November

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    1 November

    1 November 1768 The earthly remains of Francesco Maria Veracini are placed in the family sepulchre in Chiesa d'Ognissanti, Florence.

    1 November 1769 Carl Ditters (29) begins six months service to Count Schafgotsch, Prince-Bishop of Breslau.

    Die Israeliten in der Wüste, an oratorio by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (55) to words of Schiebeler, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    1 November 1777 Missa Sancti Hieronymi for chorus, oboes, bassoons, trombones and organ by Michael Haydn (40) is performed for the first time, in Salzburg.

    1 November 1779 Il matrimonio inaspettato, a dramma giocoso by Giovanni Paisiello (39) to words after Chiari, is performed for the first time, in Kammeniy Ostrov, St. Petersburg.

    1 November 1791 Effective this date, Emperor Leopold II removes Antonio Salieri (41) as music director of the Burgtheater, although he retains him as Hofkapellmeister.

    1 November 1812 Georg Joseph Vogler (63) plays the triorganon for the first time, at high mass in St. Michael’s Church in Munich.  He recently completed construction of the instrument.

    1 November 1829 The Concert des sylphes from Huit scènes de Faust by Hector Berlioz (25) is performed for the first time, in the Salle du Conservatoire, Paris.

    1 November 1837 Johann Strauss Sr. leads his orchestra in a performance of his Viennese waltzes in Paris before an appreciative audience which includes Luigi Cherubini (77), Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (55), Giacomo Meyerbeer (46), Fromental Halévy (38), Adolphe Adam (34) and Hector Berlioz (33).

    1 November 1845 Incidental music to Sophocles’ play Oedipus at Colonos by Felix Mendelssohn (36) is performed for the first time, before King Friedrich Wilhelm IV in Potsdam.  Public and press are unimpressed.

    1 November 1848 Halka, an opera by Stanislaw Moniuszko (29) to words of Wolski, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in Vilnius.  See 1 January 1858.

    1 November 1861 Adagio and Rondo Concertante D.487 for piano, violin, viola and cello by Franz Schubert (†32) is performed for the first time, in the Ludwig Bösendorfer Salon, Vienna.

    John Knowles Paine (22) gives his first organ recital after arriving in Boston, at the Tremont Temple.

    1 November 1862 The Prelude to Die Meistersinger by Richard Wagner (49) is performed for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus conducted by the composer.

    1 November 1868 Books 1 and 2 of the Hungarian Dances WoO1 for piano four hands by Johannes Brahms (35) are performed for the first time, in Oldenburg, by the composer and Clara Schumann (49).

    1 November 1869 The Cairo Opera House is inaugurated with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s (56) Rigoletto.

    1 November 1871 Angelo Mariani conducts a performance of Lohengrin at Teatro Communale, Bologna, the first performance of a Wagner (58) opera in Italy.  Giuseppe Verdi (58) considers Mariani a traitor but this does not preclude him from attending a later performance on 19 November.

    For the first time, Richard Wagner (58) writes to the town fathers in Bayreuth, laying out the plans for his new theatre.  Their response is enthusiastic.

    1 November 1879 Néron by Anton Rubinstein (49) to words of Barbier and the composer, is performed for the first time, in the Hamburg Dammtortheater.

    Carl Nielsen (14) becomes a full time musician as a cornet player in the band of the 16th Battalion in Odense.

    1 November 1885 Richard Strauss (21), with little training or experience, becomes court conductor in Meiningen after the resignation of Hans von Bülow.

    1 November 1887 The Sorceress, an opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (47) to words of Shpazinsky, is performed for the first time, at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.  It is mildly successful but will receive only 13 performances.  See 6 March 1887 and 17 March 1887.

    1 November 1892 Mlada, an opera-ballet by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (48) to his own words after Krilov, is performed for the first time, at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.

    1 November 1895 After resigning his position in New York, Antonín Dvorák (54) resumes his composition classes at Prague Conservatory.

    1 November 1897 The Ferryman’s Brides for solo voice and orchestra by Jean Sibelius (31) to words of Oksanen is performed for the first time, in Helsinki conducted by the composer.

    1 November 1898 Richard Strauss (34) enters duties as conductor of the Berlin Opera (first Kapellmeister to the Court of Prussia).

    1 November 1902 The Philadelphia Orchestra Association is incorporated.

    1 November 1912 Invited by a friend to the home of the Guimarães family in Rio de Janeiro, Heitor Villa-Lobos (25) meets their daughter, Lucília, a piano teacher.  A little over a year from now, they will marry.

    1 November 1913 Ruggero Leoncavallo’s (56) farce Are You There?, to words of de Courville and Wallace, is performed for the first time, at the Prince of Wales Theatre, London.  It is an unmitigated disaster.

    1 November 1917 Five Poems of Ancient China and Japan op.10 for solo voice and piano by Charles T. Griffes (33) to words of East Asian poets, are performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, New York, the composer at the piano.

    1 November 1918 The Norwegian ship Bergensfjord, with Sergey Rakhmaninov (45) and his wife aboard, steams out of Christiania (Oslo) for the United States.  The composer has three offers in the US, but no definite plans, except to get away from Europe.

    1 November 1920 La Revue Musicale begins publication in Paris. In it, a review of the music of Heitor Villa-Lobos (33) appears, written by Darius Milhaud (28).  It is the first notice of the music of Villa-Lobos in a European periodical.

    1 November 1921 The State Institute for Musical Science is officially established in Moscow from the Music Department of the People’s Commissariat of Education.

    Summer Music for orchestra by Arnold Bax (37) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    1 November 1922 The First Violin Concerto op.35 by Karol Szymanowski (40) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    1 November 1923 In perhaps the first inclusion of jazz in an American concert hall, George Gershwin (25) is one of two pianists used to accompany Canadian soprano Eva Gauthier in an eclectic recital in Aeolian Hall, New York including some contemporary popular song.

    Luxembourgeois inventor Hugo Gernsback demonstrates his Staccatophone over New York radio station WJZ.  It is an electronic piano with vacuum tubes producing all the pitches of the keyboard.

    1 November 1926 Krämerspiegel, a pastiche for voice and piano by Richard Strauss (62) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    1 November 1928 The National Opera House opens in Tashkent.

