting of Vers une Symphonie fleuve IV for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (49) is performed for the first time, in Prinzregententheater, Munich.  See 22 September 1998.

    5 May 2002 The official premiere of Another Sleep for baritone and piano by Ned Rorem (78) takes place in Lincoln Center, New York.

    5 May 2004 L’abbé Agathon for soprano and eight cellos by Arvo Pärt (68) is performed for the first time, in Beauvais.  See 10 July 2005.

    Call for two trumpets and horn by Elliott Carter (95) is performed for the first time, in United Artists Battery Park Theatre, New York.

    5 May 2005 Klang for soprano, tenor, and organ or synthesizer by Karlheinz Stockhausen (76) is performed for the first time, in Milan Cathedral.

    5 May 2006 Ladder to the Moon for violin, wind octet, double bass, and percussion by Michael Daugherty (52) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    5 May 2007 Na Aniol Panski op.57 for chorus by Henryk Górecki (73) to words of Przerwa-Tetmajer is performed for the first time, in Czestochowie, Poland.

    5 May 2008 Concerto for horn and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (74) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    Pueri apud magistros exercentur for two alto saxophones by Betsy Jolas (81) is performed for the first time, in Nancy

    5 May 2009 Winging It for piano by John Corigliano (71) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.

    6 May

    6 May 1596 Giaches de Wert dies in Mantua.

    6 May 1683 Johann Sebastiani dies in Königsberg.

    6 May 1768 Die Hochzeit auf der Alm, a dramatisches Schäfergedicht by Michael Haydn (30), is performed for the first time.

    6 May 1773 Tamerlano, an opera seria by Antonio Sacchini (42) to words of Bottarelli after Piovene, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, London.

    6 May 1776 Symphonie concertante in G, C45 by Johann Christian Bach (40) is performed for the first time in the Hanover Square Rooms, London.

    6 May 1791 Giovanni Paisiello’s (50) Cantata epitalamica is performed for the first time, in Florence.

    6 May 1794 Étienne-Nicolas Méhul’s (30) drame lyrique Mélidore et Phrosine to words of Arnault after Bernard, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    6 May 1797 Le barbier du village, ou Le revenant, an opéra-comique by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (56) to words of AJ Grétry, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    6 May 1802 Symphony in B flat by Samuel Wesley (36) is performed for the first time, in London.

    6 May 1806 Johann Simon Mayr (42) opens his new music school, Lezioni Caritatevoli, in Bergamo, founded to provide musicians for the local church.  Among the students is Gaetano Donizetti (8).

    6 May 1814 04:00-05:00  Georg Joseph Vogler dies of a stroke in Darmstadt, aged 64 years, ten months and 21 days.  At the time of his death he is penniless, having been ruined by his attempt to construct the Triorganon.

    6 May 1815 Nicolò Paganini (32) is arrested and imprisoned in Genoa.  He is charged with abducting and “abusing the innocence” of Angiolina Cavanna, the 17-year-old daughter of a poor tailor.  They had gone together from Genoa to Parma last October but Paganini left her in December when he found she was pregnant.

    6 May 1817 Imagining himself to be chased by creditors sent by his ex-wife, Samuel Wesley (51) throws himself out of an upper-story window of his mother’s house.  Although sustaining serious injuries, he will survive.

    6 May 1823 Maria Szymanowska (33) performs before 900 people in Warsaw in preparation for a three-year concert tour.

    6 May 1824 At the last rehearsal for the premiere of his Symphony no.9, Ludwig van Beethoven (53) stands at the stage door and embraces every one of the participants as they pass.

    6 May 1825 Challenged by Luigi Cherubini (64) to compose a Kyrie for chorus, Felix Mendelssohn (16) produces a Kyrie in d minor.

    6 May 1827 Im Freien D.880, a song by Franz Schubert (30) to words of Seidl, is performed for the first time, in the Festsaal of Vienna University.

    6 May 1839 Le panier fleuri, an opéra comique by Ambroise Thomas (27) to words of de Leuven and Brunswick, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de Nouveautés, Paris.

    6 May 1840 From Paris, Richard Wagner (26) sends the scenario to an opera to Eugène Scribe, hoping the poet will create a libretto which he could set to music.  It is based on the story of the Flying Dutchman which Wagner read in a book by Heinrich Heine.  Scribe will not write a libretto.

    6 May 1842 Frédéric Chopin (32) and George Sand arrive back at Nohant from Paris, where he will complete the Mazurkas op.50.  He is looking for some peace two weeks after the death of his friend Jan Matuszynski.

    6 May 1845 Incidental music to d’Ennery and Lemoine’s play Sabaudka by Stanislaw Moniuszko (26) is performed for the first time, in Vilnius.

    6 May 1846 Camille Saint-Saëns (10) gives his first evening public performance as pianist at the Salle Pleyel, Paris.  He plays two concertos, the Mozart (†54) K.450 and Beethoven’s (†19) third, a Hummel (†8) sonata, a prelude and fugue by Bach (†95) and others, all from memory.

    6 May 1849 Prussian and Saxon troops begin their assault on Dresden.  Richard Wagner (35) sees his opera house in flames, apparently set by revolutionaries.  “It was an ugly building anyway.”

    6 May 1854 Over a year after its disasterous premiere, La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi (40) is produced once again in Venice, this time at Teatro San Benedetto.  With different singers and a different theatre it is a complete success.

    6 May 1860 A declaration appears in the Berliner Musik-Zeitung Echo signed by Johannes Brahms (26), Joseph Joachim, Julius Otto Grimm and Bernhard Scholz attacking Wagner’s (46) ideals and the Music of the Future.  It says in part, “The undersigned...declare that…they can only deplore and condemn as contrary to the most fundamental essence of music the productions of the leaders and disciples of the so-called New German School, some of whom put these principles into practice, while others keep trying to impose the establishment of more and more novel and preposterous theories.”  (Frisch and Karnes, 111)  Unfortunately for the signers, this declaration has already been leaked and parodied in the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.

    Die Pariserin op.238, a polka française by Johann Strauss (34), is performed for the first time, in Ungers Casino.

    6 May 1864 A funeral ceremony for Giacomo Meyerbeer takes place in the Gare du Nord, Paris.  Some of his music is performed.  Then his body is placed on a train for Berlin.

    6 May 1868 Le château à Toto, an opéra-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (48) to words of Meilhac and Halévy, is performed for the first time, at the Palais-Royal, Paris.

    6 May 1874 O komme, holde Sommernacht op.58/4, a song by Johannes Brahms to words of Grohe, is performed for the first time, in Munich, on the eve of the composer’s 41st birthday.

    6 May 1876 A cantata in celebration of the golden jubilee of Osip Petrov by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to words of Nekrasov is performed for the first time, at St. Petersburg Conservatory on the eve of the composer’s 36th birthday.

    6 May 1877 Erinnerung op.63/2, a song by Johannes Brahms to words of Schenkendorf, is performed for the first time, in Zürich, on the eve of his 44th birthday.

    6 May 1890 Upon receiving Gilbert’s letter of yesterday, Arthur Sullivan (47) records in his diary, “Nothing would induce me to write again with him.  How I have stood him so long I can’t understand.”

    6 May 1891 Gunlöd, an opera by Peter Cornelius (†16) to his own words, finished by Hoffbauer, is performed for the first time, in the Hoftheater, Weimar.

    6 May 1893 Fantaisie for harp op.95 by Camille Saint-Saëns (57) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    6 May 1897 La bohème, a commedia lirica by Ruggero Leoncavallo (40) to his own words after Murger, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.  The production is saved by the singers.  Critics like the libretto, not so much the music.

    6 May 1900 Vals-capricho for piano by Manuel de Falla (23) is performed for the first time, by the composer to an invited audience in the Madrid Ateneo.

    6 May 1907 Piano Quintet no.1 by Joaquín Turina (24) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    6 May 1914 The Homecoming for male chorus by Gustav Holst (39) to words of Hardy, is performed for the first time, in the Winter Gardens Theatre, Morecambe, Lancashire.

    6 May 1915 George Perle is born in Bayonne, New Jersey.

    6 May 1922 The Society of St. Gregory of America, meeting in convention in Rochester, New York, publishes a list of music not in accordance with Pope Pius X’s encyclical Motu proprio of 22 November 1903.  Among the music frowned upon are compositions by Luigi Cherubini (†80), Gioacchino Rossini (†53) and Giuseppe Verdi (†21).

    6 May 1923 Sonata for cello alone op.25/3 by Paul Hindemith (27) is performed for the first time, in Freiburg.

    6 May 1925 Symphony no.1 by Dmitri Shostakovich (18) is performed for the first time, in a two-piano version, by the composer and a friend before the Leningrad Conservatory composition faculty and students as a final examination for the composition course.  Alyeksandr Glazunov (59) is not fond of two movements, but generally the work is well received.  See 7 February 1926 and 12 May 1926.

    6 May 1927 Concerto for piano, clarinet, and string quartet by Roy Harris (29) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris by the Société Musicale Indépendante, Nadia Boulanger (39) at the keyboard.  Also premiered is the Trio for flute, clarinet, and bassoon op.92 by Charles Koechlin (59).

    6 May 1928 Three stage compositions by Ernst Krenek (27) to his own words, are performed for the first time, in the Staatstheater, Wiesbaden:  the tragic opera Der Diktator, a fairy tale opera, Das geheime Königreich and the burlesque operetta Schwergewicht, oder Die Ehre der Nation.

    Franz Schubert’s (†99) singspiel Die Freunde von Salamanka, to words of Mayrhofer, is staged for the first time, in Halle, 113 years after it was composed.

    Lento molto for string quartet by Aaron Copland (27) and two movements of the Piano Sonata no.1 by Roger Sessions (31) are performed for the first time, at the Edyth Totten Theatre, New York.  Also premiered are four piano preludes by Ruth Crawford (26), and Three Paeans for piano by Dane Rudhyar (33).  See 14 December 1928 and 3 March 1930.

    6 May 1929 Triple-Sec, an opera farce by Marc Blitzstein (24) to words of Jeans, is performed for the first time, in the Bellevue-Stratford Ballroom, Philadelphia.

    6 May 1930 Colin McPhee (30) marries Jane Belo, an amateur anthropologist in Connecticut.  He is a homosexual, and she knows it.

    6 May 1931 A concert version of the second scene from Karol Szymanowski’s (48) unfinished ballet Harnasie is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.  This concert marks the 25th anniversary of the Young Poland concert.  Szymanowski and two others receive the Gold Cross.  See 11 May 1935.

    6 May 1935 Send in the Militia, a song for the revue Parade by Marc Blitzstein (30), is performed for the first time, in Boston.  The song brings down the house.

    6 May 1937 A setting of Psalm 67 for chorus by Charles Ives (62) is performed for the first time, in the Theatre of Music, New York 43 years after it was composed.

    Candide op.24, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (52) to words of Weidman, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    6 May 1938 Celtic Set for concert band by Henry Cowell (41) is performed completely for the first time, in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

    6 May 1939 String Quartet no.5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (52) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    6 May 1944 Symphony no.2 “Ascensão” by Heitor Villa-Lobos (57) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro under the baton of the composer 27 years after it was written.

    6 May 1946 The second movement of Sinfonica prosodica by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (28) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.  See 18 July 1947.

    6 May 1947 Two Studies for piano by Witold Lutoslawski (34) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Dutch Radio, originating in Amsterdam.

    6 May 1948 Hamlet, a film with music by William Walton (46), is shown publicly for the first time, in the Odeon Theatre, Leicester Square, London.

    6 May 1949 Concerto da Camera for flute, english horn, and string orchestra by Arthur Honegger (57) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    Two Rilke Songs for voice and piano by George Perle is performed for the first time, in New York the composer at the keyboard on his 34th birthday.

    6 May 1951 The Sons of Light, a cantata by Ralph Vaughan Williams (78) to words of Wood, is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.

    L’oiseau RAI for tape by Pierre Schaeffer (40) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Paris IV.

    6 May 1952 Six Pieces for kettle drums and orchestra by Elliott Carter (43) is performed for the first time, at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

    6 May 1953 Die chinesische Nachtigall, a ballet by Werner Egk (52) to his own story after Andersen, is performed for the first time, in the Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich.

    Sonata for cello op.54 by Vincent Persichetti (37) is performed for the first time, at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

    6 May 1957 Norman Dello Joio (44) is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Meditations on Ecclesiastes. See 20 April 1956.

    Harrison Birtwistle (22) attends a concert in London which includes Le marteau sans maître by Pierre Boulez (32), Concerto op.24 by Anton Webern (†11) and Zeitmasse by Karlheinz Stockhausen (28).  The Boulez piece will be a major influence on his work.

    The Boor, an opera by Dominick Argento (29) to words of Olon-Scrymgeour after Chekhov, is performed for the first time, at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York.

    6 May 1960 Moonrise for female chorus and instrumental ensemble by Leslie Bassett (37) to words of Lawrence is performed for the first time, in Detroit.

    6 May 1962 Sur scène, a kammermusikalisches Theaterstück by Mauricio Kagel (30) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    Rondo for accordion by Otto Luening (61) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    Wind Quintet no.2 by George Perle is performed for the first time, in New York on the composer’s 47th birthday.

    Élégie et rondeau for alto saxophone and orchestra by Karel Husa (40) is performed for the first time, at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York conducted by the composer.  See 29 July 1960.

    6 May 1963 Samuel Barber (53) wins a second Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Piano Concerto no.1.  See 24 September 1962.

    Passaggio, messa in scena for soprano, two choruses, and instruments by Luciano Berio (37) to words of Sanguineti and the composer, is performed for the first time, in Milan.

    Trio for flute, oboe, and piano no.2 by Charles Wuorinen (24) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University, New York the composer at the keyboard.

    Folk Fantasy for Festivals for folk singers, soloists, speakers, chorus, and piano by Roy Harris (65) is performed completely for the first time, at San Francisco State College.  See 22 February 1956 and 14 November 1957.

    6 May 1964 Mensura sortis for two pianos by Krzysztof Penderecki (30) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Bremen Radio.

    6 May 1966 Tremens, a szenische Montage eines Tests by Mauricio Kagel (34), is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    6 May 1968 Returning to his home in Kürten after the premiere of Kurzwellen, Karlheinz Stockhausen (39) begins a hunger strike to convince his wife, Mary Bauermeister, to return to him.  She has written from the US that she wishes to end their relationship.

    George Crumb (38) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Echoes of Time and the River.  See 26 May 1967.

    6 May 1972 Dunstable:  Veni Sancte Spiritus for alto flute, clarinet, keyboards, glockenspiel, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (37) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, the composer conducting.

    6 May 1973 Ernest Alexander Campbell MacMillan dies in Toronto, aged 79 years, eight months, and 18 days.  He has been unconscious following a brain hemorrhage ten days ago.

    Gazebo Dances for band by John Corigliano (35) is performed for the first time, in Evansville, Indiana.

    6 May 1974 The Song of Tailitnama for voice, six cellos, and percussion by Peter Sculthorpe (45), to an aboriginal text, is performed for the first time, at the Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne.

    6 May 1975 Für Paul Dessau for tape by Luigi Nono (51) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Giuseppe Verdi, Pisa.

    6 May 1976 Concerto for bassoon and low strings by Sofia Gubaidulina (44) is performed for the first time, in the Hall of the Union of Soviet Composers, Moscow.

    A suite of music from the film Katharina Blum for chamber orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (49) is performed for the first time, in Brighton, Sussex.

    6 May 1977 Only Now and Again for winds, percussion, and piano by Roger Reynolds (42) is performed publicly for the first time, in Milwaukee.  See 23 January 1977.

    6 May 1979 A Thanksgiving to God, for His House, an anthem for chorus by Dominick Argento (51) to words of Herrick, is performed for the first time, at Plymouth Congregational Church, Minneapolis.

    6 May 1982 Interludium in A for piano by Isang Yun (64) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    6 May 1983 A sound installation by Max Neuhaus (43) is inaugurated at ARC, Musée de l’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris.  It will last until 12 June.

    6 May 1984 Jonestown for children’s chorus and piano by TJ Anderson (55) to words of TJ Anderson III is performed for the first time, at Boston University.

    The Way They Are for chorus by Samuel Adler (56) is performed for the first time, in Palmyra, New York.

    6 May 1985 Kathinkas Gesang als Luzifer Requiem no.52 1/2, an excerpt from Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (56) opera Samstag aus Licht, in a version for flute and electronics, is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 15 October 1983.

    Concerto for trumpet and five players by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (46) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    6 May 1988 Waarg for 13 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (65) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    6 May 1990 Litany:  In Memory of Michael Vyner for piano by Toru Takemitsu (59) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    Leaf for piano by Luciano Berio (64) is performed for the first time, in London.

    The last movement of Good Night op.63 for soprano, alto flute, piano, and three tam-tams by Henryk Górecki (56) to words of Shakespeare is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.  See 4 November 1990.

    Ritual Fragment for 14 players by Harrison Birtwistle (55) is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden.

    Introitus, from Hans Werner Henze’s (63) unperformed Requiem, for piano and chamber orchestra, is performed for the first time, in the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.  See 24 February 1993.

    Eonia for chorus by John Tavener (46) to words of Seferis and the Bible is performed for the first time, in City Hall, Cork.

    6 May 1999 Guy Wagner begins a series of 170 broadcasts over the airwaves of Radio socio-culturelle, Luxembourg which will present the complete works of Mikis Theodorakis (73).  It will continue until 26 December 2002.

    Sofia Gubaidulina (67) is awarded the Léonie Sonning Music Prize.

    6 May 2000 La Machine d’etre by John Zorn (46) is performed for the first time, in Teatro communale, Bologna.

    6 May 2001 Antarctic Symphony (Symphony no.8) by Peter Maxwell Davies (66) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London, the composer conducting.

    6 May 2003 ...brain ablaze...she howled aloud for one, two, or three piccolos and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (65) is performed completely for the first time, in Munich.

    6 May 2004 Due liriche greche by Luigi Nono (†13) are performed for the first time, in Klaus-von-Bismarck-Saal, Cologne 55 years after they were composed.  They consist of La Stella mattutina for female chorus, flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, vibraphone, tam-tam, piano, and viola, and Ai Dioscuri for chorus, timbales, tam-tam, and piano.

    6 May 2006 Julius Fucik for two speakers and orchestra by Luigi Nono (†15) is performed for the first time, in Munich, 55 years after it was composed.

    A new sound artwork by Max Neuhaus (66) called Time Piece Beacon is inaugurated at Dia:Beacon, Riggio Galleries in Beacon, New York.

    Chamber Dance for “large chamber group without conductor” by Joan Tower (67) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    6 May 2007 Giant-Hairy Nude-Warriors Racing Down the Slopes of Battle for large chamber ensemble by Terry Riley (71) is performed for the first time, at the Drogheda Festival in Ireland.

    6 May 2009 Quartettino 4 for string quartet by Robin Holloway (65) is performed for the first time, in West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge.

    6 May 2010 Romanza, a concerto for violin and orchestra by William Bolcom (71), is performed for the first time, at the First Congregational Church, Berkeley, California.

    7 May

    7 May 1539 Ottaviano de’ Petrucci dies, probably in Venice.

    7 May 1763 Zanaida, an opera by Johann Christian Bach (27) to words of Bottarelli, is performed for the first time, at the King’s Theatre, London.

    7 May 1783 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27) writes to his father from Vienna.  “Our poet here is now a certain Abbate da Ponte.  He has an enormous amount to do in revising pieces for the theatre and he has to write per obbligo an entirely new libretto for Salieri (32) (Il ricco d’un giorno), which will take him two months.  He has promised after that to write a new libretto for me.  But who knows whether he will be able to keep his word--or will want to?  For, as you are aware, these Italian gentlemen are very civil to your face.  Enough, we know them!  If he is in league with Salieri, I shall never get anything out of him.” (Anderson, 848)

    7 May 1788 Through the efforts of Emperor Joseph II, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (32) Don Giovanni is performed in Vienna.  At a party following the opera, attended by most of the musical connoisseurs of the city, the work is praised at first, but soon an argument ensues over its shortcomings.  When asked for his opinion, Joseph Haydn (56) responds, “I cannot settle the argument.  But one thing I know--and that is that Mozart is the greatest composer the world now has.”  Mozart is not present.

    7 May 1799 Die Jagd, a singspiel by Johann Baptist Schenk (45) to words after Weisse, is performed for the first time, in the Kärntnertortheater, Vienna.

    7 May 1800 Vito Niccolò Marcello Antonio Giacomo Piccinni dies in Passy, near Paris, aged 72 years, three months and 21 days.  He was in Passy in a vain attempt to recover his health.  His mortal remains are laid to rest there.

    7 May 1818 Jan Antonín (Leopold) Kozeluch dies in Vienna, aged 70 years, ten months and eleven days.

    7 May 1819 Johann Baptist Schenk’s (65) cantata Der Mai for solo voices, chorus and orchestra is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Redoutensaal.

    7 May 1822 Die Rose D.745, a song by Franz Schubert (25) to words of von Schlegel, is published in the Zeitschrift für Kunst, Vienna.

    7 May 1824 The Symphony no.9 “choral” for soloists, chorus and orchestra by Ludwig van Beethoven (53) to words of Schiller is performed for the first time, in the Kärntnertortheater, Vienna.  At the conclusion of the work, the crowd bursts into uproarious applause, including stamping of feet and waving.  Caroline Unger, the alto soloist, turns the composer around to view the spectacle because he cannot hear it.  In the audience is a very interested Franz Schubert (27).

    7 May 1825 08:00  Antonio Salieri dies in Vienna, aged 74 years, eight months and 19 days.

    7 May 1833 Johannes Brahms is born in a tenement apartment in Hamburg, second of three children born to Johann Jakob Brahms, a professional musician, and Johanna Henrika Christiane Nissen, a seamstress, the daughter of a tailor.

    7 May 1840 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is born in Kamsko-Votkinsk, Vyatka Province, 1,000 km east of Moscow, the second of six children born to Ilya Petrovich Tchaikovsky, chief inspector of the Kamsko-Votkinsk mines, and Alyeksandra Andreyevna Assier, granddaughter of a French emigre.  The father also has one child by a previous marriage.

    7 May 1849 03:00  Clara Schumann (29), seven months pregnant, travels from Maxen to Dresden (partly on foot) and arrives in the middle of an artillery barrage.  She retrieves her three younger children and returns them safely to Maxen by 11:00.  Robert (38) can not accompany her for fear of being impressed into the revolution.

    7 May 1853 Le trésor à Mathurin, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (33) to words of Battu, is performed for the first time, in Salle Herz.  It will later be revived as Le mariage aux lanternes.

    7 May 1854 Elisen-Polka française op.151 by Johann Strauss (28) is performed for the first time, in the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    7 May 1855 Clara Schumann (35) presents Johannes Brahms with a Romance in b minor for his 22nd birthday.

    7 May 1860 Rita, ou Le mari battu, an opéra comique by Gaetano Donizetti (†12) to words of Vaëz, is performed for the first time, at the Théatre Favart, Paris.

    7 May 1872 Giuseppe Verdi (58) receives a letter from a Signor Prospero Bertani of Reggio, demanding that the composer reimburse him for his train travel, supper and two viewings of Aida, which he finds totally lacking in virtue.  Verdi pays for the tickets and train fare, but not the supper.

    7 May 1881 Myrthenblüthen op.395, a waltz for male chorus and orchestra by Johann Strauss (55), is performed for the first time, in the Hofburg.

    Le Voyageur op.18/2 for voice and piano by Gabriel Fauré (35) to words of Silvestre is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    7 May 1882 The first, third, and fourth of the Legends for orchestra by Antonín Dvorák (40) are performed for the first time, at the Prague Conservatory.

    7 May 1883 The Royal College of Music is officially opened in London by the Prince of Wales.  The Prince takes the occasion to publicly announce a knighthood for Arthur Sullivan (40).

    String Quintet by Anton Bruckner (59) is performed completely for the first time, in the Bösendorfersaal, Vienna.  See 17 November 1881.

    7 May 1888 Three Pieces for string orchestra by Edward Elgar (30) are performed for the first time, in Worcester.

    7 May 1889 Giacomo Puccini (30) writes to his publisher, Ricordi, asking that he secure the rights to the play La Tosca by Victorien Sardou, now on a successful tour of Europe.  Sardou will refuse.

    Dawn op.46/6 for two voices and piano by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to words of Surikov is performed for the first time, in Salle Erard, Paris, on the composer’s 49th birthday.

    7 May 1891 A fanfare for Wilhelm Iffland’s play Der Jäger by Richard Strauss (26) is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Court Theatre.

    The Kobolds op.21, a cantata by Horatio Parker (27) to words of Bates, is performed for the first time, in Springfield, Massachusetts.

    7 May 1893 Charles Ives (18) is appointed organist at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, New Haven, Connecticut.

    7 May 1894 For the first time, Amy Beach (26) gives a recital which includes only her own music, at Wellesley College.

    7 May 1896 Lochinvar for baritone and orchestra by George Whitefield Chadwick (41) to words of Scott is performed for the first time, in Springfield, Massachusetts, conducted by the composer.

    7 May 1898 Edward Elgar (40) conducts the first concert of the Worcestershire Philharmonic.  He will hold this post until 1904.

    7 May 1903 Scenes from Azara, a grand opera by John Knowles Paine (64) to his own words, are performed for the first time, in a concert setting accompanied by piano, in Chickering Hall, Boston.  See 10 March 1900.

    7 May 1908 The first two of the Quatre poèmes de “La bonne chanson” de Paul Verlaine op.24 for voice and piano by Charles Koechlin (40) are performed for the first time, in Paris, the composer at the keyboard.  Also premiered is Koechlin’s La guerre op.14/9 for voice or chorus and orchestra to words of Banville

    7 May 1912 Two songs by Charles T. Griffes (27) are performed for the first time, in the Normal School Lecture Room, Lowell, Massachusetts:  Evening Song, to words of Lanier, and The Water Lily, to words of Tabb.

    7 May 1915 Upon hearing the news of the Lusitania, a group of commuters at the Hanover Square Station of New York’s Third Avenue Elevated Railroad, prompted by a nearby hurdy-gurdy, begins spontaneously to sing In the Sweet Bye and Bye.  One of the commuters is an insurance executive named Charles Ives (40) who will commemorate the event in his Second Orchestral Set.

    7 May 1916 A memorial concert for Enrique Granados (†0) is given at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York conducted by Walter Damrosch.  The Beethoven (†89) Trio in B flat is played by Ignacy Paderewski, Fritz Kreisler, and Pablo Casals.  Singers include Maria Barrientos, Julia Culp, and John McCormack.  Granados’ Dolora en la meno for voice and piano is performed for the first time.  Casals will remember that “toward the end of the concert all the lights were turned out.  A candle was placed on the piano.  Then, with that solitary flame flickering on the stage in the great hall, Paderewski played Chopin’s Funeral March.”

    7 May 1918 Sergey Prokofiev (27) leaves Petrograd (for only a few months, he thinks) on the Trans-Siberian Railway, making for Vladivostok.

    New works by Zoltán Kodály (35) are performed for the first time, in Budapest:  Belated Melodies op.6, a cycle for voice and piano to words of various poets, Duo op.7 for violin and cello, Sonata for Solo Cello op.8 and String Quartet no.2 op.10.  See 16 April 1920.

    7 May 1919 Violin Sonata op.165/2 by Charles Villiers Stanford (66) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    7 May 1923 Béla Bartók (42) and Oxford University Press agree to terms for the publication of his Hungarian Folk Music.

    7 May 1924 Overture by Ernest MacMillan (30) is performed for the first time, in Massey Hall, Toronto conducted by the composer.  It is well received.

    7 May 1926 Ralph Vaughan Williams’ (53) oratorio Sancta civitas for tenor, baritone, chorus, semi-chorus, distant chorus, and orchestra, to texts from the Bible, is performed for the first time, at the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford.

    Les Malheurs d’Orphée, a chamber opera by Darius Milhaud (33) to words of Lunel, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels.

    7 May 1927 The third, sixth, and seventh of the Huit mélodies sur des poèmes de ‘Shéhérazade’ de Tristan Klingsor op.84 for voice and piano by Charles Koechlin (59) are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Vocalise for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (28) is possibly performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 3 March 1928.

    7 May 1929 Members of the National Socialist Party throw stink bombs during a performance of Kurt Weill’s (29) Die Dreigroschenoper at the Berlin State Opera.

    7 May 1931 Sechs Deutsche Tänze D.820 for piano by Franz Schubert (†102) are performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.

    Chant, 1930 “To an Angel” for chorus by Ruth Crawford (29) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    7 May 1936 Brian Cornelius McDonough Cardew is born in Winchcombe, Gloucestershire, second of three children born to Michael Ambrose Cardew, a potter and Mary Ellen Russell, a painter and museum curator, the daughter of a journalist.

    The first airborne recital takes place when Fritz Wagner of Dresden gives a program of Romantic piano music aboard the Hindenburg crossing from Hamburg to New York.

    The Beloved Vagabond, a film with music by Darius Milhaud (43), is shown for the first time, in Ciné Marignan, Paris.

    7 May 1937 18 of the 27 Choruses for two or three part children’s or female chorus by Béla Bartók (56) are performed for the first time, in Budapest.

    Chamber Symphony for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, viola, and piano by David Diamond (21) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Shall We Dance, a film with music by George Gershwin (38) to words of Ira Gershwin, is released in the United States.  See 13 May 1937.

    7 May 1939 Prologue for chorus and orchestra by William Schuman (28) to words of Taggard, is performed for the first time, in New York by the New York Federal Symphony and funded by the Federal Music Project.  This concert is the first FMP concert featuring all-Guggenheim recipients.  Along with Schuman, music by Aaron Copland (38), Roy Harris (41), Walter Piston (45), and Paul Nordoff is performed.

    7 May 1940 Music for several dances by John Cage (27) is performed for the first time, at the Cornish School in Seattle:  America was Promises for speaker and piano four hands to words of MacLeish, Four Songs of the Moment for piano, Spiritual for piano, and Imaginary Landscape no.2 for variable frequency turntables, string piano, and percussion.

    7 May 1941 Olivier Messiaen (32) enters into duties as Professor of Harmony at the Paris Conservatoire.  In his first class is a young pianist named Yvonne Loriod.

    7 May 1942 The fourth of the Four Piano Blues by Aaron Copland (41) is performed for the first time, in Montevideo.  See 13 March 1950.

    Fourth Construction for percussion quintet by John Cage (29) is performed for the first time, at the Holloway Playhouse in the Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco.  It is now known as Imaginary Landscape no.2 (March).  Also premiered are two works by Lou Harrison (24): Canticle #3 for ocarina, percussion, and guitar, and In Praise of Johnny Appleseed for percussion and wooden flute.

    7 May 1943 Two of the Trois sonatines pour flûte seule op.184/2-3 by Charles Koechlin (75) are performed for the first time, in the École Normale de Musique, Paris.

    7 May 1944 Organ Mass by Zoltán Kodály (61) is performed for the first time, in St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest.

    A suite from music for the film Our Town by Aaron Copland (43) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    7 May 1945 Aaron Copland (44) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Appalachian Spring.  See 30 October 1944.

    Les songes op.237 for two pianos by Darius Milhaud (52) is performed for the first time, at the University of Wyoming, Laramie.

    7 May 1946 Six of Les chants de Nectaire for flute op.199 by Charles Koechlin (78) are performed for the first time, at the École Normale de Musique, Paris.

    7 May 1947 The Mother of Us All, an opera by Virgil Thomson (50) to words of Stein, is performed for the first time, in Brander Matthews Hall, Columbia University, New York, conducted by Otto Luening (46).

    7 May 1948 Longing for Jerusalem for tenor, chorus, and organ by David Diamond (32) to words of Jehuda Ha-Levi is performed for the first time, in the Park Avenue Synagogue, New York.

    7 May 1949 Hans Werner Henze’s (22) opera for actors Das Wundertheater, after Cervantes, (tr. Graf von Schack), is performed for the first time, in the Heidelberg Stadttheater.

    Overture in C for orchestra by Ned Rorem (25) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall.

    7 May 1950 somewhere i have never trampled for voice and piano by Ben Johnston (24) to words of ee cummings is performed for the first time, at the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.  Also premiered is Johnston’s Le Gout de Néant for voice and piano to words of Beaudelaire.

    7 May 1951 The Heart’s Assurance, a cycle for high voice and piano by Michael Tippett (46) to words of Keyes and Lewis, is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London by Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten (37).

    7 May 1952 Nonet for five recorders, clarinet, two violins, and cello by Bohuslav Martinu (61) is performed for the first time, at Basel Conservatory.

    Solemn Prelude for band by Ulysses Kay (35) is performed for the first time, at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York.

    Pageant op.59 for band by Vincent Persichetti (36) is performed for the first time, in Miami conducted by the composer.

    7 May 1958 Serenade for orchestra by William Grant Still (62) is performed for the first time, in the high school of Great Falls, Montana.

    7 May 1960 Stray Birds, a cycle for voice and piano by Kenneth Gaburo (33) to words of Tagore, is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.

    7 May 1962 Robert Ward (44) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for The Crucible. See 26 October 1961.

    7 May 1963 Meditation for concert band by Gunther Schuller (37) is performed for the first time, in Greensboro, North Carolina.

    7 May 1964 Symphony no.6 by Carlos Chávez (64) is performed for the first time, in New York, conducted by Leonard Bernstein (45).

    Chorale for Ascension Day for chorus, brass, timpani, and organ by Samuel Barber (54) to words of Browning, is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    Suite for High and Low Instruments by Otto Luening (63) is performed for the first time, at the Chapin School, New York.

    Serenade no.13 op.95 for two clarinets by Vincent Persichetti (48) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    7 May 1965 Et exspecto resurrectionem mortuorum for woodwinds, brass, and percussion by Olivier Messiaen (56), is performed for the first time, in Sainte-Chapelle, Paris.  On the 20th anniversary of the end of World War II, it is part of a commemoration for the dead of both world wars.  See 20 June 1965.

    7 May 1967 String Quartet no.1 by Alfred Schnittke (31) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad.

    The Nativity as Sung By Shepherds for alto, tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (70) to words of Crashaw, is performed for the first time, in the Rockefeller Chapel, University of Chicago.

    Arab terrorists go eight km inside Israel and manage to blow up a military vehicle at Ammiad.  No one is hurt.

    7 May 1968 On the second day of a seven-day hunger strike, in a frame of mind created by lack of food and the emotional trauma of the possible end of his marriage, Karlheinz Stockhausen (39) writes the first of 15 text compositions which he will create during the next four days.  They will later be called Aus den sieben Tagen.

    Incenters for 13 instruments by Jacob Druckman (39) is performed for the first time, at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey.  See 23 November 1973.

    7 May 1970 Four Organs for four electronic organs and maracas by Steve Reich (33) is performed for the first time, at the Guggenheim Museum, New York.  Organists are Philip Glass (33), Arthur Murphy, Steve Chambers, and the composer.  Reviews are mixed.  Also premiered is Reich’s Phase Patterns for four electronic organs.

    The Fisherman and His Wife, a children’s opera by Gunther Schuller (44) to words of Updike after Grimm, is performed for the first time, in the Savoy Theatre, Boston.

    7 May 1972 Trio for violin, guitar, and piano by Arthur Berger (59) is performed for the first time, in London.

    7 May 1973 Elliott Carter (64) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for the second time, for his String Quartet no.3.  See 23 January 1973.

    7 May 1974 Donald Martino (42) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Notturno.  In addition, the Pulitzer committee bestows a special citation on Roger Sessions (77) for his life's work as a distinguished American composer. See 15 May 1973.

    7 May 1975 Paradiso Choruses, an oratorio by Donald Martino (43) to words of Dante and the Latin Mass, is performed for the first time, at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.

    7 May 1979 Erik Satie’s (†53) first published works, Valse-ballet and Fantaisie-valse for piano, are performed publicly for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.  Also premiered is his fanfare for two trumpets Sonnerie pour réveiller lo bon gros Roi des Singes (lequel ne dort toujours que d’un oeil), composed in 1921. See 17 March 1887.

    7 May 1984 Six New Etudes for piano by George Perle (69) is performed for the first time, in Beijing.

    Orion and Pleiades:  Concerto for cello and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (53) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    7 May 1986 Cello Concerto no.1 by Alfred Schnittke (51) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    7 May 1988 Montag aus Licht, an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen (59) to his own words, is performed completely for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  See 20 November 1986, 3 August 1987, and 7 April 1988.

    7 May 1993 Five Distances for Five Instruments for woodwind quintet by Harrison Birtwistle (58) is performed for the first time, in Purcell Room, London.

    Anima mundi, a film with music by Philip Glass (56), is released in the United States.

    7 May 1994 A String Quartet in e flat minor by Bohuslav Martinu (†34) is performed for the first time, in Zürich, 77 years after it was composed.

    7 May 1995 Three Antiphons for chorus by John Tavener (51) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe.

    Time in Tempest Everywhere for soprano, oboe, and chamber orchestra by Samuel Adler (67) is performed for the first time.

    7 May 1996 Marco Polo, an opera by Tan Dun (38) to words of Griffiths, is performed for the first time, in Munich, conducted by the composer.

    New works are performed for the first time, in Basel:  Pol for six players by Wolfgang Rihm (44), Rasche Fuge zur Sache Bach for string quartet by Henri Pousseur (66), and Voie lactée ô soeur lumineuse, a toccata for 19 instruments in honor of Paul Sacher by Hans Werner Henze (69).

    Duetti, a dance by Kevin Volans (46) to a choreography of Burrows, is performed for the first time, in Ghent.

    7 May 1998 Tambor for orchestra by Joan Tower (59) is performed for the first time, in Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh.

    A Reel of Seven Fishermen for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (63) is performed for the first time, in Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco.

    7 May 1999 Wild Air, a dance by Kevin Volans (49) to a choreography of Davies, is performed for the first time, in the Oxford Playhouse.

    7 May 2006 Schnee for nine instruments by Hans Abrahamsen (53) is performed for the first time, in Witten.

    String Quartet no.5 by Brian Ferneyhough (63) is performed for the first time, in Witten.

    7 May 2008 Jagden und Formen for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (56) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-Main.

    8 May

    8 May 1684 Henri Du Mont dies in Paris.

    8 May 1783 François-André Danican-Philidor (56) gives his second multiple chess game demonstration in St. James’ Street, London.  He plays three simultaneous games without seeing any of them, winning two and drawing one.

    8 May 1784 Issipile, a dramma per musica by Pasquale Anfossi (57) to words after Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, London.

    8 May 1804 Carl Maria von Weber (17) is appointed Kapellmeister at the theatre in Breslau (Wroclaw).

    8 May 1811 Meyer Beer’s (Giacomo Meyerbeer) (19) oratorio Gott und der Natur to words of Schreiber is performed for the first time, at the Berlin Singakademie.

    8 May 1822 The Liszt family departs Raiding to move to Vienna where Franz (10) may pursue serious musical study.  They are being funded by several Hungarian noblemen from Pressburg (Bratislava).

    8 May 1827 Felix Mendelssohn (18) matriculates at the University of Berlin.

    8 May 1828 Robert Schumann (17) and fellow law student Gisbert Rosen, present themselves to Heinrich Heine in Munich.  Contrary to their fears, they find him to be charming and spend several hours traversing the city.

    8 May 1829 Louis Moreau Gottschalk is born in New Orleans, first of seven children born to Edward Gottschalk, part owner of a cloth shop, and Aimée-Marie Bruslé, daughter of a baker.

    8 May 1834 Felix Mendelssohn’s (25) Rondo brillant in E flat for piano op.29 is performed for the first time, in London.

    8 May 1835 Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (30) marries Maria Petrovna Ivanova, his sister’s brother-in-law’s wife’s sister.  They will separate after four years and divorce.

    8 May 1838 At a dinner at the house of Astolphe, Marquis de Custine, Frédéric Chopin (28) and George Sand fall in love.  Sand will remember,  “...I was confused and amazed at the effect this little creature wrought on me.  I have still not recovered from my astonishment, and if I were a proud person I should be feeling humiliated at having been carried away by my emotions...when I had thought that I had settled down for good.”

    8 May 1844 Felix Mendelssohn (35) arrives in London for his eighth journey to Britain.  He will conduct several Philharmonic concerts.

    8 May 1847 Felix Mendelssohn (38) departs London for the last time.

    8 May 1848 Giuseppe Verdi (34) buys the first parcel of land he is to own at Sant’ Agata.

    8 May 1849 August Röckel is captured by Saxon troops in Dresden.  On his person is a letter from his friend Richard Wagner (35) which clearly implicates Wagner in revolutionary activities.

    8 May 1853 A setting of the 91st Psalm for solo voices and chorus by Giacomo Meyerbeer (61) is performed for the first time, in the Friedrichskirche, Potsdam in the presence of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and King Leopold I of Belgium.

    8 May 1866 In order to create the appearance of respectability, Richard Wagner (52) invites the entire von Bülow family to his home, Tribschen, on Lake Lucerne.  Cosima arrives today.  By the time Hans arrives in mid-June, she will be pregnant with Wagner’s second child.

    8 May 1867 Anton Bruckner (42) enters a sanitorium in Bad Kreuzen suffering from nervous anxiety and severe depression.  He will stay for three months.

    8 May 1875 15 Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes op.65 arranged for vocal quartet and piano-four hands by Johannes Brahms (42) to words of Daumer is performed for the first time, in the Museumsaal, Karlsruhe.

    8 May 1877 In the Country:  Sketches for piano op.26, a piano cycle by John Knowles Paine (38), is performed completely for the first time, at Lyceum Hall, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    8 May 1880 Piano Quartet op.15 by Charles Villiers Stanford (27) is performed for the first time, in London.

    8 May 1889 Edward Elgar (31) marries Caroline Alice Roberts, daughter of a Major-General, at Brompton Oratory, London.  Her family, upper-crust Anglicans, do not approve of a union with a working-class Catholic.  The ceremony is Catholic.

    8 May 1890 Elfenlied for soprano, women’s chorus, and orchestra by Hugo Wolf (30) to words of Shakespeare translated by von Schegel is performed for the first time, by the Wagner-Verein, Vienna.  As the work is not yet orchestrated, it is performed with piano.

    8 May 1891 Variations on America for organ by Charles Ives (16) is performed for the first time, in the Baptist Church of Danbury, Connecticut, by the composer.  It is programmed as National Airs for Violin and Organ and is performed with a violinist.

    8 May 1894 Le portrait de Manon, an opéra comique by Jules Massenet (51) to words of Boyer, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris.  It is a moderate success.

    Three Cavalier Songs op.17 for baritone, male chorus and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (41) to words of Browning is performed for the first time.  See 22 March 1882.

    8 May 1895 Henry Clifford, an opera by Isaac Albéniz (34) to words of Money-Coutts, is performed for the first time, in Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona, conducted by the composer.  Although originally in English, it is performed in Italian, the favored language of the Liceu.  It is a critical success, but not with audiences.

    Duet for organ and trombone by Gustav Holst (20) is performed for the first time, in Highbury Congregational Church, Cheltenham, the composer at the keyboard.

    8 May 1896 Berceuse op.105 for piano four hands by Camille Saint-Saëns (60) is performed for the first time, at the Milan Conservatory of Music by the composer in an organ transcription.

    8 May 1910 Die Nonnen op.112 for chorus by Max Reger (37) is performed for the first time, in Dortmund.

    8 May 1915 Danza lenta for piano by Enrique Granados (47) is performed for the first time, in Barcelona.

    8 May 1920 Dmitri Shostakovich (13) plays his music in public for the first time, at an exhibition of the paintings of Boris Kustodiyev, in Petrograd.

