1983
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3 January 1983 The Polish government creates officially approved labor unions to replace Solidarity.
The Ninety-eighth Congress of the United States convenes in Washington. The ruling Republican Party controls the Senate while the Democratic Party controls the House of Representatives.
5 January 1983 A cease-fire goes into effect between Moslem militias in Tripoli, Lebanon.
The French government bans the Corsican National Liberation Front.
Foreign ministers of Colombia, Mexico, Venezuela, and Panama meet on Contadora Island to issue a declaration calling for negotiations in Nicaragua.
7 January 1983 The Reagan administration lifts a ban on arms sales to the dictatorship of Guatemala. It says the military has taken “significant steps” against its human rights abuses.
9 January 1983 William Schuman’s (72) choral cycle Perceptions to words of Whitman is performed for the first time, in Greenwich, Connecticut.
12 January 1983 A federal appeals court in Chicago voids a $1,800,000,000 decision from June 1980 against AT&T. It orders a new trial.
11 January 1983 Cello Concerto no.2 by Krzysztof Penderecki (49) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
14 January 1983 Political prisoner Anatoly Shcharansky ends his four-month hunger strike when he receives a note from his mother for the first time in over a year.
Rain Tree Sketch for piano by Toru Takemitsu (52) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall.
15 January 1983 Piano Sonata: Reflections of a Dark Light by Richard Wernick is performed for the first time, in Hirshhorn Museum, Washington on the eve of the composer’s 49th birthday.
Trio for violin, viola, and cello by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (43) is performed for the first time.
16 January 1983 Szenario for strings and tape by Mauricio Kagel (51) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Chatelet, Paris conducted by the composer.
He Hath Entered the Heaven for nine trebles by John Tavener (38) is performed for the first time, at Oxford.
18 January 1983 The South African government dissolves the National Assembly in Namibia. They resume ruling the province directly.
19 January 1983 The US Commerce Department reports that real GNP fell in the country 1.9% during 1982, the greatest fall since 1946.
Rain Spell for flute, clarinet, harp, piano, and vibraphone by Toru Takemitsu (52) is performed for the first time, in Yokohama.
Tres evocaciones (Homenaje a Joaquín Turina) for piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (81) is performed for the first time, in Seville to celebrate the centennial of Turina’s (†34) birth.
20 January 1983 A medical delegation from the US to El Salvador reports that it found “torture, starvation and malnutrition” and a collapse of the health system. They urge President Reagan not to certify the government’s progress against human rights abuses.
21 January 1983 The Reagan administration certifies to Congress that the government of El Salvador is making progress in curbing human rights abuses.
23 January 1983 Gravely ill with pneumonia, Vaclav Havel is transferred (in handcuffs) from Plzen-Bory to a prison hospital in Prague.
24 January 1983 The trial of 63 Red Brigade terrorists ends in Italy. 32 receive sentences of life in prison. 27 receive sentences ranging from four months to 30 years. Four are acquitted. Among those sentenced are 23 accused of complicity in the kidnapping and murder of former Prime Minister Aldo Moro.
In an interview in Business Week, US Secretary of the Interior James Watt says environmental groups are using the issue “as a tool to achieve…centralized planning and control of the society.” He likened the tactics of environmental organizations to the Nazis in the 1930s. Gaylord Nelson, chairman of the Wilderness Society, says “It’s time for the white coat people to take him away.”
25 January 1983 China’s Supreme People’s Court commutes the death sentence of Jiang Qing, widow of Mao Zedong, to life in prison.
The Bolivian government arrests convicted war criminal Klaus Barbie.
The first two movements of Birthday Music for John for flute, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London. See 13 October 1983.
26 January 1983 US President Reagan says that he finds taxes on corporations are “very hard to justify.”
27 January 1983 The Wanderer for accordion orchestra by Pauline Oliveros (50) is performed for the first time, in the Marymount Manhattan Theatre, New York.
28 January 1983 Nocturne for alto flute by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.
29 January 1983 Traumformel no.51 2/3, a version of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (54) Klavierstück XIII for basset horn, is performed for the first time, in Cologne. See 19 November 1981 and 10 June 1982.
3 February 1983 Shaar for strings by Iannis Xenakis (60) is performed for the first time, in Tel Aviv.
Four works by Arnold Bax (†29) are performed for the first time at the British Music Information Centre, London during the centennial year of the composer’s birth: When We are Lost for voice and piano composed in 1905, A Lyke-Wake Dirge for voice and piano to anonymous 15th century Scottish words composed in 1908, Frühlingsregen for voice and piano to words of Rückert composed in 1910, and the third movement of a Symphony in F composed in 1907 in piano score only.
United States, a multi-media work by Laurie Anderson (35), is given its first complete performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. It will be completed tomorrow.
4 February 1983 Nicaragua reports repelling a seaborne invasion by 120 US backed insurgents.
Klaus Barbie, commander of the Gestapo in Lyon, is expelled from Bolivia and returned to France.
Concerto Grosso for brass quintet and band by Leslie Bassett (60) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
5 February 1983 PLO offices in Beirut are destroyed by a massive car bomb which destroys the building and a building across the street. At least 22 people are killed, over 100 injured.
7 February 1983 Iran begins another large offensive against Iraq, this one at Fakeh, west of Dizful. Within two weeks it will grind into a stalemate.
Recuperating from pneumonia, Vaclav Havel is released from imprisonment and transferred to a public hospital.
8 February 1983 An Israeli board of inquiry into the killings in Beirut refugee camps last year finds no direct complicity by Israeli authorities but lays indirect blame on Defense Minister Ariel Sharon and three generals. It recommends that Sharon be removed.
9 February 1983 The Joshua Tree, a dance score by Ross Lee Finney (76), is performed for the first time, in the Joyce Theatre, New York.
11 February 1983 Pursuant to a board of inquiry report of 8 February, Israeli Minister of Defense Ariel Sharon resigns.
A sound installation by Max Neuhaus (43) is inaugurated in the Bell Gallery of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. It will be up through 10 March.
Two Songs on Poems of James Joyce for voice and piano by David Del Tredici (45) is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.
13 February 1983 Short Suite for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (44) is performed for the first time, at the State University of New York, Purchase the composer conducting.
15 February 1983 The Lebanese government takes control of East Beirut.
Archipelago for chamber ensemble and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (48) is performed for the first time, in the Georges Pompidou Center, Paris.
Exequien for Calvin Simmons for alto flute, bass clarinet (or vibraphone or piano or two violas), and cello by John Harbison (44) is performed for the first time, at Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts.
The Andrée Expedition, a cycle for voice and piano by Dominick Argento (55) to words of Salomon Andrée, Nils Strindberg, and Knut Frankel, is performed for the first time, in O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Paul, Minnesota.
16 February 1983 Contours for tape by Jean-Claude Risset (44) is performed for the first time, at Université de Montréal.
17 February 1983 US President Reagan indirectly endorses the Christian Democrats in the upcoming West German elections.
18 February 1983 Hindus kill about 600 Moslem immigrants from Bangladesh near Nellie, Assam.
Brazil devalues the cruzeiro by 23%.
19 February 1983 Betsy Jolas (56) is elected to the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters.
20 February 1983 Concerto grosso for woodwind quintet by Ralph Shapey (61) is performed for the first time, in the Guggenheim Museum, New York.
23 February 1983 Adrian Boult dies in Kent at the age of 93.
The Passion of the Sadducees, a cantata for actor, solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Mikis Theodorakis (57) to words of Katsaros, is performed for the first time, in East Berlin.
24 February 1983 La Passion selon Guignol for amplified vocal quartet and orchestra by Henri Pousseur (53) is performed for the first time, in Liège.
25 February 1983 Ye Jianying resigns as Head of State of the Peoples Republic of China.
Tennessee Williams dies in New York at the age of 71.
27 February 1983 A new government is installed in Assam state, India after over 1,600 people die in pre-election violence.
28 February 1983 The European Community agrees to ban the import of seal pup skins.
US President Reagan asks Congress for $60,000,000 more in aid to the government of El Salvador.
Two piano pieces by Aaron Copland (82) are performed for the first time, in New York: Midday Thoughts and Proclamation for Piano.
Noon Dance for six players by Joan Tower (44) is performed for the first time, in Sanders Theatre of Harvard University.
