July 7, 1911:
Gian Carlo Menotti is born in Cadegliano, Kingdom of Italy, near Lake Lugano, sixth of ten children born to Alfonso Menotti, an affluent businessman and Ines Pellini, an amateur pianist.
May 5, 1930:
Serenade for string quartet op.1 by Samuel Barber (20) is performed for the first time, in Casimir Hall of the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. On the same program is the premiere of Variations on a Theme of Schumann for piano by fellow student Gian Carlo Menotti (18).
April 4, 1931:
The first and fourth movements of Suite for Carillon by Samuel Barber (21) are performed for the first time, in Lake Wales, Florida, along with the premiere of Improvisation for carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (19).
May 12, 1932:
Two works by Samuel Barber (22) are performed for the first time, in a private recital in Casimir Hall of the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia: Two Interludes op.4 for piano performed by the composer, and Dover Beach op.3 for solo voice and string quartet to words of Arnold. Also premiered is Variations and Fugue for string quartet of Gian Carlo Menotti (20). See 5 March 1933.
October 16, 1932:
Etude from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.
October 23, 1932:
Preludio from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.
November 1, 1932:
Canzone from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.
November 6, 1932:
Dialogue from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.
November 8, 1932:
Pastorale from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.
January 4, 1934:
Pastorale and Dance for strings and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (22) is performed for the first time, privately in Vienna conducted by Samuel Barber (23).
June 30, 1935:
Italian Dance for string quartet by Gian Carlo Menotti (23) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in London.
May 15, 1936:
Samuel Barber (26) and Gian Carlo Menotti (24) move into a game warden’s cottage on a large estate near St. Wolfgang in the Austrian Alps. They will stay until 1 November.
April 1, 1937:
Amelia Goes to the Ball, an opera buffa by Gian-Carlo Menotti (25) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.
April 22, 1939:
Gian Carlo Menotti’s (27) radio opera The Old Maid and the Thief to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the National Broadcasting Company Blue Network originating in New York. See 11 February 1941.
February 11, 1941:
The Old Maid and the Thief, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (29) to his own words, is staged for the first time, in Philadelphia. See 22 April 1939.
February 20, 1942:
The Island God, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (30) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York.
December 5, 1943:
The Catalogue for three voices, piano, and bassoon by Gian Carlo Menotti (32) to words of the Curtis Institute of Music 1943-1944 catalogue, is performed for the first time, privately at the Institute in Philadelphia.
October 31, 1944:
Sebastian, a ballet by Gian Carlo Menotti (33) to his own story, is performed for the first time, in the International Theatre, New York.
May 12, 1945:
Samuel Barber (35) and Gian Carlo Menotti (33) receive honorary doctorates from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia.
November 2, 1945:
Piano Concerto in F by Gian-Carlo Menotti (34) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.
April 14, 1946:
The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation fellowships are announced, including ones for Henry D. Brant (32), William Bergsma (25), and Gian Carlo Menotti (34).
February 18, 1947:
The Telephone, or L’amour a trois, an opera buffa by Gian-Carlo Menotti (35) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Heckscher Theatre, New York.
February 28, 1947:
Errand Into the Maze, a modern dance by Gian Carlo Menotti (35) to a choreography by Martha Graham, is performed for the first time, in the Ziegfeld Theatre, New York.
April 19, 1948:
The first All-Union congress of Soviet Composers meets in Moscow. They condemn Benjamin Britten (34), Gian-Carlo Menotti (36), and Olivier Messiaen (39) as being “impregnated with extreme subjectivism, mysticism, and disgusting facetiousness.” Of those condemned on 10 February, only Dmitry Shostakovich (41) and Vano Muradeli attend the entire congress. Sergey Prokofiev (56) and Aram Khachaturian (44) are there for the first day only.
March 1, 1950:
Gian Carlo Menotti’s (38) musical drama The Consul to his own words is performed for the first time, in the Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia. See 15 March 1950 and 1 May 1950.
March 15, 1950:
Gian Carlo Menotti’s (38) musical drama The Consul, to his own words, opens on Broadway, in the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. See 1 March 1950 and 1 May 1950.
May 1, 1950:
Gian Carlo Menotti (38) wins the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his The Consul. See 1 March 1950 and 15 March 1950.
March 6, 1951:
William Grant Still (55) writes to Howard Taubman, music editor of the New York Times, informing him that the State Department has withrdrawn a recording of his opera Troubled Island from the Belgian National Radio (because it is “bad”) and replaced it with something by Gian Carlo Menotti (39). Taubman is sympathetic, but without proof he will not publish anything of it. See 15 April 1952.
September 5, 1951:
The Medium, a film with music by Gian Carlo Menotti (40) is shown for the first time, in the Sutton Theatre, New York.