    8 May 1924 Mouvement symphonique no.1:  Pacific 2.3.1., by Arthur Honegger (32), is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is a great success and will prove to be his best-known work.

    Incidental music to Yeats’ play The Countess Cathleen by Charles Martin Loeffler (63) is performed for the first time, in Concord, Massachusetts.

    8 May 1925 Three Pieces for flute, clarinet and bassoon by Walter Piston (31) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Incidental music to Vollmüller’s play Turandot by Roger Sessions (28) is performed for the first time, in Cleveland, the composer conducting.

    8 May 1926 Chansons madécasses for voice, flute, cello, and piano by Maurice Ravel (51) to words of de Forges is performed for the first time, privately in the American Embassy in Rome, Alfredo Casella (42) at the keyboard.  See 13 June 1926.

    8 May 1930 Fanfare for a Cheerful Occasion for brass and percussion by Arnold Bax (46) is performed for the first time, privately at the Musicians Benevolent Fund annual dinner in the Savoy Hotel, London.  Also premiered is Hot Potatoes, a fanfare for brass and percussion by Ethel Smyth (72).  See 26 May 1932.

    8 May 1933 Cantiga de roda for female chorus and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (46) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro, the composer conducting.

    8 May 1938 Igor Stravinsky’s (55) Concerto “Dumbarton Oaks” for chamber orchestra, is performed for the first time, privately at Dumbarton Oaks, Washington, D.C. conducted by Nadia Boulanger (50).  The composer was slated to conduct but he is ill in Paris and asked Boulanger, in the United States already, if she would do the honors.  See 8 June 1938.

    8 May 1939 Piano Sonata no.1 op.3 by Vincent Persichetti (23) is performed for the first time, at Philadelphia Conservatory by the composer.

    8 May 1944 Ethel Mary Smyth dies in Woking, aged 86 years and 16 days.

    Gigue and Musette for piano by Lou Harrison (26) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.  Also premiered is Harrison’s Suite for piano.

    8 May 1946 Incidental music for the concert spectacle Victorious Spring by Dmitri Shostakovich (39) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Dzerzhinsky Central Club.

    The Medium, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (34) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in New York, at the Brander Matthews Theatre of Columbia University, conducted by Otto Luening (45).

    8 May 1950 Pampeana no.2 op.21 for cello and piano by Alberto Ginastera (34) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.

    8 May 1951 Das Vokaltuch der Kammersängerin Rosa Silber, a ballet by Hans Werner Henze (24), is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in Titania-Palast, Berlin.  See 15 October 1958.

    Two works by Anton Webern (†5) are performed for the first time, in New York:  Five Canons on Latin Texts op.16 for voice, clarinet, and bass clarinet, and Liebst Jungfrau op.17/2 for voice, clarinet, bass clarinet, and violin, to an anonymous text.  See 16 March 1952.

    Alleluia for Small Orchestra by Lou Harrison (33) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University.

    Short Suite for band by Ulysses Kay (34) is performed for the first time, at Baylor University, Waco, Texas.

    8 May 1952 Transposition, Reverberation, Experiment, Composition and Underwater Valse for tape by Vladimir Ussachevsky (40) are performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre at Columbia University in the first public demonstration of music from magnetic tape.  Also premiered is Ussachevsky’s Two Autumn Songs on Rilke’s Text for voice and piano the composer at the keyboard.  See 28 October 1952.

    8 May 1955 Piano Concerto no.5 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (68) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    Canticle of Freedom for chorus and orchestra by Aaron Copland (54) to words of Barbour, is performed for the first time, in Kresge Auditorium at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    8 May 1957 Duke Ellington’s (58) choreographic suite A Drum is a Woman is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of CBS television.

    8 May 1958 Marc Blitzstein (53) appears before an executive session of the House Un-American Activities Committee in the court house in Foley Square, New York.  He is one of 20 witnesses from the entertainment industry.  He states openly that he was a member of the Communist Party until 1949, and that he, at various times, supported certain organizations, but he does not inform on others.

    Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play King Lear by Aram Khachaturian (54) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    String Quartet no.1 “Métamorphoses nocturnes” by György Ligeti (34) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    8 May 1960 Cantate de la croix de charité op.381 by Darius Milhaud (67) to words of Masson is performed for the first time, in a broadcast to 65 countries originating in Paris, conducted by he composer.

    8 May 1965 Invention no.2 for violin, viola, and cello by Carlos Chávez (65) is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.

    Two new works are performed for the first time, in Cincinnati:  George Crumb’s (35) Variazioni for percussion, harp, celesta, mandolin, and strings; and George Rochberg’s (46) Zodiac, an orchestration of his Twelve Bagatelles for piano.

    Concerto no.2 for koto and orchestra in the Form of a Symphony by Henry Cowell (68) is performed for the first time, at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.

    8 May 1966 And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma for a large ensemble of original instruments by Harry Partch (64) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    8 May 1969 Ein Schmetterlingstraum for chorus and percussion ad. lib. by Isang Yun (51) to words of Ma is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    Down the Greenwood Side, a dramatic pastoral by Harrison Birtwistle (34) to words of Nyman, is performed for the first time, in Festival Pavilion, West Pier, Brighton.

    Dennis Hopper’s film Easy Rider is shown for the first time, at the Cannes Film Festival.

    Greatshot, a cabaret opera by William Bolcom (30) to words of Weinstein, is performed for the first time, at Yale University conducted by the composer.

    8 May 1970 Gymkhana Formule I for tape by Pierre Henry (42) is performed for the first time, in the Gymnase de Malakoff.

    Time’s Encomium for synthesized and processed synthesized sound by Charles Wuorinen (31) is performed completely for the first time, at the State University of New York, Albany.  See 2 March 1969.

    Piano Sonata no.4 by Lejaren Hiller (46) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo, 20 years after it was composed.

    8 May 1971 Glisées for cello by Isang Yun (53) is performed for the first time, in Zagreb.

    8 May 1973 Benjamin Britten (59) undergoes heart surgery at the National Heart Hospital, London.  A faulty heart valve is replaced but the composer suffers a small stroke during the procedure which leaves him with reduced use of his right arm.  This ends his career as performing pianist and conductor.

    8 May 1974 Divertissement for ten winds by Werner Egk (72) is performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.

    Imago mundi for orchestra by George Rochberg (55) is performed for the first time, in the Lyric Theatre, Baltimore.

    8 May 1978 Carlos Chávez (78) appears as conductor for the last time, at the Interamerican Music Festival in the Kennedy Center, Washington where his Concerto for trombone and orchestra is performed for the first time. Also premiered is American Te Deum for vocal soloist, chorus, and orchestra by Karel Husa (56), conducted by the composer.  See 5 December 1976.

    8 May 1979 Chor der Steine for computer by John Melby (37) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

    8 May 1981 Exemplum in memoriam Kwangju for orchestra by Isang Yun (63) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    All in the Golden Afternoon for amplified soprano and orchestra by David Del Tredici (44), to words of Carroll, is performed for the first time, at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia.

    8 May 1982 Sonority Forms no.1 for piano by Otto Luening (81) is performed for the first time, at the Music School at Rivers, Weston, Massachusetts.

    8 May 1985 Concerto for Orchestra no.3 “Farbenspiel” by Gunther Schuller (59) is performed for the first time, in Berlin conducted by the composer.

    8 May 1986 "Michaels Reise um die Erde" no.48 2/3 in the version for solo trumpet and nine others from the opera Donnerstag aus Licht by Karlheinz Stockhausen (57) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.  See 21 October 1978.

    8 May 1987 Concerto for Viola:  Do Not Go Gentle by Richard Wernick (53) is performed for the first time.

    8 May 1990 Luigi Nono dies at his home in Venice of liver disease, aged 66 years, three months, and nine days.

    Opus sine nomine by Ernst Krenek (89) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    8 May 1992 Stephen Sondheim refuses to accept the National Medal of Arts Award, saying the NEA has become “a conduit and a symbol of censorship and repression rather than encouragement and support.”

    8 May 1994 Constellations for clarinet/bass clarinet/tenor saxophone, cello, electric guitar, double bass/bass guitar, piano/celesta, and percussion by Ralph Shapey (73) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York the composer conducting.

    Trés Lent for cello and piano by Joan Tower (55) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York the composer at the piano.

    8 May 1995 Figment for cello by Elliott Carter (86) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Hall, New York.

    8 May 1996 Pierre Boulez (71) is presented with the Polar Prize in Stockholm.

    8 May 2001 The Red Act Arias Suite 2001 for electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (66) is performed for the first time, at the University of California, San Diego.

    8 May 2006 Fault Line for optional soprano and chamber orchestra by Shulamit Ran (56) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Center, Chicago.

    8 May 2008 Synaxis, a concerto grosso for four soloists, strings, and timpani by Charles Wuorinen (69), is performed for the first time, in the State Theatre, New Brunswick, New Jersey.

    8 May 2011 Oboe Quartet by Harrison Birtwistle (76) is performed for the first time, at the Rudolf Steiner Schule, Witten, Germany.

    9 May

    9 May 1707 Dietrich Buxtehude dies in Lübeck.

    9 May 1740 Giovanni Paisiello is born in Roccaforzata near Taranto.

    9 May 1745 Tommaso Antonio Vitali dies in Modena.

    9 May 1755 Britannia, a masque by Thomas Augustine Arne (45) to words of Mallett, is performed for the first time, at Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    9 May 1758 Les fêtes de Paphos, an opéra-ballet by Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (46) to words of Voisenon, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    9 May 1781 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (25) argues with Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg and requests to be discharged from his duties.  “I am so sure of my success in Vienna that I would have resigned even without the slightest reason...I want to hear nothing more about Salzburg.  I hate the Archbishop to madness.”  (Marshall, 42)

    Symphony no.53 by Joseph Haydn (49) is performed, perhaps for the first time, at the final Bach (45)-Abel concert, Hanover Square Rooms, London.

    9 May 1786 Owing to the popular response to Le nozze di Figaro, Emperor Joseph II instructs opera director Count Orsini-Rosenberg that no numbers for more than one singer in any opera may be encored.  The performances are simply going on too long.

    9 May 1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (35) is appointed deputy kapellmeister at St. Stephen’s Cathedral.  It is an unpaid position, but he is assured that he will succeed the current kapellmeister in due course.

    9 May 1795 Publication of three Piano Trios op.1 by Ludwig van Beethoven (24) is advertised in the Wiener Zeitung.

    9 May 1812 La scala di seta, a farsa comica by Gioachino Rossini (20) to words of Foppa after Planard, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.  It is one of three works performed tonight.

    9 May 1814 Georg Martin Adolf von Henselt is born in Schwabach, Bavaria, the son of a cotton manufacturer.

    9 May 1819 Gioachino Rossini’s (27) cantata 9 maggio 1819 to words of Genoino is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples for the visit of Emperor Franz I to the city.

    9 May 1822 Four songs by Franz Schubert (25) are published by Cappi and Diabelli, Vienna as his op.8:  Der Jüngling auf dem Hügel to words of Hüttenbrenner, and Sehnsucht, Erlafsee and Am Strome, all to words of Mayrhofer.

    9 May 1825 Der Liedler, a song by Franz Schubert (28) to words of Kenner, is published by Cappi, Vienna as his op.38.

    9 May 1829 Nicolò Paganini (46) gives his first performance in Berlin.  Fanny Mendelssohn (23) attends, and writes “about this extremely wonderful, incredible Talent, about this man, who has the appearance of an insane murderer, and the movements of an ape.  A supernatural, wild genius.  He is extremely exciting and provocative.”

    9 May 1839 A third child, Daniel, is born to Franz Liszt (27) and Countess Marie d’Agoult, in Rome during their extended sojourn in Italy.

    9 May 1849 In the face of growing Prussian intervention, the Dresden revolutionaries call a retreat, hoping to regroup in Chemnitz or Freiburg.  While driving back to Dresden from Freiburg where he went to summon reinforcements, Richard Wagner (35) encounters rebels marching away from the city.  Some rebel leaders will be captured in Chemnitz but through a stroke of luck, Wagner escapes.  Royal troops execute 26 students and many rebels are thrown out of third and fourth-floor windows.

    9 May 1863 Le brésilien, a comédie-vaudeville by Jacques Offenbach (43) to words of Meilhac and Halévy, is performed for the first time, at the Palais-Royal, Paris.

    9 May 1868 Symphony no.1 (Linz version) by Anton Bruckner (43) is performed for the first time, in the Linz Redoutensaal, conducted by the composer.

    9 May 1869 One day after the last concert of the Russian Musical Society season, Grand Duchess Yelena Pavlovna, Imperial Patroness of the RMS, informs Mily Balakirev (32) that he is removed as director.  The action is probably due to Balakirev’s outspokenness and his programming of too many new works.

    9 May 1870 Anton Rubinstein (40) plays at the Paris home of Camille Saint-Saëns (34).  An enthusiastic Gabriel Fauré (24) is there too.

    9 May 1874 Wo die Citronen blüh’n op.364, a waltz by Johann Strauss (48), is performed for the first time, in Turin.

    9 May 1881 The Second Mephisto Waltz for orchestra by Franz Liszt (69) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.

    9 May 1893 Aleko, an opera by Sergey Rakhmaninov (20) to words of Nemirovich-Danchenko after Pushkin, is performed publicly for the first time, at the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow.  See 19 May 1892.

    Thomas Edison presents the first motion picture film exhibition.  A blacksmith and two helpers are shown passing a bottle and forging a piece of iron.  The work is displayed on a kinetograph, Edison’s invention.  400 people attend at the Department of Physics, Brooklyn Institute.

    9 May 1894 At the dress rehearsal of his opera Guntram, Richard Strauss (29) criticizes all the singers except the lead soprano Pauline de Ahna.  She becomes incensed at this, demands equal criticism and throws her score at him from the stage.  The composer follows her to her dressing room where are heard loud noises from within.  Several musicians who come to lend him support, enter the room finding the pair smiling.  Strauss announces that they are engaged.

    9 May 1906 The first book of the piano suite Iberia by Isaac Albéniz (45) is performed for the first time, at the Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    9 May 1907 The allegretto movement of the Piano Sonata in e minor D.566 by Franz Schubert (†78) is performed for the first time, at the Beethovenhaus, Bonn, 90 years after it was written.

    9 May 1911 Valses nobles et sentimentales for piano by Maurice Ravel (36) is performed for the first time, at the Salle Gaveau, Paris.  See 22 April 1912.

    9 May 1912 Four of the Esquisses pour piano op.41 by Charles Koechlin (44) are performed for the first time, in Salle Erard, Paris.

    9 May 1913 While working on his Piano Concerto no.2 in St. Petersburg, Sergey Prokofiev (22) receives a letter from his close friend Max Schmidthoff.  “Dear Seryozha, I’m writing to tell you the latest news--I have shot myself.  Don’t get too upset but take it with indifference, for in truth it doesn’t deserve anything more than that.  Farewell.  Max.  The reasons are unimportant.”  Prokofiev will dedicate four works to him, including the second piano concerto.

    9 May 1914 The Symphony no.3 by Josef Matthias Hauer (31) is performed for the first time, in Wiener-Neustadt.

    9 May 1916 Album de viaje op.15 for piano by Joaquín Turina (33) is performed for the first time, in Madrid.

    9 May 1918 The Kiss op.72/3, a song for voice and piano by Jean Sibelius (52) to words of Runeberg, is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    9 May 1924 Schlagobers op.70, a ballet by Richard Strauss (59) to his own scenario, is performed for the first time, at the Vienna Staatsoper, the composer conducting, to begin the celebrations surrounding his 60th birthday.  It is not a success.

    9 May 1926 Incidental music to Goethe’s play Der Triumph der Empfindsamkeit by Ernst Krenek (25) is performed for the first time, in the Kassel Staatstheater, conducted by the composer.  See 28 November 1927.

    9 May 1930 Incidental music for the play by Gorbenko and Lvov, Virgin Soil by Dmitri Shostakovich (23), is performed for the first time, in the Working Youth Theatre, Leningrad.

    9 May 1931 Incidental music to Piotrovsky’s play Rule, Britannia! by Dmitri Shostakovich (24) is performed for the first time, in the Working Youth Theatre, Leningrad.

    9 May 1937 William Walton’s (35) Crown Imperial, a march for the coronation of George VI, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, London.  The work is repeated at the actual coronation, 12 May.

    9 May 1940 Our Town, a film with music by Aaron Copland (39), is shown for the first time, in Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Los Angeles.

    9 May 1942 Céline, a song for voice, flute, harp and string trio by Arthur Honegger (50) to words of Aubry, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    9 May 1948 Brief Elegy for oboe and strings by Ulysses Kay (31) is performed for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    9 May 1953 Two Children’s Songs for voice and piano by Witold Lutoslawski (40) to words of Barto are performed for the first time, in Warsaw, the composer at the keyboard.

    9 May 1957 Der Revisor, a comic opera by Werner Egk (55) to his own words after Gogol, is performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.

    Panfilo and Lauretta, an opera by Carlos Chávez (57) to words of Kallman after Boccaccio, is performed for the first time, at the Brander Matthews Theatre, Columbia University, New York.  See 28 October 1959, 21 May 1963 and 26 July 1968.

    Psalms for chorus and orchestra by Lukas Foss (34) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    9 May 1959 Psalm and Prayer of David for chorus by Walter Piston (65) is performed for the first time, at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.

    9 May 1960 As a method of protesting the West German government’s decision to deport him to East Germany, refugee Botha von Steegan sets fire to Beethoven’s (†133) birthplace in Bonn.  The blaze destroys the furniture and two autograph manuscripts.

    Two works by Ernst Krenek (59) are performed for the first time, in New York:  Sonatina for oboe and Monologue for clarinet solo.

    9 May 1961 The Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center gives its inaugural concert before an invited audience in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University.  Gargoyles for violin solo and synthesized sound by Otto Luening (60) is performed for the first time, as are the Prologue and Interlude from The Creation for mezzo-soprano, two choruses, and tape by Vladimir Ussachevsky (49).  See 19 May 1971.

    9 May 1962 Sinfonia for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (27) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    Piece for violin and instruments by Ralph Shapey (41) is performed for the first time, in Kaufman Auditorium of the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    9 May 1963 Three Poems of Henri Michaux for chorus and orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (50) are performed for the first time, in Zagreb.

    Piece for violin and instruments by Ralph Shapey (42) is performed for the first time, in Kaufmann Auditorium, New York the composer conducting.

    9 May 1964 Scherzo for piano by Lejaren Hiller (40) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    9 May 1965 Two electronic music theatres by Robert Ashley (35) to his own words are performed for the first time, in New York:  Combination Wedding and Funeral and The Lecture Series.

    Fanfare for a Fellow Composer for brass and percussion by Otto Luening (64) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    9 May 1967 Hearing, a cycle for voice and piano by Ned Rorem (43) to words of Koch, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    9 May 1969 CASTA* for soprano and electronic sounds by Ben Johnston (43) is performed for the first time, at the opening of the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts at the University of Illinois.

    9 May 1971 Probe (Versuch für ein improvisiertes Kollektiv) by Mauricio Kagel (39) is performed for the first time, in Høvikodden, near Oslo.

    9 May 1973 Symphony no.4 by Ross Lee Finney (66) is performed for the first time, in Baltimore.

    9 May 1976 Ringings for chorus, slides, tape, and film by Kenneth Gaburo (49) is performed for the first time, at Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.

    9 May 1977 String Quartet no.6 by Samuel Adler (49) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    9 May 1979 Uspud, a ballet chrétien by Erik Satie (†54) to a story by Contamine de Latour and Satie, is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris 87 years after it was composed.  See 17 March 1887.

    9 May 1980 Scenes from Cavafy for baritone, male chorus, harp, and Javanese gamelan by Lou Harrison (62) to words of Cavafy paraphrased by the composer, is performed for the first time, at San Jose State University.

    9 May 1981 Aus Deutschland, a Lieder-Oper by Mauricio Kagel (49), is performed for the first time, in the Deutsche Oper Berlin.

    9 May 1983 Divertimento for string quartet by Charles Wuorinen (44) is performed for the first time, in Glens Falls, New York.

    9 May 1985 Crossfire for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (46) is performed for the first time, in Meyerhoff Hall, Baltimore.

    Faust for soprano, tenor, bass, chorus, chamber orchestra, and Sundanese gamelan degung by Lou Harrison (67) to words of Foley after Goethe, is performed for the first time, at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

    9 May 1986 Renaissance Concerto for flute and large or small orchestra by Lukas Foss (63) is performed for the first time, conducted by the composer.

    9 May 1988 Arias and Barcarolles for four vocalists and piano four-hands by Leonard Bernstein (69), to words of Jennie Bernstein, Segal, and the composer, is performed for the first time, in the Equitable Center Auditorium, New York.  The composer is one of the pianists.  See 22 April 1989.

    9 May 1990 Words from Paterson for baritone, flute/alto flute, oboe/english horn (or harp), piano (or viola), and cello by John Harbison (51) to words of Williams is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    9 May 1991 Opus 1.991 for orchestra by Mauricio Kagel (59) is performed for the first time, in the Kongreßhalle, Saarbrücken directed by the composer.

    9 May 1992 String Quartet no.5 by Michael Tippett (87) is performed for the first time, in Crucible Theatre, Sheffield.

    9 May 1993 Antlitz for violin and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (41) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    9 May 1994 Wolfgang Rihm’s (42) Sphere for piano, winds, and percussion is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    9 May 1995 Epilog for soprano, female chorus, and five instruments by Isang Yun (77) is performed for the first time, in Suntory Hall, Tokyo.  Also premiered is Yun’s Engel in Flammen for orchestra.

    9 May 1998 Wake Up and Die for solo cello or cello section by John Tavener (54) is performed for the first time, in Beauvais.

    9 May 2002 Concerto for piano and orchestra “Resurrection” by Krzysztof Penderecki (68) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    9 May 2005 Memoria for two solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (53) to words of Sachs is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    9 May 2006 Illusions by Roger Reynolds (71) is performed for the first time, in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles.

    9 May 2009 Lady Liberty for chorus and piano by William Bolcom (70) to words of Weinstein is performed for the first time, simultaneously in Lexington, Massachusetts and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    10 May

    10 May 1697 Jean-Marie Leclair is born in Lyons.

    10 May 1760 Johann Christoph Graupner dies in Darmstadt, aged 77 years, three months and 27 days.

    10 May 1770 Charles Avison dies in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, aged 61 years, two months and 24 days.  (This could be 9 May)

    10 May 1772 Amors Guckkasten, an operetta by Christian Gottlob Neefe (24) to words of Michaelis, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    10 May 1779 A Quartet for keyboard, oboe, violin and cello B68 by Johann Christian Bach (43) is performed for the first time, in the Hanover Square Rooms, London.

    10 May 1781 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (25) meets with Count Arco, the chamberlain to Archbishop Colloredo, in Vienna and gives him his resignation and the advance for travel expenses from the Archbishop.  The count accepts neither.

    10 May 1798 Zoraïme et Zulnar, an opéra-comique by Adrien Boieldieu (22) to words of Saint-Just, is performed for the first time, in Salle Favart, Paris.

    10 May 1825 The earthly remains of Antonio Salieri are laid to rest in Matzleinsdorf Cemetery, Vienna attended by all court musicians and many other musical figures.  (not Beethoven (54) who has moved to Baden for his health)

    10 May 1839 Hector Berlioz (35) is made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.  He chooses Giacomo Meyerbeer (47) as his sponsor.

    Giuseppe Verdi’s (25) resignation as maestro di musica in Busseto becomes effective today.

    10 May 1843 Angélique et Médor, an opéra comique by Ambroise Thomas (31) to words of Sauvage, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    10 May 1864 Richard Wagner (50) arrives in Vienna to pay off his debts and retrieve his personal items.  He learns that his Erard piano has been sold to pay creditors.

    10 May 1868 Inveni David (I) for male chorus and four trombones by Anton Bruckner (43) is performed for the first time, in Linz, directed by the composer.

    10 May 1876 Grosser Festmarsch WWV 110 for winds and percussion by Richard Wagner (62), commissioned for the opening ceremonies of the Centennial Exposition of the American Declaration of Independence, is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.  Also premiered is the Centennial Hymn op.27 for chorus by John Knowles Paine (37).

    10 May 1881 Jubelfest-Marsch op.396 by Johann Strauss (55) is performed for the first time, in Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.

    Mam’zelle Moucheron, an opérette-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (†0) to words of Leterrier and Vanloo, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Renaissance, Paris.

    10 May 1885 An English court rules in favor of Georgina Weldon in her libel suit against Charles Gounod (66).  He is currently in France and she can not collect, but she retains the right to have him arrested should he set foot in England.

    10 May 1891 Carl Nielsen (25) marries the sculptor Anne Marie Brodersen in the English Church of St. Mark in Florence.

    Groß-Wien op.440, a waltz for male chorus and orchestra by Johann Strauss (63), is performed for the first time, in the Sängerhalle im Prater, Vienna.

    10 May 1893 25,000 people attend the formal opening of the Imperial Institute in London by Queen Victoria.  Arthur Sullivan (50) conducts the premiere of his Imperial March for the occasion.

    East to West op.52, an ode for chorus and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (40) to words of Swinburne, is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.  It is dedicated to “The President and People of the United States.”

    10 May 1894 Hear My Words, Ye People, an anthem for vocal soloists, chorus, brass, and organ by Hubert Parry (46) to words from the Bible, is performed for the first time, in Salisbury Cathedral.

    Guntram, an opera by Richard Strauss (29) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Court Theatre.  The critical response is tepid.

    10 May 1899 La véranda op.3 for voice, female chorus, and piano or orchestra by Charles Koechlin (31) to words of Leconte de Lisle is performed for the first time, privately, at the home of Mme. A. Duglé, Paris.  See 18 May 1904.

    10 May 1900 Four songs for voice and piano by Charles Martin Loeffler (39) to words of Kahn are performed for the first time, at Green Hill, the summer home of Isabella Stewart Gardner, in Brookline, Massachusetts:  Adieu pour jamais, Les soirs d’automne, Timbres oubliés and Les Paons.

    10 May 1901 The Piano Sonata in e flat minor of Paul Dukas (35) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    Incidental music to Aristophanes’ play The Birds by John Knowles Paine (62) is performed for the first time, in the Fogg Art Museum of Harvard University.

    10 May 1902 May Song for orchestra by Edward Elgar (44) is performed for the first time, in Worcester, conducted by the composer.

    10 May 1907 The opera Ariane et Barbe-bleue by Paul Dukas (41) to words of Maeterlinck is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.

    10 May 1909 Two of the Hymns from the Rig-Veda op.24/4-5 for voice and piano, translated by the composer, Gustav Holst (34), are performed for the first time, in the Hotel Cecil, London.

    10 May 1914 Engelbert Humperdinck’s (59) spieloper Die Marketenderin, to words of Misch, is performed for the first time, at the Stadttheater, Cologne.

    10 May 1915 North Country Sketches for orchestra by Frederick Delius (53) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    10 May 1916 Milton Byron Babbitt is born in Philadelphia.

    10 May 1919 Cello Concerto no.1 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (32) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, under the baton of the composer.

    10 May 1926 Arthur Honegger (34) marries Andrée “Vaura” Vaurabourg, a pianist.  He already has a son by a previous liaison.

    10 May 1933 The third movement of Symphony no.4 by Charles Ives (58) is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 29 January 1927 and 26 April 1965.

    10 May 1935 L’hippocampe, a film with music by Darius Milhaud (42), is shown for the first time, in Ciné Opéra, Paris.

    Les 12 coups de minuit, a radio mystery by Arthur Honegger (41) to words of Larronde, is performed for the first time before a live audience, in Conservatory Concert Hall, Paris.

    10 May 1936 Incidental music to Slater’s play Stay down Miner by Benjamin Britten (22) is performed for the first time, in the Westminster Theatre, London.

    10 May 1941 Symphony no.1 by Robert Ward (23) is performed for the first time, in New York, directed by the composer.

    Sinfonietta for orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (28) is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School of Music in New York.

    10 May 1943 Visions de l’Amen for two pianos by Olivier Messiaen (34) is performed for the first time, by Yvonne Loriod and the composer, in the Gallerie Charpentier, Paris.  It is Ms. Loriod’s first move up from page-turner to musical collaborator with Messiaen.  The invited audience contains the most important luminaries of occupied Paris, including Francis Poulenc (44), Paul Valéry, Jean Cocteau, Roland-Manuel, Pierre Boulez (18) and Christian Dior.

    10 May 1946 The Serpent Heart (later called Medea), a ballet by Samuel Barber (36) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 27 February 1947, 5 December 1947 and 2 February 1956.

    New works on Jewish themes are performed for the first time, in the Park Avenue Synagogue, New York:  Kiddush for cantor, chorus, and organ by Kurt Weill (46), The Voice of the Lord (Psalm 29) for solo voice, chorus, and piano by William Grant Still on the eve of the composer’s 51st birthday, and Mi Chomocho for tenor or baritone, chorus, and organ by Roy Harris (48) to words from Exodus.

    In paradisum, a motet for female chorus by Ernst Krenek (45) is performed for the first time, in Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium, College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota.

    Evocation for concert band by Ulysses Kay (29) is performed for the first time, at Wayne State University in Detroit.

    10 May 1949 Fruit of Gold for band by Roy Harris (51) is performed for the first time, in UCLA Royce Hall, Westwood, California.

    10 May 1951 A Cotswold Romance, a cantata drawn from music to Hugh the Drover by Ralph Vaughan Williams (78), is performed for the first time, in London.  See 4 July 1924.

    Imaginary Landscape no.4 for twelve radios by John Cage (38) is performed for the first time, in the McMillin Theatre of Columbia University, New York.  The radios are borrowed from the G. Schirmer music shop on 43rd Street.  As it is at the end of a lengthy program, the work does not go on until midnight, when many radio stations have signed off.

    Three works by Charles Ives (76) are performed for the first time, in New York:  Allegretto sombreoso from Set no.1 for chamber orchestra; Luck and Work from Set no.3 for chamber orchestra; and Largo for violin, clarinet, and piano.  See 6 December 1962.

    10 May 1953 Excerpts from Six Dances for string orchestra by Ulysses Kay (36) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of CBS radio.

    10 May 1955 A Childhood Miracle, an opera by Ned Rorem (31) to words of Stein, is performed for the first time, in Carl Fischer Hall, New York.

    10 May 1956 Fugitive Songs, a cycle for voice and piano by Ulysses Kay (39) is performed for the first time, at Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington.

    10 May 1957 Piano Concerto no.2 op.102 by Dmitri Shostakovich (50) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall, the composer’s son Maxim at the piano on his 19th birthday.  A two-piano reduction of this work was performed in April, in Moscow, by the composer and his son.  It is his last composition for piano.

    10 May 1960 Paris op.284b for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (67) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    10 May 1961 Cantate sur des poèmes de Chaucer op.386 by Darius Milhaud (68) is performed for the first time, at the University of Iowa.

    10 May 1962 Serenade no.1 for viola and chamber ensemble by George Perle (47) is performed for the first time, in New York.  Also premiered is Perle’s Monody I for flute.

    10 May 1963 Outline for flute, percussion, and bass by Pauline Oliveros (30) is performed for the first time, at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

    Still Are New Worlds for narrator, tape, choir, and orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (56) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    10 May 1964 Sonata for violin and piano no.1 by Alfred Schnittke (29) is performed for the first time, in Kazan.

    Cantata in honorem Almae Matris Universitatis Iagellonicae for two choruses and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (30) is performed for the first time, in Kraków.

    Epilogue to Profiles in Courage:  JFK, an orchestral work by Roy Harris (66), is performed for the first time, in Royce Hall at UCLA.

    10 May 1967 Bicinium for two oboes by Charles Wuorinen (28) is performed for the first time, at Greenwich House Music School, New York.

    10 May 1968 On the fifth day of a hunger strike brought on by the possible end of his marriage, Karlheinz Stockhausen (39) writes the last of his text compositions Aus den sieben tagen.  He lifts the lid of his piano and plays one note.  “...that was like the first note of my whole life, of my whole existence, as if I had never heard a note before--how this note shocked me:  everything within me was so still, so empty...for days on end I had heard nothing but birdsong, and this note hit me like a bombshell--I was super-electric, super-sensitive--and after a long gap, after the first note had completely died away, I played another one...and so I heard notes of a length, a beauty, an inner life such as I had never heard before.”

    The Pleiades op.107 for trumpet, chorus, and strings by Vincent Persichetti (52), to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, at SUNY Potsdam.

    Five Portraitures of Two People for piano four hands by TJ Anderson (39) is performed for the first time, in Nashville.

    10 May 1971 A Net of Fireflies op.115, a cycle for voice and piano by Vincent Persichetti (55), to words of 17 haiku (tr. Stewart), is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    10 May 1973 Owen Wingrave, an opera by Benjamin Britten (59) to words of Piper after James, is staged for the first time, at Covent Garden.  See 16 May 1971.

    10 May 1975 Four Verses of Captain Lebyadkin op.146 for bass and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (68) to words of Dostoyevsky is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.  This is the composer’s last public appearance.

    Six Easy Pieces for violin and piano by Lejaren Hiller (51) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.

    The Steadfast Tin Soldier, a ballet by Karel Husa (53) to a story by Hans Christian Andersen, is performed for the first time, in Boulder, Colorado the composer conducting.

    10 May 1978 For an Actor for clarinet by Shulamit Ran (28) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    10 May 1979 Kwazulu Summer Landscape for tape by Kevin Volans (29) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 May 1980 On the Sheer Threshold of the Night for four solo voices and chorus by Harrison Birtwistle (45) to words of Boethius (tr. Waddell) is performed for the first time, at the Hessischer Rundfunk, Frankfurt.

    10 May 1982 A House Full of Music, a musicircus for students by John Cage (79) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.  About 800 people take part in the premiere.

    Double Concerto for violin, cello, and gamelan by Lou Harrison (64) is performed for the first time, at Mills College, Oakland.  Also premiered is the first movement of Harrison’s Tributes to Charon for percussion.

    10 May 1985 A suite from the film score The Battle of Britain by William Walton (†2) arranged by Carl Davis is performed for the first time, in Colston Hall, Bristol.

    An Orkney Wedding, with Sunrise for bagpipes and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (50) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    10 May 1990 Symphony:  Klagegesang for orchestra by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (†26) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh 43 years after it was composed.

    10 May 1992 Dienstag aus Licht, an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen (63) to his own words, is performed completely for the first time, in a concert setting, in Lisbon.  See 28 May 1993.

    10 May 1996 Postcards from Spain for guitar by Thea Musgrave (67) is performed for the first time, in Norfolk, Virginia.

    10 May 1997 The Marriages Between Zones Three, Four, and Five, an opera by Philip Glass (60) to words of Lessing (tr. Wesnigk), is performed for the first time, in the Stadttheater, Heidelberg.

    10 May 2002 De Assumtione Beatae Mariae Virginis for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (67) is performed for the first time, at the Royal Library, Copenhagen.

    Mirage:  the Dancing Sun for eight cellos by Sofia Gubaidulina (70) is performed for the first time, in Beauvais.

    10 May 2004 Letter to Warsaw, a cycle for soprano and chamber orchestra by Thomas Pasatieri (58) to words of Braun, is performed for the first time, in Seattle.  The work is a memorial to holocaust musicians.

    10 May 2005 On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the defeat of fascism, President Vladimir Putin of Russia confers a commemorative medal on Mikis Theodorakis (79) at the Russian embassy in Athens.

    Two works are performed for the first time, in Zankel Hall of Carnegie Hall, New York:  Orphée for ensemble and electronics by John Zorn (51), and O Lux for instrumental ensemble by Brian Ferneyhough (62).

    10 May 2009 The Poem & the Master for soprano and piano by David Del Tredici (72) to words of Hall is performed for the first time, in the Guggenheim Museum, New York, the composer at the piano.

    11 May

    11 May 1791 Jan Václav Vorísek is born in Vamberk, northeast Bohemia, the son of Václav Frantisek Vorísek, schoolmaster, organist and choirmaster, and Rozálie Matiásová.

    11 May 1793 Joseph Boulogne de Saint Georges (47) is brought, under arrest, before the Revolutionary Tribunal in Paris.  He is charged with embezzling public funds.

    11 May 1809 A Missa in B flat by Antonio Salieri (58) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    11 May 1828 Capriccio on Là ci darem la mano from Mozart’s (†36) Don Giovanni by Nicolò Paganini (45) is performed by the composer in Vienna.

    11 May 1830 L’auberge d’Auray, an opéra comique by Ferdinand Hérold (39) and Carafa to words of Moreau de Commaguy and d’Epagny, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de Ventadour, Paris.

    11 May 1831 Robert Schumann (20) mentions for the first time a condition that may be syphillis.

    11 May 1849 After a cathedral choir concert, Otto Nicolai suffers a stroke and dies in Berlin, aged 38 years, eleven months and two days.  He never learns of his election as a member of the Royal Academy of Arts earlier in the day.

    11 May 1863 Lieder-Quadrille op.275 by Johann Strauss (37) is performed for the first time, in Pavlovsk.

    11 May 1865 The final dress rehearsal of Richard Wagner’s (51) Tristan und Isolde takes place before King Ludwig II and an invited audience of 600 in the Königliches Hof-und Nationaltheater in Munich.  They are very appreciative of the music and the efforts of the musicians directed by Hans von Bülow.

    11 May 1867 Cox and Box, or The Long-Lost Brothers, a comic opera by Arthur Sullivan to words of Burnand after Morton, is performed publicly for the first time, at the Adelphi Theatre, London, two days before the composer’s 25th birthday.  See 26 May 1866.

    11 May 1876 Sonata for piano and violin op.24 by John Knowles Paine (37) is performed for the first time, in Mechanics’ Hall, Boston.  The composer is acknowledged with spirited applause.

    In his first concert in America, Jacques Offenbach (56) conducts an orchestra of 100 members before 8,000 people in Gilmore’s Gardens, New York.  With expectations very high, the audience is a bit disappointed.  Only half remain at the end.

    11 May 1885 Symphony in C op.7 by Horatio Parker (21) is performed for the first time, in the Königliche Musikhochschule, Munich.

    11 May 1887 Carmen saeculare, an ode for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (34) to words of Tennyson, is performed for the first time, at Buckingham Palace.

    Charles Ives (12) gives his first public performance on the piano in a student recital in Danbury, Connecticut.

    11 May 1895 William Grant Still, Jr. is born in Woodville, Mississippi, only child born to William Grant Still, Sr., owner of a grocery store and the town bandmaster, and Carrie Lena Fambro, both teachers.

    11 May 1897 After one rehearsal, Gustav Mahler (36) conducts his Vienna Hofoper debut with a performance of Lohengrin.  It is a great success.

    11 May 1902 Sonata for organ no.2 op.60 by Max Reger (29) is performed for the first time, in Merseberg.

    11 May 1914 Sergey Prokofiev (23) plays his Second Piano Concerto at his graduation exercises from St. Petersburg Conservatory.  He is afforded this honor for winning the Rubenstein Prize in piano.  See 5 September 1913.

    11 May 1916 After returning from a concert tour, Johann Baptist Joseph Maximilian Reger dies in his hotel room in Leipzig, apparently of heart failure.  He is aged 43 years, one month, and 22 days.

    11 May 1917 Two operas by Ferruccio Busoni (51) to his own words are performed for the first time, in the Zürich Statdttheater, conducted by the composer:  Arlecchino, oder Die Fenster, and Turandot.  One of the dancers in Turandot is Karoline Blamauer, who will soon acquire the stage name Lotte Lenja.

    11 May 1919 Claude Debussy’s (†1) Rhapsody for saxophone, completed by Roger-Ducasse, is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    11 May 1923 Songs of Hradcany by Leos Janácek (62) for soprano, female chorus, flute, and harp, to words of Procházka, is performed completely for the first time, in Prague.  This includes the first performance of The Weeping Fountain.  See 26 December 1916 and 24 November 1918.

    11 May 1924 An Oboe Quintet by Arnold Bax (40) is performed for the first time, in the Hyde Park Hotel, London.

    Fragments of the incomplete romantic opera Viola by Bedrich Smetana to words of Krásnohorská after Shakespeare, are staged for the first time, in the National Theatre, Prague, on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the composer’s death and in the centennial year of his birth.  See 15 March 1900.

    11 May 1925 The board of the Cleveland Institute of Music vote to dismiss its director Ernst Bloch (44).  The reason is probably Bloch’s extramarital affair with a very talkative young woman.

    11 May 1927 Incidental music to a puppet play Marlborough s’en va-t-en guerre by Ernst Krenek (26) is performed for the first time, in the Staatliches Theater, Kassel.

    11 May 1929 Two Panamanians found the Theremin Patents Corporation in Panama City to manage the Theremin (32) patents outside the United States.  It is largely a front for Soviet spying on the Panama Canal.

    11 May 1933 Concerto a cinque for oboe, trumpet, violin, double bass, piano, and string orchestra by Ottorino Respighi (53) is performed for the first time, at his Villa “The Pines” in Rome.

    11 May 1934 Arthur Honegger’s (42) ballet pantomime Sémiramis, to a scenario by Valery is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is not a success.

    11 May 1935 Karol Szymanowski’s (52) ballet-pantomime Harnasie to a scenario by Iwaszkiewicz and Rytard is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    11 May 1936 Some of the Hungarian Folksongs for chorus by Béla Bartók (55) are performed for the first time, in Kecskemét.

    11 May 1940 Concertino for flute and strings by Norman Dello Joio (27) is performed for the first time, at a student composition concert at the Juilliard School, New York.

    11 May 1941 A pageant in celebration of the life of Jeanne d’Arc in ten tableaux by Pierre Schaeffer (30) and Pierre Barbier is performed simultaneously throughout Vichy France.  The music is a collection of composers including Olivier Messiaen (32) and his Choeurs pour une Jeanne d’Arc for chorus.  35,000 people see it in Lyon, 25,000 in Marseille, and 20,000 in Toulouse.

    Tales of the Countryside for piano and orchestra by Henry Cowell (44) is performed for the first time, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the composer at the keyboard.

    11 May 1942 Native Land, a film with music by Marc Blitzstein (37), is shown for the first time, in the World Theatre, New York.

    11 May 1945 Jewish sacred works are performed for the first time, in Park Avenue Synagogue, New York:  Kaddish op.250 for cantor, chorus, and organ by Darius Milhaud (52), Hashkiveinu for cantor, chorus, and organ by Leonard Bernstein (26), and excerpts from the cantata Yigdal by Stefan Wolpe (42) to words of Maimonedes.

    11 May 1946 Teatro alla Scala reopens after an American bomb damaged the auditorium on 16 August 1943.  The performance is conducted by the theatre’s former music director, Arturo Toscanini.  It is the first time he has conducted in Italy in 15 years.  The Piazza della Scala and Piazza del Duomo are closed to traffic and filled with citizens listening to the concert on loudspeakers.  It is broadcast throughout Italy and the world via short wave.  After the last note, the applause lasts 37 minutes.

    Two Contemplations for small orchestra (The Unanswered Question (revised version) and Central Park in the Dark) by Charles Ives (71) are performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University, New York, 40 years after they were composed.  See 17 March 1984.  Also premiered is Ives’ song The Housatonic at Stockbridge to words of Johnson.  (There is some evidence that Central Park in the Dark was performed around 1906 in a much cut-down instrumentation.)

    11 May 1947 Of Ancient Guilt for piano and dancer by Robert Ward (29) is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 15 July 1947.

    11 May 1948 Hymn, Chorale and Fuguing Tune no.8 for string quartet by Henry Cowell (51) is performed for the first time, at Florida State University, California.