2 March 1983 Iraqi war planes further damage an Iranian offshore oil installation sending a massive slick into the Persian Gulf.
Pope John Paul II begins a nine-day visit to Central America at San José, Costa Rica. He speaks against violence, communism, and the interference of the major powers in the affairs of the region.
Verticals for piano by Shulamit Ran (33) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.
Love, Sweet Animal for chorus and piano-four hands by Arthur Berger (70) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.
3 March 1983 80,000 Greeks rally in Athens to oppose US bases in their country.
The Reagan administration announces it is sending more military advisors to the government of El Salvador.
The government of Guatemala executes six people accused of terrorism, despite appeals from the Roman Catholic Church.
The Reagan administration denies an entry visa to the widow of Salvador Allende contending that her visit was “determined to be prejudicial to US interests.”
4 March 1983 Vaclav Havel is released from hospital in Prague.
Pope John Paul II arrives in Managua on his Central American tour. He criticizes priests involved in the government and warns against the church becoming involved in “unacceptable ideological commitments.”
A concert version of Orpheus for speaker and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (56) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.
Three Voices for three sopranos or soprano and tape by Morton Feldman (57) to words of O’Hara is performed for the first time, at the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia.
5 March 1983 The leftist Labour Party makes big gains in parliamentary elections and wins a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives, ousting the center-right Liberal/National coalition.
Concerto para una fiesta for guitar and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (81) is performed for the first time, in Ridglea Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas.
String Quartet no.7 by Samuel Adler (55) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
6 March 1983 Elections in West Germany give a victory to Chancellor Helmut Kohl’s ruling center-right coalition. For the first time, the Green Party enters the Bundestag with 27 of 498 seats.
Pope John Paul II arrives in San Salvador on his tour of Central America. He calls for a dialogue between the warring parties, saying both the rich and the terrorists must change.
Cathy Berberian dies in Rome of an apparent heart attack at the age of 54.
Charles Wuorinen’s (44) Divertimento for alto saxophone and piano is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York the composer at the keyboard.
7 March 1983 Pope John Paul II arrives in Guatemala on his tour of Central America. He speaks out against discrimination and violence against Indians by the government, saying “God will punish” those who commit injustice.
Song of David op.148 for organ by Vincent Persichetti (67) is performed for the first time, in the Church of the Ascension, New York.
8 March 1983 07:00 William Turner Walton dies of a lung hemorrhage at his home on the island of Ischia, aged 80 years, eleven months, and eight days. The composer has been ill recently but death is sudden. Within four hours, a thousand of the local villagers arrive at his villa to pay homage.
US President Ronald Reagan declares that the Soviet Union is “the focus of evil in the modern world.”
9 March 1983 Armenian terrorists fire into a car carrying the Turkish ambassador to Yugoslavia, in Belgrade. The ambassador is critically injured and will die in two days. His chauffeur and two passersby are wounded. One bystander is killed.
10 March 1983 US President Ronald Reagan asks Congress for $110,000,000 more in military aid to the government of El Salvador. He says that if it is not approved, more military advisors will be heading to the country.
11 March 1983 Robert James Lee Hawke replaces Malcolm Fraser as Prime Minister of Australia.
The mortal remains of William Walton are cremated in Florence. They will be interred on his estate on the island of Ischia.
12 March 1983 To the Edge of Dream for guitar and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (52) is performed for the first time, in Liège.
13 March 1983 Concerto no.1 for viola and computer by John Melby (41) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.
14 March 1983 OPEC agrees to reduce oil prices for the first time in its 23-year history.
16 March 1983 Improvistation for AC, a birthday piece for Aaron Copland (82) for piano by Arthur Berger (70), is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.
19 March 1983 The new Australian government announces it will resume trade, cultural and sport relations with the Soviet Union, suspended after the invasion of Afghanistan.
Beachcombers, a ballet for voice, electronics, cheng, and violin by Larry Austin (52) to a choreography by Cunningham, is performed for the first time, in New York City Center. The vocal part is chanted by John Cage (70).
Harpsichord Sonata no.7 op.156 by Vincent Persichetti (67) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.
21 March 1983 Two days of voting in parliamentary elections in Finland result in gains for the Rural Party and the Social Democratic Party.
22 March 1983 Labour Party candidate Chaim Herzog wins the presidency of Israel in a secret Knesset vote.
Newly released FBI files showed that the bureau closely followed John Lennon in an attempt to deport him.
23 March 1983 The Danish Parliament votes to end trade sanctions against the USSR, imposed after the Polish crackdown on Solidarity.
Dr. Barney Clark, first recipient of a permanent artificial heart, dies in Salt Lake City 112 days after implantation.
Nicaragua tells a meeting of the UN Security Council that 4,000 US-backed rebels have invaded the country from Honduras.
On the first anniversary of his coup, Guatemalan President Efrain Rios Montt lifts the state of siege.
US President Ronald Reagan asks his country to support a 10% increase in defense spending and the development of an anti-ballistic missile system employing new and emerging technologies.
24 March 1983 Police use water cannons to disperse 20,000 anti-Pinochet demonstrators in Chile.
26 March 1983 Temperaments for solo guitar by Leslie Bassett (60) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
28 March 1983 About 85% of Argentina’s work force takes part in a 24-hour general strike to protest 200% inflation and government economic policies.
Soliloquy II for guitar, flute/piccolo, two oboes, bassoon, and strings by Thea Musgrave (54) is performed for the first time.
29 March 1983 US President Reagan denies Nicaraguan claims of a US-backed invasion, claiming the current fighting is between rival factions within the country.
Deowa for soprano and clarinet by Harrison Birtwistle (48) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.
30 March 1983 The new Australian government blocks construction of a hydroelectric dam in a Tasmania area declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.
In a nationally televised address, US President Reagan offers to reduce the deployment of medium range missiles in Europe in return for reductions by the Soviets.
31 March 1983 Vietnamese forces capture three Khmer Rouge strongholds near the Thai border.
1 April 1983 Thousands of demonstrators in Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands take to the streets for four days of protests against deployment of US Pershing and cruise missiles in Europe.
2 April 1983 Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey Gromyko calls President Reagan’s arms reduction proposal of 30 March “not serious.”
3 April 1983 Vietnamese forces in Cambodia begin an assault on O Smach, the headquarters of Prince Sihanouk on the Thai border.
4 April 1983 Sikhs demanding independence for Punjab battle police when they attempt to remove roadblocks set up by the Sikhs. 20 demonstrators are killed, 150 injured.
The space shuttle Challenger is launched into space for the first time from Cape Canaveral.
5 April 1983 Vietnamese forces take O Smach and, according to survivors, commit atrocities.
The French government expels 47 Soviet citizens for espionage.
Dialogues for violin, cello, and orchestra by Robert Ward (65) is performed for the first time, in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
6 April 1983 Interior Secretary James Watt bans the popular music entertainers The Beach Boys from appearing at Independence Day celebrations at the Washington Mall. He says they attract “the wrong element.”
Maria Elena, an opera by Thomas Pasatieri (37) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Tucson, Arizona.
7 April 1983 First Lady Nancy Reagan personally informs Secretary of the Interior James Watt that she and her children are fans and friends of members of The Beach Boys. It also turns out that The Beach Boys raised money for Vice President George Bush in 1980. Watt’s prohibition of yesterday is rescinded.
8 April 1983 String Quartet no.10 by Peter Sculthorpe (53) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.
Ear for EAR for voices by John Cage (70) is performed for the first time, in St. Bartholomew’s Church, New York.
9 April 1983 Monolog for bass clarinet by Isang Yun (65) is performed for the first time, in Melbourne.
10 April 1983 Claiming that the PLO is reneging on promises it made a week ago, King Hussein of Jordan withdraws from the US peace plan.
A close advisor to Yasir Arafat is shot to death in a Lisbon hotel by rival Palestinians.
13 April 1983 Genevieve de Brabant, possibly a shadow theatre play, by Erik Satie (†58) to words of Latour, is staged for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice. See 17 May 1926.
14 April 1983 US President Ronald Reagan denies that he is providing covert aid to the rebels attempting to overthrow the Nicaraguan government.
Trio for bass instruments for bass trombone, double bass, and tuba by Charles Wuorinen (44) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.
