October 1, 1865:
Paul Abraham Dukas is born at 10 rue Coquillère in the First Arrondissement of Paris, French Empire, the second of three children born to Jules Dukas, a banker, and Eugénie Gompertz, a gifted pianist.
January 23, 1892:
The Polyeucte Overture by Paul Dukas (26) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
January 3, 1897:
Symphony in C by Paul Dukas (31) is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra. The audience reacts with jeers and protestations, a feeling shared by many of the musicians. There are attempts by some in the orchestra to sabotage the performance. The press is negative. The symphony will be successful when revived in 1902.
May 18, 1897:
L’apprenti sorcier by Paul Dukas (31) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
June 15, 1899:
A funeral service in memory of Ernest Chausson held in St. François-de-Sales, Paris is attended by hundreds of artists, among them Gabriel Fauré (54), Henri Duparc (51), Isaac Albéniz (39), Claude Debussy (36), Paul Dukas (33), Charles Koechlin (31), Edgar Degas, and Auguste Rodin. His mortal remains are laid to rest in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.
May 10, 1901:
The Piano Sonata in e flat minor of Paul Dukas (35) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.
March 23, 1903:
The piano work Variations, interlude et final sur un thème de Rameau by Paul Dukas (37) is performed for the first time, in Paris.
May 10, 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.
October 3, 1907:
Paul Dukas (42) introduces Manuel de Falla (30) to Isaac Albéniz (42) in Paris.
September 12, 1910:
Symphony no.8 “of a thousand” for three sopranos, two altos, tenor, baritone, bass, boys chorus, mixed chorus, and orchestra by Gustav Mahler (50) to the medieval hymn Veni Creator Spiritus and words of Goethe, is performed for the first time, at the Neue Musik Festhalle, Munich, conducted by the composer. The performers include eight soloists, 170 in the orchestra (plus organ) and 850 singers (both children and adult). It is the greatest success of Mahler’s life. Among the glittering audience are Camille Saint-Saëns (74), Alphons Diepenbrock (48), Richard Strauss (46), Paul Dukas (44), Max Reger (37), Alfredo Casella (27), Anton Webern (26), Auguste Rodin, Lilli Lehmann, Siegried Wagern, Willem Mengelberg, Bruno Walter, Leopold Stokowski, and Thomas Mann. Mann will send Mahler a copy of his new book Königliche Hoheit. “It is certainly a very poor return for what I received—a mere feather’s weight in the hand of the man who, as I believe, expresses the art of our time in its profoundest and most sacred form.” It is the last time Mahler and Strauss meet.
March 11, 1911:
Six piano works in honor of Franz Joseph Haydn (†101) are performed for the first time, at a Société Nationale concert in the Salle Pleyel, Paris: Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn by Vincent d'Indy (59), Homage à Haydn by Claude Debussy (48), Prélude élégiaque sur le nom de Haydn by Paul Dukas (45), Menuet sur le nom d'Haydn by Maurice Ravel (36), and works by Reynaldo Hahn and Charles-Marie Widor.
April 22, 1912:
Natasha Troukhanova performs a dance recital at the Théâtre du Châtelet to four works conducted this evening by their composers: La Peri by Paul Dukas (46), Istar by Vincent d’Indy (61), La Tragédie de Salomé by Florent Schmitt (41), and Adélaïde, ou Le langage des fleurs by Maurice Ravel (37). Dukas’ ballet is performed for the first time. Ravel’s is a premiere of the ballet, although the music is actually Valses nobles et sentimentales. See 9 May 1911.
September 11, 1916:
Paul Dukas (50) marries Mazulée Dinah Suzanne Pereyra, the daughter of a businessman, in St. Cloud, France.
September 26, 1917:
On the recommendation of Paul Dukas (51), Francis Poulenc (18) visits Paul Vidal, conductor of the Opéra-Comique, in search of composition lessons. Poulenc shows him his Rapsodie nègre. When he sees the dedication to Satie (51) Vidal stands and bellows, “Your work stinks, it is ridiculous, it is merely a load of balls...Ah! I see you are running with Stravinsky (35), Satie, and company. Well then, good day!”
March 9, 1930:
Two works by Joaquín Rodrigo (28) are performed for the first time, in the École Normale de Musique, Paris the composer at the keyboard in a recital of compositions by students of Paul Dukas (64): Romance de la infantine de Francia for voice and piano, and Siciliana for cello and piano.
January 26, 1935:
On the nomination of Paul Dukas (69), Manuel de Falla (58) is elected a member of the French Institute’s Académie des Beaux-Arts. He fills the place formerly held by Edward Elgar (†0).
May 17, 1935:
Paul Abraham Dukas dies at 84 rue du Ranelagh in Paris, Republic of France, aged 69 years, seven months, and 16 days. His mortal remains will be buried in Père Lachaise Cemetery, Paris.
January 25, 1936:
Florent Schmitt (65) is elected to the French Institute to fill the chair vacated by the death of Paul Dukas (†0). Igor Stravinsky (53) receives no more than five out of 32 votes on any of the five ballots.
April 28, 1936:
Pour le Tombeau de Paul Dukas for piano by Manuel de Falla (59) is performed for the first time, in the Salle de l’École Normale de Musique, Paris.