    11 May 1950 The Cherubic Hymn op.37 for chorus and orchestra by Howard Hanson (53) to the Greek Catholic Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is performed for the first time, in Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York.

    11 May 1962 Volumina for organ by György Ligeti (38) is performed for the first time, in the Westerkerk, Amsterdam.  See 4 May 1962.

    Concert for double bass alone by Charles Wuorinen (23) is performed for the first time, in Southport, Connecticut.

    String Quartet no.1 by Krzysztof Penderecki (28) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    Triple Rondo for flute and harp by Henry Cowell (65) is performed for the first time, at the New School, New York.

    11 May 1963 Highway No.1 USA, an opera by William Grant Still to words of Arvey, is performed for the first time, in Coral Gables, Florida on the composer’s 68th birthday.

    Three songs by Charles Ives (†8) are performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre of Columbia University:  On the Antipodes and Tom Sails Away, both to his own words, and September to words of Rossetti after Folgore.

    11 May 1966 For 24 Winds by Lukas Foss (43) is performed for the first time, in Caracas under the title Discrepancia.

    11 May 1970 Almost a month after Mikis Theodorakis (44) was freed by the Greek government, his wife and children join him in Paris.  They have been held as hostages but managed to escape, enduring a sea voyage to Sicily in a small boat.

    The first three movements of Chamber Concerto for 13 instrumentalists by György Ligeti (46) are performed for the first time, in Vienna.  See 1 October 1970.

    11 May 1976 Symphony no.2 “Voyages” by William Bergsma (55) is performed for the first time, in Great Falls, Montana.

    11 May 1977 Sonata a la breve for cello and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (75) is performed for the first time, in Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona.

    11 May 1978 Self-Seminar Waltz for piano by Charles Wuorinen (39) is performed for the first time, at Northwestern University, Chicago.

    11 May 1979 The Crown of Ariadne for harp and percussion by R. Murray Schafer (45) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    Missa O pulchritudo in honorem sacratissimi cordis Jesus for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (67) is performed for the first time, in Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee.

    11 May 1982 Black Pentecost for baritone, mezzo-soprano, and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (47) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    11 May 1984 ...Nach einer Lektüre von Orwell, a Hörspiel by Mauricio Kagel (52), is staged for the first time, in Bremen directed by the composer.

    Filtres I for two pianos by Jean-Claude Risset (46) is performed for the first time, at Radio-France.

    String Quartet no.1 by Tod Machover (30) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.

    Ulysses’ Bow for orchestra by John Harbison (45) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    11 May 1986 Songs from the Other Shore, four pieces for chamber ensemble by Jonathan Lloyd (37), is performed for the first time, in Conway Hall, London.

    11 May 1988 My Twelve-tone Melody for voice and piano by Leonard Bernstein (69) to his own words is performed for the first time, by the composer in Carnegie Hall, New York on the occasion of the 100th birthday of Irving Berlin.

    11 May 1989 Prelude for GSMD for orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (76) is performed for the first time, at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London conducted by the composer.

    11 May 1990 The mortal remains of Luigi Nono are laid to rest on the island of San Michele, Venice.  Among the mourners is Hans Werner Henze (63).

    11 May 1996 Liebeslied for four vocal soloists and piano four-hands by John Corigliano (58) to his own words is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    11 May 1997 Job, an oratorio by Peter Maxwell Davies (62) to words of Lemon after Mitchell’s translation of the Book of Job, is performed for the first time, in Chan Center for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver.

    11 May 1998 Korót for eight cellos by Luciano Berio (72) is performed for the first time, in Beauvais.  Also premiered is Sonate à 8 for eight cellos by Betsy Jolas (71).

    11 May 2000 The Tate Gallery of Modern Art, the largest art museum in the world dedicated to contemporary art, is inaugurated in London by Queen Elizabeth.  For the occasion, 17 Tate Riffs for 15 players by Harrison Birtwistle (65) is performed for the first time.

    11 May 2001 Etude 18 from György Ligeti’s (77) Etudes for piano Book III is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Ekstasis for oboe, trumpet, violin, and orchestra by John Tavener (57) is performed for the first time, in St. Bartholemew’s Church, Brighton.

    11 May 2002 Pachelbel’s Key for youth orchestra by Michael Daugherty (48) is performed for the first time, in Power Center, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    11 May 2003 Butterfly Dreams for chorus by John Tavener (59) to words of various authors is performed for the first time, in Brighton.

    11 May 2006 “Was können wir tun” from the opera König Hirsch by Hans Werner Henze (79) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    11 May 2007 Jamestown Hymn for orchestra by John Corigliano (69) is performed for the first time, at the Jamestown Settlement, Virginia.  It was commissioned to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown.

    VinylCello for hypercello, DJ and live electronics by Tod Machover (53) is performed for the first time, in Berkeley, California.

    11 May 2008 ZZs Dream for chamber orchestra by Osvaldo Golijov (47) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.

    11 May 2009 Three Poems of Edna St. Vincent Millay for voice and piano by Ned Rorem (85) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, New York.

    11 May 2010 Le Fantôme du Clavecin for harpsichord by William Bolcom (71) is performed for the first time, in the Handel House, London.

    11 May 2011 Passage 5, an intermedia performance by Roger Reynolds (76), is performed for the first time, at the University of California at Los Angeles.

    12 May

    12 May 1756 The Organ Concerto in C H.XVIII: 1 and Salve Regina in E H.XXIIIb:1 by Franz Josef Haydn (24) are performed for the first time, in the Convent of the Poor Clares, bei Nikolaikirche, Vienna.  They are performed in the ceremony wherein Therese Keller (apparently Haydn’s first love) takes the veil.  She is a daughter of the family who took him in after leaving St. Stephen’s.

    12 May 1760 The mortal remains of Johann Christoph Graupner are laid to rest in Darmstadt.

    12 May 1764 Wilhelm Friedemann Bach (53) walks out of his position as organist and music director in Halle without notice.

    Il ciarlone, a dramma giocoso by Giovanni Paisiello (24) to words of Palomba, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Marsigli-Rossi, Bologna.  The work is a success.

    12 May 1767 Francesco Maria Veracini (77) conducts at the annual festival of San Pancrazio at that saint’s church in Florence where he is primo maestro di cappella.  It is his last performance.

    12 May 1770 The mortal remains of Charles Avison are laid to rest in St. Andrew’s Churchyard, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, next to those of his wife.

    12 May 1772 Antonio Salieri’s (21) intermezzo Il barone di Rocca antica to words of Petrosellini is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.  It is well received.

    12 May 1794 The third season of the Salomon-Haydn (62) concerts concludes.

    12 May 1802 A US patent is granted to Andrew Law (53) for a new system of musical notation which involves four note shapes and the elimination of the staff.

    12 May 1804 La petite maison, an opéra-comique by Gaspare Spontini (29) to words of Dieulafoy and Gersin, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.  Due to anti-Italian feelings in France, it will have only three performances.

    12 May 1809 21:00  French forces outside Vienna begin to bombard the city.  It lasts all night.  Directly in the line of fire is the house of Ludwig van Beethoven (38).  Fortunately, the composer escapes the shelling, either to the house of his brother Caspar Carl or that of the poet Ignaz Franz Castelli.  Four shells explode near the home of Franz Joseph Haydn (77), one blowing open the door to his bedroom.  He is shocked but physically unhurt.  The building housing the Imperial and Royal City Seminary is hit by a shell.  Fortunately, none of the students, including Franz Schubert (12), are injured.  Also in the line of fire is Maria Anna Lager, who in two years will become the mother of Franz Liszt.

    12 May 1813 Behold, how good and joyful for three voices and organ by Samuel Wesley (47) to words of Psalm 133 is performed for the first time, at the installation of the Duke of Sussex as the Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of All England (Masonic).

    12 May 1822 Gaetano Donizetti’s (24) dramma La zingara to words of Tottola is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Nuovo, Naples.  The composer will later remark that “the public was certainly not stingy with compliments.”

    12 May 1823 Le muletier, an opéra comique by Ferdinand Hérold (32) to words of de Kock after La Fontaine after Boccaccio, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    12 May 1828 Gaetano Donizetti’s (30) melodramma Alina, regina di Golconda to words of Romani after Sedaine is performed for the first time, in Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa.

    12 May 1832 L’elisir d’amore, a melodramma giocoso by Gaetano Donizetti (34) to words of Romani after Scribe, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Canobbiana, Milan.  The work scores an immediate success.

    12 May 1833 Trio concertante for viola, guitar and cello by Nicolò Paganini (50) is performed for the first time, in London.

    12 May 1842 01:00  Jules Emile Frédéric Massenet is born in Montaud, a suburb of St. Étienne, 58 km southwest of Lyon, the fourth and last child born to Alexis Pierre Michel Nicolas Massenet, a master founder and owner of a scythe factory, and Eléonore Adélaïde Royer de Marancour, daughter of a military commissary.  This is the father’s second marriage.  He has eight children by his first wife.

    12 May 1844 Frédéric Chopin (34) receives a letter in Paris informing him of the death of his father in Warsaw on 3 May.  He dissolves into a deep depression and refuses to come out of his room for days, seeing no one.

    12 May 1845 Gabriel Urbain Fauré is born at Pamiers, Ariège, 50 km south of Toulouse, the last of six children born to Tossaint-Honoré Fauré, deputy inspector of primary education at Pamiers, and Marie-Antoinette-Hélène Lalène-Laprade, daughter of a former captain in the Imperial army and a member of the minor aristocracy.

    12 May 1847 Frédéric Chopin (37) suffers a debilitating asthma attack lasting four days.  George Sand writes from Nohant, “...the one I love with an absolutely chaste and maternal affection is dying, victim of the insane attachment he bears me.”

    12 May 1853 Tom the Fool, a comic opera by Anton Rubinstein (23) to words of Mikhailov, is performed for the first time, in the Alyeksandrinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.

    12 May 1861 A setting of the Ave Maria (II) in F major for unaccompanied chorus by Anton Bruckner (36) is performed for the first time, in the Linz Cathedral in honor of Liedertafel “Frohsinn”, directed by the composer.

    12 May 1871 In Leipzig, Richard Wagner (57) publicly announces that Der Ring des Nibelungen will be performed in 1873 in Bayreuth.  He has not yet brought up the idea of a new theatre with the town fathers, confident they will not refuse.

    Daniel-François-Esprit Auber dies in Paris, aged 89 years, three months and 14 days.

    12 May 1877 A gavotte, the second of the Trois Morceaux op.3 for piano by Arthur Foote (24), is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    12 May 1880 Gustav Mahler (19) signs a five-year contract with the agent Gustav Lewy.  He is looking for conducting jobs.  Lewy will receive five percent of Mahler’s theatrical fees.

    Evening Service for four voices and orchestra op.12 by Charles Villiers Stanford (27) is performed for the first time, for the Festival of the Sons of the Clergy at St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    12 May 1882 Les Roses and Fête galante for voice and piano by Claude Debussy (19) to words of Banville, are performed for the first time, Debussy at the keyboard, along with the composer’s Nocturne et Scherzo for violin and piano, in Paris.

    12 May 1884 16:30  Bedrich Smetana dies in Prague of the results of neurosyphilis, aged 60 years, two months and ten days.  The cause of death is listed as “dementia senilis.”

    Edward Elgar’s (26) Sevillana is performed at the Crystal Palace.  It is the first of his music to be heard in London.  A few hours later, the Third Symphony of Johannes Brahms (51) is performed for the first time in Britain.

    12 May 1886 The Farewell of Hiawatha op.11 for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Arthur Foote (33) to words of Longfellow is performed for the first time, at the Apollo Club, Boston.

    12 May 1888 Prélude, aria et final for piano by César Franck (65) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.  In the same concert, La fée aux chansons op.27/2 for voice and piano by Gabriel Fauré to words of Silvestre is performed for the first time, on the composer’s 43rd birthday.

    12 May 1896 The music critic Willy (Henri Gauthier-Villars) writes in Echo de Paris, “The paradoxical Doret will conduct, at the Exposition of Geneva, certain Gymnopédies by Erik Satie (29), who has taken care beforehand to have them orchestrated by Claude Debussy (33).  That’s fine, but it’s not enough.  To make performable the music of that mystical sausage-brain, it does not suffice to have it orchestrated by a composer of talent; someone else would also have to rewrite the melody.  And even that would be worthless...”

    12 May 1901 Fantasy on “Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme” op.52/2 for organ by Max Reger (28) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    12 May 1902 Sergey Rakhmaninov (29) marries Natalya Alyeksandrovna Satina, his first cousin, in an army chapel outside Moscow.

    12 May 1906 The Captive Queen op.48, a cantata by Jean Sibelius (40) to words of Cajander, for mixed chorus and orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Helsinki for the centenary of the birth of Finnish philosopher Johan Snellman.

    Evening Scene for mixed chorus by Edward Elgar (48) to words of Patmore, is performed for the first time, in Morecombe.

    12 May 1908 Jean Sibelius (42) undergoes an exploratory operation for a tumor in his throat.  He is advised to see a German specialist, but has no money for the trip.  Sibelius and his wife (who is pregnant) will visit every bank in Helsinki for a loan without result until finally, the director of an insurance company empties the day’s take into the composer’s pockets without explanation.  In Berlin, the tumor will be removed.

    12 May 1911 17:55  After unsuccessful treatments at a clinic in Neuilly, Gustav Mahler (50) arrives in Vienna, aware that he is terminally ill.  He is placed in Loew Sanatorium.

    12 May 1913 Sonatina for piano no.2 by Ferruccio Busoni (47) is performed for the first time, in the Concert Hall of the Verdi Conservatory, by the composer.  The audience objects to perceived futurist tendencies in the music.  Some blows are struck.

    12 May 1917 The Wooden Prince, a ballet by Béla Bartók (36) to a scenario by Balázs, is performed for the first time, at the Budapest Opera House.  To the surprise of the composer, the ballet is a great success, owing largely to the considerable efforts of the conductor, Egisto Tango.

    12 May 1919 Something about Love by George Gershwin (20) to words of Paley, is performed for the first time as part of the musical comedy Lady in Red in the Lyric Theatre, New York.

    12 May 1920 Quintet for piano and strings in g minor by Arnold Bax (36) is performed publicly for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  See 17 February 1917.

    12 May 1922 Knudsen’s tragic pantomime Scaramouche, with music by Jean Sibelius (56), is performed for the first time, at the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen.

    12 May 1923 Piano Trio op.120 by Gabriel Fauré is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris, on the occasion of the composer’s 78th birthday.

    12 May 1925 Two members of the board of the Cleveland Institute of Music speak to its director, Ernst Bloch (44), in a hallway.  They ask him to resign, saying only that he is unpopular.  Bloch refuses to resign.

    Toccata for violin and piano by William Walton (23) is performed for the first time, at 6 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London.

    Passage for violin and piano by Henry Cowell (28) is performed for the first time, in Monterrey, California, the composer at the piano.

    12 May 1926 Symphony no.1 by Dmitri Shostakovich (19) is performed for the first time, in the Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall, Leningrad.  The work is a graduation piece from Leningrad Conservatory.  This is also the first radio broadcast from this hall.  The second movement is encored.  Shostakovich will mark this anniversary for the rest of his life.  See 6 May 1925 and 7 February 1926.

    A Graduation Song for unison chorus and piano by John Ireland (46) to words of Drinkwater is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.

    12 May 1928 Three works for female chorus by Zoltán Kodály (45) are performed for the first time, in Budapest:  God’s Blacksmith, The Deaf Boatman and Gypsy Lament.

    12 May 1930 The Canticle of the Sun op.123 for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Amy Cheney Beach (62) is performed for the first time in its orchestration, in Toledo.  See 9 December 1928.

    12 May 1932 Two works by Samuel Barber (22) are performed for the first time, in a private recital at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia:  Two Interludes for piano performed by the composer, and Dover Beach for solo voice and string quartet to words of Arnold.  Also premiered is Variations and Fugue for string quartet of Gian Carlo Menotti (20).  See 5 March 1933.

    12 May 1935 A Scherzo for piano by Marc Blitzstein (30) is performed for the first time, in New York by the composer.

    12 May 1936 Ralph Vaughan Williams’ (63) romantic extravaganza The Poisoned Kiss, to words of Sharp after Garnett, is performed for the first time, in Cambridge.

    Music to the film Redes by Silvestre Revueltas (36) is performed for the first time, in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City directed by the composer.

    12 May 1937 Festival Te Deum by Ralph Vaughan Williams (64) is performed for the first time, in the Abbey Church of St. Peter, Westminster.  This performance marks the end of the coronation festivities of George VI.  These are the first British coronation festivities to be broadcast by means of radio.

    12 May 1938 Jeanne d’Arc au bucher, a stage oratorio by Arthur Honegger (46) to words of Claudel, is performed publicly for the first time, in Basel.  See 29 October 1935.  The poet remarks, “An audience of a thousand, endless ovations.”

    12 May 1939 Incidental music to a puppet show entitled From Sorcery to Science by Aaron Copland (38) is performed for the first time, in the Hall of Pharmacy at the New York World’s Fair.

    12 May 1941 Vignettes de danse for orchestra by Frank Bridge (†0) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in Glasgow.

    12 May 1942 Sinfonía Porteña by Alberto Ginastera (26) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.

    12 May 1943 A suite from Alberto Ginastera’s (27) unperformed ballet Estancia is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.  See 19 August 1952.

    12 May 1944 Obertura para el “Fausto” criolo op.9 for orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (28) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal de Santiago de Chile.

    The Passion, an oratorio by Bernard Rogers (51), is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    12 May 1946 Melody for orchestra by Roy Harris (48) is performed for the first time, in McMillan Academic Theatre, Columbia University, New York.

    Blow the Man Down for vocalist, chorus, and orchestra by Roy Harris (48) to words of Tennyson is performed for the first time, in Public Auditorium, Cleveland.

    12 May 1948 Prayer to the Father of Heaven for chorus by Ralph Vaughan Williams (75) to words of Skelton is performed for the first time, in the Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford.

    12 May 1950 Bolivar, an opera by Darius Milhaud (57) to words of M. Milhaud and Supervielle, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    12 May 1951 Enchiridion, a cycle of short pieces for piano by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (33), is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    12 May 1955 Three new works by Pauline Oliveros (22) are performed for the first time, at San Francisco State College:  Essay for piano, Fugue for piano, and a Trio for clarinet, horn and bassoon.

    12 May 1959 Quartetto for strings by Luciano Berio (33) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    12 May 1962 Invocatión y danza (Homenaje a Manuel de Falla) for guitar by Joaquín Rodrigo (60) is performed for the first time, in Château de la Brède, France.  Also premiered is Rodrigo’s La grotte for voice and piano to words of Emié.

    12 May 1965 Session I for flute/piccolo, oboe/english horn, bassoon, trombone, viola, cello and percussion by William Bolcom (26) is performed for the first time, in Berlin conducted by Luciano Berio (39).

    12 May 1966 Rituals for orchestra by Ralph Shapey (45) is performed for the first time, in Mandel Hall of the University of Chicago, the composer conducting.

    12 May 1968 Concerto for cello and orchestra en forme de “pas de trois” by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (50) is staged for the first time, in the Wuppertal Opera House.  See 10 March 1968.

    12 May 1969 Nonomiya op.27 for piano by Alexander Goehr (36) is performed for the first time, in Macclesfield.

    12 May 1970 Parable V op.112 for carillon by Vincent Persichetti (54) is performed for the first time, in Lawrence, Kansas.

    12 May 1972 Programm (Gespräche mit Kammermusik) by Mauricio Kagel (40) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.

    12 May 1980 Study for Player Piano no.39 by Conlon Nancarrow (67) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    Concerto for piano by John Harbison (41) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York, conducted by Gunther Schuller (54).

    12 May 1983 Sounder Rounds for orchestra by Earle Brown (56) is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken, conducted by the composer.

    12 May 1989 Nine Songs, a ritual opera by Tan Dun (31) to his own words after Qu Yuan, is performed for the first time, in Pace Downtown Theatre, New York conducted by the composer.

    12 May 1990 Fourteen for piano and chamber ensemble by John Cage (77) is performed for the first time, in Schaffhausen, Switzerland.

    12 May 1992 Circle with Four Trios, Conductor, and Audience for 12 players by Tan Dun (34) is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

    12 May 1993 Et nunc II for winds and percussion by Wolfgang Rihm (41) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    12 May 1997 Classical Action Samba for orchestra by William Bolcom (58) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.  Also premiered is “Classical Action” Variation for chamber orchestra by David Del Tredici (60).

    12 May 1998 Peony Pavilion, an opera by Tan Dun (40) to words of Tang Xianzu (tr. Birch), is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    12 May 1999 Trio in three movements for violin, viola, and cello by Hans Werner Henze (72) is performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.

    12 May 2001 Music to Kelly’s play Brother by David Del Tredici (64) is performed for the first time, at PS 122 in New York, the composer playing piano.

    12 May 2002 Three Tales for five singers, ten players and recordings by Steve Reich (65) is performed completely for the first time, in Vienna.  Accompanying video projections are by Reich’s wife, Beryl Korot.

    12 May 2005 Paul Revere’s Ride for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by David Del Tredici (68) to words of Longfellow is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Atlanta.  The dedication on the score reads:  Written in Memory of the Victims of 9/11--Especially the firemen.  The composer’s home is about two kilometers from the scene of the attacks.

    12 May 2007 Broken Lute for violin by Alexander Goehr (74) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, originating in Cologne.

    13 May

    13 May 1760 Dove, amata germana, dove corri si lieta?, a cantata by Johann Adolf Hasse (61) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  It features two solo parts performed by Archduchess Maria Carolina, age 8 and Archduchess Maria Antonia, age 5, to celebrate the birthday of their mother, Empress Maria Theresia.

    13 May 1767 Apollo et Hyancinthus K.38, a latin intermezzo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (11) to words possibly by Rufin Widl, is performed for the first time, in between the acts of Widl’s Clementia Croesi, at the Benedictine University, Salzburg.

    13 May 1786 The first of two concerts featuring the premiere of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s (46) Twelve Symphonies on Ovid’s Metamorphoses takes place in Vienna.

    13 May 1790 The Bird and the Lark by William Billings (43) is reported as “just published” by the Independent Chronicle, Boston.

    13 May 1825 Tsar Alyeksandr I, in Warsaw to open the Polish Diet, hears Fryderyk Chopin (15) perform on the aeromelodicon.  The monarch gives the boy a diamond ring.

    13 May 1827 Gaetano Donizetti’s (29) opera romantica Otto mesi in due ore ossia Gli esiliati in Siberia to words of Gilardoni after Pixérécourt is performed for the first time, in Teatro Nuovo, Naples.

    13 May 1833 Symphony no.4 “Italian” by Felix Mendelssohn (24) is performed for the first time, in London, directed by the composer.  Nicolò Paganini (50) is among the listeners.  He asks Mendelssohn to play Beethoven (†6) sonatas with him.  Vincenzo Bellini (31) is also there and the two composers meet.  Although the London public is growing increasingly fond of Mendelssohn, the criticisms of the symphony are mixed.

    13 May 1842 Arthur Seymour Sullivan is born in Lambeth, London, the second of two children born to Thomas Sullivan, clarinetist at the Royal Surrey Theatre, and Mary Clementina Coghlan, a teacher.

    13 May 1849 Fugitive Richard Wagner (35) arrives in Weimar seeking help from Franz Liszt (37).  He is told that Liszt is not there.

    13 May 1866 Morning op.74, a cantata for male chorus and orchestra by Anton Rubinstein (36) to words of Polonsky, is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    13 May 1868 Concerto for piano and orchestra no.2 op.22 by Camille Saint-Saëns (32) is performed for the first time, at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, the composer at the keyboard, conducted by Anton Rubinstein (38).  It is not well received, but will become one of his most popular works.

    13 May 1874 Marias Wallfahrt op.22/3 for unaccompanied chorus by Johannes Brahms (41) to traditional German words is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    13 May 1877 Les Eolides, a symphonic poem by César Franck (54) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Erard, Paris.

    13 May 1883 To celebrate his 41st birthday, Arthur Sullivan has an elaborate telephone system installed in his home so his dinner guests may hear selections from Iolanthe sung by the opera company hired specifically for this purpose.  Among the guests are the Prince of Wales, the Duke of Edinburgh, WS Gilbert and Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild.

    13 May 1884 Second Ballet Scene for piano by Ferruccio Busoni (18) is performed for the first time, in Gorizia by the composer.

    13 May 1885 The second revised version of Hymnus:  The Heirs of the White Mountains for chorus and orchestra by Antonín Dvorák (43) to words of Halek is performed for the first time, in London.

    13 May 1890 The cornerstone of Carnegie Hall is laid in New York.

    13 May 1891 Henry F. Gilbert (22) completes his first composition under the tutelage of Edward MacDowell (30), A Lovely Fir Tree for piano.

    13 May 1894 The Sun has Risen Above that Hill for baritone, chorus and piano by Leos Janácek (39) is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno), the composer conducting.

    13 May 1899 Duet for two pianos by Gustav Holst (24) is performed for the first time, by the composer and his father.

    13 May 1901 Henry F. Gilbert (32) arrives in Paris on his second trip to Europe.  During his two-week stay he will witness Louise by Gustave Charpentier (40).  It has a profound effect on him.  “There in the top gallery of the Opéra Comique in Paris I vowed to devote the rest of my life to musical composition come what may.”

    13 May 1903 The Lord of Might op.83 for chorus, orchestra and organ by Charles Villiers Stanford (50) to words of Heber is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    13 May 1909 The cantata Roussalka (Dnégouchka) by Nadia Boulanger (22) to words of Delaquys is performed for the first time, in Paris.  It is her Prix de Rome entry.  The programming is controversial, since Prix de Rome entries which do not win are usually never performed again.

    13 May 1911 Four Old Hungarian Folk-songs for male chorus by Béla Bartók (30) are performed for the first time, in Szeged.

    13 May 1915 Three Pieces for string quartet by Igor Stravinsky (32) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    A Hymn for Aviators for unison chorus by Hubert Parry (67) to words of Hamilton is performed for the first time, at a Red Cross concert in Albert Hall.

    13 May 1922 Hagith op.25, an opera by Karol Szymanowski (39) to words of Dörmann, is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.  Reviews are positive.

    L’Horizon chimérique op.118, a song cycle to words of de la Ville de Mirmont, and the Cello Sonata no.2 op.117, both by Gabriel Fauré (77), are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris, in the presence of President Étienne Millerand.

    13 May 1932 Dmitri Shostakovich (25) marries Nina Vasilyevna Varzar, daughter of a lawyer and an astronomer, in a civil ceremony in Detskoye Selo near Leningrad.  The families are not informed before the deed.

    13 May 1933 String Quartet no.8 by Darius Milhaud (40) is performed for the first time.

    A canção do barqueiro do Volga for voice and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (46) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro the composer conducting.

    13 May 1935 Classical Suite and Two Minuets for piano by Vladimir Ussachevsky (23) are performed for the first time, at Pomona College, Claremont California by the composer on his senior recital.  Also premiered is Ussachevsky’s cantata Praise Ye O Lord.

    13 May 1937 These things shall be, a cantata by John Ireland (57) to words of Symonds, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in London.

    Shall We Dance, a film with music by George Gershwin (38) to words of Ira Gershwin, is shown for the first time in Radio City Music Hall, New York.  It includes the song They Can’t Take That Away From Me.  See 7 May 1937.

    13 May 1938 Music to Miller’s play The Chartists’ March by Benjamin Britten (24) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC conducted by the composer.

    13 May 1939 Prelude and Fugue for strings and four trumpets by Roy Harris (41) is performed for the first time, at the High School of Music and Art, New York.

    13 May 1941 Excerpts from Tarquin, a chamber opera by Ernst Krenek (40) to words of Lavery, are performed for the first time, in Avery Hall, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.  The composer plays a piano reduction of the score.  See 16 July 1950.

    13 May 1945 A Song of Thanksgiving for soprano, speaker, chorus, and orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (72), recorded 5 November 1944, is broadcast over the airwaves of the BBC.

    13 May 1947 Waltz Suite op.110 for orchestra by Sergey Prokofiev (56) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    The New York Times reports that William Schuman (36), President of the Juilliard School of Music, is introducing a completely revamped, comprehensive approach to music theory.  It also announces the appointment to the faculty of several distinguished musicians including Robert Ward (29) and Peter Mennin (23).

    13 May 1948 Mass for male chorus and organ by Roy Harris (50) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Chapel, Columbia University, New York.

    13 May 1951 At least two movements of the Messe de la Pentecôte for organ by Olivier Messiaen (42) are performed for the first time, at the Trinité, Paris by the composer.

    13 May 1952 The Manuel de Falla(†5) chair in the History of Music in the University of Madrid is created.  The professorship is first held by Joaquín Rodrigo (50) until 1978.

    Cantata from Proverbs for female chorus, harp, oboe, and cello by Darius Milhaud (59) is performed for the first time, in Lawrence, New York.

    13 May 1955 The Ruby, an opera by Norman Dello Joio (42) to words of Mass (pseud. Gibson) after Dunsany, is performed for the first time, at Indiana University in Bloomington.  The composer so changed the work of the librettist that he insists it be published under another name.

    13 May 1956 Several works by Charles Wuorinen (17) are performed for the first time in New York:  Song and Dance and Scherzo for piano solo performed by the composer, settings of two lute songs by Thomas Campion (†336) for male chorus,  Faire, If You Expect Admiring and Turne Backe, You Wanton Flyer and Te Decet Hymnus for vocal soloists, chorus, timpani, organ and piano, the composer at the keyboard.

    13 May 1957 Serenade for viola and bassoon by Pauline Oliveros (24) is performed for the first time, at San Francisco State College.

    13 May 1961 Dimensions for soprano and 14 instruments by Ralph Shapey (40) is performed for the first time, at the New School, New York the composer conducting.

    13 May 1962 Piece for Piano and 16 Instruments by Stefan Wolpe (59) is performed for the first time, at the New School, New York conducted by Ralph Shapey (41).  Also premiered are Shapey's Dimensions for soprano and 23 instruments and Chamber Concerto by Arthur Berger (49).  Shapey will remember it as one of the most exciting of his life.  In the audience are Edgar Varèse (76), Aaron Copland (61), Elliott Carter (53), Milton Babbitt (46), Erich Leinsdorf, Harold Rosenburg, Dore Ashton, Jack Tworkove, and Willem de Kooning.  It is a great success.

    13 May 1967 Music for horn and piano by Thea Musgrave (38) is performed for the first time, in Zagreb.

    13 May 1968 Karlheinz Stockhausen (39) ends his seven-day hunger strike brought on by the request from his wife, now in the United States, to end their marriage.

    13 May 1969 Suite aus der Oper Hyperion for two solo flutes, solo oboe, speaker, chorus, and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (49) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  It includes the premiere of Maderna’s Entropia III.

    13 May 1971 Night in Memphis, a cantata for mezzo-soprano, male chorus, and chamber orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (39) to an ancient Egyptian text (tr. Akhmatova and Potapova), is performed for the first time, in Zagreb.

    13 May 1972 Cheap Imitation for orchestra by John Cage (59) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.  This is called a “public rehearsal” by the composer.

    L’Invitation au Voyage for chorus by John Corigliano (34) to words of Beaudelaire (tr. Wilbur) is performed for the first time, in San Antonio, Texas.

    13 May 1973 Variationen ohne Fuge for orchestra by Mauricio Kagel (41) is performed for the first time, in the Musikhalle, Hamburg.

    Mass for chorus, eight trombones, and percussion by Ben Johnston (47) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.

    13 May 1976 Trio for violin, cello and piano by Isang Yun (58) is performed for the first time, in Mannheim.  See 23 February 1973.

    13 May 1977 The Petite Suite d’Orchestre by Frederick Delius (†43) is performed for the first time, at the Stratford-Upon-Avon College of Further Education, 87 years after it was composed.

    Neither, an opera by Morton Feldman (51) to words of Beckett, is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    Four Abstractions for Band by Robert Ward (59) is performed for the first time, in Dayton, Ohio.

    13 May 1978 Petite suite d’orchestre by Frederick Delius (†43) is performed for the first time, in Stratford-on-Avon, 88 years after it was composed.

    13 May 1980 Furniture Music Etcetera for two pianos by John Cage (67) is performed for the first time, in Baird Hall of the State University of New York at Buffalo.

    13 May 1984 Der Eid des Hippokrates for piano-three hands by Mauricio Kagel (52) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Bremen.

    Ned Rorem (60) receives a plaque from the Fund for Human Dignity for educating the public about the lives of lesbians and gay men.

    13 May 1987 Trio Sonata for chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (52) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Symphony no.2 by John Harbison (48) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    13 May 1989 White and Light for soprano, two clarinets, viola, cello, and double bass by Harrison Birtwistle (54) to words of Celan (tr. Hamburger) is performed for the first time, in Brighton.  See 28 April 1996.

    Let Not the Prince Be Silent for chorus by John Tavener (45) to words of St. Clement of Alexandria is performed for the first time, in Sherborne Abbey, Dorset.

    13 May 1993 Wanting to Tell Stories, a dance by Kevin Volans (43) to a choreography of Davies, is performed for the first time, in Gardner Center, Brighton.

    Concerto for bassoon and orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (54) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    13 May 1995 Suite for cello and piano by Lou Harrison is performed for the first time, in All Saints Episcopal Church, Watsonville, California on the eve of the composer’s 78th birthday.

    I Was Looking At the Ceiling And Then I Saw the Sky, a song play by John Adams (48) to words of Jordan, is performed for the first time, in Zellerbach Playhouse at the University of California, Berkeley the composer conducting.  Also premiered is Wake-Up Music for orchestra by Tod Machover (41).

    13 May 1998 Maxwell’s Reel, with Northern Lights for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (63) is performed for the first time, in Barbican Hall, London conducted by the composer.

    13 May 1999 Singing!...the music of my own time for solo voice and octophonic computer music on ADAT by Larry Austin (68) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    13 May 2001 Stanzas before time by Charles Wuorinen (62) to words of Ashberry is performed for the first time, in the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

    North and South for mezzo-soprano, english horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and double bass by John Harbison (62) to words of Bishop is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    13 May 2003 Mobile for tape by Pierre Henry (75) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    13 May 2006 Remembering Harriet:  A story of the American Underground Railroad for narrator, vocal soloists, and orchestra by Thea Musgrave (77) to her own words is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  It is a concert work based on her opera Harriet:  the Woman called Moses.

    13 May 2007 Tram train de Mulhouse for tape by Pierre Henry (79) is  performed for the first time.

    Side by Side for harpsichord, altered piano, and orchestra by Michael Colgrass (75) is performed for the first time, in the St. Lawrence Center, Toronto.

    13 May 2011 Stroke for orchestra by Joan Tower (62) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    14 May

    14 May 1760 I Tindaridi, an opera seria by Tommaso Traetta (33) to words of Frugoni after Bernard, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Ducale, Parma.

    14 May 1763 Il trionfo di Clelia, a dramma per musica by Christoph Willibald Gluck (48) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, to open the new Teatro Comunale, Bologna.  According to Carl Ditters (23), “it pleased immensely, notwithstanding that it was not by a long way performed as the composer had imagined it.”  The work will ultimately fail.

    14 May 1778 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (22) writes from Paris that he has been offered the post of organist at Versailles.

    14 May 1789 Ludwig van Beethoven (18) matriculates at the University of Bonn in the faculty of philosophy.

    14 May 1817 Antonio Salieri (66) is appointed the first director of the new Vienna Singakademie founded by the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.

    14 May 1821 Olympia, an opera by Gaspare Spontini (46) to words of Dieulafoy and Briffaut, translated by Hoffmann, is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Opera.  The audience includes Carl Maria von Weber (34), in town for the premiere of Der Freischütz. This is the German version of Olympie.  See 22 December 1818.

    14 May 1829 While traveling from Leipzig to Heidelberg to attend the university, Robert Schumann (18) passes through Frankfurt.  He walks into a piano store, tells the proprietor he is the valet of an English nobleman interested in buying an instrument, and plays the piano for three hours.

    14 May 1831 Carlo Verdi applies to the Monte di Pietà e d’Abbondanza in Bussetto for one of their grants given to poor children with talent, for his son.  On the same day, Giuseppe Verdi (17) moves into the home of his benefactor, Antonio Barezzi, in Busseto, 30 km northwest of Parma.  See 14 January 1832.

    14 May 1832 The Isles of Fingal, an overture by Felix Mendelssohn (23), is performed for the first time, in London, conducted by the composer.  The press is mixed.  It will later be known as The Hebrides or Fingal’s Cave.

    14 May 1846 In reconsidering the case of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (41) the Synod reverses the earlier decision of the ecclesiastical consistory and grants his request for a divorce.  “Glinka, as the innocent party...is permitted to enter into another marriage, and Maria Petrovna is to remain forever unmarried.”  See 15 May 1843.

    14 May 1847 While conducting a choral rehearsal in Berlin, Fanny Hensel loses control of her arms.  While a friend takes over the rehearsal she goes to soak her hands in hot vinegar.  Those present hear her call through the open door, “How beautiful that sounds.”  The paralysis goes through her body and she says, “It's a stroke, like Mother had.”  She then loses consciousness.  At 23:00 Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn Hensel dies, aged 41 years and six months.

    14 May 1849 Franz Liszt (37) arrives at his home in Weimar and finds Richard Wagner (35).  He decides to hide Wagner from the authorities.  Liszt then organizes a false identity and an escape to Switzerland and Paris.  Before he leaves, Wagner is able to hear Liszt conduct a rehearsal of Tannhäuser, scheduled to be performed 20 May.  Wagner will remember, “I was astounded to recognize in him my second self...”

    14 May 1852 Lumenfest-Polka op.111 by Johann Strauss (26) is performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    14 May 1855 Jaguarita l’indienne, an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy (55) to words of Saint-Georges and de Leuven, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre-Lyrique, Paris.

    14 May 1856 Anton Bruckner (31) officially enters duties as organist at Linz Cathedral.

    14 May 1864 Richard Wagner (50) moves into Haus Pellet, a house provided for him on Lake Starnberg by King Ludwig.

    L’île enchantée, a ballet by Arthur Sullivan (22) to a scenario of Desplaces, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden Theatre, London.  It plays after a complete performance of Bellini’s (†28) La sonnambula.

    14 May 1874 Serenade op.58/8, a song by Johannes Brahms (41) to words of Schack, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    14 May 1880 The title of Imperial and Royal Music Teacher, conferred on Leos Janácek (25) provisionally in 1876, is made permanent by the Teacher’s Institute, Brünn (Brno).

    14 May 1887 Two scenes from Ernest Chausson’s (32) drame lyrique after Leconte de Lisle Hélène are performed by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    14 May 1891 Artur Sergeyevich Lurye (Arthur Vincent Lourié) is born in Propoisk, Mogilev Province of Russia (Slavgorod, Belarus).

    14 May 1897 The Vienna Hugo Wolf (37) Verein meets for the first time and gives a very successful concert.

    The Stars and Stripes Forever, John Philip Sousa’s (42) most famous march, is performed officially for the first time, in Philadelphia at the unveiling of a statue of George Washington.  It is a spectacular success.  See 1 May 1897.

    14 May 1901 Antonín Dvorák (59) takes the oath as a member of the Austrian House of Peers, in Czech.

    14 May 1902 Rest, a work for chorus by Ralph Vaughan Williams (29) is performed for the first time, at St. James’ Hall, London.

    14 May 1908 A Welcome Song op.107 for chorus and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (55) to words of the Duke of Argyll is performed for the first time, at the opening of the Franco-British Exhibition in London.  The composer conducts 300 voices.

    14 May 1914 Richard Strauss’ (49) ballet Josephs-Legende op.63, to a story by Kessler and Hofmannsthal, is performed for the first time, by the Ballets Russes at the Paris Opéra, the composer conducting.

    Aghadoe for alto and orchestra by George Whitefield Chadwick (59) to words of Todhunter, is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston conducted by the composer.

    14 May 1917 Some of the Paysages et marines op.63 for piano by Charles Koechlin (49) are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Lou Silver Harrison is born in Portland, Oregon, the first of two children born to Clarence Maindenis Harrison, who held several occupations before becoming proprietor of a tire business bought with his wife’s inheritance, and Calline Lillian Silver, daughter of a streetcar mechanic, and owner of the Silver Court Apartments, also bought with her inheritance.

    14 May 1918 Doppelfuge op.1a for piano by Ernst Krenek (17) is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Staatsakademie für Musik und Darstellende Kunst.  This is the first public performance of a Krenek work.

    14 May 1923 The Perfect Fool op.39, an opera by Gustav Holst (48) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden.  See 1 December 1921.

    14 May 1924 The Concerto for piano and winds by Igor Stravinsky (41) is performed for the first time, privately, at the Paris home of the Princesse de Polignac, the composer at the keyboard.  The orchestral part is played on a second piano.  See 22 May 1924.

    14 May 1925 Alban Berg (40) travels to Prague for a performance of his music from Wozzeck.  He will stay for a week as the guest of Herbert von Fuchs-Robettin and his wife Hanna.  Berg considers this a turning point in his life.  He begins a romantic relationship with Hanna Fuchs-Robettin.

    14 May 1927 Incidental music to Paronian’s play Bagdasar Akhpar by Aram Khachaturian (23) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Sonneto a Córdoba for voice and harp by Manuel de Falla (50) to words of Luis de Góngora is performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.  It commemorates the 300th anniversary of the death of the poet.

    14 May 1931 Afternoon.  Arturo Toscanini is instructed to lead his orchestra in the fascist hymn Giovinezza at a concert this evening in Bologna to commemorate the composer Giuseppe Martucci.  He replies that the anthem is not required simply because a member of the government is present.  As the conductor arrives at the theatre his car is surrounded by fascist youths and he is slapped in the face.  He returns to his hotel.  Black shirts are stationed at the doors to the theatre.  On hearing the news of the events, Ottorino Respighi (51) leaves his box and attends Toscanini at his hotel.  A fascist demonstration ensues below the window of Toscanini’s hotel room.  Local fascists move into the hotel.  They are confronted by Respighi who elicits from them a promise of safe passage for Toscanini out of Bologna tonight.

    Alvin Augustus Lucier is born in Nashua, New Hampshire.

    14 May 1937 Sei Cori di Michelangelo Buonarrotti il Giovane (Set III) for chorus and orchestra by Luigi Dallapiccola (33) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Comunale, Florence.  See 26 April 1938.

    14 May 1940 The Luftwaffe annihilates the center of the city of Rotterdam.  814 civilians are killed.  The home of Willem Pijper (45) is destroyed, along with most of his sketches and manuscripts.  Pijper escapes with his life to Amersfoort, where he is given shelter by a former student, Louise Bolleman.

    14 May 1941 Third Construction for four percussionists by John Cage (28) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco conducted by the composer.  Among the performers are Lou Harrison and the composer’s wife.  Also premiered are Lou Harrison’s Song of Quetzalcoatl and Simfony #13, both for four percussionists, on the composer’s 24th birthday.  The two combine on a piece called Double Music for percussion.  The concert is organized entirely by Cage and Harrison.

    14 May 1942 Concerto for two pianos and orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (29) is performed for the first time, at a student composition concert at the Juilliard School, New York.

    Two new works by American composers are performed for the first time, in Cincinnati:  Lincoln Portrait for speaker and orchestra by Aaron Copland (41) and The Mayor LaGuardia Waltzes for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (45).

    14 May 1944 Seven Anniversaries for piano by Leonard Bernstein (25) is performed for the first time, in the Opera House, Boston by the composer.

    The Prairie, a cantata for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Lukas Foss (21) to words of Sandburg is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.  See 15 October 1943.