15 April 1983 Thomas Jefferson’s Minstrels for baritone, male chorus, and jazz band by TJ Anderson (54) is performed for the first time, at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts.
18 April 1983 A massive car bomb destroys the US embassy in Beirut, collapsing part of the building. 64 people are killed, hundreds injured, mostly Lebanese. The US ambassador narrowly escapes injury but most of the CIA staff is wiped out. Several terrorist organizations, including Islamic Jihad, claim responsibility.
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (43) is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in Music for her Symphony no.1, the first woman to win the honor. See 5 May 1982.
Profils for seven instruments and tape by Jean-Claude Risset (45) is performed for the first time, at Centre Georges-Pompidou, Paris.
Horn Trio for french horn, violin, and piano by Charles Wuorinen (44) is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York the composer at the keyboard.
Piano Sonata no.12 op.145 by Vincent Persichetti (67) is performed for the first time, in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Snow Dreams for flute and guitar by Joan Tower (44) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul, Minnesota.
19 April 1983 Varii capricci, a ballet by William Walton (†0) is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York. It is an arrangement of his Five Bagatelles for guitar.
20 April 1983 Cantata for chorus and brass quintet by Karel Husa (61), to words of Robinson, Dickinson and Whitman, is performed for the first time, in the Wabash College Chapel, Crawfordsville, Indiana.
21 April 1983 Several works by Arnold Bax (†29) are performed for the first time, at the British Music Information Centre, London during the centennial of the composer’s birth: A fragment for violin and piano composed in 1897, the second movement of the Sonata no.1 for violin and piano composed in 1910, the second movement of a Piano Sonata in E flat, composed in 1937, Four Pieces for piano composed in 1947, and the Sonata in F for violin and piano composed in 1928. See 18 June 1914.
Parable XXIV op.153 for harpsichord by Vincent Persichetti (67) is performed for the first time, in Columbus, Ohio.
22 April 1983 Chiffre I for piano and seven instruments by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken.
23 April 1983 Elections for Iceland’s Parliament produce a small setback for the ruling center-left coalition.
The Triple Duo by Elliott Carter (74) for violin, cello, flute, clarinet, piano, and percussion is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.
24 April 1983 Elections in Austria deprive the ruling Social Democratic Party of five seats and their majority in Parliament. Chancellor Bruno Kreisky announces he will resign.
The junta ruling Turkey lifts their ban on political activity.
Excursions for violin, cello, and piano by Shulamit Ran (33) is performed for the first time, at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.
25 April 1983 Pioneer X crosses the orbit of Pluto and exits the solar system.
Parliamentary elections in Portugal leave the Socialist Party with a gain of 27 seats and the largest number of seats but not a majority. The ruling right-wing Social Democratic Party loses 59 seats.
26 April 1983 The US National Commission on Excellence in Education issues its report: A Nation at Risk.
27 April 1983 US President Ronald Reagan addresses a joint session of Congress on the need for increased military and economic assistance to certain factions in Central America.
Ned Rorem’s (59) setting of Three Calamus Poems by Walt Whitman for voice and piano is performed for the first time, in New York.
28 April 1983 The government of Argentina releases The Final Document on the War Against Subversion and Terrorism. All of those “disappeared” are declared dead. It says everything done by members of the military during the Dirty War were “acts of service.”
Quatrième Vue sur les Jardins interdits for orchestra by Henri Pousseur (53) is performed for the first time, in Maestricht.
29 April 1983 15 bombs set by Corsican separatists explode in Paris and three other French cities. They cause a lot of damage but no injuries.
After the withdrawal of the Socialist Party from the ruling coalition, the government of Italy resigns.
Salvadoran guerrillas launch a new offensive in La Union Province in response to President Reagan’s speech of two days ago.
Harold Washington becomes the first African-American mayor of Chicago.
Fratres I for string orchestra and percussion by Arvo Pärt (47) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.
30 April 1983 George Balanchine dies in New York at the age of 79.
1 May 1983 Tens of thousands of workers demonstrate against the government in 20 Polish cities. Police use tear gas against 20,000 protesters in Gdansk.
3 May 1983 Yuri Andropov, General Secretary of the CPSU, makes a new offer to limit nuclear weapons in Europe.
The National Conference of Catholic Bishops condemns the nuclear arms race.
4 May 1983 The Iranian government bans the Communist Party and orders 18 Soviet diplomats out of the country.
Lebanon agrees to a draft proposal for the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
The US House of Representatives calls for a “mutual and verifiable freeze and reductions in nuclear weapons.”
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.
5 May 1983 Chaim Herzog replaces Itzhak Navon as President of Israel.
6 May 1983 Israel agrees to a draft proposal for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon.
A new coalition government under Finnish Prime Minister Kalevi Sorsa is sworn in.
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.
9 May 1983 In a further attempt to overthrow the Nicaraguan government, the Reagan administration cuts sugar imports from that country by 90%.
Divertimento for string quartet by Charles Wuorinen (44) is performed for the first time, in Glens Falls, New York.
11 May 1983 The International Committee of the Red Cross charges the warring countries of Iran and Iraq with “grave and repeated violations of international humanitarian law.”
Chilean police use tear gas and water canons to disperse crowds protesting the US backed military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet. Two demonstrators are shot to death while 350 are arrested.
12 May 1983 Sounder Rounds for orchestra by Earle Brown (56) is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken, conducted by the composer.
13 May 1983 The Syrian government formally rejects the troop withdrawal plan agreed to by Lebanon and Israel.
Joaquín Rodrigo (81) is awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Southern California.
14 May 1983 Police and troops of the US-backed dictatorship raid two shanty towns in Santiago de Chile before dawn. They take all men and boys over 14 and transport them to a soccer stadium. Many are released. Many are not.
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.
17 May 1983 South Korean opposition leader Kim Young Sam begins a hunger strike to demand a return to democracy.
A Concerto for organ and orchestra op.235 by Ernst Krenek (82) is performed for the first time, in Melbourne Concert Hall.
Israel and Lebanon sign a final agreement for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon.
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.
18 May 1983 France withdraws its ambassador to Chile after the events of the previous week.
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.
20 May 1983 The African National Congress explodes a bomb outside air force headquarters in Pretoria, killing 18 people and injuring 200.
The US ends the embargo on sale of warplanes to Israel.
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.
22 May 1983 Corsican separatists explode 30 bombs throughout the island. One person is injured.
Schall und Hall for trombone and piano by Alfred Schnittke (48) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.
23 May 1983 In retaliation for the bombing of 20 May, the South African Air Force attacks a suburb of Maputo, Mozambique, which they claim is a guerrilla stronghold.
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.
24 May 1983 Fred Sinowatz replaces Bruno Kreisky as Prime Minister of Austria at the head of a Socialist-Freedom Party coalition.
Ten Canons for Two Flutes by Otto Luening (82) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.
25 May 1983 The deputy-commander of the US military in El Salvador is shot to death by two gunmen in San Salvador.
26 May 1983 Steingrimur Hermannsson replaces Gunnar Thorodsson as Prime Minister of Iceland at the head of a center-right coalition.
27 May 1983 The Soviet Union says it will take measures to defend itself if NATO goes ahead with planned deployment of medium range missiles in Europe.
The Reagan administration sends 100 military advisors to Honduras to train the Salvadoran army.
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.
2 June 1983 The English Cat, an opera by Hans Werner Henze (56) to words of Bond after Balzac, is performed for the first time, in the Württemburgische Staatsoper Stuttgart. See 9 August 1990.
4 June 1983 Sonority Forms II by Otto Luening (82) is performed for the first time, in Bennington, Vermont.
6 June 1983 Nicaragua expels three United States diplomats.
String Quartet: Feng Ya Song by Tan Dun (25) is performed for the first time, in Dresden.
7 June 1983 In retaliation for yesterday’s action, the United States closes six Nicaraguan consulates and expels 21 diplomats.
Cinq pièces pour Boulogne for 41-54 musicians by Betsy Jolas (56) is performed for the first time, at the Conservatoire de Boulogne sur Seine.
8 June 1983 A high ranking Guatemalan general is sacked after he called for a return to civilian rule and said that evangelical Protestant President Efrain Rios Montt is biased against Catholics.