November 1, 1951:
Ricercare and Toccata on a Theme from “The Old Maid and the Thief” for piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (40) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.
December 24, 1951:
Amahl and the Night Visitors, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (40) to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the NBC television network. See 21 February 1952.
January 18, 1952:
Gian Carlo Menotti’s (40) symphonic poem Apocalypse is performed completely for the first time, in Philadelphia. See 9 October 1951.
February 21, 1952:
Amahl and the Night Visitors, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (40) to his own words, is staged before a live audience for the first time, in Bloomington, Indiana. See 24 December 1951.
May 1, 1952:
A George Peabody Award is given to Gian Carlo Menotti for his Amahl and the Night Visitors .
December 5, 1952:
Violin Concerto by Gian-Carlo Menotti (41) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music.
December 21, 1953:
The first color broadcast of a commercial television program in the US takes place on the network of the National Broadcasting Company. It is Gian Carlo Menotti’s (42) Amahl and the Night Visitors.
August 5, 1954:
Six Compositions for carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (43) are performed completely for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Five of the six were performed between 16 October and 8 November 1932. This is the first time they have been all performed together. Arabesque is apparently performed for the first time.
December 27, 1954:
The Saint of Bleecker Street, a music drama by Gian-Carlo Menotti (43) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Broadway Theatre, New York. It receives mixed reviews. See 2 May 1955.
April 12, 1955:
The Saint of Bleecker Street by Gian Carlo Menotti (43) wins the New York Drama Critics Circle Award as Best Musical of the year.
May 2, 1955:
Gian Carlo Menotti (43) is awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music for a second time, for The Saint of Bleecker Street. See 27 December 1954.
October 21, 1956:
The Unicorn, the Gorgon, and the Manticore, or The Three Sundays of a Poet for chorus, ten dancers, and nine instruments, by Gian-Carlo Menotti (45) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.
August 20, 1958:
Maria Golovin, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (47) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the United States Pavilion at the Brussels World’s Fair.
June 12, 1959:
Incidental music to Cocteau’s play Le poète et sa muse by Gian Carlo Menotti (47) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Caio Melisso, Spoleto, Italy.
May 5, 1960:
Introduction and Goodbyes, an opera for baritone and chorus by Lukas Foss (37) to words of Menotti (48), is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York Leonard Bernstein (41) conducting.
November 13, 1961:
Pablo Casals gives a recital at the White House before President and Mrs. Kennedy and 200 invited guests. Among those attending are the elite of the musical culture of the United States: Walter Piston (67), Howard Hanson (65), Virgil Thomson (64), Roger Sessions (64), Henry Cowell (64), Roy Harris (63), Aaron Copland (60), Elliott Carter (52), Samuel Barber (51), William Schuman (51), Alan Hovhaness (50), Gian Carlo Menotti (50), Norman Dello Joio (48), Leonard Bernstein (43), Eugene Ormandy, and Leopold Stokowski. The concert is recorded and will be televised. Bernstein will recall “I’ve never seen so many happy artists in my life.”
March 3, 1963:
Labyrinth, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (51) to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the NBC television network.
May 18, 1963:
The Death of the Bishop of Brindisi, a cantata for soprano, bass, children’s chorus, chorus, and orchestra by Gian-Carlo Menotti (51), is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Cincinnati.
October 22, 1963:
Le dernier sauvage, an opera buffa by Gian-Carlo Menotti (52) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at Théâtre Favart, Paris. It was performed yesterday at a private gala.
June 3, 1964:
Martin’s Lie, a church opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (52) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Bristol Cathedral.
June 21, 1965:
Lewisohn Stadium Fanfare for brass and percussion by Gian Carlo Menotti (53) is performed for the first time, in Lewisohn Stadium, New York.
December 20, 1966:
Incidental music to Anouilh’s play Médée by Gian Carlo Menotti (55) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Quirinale, Rome.
March 18, 1967:
Canti della lontananza, a cycle for voice and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (55) to his own words is performed for the first time, at Hunter College, New York.
April 19, 1968:
Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet by Gian Carlo Menotti (56) is performed for the first time, in the Palais de Chaillot, Paris.
December 21, 1968:
Help! Help! The Globolinks!, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (57) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Hamburg Staatsoper.
October 6, 1970:
Triplo Concerto a tre for nine soloists by Gian-Carlo Menotti (59) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.
March 7, 1971:
The Most Important Man, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (59) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at Lincoln Center, New York.
May 20, 1973:
Suite for two cellos and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (61) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
September 5, 1973:
Tamu-Tamu, a chamber opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (62) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Studebaker Theatre, Chicago.
