January 6, 1803:
Heinrich Herz is born in Vienna, in the Archduchy of Austria. He will be better known under his French name, Henri.
April 28, 1830:
Franz Liszt (18) and Henri Herz (27) play duets at the Salle Chantereine, Paris.
November 8, 1830:
Clara Wieck (11) makes her official debut at the Leipzig Gewandhaus. She plays her variations on an Original Theme and a song, probably Der Traum to words of Tiedge. She also plays Rondo brilliant for piano and orchestra op.101 by Kalkbrenner (45), Variations Brillantes op.23 by Henri Herz (27), and Quartet Concertante for four pianos and orchestra op.230 by Carl Czerny (39).
October 1, 1831:
Clara Wieck (12) plays for Goethe at his home in Weimar. He provides a cushion for her since the piano bench is too low. She performs two works by Henri Herz (28), La Violetta and Bravura Variations op.20. Goethe complements her warmly and invites her back.
February 15, 1832:
Friedrich Wieck and his daughter Clara (12) reach Paris. Here they will meet Nicolò Paganini (49), Friedrich Kalkbrenner (46), Giacomo Meyerbeer (40), Henri Herz (29), Felix Mendelssohn (22), and Frédéric Chopin (21). Clara is introduced to Parisian music making and society.
December 12, 1838:
The Salle Herz opens in rue de la Victoire, Paris with a gala concert. It was built by Henri Herz (35) and his brother Jacques.
October 31, 1841:
Six numbers of the revised Stabat mater by Gioachino Rossini (49) are performed in the salon of Henri Herz (38) in Paris, the press in attendance. One of the soloists is Pauline Viardot (20), seven months pregnant. See 7 January 1842.
September 10, 1842:
Louise Farrenc (38) and Henri Herz (39) are appointed to the position of Professor of Piano at the Paris Conservatoire, effective 15 November. They will both teach female students. Herz will be paid 200 francs more than Farrenc.
October 21, 1846:
Henri Herz (43) arrives in Boston from Liverpool aboard the Caledonia. His piano will make landfall in two days.
October 29, 1846:
Henri Herz (43) gives his first concert in North America, at the Tabernacle in New York. The hall is not full, but those in attendance are very receptive.
April 5, 1847:
As the city of Mobile, Alabama celebrates the victory at Buena Vista, Henri Herz (44) presents his Variations brillantes et grande fantaisie sur des airs nationaux américains to the delighted citizenry. It is billed as a first performance, but throughout his tour of the southern states, it will always be billed as a first performance. In Vicksburg it will be called the Victory of Vera Cruz, in St. Louis The Battle of Buena Vista and in Nashville The Return of the Volunteers, A Heroic National Fantasia.
September 21, 1848:
Johannes Brahms (15) gives his first solo piano performance, in Hamburg. He plays music of JS Bach (†98), Rossini (56), Henri Herz (45), and Jacob Rosenhain. Owing to so much news of revolution, and a cholera epidemic, no review of the concert is printed.
November 30, 1848:
At the Tabernacle Theatre in New York, Henri Herz (45) premieres his “Impromptu Burlesque” for solo piano. It is a fantasy on two American minstrel tunes, Oh! Susanna by Stephen Foster (22) and Carry Me Back to Old Virginny by Charles White.
March 26, 1850:
Henri Herz (47) reaches San Francisco on his extended tour of the United States.
April 2, 1850:
Henri Herz (47) gives his first concert in San Francisco.
July 26, 1878:
Edward MacDowell (17) participates in his first concours at the Paris Conservatoire before a committee which includes Henri Herz (75), Camille Saint-Saëns (42), and Ambroise Thomas (66). His prepared piece goes well, but his sight-reading from manuscript is a disaster when he mistakenly plays the piece in minor, abruptly switching to major in the middle when he realizes his mistake. Among the other pianists is Claude Debussy (15).
January 5, 1888:
Henri Herz dies in Paris, Republic of France, on the eve of his 85th birthday. His mortal remains will be laid to rest in Cimitière Père-Lachaise, Paris.