Tetras for string quartet by Iannis Xenakis (61) is performed for the first time, in Lisbon.
Margot le Rouge, a lyric drama by Frederick Delius (†48) to words of Gaston-Danville, is performed for the first time, at the Opera Theatre of St. Louis, 81 years after it was composed.
A new center-right coalition is sworn in in Norway under Prime Minister Kaare Willoch.
Mário Alberto Nobre Lopes Soares replaces Francisco Pinto Balsemão as Prime Minister of Portugal at the head of a Socialist-Social Democrat coalition.
9 June 1983 Voters in Britain return the Conservative Party to power with an increased majority of 397 seats out of 650 and 43% of the vote.
“Examen” for tenor, trumpet, basset horn, and piano by Karlheinz Stockhausen (54), an excerpt of his Donnerstag aus Licht, is performed separately for the first time, in Vernier, Switzerland.
Novelette pour Bourges for electronic valve instrument and piano by Vladimir Ussachevsky (71) is performed for the first time, in Bourges.
10 June 1983 Omaggio a György Kurtag for alto, flute, clarinet, tuba, and electronic sounds by Luigi Nono (59) is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Pergola, Florence.
13 June 1983 The Pentagon announces that about half of all Salvadoran soldiers who have received the Reagan administration’s military training have left the army.
14 June 1983 A national day of protest against the US backed military dictatorship in Chile sends thousands of demonstrators into the streets. Four people are killed, 1,350 arrested.
15 June 1983 The leader of yesterday’s protest in Chile is arrested by the dictatorship.
Drei Lieder for tenor and piano by Hans Werner Henze (56) to words of Auden is performed for the first time, in Aldeburgh, Suffolk.
16 June 1983 General Secretary Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov replaces Vasily Vasilyevich Kuznetsov as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.
Pope John Paul II lands in Warsaw for an eight-day visit to Poland.
Two days of strikes commence at copper mines in Chile.
Sonatina Romantica for piano by Benjamin Britten (†6) is performed for the first time, in Jubilee Hall, Aldeburgh, 43 years after it was composed.
17 June 1983 Pope John Paul II meets for over two hours with General Wojciech Jaruzelski. In the evening, over a million people appear at a stadium in Warsaw for an open-air mass.
A Quiet Place, an opera by Leonard Bernstein (64) to words of Wadsworth, is performed for the first time, in Houston.
Peter Mennin dies in New York of pancreatic cancer, aged 60 years and one month. He kept the seriousness of his disease a secret, even from family members and colleagues at the Juilliard School.
18 June 1983 Li Xiannian replaces Yeh Jianying as President of China.
Around 1,000,000 people meet Pope John Paul II at the Jasna Gora monastery, Poland.
As the space shuttle Challenger blasts off from Cape Canaveral, Sally K. Ride becomes the first American woman in space.
Incidental music to Mackay Brown’s play Island of the Saints by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) is performed for the first time, in the Arts Theatre, Kirkwall, Orkney.
Seven Artifacts for piano by Lejaren Hiller (59) is performed completely for the first time, in Buffalo, 35 years after it was composed. Sections of the work have been performed individually.
19 June 1983 About 1,000,000 people attend an open-air mass given by Pope John Paul II at the Jasna Gora monastery, Poland.
Seid nüchtern und wachet, a cantata by Alfred Schnittke (48) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.
20 June 1983 Hundreds of thousands of people greet Pope John Paul II as he visits Poznan and later in Katowice.
21 June 1983 In the first major protest in fourteen years, 100 young Czechoslovaks chant for freedom at a rally marking a government-sponsored international peace conference in Wenceslas Square.
1,000,000 people turn out for the visit of Pope John Paul II to Wroclaw.
Chant des Soleils for chorus, brass, and percussion by Iannis Xenakis (61) to his own words is performed for the first time, simultaneously in several towns of Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.
22 June 1983 In Krakow, two million people attend an open-air mass. The Pope consecrates a church in the suburb of Nowa Huta.
Into the Labyrinth for tenor and chamber orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) is performed for the first time, in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney.
Acrostic Paraphrase for harp by David Del Tredici (46) is performed for the first time, in Tempe, Arizona.
23 June 1983 Pope John Paul II holds a private meeting with Lech Walesa and his family at Zakopane. He then departs Poland from Krakow.
The archives of Igor Stravinsky (†12) are sold to the Paul Sacher Foundation of Basel for $5,250,000.
24 June 1983 Syria closes all the offices of the PLO in the country and expels PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat. He flies to Tunis.
Edén Pastora says he is suspending his fight against the Nicaraguan government in the south because the US is blocking shipments of arms and other materiel to his movement. The CIA has been trying to force him to join the US backed rebels in the north. Pastora will not because they include members of Anastasio Somoza’s National Guard.
25 June 1983 Alberto Evaristo Ginastera dies in Geneva, aged 67 years, two months, and 14 days.
Sinfonietta for orchestra by Arnold Bax (†29) is performed for the first time, in the BBC Concert Hall, Cardiff, 51 years after it was composed, during the centennial of the composer’s birth.
27 June 1983 Elections to the Italian Parliament result in gains for several smaller parties at the expense of the two largest, the Christian Democrats and the Communists.
28 June 1983 White House Chief of Staff James Baker and Budget Director David Stockman admit that candidate Ronald Reagan was briefed for his debate with President Carter in 1980 with debate materials stolen from Carter’s campaign.
29 June 1983 The Reagan administration blocks a loan to Nicaragua from the Inter-American Development Bank.
Guatemalan President Efrain Rios Montt suspends civil liberties and imposes press censorship. But he also creates a commission to organize elections.
30 June 1983 Dragoslav Markovic replaces Mitja Ribicic as President of the Presidium of the League of Yugoslav Communists.
1 July 1983 R. Buckminster Fuller dies in Los Angeles at the age of 87.
2 July 1983 An article appears in Pravda over the names of four Soviet scientists, blasting Andrey Sakharov for his view of the nuclear arms race published in a US journal.
5 July 1983 Information comes to light in federal court in Uniondale, New York that the US military knew in 1967 that the herbicides they were using in Vietnam were poisonous to humans. The military continued to use the herbicides for two-and-a-half more years. It also emerges that the manufacturer of the herbicide, Dow Chemical Company, knew of the dangers before they delivered it to the military.
8 July 1983 The second movement of the Concerto for violin and orchestra no.2 by Isang Yun (65) entitled “Dialog Schmetterling-Atombombe” is performed for the first time, in Tokyo. See 30 March 1984 and 20 January 1987.
10 July 1983 Werner Joseph Meyer (Egk) dies in Inning near Munich, aged 82 years, one month, and 23 days.
12 July 1983 A day of nationwide protest take place against the US backed dictatorship in Chile. Two people are killed, 565 arrested.
14 July 1983 An Armenian gunman kills a Turkish diplomat in Brussels.
15 July 1983 Fighting breaks out between the Lebanese army and Shia militia in Beirut. 20 people are killed over the next four days.
Armenian terrorists explode a bomb at a Turkish Airlines check in counter at Orly Airport in Paris. Seven people are killed and more than 50 injured.
In a speech before a convention of the NAACP, Vice President George Bush’s statement that the Reagan administration is making progress on civil rights is met by boos and catcalls.
Khal Perr for brass quintet and two percussionists by Iannis Xenakis (61) is performed for the first time, in Beaune.
16 July 1983 Symphony no.2 “Reflections” by Karel Husa (61) is performed for the first time, in Greensboro, North Carolina directed by the composer.
18 July 1983 Orion Pictures agrees to pay an undisclosed amount to Philip Glass (46) as a settlement of a suit brought by the composer in Los Angeles. Glass charged Orion with copyright infringement and fraud when they used his music without his permission in the film Breathless.
20 July 1983 The Reagan administration makes its required semi-annual certification that El Salvador is making progress on human rights, although that progress is “disturbingly slow.”
A thanksgiving service in memory of William Walton (†0) takes place in Westminster Abbey. During the ceremony, a memorial stone is unveiled in the floor of Musician’s Corner.
“Halt” for trumpet and double bass from Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (54) Donnerstag aus Licht is performed for the first time, in Bologna.
