April 29, 1885:
Wallingford Riegger is born in Albany, Georgia, USA, the son of Constantine Riegger, presently the proprietor of a lumber business, and Ida Wallingford, a music teacher and daughter of an auctioneer and furniture dealer who fell in the American Civil War.
February 6, 1917:
Elegie for cello and orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (31) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
July 27, 1923:
Triple Jazz op.3 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (38) is performed for the first time, in New York.
August 11, 1927:
Study in Sonority op.7 by Wallingford Riegger (42) for ten violins is performed for the first time, at Ithaca Conservatory, New York.
January 19, 1930:
Theatre Piece op.19, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (44) to a scenario by Humphrey, is performed for the first time, in New York.
April 25, 1930:
Ten Victor Theremins, a group of ten people playing Theremins, debuts at Carnegie Hall in what must be the first all-electronic orchestra. Among the performers are the inventor, Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (33) and Wallingford Riegger (44).
February 2, 1931:
Bacchanale op.11, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (45) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in New York.
October 29, 1931:
Rhapsody op.5 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (46) is performed for the first time, in New York.
March 10, 1932:
Dichotomy op.12 for chamber orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (46) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.
April 21, 1932:
Evocation op.17, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (46) to a scenario by Becque, is performed for the first time, in New York.
October 25, 1932:
Duke Ellington (33) and his Orchestra play for a class in music appreciation at New York University taught by Percy Grainger (50). Wallingford Riegger (47) is also present. Grainger favorably compares Ellington’s melodies with those of Frederick Delius (70) and Johann Sebastian Bach (†182). Ellington remarks “I’ll have to find out about this Delius.”
December 5, 1932:
Fantasy and Fugue op.10 for orchestra and organ by Wallingford Riegger (47) is performed for the first time, in New York.
January 30, 1933:
Scherzo for chamber orchestra op.13 by Wallingford Riegger (47) is performed for the first time, in New York.
November 19, 1933:
Frenetic Rhythms: Three Dances of Daemoniacal Possession op.16 by Wallingford Riegger (48) to a scenario by Graham is performed for the first time, in New York.
August 3, 1935:
New Dance op.18 by Wallingford Riegger (50) to a scenario by Humphrey, is performed for the first time, in Bennington, Vermont.
August 7, 1936:
Three dances by Wallingford Riegger (51) to scenarios by Holm are performed for the first time, in Bennington, Vermont: Four Chromatic Eccentricities, The Cry op.22, and City Nocturne.
August 13, 1936:
With my Red Fires op.20, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (51) to a scenario by Humphrey, is performed for the first time, in Bennington, Vermont.
December 20, 1936:
Chronicle op.21, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (51) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in New York.
February 28, 1937:
Case History No... op.27, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (51) to a scenario by Sokolow, is performed for the first time, in New York.
May 6, 1937:
Candide op.24, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (52) to words of Weidman, is performed for the first time, in New York.
August 13, 1937:
Two dances by Wallingford Riegger (52) to scenarios by Holm are performed for the first time, in Bennington, Vermont: Festive Rhythm and Trend op.25.
December 19, 1937:
48 composers meet in New York to form the American Composers Alliance “to regularize and collect all fees pertaining to the performance of copyrighted music.” A temporary executive committee is appointed, including Wallingford Riegger (52), Virgil Thomson (41), Roger Sessions (40), Roy Harris (39), and Aaron Copland (37).
April 21, 1938:
Trojan Incident op.26, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (52) to a scenario by Tamiris, is performed for the first time, in New York.
April 27, 1938:
Marc Blitzstein (33) and Wallingford Riegger (52) sign a letter in support of the Moscow show trials. They are joined by almost 150 well-known people including Lillian Hellman, Langston Hughes, Dorothy Parker, Irwin Shaw, and Richard Wright.
January 3, 1939:
Amy Beach (71), Daniel Gregory Mason (65), John Alden Carpenter (62), Wallingford Riegger (53), Aaron Copland (38), Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, Efrem Zimbalist, Olin Downes, and Alfred Hertz sign a letter urging the United States to lift the arms embargo against the “legitimate Spanish government.”
February 26, 1939:
Fancy Fannie’s Judgement Day, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (53) to a scenario by Gerrard, is performed for the first time, in New York.
January 30, 1942:
The Finale from New Dance op.18b for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (56) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.
July 7, 1942:
The Finale of New Dance op.18c for band by Wallingford Riegger (57) is performed for the first time, in Brooklyn.
August 1, 1942:
Canon and Fugue op.33 for strings by Wallingford Riegger (57) is performed for the first time, in Berkeley, California. See 14 February 1944.
June 16, 1943:
Passacaglia and Fugue op.34 for band by Wallingford Riegger (58) is performed for the first time, in New York. See 19 March 1944.
January 23, 1944:
Processional (Funeral March) op.36 for band by Wallingford Riegger (58) is performed for the first time, in West Point, New York. See 3 July 1945.
February 14, 1944:
Canon and Fugue op.33a for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (58) is performed for the first time, in New York. See 1 August 1942.
March 19, 1944:
Passacaglia and Fugue op.34a for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (58) is performed for the first time, in Washington. See 16 June 1943.
July 3, 1945:
Processional (Funeral March) op.36a for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (60) is performed for the first time, in Moscow. See 23 January 1944.
May 16, 1948:
Symphony no.3 by Wallingford Riegger (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.
November 27, 1948:
Evocation op.17a for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (63) is performed for the first time, in Vancouver.
April 3, 1949:
Symphony no.1 by Wallingford Riegger (63) is performed for the first time, in New York. It will subsequently be withdrawn by the composer.
April 8, 1949:
Music for Brass Choir by Wallingford Riegger (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.
March 2, 1952:
Nonet for brass op.49 by Wallingford Riegger (66) is performed for the first time, in Urbana, Illinois.
May 5, 1953:
Prelude and Fugue op.52 for band by Wallingford Riegger (68) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.
February 23, 1954:
Variations for piano and orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (68) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.
April 26, 1954:
Suite for Younger Orchestras op.56 by Wallingford Riegger (68) is performed for the first time, in New York.
March 4, 1955:
Dance Rhythms op.58 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (69) is performed for the first time, in Albany, Georgia.
March 27, 1955:
Music for Orchestra op.50 by Wallingford Riegger (69) is performed for the first time, in New York.
March 18, 1956:
Preamble and Fugue op.61 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (70) is performed for the first time, in Oklahoma City.
October 26, 1956:
Overture op.60 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (71) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.
April 12, 1957:
Symphony no.4 by Wallingford Riegger (71) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Urbana.
May 4, 1957:
Festival Overture op.68 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (72) is performed for the first time, in Boston.
April 1, 1959:
Variations for violin and orchestra op.71 by Wallingford Riegger (73) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.
May 20, 1959:
Quintuple Jazz op.72 for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (74) is performed for the first time, in Iowa City.
September 30, 1960:
Introduction, Scherzo and Fugue op.74 for cello, winds, and timpani by Wallingford Riegger (75) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.
April 2, 1961:
While stepping out of his New York home, Wallingford Riegger tries to separate his two combating dogs. He trips on a leash and falls to the pavement causing a blood clot which requires emergency surgery. The composer dies shortly after the surgery is performed, at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, New York, USA, aged 75 years, eleven months, and four days.
April 4, 1961:
A funeral service in memory of Wallingford Riegger is held at the Riverside Funeral Chapel on Amsterdam Avenue and 76th Street in New York. Otto Luening (60) delivers the eulogy. His earthly remains will be laid to rest at Ferncliff Cemetery, Hartsdale, New York.