    14 May 1946 Chota rustaveli, a ballet by Arthur Honegger (54), Alexander Tcherepnin, and Tibor Harsányi, to a story by Evreinoff and Lifar after Roustaveli, is performed for the first time, in Monaco.

    When Lilacs Last in the Door-yard Bloom’d:  Requiem for those we Love for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Paul Hindemith (50) to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    14 May 1949 Song of Songs for voice and piano by Stefan Wolpe (46) is performed for the first time.

    14 May 1952 Three works by Peter Maxwell Davies (17) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in Manchester:  Cameo, Ye Olde English Lullabye for violin and piano, the composer at the keyboard, and Alle Vogel sind schonda for celesta.

    Olivier Messiaen (43) begins his notebooks of birdsong in the forest of St.-Germain-en-Laye.  They will eventually number over 200.

    Incidental music to Sophocles’ (tr. Thierry Maulnier) play Oedipe-Roi by Arthur Honegger (60) is performed for the first time, in the Comédie-Française, Paris.

    14 May 1956 While driving on a country road near Lodi, Hans Werner Henze (29) crashes into a milk cart and breaks his collarbone.  With his arm in a cast for six weeks, he is unable to complete the ballet Maratona he is writing for the Ballets Babilée in Paris.

    Ich singe wieder, wenn es tagt for chorus and string orchestra by Ernst Krenek (55) to words of Walther von der Volgelweide, is performed for the first time, in the Kongresssaal der Arbeiterkammer, Linz the composer conducting.

    14 May 1957 Il figliuol prodigo, an opera by Gian Francesco Malipiero (75) to his own words after Castellano Castellani, is staged for the first time, in Teatro della Pergola, Florence.  Also premiered is Malipiero’s Venere prigioniera to his own words after Gonzales.  See 25 January 1953.

    14 May 1958 Quintet with Voice for baritone, clarinet, horn, cello, harp, and piano by Stefan Wolpe (55) to words of his third wife, Hilda Morey, is performed for the first time.

    14 May 1959 Rapunzel, a chamber opera by Lou Harrison to words of Morris, is performed for the first time, in Kaufmann Auditorium, New York on the composer’s 42rd birthday.  See 14 April 1954.

    Sound effects for the opera Glittering Gate by Vladimir Ussachevsky (47) are performed for the first time, in New York.

    14 May 1960 Virgil Thomson’s (63) Missa pro defunctis for male chorus, female chorus, and orchestra is performed for the first time, at the State University College of Education, Potsdam, New York, under the baton of the composer.

    14 May 1961 Arabic Numeral (any integer), to HF by LaMonte Young (26) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    14 May 1963 A Concerto for violin by Krzysztof Penderecki (29) is performed for the first time, in Zagreb.  The composer will withdraw this work.

    14 May 1966 Concerto per corde by Alberto Ginastera (50) is performed for the first time, in Caracas.

    14 May 1972 Violin Variations for violin solo by Charles Wuorinen (33) is performed for the first time, in Kaufmann Concert Hall, 92nd Street Y, New York.

    Concerto for piano and orchestra by Alexander Goehr (39) is performed for the first time, in Brighton, England.

    Gunther Schuller’s (46) arrangement of The Entertainer by Scott Joplin is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston conducted by the arranger.

    14 May 1976 Landscapes and Remembrances, a cantata for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (64) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee.

    14 May 1979 Pléïades for six percussionists by Iannis Xenakis (56) is performed for the first time, in Strasbourg.  The movements are interspersed with the music of Giovanni Gabrieli (†356).

    Fromm Variations for piano by Ralph Shapey (58) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    14 May 1980 The orchestration of Steve Reich’s (43) Variations for winds, strings, and keyboards is performed for the first time, in War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco.  See 19 February 1980.

    14 May 1984 Symphonic Fantasia no.4 by Otto Luening (83) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    14 May 1985 Sketchbook (for the Unbearable Lightness of Being) for low female voice accompanying herself on piano and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (50) to words of Kundera is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.  Also premiered is Eight Whiskus for voice by John Cage (72) to his own words after Mann.

    14 May 1987 Serenade in G for string septet op.64 by Robin Holloway (43) is performed for the first time, at the University of Keele, Great Britain.  See 1 December 1988.

    Two works by Lou Harrison are performed for the first time, at Mills College in Oakland on the composer’s 70th birthday:  Ariadne, a dance for flute and percussion, and Concerto for piano with Javanese gamelan.

    14 May 1991 Trio “Les Heures” for string trio by Betsy Jolas (64) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    Eight for winds by John Cage (78) is performed for the first time, outside the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    14 May 1993 I said, I will take heed for chorus and winds op.56 by Alexander Goehr (60) to words of Psalm 39 is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    Rodrigue et Chimène, an opera by Claude Debussy (†75) to words of Mendes after Castro, reconstructed by Langham Smith, orchestrated by Edison Denisov, is performed for the first time, at the Lyon Opéra, 100 years after it was composed.

    Orphée, an opera by Philip Glass (56) to words of the composer after Cocteau, is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  It was commissioned by the American Repertory Theatre.

    14 May 1995 Vers une Symphonie fleuve II for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (43) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    14 May 1999 Brief Encounters (String Quartet no.9) by George Perle (84) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    14 May 2001 Karlheinz Stockhausen (72) receives the Polar Music prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden.

    14 May 2004 Undertow, a film with music by Philip Glass (67), is shown for the first time, in Cannes.

    14 May 2007 imAge/cello for cellos by Roger Reynolds (72) is performed for the first time, in Beauvais.

    Redux for violin and octophonic computer music by Larry Austin (76) is performed for the first time, in the Recital Hall of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

    14 May 2011 Partita for violin by Philip Glass (74) is performed for the first time, in the Zeeuwse Concertzaal Middelburg, the Netherlands.

    15 May

    15 May 1567 Claudio Monteverdi is born in Cremona.

    15 May 1754 Anton Fils (20) is appointed cellist to the electoral court of Mannheim.  The appointment is retroactive to 1 February.

    Messiah by George Frideric Handel (69) is performed at the Foundling Hospital, London.  This is probably the last time that the work is performed under the direction of the composer.

    15 May 1757 A Te Deum by Karl Heinrich Graun (53) is performed for the first time, in Berlin, to commemorate King Friedrich’s successful siege of Prague.

    15 May 1763 The cantata Gott, man lobet dich in der Stille by Georg Philipp Telemann (82) is performed for the first time, in the Hörsaal of the Gymnasium, Hamburg.

    15 May 1771 La donna di bell’umore, an opera buffa by Niccolò Piccinni (43), is performed for the first time, in Teatro dei Fiorentini, Naples.

    15 May 1805 Publication of the Romance op.50 and Piano Sonata “Waldstein” op.53 by Ludwig van Beethoven (34) is announced.

    15 May 1831 Messa di San Alessandro by Simon Mayr (67) is performed for the first time, in Bergamo for the entry of Bishop Gritti-Morlacchi.

    15 May 1848 Frédéric Chopin (38) gives his first London performance in Stafford (Lancaster) House at a dinner given for attenders of the christening of Alexandrina, daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland.  Illustrious personages present include Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, the Duke of Wellington and the Prince of Prussia (later Kaiser Wilhelm I).  The Queen notes in her diary that “some pianists” played.

    15 May 1853 Lowell Mason (61) becomes music director of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York.

    15 May 1865 On the day scheduled for the premiere of Tristan und Isolde, agents of the court enter the home of Richard Wagner (51) in Munich and take away furniture to pay for a five-year-old debt he owes Madame Julie Salis-Schwabe.  His mistress, Cosima von Bülow runs to the Bavarian treasury with a plea from Wagner that they release 2,400 florins against his salary.  They do so, in coin, which requires two cabs to transport.  Later, Wagner learns that Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld, who plays Isolde, is ill and unable to sing.  The premiere is postponed.

    15 May 1866 King Ludwig II telegraphs Richard Wagner (52) announcing his desire to abdicate his throne and join the composer in Tribschen.

    15 May 1869 A Divertimento on Slavonic Songs for flugelhorn by Bedrich Smetana (45) is performed for the first time.

    Ave maris stella by Franz Liszt (57), in the version for solo male quartet, is performed for the first time, in Regensburg.

    15 May 1870 Mitternacht for tenor, male chorus, and piano by Anton Bruckner (45) to words of J. Mendelssohn is performed for the first time, in Linz.

    15 May 1872 A memorial statue to Franz Schubert (†43) by Karl Kundmann is dedicated in the Stadtpark, Vienna.

    Charles Villiers Stanford (19) gives his first organ recital, on the newly rebuilt organ of Trinity College, Cambridge.

    15 May 1875 Burdened by debts, Jacques Offenbach (55) sells the Théâtre de la Gaîté to Albert Vizentini, his former partner.

    Lénore, a symphonic poem by Henri Duparc (27), is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    15 May 1886 Suite in E for string orchestra op.12 by Arthur Foote (33) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    15 May 1889 Esclarmonde, an opéra romanesque by Jules Massenet (47) to words of Blau and de Gramant, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris, with President Cardot in attendance.  The work is generally successful.

    15 May 1891 Fanfares for four trumpets and timpani by Antonín Dvorák (49) are performed for the first time, for the opening of the Regional Jubilee Exhibition in Prague.

    15 May 1896 Fünf Lieder nach Gedichten von Joseph von Eichendorff op.9 for voice and piano by Hans Pfitzner (27) are performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    15 May 1900 Today marks the first concert of the Society of Classical Concerts at the Teatre Liric in Barcelona.  This is a subscription series founded by Enrique Granados (32) to promote symphonic and chamber music in the city.  Granados conducts the inaugural performance.  Both the concert and the project are warmly received by the press and public.

    15 May 1901 An Old Flame, a song by Charles Ives (26) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York.

    15 May 1905 Allegro de concierto for piano by Manuel de Falla (28) is performed for the first time, in the Madrid Ateneo by the composer.  It was entered in a composition competition sponsored by the Madrid Conservatory of Music.  The competition was won by Enrique Granados (37).  Falla received honorable mention.

    15 May 1912 Arthur Victor Berger is born in New York.

    15 May 1913 Jeux, a ballet by Claude Debussy (50) to a scenario by Nizhinsky, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    The first set of Impressioni dal vero for orchestra by Gian Francesco Malipiero (31) is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    15 May 1914 In Paris, Erik Satie (47) composes the Choral inappétissant (Unappetizing Chorale) from Sports et divertissements, “on an empty stomach.”  He directs that it is to be performed “hypocritically.”

    15 May 1915 String Quartet no.2 by Darius Milhaud (22) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  The composer plays  violin.

    15 May 1916 George Gershwin (17) receives his first copyright, for the song When you want ‘em, you can’t get ‘em, when you’ve got ‘em, you don’t want ‘em.

    15 May 1917 Two orchestral works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (30) are performed for the first time, the composer conducting:  the symphonic poem Naufrágio de Kleônikos and the overture to his unperformed opera Izaht.  See 13 December 1958.

    15 May 1919 Deux poèmes tupis op.52 for women’s voices and handclaps by Darius Milhaud (26) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Vieux Colombier, Paris.

    15 May 1920 Igor Stravinsky’s (37) ballet with song Pulcinella is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  The choreography is by Massine and the sets by Picasso.

    Doute, a piano work by Albert Roussel (51), is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    15 May 1924 At the registry office in Frankfurt-am-Main, Paul Hindemith (28) marries Gertrud Rottenberg, daughter of Ludwig Rottenberg, music director of the Frankfurt Opera, in whose orchestra Hindemith plays.

    15 May 1925 Sonata for horn and piano op.70 by Charles Koechlin (57) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 24 March 1927.

    15 May 1930 Trio phantasie for violin, cello, and piano by Ernst Krenek (29) is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Beethovensaal.

    15 May 1931 Torneo notturno, an opera by Gian Francesco Malipiero (49) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Nationaltheater, Munich.

    15 May 1934 Nicolas Obouhow (42) gives the first demonstration of his Croix Sonore, an electronic instrument shaped like a cross, in Paris.  It has properties similar to the Theremin and Ondes Martenot.

    15 May 1935 Songs from “Drum Taps” op.32 for baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Howard Hanson (38) to words of Whitman is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan the composer conducting.

    Eight Piano Pieces for Children by David Diamond (19) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    15 May 1938 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Hamlet op.77 by Sergey Prokofiev (48) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad.

    15 May 1939 The Garden, a film with music by Aram Khachaturian (35), is released.

    15 May 1942 The Next of Kin, a film with music by William Walton (40), is shown publicly for the first time, at the London Pavilion.

    15 May 1948 Pierre Schaeffer (37) writes, “This determination to compose with materials taken from an existing collection of experimental sounds, I name musique concrète to mark well the place in which we find ourselves, no longer dependent upon preconceived sound abstractions, but now using fragments of sound existing concretely and considered as sound objects defined and whole...”

    15 May 1949 Concerto for woodwinds, harp, and orchestra by Paul Hindemith (53) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre of Columbia University.  It is his 25th wedding anniversary.

    15 May 1950 Piano Trio no.2 by Bohuslav Martinu (59) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    Lukas Foss’ (27) cantata Behold! I Build an House for chorus and organ to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, at the dedication ceremonies for Marsh Chapel, Boston University.

    When stars are in the quiet skies, a song by Charles Ives (75) to words of Bulwer-Lytton, is performed for the first time, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

    String Quartet no.4 by Dmitri Shostakovich (43) is performed before a small gathering including the composer and his wife, other composers and Alyeksandr Kholodilin, chairman of the music division of the state Committee for Artistic Affairs.  The decision is made to withhold the quartet from performance, probably because of Jewish elements in the music and a climate unfavorable to absolute chamber music.  See 3 December 1953.

    15 May 1952 El álbum de Cecilia for piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (50) is performed for the first time, in Circulo Cultural Medina, Madrid by the composer’s daughter, Cecilia.

    15 May 1958 A 25-year retrospective of the work of John Cage (45) takes place in Town Hall, New York organized by artists Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns, accompanied by an exhibition of scores by Cage, along with a Rauschenberg show on another floor.  The Exhibition receives critical praise.  As part of the proceedings, Cage’s Concert for Piano and Orchestra is performed for the first time, conducted by the dancer, Merce Cunningham.  Some audience members shout insults during the performance and attempt to halt it.  At the end, voiced opinions are widely divergent, ranging from cheers and applause to laughter, boos and abuse.  Also premiered is the revised version of Cage’s Six Short Inventions for alto flute, clarinet, trumpet, violin, two violas, and cello.

    15 May 1960 String Quartet no.7 op.108 by Dmitri Shostakovich (53) is performed for the first time, in Glinka Concert Hall, Leningrad.

    Aria for accordion by William Grant Still (65) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    15 May 1962 Sonority Canon for Four Solo Flutes Accompanied by 33 Flutes on Tape by Otto Luening (61) is performed for the first time, at Columbia University, New York.

    15 May 1968 Olivier Messiaen (59) is formally installed in the Académie des Beaux-Arts of the French Institute.

    15 May 1969 Spiral no.27 for soloist and short-wave receiver by Karlheinz Stockhausen (40) is performed for the first time, in Zagreb.

    15 May 1971 Cradle for three sets of tuned tube drums and instrumental ensemble by Robert Erickson (54) is performed for the first time, at California State University at Fullerton.

    15 May 1972 String Quartet no.3 by George Rochberg (53) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    15 May 1973 Notturno for chamber ensemble by Donald Martino is performed for the first time, in New York, on the eve of the composer’s 42nd birthday.  It will win the Pulitzer Prize.  See 7 May 1974.

    15 May 1974 Zeitlieder, two songs for mezzo-soprano and string quartet by Ernst Krenek (73) to words of Pandula, is performed for the first time, in Augsburg.

    Three works by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (35) are performed for the first time:  Sonata in Three Movements for violin and piano, Einsame Nacht, a cycle for baritone and piano, and Im Nebel for alto and piano.

    15 May 1975 Kyrie:  Orbis Fact/or:  a very odd do: synthetic composition for chorus generated by one voice in a small cave around Mandy’s villa, for tape by Kenneth Gaburo (48) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    15 May 1976 The first public performance of Studies for Player Piano nos.27, 35, 36, 40 by Conlon Nancarrow (63) takes place in Bremen.

    Monument, Selbstportrait, Bewegung for two pianos by György Ligeti (52) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    Epigrams and Hymn for chorus and organ by Ulysses Kay (59) to words of Whittier, Murray, and Longfellow is performed for the first time, in New York.

    15 May 1978 With Dadaji in Paradise for cello by Tod Machover (24) is performed for the first time, in New York by the composer.

    15 May 1981 Tailitnama Song for chamber ensemble by Peter Sculthorpe (52) is performed for the first time, in Paddington Town Hall, Sydney.

    15 May 1983 Quartettino for string quartet by Benjamin Britten (†6) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of London Weekend Television, 53 years after it was composed.

    Gebild for trumpet, percussion, and strings by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.  See 7 September 1997.

    15 May 1984 Symphony no.1 by Isang Yun (66) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    15 May 1985 Mishima:  A Life in Four Chapters, a film with music by Philip Glass (48), is released in France.

    15 May 1986 The Spanish Lady, an opera by Edward Elgar (†52) to words of Jackson and the composer after Jonson, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in St. John’s Smith Square, London approximately 53 years after it was composed.  See 24 November 1994.

    15 May 1989 Music for keyboard instruments and orchestra by Mauricio Kagel (57) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    15 May 1992 Three Fragments for flute and harp by Witold Lutoslawski (79) are performed for the first time, in Warsaw, 39 years after they were composed.

    Monster in a Box, a film with music by Laurie Anderson (44), is shown for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    15 May 1994 The final version of De temporum fine, a Bühnenspiel-comoedia by Carl Orff (†12) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Ulm.  See 20 August 1973.

    Gending Moon for male voice and Javanese gamelan by Lou Harrison (77) to his own words is performed for the first time, at Cabrillo College, Aptos, California.

    15 May 1996 Anthony Davis (45) receives the award of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

    Elegy for Toru Takemitsu (†1) for flute, percussion, and strings by Roger Reynolds (61) is performed for the first time, at the Mandeville Center for the Arts, La Jolla, California.

    15 May 1997 Heroes Symphony by Philip Glass is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    15 May 2007 Brother, a cycle for voice and piano and ensemble by David Del Tredici (70) to words of Kelly, is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York the composer at the piano.  Also premiered is Del Tredici’s song cycle Love Addiction for voice and piano.

    16 May

    16 May 1779 Il vago disprezzato, an opera buffa by Niccolò Piccinni (51), is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    16 May 1784 A letter from Christoph Willibald Gluck (69) appears in the Journal de Paris. He names Antonio Salieri (33) as the sole author of Les Danaïdes and says that he had nothing to do with its composition.  See 26 April 1784.

    16 May 1787 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (31) dates the score to his String Quintet K.516 in Vienna.

    16 May 1792 I giuochi d’Agrigento, a dramma per musica by Giovanni Paisiello (52) to words of Pepoli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

    16 May 1813 Johann Nepomuk Hummel (34) marries Elisabeth Röckel, a vocalist, in Vienna.

    16 May 1814 A Sinfonia in F by William Crotch (38) is performed for the first time, in London.

    16 May 1827 Two songs by Franz Schubert (30) to words of Pyrker are published by Haslinger as his op.79:  Das Heimweh and Die Allmacht.

    16 May 1829 Vincenzo Bellini’s (27) tragedia lirica Zaira to words of Romani after Voltaire is performed for the first time, in the new Teatro Ducale, Parma.  It is a failure.

    16 May 1833 Ludovic, an opéra comique by Ferdinand Hérold (†0) to words of Saint-Georges, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Bourse, Paris.  The work was completed by Fromental Halévy (33).

    Rondo Chromatique op.12 for piano by Charles-Valentin Alkan (19) is performed for the first time, by the composer in Paris.

    16 May 1840 The Opéra-Comique opens the new Salle Favart constructed on the ruins of the old.

    16 May 1848 Richard Wagner (34) submits a “Plan for the Organization of a German National Theatre for the Kingdom of Saxony.”

    16 May 1849 A warrant for the arrest of Richard Wagner (35) is issued in Dresden.

    16 May 1851 Zerline, ou La corbeille d’oranges, an opéra by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (69) to words of Scribe, is performed for the first time, in the Paris Opéra.

    16 May 1856 Russalka, an opera by Ayeksandr Sergeyevich Dargomizhsky (43) to his own words after Pushkin, is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    16 May 1857 Vent du soir, ou L’horrible festin, an operetta by Jacques Offenbach (37) to words of Gille, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    16 May 1868 The foundation stone for a permanent Czech National Theatre is laid in Prague.  Representing Czech musicians in the ceremony is Bedrich Smetana (44).  In the evening Dalibor, an opera by Smetana to words of Wenzig translated by Spindler, is performed for the first time, in the New Town Theatre, Prague.

    16 May 1870 Song of the Czechs for chorus by Bedrich Smetana (46) to words of Marek is performed for the first time.

    16 May 1874 Suite d’orchestre by Gabriel Fauré (29) is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.  See 8 February 1873.

    16 May 1877 After hearing excerpts from Götterdämmerung, Hubert Parry (29) records in his diary that “Siegfrieds Tod...seems to me the greatest thing in the world and made me quite cold with ecstasy.”

    16 May 1878 Slavonic Dances nos. 1, 3, and 4 by Antonin Dvorák (36) are performed for the first time, in Prague.  See 4 December 1878.

    16 May 1879 The Czech Suite for orchestra by Antonin Dvorák (37) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    16 May 1883 Scherzo capriccioso for orchestra by Antonín Dvorák (41) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    16 May 1885 Amy Marcy Cheney (17) plays a recital entirely on her own for the first time, in Brookline, Massachusetts.

    16 May 1893 Ivan Alyeksandrovich Vyshnegradsky is born in St. Petersburg, first of two children born to Alyeksandr Vyshnegradsky, a bank director and amateur composer, and Sophie Savitch, an author.

    16 May 1906 Banned in Vienna, the Austrian premiere of Richard Strauss’ (41) Salome takes place in Graz.  Gustav (45) and Alma Mahler are in the audience, as is a 17-year-old aspiring artist named Adolf Hitler.

    16 May 1911 Gabriel Fauré’s (66) scène biblique Rébecca, to words of Collin, is performed for the first time in an orchestral setting, at the Salle Gaveau, Paris.  See 15 March 1881.

    16 May 1916 Trois mélodies by Erik Satie to words of Fargue, Godebska, and Chalupt, are performed for the first time, in Paris on the eve of the composer’s 50th birthday.

    16 May 1922 Several works by Charles Koechlin (54) are performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris:  Hymne à Vénus op.68/1 for voice and piano to words of Villiers de l’Isle-Adam; Accompagnement op.28/3 for voice and piano to words of Samain; Chanson d’Engaddi and Le ventre merveilleux, two of the Cinq mélodies sur des poèmes de “Shéhérazade” de Tristan Klingsor op.56 for voice and piano; and two Sonatines for piano op.59/2-3.

    16 May 1926 Sonatine française for piano duet op.60/1, 4 by Charles Koechlin (58) are performed for the first time, in Salle Albert Ier, Paris.

    16 May 1930 The Salvation Army, a march by John Philip Sousa (75), is performed for the first time, in New York in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Salvation Army in the United States.

    16 May 1931 Donald James Martino is born in Plainfield, New Jersey, son of James Edward Martino and Alma Ida Renz.

    16 May 1936 Poor People, a song by Marc Blitzstein (31), is performed for the first time, at the YMHA, New York.  It will become Joe Worker in The Cradle Will Rock.

    16 May 1937 String Quartet no.3 by Arnold Bax (53) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    Suite im Hexachord op.24b for oboe and clarinet by Stefan Wolpe (34) is performed for the first time, in Jerusalem.

    16 May 1940 Two new works by Carlos Chávez (40) are performed for the first time, at the Museum of Modern Art, New York:  Xochipili-Macuilxochitl for four winds and percussion ensemble, and La Paloma Azul for chorus and small orchestra.

    16 May 1946 Rosa de América, a film with music by Alberto Ginastera (30), is released in Argentina.

    Irving Berlin’s musical Annie Get Your Gun opens at the Imperial Theatre, New York.

    16 May 1947 Cantate de la guerre op.213 for chorus by Darius Milhaud (54) to words of Claudel, is performed for the first time, at the University of Oregon, Eugene.

    16 May 1948 Symphony no.3 by Wallingford Riegger (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    16 May 1949 Ernst Krenek (48) accepts the position of chairman of the composition department at Chicago Musical College.

    16 May 1950 Three Songs op.48 for low voice and piano by Arnold Schoenberg (75) to words of Haringer, are performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    16 May 1951 Two Songs for baritone and piano by Thea Musgrave (22) to words of Pound are performed for the first time, in Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    16 May 1956 Five Romances on Verses of Yevgeni Dolmatovsky op.98, a cycle for voice and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (49), is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, Kiev.

    Piano Concerto no.5 op.346 by Darius Milhaud (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    16 May 1957 An orchestral suite from Thea Musgrave’s (28) ballet A Tale for Thieves is performed for the first time, in London.  See 15 September 1954.

    A setting of Psalm 150 for chorus by Roy Harris (59) is performed for the first time, at Pennsylvania State University the composer conducting.

    16 May 1960 Three works for chamber ensembles by Gunther Schuller (34) are performed for the first time, in the Circle on the Square Theatre, New York, conducted by the composer:  Abstraction, Variants on a Theme of John Lewis and Variants on a Theme of Thelonius Monk.

    16 May 1961 Serenata III for tape by Bruno Maderna (41) is performed for the first time, in Venice.

    16 May 1963 Marko the Miser, a children’s mime by Thea Musgrave (34) to words of Afanasyev (tr. Samson), is performed for the first time, in Farnham, Surrey Parish Church.

    Symphony no.5 by Hans Werner Henze (36) is performed for the first time, in New York, directed by Leonard Bernstein (44).

    For the First Time for orchestra by Howard Hanson (66) is performed for the first time, in Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York directed by the composer.

    16 May 1964 Jubilate for Worship for chorus, brass, piano, and percussion by Roy Harris (66) is performed for the first time, in the First Unitarian Church of San Francisco.

    16 May 1965 The Twelve for chorus and organ by William Walton (63) to words of Auden, is performed for the first time, in Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford.  See 2 January 1966.

    16 May 1966 Syntaxis II for orchestra by Ton de Leeuw (39) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht.

    The Revelation of Saint John the Divine, a rhapsody for tenor, male chorus, brass, and percussion by Dominick Argento (38) to words of the Book of Revelation, is performed for the first time, in Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis.

    16 May 1967 Anniversary Music for orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (38) is performed for the first time, in Winthrop Hall, Perth, West Australia.  It will be renamed Sun Music III and take the place of the original work for strings by that name.  See 18 November 1966.

    Widow Papai for unaccompanied chorus by György Ligeti (43) to traditional words is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.

    16 May 1968 Présence, a ballet blanc with five scenes for violin, cello, and piano by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (50), is staged for the first time, in Schwetzingen.  See 8 September 1961.

    16 May 1969 HPSCHD for 1-7 harpsichords and 1-51 tapes by John Cage (56) and Lejaren Hiller (45) is performed for the first time, in Assembly Hall of the University of Illinois at Urbana.  The production includes seven harpsichords, 51 tapes, seven film projectors, and 80 slide projectors and lasts from 19:30 until midnight.  Six of the seven harpsichord parts were created using the musical dice game of Mozart (†173) and the I Ching.

    16 May 1971 Owen Wingrave op.85, an opera by Benjamin Britten (57) to words of Piper after James, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC2 television and broadcast services of twelve other countries, conducted by the composer.  See 10 May 1973.

    16 May 1973 Two new works by Steve Reich (36) are performed for the first time, at the John Weber Gallery in New York:  Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ, and Six Pianos.

    16 May 1974 Leonard Bernstein’s (55) ballet Dybbuk to a choreography by Robbins is performed for the first time, in New York the composer conducting.

    16 May 1975 The first part of Atmen gibt das Leben no.39 for chorus by Karlheinz Stockhausen (46) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg, the composer conducting.  See 22 May 1977.

    16 May 1976 Six Miniatures for ten winds by György Ligeti (52), in collaboration with Fridrich K. Warek, is performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.

    Frammenti da Al gran sole carico d’amore for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra and tape by Luigi Nono (52) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    16 May 1981 Garden for violin and chamber orchestra by Robert Erickson (64) is performed for the first time, in San Diego.

    16 May 1982 Blue’s Blue, a film with music by Mauricio Kagel (50) is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of Schweizer Fernsehen DRS, Zürich.

    16 May 1984 The Oberlippentanz version of “Luzifers Tanz”, an excerpt from Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (55) opera Samstag aus Licht transcribed for solo piccolo trumpet, is performed for the first time.  See 9 March 1984.

    16 May 1985 Concerto for bassoon and orchestra by Gunther Schuller (59) is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    16 May 1986 Double solo for horn, violin, and piano by Charles Wuorinen (47) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    Capriccio for clarinet and orchestra by Dominick Argento (58) is performed for the first time, in Powell Hall, St. Louis.  As he is heading toward the stage to acknowledge the applause, the composer takes a wrong turn and finds himself on the street with the door locking behind him.  Frantically searching for an entrance, he manages to convince a doorman that he is the composer and finds his way to the stage just as the applause is ending.

    16 May 1987 Dance Fantasy for orchestra by George Perle (72) is performed for the first time, in Houston.

    16 May 1988 Enchanted Preludes for flute and cello by Elliott Carter (79) are performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    16 May 1990 Five Nocturnes for violin and piano by Hans Werner Henze (63) is performed for the first time, in London.

    16 May 1991 Concerto for orchestra by Joan Tower (52) is performed for the first time, in Powell Hall, St. Louis.

    16 May 1993 The Cave, for two sopranos, tenor, baritone, four percussionists, three keyboards, string quartet, two wind instruments, and videotape by Steve Reich (56) to words of the Torah, Koran, and various commentaries, is performed for the first time, in Theater Messe Palast, Vienna.  The videotape is created by the composer’s wife, Beryl Korot.

    16 May 1996 A Sinking Love for soprano and string quartet by Tan Dun (38) is performed for the first time, in Munich.  See 2 May 1995.

    16 May 1997 Alternatim for clarinet, viola, and orchestra by Luciano Berio (71) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    Balseros, an opera by Robert Ashley (67) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Colony Theatre, Miami Beach.

    16 May 1998 Violin Concerto no.3 by Hans Werner Henze (71) is performed for the first time, in the Konzerthaus, Berlin.

    16 May 2000 The Sadness of Komachi for tenor and prepared piano by Harrison Birtwistle (65) after a Noh play is performed for the first time, in Opera City Recital Hall, Tokyo.

    16 May 2001 Cyclops (2000) for chamber orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (62) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    16 May 2004 Bildnis:  Anakreon for tenor, piano, harp, clarinet in A, and cello by Wolfgang Rihm (52) to words of Mörike is performed for the first time, in the Liederhalle, Stuttgart.

    16 May 2010 The Choir Invisible, rhapsody for chorus by Dominick Argento (82) to words of George Eliot, is performed for the first time, in the National Cathedral, Washington.

    17 May

    17 May 1626 Joan Pau Pujol dies in Barcelona.

    17 May 1765 Zophilette, a pasticcio including music of Baldassare Galuppi (58), Christoph Willibald Gluck (50), Niccolò Jommelli (50), Tommaso Traetta (38), Niccolò Piccinni (37) and Johann Christian Bach (29) to words of Marmontel, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    17 May 1773 Sventatura, in van mi lagno, an aria by Johann Christian Bach (37) to anonymous words, is performed for the first time, in Hickford’s Rooms, Brewer Street, London.

    17 May 1781 So ruhe nun in Jesu for female voices and strings by Johannes Herbst (45) is performed for the first time.

    17 May 1804 Samori, an heroic opera by Georg Joseph Vogler (54) to words of Huber, is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  The work is warmly received.

    17 May 1806 Étienne Nicolas Méhul’s (42) opéra comique Malvina to words of Saint-Victor after MacPherson (Ossian), is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.  It will later be called Uthal.

    17 May 1833 In response to queries about the remaining concerts this season, the directors of the Philharmonic Society, London write to Johann Nepomuk Hummel (54) that “they cannot avail themselves of your assistance.”

    In London, Felix Mendelssohn (24) learns from his publisher, Novello, that his Lieder ohne Worte has sold 50 copies.

    17 May 1838 Franz Liszt (26) performs for the Empress of Austria at court in Vienna.

    17 May 1847 The mortal remains of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel are buried in the Alte Dreifaltigkeits Kirchhof in Berlin.

    17 May 1850 The new Friedrich-Wilhelmstädtisches Theater opens in Berlin, under Kapellmeister Albert Lortzing (48).

    17 May 1853 The first performance of Robert Schumann’s (42) Fest-Overture op.123 for tenor, chorus and orchestra to words of Müller and Claudius, closes the Lower Rhine Music Festival in Düsseldorf.

    17 May 1866 09:00  Eric Alfred Leslie Satie is born in Honfleur, eldest of four children born to Jules-Alfred Satie, a ship broker and Jane Leslie Anton.

    17 May 1868 Das Frauenherz, die Mannesbrust for chorus by Anton Bruckner (43) to words of Kerschbaum is performed for the first time, in Linz.

    Cantata for the Unveiling of the WFK Christie Monument for male chorus and horns by Edvard Grieg (24) to words of Munch is performed for the first time, in Bergen.

    17 May 1869 Friedrich Nietzsche, now a professor at the University of Basel, makes the first of several visits to Richard Wagner’s (55) home, Tribschen.

    17 May 1872 Land Sighting for baritone, male chorus, and harmonium or organ by Edvard Grieg (28) to words of Bjørnson, is performed for the first time, in the Akershus fortress, to raise money for the restoration of Trondheim Cathedral.

    17 May 1876 The new National Training School for Music begins operations in London, under the leadership of Arthur Sullivan (34).

    17 May 1877 Queen Victoria receives Richard Wagner (63) at Windsor Castle.  Cosima remembers the architecture and the paintings, but says nothing of the Queen.

    17 May 1878 Incidental music to Tillier’s play Nina Zombi by Camille Saint-Saëns (42) and ten others is performed for the first time, in Cercle Volney de la Rue Saint-Arnaud.

    17 May 1881 Air de Ballet for orchestra by Edward Elgar (23) is performed for the first time, in Worcester.

    Incidental music to Sophocles’ play Oedipus tyrannus by John Knowles Paine (42) is performed for the first time, in Sanders Theatre of Harvard University, before an rapt audience including Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Julia Ward Howe and Charles Eliot Norton.  The critics are complimentary.

    17 May 1884 Le Printemps for chorus and orchestra by Claude Debussy (21) to words of Barbier, is performed for the first time.

    17 May 1885 Charles Villiers Stanford (32) writes to the Bach Choir Committee accepting their appointment as conductor.

    17 May 1887 Blest Pair of Sirens, an ode for chorus and orchestra by Hubert Parry (39) to words of Milton, is performed for the first time, in London.  The composer reports that it is “quite uproariously received.”

    17 May 1888 Gustav Mahler’s (27) resignation in Leipzig is accepted.  He leaves over a personal dispute with the stage manager, Albert Goldberg.  Mahler has no immediate prospects.

    17 May 1890 Cavalleria rusticana, a melodramma by Pietro Mascagni (26) to words of Targioni-Tozzetti and Menasci after Verga, is performed for the first time, at Teatro Costanzi, Rome.  Although the house is only half-full, those in attendance go wild with approval.  There are 60 curtain calls.  The press is ecstatic.  By noon tomorrow, the second performance will be sold out.  Mascagni has become famous overnight.

    17 May 1891 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (51) takes a tour of Washington, including the Capitol Building and the “renowned obelisk”, the Washington Monument, which he calls “the greatest structure in the world after the Eiffel Tower.”

    17 May 1892 How Sweet the Answer, a part-song by Hubert Parry (44) to words of Moore, is performed for the first time, in London.

    17 May 1893 Maurice Maeterlinck’s play Pelléas et Melisande is premiered at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris to a chorus of hostile reviews.  In the audience is an interested composer named Claude Debussy (30).

    17 May 1894 Having been ignored by the jury choosing a successor to Charles Gounod (†0) for the Academy of Fine Arts of the Institut de France, Erik Satie, on his 28th birthday, fires off a letter to Le Ménestrel addressed to Camille Saint-Saëns (58), the jury president.  “Your aberration can only be due to your refusal to accept the ideas of the Century and to your ignorance of God, which is the direct cause of Esthetic decline.  I forgive you in Jesus Christ and embrace you in the grace of God.”

    17 May 1901 Werner Joseph Mayer (Egk) is born in Auchsesheim near Donauwörth, the second of four children born to Joseph Mayer, a teacher, and Maria Mayer.

    Pope Leo XIII publicly commends the Benedictine monks of Solesmes for their reconstruction of the Gregorian modes.

    To Ole Bull for male chorus by Edvard Grieg (57) to words of Welhaven is performed for the first time, at the unveiling of the Ole Bull statue in Bergen.

    17 May 1904 Works by three contemporary French composers are performed for the first time at the Nouveau Théâtre, Paris.  They are the symphonic prelude Résurrection op.4 by Albert Roussel (35), Shéhérazade, for solo voice and orchestra by Maurice Ravel (29) to words of Klingsor, and Choral varié for saxophone and orchestra, by Vincent d’Indy (53).

    17 May 1910 Gabriel Fauré’s (65) Preludes nos.1-3, op.103/1-3, are performed for the first time, by the Société Musical Indépendante, Paris.

    17 May 1919 Alborada del gracioso, an orchestral work by Maurice Ravel (44), transcribed from the movement of the same name from his piano work Miroirs, is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 6 January 1906 and 3 February 1907.

    17 May 1921 The Tale of the Buffoon (Chout) op.21, a ballet by Sergey Prokofiev (30) to his own scenario after Afanasyev, is performed for the first time, in the Gaité Lyrique, Paris conducted by the composer.  It is a great success.  See 15 January 1924.

    17 May 1923 A Fugal Concerto op.40/2 by Gustav Holst (48) is performed for the first time, privately, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.  In the evening, Holst conducts a public performance of his A Dirge for Two Veterans.  In the middle he suddenly stops the orchestra, ponders the score, corrects an error, and then begins the work over again.

    Symphony no.1 “Nordic” by Howard Hanson (26) is performed for the first time, in Rome, conducted by the composer.

    Peter Mennini (Mennin) is born in Erie, Pennsylvania, the son of Attilio and Amelia Mennini, restaurant owners.

    17 May 1924 The third and fourth movements of the Symphony no.0 by Anton Bruckner (†27) are performed for the first time, at Klosterneuburg, 65 years after their composition.  See 12 October 1924.

    Salade, a ballet chante by Darius Milhaud (31) to a scenario by Flament, is performed for the first time, in Paris.  The work will be reworked into Le Carnaval d’Aix.

    17 May 1926 Sur une jeune fille op.31/3 and Sur une songe op.32/3, both songs for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (57) to words translated by de Lisle, are performed for the first time, in the Salle Erard, Paris.  See 30 May 1927.

    Two stage works by Erik Satie (†0) are performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris on what would have been Satie’s 60th birthday:  Genevieve de Brabant, possibly a shadow theatre play, to words of Latour, and Cinq grimaces pour Le songe d’une nuit d’été to words of Shakespeare adapted by Cocteau.  See 13 April 1983.

    The first two of the Huit mélodies sur des poèmes de ‘Shéhérazade’ de Tristan Klingsor op.84 for voice and piano by Charles Koechlin (58) are performed for the first time, in Salle Erard, Paris.

    17 May 1929 Symphony no.3 op.44 by Sergey Prokofiev (38) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    17 May 1930 Suite in four movements op.91 by Vincent d’Indy (79) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    17 May 1931 Die Mutter, the first opera in quarter-tones, by Alois Haba (37) is performed for the first time, in Munich.  Specially constructed instruments have been prepared for the opera.

    17 May 1933 After receiving a telegram from his brother-in-law which reads “Change of climate urgently recommended,” Arnold Schoenberg (58) and his wife immediately leave Berlin for Paris, never to return.

    Reel for small orchestra by Henry Cowell (36) is performed for the first time, at the New School in New York.

    17 May 1935 Paul Abraham Dukas dies in Paris, aged 69 years, seven months, and 16 days.

    Ralph Vaughan Williams (62) receives a letter from Buckingham Palace asking if he will accept the Order of Merit.  After considerable thought, he agrees.

    Marsch und Variationen for two pianos by Stefan Wolpe (32) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    17 May 1937 Tarantella for chorus and orchestra by Elliott Carter (28) to words of Ovid is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.  See 5 March 1937.

    17 May 1938 Quest, a ballet by Hugo Weisgall (25) to a scenario by Resnick, Rosenberg, and the composer, is performed for the first time, in Baltimore.  See 21 March 1942.

    17 May 1939 Alexander Nevsky op.78, a cantata for mezzo-soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Sergey Prokofiev (48) to words of Lugorsky and the composer, with music from his film score of the same name, is performed for the first time, in Moscow the composer conducting.  See 1 December 1938.

    17 May 1947 Variations, fugueing, and rondo for orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (40) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 May 1948 e.e. cummings Songs op.26 for voice and piano by Vincent Persichetti (32) are performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Art Alliance.

    17 May 1949 The Second Symphony of Roger Sessions (52) wins a Naumburg Musical Foundation award.

    17 May 1950 Three pieces for piano by Peter Maxwell Davies (15) are performed for the first time, by the composer over the airwaves of the BBC originating in Manchester:  Spring Pastorale, Fantasy Suite no.2 and Das ausgebildete Geschöpf.

    17 May 1951 Song of Ahab, a cantata for baritone, tenor, and instruments by Ulysses Kay (34), is performed for the first time, in Quincy, Illinois.

    17 May 1952 Quintet for piano and strings op.312 by Darius Milhaud (59) is performed for the first time, at Mills College, Oakland.

    17 May 1953 Voyage for a Theatre, a ballet by William Schuman (42) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in the Alvin Theatre, New York.  The premiere of Voyage is not scheduled until 18 August but Martha Graham heard a private performance of it and asked Schuman to arrange it for chamber orchestra so she could choreograph it.  See 18 August 1953.

    Prelude for unaccompanied flute by Ulysses Kay (36) is performed for the first time, at the University of Maine, Orono.

    17 May 1955 La chute des étoiles op.40 for female chorus and piano by Charles Koechlin (†4) to words of Leconte de Lisle is performed publicly for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.  See 15 September 1934.

    17 May 1956 Pantaloon, an opera by Robert Ward (38) to words of Stambler after Andreyev, is performed for the first time, in the Juilliard Concert Hall, New York.  It will be renamed He Who Gets Slapped.

    17 May 1958 Allelujah II for five orchestral groups by Luciano Berio (32), a reworking of Allelujah I, is performed for the first time, in a broadcast originating in Rome.

    17 May 1959 Mirandolina, an opera by Bohuslav Martinu (68) to his own words after Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    Ulysses Kay’s (42) cantata Phoebus, Arise for soprano, bass, chorus, and orchestra is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    17 May 1960 Eleven Studies for Eleven Players for flute, oboe, clarinet, trumpet, percussion, harp, piano, and three strings by Ned Rorem (36) is performed for the first time, in Baird Hall, Buffalo, conducted by the composer.

    17 May 1962 Concert for Eight for flute, clarinet, mandolin, guitar, accordion, percussion, piano, and double bass by Roberto Gerhard (65) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Traversée op.393 for chorus by Darius Milhaud (69) to words of Verlaine is performed for the first time, in Cork.