21 July 1983 The Polish government declares an end to martial law and a partial amnesty.
Krzysztof Penderecki’s (49) Viola Concerto is performed for the first time, in Caracas. It was commissioned by the government of Venezuela to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Simón Bolívar.
23 July 1983 Iran begins a new offensive against Iraq in Kurdistan.
24 July 1983 Communal violence between Sinhalese and Tamil erupts in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
Rival Palestinians battle each other in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
25 July 1983 The Ford Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and the Rockefeller Foundation jointly create the National Arts Stabilization Fund to give grants to arts organizations.
26 July 1983 The government of Sri Lanka imposes a daily curfew in the wake of communal rioting.
27 July 1983 Armenian terrorists seize the residence of the Turkish charge d’affaires in Lisbon, holding him hostage with his family. After 90 minutes, they blow up the building, killing seven people: five terrorists, the diplomat’s wife, and a Portuguese policeman.
28 July 1983 New laws are voted giving the Polish government more power to curtail dissent.
The US House of Representatives votes to ban all aid to the right-wing rebels in Nicaragua.
29 July 1983 A bomb explodes in the prosecutor’s office in Palermo. The chief prosecutor and four others are killed, ten injured. The mafia is presumed to be the culprit.
31 July 1983 Salvadoran rebel leader Ruben Zamora meets with Richard Stone of the Reagan administration in Bogotá.
1 August 1983 After more than a week of communal violence in Sri Lanka, over 200 people are dead and 50,000 homeless.
3 August 1983 The Reagan administration announces that it has entered the civil war in Chad by sending arms and military advisers to the Chadian government.
4 August 1983 Socialist Bettino Craxi replaces Amintore Fanfani as Prime Minister of Italy, leading a five party coalition. He is the first prime minister since World War II who is not a Christian Democrat.
5 August 1983 A four-month trial in Belfast ends when four Irish nationalists are given life sentences for terrorist actions. 18 others are given lesser prison terms, 13 suspended sentences and three are acquitted.
6 August 1983 The Reagan administration sends two AWACS planes to Sudan to assist the government of Chad in its civil war.
7 August 1983 Zweiter Doppelgesang for clarinet, cello, and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Hitzacker.
8 August 1983 Guatemalan dictator Efraín Ríos Montt, an evangelical Protestant minister, is overthrown by Defense Minister General Oscar Humberto Mejía Victores.
9 August 1983 France sends 180 paratroopers to Chad to aid the government.
The state of emergency in Guatemala is lifted by the new government.
Cello Concerto no.2 by Ernst Krenek (82) is performed for the first time, in Salzburg.
10 August 1983 Libyans and Chadian rebels overrun Faya-Largeau forcing government troops to flee.
Druze forces begin shelling Beirut airport. It continues until 16 August closing the airport.
Demonstrations begin in Santiago against the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. The President orders 18,000 troops into the city.
11 August 1983 Violence by Chileans against the US-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet is met with force when police and army units kill 17 demonstrators, including three children. About 1,200 people are arrested.
12 August 1983 Sinfonia concertante for wind quintet and chamber orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.
13 August 1983 French troops in Chad are moved north to meet Libyan-backed rebels.
US President Reagan vetoes the appropriation of $20,000,000 to help Chicago implement a desegregation program mandated by the federal government.
14 August 1983 Szenario, Un Chien Andalou, a film with music by Mauricio Kagel (51), is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of Schweizer Fernsehen.
17 August 1983 Ira Gershwin dies in Beverly Hills at the age of 86.
18 August 1983 Two arrangements for brass quintet by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) are performed for the first time, in Dartington, Devon: Gesualdo: Two motets and March: The Pole Star.
19 August 1983 Between Two Worlds: Five Images for Flute and Piano by George Rochberg (65) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
20 August 1983 Piano Concerto by Peter Sculthorpe (54) is performed for the first time, in Canberra.
Eleven Bosnian Moslems are given sentences totaling 90 years for calling for the creation of an Islamic state.
21 August 1983 Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino is shot to death at Manila airport as he returns from exile in the United States. The killers are members of the security forces, although the deed is accomplished out of the view of reporters and Aquino supporters on the plane.
Eight French warplanes are dispatched to Chad.
The Los Angeles Times reports that videotapes of rock music performers are having an enormous effect on the entertainment industry.
La Cage aux Folles opens at the Palace Theatre, New York.
23 August 1963 The Reagan administration removes the two AWACS planes it dispatched to Sudan because of the increased French presence in Chad.
25 August 1983 250,000-500,000 people join in a procession in memory of Benigno Aquino in Quezon City.
A report by the Congressional Budget Office shows that 70% of the spending cutbacks by the Reagan administration affect citizens making less than $20,000 per year.
Today is designated Leonard Bernstein Day in his birthplace, Lawrence, Massachusetts, on his 65th birthday. It features a parade, a concert, and the dedication of the Leonard Bernstein Outdoor Theatre in Heritage State Park. By Bernstein’s wish, the day is dedicated to nuclear disarmament.
26 August 1983 Cinque piccoli concerti by Hans Werner Henze (57) is performed for the first time, in Cabrillo.
28 August 1983 New fighting erupts between the Lebanese army and Moslem militias in Beirut.
29 August 1983 Two US Marines are killed and 14 injured by mortar fire from Moslem militiamen surrounding Beirut.
The five-year-old state of emergency is lifted in Chile by the US-backed dictator Augusto Pinochet.
30 August 1983 Three French soldiers are killed in Beirut during an attack by Moslem militiamen.
31 August 1983 Between 1,000,000-2,000,000 people take part in a funeral procession in memory of Benigno Aquino. Jaime Cardinal Sin officiates at the requiem mass, which is attended by several foreign ambassadors. Aquino’s mortal remains are laid to rest on the outskirts of Manila.
The Lebanese army regains many positions lost over the last three days in west Beirut.
1 September 1983 Soviet warplanes shoot down a South Korean airliner in Soviet airspace above the Sea of Japan. 269 people are killed.
2 September 1983 The Lebanese army reestablishes its control over west Beirut.
Intermezzo for Solo Clarinet by TJ Anderson (55) is performed for the first time, at Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts.
3 September 1983 Israel begins withdrawing its troops from Beirut to a security zone in southern Lebanon. A battle immediately ensues for their positions between Druze and Moslem militiamen.
The issue of The Nation dated today reveals that the FBI investigated Albert Einstein for the last 23 years of his life and amassed a 1,500-page file on him.
6 September 1983 Two US Marines are killed and three injured by artillery in Beirut.
Druze militia capture Ghamdun, east of Beirut, in the area evacuated by the Israelis.
7 September 1983 Three French soldiers are killed by artillery in Beirut.
67% of voters in Ireland approve a constitutional amendment to ban abortion.
8 September 1983 US warships fire on unidentified positions in the Shouf Mountains.
Two planes of right-wing rebels attack Managua airport, doing considerable damage. One plane is shot down, two men are killed.
Four days of protests against the US backed dictator Augusto Pinochet begin in Chile. Protesters are attacked by security forces and violence ensues. Ten people are killed.
10 September 1983 Druze militia surround the Christian town of Deir al Qamar, Lebanon swollen with up to 40,000 refugees.
11 September 1983 The tenth anniversary of the military coup which brought the US backed dictator Augusto Pinochet to power is marked by protests in Santiago de Chile.
A Whitman Cantata for male chorus, brass, and timpani by Ned Rorem (59) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
Harpsichord Sonata no.6 op.154 by Vincent Persichetti (68) is performed for the first time, in Christ Church Cathedral, New Orleans.
13 September 1983 Professor Pedro Flores Peña of the National University of El Salvador is kidnapped and murdered by conservative death squads.
16 September 1983 US warships shell positions inside Syrian-held territory in support of the Lebanese army.
The Los Angeles Times reports that currently 3,000 Lebanese are arriving in Cyprus every day.
17 September 1983 The New York Times reports that 3,000 Lebanese have fled to Israeli held areas. The Israelis have given them temporary asylum.
Sonata per otto ottoni for brass by Hans Werner Henze (57) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
18 September 1983 Vierte Abgesangsszene for voice and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (31) to words of Nietzsche is performed for the first time, in Berlin as part of the first complete performance of the Fünf Abgesangsszenen.
19 September 1983 The Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis, under Queen Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Kennedy Alphonse Simmonds, becomes independent of Great Britain.