January 16, 1976:
Fantasia for cello and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (64) is performed for the first time, in a broadcast over RAI originating in Turin.
May 14, 1976:
Landscapes and Remembrances, a cantata for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (64) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee.
May 25, 1976:
Fanfare for Charleston by Gian Carlo Menotti (64) is performed for the first time, at the opening of the first Spoleto USA Festival, in Charleston, South Carolina.
June 1, 1976:
The Hero, a comic opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (64) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Academy of Music, Philadelphia.
June 17, 1976:
The Egg, a church opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (64) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Washington Cathedral.
August 4, 1976:
Symphony no.1 “The Halcyon” by Gian Carlo Menotti (65) is performed for the first time, in Saratoga, New York.
March 15, 1977:
Cantilena e Scherzo, quintet for harp and strings by Gian Carlo Menotti (65) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
May 24, 1978:
The Trial of the Gypsy, a dramatic cantata for boys chorus, piano and drums by Gian Carlo Menotti (66) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
July 29, 1978:
Lullaby for Alexander for piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (67) is performed for the first time, at the christening of his godson in Lennoxlove, Haddington, Scotland.
April 22, 1979:
Miracles for boys chorus and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (67) to children’s poems is performed for the first time, in Tarrant County Convention Center, Fort Worth, Texas.
May 4, 1979:
Chip and His Dog, an opera for children by Gian Carlo Menotti (67) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in War Memorial Hall, University of Guelph, Ontario.
May 11, 1979:
Missa O pulchritudo in honorem sacratissimi cordis Jesus for soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (67) is performed for the first time, in Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee.
June 3, 1979:
Juana La Loca, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (67) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Civic Theatre, San Diego.
April 25, 1980:
A Song of Hope for solo baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (68) is performed for the first time, in Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
August 31, 1981:
Moans, Groans, Cries, and Sighs, a madrigal for six-part chorus by Gian Carlo Menotti (70) is performed for the first time, in Usher Hall, Edinburgh.
October 21, 1981:
The first four of the Five Songs for tenor and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (70) are performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York. See 12 December 1983.
April 14, 1982:
A Bride from Pluto, an opera for children by Gian-Carlo Menotti (70) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Terrace Theatre, Kennedy Center, Washington.
September 24, 1982:
The Boy Who Grew Too Fast, an opera for children by Gian-Carlo Menotti (71) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Grand Opera House, Wilmington, Delaware.
October 15, 1982:
Muero porque no muero, a cantata for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Gian-Carlo Menotti (71) to his own words after St. Teresa of Avila, is performed for the first time, in the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle, Washington.
October 24, 1982:
Nocturne for solo voice, harp, and string quartet by Gian-Carlo Menotti (71) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.
October 20, 1983:
Concerto for double bass and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (72) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.
December 12, 1983:
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.
June 10, 1984:
Mary’s Mass for choir and congregation by Gian Carlo Menotti (72) is performed for the first time, in the Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Baltimore. It was commissioned to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the founding of Maryland.
June 28, 1984:
Ricercare for organ by Gian Carlo Menotti (72) is performed for the first time, in Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.
November 15, 1986:
Goya, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (75) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington. The work was commissioned by Placido Domingo who sings the title role.
September 16, 1988:
The Wedding, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (77) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Municipal Opera of Seoul as part of the festivities surrounding the Games of the 24th Olympiad of the Modern Era.
November 8, 1990:
Gian Carlo Menotti’s (79) cantata For the Death of Orpheus for tenor, chorus, and orchestra to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.
April 28, 1991:
The cantata Llama de amor vita for baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Gian Carlo Menotti (79) after St. John of the Cross is performed for the first time, at Catholic University, Washington.
May 31, 1993:
The Singing Child, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti (81) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Spoleto Festival, Charleston, South Carolina.
July 17, 1996:
Trio for violin, clarinet, and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (85) is performed for the first time, in Spoleto.
March 8, 1997:
Jacob’s Prayer for chorus by Gian Carlo Menotti (85) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in the Civic Theatre, San Diego.
November 17, 2001:
Three works for tenor and piano are performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: New Work for tenor and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (90), Irreverent Heart by John Corigliano (63) to words of Harburg, and On the Beach at Night op.78 by Lowell Liebermann (40) to words of Whitman.
February 1, 2007:
Gian Carlo Menotti dies in Princess Grace Hospital in the Principality of Monaco, aged 95 years, five months, and 25 days. His mortal remains will be laid to rest at Yester Kirk, Gifford, East Lothian, United Kingdom.
February 10, 2007:
Nocturne no.10 op.99 for piano by Lowell Liebermann (45) is performed for the first time, in a memorial concert for Gian-Carlo Menotti (†0) in Salle Garnier, Monte Carlo.