    A Bohemian-Danish Folksong set for string orchestra by Carl Nielsen (63) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen, broadcast by Danish State Radio.

    1 November 1929 Rhapsody no.1 for violin and orchestra by Béla Bartók (48) is performed for the first time, in Königsberg.

    1 November 1932 Canzone from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.

    George Gershwin (34) conducts and performs his works at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York.

    1 November 1936 Incidental music to The Agamemnon of Aeschylus (tr. MacNeice) by Benjamin Britten (22) is performed for the first time, in the Westminster Theatre, London.

    1 November 1938 The Man With a Gun, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (32), is shown for the first time.

    1 November 1942 Went the Day Well?, a film with music by William Walton (40), is shown for the first time, in the London Pavilion.

    Processional for organ by Henry Cowell (45) is performed for the first time, in the National Cathedral, Washington.

    1 November 1945 The Northwest German Radio Symphony Orchestra gives its first performance, directed by Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt in Hamburg.  It was created by the British in an attempt to return Germany to “normalcy.”

    1 November 1946 Vocalise op.27 for cello and piano by Vincent Persichetti (31) is performed for the first time, in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

    1 November 1947 Canticle I “My beloved is mine” op.40, for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (33) to words of Quarles, is performed for the first time, in Central Hall, Westminster by Peter Pears and the composer.

    1 November 1948 Paul Hindemith’s (52) Cello Sonata is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    1 November 1950 La Fraîcheur et le feu, a cycle for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (51) to words of Eluard, is performed for the first time, in Birmingham, the composer at the keyboard.

    1 November 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.

    An orchestral suite from Stefan Wolpe’s (49) ballet The Man from Midian is performed for the first time, by the New York Philharmonic.

    1 November 1961 Te Lucis Ante Terminum for chorus and instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (27) to words of the Roman Missal is performed publicly for the first time, in the Parish of St. John the Baptist, Cirencester conducted by the composer.

    1 November 1962 Two songs by Charles Ives (†8) are performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Art Alliance:  The Cage and Soliloquy, both to his own words.

    1 November 1964 Two new works are performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, Washington:  Bomarzo, a cantata by Alberto Ginastera (48) to words of Mujica Láinez, and The Feast of Love for baritone and orchestra by Virgil Thomson (67) from Pervigilium veneris (tr. Thomson).

    1 November 1967 24-year-old Konstantinos Daoutis, a shopkeeper, is sentenced to four years in prison by a Greek military tribunal for selling a record by Mikis Theodorakis (42).

    1 November 1969 The first performance of the Scratch Orchestra takes place in Hampstead Town Hall.

    1 November 1971 Fancies and Inventions for solo voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by Hugo Weisgall (59) to words of Herrick is performed for the first time, at the Baltimore Museum of Art, directed by the composer.

    1 November 1972 Concerto for piano and orchestra no.2 by Ross Lee Finney (65) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    1 November 1973 The Greek government says Mikis Theodorakis (48) may return to the country.  They allow 40 songs of Theodorakis to be performed.

    1 November 1975 Parson Weems and the Cherry Tree, a ballet by Virgil Thomson (78) to a scenario by Hawkins, is performed for the first time, in the Fine Arts Center Concert Hall at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

    1 November 1977 Curriculum vitae for accordion by Lukas Foss (55) is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 10 March 1981.

    1 November 1979 Afternoon:  a Cakewalk-Rag Suite for clarinet, violin, and piano by William Bolcom (41) is performed for the first time, in City Center, New York.

    1 November 1981 Wölfli-Liederbuch for bass-baritone and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (29) is performed for the first time, in Graz.

    1 November 1985 Burke and Wills, a film with music by Peter Sculthorpe (56), is shown for the first time, in Hoyts Cinema Center, Melbourne.

    Etudes 4 and 5 from Györgi Ligeti’s (62) Etudes pour piano Book I are performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    Amichai Songs for mezzo-soprano, oboe/english horn, bass viola da gamba, and harpsichord by Shulamit Ran (36) to words of Yehudi Amichai, is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    1 November 1986 By act of Congress, Aaron Copland (85) is awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest congressional honor awarded to civilians.

    From a Source Evolving for orchestra by Leslie Bassett (63) is performed for the first time, in Midland, Michigan.

    1 November 1996 Contre Nature for percussion and synthesized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (58) is performed for the first time, in Nice.

    1 November 1997 Shouts for oboe, violin, cello, and piano by TJ Anderson (69) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    1 November 1998 Wolfgang Rihm’s (46) rhapsody for trumpet, percussion, and orchestra Marsyas is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.  See 24 March 2000.

    1 November 2008 Songs Old and New for voice and orchestra by Ned Rorem (85) is performed for the first time, in Germantown, Tennessee.

    1 November 2011 For Andie Springer for violin and guitar by Robert Ashley (81) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Stormwatch, Stormfall for horn trio by Peter Maxwell Davies (77) is performed for the first time, in the Phillip T. Young Recital Hall, University of Victoria, British Columbia.

    2 November

    2 November 1717 Johann Jakob Walther dies in Mainz, aged approximately 67 years.

    2 November 1739 Carl Ditters is born in Vienna.

    2 November 1771 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (15) completes his Symphony K.112 in Milan.

    Le faucon, an opéra comique en prose mêlée d’ariettes by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (42) to words of Sedaine after La Fontaine, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.  The reception is not favorable.

    2 November 1778 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (22) writes to his father from Strasbourg, “Kapellmeister (Franz Xaver) Richter (68)...now lives very economically, for instead of forty bottles of wine a day he swills about twenty.”  (Marshall, 351)

    2 November 1785 Pénélope, a tragédie lyrique by Niccolò Piccinni (57) to words of Marmontel, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    2 November 1792 Ludwig van Beethoven (21) departs Bonn for Vienna to study with Franz Joseph Haydn (60).  He will never return.

    2 November 1793 La fille coupable, an opéra-comique by Adrien Boieldieu (17) to his father’s words, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre des Arts, Rouen.  The music, but not the libretto, is well received.  The composer will make improvements in the text tomorrow and ensure a greatly successful second night.

    2 November 1830 Fryderyk Chopin (20) leaves Warsaw for Vienna intending to find performances outside Poland.  Unknown to him now, he will never return.