21 September 1983 Anti-Marcos demonstrators march on the presidential palace in Manila. Eleven people are killed and 200 wounded by bombs and gunfire.
US Secretary of the Interior James Watt, speaking about a coal-lease commission, tells a group in Washington that it includes “a black, a woman, two Jews, and a cripple.”
A “Wedding March” composed by Jean Sibelius (†26) for Adolf Paul’s play Die Sprache der Vögel is performed for probably the first time, in Helsinki.
Two works for piano by Betsy Jolas (57) are performed for the first time, in Le Havre: Calling EC (hommage à Elliott Carter (74)) and Une Journée de Gadad, suite pour enfants.
David Mamet’s play Glengarry Glen Ross is first performed, at the Royal National Theatre, London.
22 September 1983 Little Suite for Strings by Peter Sculthorpe (54) is performed for the first time, in the Sydney Opera House.
French planes attack batteries east of Beirut.
23 September 1983 Business executives and office workers stage a protest against the dictator Ferdinand Marcos in the financial district of Manila.
Saint Christopher and Nevis is admitted to the United Nations.
24 September 1983 Capriccio for cello by Hans Werner Henze (57) is performed for the first time, in Linz.
25 September 1983 Former King Leopold III of Belgium dies in Brussels.
38 members of the IRA stage a mass escape from Maze Prison in Belfast. One guard is killed and several injured in the process. Half of them are recaptured within four days.
26 September 1983 A cease-fire takes effect in Lebanon.
The Salvadoran air force, flying US-supplied jets, bomb Tenancingo killing 50 civilians and injuring 25.
US President Reagan says he will not fire James Watt, in spite of calls to do so from his own party.
Drei Phantasien for 16 voices by György Ligeti (60) to words of Hölderlin is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.
27 September 1983 Despite death threats, 15,000 Christian Democrats and farmers march in San Salvador in favor of a US-backed land reform program.
28 September 1983 Lagu Cirebon for Cirebonese gamelan by Lou Harrison (66) is performed for the first time, at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand.
Casa Guidi, a cycle for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Dominick Argento (55) to words of EB Browning, is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis.
29 September 1983 Beirut airport reopens.
The Reagan administration announces that the President has cancelled plans to visit the Philippines. Off the record, officials admit that they fear mass demonstrations against Reagan for his support of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
Symphony no.3 by Witold Lutoslawski (70) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
1 October 1983 Tsubasa, a song for chorus by Toru Takemitsu (52) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.
A Piano Trio by Charles Wuorinen (45) is performed for the first time, at Kean College, Union, New Jersey.
2 October 1983 An untitled sound work by Max Neuhaus (44), is inaugurated in the Kunsthalle, Basel. It will exist until 6 November.
Venite exultemus Domino for chorus and organ by Benjamin Britten (†6) is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey, London 22 years after it was composed.
4 October 1983 Chain I for chamber orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (70) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London conducted by the composer.
5 October 1983 The Nobel committee names Lech Walesa, leader of the Polish Solidarity movement, as recipient of the prize for peace.
6 October 1983 In the face of mounting violence by Sikh separatists, the Indian government takes direct control of the State of Punjab.
The Spanish Parliament votes to allow abortion in certain limited circumstances.
The New York Times, citing US intelligence sources, reports that there is no evidence to substantiate Reagan administration claims that Soviet pilots knew they were destroying a commercial airliner on 1 September.
Sinfonietta accademica for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (49) is performed for the first time, in Reid Hall of the University of Edinburgh.
7 October 1983 Wenn Bach Bienen gezüchtet hätte, a concertino for harpsichord, electric bass, magnetic tape, and chamber ensemble by Arvo Pärt (48), is performed for the first time, in Graz.
Treue Liebe for voice and piano by Arnold Bax (†30) to anonymous words is performed for the first time, in a recording session in Christ’s Hospital, Horsham, Sussex, 73 years after it was composed, during the centennial of the composer’s birth.
8 October 1983 France sends five fighters to Iraq to aid in the war against Iran.
9 October 1983 An explosion at a wreath-laying ceremony in Rangoon (Yangon) kills six high-ranking members of the South Korean government. President Chun Doo Hwan misses the blast by five minutes. 15 other people are killed and 46 injured.
US Secretary of the Interior James Watt resigns from office following controversial comments he made on 21 September.
Krzysztof Penderecki (49) receives the Sibelius Prize in Helsinki from the Wihuri Foundation. Previous winners include Jean Sibelius (†26), Igor Stravinsky (†12), Paul Hindemith (†19), Dmitri Shostakovich (†8), Olivier Messiaen (74), Witold Lutoslawski (70), and Benjamin Britten (†6).
Clarinet and String Quartet for clarinet and string quartet by Morton Feldman (57) is performed for the first time, in Newcastle.
Monodram for cello and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Graz.
Lili Hastings for violin and piano by Virgil Thomson (86) is performed for the first time, at Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.
10 October 1983 Yitzhak Shamir replaces Menachem Begin as Prime Minister of Israel.
Mercenaries directed by the CIA attack dock facilities at Corinto, Nicaragua. Massive fires ensue in four gasoline storage tanks. Large quantities of other commodities are lost in destroyed warehouses.
Second Idyll for orchestra by Robin Holloway (39) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.
11 October 1983 Poet Jaroslav Seifert, signer of Charter 77, receives the Nobel Prize for Literature.
12 October 1983 A Tokyo court finds former Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka guilty of taking bribes from the Lockheed Corporation. He is sentenced to four years in prison and fined ¥500,000,000 ($2,100,000), the amount of the bribe.
All the remaining residents of Corinto, Nicaragua, a city of 25,000, are evacuated when a fifth gasoline storage tank explodes from the attack of 10 October. The fire is finally controlled today.
13 October 1983 All opposition parties boycott the Japanese Diet when the ruling party refuses a vote on a resolution urging member Kakuei Tanaka to resign. Tanaka, a former prime minister, has recently been convicted of receiving bribes.
Prime Minister Maurice Bishop of Grenada is placed under house arrest by Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the OAS charges that the US-backed military dictatorship in Guatemala is guilty of the “gravest violations of human rights” against the Indian population of the country.
Peter Maxwell Davies’ (49) Birthday Music for John for flute, viola, and cello is performed completely for the first time, in St. Mary’s Church, Swansea. See 25 January 1983.
14 October 1983 The National Council of Churches in the US issues gender-neutral Bible readings.
Works by Arnold Bax (†30) are performed for the first time, at the British Music Information Centre, London during the centennial year of the composer’s birth: The Fiddler of Dooney for voice and piano to words of Yeats 76 years after it was composed, Aspiration (1909) for voice and piano trio to words of Dehmel, O Mistress Mine (1916) for voice and piano trio or voice and string quartet, My Eyes for Beauty Pine (1920) for voice and string quartet, the extant fragments of the Sonata no.2 for viola and piano composed in 1934, and Two Songs for tenor and string quartet composed around 1921. These last may have been privately performed during the composer’s lifetime.
15 October 1983 “Kathinkas Gesang als Luzifers Requiem” no. 52 for flute and six percussionists, an excerpt from Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (55) Samstag aus Licht, is performed for the first time, in Donaueschingen. See 6 May 1985.
16 October 1983 Representatives of the US and Canada sign an agreement at Halifax, Nova Scotia to reduce the amount of phosphorous pollution in the Great Lakes by 15%. The US does not agree to reduce acid rain emissions.
Piano Sonata in E flat by Arnold Bax (†30) is performed for the first time, in Purcell Room, London, 62 years after it was composed, during the centennial year of the composer’s birth.
To a Child Dancing in the Wind for soprano, flute, harp, and viola by John Tavener (39) to words of Yeats is performed for the first time, in Little Missenden Parish Church.
Little Harpsichord Book op.155 by Vincent Persichetti (68) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
17 October 1983 The Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana upholds an action by the state legislature requiring the teaching of creationism in public schools.
18 October 1983 A setting of the Kyrie by Johannes Brahms (†86) WoO 17 is performed for the first time, in Vienna 127 years after it was composed.
19 October 1983 Hundreds of supporters of Prime Minister Maurice Bishop of Grenada manage to free him from house arrest. He leads the crowd towards army headquarters in St. George’s, where soldiers shoot Bishop and several of his followers to death. General Hudson Austin takes control of a military government.