    17 May 1964 Bulldozers complete the destruction of the Pioneer Hatchery in Petaluma, California where Harry Partch (62) has lived with his instruments.  It has been sold and is being demolished to build an apartment complex.  During the destruction, Partch and his friends have been recording And on the Seventh Day Petals Fell in Petaluma.  The recordings are cut short today.

    17 May 1966 Piece for Bells and Toy Pianos by Robert Erickson (49) is performed for the first time, at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

    17 May 1967 Fiesta Processional for band by Robert Ward (49) is performed for the first time, in Ford Auditorium of Ithaca College, New York.

    Two works for band are performed for the first time, in Ford Auditorium of Ithaca College, New York:  Chorale Prelude:  Turn Not Thy Face op.105 by Vincent Persichetti (51), and Fiesta Processional by Robert Ward (49).

    17 May 1968 Hyperion en Het Geweld for flute and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (48) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.  It includes the premiere of Entropia I and Entropia II.

    17 May 1969 Leonard Bernstein (50) conducts his final performance as music director of the New York Philharmonic.

    Aeolian Partitions for flute, clarinet, cello, and piano by Pauline Oliveros (36) is performed for the first time, at Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine.

    17 May 1971 Der langwierige Weg in die Wohnung der Natascha Ungeheuer, a theatre piece by Hans Werner Henze (44) to words of Salvatore, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RAI originating in Teatro Olimpico, Rome.

    Six Variations for cello by Joan Tower (32) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 May 1975 Fragment for organ by Isang Yun (57) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg-Wellingsbüttel.

    17 May 1978 Duo Sonata for two bassoons by Sofia Gubaidulina (46) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    17 May 1981 Pantomime for double bass and piano by Sofia Gubaidulina (49) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    17 May 1982 Sonata a quattro for flute, clarinet, violin, and cello by George Perle (67) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 May 1983 A Concerto for organ and orchestra op.235 by Ernst Krenek (82) is performed for the first time, in Melbourne Concert Hall.

    Paa Vidderne for reciter and orchestra by Frederick Delius (†48) to words of Ibsen is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Norwegian television, 95 years after it was composed.

    17 May 1984 Chant for guitar by John Tavener (40) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    Serenade no.14 op.159 for oboe by Vincent Persichetti (68) is performed for the first time, in Christ and St. Stephen’s Church, New York.

    17 May 1985 Orthodox Vigil Service for chorus and handbells by John Tavener (41) is performed for the first time, in Christ Church, Oxford.

    17 May 1987 Philemon and Baukis for violin and Javanese gamelan by Lou Harrison (70) is performed for the first time, in All Saints Episcopal Church, Watsonville, California.

    17 May 1990 Ungemaltes Bild for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (38) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.

    17 May 1991 The Wayward Barstow:  Eight Hitchhiker Inscriptions from a Highway Railing at Barstow, California by Harry Partch (†16) is given its first fully staged production on Partch’s original instruments, in New York.

    17 May 1997 Hymn of the Unwaning Light for chorus by John Tavener (53) is performed for the first time, in Sherborne Abbey.

    Celebración for orchestra by Karel Husa (75) is performed for the first time, in La Coruna, Spain.

    17 May 1999 Temenos, with Mermaids and Angels for flute and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (64) is performed for the first time, in the National Concert Hall, Dublin the composer conducting.

    17 May 2002 Canzona per sonare for alto trombone and two orchestral groups by Wolfgang Rihm (50) is performed for the first time, in the Rokokotheater, Schwetzingen.

    Fetzen 2 for string quartet by Wolfgang Rihm (50) is performed for the first time, in Insel Hombroich.

    Times Square, a sound installation by Max Neuhaus (62), is reinstalled under Times Square in New York.  It was first installed in 1977, then dismantled in 1992.

    17 May 2003 Insula felix for two vocal soloists, chorus, and chamber orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (51) is performed for the first time, in the Liederhalle, Stuttgart.

    17 May 2008 Queer Hosannas for male chorus and piano four-hands by David Del Tredici (71), to words of Antler, Rukeyser, and Manrique, is performed for the first time.

    18 May

    18 May 1733 Georg Böhm dies in Luneburg.

    18 May 1768 Die Liebe auf dem Lande, a comische Oper by Johann Adam Hiller (39) to words of Weisse after Favart and Anseaume, is performed for the first time, in Theater am Rannstädter Thore, Leipzig.

    18 May 1779 Iphigenie en Tauride, a tragedy by Christoph Willibald Gluck (64) to words of Guillard after Guymond de La Touche after Euripides, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  The work enjoys an immediate success.

    18 May 1792 The second season of the Salomon-Haydn (60) concerts ends.

    18 May 1795 The fourth and last season of the Salomon-Haydn (63) concerts concludes in London.

    18 May 1804 Amor non ha ritegno, a melodramma eroicomico by Simon Mayr (40) to words of Marconi after Gozzi, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    18 May 1811 Having been sacked once before and reinstated, Johann Nepomuk Hummel is finally dismissed by Prince Nikolas Esterházy.  See 25 December 1808.

    18 May 1812 Demetrio e Polibio, a dramma serio by Gioachino Rossini (20) to words of Viganò-Mombelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Valle, Rome.

    18 May 1840 Zanetta, ou Jouer avec le feu, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (58) to words of Scribe and Saint-Georges, is performed for the first time, at Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    18 May 1843 Gioachino Rossini (51) and his mistress Olympe Pélissier stop in Parma on their way to Paris.  There they meet Giuseppe Verdi (29) for the first time, who is in the city for the production of Nabucco.

    18 May 1847 A service in memory of Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel is held in the Singakademie, Berlin.  In Frankfurt, her brother Felix (38) learns of her death, cries out, and faints.

    18 May 1849 Hector Berlioz (45) prints an article by Franz Liszt (37) in the Journal des débats praising Richard Wagner (35) and Tannhäuser.

    Franz Liszt (37) returns from Karlsruhe to his home in Weimar and learns that a warrant has been issued for Richard Wagner (35).  At night he takes Wagner out of his home and places him in the home of Eduard Genast, the manager of the Weimar theatre.  Genast goes to minister Bernhard von Watzdorf who tells him that the warrant has not yet been delivered, therefore there is time to get Wagner away.  Liszt sends Wagner to the village of Magdala with money borrowed from Princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein.  Two hours later, the warrant arrives from Dresden.

    18 May 1851 Franz Schubert’s (†22) male vocal quartet Naturgenuss D.422 to words of Matthisson is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    18 May 1865 Anton Bruckner (40) meets Richard Wagner (51) for the first time, in Munich.

    18 May 1872 Richard Wagner (58) writes to Franz Liszt (60) offering an olive branch and inviting him to the laying of the foundation stone of the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.

    Two songs by Gabriel Fauré (27) are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique:  Lydia op.4/2, to words of de Lisle, and Seule! op.3/4 to words of Gautier.

    18 May 1873 In the presence of Vincent d’Indy (22) and other musical notables in Weimar, Franz Liszt (61) plays through The Nursery by Modest Musorgsky (34).  Liszt and all present are delighted with what they find.

    18 May 1875 The Radiant Dark op.1/8 for voice and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (22) is performed for the first time, at Cambridge University.

    18 May 1877 Violin Sonata no.1 op.11 by Charles Villiers Stanford (24) is performed for the first time, at Cambridge.

    18 May 1879 Completed sections of Jacques Offenbach’s (59) Les contes d’Hoffmann are performed to 300 of the composer’s family and friends in his Paris apartment.  Two impresarios offer to stage the work and Offenbach opts for the Opéra-Comique.

    18 May 1884 String Quintet by Hubert Parry (36) is performed for the first time, in London.

    18 May 1887 Le roi malgré lui, an opéra comique by Emmanuel Chabrier (46) to words of Najac and Burani after Ancelot and Ancelot, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  The response is tepid.  Among the audience is Erik Satie (21).

    The song and overture The Miller’s Daughter for orchestra by George Whitefield Chadwick (32) to words of Tennyson is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    18 May 1888 The mortal remains of Maurice Greene (†132) are removed from St. Olave Jewry in London and reinterred in St. Paul’s Cathedral near those of his student William Boyce (†109).  St. Olave Jewry is being demolished.

    18 May 1892 La vie du poète, a symphony-drama for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Gustave Charpentier (31) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Paris Conservatoire.

    18 May 1897 L’apprenti sorcier by Paul Dukas (31) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    The Banner of St. George op.33 for chorus and orchestra by Edward Elgar (39) to words of Wensley is performed for the first time, in Earl’s Court, London.

    Chansons de Miarka op.17 for voice and piano by Ernest Chausson (42) to words of Richepin is performed for the first time.

    18 May 1898 Two new works by Camille Saint-Saëns (62) are performed for the first time, in Paris:  Duo for two pianos op.8bis and Barcarolle op.108 for violin, cello, harmonium and piano, the composer at the harmonium.

    18 May 1904 La véranda op.3 for voice, female chorus, and piano or orchestra by Charles Koechlin (36) to words of Leconte de Lisle is performed publicly for the first time, in Salle Erard, Paris, the composer conducting.  See 10 May 1899.

    18 May 1909 20:00  Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz dies at Cambô-les-Bains of Bright’s Disease, aged 48 years, eleven months, and 19 days.  His mortal remains will be brought to Barcelona for a funeral mass and burial.

    A Cantata for the National Exhibition at Aarhus by Carl Nielsen (43) to the words of LC Nielsen, is performed for the first time, in Aarhus, directed by the composer.  Because of the rush to finish this work, parts of it have been composed by his student, Emilius Bangert.

    18 May 1911 Four Dirges and Three Burlesques for piano by Béla Bartók (30) are performed for the first time, in Budapest.

    23:05  Gustav Mahler dies at the Loew Sanatorium in Vienna of heart disease complicated by a bacterial infection.  He is aged 50 years, ten months, and eleven days.

    18 May 1912 Evocations op.15 for alto, tenor, baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Albert Roussel (43) to words of Calvocoressi, is performed for the first time, at the Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    18 May 1917 Parade, a ballet réaliste by Erik Satie (51) to a story of Cocteau and Massin, with sets and costumes designed by Pablo Picasso, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Chátelet, Paris.  The audience is generally appreciative, the critics are savage.  In his program notes, Guillaume Apollinaire says the work is “a kind of surrealism”, the first use of the term.  One writer says Satie’s music is “infinitely more stupid than ingenious, more boring than drole, more senile and antiquated than audacious and innovative.”

    Sonata for violin and piano op.64 by Charles Koechlin (49) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    18 May 1918 Diverus and Lazarus, for chorus by Gustav Holst (43), is performed for the first time, at Thaxted Parish Church, Essex the composer conducting.

    18 May 1922 Renard, a burlesque in song and dance by Igor Stravinsky (39) to his own scenario after Afanasyev, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    18 May 1928 An orchestral suite from the incidental music to Imperatrice aux rochers by Arthur Honegger (36) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 27 February 1927.

    18 May 1929 Due Canzoni di Grado for voice, female chorus, and chamber orchestra by Luigi Dallapiccola (25) to words of Marin are performed for the first time, at Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence.

    18 May 1930 Albert Roussel’s (61) Prelude and Fughetta op.41 for organ is performed for the first time, in the Chapelle des Dominican, Paris.

    18 May 1931 Furchtlosigkeit und Wohlwollen, a secular oratorio by Werner Egk (30) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    18 May 1932 Six of the Vingt chansons bretonnes op.115 for cello and piano by Charles Koechlin (64) are performed for the first time, in the Salle de l’École Normale, Paris.

    18 May 1933 The Woodland Stream for unison chorus by Edward Elgar (75) to words of Mackay is performed for the first time, in Worcester.

    18 May 1934 Three settings for chorus of Slavonic prayers by Igor Stravinsky (51) are performed for the first time, in Paris:  Our Father, Blessed Slavonic Virgin, and Symbol of Faith.

    18 May 1935 Suite for Strings by Arnold Schoenberg (60) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    18 May 1937 Three Ostinati with Chorales for oboe and piano by Henry Cowell (40) is performed for the first time, at Bennington College, Vermont.

    18 May 1938 Cantate de l’enfant et de la mère op.185 for speaker and chamber ensemble by Darius Milhaud (45) to words of Carême is performed for the first time, in the Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels, conducted by the composer.

    18 May 1940 Volo di notte, an opera by Luigi Dallapiccola (36) to his own words after Saint-Exupéry, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro della Pergola, Florence.

    18 May 1941 Exposition of a Cause for piano by Lou Harrison (24) is performed for the first time.

    18 May 1942 Arthur Honegger’s (50) Symphony for Strings (Symphony no.2) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    18 May 1944 Incidental music to Aguet’s radio play Battements du monde by Arthur Honegger (52) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Lausanne.  The work was composed in 1940.

    18 May 1946 Divertimento for nine instruments by Walter Piston (52) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    18 May 1947 La Tentation de Sainte Antoine for alto and string quartet by Werner Egk (46) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden conducted by composer.

    The Seasons, a ballet by John Cage (34), is performed for the first time, in the Ziegfeld Theatre, New York.  The dance is by Merce Cunningham, costumes and scenery by Isamu Noguchi.

    18 May 1949 A Cello Sonata by Francis Poulenc (50) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris the composer at the piano.

    Sabbath Morning Service op.279 by Darius Milhaud (56) is performed for the first time, in Temple Emanuel, San Francisco.

    18 May 1950 Twelve Poems of Emily Dickinson for voice and piano by Aaron Copland (49) is performed for the first time, at the McMillan Memorial Theatre, Columbia University, New York, the composer at the keyboard.

    Redondilha for chorus by Heitor Villa-Lobos (63) to words of de Anchieta, is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    The Jumping Frog of Calaveras County, an opera by Lukas Foss (27) to words of Karsavina after Twain, is staged for the first time, in Bloomington, Indiana.  It was broadcast on radio in 1949.

    18 May 1951 Two Fanfares for “Show Business” for brass by Arnold Bax (67) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    Cantata from Proverbs op.310 for women’s chorus and chamber ensemble by Darius Milhaud (58) is performed for the first time, in Lawrence High School, New York.

    18 May 1952 Miracles de la foi op.314 for tenor, speaker, chorus, and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (59) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

    String Quartet no.4 by Walter Piston (58) is performed for the first time, in Oakland.

    18 May 1954 Prelude and Fugue for string quartet by Pauline Oliveros (21) is performed for the first time, at San Francisco State College.

    18 May 1956 The first of the Two Theatre Pieces by Lejaren Hiller (32) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Urbana.

    18 May 1958 Cheltenham Concerto for small orchestra by George Rochberg (39) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    18 May 1962 Les funérailles de Phocion for orchestra op.385 by Darius Milhaud (69) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Belge.  Also premiered is Milhaud’s ballet La branche des oiseaux.  See 1 April 1965.

    18 May 1963 Epitaphe de Jean Harlow op.164 for flute, alto saxophone, and piano by Charles Koechlin (†12) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Municipal, Dijon 26 years after it was composed.

    The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi, a cantata for soprano, bass, children’s chorus, chorus, and orchestra by Gian-Carlo Menotti (51), is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Cincinnati.

    18 May 1966 Tancredi, a ballet by Hans Werner Henze (39) to a scenario by Csobàdi, is staged for the first time, at the Vienna Staatsoper.  See 15 January 1953.

    Concerto for violin and orchestra by William Bergsma (45) is performed for the first time, in Tacoma, Washington the composer conducting.

    Scapes, A Contest for Two Groups for two groups of instruments by Robert Erickson (49) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    18 May 1967 Varied Air and Variations for piano by Charles Ives (†12) is performed for the first time, in Sprague Memorial Hall, Yale University.

    18 May 1968 Moralities, scenic cantatas by Hans Werner Henze (41) to words of Auden after Aesop, is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.  See 1 April 1970.

    Seven Japanese Love Poems for voice and piano by Shulamit Ran (18) to traditional words, is performed for the first time, in Judson Hall, New York.

    18 May 1969 Streams in the Desert for chorus and orchestra by Howard Hanson (72) to words from the Bible is performed for the first time, at Texas Technology College, Lubbock, Texas the composer conducting.

    18 May 1974 Five Easy Pieces for violin, piano, and Jew’s harp by TJ Anderson (45) is performed for the first time, in Winchester, Massachusetts.

    18 May 1976 Iannis Xenakis (53) defends his doctorate at the Université de Paris.  Among the jury members is Olivier Messiaen (67).

    The official opening of the new IRCAM building takes place in Paris.  See 21 October 1978.

    18 May 1978 Quartet Romantic for two flutes, violin and viola by Henry Cowell (†12) is performed publicly for the first time in its original setting, in Alice Tully Hall, New York, 61 years after it was composed.

    18 May 1979 As of a Dream for narrator, chorus, and orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (66) to words of Whitman is performed for the first time, in Midland, Michigan.

    18 May 1981 Dritte Abgesangsszene for baritone and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (29) to words of Huchel is performed for the first time, in Freiburg.

    Sequoia for orchestra by Joan Tower (42) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    18 May 1983 The first two numbers of Hungarian Studies for chorus by György Ligeti (59) to words of Weöres are performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.  Also premiered is Ligeti’s Solitude for chorus to words of Weöres.  See 17 November 1983.

    Intermezzo for speaker, chorus and instruments by Mauricio Kagel (51) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart, to honor of the 60th birthday of György Ligeti.

    Spinoff for violin, double bass, and congas by Charles Wuorinen (44) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.

    18 May 1984 Spectres Parisiens for flute, horn, cello, chamber orchestra, and computer electronics by Tod Machover (30) is performed for the first time, in Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

    Sixteen Haiku of Seferis for soprano, tenor, percussion, and strings by John Tavener (40) is performed for the first time, in St. David’s Cathedral, Dyfed, Wales.

    Dialogue for violin and piano by Gunther Schuller (58) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    18 May 1988 The Fall of the House of Usher, a chamber opera by Philip Glass (51) to words of Yorinks after Poe, is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  It was commissioned by the American Repertory Theatre.

    18 May 1989 Epicycle for cello and 12 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (66) is performed for the first time, in London.

    18 May 1990 Clarissa, an opera by Robin Holloway (46) to his own words after Richardson, is performed for the first time, in the London Coliseum.

    The Uncreated Eros for chorus by John Tavener (46) is performed for the first time, in St. Bride’s, London.

    Concerto for viola by John Harbison (51) is performed for the first time, in Bridgewater, New Jersey.

    18 May 1993 Witold Lutoslawski (80) is presented with the Polar Prize for Music by King Gustaf XVI of Sweden at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm.

    Hommage à Zhivago, a musical allegory by Alred Schnittke (58) to words of Lubimov after Pasternak, Blok, Vosnesensky, and Russian scriptures, is performed for the first time, in Odeon Hall, Vienna.

    Adagio adagio, a serenade for piano, violin, and cello by Hans Werner Henze (66) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.

    18 May 1996 Four works for voice and piano by Arnold Bax (†42) are performed for the first time, at Big School, Christ’s Hospital, Horsham:  Wild Almond to words of Trench, composed in 1924, Viking-Battle-Song to words of Fiona Macleod, composed in 1905, The Splendour Falls on Castle Walls to words of Tennyson, composed in 1917, and A Leader to words of Russell, composed in 1916.

    Les Enfants terribles, a dance opera by Philip Glass (59) to his own words after Cocteau, is performed for the first time, in Zug, Switzerland.

    18 May 1998 Deutsches Stück mit Hamlet for mezzo-soprano, baritone, and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (46) to words of several authors is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    18 May 2001 The Pied Piper Ballet for flute and orchestra by John Corigliano (63) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.

    18 May 2005 St. Bartholomew’s Prayer for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (70) to words from the Liber Usualis is performed for the first time, in St. Magnus’ Cathedral, Orkney.

    TJ Anderson (76) is elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

    18 May 2007 Da pacem Domine for chorus and string orchestra by Arvo Pärt (71) is performed for the first time, in Niguliste Church, Tallinn.

    18 May 2008 Troyjam for narrator and orchestra by Michael Daugherty (54), to words of Carson, is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    19 May

    19 May 1616 Johann Jacob Froberger is born in Stuttgart.

    19 May 1762 Viriate, an opera seria by Baldassare Galuppi (55) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Salvatore, Venice, under the title Siface.

    19 May 1764 Wolfgang (8) and Nannerl Mozart perform before King George III and Queen Charlotte in London.  The King has Wolfgang play harpsichord music of George Frideric Handel (†5), Georg Christoph Wagenseil (49), Karl Friedrich Abel (40) and Johann Christian Bach (28), which he does at sight.

    19 May 1765 Christoph Willibald Gluck’s (50) ballo pantomimo Iphigenia in Aulide, to a choreography by Angiolini is performed for the first time, at the Laxenburg, Vienna.

    19 May 1773 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (17) dates his Symphony no.23 K.181 in Salzburg.

    19 May 1775 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (18) dates his aria Si Mostra la Sorte K.209 in Salzburg.

    19 May 1780 Symphonie concertante in Bb, C48 by Johann Christian Bach (44) is performed, possibly for the first time, in the Tottenham Street Rooms, London.

    19 May 1782 Il ritorno di Tobia, a sacred cantata by Baldassare Galuppi (75) to words of Gozzi, is performed for the first time, in Venice.

    19 May 1786 John Stanley dies in London, aged 74 years, four months and two days.

    19 May 1799 After the occupation of Naples by republican forces, the royal flag is ceremonially burned accompanied by Domenico Cimarosa’s (49) Inno patriottico, to words of Rossi, composed for the event.

    19 May 1809 Andrew Law (60) receives a US patent for the Art of Playing the Organ and Piano Forte.

    19 May 1810 Two works by Samuel Wesley (44) are performed for the first time, at the Hanover Square Rooms, London:  In exitu Israel for chorus and organ, and Father of Light and Life for chorus.

    19 May 1831 After having spent a month in Nice, which was as far as he got in his attempt to return to Paris to murder his former fiancee and her mother, and during which he composed his King Lear Overture, Hector Berlioz (27) begins his return journey to Rome.

    19 May 1834 Infelice op.94 for soprano and orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn (25) is performed for the first time, in London.

    19 May 1842 Linda di Chamounix, a melodramma semiserio by Gaetano Donizetti (44) to words of Rossi after D’Ennery and Lemoine, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Kärntnertortheater, directed by the composer.  At the end, Donizetti is called out 17 times.

    19 May 1849 Richard Wagner (35) reaches Magdala with 60 thalers, a false identity and a scheme whereby he is to impersonate a “financial expert” sent to administer an estate near Magdala.  He will be hidden on the estate for three days, during which time he consults with other revolutionaries.

    19 May 1871 Im Sturmschritt op.348, a polka schnell by Johann Strauss (45), is performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    19 May 1872 Mass in B flat “Piotrowinska” for solo voices, chorus, and organ by Stanislaw Moniuszko (53) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    19 May 1876 Blue Wings op.1/1 for voice and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (23) is performed for the first time, at Cambridge University.

    19 May 1886 Symphony no.3 op.78 by Camille Saint-Saëns (50) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London conducted by the composer.  In the same program, Saint-Saëns plays the Piano Concerto no.4 by Ludwig van Beethoven (†59) conducted by Arthur Sullivan (44).

    19 May 1890 Arrigo Boito (48) receives the royal appointment of honorary director of Parma Conservatory.  He reluctantly accepts.

    19 May 1892 Engelbert Humperdinck (37) marries Hedwig Taxer.  They will spend the summer at the Bayreuth Festival.

    Sergey Rakhmaninov (19) plays his setting of the one-act opera Aleko for the examiners at Moscow Conservatory.  He is awarded the gold medal.  See 9 May 1893.

    Incidental music to Molière’s play Le Sicilien by Jean-Baptiste Lully (†205), restored by Camille Saint-Saëns (56), is performed for the first time, in Palais Garnier, Paris.

    19 May 1899 Dans le ciel clair op.4/1 for three solo voices, female chorus, and piano or orchestra by Charles Koechlin (31) to words of Leconte de Lisle, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    19 May 1908 Sonata española for violin and piano by Joaquín Turina (25) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    19 May 1911 L’heure espagnole, a comédie musicale by Maurice Ravel (36) to words of Franc-Nohain, is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.

    19 May 1918 This Have I Done For My True Love op.34/1, a choral work by Gustav Holst (43) to anonymous words, is performed for the first time, in Thaxted Church, Essex the composer conducting.

    19 May 1920 String Quartet no.1 by Charles Koechlin (52) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    19 May 1925 Jacob chez Laban, a pastorale biblique by Charles Koechlin (57) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    19 May 1928 03:42  Henry Franklin Belknap Gilbert dies in Cambridge, Massachusetts of a cerebral hemorrhage, aged 59 years, seven months, and 23 days.

    19 May 1931 Deux idylles op.44 for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (62) to words of Theocritus and Moskhos (tr. de Lisle), are performed for the first time, privately at the Eiffel Tower in Paris.  See 5 March 1932.

    19 May 1932 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s (tr. Lozinsky) play Hamlet by Dmitri Shostakovich (25) is performed for the first time, in Vakhtangov Theatre, Moscow.

    19 May 1935 06:15  Charles Martin Loeffler dies at his home in Medfield, Massachusetts, aged 74 years, three months, and 19 days.  His mortal remains will be buried in the family plot of his wife in Southborough.

    19 May 1936 Sonata for cello and piano by David Diamond (20) is performed for the first time, in Princeton, New Jersey.

    19 May 1937 Il deserto tentato, an opera mistero by Alfredo Casella (53) to words of Pavolini, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Comunale, Florence.  Audience reaction is generally positive.  The press is broadly mixed.

    19 May 1939 Eight Column Line, a ballet by Ernst Krenek (38), is performed for the first time, in Avery Memorial Auditorium, Hartford, Connecticut conducted by the composer.

    Three works for percussion are performed for the first time at the Cornish School in Seattle conducted by John Cage (26):  Pulse and Return, both by Henry Cowell (42) and Lou Harrison’s (22) Fifth Simfony and Counterdance in the Spring.

    19 May 1940 Cello Sonata no.1 by Bohuslav Martinu (49) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    I Will Give Thanks op.146 for soprano, chorus, and organ by Amy Beach (72) to words of Psalm III, is performed for the first time, at St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York.

    19 May 1949 Penny Arcade, a cycle for voice and piano by Ned Rorem (25) to words of Norse, is performed for the first time, in the MacMillan Theatre, New York the composer at the keyboard.

    Grinnell Fanfare for brass and organ by Henry Cowell (52) is performed for the first time, in Herrick Chapel, Grinnell College, Iowa.

    19 May 1952 Josef Matthias Hauer (69) proclaims his Twelve-tone Manifesto in Vienna.

    Toccata, villancico y fuga op.18 for organ by Alberto Ginastera (36) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.

    19 May 1954 Charles Edward Ives dies in Roosevelt Hospital, New York of a stroke suffered after a double hernia operation, aged 79 years, six months, and 29 days.

    19 May 1956 Poem of the Motherland op.74, a cantata for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (49) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time.  It was intended for the 30th anniversary of the October Revolution.

    The second of the Two Theatre Pieces by Lejaren Hiller (32) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Urbana.

    19 May 1959 Oboe Quartet by Stefan Wolpe (56) is performed for the first time, conducted by Ralph Shapey (38).

    19 May 1961 Philip Glass (24) a student at the Juilliard School of Music, encounters minimalism for the first time at a performance of LaMonte Young’s (25) Compositions 1960 #10 and Compositions 1961 in Yoko Ono’s loft at 112 Chambers Street, New York.  (This could be 20 May)

    19 May 1963 The Second Dream of the High Tension Line Stepdown Transformer for unspecified instruments, one of the Four Dreams of China by LaMonte Young (27), is performed for the first time, at the New Jersey farm of George Segal.  The work is performed on bowed mandolins.

    19 May 1965 Apocalyptica (I) for large wind ensemble by George Rochberg (46) is performed for the first time, in Memorial Auditorium of Montclair State College, New Jersey.

    19 May 1967 Bomarzo, an opera by Alberto Ginastera (51) to words of Mujica Láinez, is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    19 May 1968 Pieces in the Shape of a Square for two flutes by Philip Glass (31) is performed for the first time, at the Filmmakers’ Cinemathèque, New York.  It is his first important concert in New York.  Glass considers this to be his debut.

    Making Ends Meet for piano four hands by Charles Wuorinen (29) is performed for the first time, in East Garden Court, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    19 May 1969 Children’s Crusade op.82 for children’s voices, percussion, two pianos, and organ by Benjamin Britten (55) to words of Brecht (tr. Keller), composed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Save the Children Fund, is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    Musica-manifesto no.1 for voice and tape by Luigi Nono (45) to words of Pavese, is performed for the first time, in Chatillon-sous-Bagneux.

    19 May 1970 Symphony op.29 by Alexander Goehr (37) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    Elegy for viola and cello by Thea Musgrave (41) is performed for the first time, in Lotte Lehmann Hall at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

    19 May 1971 Primavera for soprano and flute by Thea Musgrave (42) to words of Elguera, is performed for the first time, in Zagreb.

    The Creation for vocal soloists, choruses, and tape by Vladimir Ussachevsky (59) is performed for the first time, in Salt Lake City.

    19 May 1973 Offrande musicale sur le nom de Bach op.187 for orchestra, organ and piano by Charles Koechlin (†22) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Frankfurt, 31 years after it was composed.

    Sonata for harp op.437 by Darius Milhaud (80) is performed for the first time, at Conservatoire Rocquencourt.

    Milhaud’s Promesse de Dieu op.438 for chorus to words of the Bible is premiered at Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

    19 May 1976 Samuel Barber (66) is awarded the Gold Medal for music by the National Institute of Arts and Letters of the United States.

    Zählen und Erzählen, Musiktheater für Unerwachsene, by Mauricio Kagel (44) is performed for the first time, in the Beethovenhalle, Bonn.

    19 May 1977 The Winds for eight winds and piano by Charles Wuorinen (38) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    A Water Bird Talk, a monodrama by Dominick Argento (49) to his own words after Chekhov and Audubon, is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

    The first movement of the Percussion Symphony for 24 percussion players by Charles Wuorinen (38) is performed for the first time at William Paterson State College, Wayne, New Jersey the composer conducting.  See 26 January 1978.

    19 May 1978 Flute and Orchestra by Morton Feldman (52) is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken.

    The second version of Chorale from a Toy Shop for brass quintet by Harrison Birtwistle (43) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.  See 28 March 1979.

    19 May 1980 Time to the Old for voice and piano by William Schuman (69) to words of MacLeish is performed for the first time, in New York.

    19 May 1984 Symphony no.7 “Spring” by Mikis Theodorakis (58) is performed for the first time, in Dresden.

    19 May 1988 Second Sonata for Strings by Peter Sculthorpe (59) is performed for the first time, in Brighton, Great Britain.

    19 May 1992 And Then I Knew ‘Twas Wind for flute, viola, and harp by Toru Takemitsu (61) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    19 May 1996 Yet Another Set of Variations (on a Theme by Paganini):  Paganini Trills by Joan Tower (57) is performed for the first time, in Powell Hall, St. Louis.

    19 May 1999 The Silk House Tattoo for two trumpets and percussion by Harrison Birtwistle (64) is performed for the first time, at Lake Placid.

    19 May 2002 Pentecostal Mass for chorus and organ by Peter Maxwell Davies (67) is performed for the first time, in Westminster Cathedral, London.

    Seventh Symphony:  A Symphonic Concerto by William Bolcom (63) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    19 May 2004 The American Academy of Arts and Letters inducts Sofia Gubaidulina (72) as a Foreign Honorary Member.

    19 May 2006 Three Fantasies for violin and piano by Bright Sheng (50) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    20 May

    20 May 1751 Domingo Miguel Bernabe Terradellas dies in Rome.

    20 May 1777 Today is the first recorded public performance by Samuel Wesley (11), at Hickford’s Rooms, London in a concert organized by Johann Christian Bach (41).

    20 May 1778 Rinaldo ed Armida, a cantata by Johann Christian Bach (42), is performed for the first time, in Hanover Square Rooms, London.

    20 May 1785 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (29) dates the score to his Fantasia for piano K.475.

    20 May 1786 The second of two concerts featuring the premiere of Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s (46) Twelve Symphonies on Ovid’s Metamorphoses takes place in Vienna.

    L’inglese in Italia, a dramma giocoso by Pasquale Anfossi (59) to words of Badini, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, London.  This is Anfossi’s last production in England and receives only two performances.

    20 May 1805 Publication of Familiar Airs, in Various Styles, for the Piano Forte no.3 by John Crotch and William Crotch (28) is entered at Stationers’ Hall, London.

    20 May 1806 Gott hat unter uns aufgerichtet das Wort von der Versöhnung by Johannes Herbst (70) is performed for the consecration of the Moravian church in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

    20 May 1824 Samuel Wesley (58) is appointed organist of Camden Chapel.

    20 May 1829 Les deux nuits, an opéra comique by Adrien Boieldieu (53) to words of Scribe and Bouilly, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Ventadour, Paris.  A success tonight, it will ultimately fail.

    20 May 1842 Anton Rubinstein (12) gives his first important performance in London, at the Hanover Rooms.  In attendance is the very popular Felix Mendelssohn (33).

    20 May 1852 Two stage works by Stanislaw Moniuszko (33) are performed for the first time, in Vilnius:  the comic opera Bettly to words of Scribe and Mélesville, and The Gypsies, an operetta to words of Kniaznin.

    20 May 1872 Franz Liszt (60) writes to Richard Wagner (58), ending his anger at him and his daughter Cosima.

    20 May 1875 Cagliostro-Quadrille op.369 by Johann Strauss (49) is performed for the first time, in Schwender’s “Neue Welt”, Vienna.

    20 May 1877 During a performance of Franz Liszt’s (65) St. Elisabeth at the festival of the Allgemeiner Deutscher Musikverein in Hannover, the conductor falls off the podium to the floor in a drunken stupor.  The performance halts.  As he is carried off, Liszt comes forward, takes the baton and conducts the work to its conclusion.

    20 May 1896 Afternoon.  Clara Wieck Schumann dies in Frankfurt following two strokes, aged 76 years, eight months and seven days.

    20 May 1904 The Suite de Ballet in Eb op.10 for orchestra by Gustav Holst (29) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London, conducted by the composer.

    Symphonic Poem for orchestra by Frank Bridge (25) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London, directed by the composer.

    20 May 1905 Capriccio no.1 for piano by Frank Bridge (26) is performed for the first time, in Bechstein Hall, London.  It was the winner in a competition sponsored by the pianist Mark Hambourg who plays the premiere.

    20 May 1914 Luigi Russolo (29) puts on a second concert of “noise music”, in the Teatro Politeama in Genoa.  Although some protests are heard, they are quieted by other audience members.  See 21 April 1914.

    20 May 1915 La Ballade des lutins for band by Claude Champagne (23) is performed for the first time.

    20 May 1918 Exaltation op.10, a song for voice and piano by Howard Hanson (21) is performed for the first time.

    20 May 1922 Karol Szymanowski (39) presents a concert of his own music at the Théâtre du Vieux Colombier, Paris.  The critics are ecstatic and hail him as the new Chopin (†62).

    20 May 1933 Merry Mount, an opera by Howard Hanson (36) to words of Stokes, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  See 10 February 1934.

    20 May 1936 Symphony for Chorus by Roy Harris (38) is performed for the first time, at the Westminster Choir School, Princeton, New Jersey.

    20 May 1946 Jubilation, an overture for orchestra by Robert Ward (28), is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    20 May 1948 Symphony no.4 “1848” by Darius Milhaud (55) is performed for the first time, in Paris, under the baton of the composer.

    20 May 1950 Il prigioniero, an opera by Luigi Dallapiccola (46) to his own words after Villers de l’Isle Adam and de Coster, is staged for the first time, at the Teatro Comunale, Florence.  See 1 December 1949.

    Symphony no.1 by William Bergsma (29) is performed for the first time, on a radio broadcast originating in New York.

    20 May 1952 Song for horn and harp and dance band by Pauline Oliveros (19) is performed for the first time, at the University of Houston.

    20 May 1956 Grace to You and Peace for chorus and organ by Ulysses Kay (39) to words of Melnechuk after the Bible is performed for the first time, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

    20 May 1959 Quintuple Jazz op.72 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (74) is performed for the first time, in Iowa City.

    20 May 1961 Elegy for Young Lovers, an opera by Hans Werner Henze (34) to words of Auden and Kallman, is performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.  See 28 October 1988.

    20 May 1962 Alma Redemptoris Mater for baritone, violin, trombone, and tack piano by Lou Harrison (45) is performed for the first time, in Nepenthe, California.

    20 May 1963 Die Soldaten, a “vocal-symphony” for six vocal soloists and orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (45), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.  See 15 February 1965.

    20 May 1965 The Shepherd’s Calendar for young chorus and instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (30) to words of the Goliards is performed for the first time, in Sydney, Australia conducted by the composer.

    20 May 1969 Syrmos for 18 strings by Iannis Xenakis (46) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    20 May 1973 Suite for two cellos and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (61) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    Cantata to Life by Roy Harris (75) to words of Gibran is performed for the first time, in Dikelspiel Auditorium, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.

    20 May 1974 Mass for Solo Voice by Virgil Thomson (77) accompanied by orchestra is performed for the first time, at York Arts Center, York, England.  See 3 October 1960.

    20 May 1975 Two works by David Diamond (59) are performed for the first time, in celebration of the 60th year of the composer:  Hebrew Melodies, a cycle for voice and piano by words of Byron, and Sonata for solo cello.

    20 May 1976 Percussion Loops by Robert Erickson (59) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    20 May 1978 Tango Alemán, for solo voice, violin, bandoneion/accordion, and piano by Mauricio Kagel (46) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    Hungarian Rock for harpsichord by György Ligeti (54) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    Skating on the Sheyenne for band by Ross Lee Finney (71) is performed for the first time, in Brooklyn, New York.

    20 May 1979 String Quartet no.4 by Michael Tippett (74) is performed for the first time, in the Bath Assembly Rooms.

    20 May 1980 Soft Morning, City! for soprano, double bass, and computer generated tape by Tod Machover (26) to words of Joyce is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Smith Square, London.

    20 May 1981 A suite from the opera Der Revisor for trumpet and orchestra by Werner Egk (80) is performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.

    20 May 1982 Tutuguri IV for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (30) is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken.

    20 May 1984 Naama for harpsichord by Iannis Xenakis (61) is performed for the first time, in Luxembourg.

    On Light Wings for piano quartet by Gunther Schuller (58) is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.  Also premiered is Variations for piano quartet by Karel Husa (62).

    20 May 1988 Tree Line for chamber orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (57) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Double Concerto for clarinet, saxophone, and two chamber orchestras op.68 by Robin Holloway (44) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    20 May 1989 Sinfonia tragica for orchestra by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (†25) is performed for the first time, in Munich, 49 years after it was composed.

    20 May 1990 Tarantella for baritone and piano by Witold Lutoslawski (77) to words of Belloc is performed for the first time, in Purcell Room, London.  Also premiered is Tractus Clausum et Reconditum for mezzo-soprano and guitar by Peter Maxwell Davies (55) to words of a 15th century legal document from Ferrara.

    20 May 1995 Ulysses Simpson Kay dies in Englewood, New Jersey of Parkinson’s disease, aged 78 years, four months, and 13 days.

    20 May 1998 Joan Tower (59) is inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

    20 May 2000 Three works by Leslie Bassett (77) are performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan:  Two Stephens Songs for voice and piano, Three Graces for three flutes, and Song of the Aulos for oboe.

    Aurora for string orchestra by Thea Musgrave (71) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    20 May 2002 Linguae Ignis:  For Pentecost for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (67) is performed for the first time, in Florence.

    20 May 2005 UNESCO and the International Music Council award the IMC-UNESCO Music Prize to Mikis Theodorakis (79).

    20 May 2007 My Other Song for piano by Bright Sheng (51) is performed for the first time, in Rose Theatre, New York.

    20 May 2008 imAge/piano for solo piano by Roger Reynolds (73) is performed for the first time, at the Tenri Cultural Institute, New York.

    20 May 2009 Mnemosyne for high soprano and ensemble by Wolfgang Rihm (57) to words of Hölderlin, is performed for the first time, in the Kammermusiksaal of the Philharmonie, Berlin.

    Concerto for Harpischord by Thomas Pasatieri (63) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    20 May 2010 Passage 2, an intermedia performance by Roger Reynolds (75), is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego in La Jolla, California.

    21 May

    21 May 1814 Adrien Boieldieu’s (38) opéra comique Le béarnais, ou Henri IV en voyage to words of Sewrin is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    21 May 1822 Johann Wolfgang von Goethe receives a copy of Ludwig van Beethoven’s (51) Meeresstille un glückliche Fahrt, a cantata composed to Goethe’s words.  It was sent by the composer.

    21 May 1825 Le lapin blanc, an opéra comique by Ferdinand Hérold (34) to words of Mélesville and Carmouche, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    21 May 1830 Vincenzo Bellini (28) suffers a loss of appetite and “bilious gastric inflammatory fever” in Milan.  It will take him over a month to recover.  This is most likely amoebic dysentery, the disease that will eventually kill him.

    21 May 1846 Les Plages du Nil, a cantata by Fromental Halévy (46) to words of his brother Léon, is performed for the first time, at the Paris home of the Minister of Education.  It was written for the visit of Ibrahim Pasha, the heir apparent to the throne of Egypt.

    21 May 1862 Shortly after receiving his diploma from the Leipzig Conservatory, Edvard Grieg (18) gives his first public concert in Norway, at the Labor Union hall in Bergen.  Among other things he plays three of his piano pieces op.1.  His String Quartet in d minor is played for the first and last time.  The response is good.

    21 May 1865 Der Cid, a lyrisches Drama by Peter Cornelius (40) to his own words after de Castro, Corneille and Herder, is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Hoftheater.

    21 May 1868 In the Milan newspaper Il pungolo, Arrigo Boito (26) attacks the Italian Minister of Education Broglio for a public letter he wrote to Gioachino Rossini (76) snubbing Giuseppe Verdi (54).  Verdi has already returned the title Commander of the Crown of Italy over the incident.  The article is seen as the beginning of a reconciliation between Boito and Verdi.

    21 May 1871 Mme Charles Gounod leaves her husband (52) in London because of his liaison with Georgina Weldon.  Mme Gounod and their son return to France.

    21 May 1874 Bagatelle, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (54) to words of Crémieux and Blum, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    21 May 1875 The Resurrection op.5, for tenor, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Charles Villiers Stanford (22) to words of Klopstock, is performed for the first time, in Cambridge.  At this concert, Stanford also gives the British premiere of Part III of Faust by Robert Schumann (†19).  This brings him to the attention of the musical world outside of Cambridge.

    Isaac Albéniz (14) performs for the first time in the Western Hemisphere, in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  He will also play in Mayaguez and Cáguas.

    21 May 1889 Charles Ives (14) begins his first organ lessons, with JR Hall in Danbury, Connecticut.

    21 May 1892 Pagliacci, a dramma by Ruggero Leoncavallo (35) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Teatro dal Verme, Milan.  The public is very positive.  The critics are confused or hostile.

    21 May 1893 Our Birch Tree for male chorus by Leos Janácek (38) to words of Krásnohorská is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno).

    Antonín Dvorák (51) is quoted in the New York Herald as saying “I am now satisfied that the future of music in this country must be founded on what are called the negro melodies.”

    21 May 1895 Sommerabend op.84/1, a song by Johannes Brahms (62) to words of Schmidt, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    21 May 1902 Imperial Edward, a march by John Philip Sousa (47), is performed for the first time, in Montreal.  The march is dedicated to King Edward VII of Great Britain.