    2 November 1834 Felix Mendelssohn (25) resigns his position as opera conductor in Düsseldorf.

    2 November 1842 Grand Duke Carl Friedrich of Weimar officially names Franz Liszt (31) as his “Kapellmeister Extraordinary.”

    Charles Gounod’s (24) Messe de Requiem is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    2 November 1853 Johannes Brahms (20) departs Düsseldorf with recommendations from Robert Schumann (43), making for Leipzig.

    2 November 1854 Felix Mendelssohn’s incomplete oratorio Christus to words of von Bunsen after the Bible is performed for the first time, in Leipzig two days before the seventh anniversary of the composer’s death.

    2 November 1861 Jules Massenet (19) enters the composition class of Ambroise Thomas (50) at the Paris Conservatoire.

    2 November 1862 Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (18) begins his first voyage as a naval officer on the clipper Almaz for a cruise of two-and-a-half years.

    2 November 1863 A grand concert to inaugurate the new organ at Boston’s Music Hall includes a performance by John Knowles Paine (24).

    2 November 1864 Sind es Schmerzen, sind es Freuden op.33/3, a song by Johannes Brahms (31) to words of Tieck, is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    2 November 1873 Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn op.56a for orchestra by Johannes Brahms (40) is performed for the first time, in the Großer Saal der Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna, conducted by the composer.  It is very successful.

    2 November 1876 In Sorrento, Richard Wagner (63) spends an evening with Friedrich Nietzsche.  It is the last time the two will see each other.

    2 November 1877 Symphonic Fantasy-Shakespeare’s Tempest op.31 by John Knowles Paine (38) is performed for the first time, in Steinway Hall, New York.

    2 November 1879 Piano Sonata op.37 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (39) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    2 November 1881 Hugo Wolf (21) enters duties as chorus master at the Stadttheater in Salzburg.

    2 November 1882 String Quartet no.11 by Antonín Dvorák (41) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    2 November 1893 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (53) sets out from his brother's home in St. Petersburg to visit Eduard Napravnik.  He suffers an acute stomach attack in the cab and immediately returns.  Through the day his condition grows worse.  At about 17:00 he is visited by Alyeksandr Glazunov (28).  In the evening he is seen by Dr. Lev Bertenson and diagnosed with cholera, now present in the city.

    2 November 1896 Cantata for the Coronation of Nicholas II for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Jean Sibelius (30) to words of Cajander is performed for the first time, at Helsinki University.  The Tsar and Tsarina, unable to attend their coronation as King and Queen of Finland, are represented by plaster figures.

    Alfredo Casella (13) is examined for entrance to the Paris Conservatoire.  He is accepted.

    2 November 1899 The Mountain Maid op.67, a cycle for voice and piano by Edvard Grieg (56) to words of Garborg, is performed completely for the first time, in Christiania (Oslo).

    2 November 1900 Vincent d’Indy (49) gives the inaugural speech as the Schola Cantorum moves into new premises in Paris.  His topic is “A School of Music Responding to Modern Needs.”

    2 November 1907 Jean Sibelius (41) goes to visit Gustav Mahler (47) at his hotel in Helsinki.  The two are civil and pleasant, but Mahler will write that he has no time for this nationalism.  Sibelius respects him but is not impressed by his conducting.

    2 November 1916 Erik Satie (50) gives his first public lecture, “Les animaux dans la musique.”

    2 November 1923 This Worldes Joie, a motet by Arnold Bax (39) for chorus, is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    2 November 1924 Five of the six Lieder nach alten Texten op.33/1-4, 6 for chorus by Paul Hindemith (29) are performed for the first time, in Donaueschingen.  See 26 July 1925.

    2 November 1937 Incidental music to Nikitin’s play Baku by Aram Khachaturian (34) and A. Peisin, is performed for the first time, in Radlov Dramatic Theatre, Leningrad.

    2 November 1938 Incidental music to Buechner’s play Danton’s Death by Marc Blitzstein (33) is performed for the first time, in New York.  It is the last production of Orson Welles’ Mercury Theatre.

    2 November 1941 Acceleration for orchestra by Roy Harris (43) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    String Quartet no.2 by Ross Lee Finney (34) is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    2 November 1942 The Last Reader, a song by Charles Ives (68) to words of Holmes, is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    2 November 1945 Two early orchestral works by Sergey Rakhmaninov (†2) are performed for the first time, in Moscow:  Scherzo in d minor, composed in 1887, and the symphonic poem Prince Rostislav, composed in 1891.

    Chant des déportés for chorus and orchestra by Olivier Messiaen (36) to his own words is performed for the first time, in Palais de Chaillot, Paris.  The piano part is played by Pierre Boulez (20).  This work was composed in memory of those deported to their deaths in Germany.

    A piano concerto by Gian-Carlo Menotti (34) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    2 November 1949 Madman’s Wisp for piano by Henry Cowell (52) is performed for the first time, at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota.

    2 November 1953 Sonata for two pianos by Francis Poulenc (54) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    2 November 1955 Incidental music to Rostand’s play Cyrano de Bergerac by Joaquín Rodrigo (53) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Español, Madrid.

    2 November 1958 Solitude Sonore for orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (28) is performed for the first time, in a radio broadcast from NHK Symphony Hall, Tokyo.

    Voluntaries for organ by Leslie Bassett (35) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    2 November 1962 Monody II for double bass by George Perle (47) is performed for the first time, in New Paltz, New York.

    2 November 1965 The Witch of Endor, a ballet by William Schuman (55) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in the 54th Street Theatre, New York.  Critics are not impressed.

    2 November 1966 Leonard Bernstein (48) announces that he will leave the New York Philharmonic when his contract expires in 1969.

    Lux aeterna for 16 voices by György Ligeti (43) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    2 November 1967 Mikis Theodorakis (42) begins a hunger strike in prison to protest the government’s refusal to allow him as a witness at the trial of his comrades.

    Concerto per contrabasso for double bass and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (41) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    2 November 1970 Elaborations for piano by Leslie Bassett (47) is performed for the first time, in Warrensburg, Missouri.