20 October 1983 Concerto for double bass and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (72) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
22 October 1983 Today and tomorrow, 2,000,000 people in several western European cities participate in demonstrations against deployment of US missiles in Europe. Protests take place in Berlin, Hamburg, Bonn, London, Rome, Vienna, Brussels, and Madrid.
23 October 1983 06:22 A truck is driven into the headquarters of US troops in Beirut exploding a bomb that demolishes the building and kills 241 men, mostly marines.
06:24 A bomb is detonated at the barracks housing French paratroopers in Beirut killing 58 soldiers and two terrorists.
The government of Grenada assures the US embassy of the safety of its citizens on the island.
Guai ai gelidi mostri for two altos, instrumental ensemble, and electronic sounds by Luigi Nono (59) to words of Cacciari is performed for the first time, in the Großer Sendesaal, Cologne.
24 October 1983 French President François Mitterand visits the sites of the former US and French barracks in Beirut.
Sonata for cello by György Ligeti (60) is performed for the first time, in Paris, 30 years after it was composed.
25 October 1983 05:30 1,900 US troops with token contingents from Antigua, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent invade Grenada. Despite hurried, inadequate preparations and woefully inept intelligence, they manage to secure Pearls Airport, Point Salinas and Ft. Frederick. During the attack a United States Navy plane bombs a psychiatric hospital on Grenada killing twelve people. The truth of the bombing is kept secret until 31 October.
British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher tells Parliament she expressed her “very considerable doubts” to President Reagan when hearing of the plan to invade Grenada. The French government calls it “a surprising action in relation to international law.”
26 October 1983 Grenadian and Cuban forces continue their defense of Richmond Hill, east of St. George’s.
A meeting of the Organization of American States in Washington condemns the invasion of Grenada.
Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada expresses his government’s “regret” over the invasion.
27 October 1983 Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher tells the Bundestag that “had we been given the opportunity to do so, we would have advised against the intervention (in Grenada)…”
La trahison orale, a Musikepos über den Teufel, by Mauricio Kagel (51), is performed for the first time, in Salle Gémier, Paris directed by the composer. See 31 March 1987.
28 October 1983 The Security Council of the United Nations votes 11-1-3 to condemn the invasion of Grenada. The one nay vote is a veto by the Reagan administration.
29 October 1983 200,000 people demonstrate throughout Denmark against the deployment of US medium-range nuclear missiles.
Deputy Prime Minister Bernard Coard of Grenada is captured by invading troops.
Aether for violin and piano by Roger Reynolds (49) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.
30 October 1983 Hudson Austin, leader of the military government of Grenada is captured by invading troops.
An earthquake in eastern Turkey kills 1,233 people.
National elections take place in Argentina to end eight years of military rule. Raúl Alfonsín of the Radical Civic Union is elected President defeating the Peronist candidate. His party gains a majority of seats in the Chamber of Deputies.
Oedipus der Tyrann, oder Der Vater vertreibt seinen Sohn und schickt die Tochter in die Küche, a musical play by Hans Werner Henze (57), von Böse, Holt, and Lang to words of Hollmüller, is performed for the first time, in Kindberg.
31 October 1983 Oboe Quartet by Ralph Shapey (62) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Hall, New York, 31 years after it was composed. Also premiered is his String Quartet no.1, 37 years after it was composed.
1 November 1983 Governor-General Paul Scoon asserts his authority to govern Grenada in the name of Queen Elizabeth II.
2 November 1983 White South Africans approve a new constitution giving a limited role to non-whites of Asian descent and mixed race citizens.
The United Nations General Assembly votes 108-9 in favor of a resolution “deeply deploring” the invasion of Grenada.
The Pentagon announces the end of hostilities in Grenada. Casualties are put at 87 killed.
67 wounded Cubans, soldiers and medical personnel, along with some Cuban civilians, are returned to Cuba. They are met by Fidel Castro and most members of the Politburo.
US President Reagan signs a bill making the third Monday in January a federal holiday marking the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
3 November 1983 Opposing Palestinian factions battle in Tripoli, Lebanon killing hundreds of people in refugee camps.
4 November 1983 Arab terrorists drive a truck bomb into Israeli headquarters in Tyre, Lebanon, killing 28 soldiers and 32 Arab civilians. Within hours, Israeli jets carry out retaliatory raids on terrorist positions in Lebanon.
Fantasy…(Those Harbor Lights) for clarinet and piano by Joan Tower (45) is performed for the first time, in Bangor, Maine.
5 November 1983 Percussion Quartet for four percussionists by Lukas Foss (61) is performed for the first time, in Pyramid Art Center, Rochester, New York.
6 November 1983 In the first elections since the military coup of 1980, Turkish voters give a majority in Parliament to the Motherland Party led by Turgut Ozal.
Concertino for accordion and string quartet by Isang Yun (66) is performed for the first time, in Trossingen.
7 November 1983 23:00 A group claiming an anti-imperialist program explodes a bomb in the Capitol Building, Washington. No one is injured.
8 November 1983 An American Overture by Benjamin Britten (†6) is performed for the first time, in Birmingham Town Hall, 42 years after it was composed.
9 November 1983 The last Cubans leave Grenada for Havana.
The Blue Guitar for solo guitar by Michael Tippett (78) is performed for the first time, at the Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, California.
10 November 1983 Iran cuts all diplomatic and cultural ties with France after the French deliver five fighter-bombers to Iraq.
12 November 1983 The US Congress votes to stop all aid to Guatemala except for privately run development projects.
String Quartet no.4 by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler.
13 November 1983 Heavy fighting resumes between Druze militia and the Lebanese army east of Beirut.
Viola Concerto by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
14 November 1983 East Beirut is struck repeatedly by rockets.
The first US ground-launched cruise missiles arrive at Greenham Common Air Force Base in Great Britain prompting widespread protests.
15 November 1983 Turkish Cypriots declare the independence of the Turkish Republic of Cyprus under President Rauf Denktash. It is recognized only by Turkey.
Mirabai Songs for soprano and piano by John Harbison (44) are performed for the first time, in Emmanuel Church, Boston. See 1 February 1984.
16 November 1983 Arafat supporters are driven from their last stronghold onto the streets of Tripoli by anti-Arafat Palestinians.
17 November 1983 French war planes carry out strikes against guerrilla positions east of Baalbek, Lebanon.
The third of the Hungarian Studies for unaccompanied chorus by György Ligeti (60) is performed for the first time, in Metz. See 18 May 1983.
Rocking Mirror Daybreak for two violins by Toru Takemitsu (53) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
18 November 1983 Angelo Buono is sentenced in a Los Angeles court to life in prison for nine murders attributed to the “Hillside Strangler.”
Two of the Three Nocturnes for soprano and orchestra by Arnold Bax (†30) to words of Dehmel and Hartleben, are heard for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3, 72 years after they were composed, during the centennial year of the composer’s birth. The recording was made 23 September 1982.
19 November 1983 Perfect Lives (Private Parts), a video opera by Robert Ashley (53), is performed for the first time, in a television broadcast originating in New York.
20 November 1983 Gunmen open fire in a Protestant church in Darkley, South Armagh, Northern Ireland. Three people are killed, seven injured. The IRA disavows the attack.
Glamour for voice and piano by Arnold Bax (†30) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3, 62 years after it was composed, during the centennial of the composer’s birth.
Mass for chorus, violin, three trombones, and organ by Charles Wuorinen (45) is performed for the first time, in St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, New York, the composer conducting.
21 November 1983 Iraqi forces sink a Greek freighter in the Persian Gulf. All the crewmen are saved.
22 November 1983 The German Bundestag votes to deploy US Pershing II and other missiles with nuclear warheads within German borders.
23 November 1983 The USSR withdraws from negotiations to limit medium-range nuclear missiles in Europe. It threatened to do so if NATO went ahead with deployment of its missiles.
Battling Palestinian factions accept a cease-fire proposal by Saudi Arabia. It will save the city of Tripoli, Lebanon from further destruction.
78 years after it was composed, From the Uplands to the Sea for voice and two pianos by Arnold Bax (†30) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3 during the centennial of the composer’s birth.
