January 18, 1835:
Tsezar Antonovich Kyui (Cui) is born in Vilna (Vilnius), in the Russian Empire, the son of a French father, a member of Napoleon’s army who stayed in Russia who now teaches French in the gymnasium, and a Lithuanian mother, Julia Gucewicz.
December 26, 1859:
A Scherzo in F op.1 for orchestra by Cesar Cui (24) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.
October 16, 1868:
Modest Musorgsky (29), Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (24), Cesar Cui (33), and Sergey Dargomizhsky (55) attend the first Russian performance of Lohengrin by Richard Wagner (55) at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg. Rimsky-Korsakov recalls, “In our opinion, Lohengrin was contemptable.” They have no end of abuse for the work.
September 29, 1871:
Cesar Cui (36), Modest Musorgsky (32), Valdimir Stasov, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (27), and Mikhail Azanchevsky gather at Stasov’s to hear Anton (41) and Nikolay Rubinstein play Anton’s recently completed opera The Demon. They are at first unimpressed, later enthusiastic.
February 28, 1872:
Kamenniy gost (The Stone Guest), an opera by Alyeksandr Dargomizhsky (†3) to words of Pushkin, completed by Cesar Cui (37) and orchestrated by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (27), is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
February 13, 1876:
Angelo, an opera by Cesar Cui (41) to words of Burenin after Hugo, is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
December 19, 1878:
The Mandarin’s Son, a comic opera by Cesar Cui (43) to words of Krylov, is performed for the first time, at the Artists’ Club, St. Petersburg.
October 21, 1880:
Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (36) writes this day, “Owing to inadequate technique, Balakirev (43) writes...little, Borodin (47) with difficulty, Cui (45) in a slipshod way, Musorgsky (41) sloppily and often absurdly...and all this constitutes the regrettable specialty of the Russian school.” “I have absolutely no desire to mess with [the Free Music School] anymore. And even those whose works it would be a pleasure to perform, for example, Borodin, Musorgsky and Balakirev, aren’t writing much, and if they do write, they don’t orchestrate; you have to run after everyone like a nurse after a child.”
November 16, 1880:
Modest Musorgsky (41) plays his opera Khovanshchina to a private musical gathering in St. Petersburg which includes the Kuchka (except Rimsky-Korsakov(36)). Many of the listeners place themselves in an advisory capacity, suggesting numerous cuts and rearrangements, Cesar Cui (45) especially.
March 30, 1881:
The earthly remains of Modest Musorgsky are laid to rest in the Nevsky Cemetery, St. Petersburg. Attending are the other members of the Kuchka, Alyeksandr Borodin (47), Cesar Cui (46), Mily Balakirev (44), and Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (37), along with many musicians and music students.
February 16, 1883:
The Captive in the Caucasus, an opera by Cesar Cui (48) to words of Krilov after Pushkin, is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
January 22, 1894:
Le filibustier, a comédie lyrique by Cesar Cui (59) to words of Richepin, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Favart, Paris.
December 24, 1896:
Triumphal Overture by Anton Rubinstein (†2) is performed for the first time, for the opening of a new building for St. Petersburg Conservatory. Tsar Nikolay II is supposed to be in attendance but he leaves before the music, being bored by an address by Cesar Cui (61).
November 14, 1899:
The Saracen, an opera by Cesar Cui (64) to words after Dumas, père, is performed for the first time, in Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
November 24, 1901:
A Feast in Time of Plague, dramatic scenes by Cesar Cui (66) after Pushkin, is performed for the first time, in Novy Theatre, Moscow.
November 17, 1903:
Cesar Cui’s (68) opera Mademoiselle Fifi to his own words after de Maupassant and Méténier is performed for the first time, in Moscow.
May 28, 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.
December 27, 1907:
Matteo Falcone, a dramatic scene by Cesar Cui (72) after Mérimée (tr. Zhukovsky) is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre Moscow.
February 27, 1911:
The Captain’s Daughter, an opera by Cesar Cui (76) after Pushkin, is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.
January 12, 1916:
Puss in Boots, a children’s opera-fairy tale by Cesar Cui (80) to words of Pol and Dolomanova after Perrault, is staged with human beings for the first time, in the State Theatre, Tbilisi. It was performed in 1915 with marionettes.
October 26, 1917:
A version of Modest Musorgsky’s (†36) Sorochintsy Fair, organized by Cesar Cui (82) using all available music, some orchestrations by Lyadov and additional music by Cui, is performed for the first time, at the Theatre of Musical Drama, Petrograd.
March 26, 1918:
Tsezar Antonovich Kyui (Cui) dies in Petrograd, Russia, aged 83 years, two months, and eight days. His mortal remains will be laid to rest in Smolenskoye Lutheran Cemetery in Petrograd, later transferred to the Alyeksandr Nevsky Monastery.