    2 November 1972 Violin Concerto no.2 for violin, tape, bass-baritone, and 33 instruments by Hans Werner Henze (46) to words of Enzensberger is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    2 November 1978 Concerto for viola and orchestra by Jacob Druckman (50) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    2 November 1979 Octet for two violins, viola, cello, bass, clarinet, horn, and bassoon by Gunther Schuller (53) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    2 November 1981 Peripeteia for orchestra by Thea Musgrave (53) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, the composer conducting.

    The first public performance of Study for Player Piano no.42 by Conlon Nancarrow (69) takes place in Los Angeles.

    2 November 1985 Piano and String Quartet for the forces inherent in the title by Morton Feldman (59) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles County Museum.

    2 November 1986 A second revision of Offertorium for violin and orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (49) is performed for the first time, in London.  See 30 May 1981 and 24 September 1982.

    2 November 1988 Different Trains for string quartet and tape by Steve Reich (52) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    2 November 1989 Itaipu for chorus and orchestra by Philip Glass (52) to a traditional Guarani creation myth, is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.

    2 November 1990 Liturgien for solo voices, two choruses, and orchestra by Mauricio Kagel (58) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    Last Symphony (Symphony no.4) for baritone and orchestra by Lou Harrison (73) is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy Opera House.

    2 November 2000 Fratres, in the setting for guitar, strings, and percussion by Arvo Pärt (65), is performed for the first time, in La Coruna, Spain.

    2 November 2001 Pierre Boulez (76) is awakened in his Basel hotel room by police who accuse him of being a terrorist and confiscate his passport.  Police return his passport two hours later with profuse apologies.

    2 November 2002 Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (63) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.  See 20 October 2002.

    2 November 2003 We do not live to ourselves for chorus by John Harbison (64) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    2 November 2005 Symphony no.8 for orchestra by Philip Glass (68) is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York.

    2 November 2006 Da pacem Domine for string orchestra by Arvo Pärt (71) is performed for the first time, in Tallinn Cathedral.

    2 November 2008 Overture by Alexander Goehr (76) is performed for the first time, in Glyndebourne.

    2 November 2011 The Ordre National de la Légion d’honneur is presented to Arvo Pärt (76) by Minister of Culture Feédérick Mitterand in Paris.

    2 November 2012 Looping Point for seven players by Kevin Volans (63) is performed for the first time, in Dublin.

    3 November

    3 November 1587 Samuel Scheidt is baptized in Halle.

    3 November 1752 William Bromfield, surgeon to the Princess of Wales, operates on the eyes of George Frideric Handel (67), perhaps to remove a cataract.  The procedure brings temporary relief to the patient but does not last.  In August, the General Advertiser reported that the composer suffered a “paralytic Disorder in his Head which has deprived him of sight.”

    3 November 1761 Two works by Georg Philipp Telemann (80) are performed for the first time, in Hamburg:  the serenata Don Quichotte auf der Hochzeit des Camacho to words of Schiebeler, and the oratorio Der friedliche Krieg.

    The Kärntnertortheater in Vienna burns to the ground.

    3 November 1765 Prince Nicholas Esterházy, perceiving laxity in his musical establishment, orders his vice-kapellmeister, Joseph Haydn (33), to inventory the music and instruments (in triplicate), to oversee the upkeep of the instruments, make sure all musicians attend to their obligations, and Haydn is “urgently enjoined to apply himself to composition more diligently than heretofore, and especially to write such pieces as can be played on the gamba (baryton), of which pieces we have seen very few up to now; and to be able to judge his diligence, he shall at times send us the first copy, clearly and carefully written, of each and every composition.”

    3 November 1767 On the second ballot, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (53) is chosen to succeed his godfather, Georg Philipp Telemann (†0) as musical director for the five principal churches in Hamburg.  Bach receives twelve votes, Christian Friedrich Rolle of Magdeburg receives eleven.

    3 November 1770 Paride ed Elena, a dramma per musica by Christoph Willibald Gluck (56) to words of Calzabigi, is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.  Reports of its reception are mixed.

    3 November 1777 Matroco, a drame burlesque by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (36) to words of Laujon, is performed for the first time, at the home of the Prince of Condé.

    3 November 1801 Vincenzo Salvatore Carmelo Francesco Bellini is born in Catania on the east coast of Sicily, the eldest of seven children in a family of musicians.  He is the son of Rosario Bellini, composer, maestro di cappella and music teacher in Catania, and Agata Ferlito, daughter of a bookkeeper.

    Gli amanti in cimento, o sia Il geloso audace, a dramma giocoso by Gaspare Spontini (26) to words perhaps by Bertati, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Valle, Rome.

    3 November 1810 La cambiale di matrimonio, a farsa comica by Gioachino Rossini (18) to words of Rossi after Federici and Checcherini, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.  It is Rossini’s first work to be staged.

    3 November 1815 A setting of the Salve regina in D by Antonio Salieri (65) is performed for the first time, in Nikolsburg.

    3 November 1822 Ludwig van Beethoven’s (51) Gratulations-Menuet WoO 3 is performed for the first time, in Vienna for the name day of Carl Friedrich Hensler, new director of the theatre in Josephstadt.

    3 November 1827 Le roi et le batelier, an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy (28) and Victor Rifaut to words of Saint-Georges, is performed for the first time, by the Opéra-Comique, Paris.  It receives only 13 performances.

    3 November 1828 Ferdinand Hérold (37) is created a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor.

    3 November 1844 Giuseppe Verdi’s (31) tragedia lirica I due Foscari to words of Piave after Byron is performed for the first time, at Teatro Argentina, Rome.  Verdi reports that it is a “mezzo-fiasco.”

    3 November 1865 Der Gang zum Liebchen op.31/3 for vocal quartet and piano by Johannes Brahms (32) to anonymous words translated by Wenzig is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    3 November 1868 Having recovered from a lung inflammation, Gioachino Rossini (76) undergoes surgery to remove a “rectal fistula.”  Fearing that his patient’s heart condition precludes prolonged anaesthesia (chloroform), Dr. Auguste Nélaton completes the operation in five minutes.  He removes as much as he can of what is probably cancer.

    3 November 1875 La créole, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (56) to words of Millaud and Meilhac, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    3 November 1876 La boîte au lait, an opéra-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (57) to words of Grangé and Noriac, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    Romanza and Scherzo for piano and cello op.30 by John Knowles Paine (37) is performed for the first time, in Wesleyan Hall, Boston.