Parts of the Polish Requiem for four solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (50) are performed for the first time, in Washington on the composer’s 50th birthday.
24 November 1983 Israel hands over 4.500 PLO and other guerrillas in Lebanon in return for six Israeli soldiers.
Soviet leader Yuri Andropov announces measures designed to counter the deployment of medium-range missiles by NATO.
26 November 1983 Thieves take about 3,000 kg of gold from Heathrow Airport in London. Valued at about £25,000,000, it is the largest theft in British history.
21 high-ranking military and security officers in El Salvador, named by the US embassy and others as having taken part in conservative death squads, are reassigned. None are dismissed or prosecuted.
Voyage for flute and strings by John Corigliano (45) is performed for the first time, in London.
28 November 1983 Saint François d’Assise: scènes franciscaines, an opera by Olivier Messiaen (74) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra. Among the glittering audience are Iannis Xenakis (61) and Betsy Jolas (57). The audience is very pleased, the critics guarded. In today’s issue, Libération quotes the composer as saying, “Twilight has arrived. I have finished. I will never compose anything else.”
29 November 1983 First Sonata for Strings by Peter Sculthorpe (54) is performed for the first time, in the Sydney Opera House.
30 November 1983 US President Reagan vetoes a bill which would tie further military aid to El Salvador to the government’s progress on human rights.
Silence to be Beaten (Chiffre II) for 14 players by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in London.
Prelude, Fantasy and Fugue for piano by David Diamond (68) is performed for the first time, in New York.
2 December 1983 Domination of Black op.23, a symphonic poem by Robin Holloway (40), is performed for the first time, in Munich.
Pour les baleines for strings by Iannis Xenakis (61) is performed for the first time, in Orléans.
Ryoanji for oboe and percussion by John Cage (71) is performed for the first time, at the Asia Society, New York.
3 December 1983 Congressional Quarterly reports that in his first three years in office, President Reagan made 123 appointments to the federal judiciary. All but eleven are white males.
4 December 1983 US warplanes attack Syrian positions east of Beirut. Two are shot down. One crewman is killed, the other captured. Eight US marines are killed by Druze militia artillery fire in Beirut.
String Quartet II by Morton Feldman (57) is performed for the first time, at the University of Toronto.
5 December 1983 Italian Defense Minister Giovanni Spadolini expresses his concern over the US “escalation” in Lebanon. He says if it continues, Italy will reconsider its commitment to the peacekeeping mission.
Cello Sonata: Portraits of Antiquity for cello and piano by Richard Wernick (49) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
Sonata Waltzer for piano by Shulamit Ran (34) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York to celebrate the 75th birthday of Elliott Carter.
6 December 1983 Arab terrorists explode a bomb on a bus in Jerusalem. Four people are killed, 46 injured.
Electric Etudes for amplified cello and live and prerecorded computer electronics by Tod Machover (30) is performed for the first time, in the American Center, Paris, directed by the composer. Also premiered is Machover’s Chanson d’amour for piano.
7 December 1983 Chiffre III for twelve players by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.
Serenata al alba del día for flute and guitar by Joaquín Rodrigo (82) is performed for the first time, in the Ambassador Auditorium, Los Angeles.
8 December 1983 The Australian government refuses dry dock facilities at Sydney to the carrier HMS Invincible because it refuses to say whether or not is carries nuclear weapons.
Oracle I (The Oracle of Shimon Bar Yochai) for soprano, cello, and piano by Richard Wernick (49) is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York.
9 December 1983 Israeli gunboats begin shelling PLO forces in Tripoli, Lebanon. They will continue, on and off, for the next ten days.
Ohne Titel (String Quartet no.5) by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.
Tallis: Four Voluntaries arranged for brass quintet by Pater Maxwell Davies (49) is performed for the first time, in The Cloisters, New York.
10 December 1983 In a ceremony in Oslo, Lech Walesa is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in absentia.
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín Foulkes is sworn in as President of Argentina ending eight years of military rule. He replaces Maj. General Reynaldo Benito Antonio Bignone Ramayón. All three members of the ruling junta retire from the military.
Two works by Steve Reich (47) are performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y in New York: Eight Lines, an orchestration of his Octet, and Vermont Counterpoint for flute ensemble. See 1 October 1982.
11 December 1983 Hossain Mohammed Ershad replaces AFM Ahsanuddin Choudhury as President of Bangladesh.
Changes for guitar by Elliott Carter is performed for the first time, in the 92nd Street Y, New York on the composer’s 75th birthday.
12 December 1983 Six car bombs explode in Kuwait killing seven people and injuring 62. Targets include the US embassy, French embassy, and the airport. Islamic Jihad takes responsibility.
The US Supreme Court approves of the breakup of AT&T.
The fifth of the Five Songs for tenor and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (72), The Ghost, is performed for the first time, in the Fliegler Museum, Palm Beach, Florida. See 21 October 1981.
13 December 1983 Turgut Ozal replaces Saim Bülent Ulüsü as Prime Minister of Turkey at the head of a civilian government after three years of military rule.
President Raúl Alfonsín of Argentina orders that members of the three juntas which ruled the country over the last seven years be tried for murder and torture. He also orders the arrest of seven leaders of leftist terrorists.
The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization issues a report concluding that the Korean airliner shot down by Soviet planes on 1 September was not on a spy mission.
The Constituent Assembly of El Salvador votes to cut in half the amount of land available under a redistribution program.
14 December 1983 Mehrere kurze Walzer for piano four-hands by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Gelsenkirchen.
Serenade no.3 for piano and chamber ensemble by George Perle (68) is performed for the first time, in New York.
15 December 1983 US naval forces fire on Druze positions near Beirut.
Warsaw Pact negotiators leave talks with NATO in Vienna on cutting conventional forces in Europe. They refuse to set a date to meet again.
The last US combat troops depart Grenada.
Sonatina for two violas by Isang Yun (66) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.
16 December 1983 Festival Overture by Arnold Bax (†30) is performed for the first time in its original two-piano version, over the airwaves of the BBC during the centennial of the composer’s birth. See 27 March 1912.
String Quartet no.5 by Ben Johnston (57) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
17 December 1983 The IRA explode a bomb outside Harrod’s department store in London. Five people are killed, over 90 injured.
Shima e, a song for chorus by Toru Takemitsu (53) to words of Izawa, is performed for the first time, in Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall.
18 December 1983 The Japanese electorate strips the Liberal Democratic Party of its majority in the lower house of the Diet. The LDP loses 36 seats, down to 250 of 511. The Socialists gain eleven seats, the Komeito 24.
19 December 1983 A House of Representatives report released today lays principal blame for the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut on the Marine commander at the scene, but also criticizes the entire chain of command, including the “policy making authority” in Washington.
20 December 1983 Yassir Arafat and 4,000 supporters retreat from Tripoli aboard Greek ships.
The Italian government announces it will gradually reduce its peacekeeping force in Lebanon.
21 December 1983 Two bombs, apparently aimed at western peacekeepers, explode in Beirut. 19 people are killed, including a French soldier. 40 are injured.
22 December 1983 The Federal Trade Commission approves a joint venture by General Motors Corporation and Toyota Motors Corporation to produce cars in the US.
23 December 1983 President Sandro Pertini of Italy calls for the removal of Italian forces from Lebanon.
24 December 1983 French forces withdraw from positions in southern Beirut and turn them over to the Lebanese army. Fighting breaks out between the Lebanese army and Shia militias.
25 December 1983 Joan Miró dies in Majorca at the age of 90.
28 December 1983 A Pentagon report on the bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut lays blame on commanders at the scene, intelligence, and policy makers. It faults a constant “emphasis on military options” rather than diplomacy.
The Reagan administration informs the UN that it intends to withdraw from UNESCO by 31 December 1984.
30 December 1983 Leftist guerrillas capture an important army base at El Paraiso, El Salvador.
Moz-Art à la Haydn for two violins and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (49) is performed for the first time, in Tbilisi.
31 December 1983 The Nigerian military ousts President Shehu Shajari. He is replaced by a military council headed by Muhammad Buhari.
The German community of Belgium is granted autonomy.
©2004-2012 Paul Scharfenberger
24 August 2012
Last Updated (Friday, 24 August 2012 06:47)