    21 May 1903 Leos Janácek (48) witnesses a performance of Louise by Gustave Charpentier (42) in Prague.  It will effect his work to the end of his life.  He is taken by the use of prose, and what Janácek calls “speech melodies.”

    Charles T. Griffes (18) plays a farewell concert at Elmira College Chapel, Elmira, New York before his departure for study in Berlin.  Two of his songs are performed for the first time:  Si mes vers avaient des ailes to words of Hugo, and Sur ma lyre l’autre fois to words of Saint-Beuve.  See 24 July 1906.

    21 May 1912 Two works by Franz Liszt (†25) are heard for the first time, in a performance at Weimar.  They are Les morts, the first of the Trois ordres funèbres, and Hungaria, a cantata for soprano, tenor, bass, male chorus, and orchestra, to words of Schober.  The former work was composed in the 1860s, the latter dates from the revolutionary year 1848.

    21 May 1919 Two chamber works of Edward Elgar (61), String Quartet op.83 and Piano Quintet op.84, are given their first public performances, at Wigmore Hall, London.

    21 May 1921 Piano Quintet no.2 op.115 by Gabriel Fauré (76) is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    21 May 1924 The Sonata for unaccompanied violin op.31/1 by Paul Hindemith (28) is performed for the first time, in Donaueschingen.

    21 May 1925 St. Patrick’s Breastplate for chorus and orchestra by Arnold Bax (41) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    Doktor Faust, an opera by Ferruccio Busoni (†0) to his own words, completed by Jarnach, is performed for the first time, in the Sachsisches Staatstheater, Dresden.

    21 May 1929 Sergey Prokofiev’s (38) ballet The Prodigal Son op.46, to a scenario by Kochno, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris the composer conducting.  Press and public are very positive.  See 7 March 1931.

    21 May 1932 Toccata for orchestra by Roy Harris (34) is performed for the first time, in a version for two pianos, in New York.

    21 May 1933 Balada de Mallorca for chorus by Manuel de Falla (56) to words of Verdaguer, is performed for the first time, at the Monastery of Valldemosa, Majorca.

    Piano Sonata in d minor by Ross Lee Finney (26) is performed for the first time, in Sage Hall, Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.

    21 May 1934 Suite for small orchestra by Henry Cowell (37) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    21 May 1935 String Quartet no.9 by Darius Milhaud (42) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    21 May 1937 Sept Chansons for chorus by Francis Poulenc (38) to words of Legrand, Eluard, and Apollinaire, is performed completely, perhaps for the first time.  See 15 November 1936.

    21 May 1941 Fiançailles pour rire, a cycle for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (43), to words of Vilmorin, is performed for the first time, at the École normale, Paris, the composer at the piano.

    21 May 1942 Fiancailles pour rire, a cycle for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (43) to words of Vilmorin, is performed for the first time, the composer at the piano.

    Le journal tombe à cinq heures, a film with music by Arthur Honegger (50), is shown for the first time, in Paris.

    21 May 1944 Three of the Quatre chansons pour voix grave for voice and piano by Arthur Honegger (52) to words of Verlaine, Ronsard, and Aguet are performed for the first time, in the Salle du Conservatoire, Paris.

    21 May 1948 Solitude for chorus by György Ligeti (24) to words of Weöres is performed for the first time, in Budapest.

    First Suite for Strings by Lou Harrison (31) is performed for the first time, at the National Institute of Arts and Letters as part of a ceremony awarding creative grants to Harrison, Henry Cowell (51), and Vincent Persichetti.

    Danzas de Panama for string quartet by William Grant Still (53) is performed for the first time, in the Los Angeles County Museum.

    21 May 1950 Suite for orchestra by Ulysses Kay (33) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    21 May 1952 Je suis jaloux, Psyché op.104/2 for voice and piano by Charles Koechlin (†1) is performed for the first time, in Salle Berlioz of the Conservatoire Nationale de Musique, Paris, 24 years after it was composed.

    Timbres-Durées, musique concrète for tape by Olivier Messiaen (43) and Pierre Henry (24) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of French Radio.

    Musica su due dimensioni for flute, cymbal, and tape by Bruno Maderna (32) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.

    21 May 1954 Funeral services in memory of Charles Ives take place at his West Redding, Connecticut home.  Presiding is his brother-in-law, Rev. Joseph Hooker Twichell.  His neighbor, Luemily Ryder, plays Ives’ Prelude on Eventide on the upright piano.  His mortal remains are laid to rest in Wooster Cemetery, Danbury, Connecticut.

    21 May 1956 Piano Sonata no.7 op.40 by Vincent Persichetti (40) is performed for the first time, at Philadelphia Conservatory.

    21 May 1959 String Trio by David Del Tredici (22) is performed for the first time, in Herz Hall of the University of California, Berkeley.

    21 May 1961 Perspectives for orchestra by Thea Musgrave (32) is performed for the first time, in Stirling.

    Bagatelles op.87 for band by Vincent Persichetti (45) is performed for the first time, at Dartmouth College, the composer conducting.

    21 May 1962 Momente no.13 for soprano, four choruses, and 13 players by Karlheinz Stockhausen (33), to the words of various authors, is performed for the first time over the airwaves of WDR, originating in Cologne conducted by the composer.

    21 May 1963 El amor propiciado, the second revision of Panfilo and Lauretta, an opera by Carlos Chávez (63) to words of Kallman after Boccaccio (tr. Lindsay and Hernández Moncada), is performed for the first time, in Mexico City.  See 9 May 1957, 28 October 1959 and 26 July 1968.

    21 May 1965 South by Five for girls voices and instruments by Peter Sculthorpe (36) is performed for the first time, in Sydney.

    Tread on the Trail for unspecified instruments by Terry Riley (29) is performed for the first time, at the San Francisco Tape Music Center.  Among the performers are Pauline Oliveros (32), Steve Reich (28), and the composer.

    21 May 1966 B, A, B, B, IT, T for clarinet by Donald Martino (35) is performed for the first time, in New Haven, Connecticut by the composer.  It is dedicated to Milton Babbitt on his 50th birthday.

    21 May 1967 Prozession no.23 for tam-tam, viola, electronium, piano, microphones, filters, and potentiometers by Karlheinz Stockhausen (38) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Helsinki.

    Stücke for oboe and piano by Ernst Krenek (66) is performed for the first time, in Zagreb.

    21 May 1970 Sonata for violin solo no.2 by Otto Luening (69) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    21 May 1971 Love 201, a ballet by Peter Sculthorpe (42) for rock band and prerecorded sounds, is performed for the first time, in Canberra Playhouse.

    Fables:  Five Very Short Operas by Ned Rorem (47) to words of de la Fontaine, (tr. Moore), is performed for the first time, at the University of Tennessee, Martin.

    21 May 1972 Meditation III from Mass for orchestra by Leonard Bernstein (53) is performed for the first time, in Jerusalem, conducted by the composer.  See 8 September 1971.

    21 May 1973 Solemn Prelude, a fanfare for eleven brass instruments by Ned Rorem (49) is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera.

    21 May 1974 Erikhthon for piano and orchestra by Iannis Xenakis (51) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    21 May 1975 In Space for soprano and instrumental ensemble by William Bergsma (54) is performed for the first time, in Meany Hall, Studio Theatre, Seattle.

    21 May 1976 Vom Tao, choruses from the opera Sim Tjong for chorus, organ, and percussion by Isang Yun (58) to words of Kunz is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    21 May 1979 Light and Dark for organ by Sofia Gubaidulina (47) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad.

    21 May 1980 Prism for orchestra by Jacob Druckman (51) is performed for the first time, in Baltimore.

    21 May 1982 String Quartet no.1 by Conlon Nancarrow (69) is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken, about 35 years after it was composed.

    21 May 1983 Liturgy no.2 “For Children who get Killed in War” for chorus by Mikis Theodorakis (57) to words of Livaditis and the composer is performed for the first time, in Dresden.

    21 May 1985 Duo Concertante for alto saxophone and piano by Leslie Bassett (62) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    21 May 1986 The Mask of Orpheus, a lyrical tragedy by Harrison Birtwistle (51) to words of Zinovieff, is performed for the first time, in the London Coliseum.

    Incidental music to Sturzo’s play Le cycle de la création by Darius Milhaud (†11) is performed for the first time, in Quirinal Palace, Rome, 52 years after it was composed.

    A Prayer for Peace for chorus and strings by Samuel Adler (58) is performed for the first time, in Iowa City, Iowa.

    21 May 1989 Huit esquisses en duo pour un pianiste by Jean-Claude Risset (51) is performed for the first time, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    21 May 1995 A Piano Sonata in G by Aaron Copland (†4) is performed for the first time, in Washington, 74 years after it was composed.

    21 May 1996 Sigrancia Ballade for baritone and orchestra by Betsy Jolas (69) to words of du Bouchet is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    21 May 1998 Vessels of Courage and Hope for orchestra by Shulamit Ran (48) is performed for the first time, in Baltimore.  It was commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel.

    21 May 1999 JUSTICE for actress, soprano, percussion, and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (64) is performed for the first time, in Shizuoka, Japan.

    21 May 2002 Salve Regina for chorus and organ by Arvo Pärt (66) is performed for the first time, in Essen Cathedral.

    21 May 2003 Errol Morris’ film The Fog of War with music by Philip Glass (66) is shown for the first time, at Cannes.

    21 May 2004 Doctor Atomic, Easter Eve 1945 for soprano and orchestra by John Adams (57) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    21 May 2006 Akt for soprano and string quartet by Wolfgang Rihm (54) is performed for the first time, in the Muziekgebouw, Amsterdam.

    21 May 2007 Steve Reich (70) is awarded the Polar Prize by King Gusaf XVI Adolf of Sweden.

    22 May

    22 May 1764 Dass wir nach gedämpften kriegen, an oratorio by Georg Philipp Telemann (83) to honor the election of Crown Prince Joseph as King of the Romans, is performed for the first time, in St. John’s, Hamburg.

    22 May 1769 Freue dich deiner Hütten--Gott sei Dank for chorus, harp, harpsichord and strings by Johannes Herbst (33) is performed for the first time.

    22 May 1780 François-Joseph Gossec (46) is appointed sous-directeur of the Paris Opéra under Dauvergne.

    22 May 1784 Samuel Wesley (18) completes his Missa de spiritu sancto, composed to express the seriousness of his conversion to Catholicism. In September he will send a copy to its dedicatee, Pope Pius VI.  The Pope will express his pleasure.

    22 May 1790 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (34) performs his String Quartets K.575 and 589 at his home in Vienna.

    22 May 1798 Teseo riconosciuto, a dramma per musica by Gaspare Spontini (23) to words of Giotti, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Intrepidi, Florence.

    22 May 1813 Wilhelm Richard Wagner is born in Leipzig, the ninth child of Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Wagner, a police actuary, and Johanna Rosine Pätz, daughter of a baker.  It is possible that Wagner is the illegitimate child of Ludwig Geyer, who will become the boy’s stepfather upon the death of Carl Friedrich Wagner in November 1813.

    L’italiana in Algeri, a dramma giocoso by Gioachino Rossini (21) to words of Anelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice.  The work is met with great enthusiasm.

    22 May 1836 St. Paul, an oratorio by Felix Mendelssohn (27) to words of Schubring after the Bible, is performed for the first time, at the Niederrheinisches Musikfest, Düsseldorf, the composer conducting.  This performance, and others at the festival, assure the international stature of Mendelssohn.

    22 May 1851 Ascribe to the Lord for chorus and organ by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (40) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in Winchester Cathedral, the composer at the keyboard.

    22 May 1853 Three nights of concerts featuring the music of Richard Wagner ends in Zürich on the composer’s 40th birthday.  He is given a banquet, a laurel wreath and a poem in his honor is read.  This poem is presented anonymously, but was written by the wife of a close friend, Johanna Spyri, who will become more famous for creating Heidi in 1880.  The festival brings Wagner great acclaim, and produces an enormous debt.

    22 May 1859 Franz Liszt (47) travels to Leipzig for the Tonkünstler-Versammlung.  While there, he will meet a young student named Arthur Sullivan (17).  They will play a game of whist with two other students.

    22 May 1861 Franz Liszt (49) dines at the Tuileries with Emperor Napoleon III and Empress Eugènie and invited guests.  He plays for the gathering and causes a sensation.

    22 May 1864 His beloved Erard having been sold to pay creditors, King Ludwig II gives a new Bechstein piano to Richard Wagner for his 51st birthday.

    22 May 1866 King Ludwig escapes incognito into Switzerland to be with Richard Wagner on his 53rd birthday.  He arrives at Tribschen and stays two days.

    22 May 1872 On his 59th birthday, in a driving rain, Richard Wagner lays the cornerstone for the Bayreuth Festspielhaus. Later, in the town’s opera house, Wagner speaks on how he envisions the building and then conducts a performance of Ludwig van Beethoven’s (†45) Symphony no.9 in celebration.  There is an enormous banquet.  Friedrich Nietzsche, who accompanies Wagner, will write, “Everything that had happened up to now was a preparation for this moment.”

    Djamileh, an opéra comique by Georges Bizet (33) to words of Gallet, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  Bizet sits in the prompter’s box to make sure nothing goes wrong.  Towards the end, he tells a friend, “It’s a complete flop.”  It is not a flop, but neither is it a success.  Later, the composer will say, “If you want to succeed today, you have to be dead, or German.”

    Spring Comes Hither op.1/4 for voice and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (19) is performed for the first time, at Cambridge University.

    22 May 1873 Anton Rubinstein (43) gives his last concert in North America, in New York.  In the last twelve days alone he gave 14 concerts in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia, ten of which were solo recitals.  Since arriving last September he has given 203 performances in 58 cities as far north as Montreal, west as Burlington, Iowa and south as New Orleans.  It has been perhaps the most successful and tumultuous such tour of the nineteenth century.

    22 May 1874 Messa da Requiem for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi (60) is performed for the first time, in the church of San Marco, Milan, conducted by the composer.  See 2 June 1873.

    22 May 1877 God is Our Hope:  Psalm 46 op.8 for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (24) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge.

    22 May 1878 A Requiem by Camille Saint-Saëns (42) is performed for the first time, at Saint Sulpice, Paris.  The work is in memory of Albert Libon who died last year and left the composer 100,000 francs.

    22 May 1880 La Vierge, a légende sacrée by Jules Massenet (38) to words of Grandmougin, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is not successful.

    22 May 1883 Arthur Sullivan (41) is knighted at Windsor Castle by Queen Victoria.

    22 May 1887 The Liszt (†0) Museum is opened at his home in Weimar.  His daughter Cosima does not attend since this is, by coincidence, Wagner’s (†4) birthday.

    22 May 1888 The Song of Promise op.43 for chorus and orchestra by John Knowles Paine (49) to words of Woodberry, is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    22 May 1896 Valse Mignonne op.104 for piano by Camille Saint-Saëns (60) is performed for the first time, in Paris by the composer.  Also premiered is the original piano-four hands version of Berceuse op.105.  See 8 May 1896.

    22 May 1908 L’abbaye (part 1) op.16 for solo voices, chorus, organ, and orchestra by Charles Koechlin (40) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    22 May 1911 The earthly remains of Gustav Mahler are laid to rest in the Grinzing cemetery, Vienna, in the same grave as his daughter.  Hundreds of mourners line the route and attend the burial in a steady rain, including Arnold Schoenberg (36), Alfons Diepenbrock (48), Bruno Walter, Hugo von Hofmannsthal, Gustav Klimt, and representatives of major artistic organizations in Vienna and beyond.

    Incidental music to D’Annunzio’s mystery play Le martyre de St. Sébastien by Claude Debussy (48) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    22 May 1915 Quatre poèmes do Léo Latil op.20 for voice and piano by Darius Milhaud (22) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    22 May 1916 Three of the four Songs of Farewell by Hubert Parry (68) are performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.

    Gordon Ware Binkerd is born in Lynch, Nebraska.

    22 May 1924 The Concerto for piano and winds by Igor Stravinsky (41) is performed publicly for the first time, at the Paris Opéra, the composer at the keyboard.  At the beginning of the largo movement, conductor Serge Koussevitzky has to hum the first few bars to the pianist who has forgotten them.  The work, however, is a triumphant success.  See 14 May 1924.

    22 May 1925 A revised version of El Amor brujo, a ballet for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Manuel de Falla (48) to words of Martínez Sierra, is performed for the first time, in the Trianon Lyrique, Paris.

    22 May 1929 Kurt Weill’s (29) cantata Das Berliner Requiem, to words of Brecht, for tenor, baritone, male chorus, and winds, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Frankfurt Radio.

    22 May 1931 Albert Roussel’s (62) ballet Bacchus et Ariane, to a scenario by Hermant, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  See 2 April 1933 and 2 February 1934.

    Sahdji, a ballet by William Grant Still (36) to a scenario by Locke and Bruce, is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York Howard Hanson (34) conducting.

    22 May 1935 Die Zaubergeige, an opera by Werner Egk (34) to words of Andersen and the composer after Pocci, is performed for the first time, in Städtische Bühnen, Frankfurt.

    22 May 1936 01:00  Henry Cowell (39) is arrested at his home in Menlo Park, California for having intimate relations with at least one teenaged boy.  He is detained in the Redwood City jail.

    22 May 1938 An exhibition of degenerate music opens in Düsseldorf.  Among the composers enshrined as “cultural bolsheviks” are Arnold Schoenberg (63), Igor Stravinsky (55), Alban Berg (†2), Paul Hindemith (42), Kurt Weill (38), and Ernst Krenek (37).

    Adolf Hitler creates the Richard-Wagner-Forschungsstätte to encourage study of Wagner’s (†55) music and philosophy.

    22 May 1942 Incidental music to LaGallienne’s (after Carroll) play Alice in Wonderland by Irving Fine (27) is performed for the first time, in John Hancock Hall, Boston.

    22 May 1946 El duende azul, an operetta by Joaquín Rodrigo (44) to words of Castell and Villaseca, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Calderón, Madrid.

    22 May 1948 Works for solo piano by György Ligeti (24) are performed for the first time, in Budapest:  Two Capriccios and Invention for piano.

    Incidental music to the radio documentary Broken Arrow by Colin McPhee (48) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBS radio network, originating in Minneapolis.

    22 May 1949 06:40  Hans Erich Pfitzner dies in Salzburg of pneumonia, aged 80 years and 17 days.  His mortal remains will be laid to rest in Vienna’s Zentralfriedhof.

    Concertante for clarinet and orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (36) is performed for the first time, at Chautauqua, New York by Artie Shaw who commissioned the work.

    22 May 1950 Vier letzte Lieder for voice and orchestra by Richard Strauss (†0) to words of Eichendorff and Hesse, are performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.

    22 May 1951 Songs About Spring, a cycle for soprano and piano by Dominick Argento (23) to words of cummings, is performed for the first time, at Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore, the composer at the keyboard.  See 14 July 1960.

    22 May 1953 Aaron Copland (52) receives the following telegram:  “You are hereby directed to appear before this committee on Monday May twenty-fifth at 2:30 p.m.--Joe McCarthy, Chairman Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.”

    From a Lost Continent for piano and chorus by William Grant Still (58) is performed for the first time, in San Jose, California.  See 27 March 1955.

    22 May 1954 Two works for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (61) are performed for the first time, in Louisville:  Kentuckiana op.287, and Ouverture méditerranéenne op.330.

    22 May 1959 Five works by Ralph Shapey (38) are performed for the first time, in Carl Fischer Concert Hall, New York:  Trio for violin, cello and piano, Piano Trio, Rhapsodie for oboe and piano, String Quartet no.5 with female voice, to words of Klement, and Form for piano.  Also premiered are three of the five movements of Enactments for three pianos by Stefan Wolpe (56).  See 26 April 1963.

    22 May 1960 Der Prinz von Homburg, an opera by Hans Werner Henze (33) to words of Bachmann after Kleist, is performed for the first time, at the Hamburg Staatsoper.  See 24 July 1992.

    22 May 1961 Music of Tree for orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (30) is performed for the first time, in Hibiya Hall, Tokyo.

    22 May 1962 Heterophonie for 42 solo instruments by Mauricio Kagel (30) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    22 May 1963 String Quartet no.3 by Leslie Bassett (40) is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    22 May 1966 During the night (21-22 May), Steve Reich (29) dreams a melody.  He wakes up and tapes himself playing it on the melodica.  He loops the tape and completes the piece later in the day.  He calls the piece Melodica.

    22 May 1969 Orpheus--for the Singer to the Dance for tenor, chorus, and percussion by Lou Harrison (52) to words of Duncan, is performed for the first time, at San Jose State University, California.

    22 May 1977 Atmen gibt das Leben for chorus and orchestra or tape by Karlheinz Stockhausen (48) is performed completely for the first time, at the Musée National Message Biblique Marc Chagall in Nizza to celebrate the 90th birthday of Chagall.  See 16 May 1975.

    22 May 1979 Concerto for amplified guitar and chamber orchestra by Tod Machover (25) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.  Also premiered are Machover’s Two Songs for soprano and chamber ensemble to words of Moss, and Yoku Mireba for flute, cello, and piano.

    22 May 1983 Schall und Hall for trombone and piano by Alfred Schnittke (48) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    22 May 1985 Stradella, an opera by César Franck (†94) to words of Deschamps, is performed for the first time, accompanied by two pianos, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris 144 years after it was composed.  Two scenes were performed in 1843.

    22 May 1988 Through the efforts of Laurel Fay, John Cage (75) and Sofia Gubaidulina (56) meet in Leningrad.  Although he is unable to hear her music on this trip, Cage will compose Two2 based on his conversation with Gubaidulina.

    Piano Sonata no.1 by Alfred Schnittke (54) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    22 May 1990 Simple Daylight for soprano and piano by John Harbison (51) to words of Fried is performed for the first time, in Herbst Theatre, San Francisco.

    22 May 1991 One6 for violin by John Cage (78) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    22 May 1992 The second, third, and fourth pieces from ...in real time op.50 for piano by Alexander Goehr (57) is performed for the first time, at the University of Southampton.

    22 May 1997 Dodecaphonia for mezzo-soprano and piano by John Corigliano (59) to words of Adamo is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.

    Allegro Scorrevole for orchestra by Elliott Carter (88) is performed for the first time, in Severance Hall, Cleveland.  See 25 April 1998.

    22 May 1999 Sotto voce, a nocturne for piano and chamber orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (47), is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Statement—Remembering Aaron for violin by Elliott Carter (90) is performed for the first time, in the Grieghallen, Bergen.

    Triple Quartet for string quartet and tape by Steve Reich (62) is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center in Washington.  See 28 January 2000.

    22 May 2000 In Frage for eight players by Wolfgang Rihm (48) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    22 May 2003 In principio for chorus and orchestra by Arvo Pärt (67) to words from the Bible, is performed for the first time, in Herz Jesu Kirche, Graz.

    Wolfgang Rihm (51) receives the Ernst von Siemers Music Award in the Cuvilliestheater, Munich where his Stilles Stück 2 for baritone, horn, and strings to words of Fleming is performed for the first time.

    Marching to Carcassonne for piano and twelve instruments by Alexander Goehr (70) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.  Also premiered in Goehr’s 2 notes only for Ollie for eleven players.

    Passing Strangers for chorus by Norman Dello Joio (90) is performed for the first time, in Mystic Beach, New York.

    22 May 2008 “These Words…” for strings and percussion by Arvo Pärt (72) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.

    22 May 2009 Bogenstrich for voice, cello, and piano by Harrison Birtwistle (74) to words of Rilke is performed for the first time, in Alto Adige.

    Veni Creator for chorus and strings by Arvo Pärt (73) is performed for the first time, in Lublin.

    23 May

    23 May 1799 Antonio Salieri’s (48) cantata Der Tyroler Landsturm to words of Ratschky is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  It is in honor of “the little land which successfully and heroically resisted Napoléon.”

    23 May 1812 Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s (33) pantomime Der Zauberkampf, oder Harlekin in seiner Heimat to words of Kees is performed for the first time, in Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.

    23 May 1814 The third version of Fidelio oder Die eheliche Liebe, an opera by Ludwig van Beethoven (43) to words of Sonnleithner, reworked by Treitschke, is performed for the first time, at the Kärntnertortheater, Vienna.  The overture used is from Beethoven’s music for The Ruins of Athens.  The Fidelio overture will not be used until 26 May.  This time, the opera is a success.  Franz Schubert (17) is in the audience.  See 20 November 1805 and 29 March 1806.

    23 May 1824 Shortly after Antonio Salieri (73) cuts his own throat in a suicide attempt, Calisto Bassi begins passing out printed copies of his poem “A Lodovico van Beethoven Ode Alcaica.”  In it, Bassi makes the first claim that Salieri poisoned Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (†32).  Vienna police quickly confiscate as many copies as they can find.

    23 May 1825 Gaspare Spontini’s (50) zauberoper Alcidor to words of Théaulon de Lambert after Rochon de Chabannes translated by Herklotz, is performed for the first time, at the Berlin Opera.

    Johann Nepomuk Hummel (46) gives his farewell concert to Paris, at the Salle du Menus-Plaisirs.

    23 May 1828 Several music publishers are brought together in Leipzig by Friedrich Hofmeister to form the Verein der Musikverleger gegen musikalischen Nachdruck.

    23 May 1833 The Weihnachts-Ouverture über den Choral “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm’ ich her” for chorus orchestra and organ by Otto Nicolai (22) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    23 May 1851 Promenade-Quadrille op.98 by Johann Strauss (25) is performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    23 May 1873 Incidental music to Ostrovsky’s play The Snow Maiden by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (33) is performed for the first time, at the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow.

    23 May 1887 Charles Martin Loeffler (26) is made an American citizen.

    23 May 1889 The Threat for male chorus by Leos Janácek (34) to traditional Moravian words is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno).

    Symphony no.3 “English” by Hubert Parry (41) is performed for the first time, in London, directed by the composer.

    23 May 1894 Two works by Claude Debussy (31) are performed for the first time:  the second of the Deux Arabesques for piano, and the Petite Suite for piano-four hands.  For the suite, it is the first public performance.  See 1 March 1889.

    23 May 1899 Si tu le veux op.5/5 for voice and piano or orchestra by Charles Koechlin (31) to words of Marsan is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    23 May 1901 Ave Maria op.9b, for eight-part female choir, by Gustav Holst (26) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London.

    23 May 1907 Suite in E major for orchestra by Ottorino Respighi (27) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Duse, Bologna.

    23 May 1920 Short Festival Te Deum by Gustav Holst (45) for chorus and orchestra is performed for the first time, at The Old College, Dulwich, London.

    23 May 1925 Concertino for Piano and Orchestra by Arthur Honegger (33) is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  The solo part is played by Andrée Vaurabourg who will marry the composer within a year.

    23 May 1927 Sur une poésie de Toulet op.104/1 for voice and piano by Charles Koechlin (59) is performed for the first time, in Salle des agriculteurs, Paris.  Also premiered is Réponse d’une épouse sage for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (58) to words of Roché (after Giles), Maurice Ravel (52) at the piano.

    23 May 1929 Maurice Ravel’s (54) orchestral work La Valse is staged as a ballet in the Paris Opéra.  See 12 December 1920 and 12 January 1929.

    23 May 1931 Nursery Suite, for orchestra by Edward Elgar (73) is performed for the first time, in the HMV recording studio, London under the baton of the composer in the presence of the Duke and Duchess of York.  The work is dedicated to them and their daughters, the Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.  See 20 August 1931.

    23 May 1933 Arnold Schoenberg (58) and Franz Schreker (55) are sent an official confirmation that they are suspended from their positions at the Prussian Academy of the Arts.  Their salaries will continue pending further notice.

    23 May 1934 Gustav Holst (59) undergoes an operation to remove a duodenal ulcer, at Beaufort House.  The hospital announces the operation a success but that recovery will be slow.

    Murder at the Vanities, a film with music by Duke Ellington (35), is released in the United States.  It is the first film featuring the Ellington band that was made in Hollywood.

    23 May 1937 The Return of Maxim, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (30), is shown for the first time.

    Lenox Avenue, a ballet by William Grant Still (42) to a scenario by Arvey, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBS radio network originating in New York.

    23 May 1938 Zangezur, a film with music by Aram Khachaturian (34), is released.

    Pioneers! for chorus by William Schuman (27) to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, in Princeton, New Jersey.

    Trio for violin, viola, and cello by David Diamond (22) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    23 May 1939 Dmitri Shostakovich (32) is appointed a professor Leningrad Conservatory.

    23 May 1940 The Little Concerto for piano, organ, and orchestra by Ernst Krenek (39) is performed for the first time, in Skinner Recital Hall, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York conducted by the composer.

    23 May 1941 Mélancolie for piano by Francis Poulenc (42) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    Incidental music to Aristophanes’ play The Peace by Leonard Bernstein (22) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    23 May 1943 The original band setting of Commando March by Samuel Barber (33) is performed for the first time, in Convention Hall, Atlantic City.  See 29 October 1943.

    23 May 1947 A suite from the ballet Danse Calinda by Ulysses Kay (30) is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 23 April 1941.

    23 May 1948 String Quartet no.1 by Karel Husa (26) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    23 May 1952 Masquerage, a film with music by Pierre Schaeffer (41), is shown for the first time, at Cannes.

    Three works for tape by Pierre Henry (24) are performed for the first time, in the Salle de l’Ancien Conservatoire, Paris:  Microphone bien tempéré, Musique sans titre, and Concerto des ambiguïtés.

    23 May 1954 Grief, a song for voice and piano by William Grant Still (59) is performed for the first time, in Saratoga, California.

    23 May 1959 A film of Modest Musorgsky’s (†78) opera Khovanshchina, with music reorchestrated by Dmitri Shostakovich (52), is shown for the first time, in Leningrad.

    23 May 1959 A film of Modest Musorgsky’s (†78) opera Khovanshchina, with music reorchestrated by Dmitri Shostakovich (52), is shown for the first time.

    Recitatives from Lou Harrison’s (42) Political Primer to his own words are performed for the first time, at the University of Buffalo.

    23 May 1961 Durations 4 for vibraphone, violin, and cello by Morton Feldman (35) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    23 May 1962 Vertrauenssache (What Price Confidence?), a chamber opera by Ernst Krenek (61) to his own translation of his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Saarbrücken Stadttheater.

    23 May 1963 Hymnody for flute/piccolo, oboe, clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, two pianos, and percussion by Roberto Gerhard (66) is performed for the first time, in London.

    23 May 1966 Die schwarze Spinne, a singspiel by Josef Matthias Hauer (†6) to words of Schlesinger after Gotthelf, is performed for the first time, in Theater an der Wien, Vienna, 34 years after it was composed.

    Animus I for trombone and tape by Jacob Druckman (37) is performed for the first time, at Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.

    23 May 1969 Songs of Ecstasy for soprano with piano, percussion, and tape by Ralph Shapey (48) is performed for the first time, in Mandel Hall of the University of Chicago.

    Colloquy for orchestra by Leslie Bassett (46) is performed for the first time, in Fresno, California.

    23 May 1971 When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d, a cantata for soprano, alto, baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Roger Sessions (74) to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, in Berkeley, California.

    23 May 1976 Serenade on Five English Poems for solo voice, violin, viola, and piano by Ned Rorem (52) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time, in the Akron Art Institute.

    23 May 1978 Music for Orchestra by Otto Luening (77) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York conducted by Gunther Schuller, 55 years after it was composed.

    23 May 1980 An added Adagio for the first version of the Symphony no.3 by Anton Bruckner (†83) is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 104 years after it was composed.

    23 May 1981 Piano Sonata by Peter Maxwell Davies (46) is performed for the first time, in the Guildhall, Bath.

    23 May 1983 Allegro vivace for string quartet by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) is performed for the first time, in Barbican Hall, London, 31 years after it was composed.

    23 May 1986 Unbenannt I for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    23 May 1990 Magnificat for chorus by Arvo Pärt (54) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    23 May 1992 Tropic for clarinet, violin, two guitars, double bass, and percussion by Peter Sculthorpe (63) is performed for the first time, in Brighton, Great Britain.

    Costaso, a dramatic work by William Grant Still (†13), is performed for the first time, in Pasadena, California.

    23 May 1993 Etude 13 from György Ligeti’s (69) Etudes for piano Book II is performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.

    Partita no.1 op.62/1 for horn by Robin Holloway (49) is performed for the first time, in Bath.

    23 May 1997 Galgenlieder à 5, a cycle for mezzo-soprano, flute, percussion, bayan, and double bass by Sofia Gubaidulina (65) to words of Morgenstern, is performed for the first time, in Hannover.

    23 May 2002 Tri-IX for piano by Jean-Claude Risset (64) is performed for the first time, at Radio-France, Paris.

    Tan Dun (44) wins the Classical Brit Contemporary Music Award for his score to the film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

    23 May 2003 Les Icare africains for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Henri Pousseur (73) is performed for the first time, in the Milan Cathedral.

    24 May

    24 May 1785 Armide, an opera by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (25) to words of Bock after Bertati, is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    24 May 1791 Incidental music to a play by Pujoulx, La mort de Mirabeau by Luigi Cherubini (30) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre De Monsieur, Paris.

    24 May 1799 An Overture and Characteristic Pieces for Kelly’s play Pizarro by Jan Ladislav Dussek (39) are performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    24 May 1803 The Sonata for violin and piano op.47 dedicated to Rudolf Kreutzer by Ludwig van Beethoven (32) is performed for the first time, in Vienna, the composer at the keyboard.

    24 May 1813 Le prince troubadour, ou Le grand trompeur de dames, an opéra comique by Etienne-Nicolas Méhul (49) to words of Duval, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    24 May 1819 At a performance of La Gazza ladra in Gioachino Rossini’s (27) home town of Pesaro, followers of Caroline of Brunswick, Princess of Wales do everything they can to disrupt the proceedings.  She and her lover are hoping to repay an alleged snub he gave them last year.  Most citizens hope to make his return a gala occasion but the toughs force the town fathers to smuggle him in the stage door.  They carry out whistling and disruptions from all sides of the theatre.  Rossini will never set foot in Pesaro again.

    24 May 1829 Nicolò Paganini (46) performs at a banquet celebrating today’s coronation of the Tsar as King of Poland, in Warsaw.  Tsar Nikolay presents him with a diamond ring.

    24 May 1832 Johann Nepomuk Hummel (53) in Weimar writes to Robert Schumann (21) in Leipzig.  Schumann wrote twice to Hummel asking for a critique of his opp.1 and 2.  Hummel finds Schumann talented but says he is “trying too hard to achieve originality, by which I mean something strange.”  (Kroll 286)  He encourages Schumann but says nothing about taking him as a pupil.

    24 May 1833 Hans Heiling, a grosse romantische Oper by Heinrich August Marschner (37) to words of Devrient, is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Hofoper, the composer conducting.  It is an overwhelming success.

    24 May 1834 Lestocq, ou L’intrigue et l’amour, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (52) to words of Scribe, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre de la Bourse, Paris.

    24 May 1849 After five days of hiding in Magdala, Richard Wagner (36) walks to Jena and the home of Prof. Oskar Wolf.

    24 May 1861 After a dinner party at the home of Fromental Halévy (61), Georges Bizet (22) sight-reads a difficult work by Franz Liszt (49).  The composer, who is present, calls Bizet one of the three finest pianists in Europe, along with Hans von Bülow and himself.

    24 May 1862 After being refused a presentation at the Exhibition of 1862, Inno delle nazioni for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Giuseppe Verdi (48) to words of Boito (20), is performed for the first time, at Her Majesty’s Theatre, London.

    24 May 1867 Overture on Czech Themes by Mily Balakirev (30) and Fantasia on Serbian Themes by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (23) are performed for the first time.  The works are given in honor of Slav visitors to the All-Russian Ethnographical Exhibition.  In writing of this concert, Stasov first uses the phrase Moguchaya Kuchka (Mighty Handful) to denote the Balakirev group.

    24 May 1872 Two days after the laying of the cornerstone, Richard Wagner (59) hires an architect to build the Bayreuth Festspielhaus.  He signs a contract with Peter Otto Brückwald of Leipzig.

    24 May 1875 Bedrich Smetana (51) enters the clinic of Dr. Zaufal where he undergoes a month’s therapy to cure his deafness including a dark isolation room and foul-smelling dressings smeared on his body.  The treatment fails.

    24 May 1886 Richard Strauss (21) arrives in Munich to take up his post at the Munich Court Opera.  In the two months before his contract goes into effect, he will compose Aus Italien, inspired by the five weeks he just spent in Italy.

    24 May 1893 Phryné, an opéra comique by Camille Saint-Saëns (57) to words of Augé de Lassus, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris.

    24 May 1896 The earthly remains of Clara Wieck Schumann are laid to rest in Bonn, next to those of her husband Robert (†39).  Large numbers attend, including numerous children and grandchildren and other family, and Johannes Brahms (63).

    24 May 1898 Fantasio, a phantastiche Komödie by Ethel Smyth (40) to words of Brewster and the composer after de Musset, is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Hoftheater.

    24 May 1899 Cendrillon, a conte de fées by Jules Massenet (57) to words of Cain after Perault, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  It is an overwhelming success.

    Edward Elgar’s (41) part-song To Her Beneath Whose Steadfast Star to words of Myers is performed for the first time, at Windsor Castle as one of a group of songs dedicated to Queen Victoria on her 80th birthday.

    24 May 1900 Fantasy on Straf’ mich nicht in deinem Zorn op.40/2 for organ by Max Reger (27) is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno).

    24 May 1906 Sea Drift, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Frederick Delius (44) to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, in Essen.

    24 May 1908 A chorus by Edward Elgar (50), Follow the Colours, to words of Stretton, is performed for the first time, at the Royal Albert Hall, London.  It is produced under the title Marching Song.  See 10 October 1914.

    24 May 1911 Dante and Beatrice, a symphonic poem by Granville Bantock (42), is performed for the first time, in Glasgow, under the direction of the composer.

    Rima op.6, a song for voice and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (28) to words of Becquer, is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    The Second Symphony of Edward Elgar (53) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London, conducted by the composer.  Both the public and critics are confused and lukewarm.

    The symphonic movement Americanesque by Henry Gilbert (42) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.  It is sometimes titled Humoresque on Negro Minstrel Tunes. The critics are generally positive about the music while noting the particularly bad performance.

    24 May 1915 Morning.  Alfredo Casella (31) leaves his Paris home and ventures out into the city.  He finds joy and delirium everywhere as Parisians celebrate the entry of Italy into the war.  On hearing the news, Casella reports to the Italian consulate to find out what is required of him.

    24 May 1917 Symphonic Prelude by Roger Sessions (20) is performed for the first time, in Woolsey Hall of Yale University.  During the concert, announcement is made that Sessions has won the Steinert Prize of $100.

    24 May 1918 Duke Bluebeard’s Castle op.11, an opera by Béla Bartók (37) to words of Balázs, is performed for the first time, at the Budapest Opera House.  The press is generally favorable.

    24 May 1921 Le Gendarme incompris, a comédie-bouffe by Francis Poulenc (22) to words of Cocteau and Radiguet, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre des Mathurins, Paris.

    Le Piège de Méduse, a lyric comedy by Erik Satie (55) to his own words, is produced for the first time, in Paris, conducted by Darius Milhaud (28).  Satie tries to have the performance stopped.  The actor Pierre Bertin is doing a too real impersonation of Satie.

    24 May 1924 Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (27) marries Yekaterina Pavlovna Konstantinova.  She is the sister of Termen’s best friend and the daughter of a building contractor who disappeared during the revolution.  Katia is presently a student at the Petrograd Medical Institute.

    24 May 1926 Gustav Holst’s (51) choral ballet The Golden Goose op.45/1 to words of Joseph, is performed for the first time, in Hammersmith, the composer conducting.

    24 May 1927 Assemble All Ye Maidens, from the Seven Part Songs for soprano, female chorus, and strings by Gustav Holst (52) to words of Bridges, is performed publicly for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London, Ralph Vaughan Williams (54) conducting.

    Divertissement for three flutes op.91 by Charles Koechlin (59) is performed for the first time, in Salle d’École Normale, Paris.

    24 May 1930 A Duo for soprano, contralto, and piano by Roberto Gerhard (33) to words of Carner is performed for the first time, in Barcelona.

    24 May 1931 Heitor Villa-Lobos (44) presents the first of his Civic Exhortations in São Paulo.  It is a concert of 12,000 voices made of up workers, students, and soldiers.

    24 May 1932 Two of the Cinq Poèmes for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (33) to words of Jacob, are performed for the first time, at the Salle du Conservatoire, Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    24 May 1933 Dmitri Shostakovich (26) plays the first complete performance of his 24 Preludes op.34 for piano in the Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.  See 17 January 1933.

    24 May 1935 Sonatine en trio op.85 for piano, flute, and clarinet by Florent Schmitt (64) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    24 May 1937 Un oiseau blanc s’est envolé, a ballet by Arthur Honegger (45) to a story by Guitry, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    24 May 1938 O Spiritual Pilgrim for soprano and chorus by Gustav Holst to words of Flecker is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the composer’s death.  Also premiered is the orchestration of Paean by Arnold Bax (54).

    24 May 1939 München, an “occasional waltz” for orchestra by Richard Strauss (74), is performed for the first time, in Munich.  The waltz is to accompany a film about the city’s cultural heritage but it has been banned by Hitler because they plan new building developments in Munich.  Today, the mayor arranges a private showing of the film.  See 14 March 1940.

    The orchestrated version of Elliott Carter’s (30) ballet Pochahontas is performed for the first time, in the Martin Beck Theatre, New York.  See 17 August 1936.

    Billy the Kid, a ballet by Aaron Copland (38), is performed for the first time with orchestra, in New York.  See 6 October 1938 and 9 November 1940.

    24 May 1940 Concert Piece for orchestra by David Diamond (24) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    24 May 1948 Benjamin Britten’s (34) ballad opera The Beggar’s Opera to words of Gay is performed for the first time, in Cambridge.

    Trio for violin, cello, and piano by Charles Ives (73) is performed for the first time, at Baldwin-Wallace College, Berea, Ohio, 45 years after it was composed.

    24 May 1951 Five Flower Songs op.47 for chorus by Benjamin Britten (37) to various authors is performed publicly for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Midland Home Service.  See 23 July 1950.

    Concerto for violin and orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (44) is performed for the first time, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

    24 May 1953 String Quartet no.1 by Ulysses Kay (36) is performed for the first time, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    24 May 1957 Two works for tape by Bruno Maderna (37) are performed for the first time, in Milan:  Notturno and Syntaxis.

    24 May 1959 The Resurrection of Don Juan, a ballet by Dominick Argento (31), is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.  See 5 May 1956.

    24 May 1966 Loving for four voices, two actors, dancers, orchestra, and tape by R. Murray Schafer (32) is performed for the first time, in Montreal.

    Mame with music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, opens in New York.

    24 May 1968 Bernard Rogers dies of a heart attack in Rochester, New York, aged 75 years, three months, and 20 days.

    Invocation-Concerto for violin and orchestra by Ralph Shapey (47) is performed for the first time, in Mandel Hall at the University of Chicago conducted by the composer.

    24 May 1970 Stanford Serenade op.430 for oboe and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (77) is performed for the first time.

    24 May 1971 Changes for woodwind quintet and orchestra by William Bergsma (50) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.

    24 May 1974 03:10  Edward Kennedy (Duke) Ellington dies in New York of pneumonia, a complication of lung cancer, aged 75 years and 25 days.

    24 May 1978 The Trial of the Gypsy, a dramatic cantata for boys chorus, piano and drums by Gian Carlo Menotti (66) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    Night Music for trumpet and ten instruments by Robert Erickson (61) is performed for the first time, in San Diego.