    3 November 1881 Awake, my heart, an anthem for chorus and organ by Charles Villiers Stanford (29) to words of Klopstock (tr.Wilson), is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    3 November 1885 Bergliot, a melodrama with orchestra by Edvard Grieg (42) to words of Bjørnson, is performed for the first time, at the Christiania (Oslo) Theatre.  It is a hit with critics and public.

    300 whites begin the expulsion of all Chinese from Tacoma, Washington Territory.

    3 November 1888 Sheherazade, an orchestral work by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (44), is performed for the first time, in a Russian Symphony concert at the Club of the Nobility, St. Petersburg.

    3 November 1891 Cherubic Hymn in C for chorus by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (51) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    3 November 1894 The Virgin’s Cradle Song for voice and piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams (22) to words of Coleridge is performed for the first time, in the Cambridge University Musical Club the composer at the keyboard.

    3 November 1898 Two movements of a Piano Quartet by Béla Bartók (17) are performed for the first time, in Pozsony.

    3 November 1899 The Tsar’s Bride, an opera by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (55) to words of Tyumenev after Mey, is performed for the first time, in the Solodovnikov Theatre, Moscow.

    3 November 1900 An opera with the ambitious title The Tale of Tsar Saltan, of his son the famous and mighty hero Prince Svidon Saltanovich and of the beautiful Swan Princess, words by Belsky after Pushkin and music by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (56) is performed for the first time, at the Solodovnikov Theatre Moscow.

    Sémiramis, a scène lyrique by Florent Schmitt (30) to words of Adenis and Adenis, for which he won the Prix de Rome, is performed for the first time.

    3 November 1902 The revised version of En Saga, a symphonic poem by Jean Sibelius (36) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki, under the direction of the composer.

    3 November 1911 Vladimir Alyekseyevich Ussachevsky is born in Hailar, China, in the far north of Inner Mongolia, the last of four children born to Alyeksey Ivanovich Ussachevsky, a Russian army officer, and Maria Mikhailovna Panov, a professionally trained pianist.  The father is posted to northern Manchuria to protect Russian interests on the Trans-Siberian Railway.

    3 November 1914 Barcarolle op.6/1 for piano by Charles T. Griffes (30) is performed for the first time, in Colonial Hall, Lowell, Massachusetts.

    3 November 1916 William Walton (14) wins the Composition Prize and the History Prize at the choir school at Oxford.

    3 November 1925 Fanfare for three trumpets, three trombones, and timpani by George Whitefield Chadwick (70) is performed for the first time, at the unveiling of a mural by John Singer Sargent at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

    3 November 1927 Kammermusik no.5 op.36/4, a viola concerto by Paul Hindemith (31), is performed for the first time, in Berlin, the composer as soloist.

    3 November 1928 Kleine Symphonie by Ernst Krenek (28) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    3 November 1930 Cantata for the 50th Anniversary of the Young Merchants’ Education Association for reciter, solo voice, chorus, and orchestra by Carl Nielsen (65) to words of Petersen is performed for the first time.

    3 November 1933 La grande complainte de Fantômas by Kurt Weill (33) to words of Desnos is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Paris.

    3 November 1935 In Memoriam op.72 for orchestra by Florent Schmitt (65) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    3 November 1936 Ebon Chronicle for orchestra by William Grant Still (41) is performed for the first time, in Ft. Worth, Texas.

    3 November 1940 Incidental music to Anouilh’s play Leocadia by Francis Poulenc (41) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Michodière, Paris.

    3 November 1942 Incidental music to Saroyan’s play The Beautiful People by Lou Harrison (25) is performed for the first time, in Royce Hall of UCLA.

    3 November 1943 Mermoz, a film with music by Arthur Honegger (51), is released in France.

    Dance Suite for orchestra by John Alden Carpenter (67) is performed for the first time, in Washington.  It consists of the already existing Danza and new orchestrations of two piano works, Polonaise américaine and Tango américain.

    How Old is Song? arranged for violin and piano by the composer Henry Cowell (46) is performed for the first time, in Colorado Springs.  See 9 March 1931.

    3 November 1945 Symphony no.9 by Dmitri Shostakovich (39) is performed for the first time in its full score, in Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall in a nationwide broadcast.  The audience requires the last three movements to be repeated.  See 4 September 1945.

    Fantasia for theremin, oboe, string quartet, and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (54) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    3 November 1946 Betrothal in a Monastery op.86, an opera by Sergey Prokofiev (55) to words of Mira Mendelson (the composer’s mistress) and the composer after Sheridan, is performed for the first time, in the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad.

    3 November 1947 Trois poèmes op.276 for voice and piano by Darius Milhaud (55) to words of Supervielle is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Due pezzi per orchestra by Luigi Dallapiccola (43) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, originating in London.

    3 November 1948 Prelude, Fugue, Postlude for organ by Arthur Honegger (56) from his music for Amphion, is performed for the first time, in Geneva.

    3 November 1949 Variations sur une flûte mexicaine for tape by Pierre Schaeffer (39) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Paris IV.

    Overture to The Tempest by David Diamond (34) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    3 November 1950 Symphony no.3 by David Diamond (35) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    3 November 1956 A Choral Flourish for chorus and organ by Ralph Vaughan Williams (84) to words from the Bible, is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    3 November 1958 Bendita sabedoria for chorus by Heitor Villa-Lobos (71) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, at the opening of the new UNESCO building in Paris.

    3 November 1959 One, Two, Buckle My Shoe for oboe, clarinet, violin, and cello by Irving Fine (44) is performed for the first time, in a documentary broadcast over the airwaves of WGBH-TV in Boston.

    Fanfare for SS Oriana for brass by Benjamin Britten (46) is performed for the first time, at the launching of the vessel named in the title

    3 November 1960 Ha venido: canciones para Silvia for soprano solo and six sopranos by Luigi Nono (36) to words of Machado is performed for the first time, in London conducted by Bruno Maderna (40).

    3 November 1963 Sonata for piano (W87) by Peter Sculthorpe (34) is performed completely for the first time, in Cell Block Theatre, Sydney, by the composer.  See 16 October 1963.

    3 November 1966 Untitled Composition for Orchestra no.1 by R. Murray Schafer (33) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    3 November 1967 Green:  November Steps II for orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (37) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of NHK.

    3 November 1968 Nocturnes and Arias for orchestra by Thea Musgrave (40) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    3 November 1974 Chaconne for Winds op.34 by Alexander Goehr (40) is performed for the first time, at the University of Leeds, conducted by Pierre Boulez (49).

    3 November 1985 Angels for chorus and organ by John Tavener (41) to words of Walker is performed for the first time, in All Saints’ Church, Basingstoke.

    Sonata for guitar solo by Samuel Adler (57) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    3 November 1988 Concerto II “Echoing Curves” for piano and two instrumental groups by Luciano Berio (63) is performed for the first time, in Paris, conducted by Pierre Boulez (63).

    3 November 1989 Pro et contra for orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (58) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.

    3 November 1990 Sections of the Concerto for violin and orchestra by György Ligeti (67) are performed for the first time, in Cologne.  See 8 October 1992.

    3 November 1993 Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) dies in Moscow, aged 97 years, two months, and 19 days.

    3 November 1995 Dialogue de l’ombre double by Pierre Boulez (70), in the version for bassoon and electronic sound generators, is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 28 October 1985.

    More than a Day for counter tenor and chamber orchestra by Ned Rorem (72) to words of Larson, is performed for the first time.

    Isang Yun dies in Berlin, aged 78 years, one month, and 17 days.

    3 November 1998 In the Month of Athyr for narrator and chorus by John Tavener (54) to words of Cavafy (tr. Sherrard) is performed for the first time, in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

    3 November 2001 Show an Affirming Flame, a poem for orchestra by Samuel Adler (73), is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.  It was commissioned by the New York Chamber Symphony Orchestra in memory of the victims of 11 September 2001.

    3 November 2004 Recoil for wind ensemble by Joseph Schwantner (61) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    3 November 2009 From Vanitas for tenor and piano by Harrison Birtwistle (75) to words of Harsent is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    3 November 2010 Passage 4, an intermedia performance by Roger Reynolds (76), is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    3 November 2011 World War III Just the Highlights for voice, three microphones, and sound mixing by Robert Ashley (81), is performed for the first time, in New York.

    4 November

    4 November 1752 La clemenza di Tito, a dramma per musica by Christoph Willibald Gluck (38) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1753 The second version of Ricimero, re dei goti, an opera seria by Baldassare Galuppi (47), is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1754 L’Issipile, a dramma per musica by Ignaz Holzbauer (43) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, at the Mannheim Hoftheater.

    4 November 1757 Niccolò Piccinni’s (29) opera seria Nitteti, to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    La clemenza di Tito, a dramma per musica by Ignaz Holzbauer (46) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, at the Mannheim Hoftheater.

    4 November 1759 Achille in Sciro, an opera by Johann Adolf Hasse (60) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  The opera is hampered by a cast which is not up to the demands of the music.

    4 November 1760 Caio Fabrizio, an opera seria by Niccolò Jommelli (46) to words of Verazi, is performed for the first time, in the Mannheim Hoftheater.

    4 November 1761 Catone in Utica, an opera by Johann Christian Bach (26) to words after Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples to celebrate the name day of King Carlo III.  It is well received.

    Niccolò Jommelli’s (47) pastorale L’isola disabitata to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, in the Ducal Theatre, Ludwigsburg.

    4 November 1762 Niccolò Piccinni’s (34) opera seria Antigono, to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1763 Niccolò Jommelli’s (49) pastorale La pastorella illustre to words of Tagliazucchi is performed for the first time, at the Ducal Theatre, Stuttgart.

    4 November 1764 Niccolò Jommelli’s (50) opera seria Il re pastore to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, for the opening of the new Ducal Theatre in Ludwigsburg.

    Lucio Vero, an opera seria by Antonio Sacchini (34) to words of Zeno, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1765 Niccolò Jommelli’s (51) pastorale Imeneo in Atene, to words after Stampiglia, is performed for the first time, in the Ducal Theatre, Ludwigsburg.  On the same day is performed for the first time, the second version of his Temistocle to words of Metastasio.

    Il Creso, an opera seria by Antonio Sacchini (35) to words of Pizzi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1766 Il matrimonio per concorso, an opera buffa by Niccolò Jommelli (52) to words of Martinelli, is performed for the first time, in the Ducal Palace, Ludwigsburg.

    Il gran Cid, an opera seria by Niccolò Piccinni (38) to words of Pizzi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1767 Niccolò Jommelli’s (53) serious-comic opera Il cacciatore deluso ovvero La Semiramide in bernesco to words of Martinelli, is performed for the first time, in Tübingen.

    4 November 1770 A fourth version of the opera seria Demofoonte by Niccolò Jommelli (56) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  See  27 January 1753 and 11 February 1764.

    4 November 1771 Ezio, an opera seria by Antonio Sacchini (41) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1772 Niccolò Piccinni’s (44) opera seria Ipermestra to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1773 Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (34) is appointed Amtshauptmann of Freiwaldau (Jeseník).

    4 November 1777 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (21) writes from Mannheim to his father, “Deputy-Kapellmeister Vogler (26), who had composed the mass which was performed the other day, is a dreary musical jester, an exceedingly conceited and rather incompetent fellow.  The whole orchestra dislikes him.  But today, Sunday, I heard a mass by Holzbauer (66), which he wrote twenty-six years ago, but which is very fine.  He is a good composer, he has a good church style, he knows how to write for voices and instruments, and he composes good fugues.”  (Anderson, 356)

    4 November 1783 Symphony K.425 “Linz” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27) is performed for the first time, in Linz.

    4 November 1790 Das Singspiel ohne Titel, an operetta by Johann Schenk (36) to words of Hiesberger, is performed for the first time, in the Freihaus, Vienna.

    4 November 1792 Giovanni Paisiello’s (52) tragedia per music Elfrida to words of Calzibigi is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1794 Giovanni Paisiello’s (54) dramma per musica Didone abbandonata to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    4 November 1817 Carl Maria von Weber (30) marries the celebrated soprano Caroline Brandt in Prague.