    24 May 1980 Far Calls, Coming, far! for violin and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (49) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    24 May 1983 Ten Canons for Two Flutes by Otto Luening (82) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.

    24 May 1985 Spur for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (33) is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken.

    Fantasia on an Ostinato for piano by John Corigliano (47) is performed for the first time, at Texas Christian University, Ft. Worth as part of the Van Cliburn Competition.

    24 May 1986 Tromba for trumpet and piano by Ulysses Kay (69) is performed for the first time, in Baird Auditorium at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.

    24 May 1988 Horn Trio Continued for french horn, violin, and piano by Charles Wuorinen (49) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    24 May 1989 Machault Mon Chou for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (50) is performed for the first time, in Davis Symphony Hall, San Francisco.

    24 May 1990 Berliner Messe by Arvo Pärt (54) is performed for the first time, in St. Hedwigs-Kathedrale, Berlin.

    Chevron for chamber ensemble by Kevin Volans (40) is performed for the first time, in Theatre Royal, Brighton.

    24 May 1996 Jacob Raphael Druckman dies in New Haven, aged 67 years, ten months, and 28 days.

    Days of the Gods, an opera by Toshiro Mayuzumi (67) to words of Nakajima and Fussenegger, is performed for the first time, in the Staatstheater, Linz.

    24 May 2000 Tempo e tempi, a cycle for voice, oboe, clarinet, violin, and cello by Elliott Carter (91) to words of Montale, Ungaretti, and Quasimodo, is performed completely for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.  See 1 July 1998.

    24 May 2002 Resonant Sound Spaces for computerized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (64) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre de la Criée, Marseille.

    24 May 2003 The Sound of a Voice, an opera by Philip Glass (66) to words of Hwang, is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    25 May

    25 May 1758 Modern German orchestral music is heard for the first time in London, with the performance of two symphonies by Franz Xaver Richter (48).

    25 May 1766 Il viaggiatore ridicolo, a dramma giocoso by Florian Leopold Gassmann (37) to words of Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in the Kärntnertortheater, Vienna.

    25 May 1774 Il geloso in cimento, a dramma giocoso by Pasquale Anfossi (47) to words of Bertati after Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Burgtheater.

    25 May 1782 François-André Danican-Philidor (55) gives his first demonstration of multiple chess games in London at Parsloe’s, a public house in St. James’ Street.  He plays two simultaneous games with his eyes closed, losing one, drawing the other.

    25 May 1823 A Concerto in d minor for violin, piano and strings by Felix Mendelssohn (14) is performed for the first time, privately, at the Mendelssohn residence in Berlin.  See 3 July 1823.

    25 May 1824 Franz Schubert (27) leaves Vienna for Zseliz to take up the position of music master to the Esterházy family.

    25 May 1826 Giacomo Meyerbeer (34) marries his cousin Minna Mosson in Berlin.  They immediately leave for Paris where he will work on a new opera.

    25 May 1827 Five songs by Franz Schubert (30) are published by Haslinger:  Der Wanderer an den Mond, Das Zügenglöcklein and Im Freien, all to words of Seidl, as his op.80, and Alinde and An die Laute, both to words of Rochlitz, as his op.81.

    25 May 1829 Felix Mendelssohn (20) makes his English conducting debut at a Philharmonic Society concert in the Argyll Rooms with his Symphony no.1.  The minuet has been replaced by an orchestral version of the scherzo from his Octet.

    25 May 1832 Capriccio Brillant in b minor for piano and orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn (23) is performed for the first time, in London, the composer at the keyboard.

    25 May 1840 Nicolò Paganini (57) receives the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church, in Nice.

    25 May 1849 Leaving his wife in Jena, Richard Wagner (36) departs the shelter of Franz Liszt (37) and under an assumed name, makes for Paris by way of Switzerland.

    Rolands Knappen, oder Das ersehnte Glück, a komische-romantische Zauberoper by Albert Lortzing (47) to words of the composer and Düringer after Masäus, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig Stadttheater.  It is a great success.

    25 May 1852 Stephen Foster (25) writes to EP Christy asking to buy back the authorship of his song Old Folks at Home.  Foster had allowed Christy to claim authorship in return for $500.  Christy will refuse Foster’s request.

    25 May 1854 A copy of the Sonata in b minor for piano by Franz Liszt (42), dedicated to Robert Schumann (43) (now in an insane asylum), arrives in Düsseldorf at the home of Clara Schumann (34).  She calls it “merely a blind noise--no healthy ideas anymore, everything confused, one cannot find a single, clear harmonic progression...It really is too awful.”

    25 May 1860 Arthur Sullivan’s (18) Rosenfest Overture is performed for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus, conducted by the composer.  This is part of the year-end examination at Leipzig Conservatory.

    25 May 1865 A setting of the Pater noster for chorus and organ by Franz Liszt (53) is performed for the first time, in Dessau.

    25 May 1869 A new Vienna Hofoper opens before a glittering audience which includes Emperor Franz Joseph.  The work performed is Don Giovanni.

    25 May 1870 Coppélia, a ballet by Léo Delibes to choreography of Saint-Léon, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    25 May 1874 The scherzo from the Symphony no.4 by Antonin Dvorák (32) is performed for the first time, in Prague, conducted by Bedrich Smetana (50).  See 6 April 1892.

    25 May 1877 During an informal social gathering at the home of singer Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya in Moscow, she suggests to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (37) that he compose an opera on Pushkin’s Yevgeny Onegin.  He thinks the idea is ridiculous.

    25 May 1878 HMS Pinafore, or The Lass that Loved a Sailor, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (36) to words of Gilbert, is performed for the first time, in the Opera Comique Theatre, London, the composer conducting.  The public is appreciative but the reviews are decidedly mixed.  Many comment that Sullivan is wasting his talent on such trivialities.  However, the play will run 571 performances.

    25 May 1879 The Te Deum and Jubilate from the Morning, Communion, and Evening Services op.10 for chorus and organ by Charles Villiers Stanford (26) are performed for the first time, at matins in Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge.

    25 May 1884 Franz Liszt (72) conducts for the last time, at the Deutscher Musikverein festival in Weimar.

    25 May 1887 The Théâtre de l’Opéra-Comique, Paris at the Salle Favart is destroyed by fire.  It breaks out during a performance of Thomas’ (75) Mignon when a gaslight ignites a piece of scenery and 131 people are killed.

    25 May 1895 Christus, a sacred opera by Anton Rubinstein (†0) to words of Bulthaupt, is staged for the first time, in Bremen.  See 2 June 1894.

    25 May 1896 25.V.1896 op.21 for male chorus by Jean Sibelius (30) to words of Gustafsson is performed for the first time, in Helsinki at the unveiling of a memorial to Josef A.J. Pippingsköld, conducted by the composer.

    25 May 1897 Victoria and Merrie England, a ballet by Arthur Sullivan (55) to a choreography by Coppi, is performed for the first time, in the Alhambra Theatre, London.

    Light Leaves Whisper for chorus by Gustav Holst (22) to words of Hart is performed for the first time, in Stafford (Lancaster) House, London.  The work is one of two winners of prizes offered by the Magpie Musical Society, who perform it.  It is the first major performance of a Holst work in London and receives a favorable review in The Times.

    25 May 1903 Irish Rhapsody no.2 “The Lament for the Son of Ossian” for orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (50) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    25 May 1905 The Rhapsody for piano no.1 by Béla Bartók (24) is performed for the first time, by the composer, in Ujpest.  See 15 November 1909.

    25 May 1910 Some of the Préludes for piano (Danseuses de Delphes, Voiles, La cathédrale engloutie, La danse de Puck) by Claude Debussy (47) are performed for the first time, by the composer in Paris.

    25 May 1911 Only a week after the death of Gustav Mahler, Thomas Mann visits Venice and conceives his novella, Tod in Venedig.

    25 May 1919 Légende op.66 for viola or violin or alto saxophone and orchestra by Florent Schmitt (58) is performed for the first time, in Paris (violin solo).

    25 May 1928 The Moravian Quartet give the first full performance of the String Quartet no.2 “Intimate Letters” by Leos Janácek (73) for the composer at his home in Brno.  See 7 September 1928 and 11 September 1928.

    The New Teatro Colón opens in Buenos Aires.

    25 May 1932 A tempestuous meeting takes place at the Berlin Musikhochschule over the appointment of Stefan Frenkel, a Jew, to a temporary position.  Violinist Gustav Havemann demands that he be removed but the director of the school, Franz Schreker (54), denies the request claiming he has had no directive from the government concerning the hiring of Jews.  But the machinations of Havemann will result in Schreker’s resignation within two weeks.  He will be given a master class at the Prussian Academy of the Arts.

    25 May 1933 La mort d’un tyran op.116 for chorus and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (40) to words of Lampride and Diderot is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    25 May 1934 Gustav Theodore Holst dies of heart failure in a London nursing home, two days after an operation for ulcers, aged 59 years, eight months, and four days.  The ashes of his earthly remains will be buried in the north transept of Chichester Cathedral.

    Cantata profana (the nine enchanted stags) for tenor, baritone, double chorus, and orchestra by Béla Bartók (53) to an anonymous Romanian text (tr. Bartók), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in London.

    25 May 1935 Uirapuru, a ballet by Heitor Villa-Lobos (48), is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires, under the baton of the composer.  The occasion is a visit by Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas to Argentina.

    25 May 1936 The Plow That Broke the Plains, a film with music by Virgil Thomson (39), is shown for the first time, in New York.  It was commissioned by the Resettlement Administration.  See 2 January 1943.

    25 May 1938 The Second Symphony by William Schuman (27) is performed for the first time, in New York by the Greenwich Orchestra and funded by the Federal Music Project.  Aaron Copland (37) is in the audience.

    Chile-Brasil for chorus by Heitor Villa-Lobos (51) is performed for the first time, directed by the composer.

    25 May 1942 Las agachadas for chorus by Aaron Copland (41) to traditional Spanish words, is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    25 May 1948 Három Weöres-dal, three songs for voice and piano by György Ligeti (24) to words of Weöres, are performed for the first time, in Budapest, the composer at the keyboard.

    Lob der Torheit, a cantata for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (30) to words of Goethe, is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    25 May 1951 Trois liturgies joyeuses op.116 for chorus and orchestra by Florent Schmitt (80) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Mizmor L’David for tenor, chorus, and organ by David Diamond (35) is performed for the first time, in Park Avenue Synagogue, New York.

    Piece for violin and piano by Morton Feldman (25) is performed for the first time, at the Artists’ Club, New York.  Also premiered is Feldman’s Projection 4 for three flutes, trumpet, three cellos, and two pianos.

    25 May 1952 Song for piano and Undertone for violin and piano by Pauline Oliveros (19) are performed for the first time, at the University of Houston.

    25 May 1953 The first public demonstration of electronic music anywhere is given at the opening of the music festival of Cologne Radio.

    The Harpies, an opera by Marc Blitzstein (48) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, 22 years after it was composed.

    25 May 1956 Concerto for viola with piano, winds, and percussion by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (50) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    25 May 1957 Incidental music for Walewski’s play Cinderella by Henryk Górecki (23) is performed for the first time, in Katowice.

    25 May 1958 Solo for Voice I by John Cage (45) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    25 May 1959 March:  A History of the English Speaking Peoples, a theme composed for a BBC television series by William Walton (57), is performed for the first time, in a recording session at the Elstree ADPC studios conducted by the composer.  It will never be used in the series.

    25 May 1962 Mosaic for flute/piccolo and piano by Roger Reynolds (27) is performed for the first time, at Michigan State University, Lansing.

    As part of the first International Webern Festival, in Seattle, Im Sommerwind, idyll for orchestra by Anton Webern (†16), is performed for the first time, at the University of Washington, 58 years after it was composed.

    25 May 1965 Concerto for cello and orchestra no.2 by Bohuslav Martinu (†5) is performed for the first time, in Ceske Budejovice, Czechoslovakia., 20 years after it was composed.

    25 May 1966 Rhapsodic Ballad for cello by Arnold Bax (†12) is performed for the first time, at the Cork Municipal School of Music.

    Incidental music to Lunel’s play Jerusalem à Carpentras by Darius Milhaud (73) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Carpentras, Paris.

    Ralph Shapey (45) wins a composing award from the National Institute of Arts and Letters.  Harry Partch (64) receives the Marjorie Peabody Award.  Stefan Wolpe (63) and David Diamond (50) are inducted as members of the National Institute of Arts and Letters and the American Academy of Arts and Letters.  Pierre Boulez (41) is inducted as an honorary member.

    25 May 1969 From an Unknown Past for chorus by Ned Rorem (45) to words of various 16th century authors is performed for the first time, at Montclair State College, Upper Montclair, New Jersey.

    25 May 1970 Music for Japan for orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (41) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, Melbourne.

    25 May 1971 Leonard Bernstein (52) drives to Danbury Federal Prison in Connecticut to consult with Father Philip Berrigan about the ending of Mass. Recently, Mrs. Bernstein raised $35,000 for the legal fees of the Berrigan brothers.  The visit causes J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI, to assume that Berrigan has provided texts for the work which will embarrass President Nixon.  He advises Nixon not to attend the premiere in Washington.

    25 May 1973 Five Moods for tuba quartet by Gunther Schuller (47) is performed for the first time, at the University of Indiana, Bloomington.

    25 May 1976 Fanfare for Charleston by Gian Carlo Menotti (64) is performed for the first time, at the opening of the first Spoleto USA Festival, in Charleston, South Carolina.

    25 May 1977 Westerlings for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (42) is performed for the first time, in an incomplete state, at Uppsala University.  See 15 October 1977.

    String Quartet no.4 and String Quartet no.5 by Hans Werner Henze (50) are performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen.

    25 May 1984 Samstag aus Licht, an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen (55) to his own words, is performed completely for the first time, in Palazzo dello Sport in Milan.

    Works by Charles Koechlin (†33) are performed for the first time, in Kassel, 42 years after they were composed:  Five of the 14 pièces pour hautbois et piano op.179, and Plainte.  Nocturne, the third movement of the Suite pour cor anglais seul.

    25 May 1988 Concerto for flute and orchestra by Peter Mennin (†4) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    25 May 1989 Fives for english horn, bass clarinet, piano, viola, and cello by Robert Erickson (72) is performed for the first time, in La Jolla, California.

    25 May 1990 Two works by Arvo Pärt (54) are performed for the first time, in the Nathanaelkirche, Berlin:  The Beatitudes and Nun eile ich zu euch.

    Almighty, Eternal for chorus and organ by Leslie Bassett (67) to words of the composer is performed for the first time, at the University of Alabama, Huntsville.

    25 May 1993 Two works by Alfred Schnittke (58) are performed for the first time, in Evian:  Trio for violin, cello, and piano, and Epilogue from the Ballet ‘Peer Gynt’ for cello, piano, and tape.

    Memorial 19 Fucks, a Memorial to Injustice for voice, piano, and double bass by Tan Dun (35) to a text in 19 languages is performed for the first time, in New York.

    25 May 1994 Shepherds of Hoy for children’s chorus and piano by Peter Maxwell Davies (59), is performed for the first time, at Sotheby’s, London.

    25 May 1995 Esu Variations for orchestra by Anthony Davis (44) is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.

    25 May 1997 Three ballets by Hans Werner Henze (70) are performed for the first time, in Schwetzingen:  Labyrinth to a scenario by Baldwin, Le disperazioni del Signor Pulcinella to a scenario by Sivori after Molière (a revision of Jack Pudding), and Le fils de l’air to a story by Cocteau.  See 29 May 1952 and 30 December 1950.

    25 May 1999 Sur terre, en l’air op.64 for viola and piano by Alexander Goehr (66) is performed for the first time, in the Rokokotheater, Schwetzingen.

    25 May 2000 My Heart is in the Highlands by Arvo Pärt (64) is performed for the first time, in a recording session in Avignon.  See 23 November 2000.

    25 May 2002 Two works are performed for the first time, in the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge:  Economies of Scale for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by Peter Maxwell Davies (67), and Symmetry disorders reach op.73 for piano by Alexander Goehr (69).

    25 May 2004 Shadowtime, an opera by Brian Ferneyhough (61) to words of C. Bernstein, is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    25 May 2006 Journey Into Light for soprano, two oboes, bassoon, two horns, and strings by Thea Musgrave (77) to words of Dunbar and an anonymous poet, is performed for the first time, in Southampton.

    25 May 2008 The Universal Bridge for organ by Terry Riley (72) is performed for the first time, in Walt Disney Hall, Los Angeles.

    26 May

    26 May 1775 Clarissa, oder Das unbekannte Dienstmädchen, an operette by Johann Abraham Peter Schulz (28) to words of Bock, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    26 May 1778 La fête de village, an intermezzo by François-Joseph Gossec (44) to words of Desfontaines, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    26 May 1805 Emperor Napoléon I is crowned King of Italy in Milan Cathedral.  Some of the music is the first performance of a Te Deum by Johann Simon Mayr (41) for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra.

    26 May 1809 An officer of the French occupying forces pays a visit to Franz Joseph Haydn (77) to make his acquaintance.  The two have a pleasant chat and the officer sings an aria from The Creation.  The composer is emotionally uplifted by the experience, but it is the last music he will ever hear.

    26 May 1826 Carl Maria von Weber’s (39) song From Chindara’s Warbling Fount I Come J.308 to words of Moore is performed for the first time, in London.  It is his last composition.  The composer was too ill to finish the accompaniment so he improvises it as it is performed.  Ignaz Moscheles will later write down what he remembers of Weber’s interpolation.  After the concert, Weber collapses on a sofa.  A mustard plaster will be applied to his chest.

    26 May 1828 After much politicking and despite the opposition of Luigi Cherubini (67), Hector Berlioz (24) mounts the first concert in his career of concert-giving, at the Paris Conservatory.  Included on the program are first performances of his La révolution grecque, scène héroïque for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra to words of Ferrand, the Waverly Overture, Marche religieuse des mages, and the overture to the opera Les francs-juges.  The audience is not large, mostly musical luminaries and personal friends of Berlioz.  The performance is mostly good, with some flaws.  Although he loses money, the critics are generally pleased and Berlioz makes a name for himself.

    26 May 1833 Felix Mendelssohn (24) conducts Handel’s (†74) Israel in Egypt at Düsseldorf, the first of a series of Handel oratorio performances in Mendelssohn’s arrangements.  These will greatly advance the popularity of Handel’s music in Germany.

    26 May 1835 Marie d’Agoult, five months after her daughter’s death, writes to her husband Charles that she is leaving him and their second daughter.  She has been in a liaison with Franz Liszt (23) for more than two years and now wishes to join him permanently.  She heads for Switzerland.

    26 May 1852 Maria und ihr Genius, a cantata for soprano, tenor, chorus and orchestra by Giacomo Meyerbeer (60) to words of Goldtammer, is performed for the first time, in Schloss Wannsee, Berlin to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of Prince Karl of Prussia.

    26 May 1854 Pièce pour Grand Orgue in A by César Franck (31) is performed for the first time, in the Church of Saint-Eustache, Paris by the composer.

    26 May 1855 Franz Liszt (43) arrives in Cologne for the Lower Rhine Music Festival.  His true mission is to see his secret lover, Agnès Street-Klindworth.  The two spend several days together in Cologne and Düsseldorf.

    26 May 1857 The earthly remains of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†0) are disinterred in Berlin for transport to St. Petersburg.

    26 May 1861 St. Petersburg Quadrille op.255a by Johann Strauss (35) is performed for the first time, in Pavlovsk.  Also premiered is Veilchen op.256, a mazur nach russichen Motifen.

    26 May 1866 Cox and Box, or The Long-Lost Brothers, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (24) to words of Burnand after Morton, is performed for the first time in the home of London businessman Arthur Lewis, privately with piano accompaniment.  See 11 May 1867.

    26 May 1884 Alyeksandr Glazunov (18) is in Weimar where Franz Liszt (72) has decided that his Symphony no.1 will be performed by the General German Music Union.  The rehearsal this afternoon does not go well, although Liszt applauds every movement.  The performance is much more successful.  Liszt is very helpful to the young composer, offering suggestions to improve the work.

    26 May 1893 Mass in G op.46 for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (40) is performed for the first time, in Brompton Oratory, London.  See 23 January 1894.

    26 May 1909 Seven selections from Gabriel Fauré’s (64) song cycle La chanson d’Eve op.95, to words of van Leberghe, are performed, four of them for the first time, at the Salle Erard, Paris, the composer at the piano.  See 3 February 1908 and 20 April 1910.

    26 May 1914 The Nightingale, an opera by Igor Stravinsky (31) to words of Mitusov and the composer after Andersen, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  Critics generally like the music but are mixed about the work as a whole.

    Première suite symphonique op.12 by Darius Milhaud (21) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    26 May 1916 Twelve years after its premiere in Brünn (Brno), Jenufa by Leos Janácek (61) is performed in the National Theatre in Prague for the first time.  The evening is an enormous success, “probably the happiest day of my life.”

    26 May 1919 La La Lucille, a musical comedy by George Gershwin (20) with a book by Jackson and lyrics by DeSylva, Jackson and Ceasar, is performed in New York for the first time, in the Henry Miller Theatre, New York.  It is Gershwin’s first full score for Broadway and will see 104 performances.  See 21 April 1919.

    26 May 1920 Four Hymns for tenor, viola, and strings by Ralph Vaughan Williams (47) to words of Taylor, Watts, Crashaw, and Bridges, are performed for the first time, in Cardiff.

    Piano Concerto no.1 “La mort d’Arthur” by Colin McPhee (20) is performed for the first time, in Baltimore.

    26 May 1921 Mediterranean for piano by Arnold Bax (37) is performed for the first time, in Steinway Hall, London.  See 13 November 1922.

    Several selections from Dix petites pièces faciles op.61c and Douze petites pièces op.61d for piano by Charles Koechlin (53) are performed for the first time, in Salle de l’Ancien Conservatoire, Paris.

    Symphonic Rhapsody op.14 by Howard Hanson (24) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles conducted by the composer.

    26 May 1932 Melo, a film with music by Bohuslav Martinu (41) is shown for the first time, in Paris.

    Fanfare for a Cheerful Occasion for brass and percussion by Arnold Bax (48) is performed publicly for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.  See 8 May 1930.

    26 May 1935 The earthly remains of Frederick Delius (†0), having been exhumed from their resting place at Grez-sur-Loing, are reinterred at Limpsfield, England.  Mrs. Delius is too ill to attend the ceremony.

    26 May 1936 Eva Goldbeck, wife of Marc Blitzstein (31) dies in Cambridge of “starvation associated with psychosis” (now known as anorexia nervosa).  Many factors added to her eating disorder, not the least was being married to a homosexual.  Because he is attending her, Blitzstein misses the premiere of Chesapeake Bay Retriever in Channing Auditorium, New York, a film for which he wrote the music.

    26 May 1938 William Elden Bolcom is born in Seattle, son of Robert Samuel Bolcom and Virginia Lauermann.

    26 May 1939 The City, a film with music by Aaron Copland (38), is shown for the first time, at the New York World’s Fair.

    Symbolistic Study no.6 “Mountain Vision” for piano and orchestra by Arthur Farwell (67) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBS Radio Network.

    26 May 1946 Piano Concerto no.3 by Darius Milhaud (53) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    26 May 1952 Six musicians in the Toronto Symphony Orchestra are sacked because the United States refuses to allow them into the country for a tour with the orchestra.  The US feels they are a threat to the security of the country.

    26 May 1953 Aaron Copland (52) is interrogated for two hours in a private hearing before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Senator Joseph McCarthy, chairman.  As the questioning progresses, it becomes obvious that McCarthy wishes to use Copland to attack the United States Information Agency, which he is convinced is packed with Bolsheviks.  Copland is told to be available for a public hearing soon.  He will never be called.

    Kontra-Punkte no.1 for eleven players by Karlheinz Stockhausen (24) is performed for the first time, in Cologne as part of the opening concert of the electronic music studio at WDR.

    26 May 1954 String Quartet no.4 by Ralph Shapey (33) is performed for the first time, in Kaufman Auditorium of the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    26 May 1956 Five Neapolitan Songs for voice and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (29) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.

    26 May 1961 Fern Hill for mezzo-soprano, chorus, and piano by John Corigliano (23) to words of Thomas is performed for the first time.

    26 May 1962 As part of the first International Webern Festival, in Seattle, several works by Anton Webern (†16) are performed for the first time:  Three Poems for Voice and Piano to words of Avenarius, Dehmel, and Falke (1899-1903), Three Songs After Poems by Ferdinand Avenarius (1900-1901), String Quartet (1905) and Five Songs After Poems by Richard Dehmel (1906-1908).

    26 May 1963 Pacifika Rondo for various eastern and western instruments by Lou Harrison (46) is performed for the first time, at the University of Hawaii.

    26 May 1964 Music for a Great City by Aaron Copland (63), commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the London Symphony Orchestra, is performed for the first time, in London conducted by the composer.

    26 May 1966 Nouvelles aventures for three singers and seven instrumentalists by György Ligeti (42) is performed for the first time, over NDR, Hamburg.  See 16 October 1970.

    26 May 1967 Messe de Liverpool for tape by Pierre Henry (39) is performed for the first time, without the Credo, at the inaugural ceremonies for the Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool.  See 5 December 1970.

    Last Day, a monodrama for voice, string quartet, woodwind quartet, and piano by Ned Rorem (43) to words of Harrison, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Echoes of Time and the River:  Four Processionals for Orchestra (Echoes II) by George Crumb (37) is performed for the first time, in Mandel Hall, Chicago.  See 6 May 1968.

    26 May 1968 Preludes for piano and string orchestra by William Grant Still (73) is performed for the first time, in Westchester, California.

    26 May 1970 Variations on a Theme by MB Tolson for soprano, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, cello, and piano by TJ Anderson (41) to words of Tolson is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.

    26 May 1973 Piano Sonata no.3 by Michael Tippett (68) is performed for the first time, in the Bath Assembly Rooms.

    26 May 1976 Lament for Strings by Peter Sculthorpe (47) is performed for the first time, in City Hall, Wollongong, New South Wales.

    26 May 1979 Hymns I-IV for cello and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (44) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    26 May 1982 Le Miracle de la rose for clarinet and 13 players by Hans Werner Henze (55) is performed for the first time, in London.

    26 May 1987 Dialogue on the Tides of Time, for violin, cello, and orchestra by Robert Ward (69) is performed for the first time, in Duke Chapel, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina the composer conducting.

    26 May 1988 A revised version of Hour of the Soul for percussion, mezzo-soprano, and orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (47) to words of Tsvyetayeva is performed for the first time, in Leningrad.  See 22 October 1979.

    26 May 1989 Quartet for flute, violin, cello, and piano by Isang Yun (71) is performed for the first time, in Münster.

    26 May 1990 Hydrogen Jukebox, a chamber opera by Philip Glass (53) to words of Ginsberg, is staged for the first time, in Charleston, South Carolina.  It was commissioned by the Spoleto Festival and the American Music Theatre Festival, Philadelphia.  See 29 April 1990.

    26 May 1995 Gesualdo, an opera by Alfred Schnittke (60) to words of Bletschacher, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Staatsoper.

    26 May 1998 Act I of Three Tales entitled Hindenburg, a documentary video opera by Steve Reich (61) and his wife Beryl Korot, is performed for the first time, in Sottile Theatre, Charleston, South Carolina.  See 12 May 2002.

    26 May 1999 String Quartet no.6 by Richard Wernick (65) is performed for the first time, at the Rubin Academy of Music and Dance, Jerusalem.

    26 May 2002 Ghosts and Gargoyles by Henry Brant (88), a concerto for flute and flute orchestra,  is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    26 May 2005 The Deceitful Face of Hope and Despair for flute and orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (73) is performed for the first time.

    27 May

    27 May 1676 Paul Gerhardt dies in Lubben, Lower Lusatia.

    27 May 1690 Giovanni Legrenzi dies in Venice.

    27 May 1762 Johann Christian Bach (26) receives a leave of absence from Milan Cathedral “for a year, beginning this July, in order to travel to England and compose two operas.”

    27 May 1770 Leopold (50) and Wolfgang Amadeus (14) Mozart call on Niccoló Jommelli (55) at the Teatro San Carlo where rehearsals for his Armida abbandonata are underway.  Wolfgang finds Jommelli gracious and polite.

    27 May 1772 Motezuma, an opera seria by Baldassare Galuppi (65) to words of Cigna-Santi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice.

    27 May 1783 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27) dates the score to his Horn Concerto K.417 in Vienna.

    27 May 1785 A Concerto for harpsichord or piano by William Crotch (9) is performed for the first time, in London.

    27 May 1799 Jacques-François-Fromental-Élie Levy is born in Paris, first of two children born to Elias Levy, scholar and poet, and Julie Meyer.  The family name will become Halévy in 1808.

    27 May 1822 Nurmahal, oder Das Rosenfest von Kaschmir, a lyrisches Drama mit Ballet by Gaspare Spontini (47) to words of Herklots after Moore, is performed for the first time at the Royal Opera House, Berlin.

    27 May 1823 Two songs by Franz Schubert (26) to words of von Collin are published by Sauer and Leidesdorf, Vienna as his op.22:  Der Zwerg and Wehmut.

    27 May 1828 Robert Schumann (17) describes in his diary his first bout with mental illness.  “I was agitated, but I don’t know by what.  It seems to me that I will go mad one day.”  He goes on to describe an anxiety attack.

    27 May 1829 Ave maris stella for soprano and orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn (20) is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Marienkirche.

    27 May 1830 Attendre et courir, an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy to words of Fulgence and Henri, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Ventadour, Paris, on the composer’s 31st birthday.

    27 May 1840 17:20  Nicolò Paganini dies in Nice, aged 57 years and seven months.  According to Paolo Agostino he dies “in the arms of his son who was alone in the apartment with him.”

    27 May 1841 Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (36) submits a formal petition for divorce.  His wife has already remarried.

    27 May 1844 At the request of Felix Mendelssohn (35), Joseph Joachim (13) makes his London debut playing the Beethoven (†17) Violin Concerto with Mendelssohn and the Philharmonic Society.  Mendelssohn’s popularity was enough to overcome the Society’s ban on child prodigies.

    27 May 1858 Franz Liszt’s (46) Festgesang zur Eröffnung der zehnten allgemeinen deutschen Lehrerversammlung to words of von Fallersleben is performed for the first time, in Weimar.

    27 May 1861 Alyeksandr Borodin (27) meets Yekaterina Sergeevna Protopopova, a talented Russian pianist now in Heidelberg being treated for tuberculosis.

    At her request, Franz Liszt (49) visits the home of Marie d’Agoult, the mother of his three children, in Paris.  They talk for an hour.

    27 May 1873 Incidental music to Longfellow’s play The Spanish Student by Charles Villiers Stanford (20) is performed for the first time, at Cambridge University directed by the composer.

    27 May 1883 Moscow, a coronation cantata by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (43) to words of Maykov, is performed for the first time, for the coronation of Tsar Alyeksandr III in the Kremlin.

    27 May 1891 (Claude) Joseph-Arthur-Adonaï Champagne is born in Montreal, the son of Arthur Champagne and Mélina Normandin.

    27 May 1892 John Philip Sousa (37) signs a contract with band manager David Blakely to direct a new, civilian concert band.

    27 May 1895 Piano Concerto no.1 by Charles Villiers Stanford (42) is performed for the first time, in London.

    27 May 1899 Shéhérazade, ouverture de féerie for orchestra by Maurice Ravel (24) is performed for the first time, in the Salle du nouveau Théâtre, Paris conducted by the composer.  The public is mixed, the critics hostile.

    27 May 1906 The Symphony no.6 by Gustav Mahler (45) is performed for the first time, under the baton of the composer, in Essen.  The composer-conductor receives six curtain calls, including a standing ovation from the orchestra.  Critics range from tepid to scathing.

    27 May 1911 Halfar the Schoolmaster for male chorus by Leos Janácek (56) is performed for the first time, in Pils (Plzen).

    27 May 1915 Sonata for two violins and piano op.15 by Darius Milhaud (22) is performed for the first time, in Salle des agriculteurs, Paris.  The composer plays one of the violin parts.  Also premiered are two works by Charles Koechlin (47), the composer at the keyboard:  La jeune Tarentine op.23/1 for voice and piano to words of André Chénier, and Sonata for viola and piano op.53.  The viola soloist is Darius Milhaud (22).

    27 May 1916 The first of the Six Choral Folk Songs op.36b by Gustav Holst (41) is performed for the first time, at Central High School for Girls, Newcastle-on-Tyne.  See 16 April 1918.

    27 May 1917 Seven new works by Gustav Holst (42) are performed for the first time, at Thaxted Church:  Three Festival Choruses op.36a for chorus and orchestra to words of Moultrie and C. Bax, and the Four Songs op.35 to anonymous words, for solo voice and violin.  The composer conducts op.36a.

    27 May 1918 Leos Janácek (63) falls in front of a tram in Brünn (Brno) and is pulled off the tracks in the nick of time.  “Just a hair’s breadth and my hands would have been run over!” (Tyrell II, 241)

    27 May 1921 A concert by the Society for Private Musical Performances features the premiere of four waltzes by Johann Strauss (†21) arranged by Arnold Schoenberg (46), Anton Webern (37), and Alban Berg (36).

    27 May 1922 Anton Webern (38) conducts Gustav Mahler’s (†11) Third Symphony at a Workmen’s Symphony concert.  This establishes him as a bona fide orchestral conductor.

    27 May 1926 Arnold Schoenberg (51) takes the oath as a Prussian official, teaching a master class in composition at the Prussian Academy of Arts.

    27 May 1928 Thea Musgrave is born at Barnton, Midlothian, Scotland, the only child of Joan and James Musgrave.

    An orchestral suite from Sergey Prokofiev’s (37) ballet The Steel Step op.41a is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  See 7 June 1927.

    27 May 1942 Suite op.9 for violin and cello by Vincent Persichetti (26) is performed for the first time, at the commencement of Philadelphia Conservatory.

    27 May 1944 Incidental music to Morax’s play Charles Le Téméraire by Arthur Honegger (52) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre du Jorat, Mézières.

    27 May 1945 Dos piezas caballerescas for orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (43) is performed for the first time, in the Ataneo de Madrid.

    27 May 1946 Henry Cowell’s (49) Big Sing for orchestra is performed for the first time, in Fresno, California.

    27 May 1948 Three Interludes for string orchestra by Kenneth Gaburo (21) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York, conducted by Howard Hanson (51).

    27 May 1953 Hans Werner Henze’s (26) radio opera after Kafka Ein Landarzt is staged for the first time, in Cologne.  See 29 November 1951 and 30 November 1965.

    27 May 1955 Two of the 15 pièces pour cor et piano op.180/4, 12 by Charles Koechlin (†4) are performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    27 May 1956 Choral Variations on Von Himmel hoch da komm ich Her by Igor Stravinsky (73) is performed for the first time, in Ojai, California.

    27 May 1962 To Light That Shines for chorus and piano or organ by Ulysses Kay (45) to words of Johnson is performed for the first time, in New York.

    As part of the First International Webern Festival, in Seattle, two works by Anton Webern (†16) are performed for the first time:  Eight Early Songs for voice and piano to various authors (1901-1904), and Langsamer Satz for string quartet (1905).

    27 May 1964 Suite for unaccompanied trombone by Leslie Bassett (41) is performed for the first time, in Decatur, Illinois.

    27 May 1966 Sonata for Three for flute, violin, and guitar, young players, by Thea Musgrave, is performed for the first time, at Winchester College, Winchester, Hampshire on the composer’s 38th birthday.

    Fantasy in Homage to an Earlier England for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (69) is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Kansas City, Missouri.

    27 May 1969 Four Log Drums by Steve Reich (32) is performed for the first time, at the Whitney Museum in New York.

    Dream Passage for mezzo-soprano, chorus, actors, dancers, chamber orchestra, and tape by R. Murray Schafer (35) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of CBC Vancouver.

    27 May 1972 Five Bagatelles for guitar by William Walton (70) is performed completely for the first time, in the Bath Assembly Rooms.

    27 May 1976 Colonial Variants for orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (63) is performed for the first time, in Wilmington, Delaware.

    America, We Hear Your People for chorus and band by Roy Harris (78) to his own words is performed for the first time, at Citrus College, Azusa, California.

    27 May 1981 Leonard Bernstein’s (62) nocturne Halil for flute, strings, and percussion is performed for the first time, in Jerusalem the composer conducting.

    27 May 1984 Duo for cello and harp by Isang Yun (66) is performed for the first time, in Ingelheim.

    27 May 1989 Phantasiestück for flute and piano by Mauricio Kagel (57) is performed for the first time, in Heide.

    27 May 1990 Concerto for cello and orchestra no.2 by Alfred Schnittke (55) is performed for the first time, in Evian.

    27 May 1992 Visions for string quartet by Roger Reynolds (57) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    27 May 1993 Hymns of Paradise for bass, female chorus, and six violins by John Tavener (49) to words of St. Ephraim the Syrian (tr. Brock) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    Concerto for violin and orchestra by Karel Husa (71) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    27 May 1994 Trio for clarinet, viola and piano op.79 by Robin Holloway (50) is performed for the first time, in Festival Theatre, Malvern.

    27 May 1997 Avel for computerized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (59) is performed for the first time, at Radio-France, Paris.

    27 May 2000 Art and Time, a film about the arrest of Mikis Theodorakis (74) and his works in prison, is shown for the first time.

    27 May 2002 Sofia Gubaidulina (70) is awarded the Polar Music Prize by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden in Stockholm.

    27 May 2003 Luciano Berio dies in Rome, aged 77 years, seven months, and three days.

    27 May 2007 HBHH for oboe by Elliott Carter (98) is performed for the first time, in Remise, Karthause Ittingen, Warth, Switzerland.

    28 May

    28 May 1759 Le diable à quatre, ou La double métamorphose, an opéra comique by Christoph Willibald Gluck (44) to words of Sedaine and Baurans after Coffey, is performed for the first time, in the Laxenburg, Vienna.

    28 May 1766 Die verwandelten Weiber, oder Der Teufel ist los, erster Teil, a comische Oper by Johann Adam Hiller (37) to words of Weisse after Coffey, is performed for the first time, in Quandt’s Court, Leipzig.  It is immediately successful.

    28 May 1773 The first through-composed serious German opera, Alceste by Anton Schweitzer to words of Wieland, is performed for the first time, in Weimar.

    28 May 1787 06:00  Johann Georg Leopold Mozart dies in Salzburg, aged 67 years, six months and 14 days.  The cause of death is “congestion of the spleen” according to his doctor, and consumption according to an obituary.  One modern diagnosis is myocardial infarction.  Although he has been ill, the death is unexpected.  The Abbot of St. Peter’s Monastery records, “The father who died today was a man of much wit and intelligence and would have been capable of performing good service to the state even apart from music.  He was the most correct violinist of his day, of which he twice-published Violinschule gives proof.”

    28 May 1803 Publication of the violin sonatas op.30 and Bagatelles op.33 by Ludwig van Beethoven (32) is announced.

    28 May 1805 Ridolfo Luigi Boccherini dies in Madrid of a “respiratory complaint”, aged 62 years, three months and nine days.  His earthly remains will be laid to rest in the crypt of San Justo, Madrid.

    28 May 1808 An announcement appears in the Wiener Zeitung for two vacancies for boy choristers in the Imperial and Royal Court Chapel.  It is read by an interested Viennese couple named Karl and Elisabeth Schubert who have a son named Franz (11).

    28 May 1827 The first act of Agnes von Hohenstaufen, a lyrisches Drama by Gaspare Spontini (52) to words of Raupach, is performed for the first time, in the Royal Opera House, Berlin.  See 12 June 1829 and 6 December 1837.

    28 May 1840 The Bishop of Nice refuses a church burial and tolling of the bell for the remains of Nicolò Paganini because of the deceased’s attitude toward the Church.

    28 May 1846 Lind-Gesänge op.21, a waltz by Johann Strauss (20), is performed for the first time, in Dommayer’s Casino, Heitzing.

    28 May 1848 Two works by Johann Strauss (22) are performed for the first time, in Casino Zögernitz, Vienna:  Freiheitslieder op.52, a waltz, and Revolutions-Marsch op.54.

    28 May 1849 Richard Wagner (36) boards a steamer at Lindau and crosses Lake Constance into Switzerland.

    28 May 1854 Erzherzog Wilhelm Genesungs-Marsch op.149 by Johann Strauss (28) is performed for the first time, in Ungers Casino, Vienna.

    28 May 1862 To commemorate the life of Fromental Halévy (†0), a gala performance of La Juive is given at the Paris Opéra.  At the end of the second act, the curtain is raised revealing a bust of the composer donated by his wife.  The five leads take laurels off their heads and place them on the bust, as others rain down on the stage.  There follows a ten-minute standing ovation.

    28 May 1876 At the request of the composer, presently in Vienna, Julius Stockhausen sings from manuscript two new songs by Johannes Brahms (43) for Clara Schumann (56) at her home in Berlin:  Alte Liebe, to words of Candidus, and Unüberwindlich, to words of Goethe.

    28 May 1878 André Saint-Saëns, four-year-old son of the composer (42), leans out the window of his Paris home to talk to playmates and falls four stories to his death.

    Seven weeks after the death of his wife, Johann Strauss, Jr. (52) marries Ernestine Henriette Angelika Dittrich, an actress, in Vienna.

    28 May 1880 The second movement of the Violin Sonata no.2 by Leos Janácek (25) is performed for the first time, at the Vienna Conservatory as a possible entry in competition for the school’s annual Vereinsmedaille.  The work is judged not good enough to be entered in competition.

    28 May 1894 Däm’rung senkte sich von oben op.59/1, a song by Johannes Brahms (61) to words of Goethe, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg, 24 years after it was composed.

    28 May 1897 Hells Bells:  “Hail to Phi”, a fraternity show by Charles Ives (22) to words of Hinsdale, is performed for the first time, in New Haven, Connecticut.

    28 May 1898 The Beauty Stone, a romantic musical drama by Arthur Sullivan (56) to words of Pinero and Carr is performed for the first time, in the Savoy Theatre, London.  The critics are not impressed.

    28 May 1899 Catalonia, part of an unfinished suite for orchestra by Isaac Albéniz, is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique in Paris, on the eve of the composer’s 39th birthday.

    28 May 1903 Euphrosyne, an overture by Frederick S. Converse (32), is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    28 May 1906 The Snow Hero, a children’s opera-fairy tale by Cesar Cui (71) to words of Pol, is performed for the first time, in Yalta.

    28 May 1907 A Piano Quintet by Frank Bridge (28) is performed for the first time, at a private home in London, the composer playing the viola part.  See 14 June 1907.

    28 May 1914 The Masque of St. Louis, an historical pageant by Frederick S. Converse (43) to words of MacKaye, is performed for the first time, in Forest Park, St. Louis to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the city.

    28 May 1920 An Arabesque for baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Frederick Delius (58) to words of Jacobsen is performed for the first time, in Central Hall, Newport, Monmouthshire.

    28 May 1923 György Sándor Ligeti is born in Dicsöszentmárton (Diciosânmartin), Romania, now Tîrnáveni, 250 km northwest of Bucharest, first of two children born to Sándor Ligeti, an economist and banker, and Ilona Somogyi, an opthamologist.

    28 May 1924 The second of the Deux poèmes de Ronsard op.26/2 for voice and flute by Albert Roussel (55) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 15 May 1924.

    Mirages op.70 for orchestra by Florent Schmitt (63) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    28 May 1928 Incidental music to Masefield’s play The Coming of Christ by Gustav Holst (53) for brass band is performed for the first time, in Canterbury Cathedral, conducted by the composer.