    4 November 1821 In Weimar, Felix Mendelssohn (12) meets Johann Wolfgang von Goethe for the first time. In spite of the vast difference in their ages, the two begin a strong friendship over the next two weeks.  Felix has brought several songs by his sister Fanny (15) on Goethe texts.  The poet is delighted and will compose a poem for Fanny in gratitude.  Also present is the Weimar Kapellmeister Johann Nepomuk Hummel (42).

    4 November 1824 Léocadie, a drame lyrique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (42) to words of Scribe and Mélesville after Cervantes, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    4 November 1828 Franz Schubert (31) takes his first lesson in a projected course in fugue with the noted theorist, Simon Sechter.

    In a second operation on Nicolò Paganini (46) in Prague to treat an ulcerated tooth and correct the results of the first operation, all of his lower teeth are removed.

    4 November 1832 Gaetano Donizetti’s (34) tragedia lirica Sancia di Castiglia to words of Salatino is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  It is given a warm reception, but will soon disappear.

    Symphony no.4 “Die Weihe der Töne” by Louis Spohr (48) is performed for the first time, in Kassel.

    4 November 1847 Hector Berlioz (43) arrives in London to take up his position as music director of the newly re-founded opera company at the Drury Lane Theatre.

    21:24  Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy dies at his home in Leipzig, probably from a ruptured brain artery, aged 38 years, nine months and one day.  Attending him are his wife, brother Paul, Heinrich Schleinitz, the pianist Ignaz Moscheles and his doctors.

    4 November 1849 Richard Wagner (36) completes “The Artwork of the Future” in Zürich.

    4 November 1851 Incidental music to Sandeau and Regnier’s comédie Mademoiselle de la Seiglière by Jacques Offenbach (32) is performed for the first time, at the Comédie-Française, Paris.

    4 November 1853 O Haupt voll Blut und Wunden for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn is performed for the first time, in Leipzig on the sixth anniversary of the composer’s death.

    4 November 1861 Johannes Brahms’ (28) work for solo piano, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel op.24, is performed for the first time, privately by the composer, at the Hamburg home of Hermann Wagner.  See 7 December 1861.

    4 November 1863 The second part of Les troyens (Les troyens à Carthage), a grand opéra by Hector Berlioz (59) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre-Lyrique, Paris.  The audience applauds vociferously and critics are very enthusiastic.  See 6 December 1890.

    4 November 1876 Symphony no.1 by Johannes Brahms (43) is performed for the first time, in the Grand Ducal Theatre, Karlsruhe.  It is very well received.

    4 November 1879 Eric Satie (13) takes the entrance examination for the Paris Conservatoire.

    4 November 1883 Lagunen-Walzer op.411 by Johann Strauss (58) is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    España, a rhapsody for orchestra by Emanuel Chabrier (42), is performed for the first time, by the Société des Nouveaux Concerts, Paris.

    4 November 1886 Ophelia, a symphonic poem by Edward MacDowell (25), is performed for the first time, in New York.   See 26 December 1886.

    4 November 1888 Two works by Emmanuel Chabrier (47) are performed for the first time, in Angers:  Joyeuse marche and Prélude pastorale.

    Dix pièces pittoresques for piano by Emmanuel Chabrier (47) is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    4 November 1889 Of 46 pianists auditioned for acceptance into the Paris Conservatoire, 19 are accepted.  Among them is Maurice Ravel (14) who played an excerpt from a Chopin (†40) concerto.

    4 November 1890 Prince Igor, an opera by Alyeksandr Borodin (†3) to his own words, completed by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (46) and Alyeksandr Glazunov (25), is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.

    4 November 1891 After the premiere of Paa Vidderne, Fritz (Frederick) Delius (29) departs Norway for Paris.

    4 November 1893 A crowd begins to assemble outside the St. Petersburg apartment of Modest Tchaikovsky, where his brother, Pyotr Ilyich (53) lies ill.  They have been told he has cholera, now present in the city.

    4 November 1897 Le parfum impérissable op.76/1, a song for voice and piano by Gabriel Fauré (52) to words of de Lisle, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    4 November 1899 Scènes historiques I and Finlandia by Jean Sibelius (33) are performed for the first time, in the Swedish Theatre, Helsinki.  Both are from a larger collection of incidental music to accompany a set of historical tableaux on Finnish themes.  These are the “Press Pension Celebrations”, to raise money ostensibly for pension funds for newspapermen but in reality they give support to the Finnish press who are battling Tsarist censorship.

    4 November 1901 Incidental music to Clemenceau’s play Le voile du bonheur op.88 by Gabriel Fauré (56) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Renaissance, Paris.

    4 November 1904 The following report appears in Le Figaro :  “Mme D., a very pretty young woman, married to a very distinguished composer, acknowledged as the leader of the young school, and one whose opera had been much applauded recently in a subsidized theatre, tried to kill herself a few days ago...The disconsolate woman wanted to die when she became aware that her husband had been unfaithful to her.  The composer has not been reconciled, so it seems, to his young wife, and their impending divorce has been announced.  M.D. will be remarried to Mme B., the young divorced wife of a well-known financier.”  This makes Debussy the scandal public.

    4 November 1906 Incidental music to Procopé’s play Belshazzar’s Feast by Jean Sibelius (40) is performed for the first time, at the Swedish Theatre, Helsinki, the composer conducting.  The press is not positive.

    4 November 1908 Richard Gerstl, the 25-year-old painter from whom Arnold (34) and Mathilde Schoenberg have both taken lessons, and who eloped with Mathilde, kills himself after Anton von Webern (24) convinces Mathilde to return to her husband.

    Anton von Webern’s (24) Passacaglia no.1 for orchestra is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Musikverein, conducted by the composer.

    4 November 1909 Sergey Rakhmaninov (36) makes his American debut at Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts.  It is his first solo recital anywhere.

    4 November 1910 Amy Beach (43) is baptized into the Episcopal faith in Emmanuel Church, Boston.

    Three Sketches for piano by Frank Bridge (31) is performed for the first time, in Bechstein Hall, London.

    4 November 1915 String Quartet no.2 by Frank Bridge (36) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    4 November 1920 The Prelude to Charles Villiers Stanford’s (68) unperformed opera The Travelling Companion is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  See 30 April 1925.

    4 November 1921 Charles Koechlin (53) visits Francis Poulenc (22) in the Rue de Monceau.  They agree that Poulenc will receive lessons twice a week.  Over the next nine months, Koechlin gives Poulenc 38 lessons.