    28 May 1929 The first version of Antonín Dvorák’s (†25) comic opera King and Charcoal Burner, to words of Lobesky, is performed for the first time, in the National Theatre, Prague, 58 years after it was composed.

    28 May 1931 Peter Talbot Westergaard is born in Champaign, Illinois son of Harald Malcolm Westergaard and Rachel Talbot.

    28 May 1933 Arturo Toscanini cancels his commitment to conduct Parsifal and Die Meistersinger at Bayreuth because of “painful events which have wounded my feelings as a man and artist.”

    Haroun al Rashid for orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (20) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, Warsaw.

    28 May 1935 Canções típicas brasileiras for voice and piano by Heitor Villa-Lobos (48) to words of Itabaiana are performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.

    28 May 1936 While in Berlin, on his way to Prague to attend the First International Congress of Music Education, Heitor Villa-Lobos (49) writes to his wife, Lucília Guimarães, in Rio de Janeiro.  He declares their marriage over and informs her of his resolve not to live with her anymore.  At present, she makes more money than he does.

    28 May 1938 Mathis der Maler, an opera by Paul Hindemith (42) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Zürich Stadttheater.  It is an immediate success.  See 12 March 1934.

    28 May 1942 Benjamin Britten (28) appears before a British court to explain why he should be exempted from military service as a conscientious objector.  “I cannot take part in acts of destruction.”  He claims he can best serve his country through his creative activities.  The court exempts him but requires him to do non-combatant duties.  Britten appeals.  See 18 August 1942.

    28 May 1943 An orchestral arrangement of four dance episodes from Aaron Copland’s (42) ballet Rodeo is performed for the first time, in Boston.  Only three of the episodes are performed.  See 16 October 1942 and 22 June 1943.

    28 May 1947 Symphony no.5 by Bohuslav Martinu (56) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    Suite anglaise op.234 for harmonica and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (54) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    28 May 1950 Music for a Dancer for piano by Stefan Wolpe (47) is performed for the first time, at Hunter College, New York.

    Lieder for solo voice and piano by Ernst Krenek (49) to words of Verhaeren are performed for the first time, in Los Angeles, 26 years after they were composed.

    28 May 1951 String Quartet no.2 by Roger Sessions (54) is performed for the first time, in Madison, Wisconsin.

    Three Lieder for mezzo-soprano, clarinet, and string quartet by Ernst Krenek (50) to words of Verhaeren are performed for the first time, in Los Angeles City College Auditorium the composer conducting.

    28 May 1955 Part I of Perspektiven, music to an imaginary ballet for two pianos by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (37), is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.  See 2 June 1957.

    28 May 1957 The Legend of the Smoke from Potato Fires, a cantata for solo voices, chorus, and instruments by Bohuslav Martinu (66) to words of Bures, is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    Suite no.1 for unaccompanied cello by Ernest Bloch (76) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    Vortex premieres at the Morrison Planetarium in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.  A creation of musician Henry Jacobs and filmmaker Jordan Belson, it consists of a twelve-speaker array with visual images.

    28 May 1958 The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union amends its declaration of 10 February 1948 with a decree entitled “On the Correction of Errors in the Evaluation of The Great Friendship, Bogdan Khmelnitsky and From All My Heart”.  It lifts criticism of Sergey Prokofiev (†5), Aram Khatchaturian (54), Dmitri Shostakovich (51), and others.

    28 May 1966 Two works for voice and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (59) are performed for the first time, in Glinka Concert Hall, Leningrad the composer at the keyboard:  Five Romances on Texts from Krokodil op.121, and Preface to My Collected Works and a Short Reflection Upon this Preface to words of the composer.  On the same program is the first public performance of his String Quartet no.11.  This is his last performance as a pianist.  See 25 March 1966.

    28 May 1970 Übung für Klavier by Gottfried Michael Koenig (43) is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    Ludwig van, a film with music by Mauricio Kagel (38), is shown for the first time, in the Künstlerhauskino, Vienna.

    28 May 1971 The Resurrection, the second part of Utrenia for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (37) is performed for the first time, in Münster Cathedral in the first complete performance of Utrenia.  See 8 April 1970.

    28 May 1975 La cubana, oder Ein Leben für die Kunst, a vaudeville by Hans Werner Henze (48) to words of Enzensberger, after Barnet, is staged for the first time, in the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, Munich.  See 4 March 1974.

    Wishes, Wonders, Portents, Charms for chorus by William Bergsma (54) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.

    28 May 1976 Klavierstück nr.5 by Wolfgang Rihm (24) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    28 May 1981 Touches for piano by Leonard Bernstein (62) is performed for the first time, as part of the Sixth Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas.

    28 May 1987 Aria op.59, an operatic scene for tuba, piano, tam-tam, and bass drum by Henryk Górecki (53), is performed for the first time, in Salzburg.

    28 May 1988 Wachsfigurenkabinett, five chamber operas by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (†24) to words of Bormann, are performed completely for the first time, in Munich, 58 years after they were composed.  The five are Leben und Sterben des heiligen Teufels, Der Mann, der vom Tode auferstand, Chaplin-Ford-Trott, Fürwahr, and Die Witwe von Ephesus.  The first opera was performed in 1930.

    For Cello Solo by Leon Kirchner (69) is performed for the first time, in Charleston, South Carolina.

    28 May 1993 Dienstag aus Licht, an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen (64) to his own words, is staged for the first time, in the Leipzig Opernhaus.  See 10 May 1992.

    Melodien for carillon by Mauricio Kagel (61) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    28 May 1994 The second of the OstWest-Miniaturen for oboe and cello by Isang Yun (76) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    “An Angel...” for mezzo-soprano and double bass by Sofia Gubaidulina (62) to words of Lasker-Schüler is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Mutter for mezzo-soprano and piano by Alfred Schnittke (59) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    O meine Seele war ein Wald for mezzo-soprano, alto, harp, viola, cello, and double bass by Wolfgang Rihm (42) to words of Lasker-Schüler is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Fanfare for Glyndebourne for brass and timpani by Harrison Birtwistle (59) is performed for the first time, at Glyndebourne.

    28 May 1995 Little Requiem for a Polka op.66 for piano and 13 instruments by Henryk Górecki (61) is performed for the first time, in New York, the composer at the piano.

    28 May 1997 Electronic Music with Sound Scenes from Freitag aus Licht by Karlheinz Stockhausen (68) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, Köln.

    28 May 1998 The Spider and the Fly for voice and orchestra by David del Tredici (61) to words of Howitt is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    28 May 2005 Mahashakti for violin and orchestra by John Tavener (61) is performed for the first time, in The Megaron, Athens.

    29 May

    29 May 1753 Der krumme Teufel, a singspiel by Franz Joseph Haydn (21) to words of Kurz, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    29 May 1754 Thomas Augustine Arne’s (44) opera Eliza, to words of Rolt, is performed for the first time, in the Little Theatre, Haymarket, London.

    29 May 1771 Les projets de l’Amour, an opéra-ballet by Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (59) to words of Voisenon, is performed for the first time, at Versailles.

    29 May 1777 Christoph Willibald Gluck (62) arrives in Paris to produce Armide.  He is granted an immediate audience with his most ardent supporter in France, Queen Marie Antoinette.

    29 May 1787 The mortal remains of Leopold Mozart are laid to rest the churchyard of St. Sebastian in Salzburg.

    29 May 1790 Two arias for Guglielmi’s Le due gemelle by Luigi Cherubini (29) are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    29 May 1796 Hymne à la victoire for chorus by Luigi Cherubini (35) to words of Carbon de Flins is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    29 May 1799 Hymne pour la fête de la reconnaissance for solo voice, chorus and orchestra by Luigi Cherubini (38) to words of Mahérault is performed for the first time, in Paris.  It is Cherubini’s last occasional work for the revolution.

    29 May 1801 Franz Joseph Haydn (69) directs the first public performance of his oratorio Die Jahreszeiten in the Redoutensaal, Vienna.  In spite of its great success in a private performance 24 April, the hall is only half-full.

    29 May 1821 Cappi and Diabelli, Vienna publish four songs by Franz Schubert (24) to words of Goethe as his op.3:  Schäfers Klagelied, Heidenröslein, and the second settings of Meeresstille and Jägers Abendlied.  They also publish three other of Schubert’s songs as his op.4:  Der Wanderer to words of Schmidt von Lübeck, Morgenlied to words of Werner and the first setting of Wandrers Nachtlied to words of Goethe.

    29 May 1823 Anton Philipp Heinrich (42) gives his first concert after arriving in Boston.

    29 May 1825 A Mass in A by Luigi Cherubini (64) is performed for the first time, for the coronation of King Charles X in Rheims.  This is the first coronation of a French king since 1775.

    29 May 1839 Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres presents his drawing of Franz Liszt (27) to Countess Marie d’Agoult in Rome.

    29 May 1842 At the invitation of William Sterndale Bennett, Felix Mendelssohn (33) arrives in London for the seventh time, bringing his new Symphony no.3.  For the first time, he is accompanied by his wife.

    29 May 1855 The formal opening of the organ in St. George’s Hall, Liverpool takes place when Samuel Sebastian Wesley (44) gives the first of two recitals.

    29 May 1860 Isaac Manuel Francisco Albéniz y Pascual is born in Camprodón, Lérida, 100 km north of Barcelona and 10 km south of the French border, fourth of four children born to Angel Lucio Albéniz y Gauna, a customs official and published poet, and Dolors Pascual i Bardera, daughter of a soldier.

    29 May 1870 Zur Säkularfeier Beethovens, a cantata by Franz Liszt (58) to words of Stern and Gregorovius, is performed for the first time, in Wiemar for the Allgemeiner deutscher Musikverein.

    29 May 1872 Edward Elgar (14) dates his earliest surviving work, The Language of Flowers, for piano.  He dedicates it “To my sister Lucy on her birthday.”

    29 May 1873 Christus, an oratorio by Franz Liszt (61) to words from the Bible and the Roman Catholic liturgy, is performed completely for the first time, in the Weimar Stadtkirche, conducted by the composer.  Liszt’s daughter, Cosima, and his son-in-law Richard Wagner (60) are present.  Cosima reports that “Richard’s reaction covers all extremes, from ravishment to immense indignation, in his attempt to do it both profound and loving justice.” (C.Wagner, 178)

    29 May 1878 String Quartet no.1 by George Whitefield Chadwick (23) is performed for the first time, in the Gewandhaus, Leipzig.

    29 May 1880 Leos Janácek (25) writes to the jury who yesterday rejected his violin sonata, asking that they hear it again, and giving four reasons why.  In the end, he does not stay in Vienna long enough to hear a reply.

    Gavotte no.4 for orchestra by Richard Strauss (15) is performed for the first time, in Munich, conducted by the composer’s father.

    29 May 1889 String Quartet in a minor by Jean Sibelius (23) is performed for the first time, in a student concert at the Helsinki Music Institute.

    29 May 1893 Arthur Farwell (21) graduates from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

    29 May 1894 La porte héroïque du ciel, a drame ésotérique by Erik Satie (28) to words of Bois, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    29 May 1900 The Festival Song op.113 for chorus and orchestra, with words by Vrchlicky and music by Antonín Dvorák (58), is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    29 May 1905 Alban Berg (20) is present for a private performance of Pandora’s Box, a play by Frank Wedekind, in Vienna.  It has been banned from public theatres because of its licentious story.  The name of the heroine is Lulu.  See 2 June 1937.

    Symphony no.3 “Le poème divin”, by Alyeksandr Skryabin (33), is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    29 May 1906 Final examinations for the year take place at the Paris Conservatoire.  First-year student Edgard Varèse (22) does not show up, thus ending his formal musical education.

    29 May 1910 06:30  Mily Alyekseyevich Balakirev dies of pleurisy from a cold, in St. Petersburg, aged 73 years, four months, and 27 days.  His body will be buried in the cemetery of the Alyeksandr Nevsky Monastery, St. Petersburg.

    String Quartet no.1 by Zoltán Kodály (27) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    29 May 1912 Claude Debussy’s (49) Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune is danced for the first time, in the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.  The part of the faun is taken by the choreographer, Vaclav Nizhinsky.  It causes such a scandal that police will be called out for the second performance.  A young composer named Igor Stravinsky (29) is in the audience.

    Piano Quintet (1912) by Frank Bridge (33) is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.

    29 May 1913 Le Sacre du Printemps, a ballet by Igor Stravinsky (30) to a scenario of Roerich, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.  The ballet and its music cause a riot in the theatre as proponents and opponents resort to fisticuffs to exchange opinions on the value of art.  The dancers perform to music that they have to imagine, as few in the auditorium can hear it, except during certain lulls.  The choreographer, Vaclav Nizhinsky, almost runs onto the stage from the wings but is physically restrained by the composer.  Sergey Diaghilev, the impresario, flicks the lights several times in an effort to douse the demonstrations.  Nothing works.  Those participating in the discussions include Maurice Ravel (38) and Florent Schmitt (42).  Camille Saint-Saëns (77) simply repeats “he’s mad, he’s mad” several times before walking out.  In the audience is a young composer named Gian Francesco Malipiero (31) who was encouraged to attend by Alfredo Casella (29).  “I awoke from a long and dangerous lethargy.”  He decides to disown all his previous work and strike out anew.  Daniel Chennevière (Dane Rudhyar) (18) calls it “a tremendous experience.”

    29 May 1922 Iannis Xenakis is born in Bráila, Romania, eldest of three children born to Clearchos Xenakis, a prosperous shipping agent for a British import-export business, and Photini Pavlou, a pianist and daughter of a mill owner.

    Ferruccio Busoni (56) performs in public for the last time when he appears as soloist in the Emperor Concerto of Beethoven (†95) in Berlin.

    Mavra, an opera buffa by Igor Stravinsky (39) to words of Kochno after Pushkin, is performed for the first time, with singers and the composer at the piano, at the Hôtel Continental, Paris.  See 3 June 1922.

    29 May 1924 Sergey Prokofiev’s (33) cantata They are Seven op.30 for tenor, chorus, and orchestra, to words of Balmont, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    29 May 1927 Igor Stravinsky’s (44) Oedipus Rex, accompanied by two pianos, is performed at a party given by the Princesse de Polignac in Paris.  The piano parts are played by Sergey Prokofiev (36) and the composer.  See 30 May 1927.

    29 May 1933 Songs Sacred and Profane, a cycle for voice and piano by John Ireland (53) to words of Meynell, Warner, and Yeats, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in London, the composer at the keyboard.

    29 May 1949 Night Music for orchestra by Robert Ward (31) is performed for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    29 May 1952 Labyrinth, a choreographic fantasy by Hans Werner Henze (25), is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in Darmstadt.  See 25 May 1997.

    29 May 1953 Design for orchestra by Ned Rorem (29) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.

    Paysanna for orchestra by Claude Champagne (62), commissioned to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio-Canada.

    29 May 1954 Henry Cowell’s (57) Symphony no.11 “Seven Rituals of Music” is performed for the first time, in Columbia Auditorium, Louisville.

    29 May 1955 Mirage, a song by Charles Ives (†1) to words of Rossetti, is performed for the first time, at the First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis.

    29 May 1956 Arnold Schoenberg’s (†4) unfinished Modern Psalm for chorus, speaker, and orchestra, to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    29 May 1962 Genesis I:  Elementi op.19/1 for string trio by Henryk Górecki (28) is performed for the first time, in Kraków.

    Movements for flute and string orchestra by Gunther Schuller (36) is performed for the first time, in Dortmund.

    King Priam, an opera by Michael Tippett (57) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Coventry.

    Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play The Tempest by Michael Tippett (57) is performed for the first time, at the Old Vic, London.

    29 May 1963 Virtutes, a cycle of nine songs and melodramas for speaker, chorus, and players by Alexander Goehr (30) to words of Humphreys after the Bible, is performed for the first time, at King Edward’s School, Whitley, Surrey.

    Three Pieces for orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (56) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre of Columbia University.

    29 May 1967 Sun Music IV for orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (38) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, Melbourne.

    29 May 1972 Blind Man’s Buff, a masque for soprano, mezzo-soprano, mime, and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (37) to his own words after nursery rhymes and Büchner, is performed for the first time, at Round House, London conducted by Pierre Boulez (47).

    29 May 1981 The Blue Bamboula for piano by Charles Wuorinen (42) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    29 May 1988 A Solitary Road for string quartet by Toru Takemitsu (57) is performed for the first time, in Malyi Hall, Leningrad.

    Concerto for two violins and chamber orchestra by TJ Anderson (59) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    29 May 1999 All Ye that in Christ have been baptised for chorus by John Tavener (55) to words of Mother Thekla is performed for the first time, at Hurstpierpoint College in West Sussex.

    29 May 2003 Of Rewaking for voice and orchestra by Elliott Carter (94) to words of Williams is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.

    29 May 2004 On Wings of Song, a cycle for soprano and piano by David Del Tredici (67) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time, in Merkin Hall, New York, the composer at the keyboard.

    29 May 2005 Aaron George Rochberg dies in a hospital in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania of complications from recent surgery, aged 86 years, ten months, and 24 days.

    30 May

    30 May 1760 The second version of Il trionfo di Camilla, an opera eroico by Nicola Porpora (73) to words of Stampiglia revised by Lorenzi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    30 May 1761 Andromaca, an opera seria by Antonio Sacchini (31) to words of Salvi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo.  It is his first opera seria.

    30 May 1769 Demetrio, an opera seria by Niccolò Piccinni (41) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    30 May 1770 Armida abbandonata, an opera seria by Nicolò Jommelli (55) to words of de Rogati after Tasso, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  In attendance are Leopold (50) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  Wolfgang (14) describes it as “beautiful, but much too broken up and old-fashioned for the theatre.”

    30 May 1771 Niccolò Jommelli’s (56) opera seria Ifigenia in Tauride to words of Verazi is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  Finished today and hastily prepared, the work is such a complete failure that the embarrassed composer will return his payment.

    30 May 1782 Following the sacking of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (26), Michael Haydn (44) is named court organist by Archbishop Colloredo of Salzburg.

    30 May 1785 Ifigenia in Aulide, an opera by Ignaz Pleyel (27) to words of Zeno, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples for the name day of King Ferdinando IV.

    30 May 1790 Zenobia in Palmira, a dramma per musica by Giovanni Paisiello (50) to words of Sertor, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    30 May 1795 Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf’s (55) singspiel Gott Mars und der Hauptmann von Bärenzahn to his own words is performed for the first time, in the Herzogliches Hoftheater, Oels.

    30 May 1810 Variations for cello J.94 by Carl Maria von Weber (23) is performed for the first time, in Heidelberg.

    30 May 1811 Kantate zum Geburtstag von Jacob Beer by Meyer Beer (Giacomo Meyerbeer) (19) to words of Wolfssohn, is performed for the first time.

    30 May 1821 Vincenzo Bellini (19) and a fellow student, Francesco Florimo, publicly proclaim “Long Live our King Ferdinand, consecrated by God and by Right” on the King’s name day, at Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  They were suspected of being involved with the recent uprising of the Carbonari, and they are required to make this proclamation after a confession.

    30 May 1823 Aristea, an azione pastorale by Gaetano Donizetti (25) to words of Schmidt, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    30 May 1824 Heinrich August Marschner’s (28) duties as assistant to Carl Maria von Weber (37) begin as he conducts Päer’s Wie gerufen in Dresden.

    30 May 1826 Bianca e Gernando, a melodramma by Vincenzo Bellini (24) to words of Gilardoni after Roti, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples before the royal family on the name day of King Ferdinando.  It will receive 25 performances this season and will later be staged as Bianca e Fernando.

    Carl Maria von Weber (39) makes his last public appearance, at a benefit for Mary Anne Paton, in London.

    30 May 1828 Two songs by Franz Schubert (31) to words of Schulze are published by Kienreich in Graz as op.90 (later corrected to op.93):  Im Walde and Auf der Brücke.

    30 May 1829 Felix Mendelssohn (20) performs Carl Maria von Weber’s (†2) Conzertstück in f minor in the Argyll Rooms, London.  His performance without music causes amazement among his listeners.

    30 May 1831 Francesca di Foix, a melodramma by Gaetano Donizetti (33) to words of Gilardoni after Favart and Saint-Amans, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    30 May 1839 Charles Gounod (20) is awarded the Prix de Rome for his cantata Fernand.

    30 May 1844 Frédéric Chopin (34), George Sand and her two children arrive at her estate Nohant in Berry.  Instead of recovering from his father’s recent death, Chopin immediately contracts a dental infection, restricting him to bed for a week with fever and hallucinations.

    Felix Mendelssohn (35) once again visits Buckingham Palace where he plays his own music and improvises on others’.  He accompanies Queen Victoria in one of the songs by his sister Fanny (38).  “He is such an agreeable, clever man…and his countenance beams with intelligence and genius.”  (Eatcock, 86)

    30 May 1846 Der Waffenschmied, a komische Oper by Albert Lortzing (44) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Theater an der Wien.  It is because of the success of this opera that Lortzing will be appointed Kapellmeister at the Theater an der Wien.

    30 May 1852 Charles Gounod (33) is appointed director general of vocal instruction for the Paris public schools.  He is also named director of Orphéon, an organization of choral societies intended for the middle and lower classes.

    30 May 1853 Le Repos de la Sainte Famille from La fuite en Egypte for chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (49) to his own words is performed for the first time, in London.  See 1 December 1853.

    30 May 1855 Franz Liszt (43) and Joseph Joachim spend a musical evening at the home of Clara Schumann (35) in Düsseldorf.  They play the music of Robert Schumann (44), presently in an insane asylum.  Clara tells her diary of Liszt, “But it was so horrible, that my feelings could find an outlet only in tears.  How he banged the piano, and what a tempo he took!  I was beside myself that His work should be so desecrated in these rooms...”  (Williams, 317)

    30 May 1866 The Bartered Bride, a comic opera by Bedrich Smetana (42) to words of Sabina, is performed for the first time, in the Prague Provisional Theatre conducted by the composer.  See 29 January 1869, 1 June 1869, and 25 September 1870.

    30 May 1875 Georges Bizet (36) suffers an “acute rheumatic attack.”  He is in great pain and his limbs are paralyzed.

    30 May 1877 An Ave Maria for two sopranos and organ by Gabriel Fauré (32) is performed for the first time, in the Church of the Madeleine, Paris.

    30 May 1879 String Quartet no.2 by George Whitefield Chadwick (24) is performed for the first time, in a graduation concert at the Leipzig Gewandhaus.  It is very successful.

    30 May 1897 Cantata for the Helsinki University ceremonies of 1897 by Jean Sibelius (31) to words of Koskimies is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    30 May 1899 At the annual general meeting of the Vienna Philharmonic, it is voted 54-41 to postpone the election of the chief conductor for a time sufficient to ask Hans Richter if he will take the post back from Gustav Mahler (38).

    Several works by Fritz (Frederick) Delius (37) are performed for the first time, in an all-Delius night at St. James’ Hall, London:  La ronde se déroule, a symphonic poem, Mitternachtslied Zarathustras for solo voice, male chorus and orchestra to words of Nietzsche, Légende for violin and orchestra and five of the Seven Danish Songs for voice and orchestra to words of Jacobsen and Drachmann.  See 16 March 1901.

    30 May 1901 Hail! Moon op.18/2 for male chorus by Jean Sibelius (35) to words of the Kalevala is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    Much Ado About Nothing, an opera with words by Sturgis after Shakespeare, music by Charles Villiers Stanford (48) is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.  The public and press give it a generally positive response.

    30 May 1908 Three songs by Charles Koechlin (40) to words of Leconte de Lisle are performed for the first time, in Paris the composer at the keyboard:  Les rêves morts op.13/2, Dans l’air léger op.21/1, and Le colibri op.17/1.

    30 May 1916 A concert of the works of Erik Satie (50) and Enrique Granados (†0) takes place at the Paris home of Mme Bongard “for the benefit of artists affected by the War.”  Satie performs his Avant-dernières pensées. The printed program is illustrated by Matisse and Picasso.  Satie’s Trois Mélodies, to words of Fargue, Godebska, and Chalupt, are performed completely for the first time.  See 18 April 1916.

    30 May 1917 The critic Jean Poueigh, after savaging Parade, receives a card, written in beautiful calligraphy, which says, “Sir and dear friend, You are nothing but an asshole, and an unmusical asshole at that.  Erik Satie (51).”  See 3 June 1917.

    30 May 1919 Five of the Sechs Lieder op.68 by Richard Strauss (54) to words of Brentano, are performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    30 May 1922 Greater Love Hath No Man, a motet for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by John Ireland (42), is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    30 May 1923 La statue retrouvée, a divertissement by Erik Satie (57) to a story by Cocteau, Picasso and Massine, is performed for the first time, in the Paris home of Count Étienne de Beaumont.  Also premiered are Ludions, five songs for voice and piano or organ to words of Fargue, the composer at the organ.  See 21 December 1923.

    A production called Stop Flirting with several already-performed songs by George Gershwin (24) opens at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London.  It runs for 418 performances and establishes Gershwin, and Fred Astaire, on the London stage.

    30 May 1924 In a concert devoted to the works of Heitor Villa-Lobos (37) in the Salle des agriculteurs, Paris, Nonetto for chorus, flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, harp, and percussion is performed for the first time.

    Memories of My Childhood for orchestra by Charles Martin Loeffler (63) is performed for the first time, in Evanston, Illinois.

    30 May 1927 Two sets of Odes anacréontiques for voice and piano, opp.31 & 32, by Albert Roussel (58) to words translated by de Lisle, are performed completely for the first time, in Paris.  See 17 May 1926.

    Igor Stravinsky's (44) opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex, to words of Cocteau after Sophocles (translated into Latin by Daniélou), is performed publicly for the first time, in a concert setting, at the Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris, the composer conducting.  The chorus and speaker are onstage, the orchestra and soloists in the pit.  The performance has little success.  The audience is, in the composer's words, “barely polite.”  Among them is Aaron Copland (26).  See 23 February 1928.

    Maurice Ravel’s (52) Violin Sonata is performed for the first time, at the Salle Erard, Paris.  Georges Enesco is the violinist while the composer performs at the keyboard.  After playing through it once with Ravel, Enesco has memorized it.

    30 May 1928 After hearing the Concerto in F last night, Sergey Prokofiev (37) invites George Gershwin (29) to his Paris apartment.  They spend the afternoon together, Gershwin doing most of the playing.  Prokofiev likes Gershwin and most of his music, but not the Concerto.  The Russian predicts great things for the American.

    Capital Capitals for four male vocal soloists and piano by Virgil Thomson (31) to words of Stein, is performed for the first time, at the Nouveau Salle d’orgue du Conservatoire, Paris.  Present are Stein and Alice B. Toklas, Nadia Boulanger (40), Darius Milhaud (35), Roy Harris (30), and Jean Cocteau.  Press reactions are mixed.

    30 May 1929 The greatly revised and edited second version of Amériques by Edgard Varèse (45) is performed for the first time, in the Maison Gaveau, Paris.  On the same program is the premiere of Amazonas, a ballet by Heitor Villa-Lobos (42).

    30 May 1931 La Belle de Moudon, an operetta by Arthur Honegger (39) to words of Morax, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre du Jorat, Mézières.

    30 May 1932 Die Historie vom Ritter Don Juan aus Barcelona, an opera by Werner Egk (31) to his own words after a traditional story, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Bavarian Radio the composer conducting.

    Pauline Oliveros is born in Houston, eldest of two children born to John B. Oliveros and Edith Inez Gribben.

    30 May 1933 Arnold Schoenberg (58) and Franz Schreker (55) are placed on a “leave of absence” by the Prussian Academy of Arts.

    Edward Elgar (75) visits Frederick Delius (71) at his home in Grez-sur-Loing, France.  The two have been estranged for many years, but now come together as friends late in their lives.

    Drinking Song, the third of the Six Choruses op.53 by Gustav Holst (58) to medieval lyrics (tr. Waddell), is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    30 May 1938 Walter Piston’s (44) ballet The Incredible Flutist is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    30 May 1945 La muse ménagère op.245 for piano by Darius Milhaud (52) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio-Bruxelles.

    String Quartet no.7 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (58) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

    30 May 1950 Concerto for piano and orchestra by Claude Champagne (59) is performed for the first time, in Hermitage Hall, Montreal.

    30 May 1951 Olivier Messiaen (42) records his newly completed Quatre Études de rythme.  It is the only recording of the composer as solo pianist.

    Wedding Dance for chorus by György Ligeti (28) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Hungarian Radio.

    30 May 1952 Three new works commissioned for the sesquicentennial of the United States Military Academy Band are performed at West Point, New York:  Fantasie (Enigma Variations) on a Theme by Ferdinand Kücken by Henry Cowell (55) (world premiere), West Point Suite by Darius Milhaud (59) and Symphony in One Movement by Roy Harris (54) (world premiere).  See 5 January 1952.

    30 May 1954 Odisséia de uma raça, a symphonic poem by Heitor Villa-Lobos (67) dedicated to the State of Israel, is performed for the first time, in Haifa.

    30 May 1955 Incontri for 24 instruments by Luigi Nono (31) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.

    30 May 1956 Clap Vocalism, musique concrete on tape by Toru Takemitsu (25), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of New Japan radio.

    Several works involving magnetic tape are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, originating in Cologne:  Gesang der Junglinge no.8 by Karlheinz Stockhausen (27) to words from the Bible, Klangfiguren II by Gottfried Michael Koenig (29) and Spiritus intelligentiae, sanctus by Ernst Krenek (55) for two solo voices and tape.

    Several new works are performed for the first time, in Carl Fischer Hall, New York:  4 More by Earle Brown (29), Structures for string quartet, and Three Pieces for String Quartet by Morton Feldman (30), and Radio Music by John Cage (43)

    30 May 1958 Violin Concerto “no.1” by Béla Bartók (†12) is performed for the first time, in Basel, 50 years after it was composed.

    30 May 1962 War Requiem op.66 for soprano, tenor, baritone, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Benjamin Britten (48) to words of the Latin requiem and Wilfred Owen, is performed for the first time, conducted by the composer, at the reconsecration of Coventry Cathedral, destroyed during World War II.

    Journey Into Jazz for narrator, jazz quartet, and orchestra by Gunther Schuller (36) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    30 May 1964 The first public performance of Study for Player Piano no.24 by Conlon Nancarrow (51) takes place in Ojai, California.

    30 May 1967 Antechrist for piccolo, bass clarinet, percussion, violin, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (32) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, the composer directing.  Also premiered is Harrison Birtwistle’s (32) Monodrama for soprano, speaker, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and percussion, conducted by the composer.

    30 May 1968 Stedman Caters for flute/piccolo, clarinet, harpsichord, viola, cello, and percussion by Peter Maxwell Davies (33) is performed for the first time, in Purcell Room, London, the composer directing.

    30 May 1969 Sonata a la española for guitar by Joaquín Rodrigo (67) is performed for the first time, in Teatro dell’Opera, Rome.

    Setz die Segel zur Sonne from Aus dem sieben Tagen by Karlheinz Stockhausen (40) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    30 May 1970 Klangwehr (I) for military band in motion by Mauricio Kagel (38) is performed for the first time, in over the airwaves of Radio Bremen.

    30 May 1976 Fanfare for trumpet and four small bands by TJ Anderson (47) is performed for the first time, in Norfolk, Virginia.

    30 May 1980 The Witness for virtuoso instrumentalists by Pauline Oliveros is performed for the first time, in The Kitchen, New York on the composer’s 48th birthday.

    30 May 1981 Offertorium for violin and orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (49) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  See 24 September 1982 and 2 November 1986.

    The Bairns of Brugh for piccolo, bass clarinet, piano, marimba, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (46) is performed for the first time, in the Håkonshallen, Bergen.

    Das atmende Klarsein for chorus, bass flute and electronics by Luigi Nono (57) to words of Cacciari is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Pergola, Florence.

    30 May 1982 The Photographer, a music theatre by Philip Glass (45) to words of Malasch and the composer, is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    30 May 1984 Album Leaf for piano by Charles Wuorinen (45) is performed for the first time, in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, New York by the composer.

    30 May 1985 Opera Fantasia for violin and piano by Otto Luening (84) is performed for the first time, in Charleston, South Carolina.

    30 May 1986 Coptic Light for orchestra by Morton Feldman (60) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York conducted by Gunther Schuller (60).

    30 May 1991 Gawain, an opera by Harrison Birtwistle (56) to words of Harsent, is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.

    30 May 1997 Travelling with Gulliver, a theatre piece by John C. Eaton (62) to his own words after Swift, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    30 May 2001 Several works for orchestra by Werner Egk (†17) are performed for the first time, in Munich:  a suite from the film Der Herr vom andern Stern, a Concerto for violin and chamber orchestra composed in 1928, and three movements for orchestra, Largo, Presto, and Adagio misterioso composed in 1927.

    30 May 2004 Magnificat and Nunc Dimitis--The Edinburgh Service for chorus and organ by Peter Maxwell Davies (69) is performed for the first time, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh.

    30 May 2011 Hadrian’s Villa, Hadrian’s Wall for Northumbrian pipes, piano, and string quartet by Peter Maxwell Davies (76) is performed for the first time, in Bath.

    31 May

    31 May 1757 Anacreon (ii), an acte de ballet by Jean Philippe Rameau (73) to a scenario by Bernard, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    31 May 1764 Cajo Mario, an opera seria by Baldassare Galuppi (57) to words of Roccaforte, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Giovanni Crisostomo, Venice.

    31 May 1768 Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (32) marries Rosalia Weiss, daughter of a sculptor, in Vienna.

    Giovanni Paisiello’s (28) Festa teatrale in musica to words of Basso-Bassi is performed for the first time, at the Teatro San Carlo, Naples for the wedding of King Ferdinando IV and Maria Carolina.  The date could be 25 May.

    31 May 1774 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (18) dates his Concertone K.190 in Salzburg.

    31 May 1790 Muzio Clementi (38) appears as piano soloist for the last time, playing one of his own sonatas, in London.

    31 May 1809 00:40  Franz Joseph Haydn dies peacefully at his house in Gumpendorf, Vienna, aged 77 years and two months.

    31 May 1810 John Field (27) marries Adelaide Percheron, his mistress and one of his pupils, in the French Catholic Church, Moscow.

    31 May 1817 Gioachino Rossini’s (25) melodramma La gazza ladra to words of Gherardini after d’Aubigny and Caigniez is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan and is “greeted with almost hysterical delight.”

    31 May 1837 Minna Wagner secretly leaves her husband Richard (24) in Königsberg (Kaliningrad) and flees to Dresden with a businessman named Dietrich.

    31 May 1841 After a private performance for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Franz Liszt (29) is involved in accident where his coach is overturned.  He and his three companions are largely unhurt, but Liszt sprains his wrist.

    31 May 1842 Giacomo Meyerbeer (50) is made a knight of the Order of Merit for the Sciences and Arts, of the Peace Class.  It is conferred upon him by King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia.

    31 May 1851 Für solchen König Blut und Leben, a song for chorus and orchestra by Giacomo Meyerbeer (59) to words of Rellstab, inserted into the composer’s opera Ein Feldlager in Schlesien on the day of the unveiling of Christian Daniel Rauch’s monument to Friedrich the Great, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  Meyerbeer and Rauch are called to King Friedrich Wilhelm’s box after the performance and are highly praised by the monarch.

    31 May 1861 M. Choufleuri restera chez lui le..., an operetta by Jacques Offenbach (41) to words of Saint-Rémy (pseud. of le Duc de Morny), L’Epine, Crémieux and Halévy, is performed for the first time, at the Présidence du Corps Législatif, Paris.

    31 May 1872 Richard Strauss (7) hears his music for the first time when the Harbni, an amateur orchestra conducted by his father, rehearses his Panzenburg-polka at the home of Richard’s uncle Georg Pschorr in Munich.  It was orchestrated by Richard’s father, Franz.

    31 May 1882 Maurice Ravel (7) begins violin lessons with Henry Ghys in Paris.

    31 May 1883 Gustav Mahler (22) signs a contract making him Royal Music and Choral Director in Kassel.

    31 May 1884 Le Villi, a leggenda drammatica by Giacomo Puccini (25) to words of Fontana after Karr, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro dal Verme, Milan.  The librettist raised money for the production from friends, acquaintances, anonymous donors, musicians and writers.  Watching from the wings is the composer's friend Pietro Mascagni (20).  After the performance, Puccini has to borrow enough money to send his mother the following telegram:  CLAMOROUS SUCCESS.  EIGHTEEN CURTAIN CALLS.  FIRST FINALE REPEATED THREE TIMES.  AM HAPPY.

    31 May 1888 Theme and Variations for string quartet by Jean Sibelius (22) is performed for the first time, at Helsinki Conservatory.

    31 May 1889 Jean Sibelius (23) completes his studies at the Helsinki Music Institute.

    Ist der Himmel darum im Lenz so blau? op.2/2, a song for voice and piano by Hans Pfitzner (20) to words of Leander, is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    31 May 1894 Cantata for the University Ceremonies of 1894 for chorus and orchestra by Jean Sibelius (28) to words of Leino is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    31 May 1898 Klänge aus der Raimundzeit op.479, a fantaisie by Johann Strauss (72), is performed for the first time, in the Eutsches Volkstheater, Vienna.

    31 May 1900 In the first official concert of the Paris Exhibition, Le feu céleste op.115 for narrator, soprano, orchestra, and organ by Camille Saint-Saëns (64) to words of Sylvestre, is performed for the first time.

    31 May 1905 Spirit of Beauty op.61, an ode by Horatio Parker (41) to words of Detmers, is performed for the first time, at the dedication of the Albright Art Gallery in Buffalo, New York.

    31 May 1915 Navidad for double quintet of winds, strings, and piano by Enrique Granados (47) is performed for the first time, in Madrid.

    31 May 1917 John Philip Sousa (62) enlists in the US Naval Reserve and is given the rank of Lieutenant.  He is the first US Navy musician to receive a commission.

    31 May 1919 Academic March for orchestra by Jean Sibelius (53) is performed for the first time, at Helsinki University.

    31 May 1922 Virgil Thomson (26) is informed that he will not be receiving honors when he graduates from Harvard University.  He is told that “...your work was so mediocre in harmony, counterpoint and fugue that on the evidence submitted no other verdict was possible.”

    31 May 1924 Kaleidoscopic Changes on an Original Theme for piano by Ruth Crawford (22) is performed for the first time, in Kimball Hall, Chicago by the composer.

    31 May 1925 Sing Me the Men for chorus by Gustav Holst (50) to words of Dolben is performed for the first time, at All Hallows Church, Barking, the composer conducting.

    31 May 1934 The first run of George Gershwin’s (35) twice weekly radio program, “Music by Gershwin” over the airwaves of New York radio station WJZ, concludes.

    31 May 1941 Nicolas de flue, a dramatic oratorio by Arthur Honegger (49) to words of de Rougemont, is staged for the first time, in Neuchâtel.  See 26 October 1940.

    31 May 1942 Kenneth Patchen’s radio play The City Wears a Slouch Hat with music by John Cage (29) is broadcast for the first time, over the airwaves of WBBM originating in Chicago.  The composer conducts.

    31 May 1945 Excerpts from Peter Grimes, an opera by Benjamin Britten (31) to words of Slater, after Crabbe are performed for the first time, in a concert setting in Wigmore Hall, London the composer accompanying on piano.  See 7 June 1945.

    31 May 1946 Sinfonia elegiaca by Alberto Ginastera (30) is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.

    31 May 1948 Adame miroir op.283, a ballet by Darius Milhaud (55) to a story of Genet, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Marigny, Paris.

    31 May 1951 Distance de Fée for violin and piano by Toru Takemitsu (20) is performed for the first time, in Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo.

    President Theodor Heuss of the Federal Republic of Germany confers on Paul Hindemith (55) the Order of Merit, the country’s highest civilian honor, in ceremonies in Bonn.

    31 May 1955 Capriccio for cello and orchestra by Ernst Krenek (54) is performed for the first time, in the Kranichsteiner Musikinstitut, Darmstadt.

    Quattro poemi for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (28) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.  The conductor, Leopold Stokowski, has a standing rule that latecomers may not be admitted until the intermission.  Unfortunately for the composer, he arrives late and is not able to hear his piece.

    31 May 1960 The Blue and White March (later retitled Blue Towers) for orchestra by Irving Fine (45) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.  It is a reworking of The Blue and the White, a march he wrote for Brandeis University.

    31 May 1961 Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima for 52 strings by Krzysztof Penderecki (27) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Warsaw.

    Nympholept for orchestra by Arnold Bax (†7) is performed for the first time, at the Royal Academy of Music, 46 years after it was composed.  See 14 February 1987.

    31 May 1962 Invocation à l’ange Raphaël op.395 for women’s chorus and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (69) to words of Claudel is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    A concert of “symphonic jazz” takes places in Constitution Hall, Washington when Duke Ellington (63) and his Orchestra join the National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Howard Mitchell and Gunther Schuller (36).

    31 May 1963 Christopher Sly, a comic opera by Dominick Argento (35) after Shakespeare, is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis at the University of Minnesota.

    31 May 1964 The Music Makers, an ode for chorus and orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (81) to words of O’Shaughnessy, is performed for the first time, in Merton College, Oxford.

    31 May 1970 Nocturnal Dances, a ballet for soprano, flute, clarinet, percussion, violin, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (35) is performed for the first time, at The Place, London.  See 19 September 1970.

    Dark Music for timpani and cello by William Bolcom (32) is performed for the first time, at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington.

    31 May 1973 Lustro for eight voices, orchestra, and tape by R. Murray Schafer (39) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.  It is a triptych of two previously performed works, Divan i Shams i Tabriz and Music for the Morning of the World, and a new work, Beyond the Great Gate of Light.

    31 May 1978 Quartets I-VIII for 24 instruments by John Cage (65) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul, Minnesota.  See 22 February 1977.

    Parable XVIII op.133 for trombone by Vincent Persichetti (62) is performed for the first time, in Nashville, Tennessee.

    31 May 1980 Bann, Nachtschwärmerei--Spells and Night Dreams for organ by Wolfgang Rihm (28) is performed for the first time, in Ludwigsburg.

    31 May 1981 Rain Tree for three percussionists or keyboard players by Toru Takemitsu (50) is performed for the first time, in Seibu Theatre, Tokyo.

    Agnus Dei for chorus by Krzysztof Penderecki (47) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw at the funeral of Stefan Cardinal Wyszynski.

    31 May 1983 Fantasia concertante no.2 for three trombones and piano by Gunther Schuller (57) is performed for the first time, in Nashville, Tennessee.

    31 May 1985 Salute for five trumpets by Leslie Bassett (62) is performed for the first time, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    31 May 1986 Black Tambourine for female chorus and piano by Thea Musgrave (58) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    31 May 1987 Suite for Horn by Otto Luening (86) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    31 May 1989 Composition for three flutes by Morton Feldman (†1) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    31 May 1993 The Singing Child, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (81) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Spoleto Festival, Charleston, South Carolina.

    31 May 1996 Antoninius Wilhemus Adrianus (Ton) de Leeuw dies in Paris at the age of 69 years, six months, and 15 days.

    31 May 2002 Sonata for solo cello op.91 by Robin Holloway (58) is performed for the first time, in Troldhaugen, Bergen, Norway.

    Benedictus for children’s chorus by Krzysztof Penderecki (68) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    31 May 2008 A Field Manual for two solo voices and eight players by David Del Tredici (71), to words of Field, is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.

    31 May 2009 Fourth Piano Sonata by Charles Wuorinen (70) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    ©2004-2012 Paul Scharfenberger

    5 May 2012

    Last Updated (Saturday, 05 May 2012 05:16)

     

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