    Three Hymns op.71 by Richard Strauss (57) to words of Hölderlin are performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    4 November 1922 String Quartet no.4 op.22 by Paul Hindemith (26) is performed for the first time, in Donaueschingen.

    4 November 1923 Arnold Schoenberg (49) writes from Mödling to Roberto Gerhard (27) accepting his request to teach him and inviting him to Vienna.

    4 November 1924 01:50  Gabriel Urbain Fauré dies of pneumonia at his Paris home, aged 79 years, five months, and 23 days.

    Intermezzo op.72, an opera by Richard Strauss (60) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Dresden Staatsoper.

    4 November 1926 Stücke für Orchester by Ernst Krenek (26) are performed for the first time, in Winterthur.

    4 November 1929 Piano Trio (1929) by Frank Bridge (50) is performed for the first time, in Langham Hotel.

    4 November 1930 Verdicts are returned in the suits by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill (30) against the producers of the Die Dreigroschenoper film (see 17 October 1930).  The judge has split the case in two, handling the two artists’ suits separately.  Brecht’s claims are not accepted but Weill’s are.  Nero Films pays Brecht RM16,000 and agrees to revert the film rights to him in two years.  The court requires that all the music in the film must be by Weill, however the resulting soundtrack is simply a pastiche of his most popular songs.

    4 November 1932 Polyphonica for twelve instruments and chamber orchestra by Henry Cowell (35) is performed for the first time, in New School Auditorium, New York.

    Ventanas for orchestra by Silvestre Revueltas (32) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Hidalgo, Mexico City, the composer conducting.

    4 November 1934 Divertimento for orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (52), arranged from Le baiser de la fée, is performed for the first time, in Paris conducted by the composer.

    4 November 1937 Alyeksandr Mosolov (37) is arrested.  He will be convicted of “anti-Soviet propaganda” and sentenced to eight years in work camps.  Through the intervention of his teachers, Mosolov will be released next August.

    Nadia Boulanger (50) conducts the Royal Philharmonic Society, thus becoming the first woman to conduct a symphony orchestra in London.

    4 November 1938 Piano Concerto no.2 by Ernst Krenek (38) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    4 November 1942 Three Romances on Texts by Burns for voice and piano, part of op.62 by Dmitri Shostakovich (36), are performed for the first time, in Kuibyshev.  See 6 June 1943.

    4 November 1943 Symphony no.8 op.65 by Dmitri Shostakovich (37) is performed for the first time, in the Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.  Critical response is mixed.

    The North Star, a film with music by Aaron Copland (42), is shown for the first time, in New York.

    4 November 1948 American Folk Songs for Children by Ruth Crawford Seeger (47) is released by Doubleday.

    A Survivor from Warsaw for speaker, male chorus, and orchestra by Arnold Schoenberg (74) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

    4 November 1949 Flute Quartet op.106 by Florent Schmitt (79) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    The first two movements of the Concerto for trumpet, bassoon, and string orchestra by Paul Hindemith (53) is performed for the first time, in New Haven, Connecticut.

    4 November 1955 Credendeum, Article of Faith for orchestra by William Schuman (45) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    4 November 1957 Service pour la veille du Sabbat op.345 for children’s chorus and organ by Darius Milhaud (65) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    4 November 1958 Emily Dickinson Songs op.77 by Vincent Persichetti (43) are performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    4 November 1961 Form for piano by Ralph Shapey (40) is performed for the first time, at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.

    4 November 1964 The fifth and sixth of the Sechs Lieder for tenor and piano by Paul Hindemith (†0) to words of Hölderlin are performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.  See 10 April 1937.

    Several works by Terry Riley (29) are performed at the San Francisco Tape Music Center:  Music from the Gift, I,  Shoeshine,  In B-flat or is it A-flat?, Coulé, In C.  Among the performers are Steve Reich (29), Pauline Oliveros (32), Morton Subotnick (31) and the composer. This concert, especially In C, help bring minimalism into the mainstream.

    4 November 1965 Miss Julie, an opera by Ned Rorem (42) to words of Elmslie after Strindberg, is performed for the first time, in New York City Center.

    4 November 1976 Women’s Voices, a cycle for solo voice and piano by Ned Rorem (53) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    4 November 1979 Con Luigi Dallapiccola (†4) for percussion, four pick-ups, three ring modulators, and loudspeakers by Luigi Nono (55) is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    4 November 1983 Fantasy…(Those Harbor Lights) for clarinet and piano by Joan Tower (45) is performed for the first time, in Bangor, Maine.

    4 November 1984 Chorale Prelude:  O God Unseen op.160 for band by Vincent Persichetti (69) is performed for the first time, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

    4 November 1986 Three Songs for voice and piano by Aaron Copland (85) to words of Schaffer are performed for the first time, in Austin, Texas, 68 years after they were composed.

    4 November 1988 Dienstags-Gruß no.60 for soprano, 18 brass, two synthesizer players, chorus, and two conductors from Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (60) Dienstag aus Licht is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    4 November 1989 The ashes of the earthly remains of Virgil Thomson are interred in the family plot in Rehoboth Cemetery in Slater, Missouri.

    A String Sextet by Charles Wuorinen (51) is performed for the first time, in Oliver Swan Porter Memorial Auditorium, Covington, Georgia.

    4 November 1990 Revelation for eight solo voices by Jonathan Lloyd (42) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    Good Night op.63 for soprano, alto flute, piano, and three tam-tams by Henryk Górecki (56) to words of Shakespeare is performed completely for the first time, in London.  See 6 May 1990.

    4 November 1993 Contraption no.1 for computer-driven prepared piano by Conlon Nancarrow (81) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    Fanfare for the Los Angeles Philharmonic for brass and percussion by Witold Lutoslawski (80) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    4 November 1994 Adam, a cantata for mixed chorus with soprano solo and small orchestra by Andrew Imbrie (73), is performed for the first time, at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.

    Entrata for brass and timpani by Krzysztof Penderecki (60) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    4 November 1996 Karlheinz Stockhausen (68) receives the Kulturpreis Köln.

    4 November 2000 Per Flauti for two flutes by Gottfried Michael Koenig (74) is performed for the first time, in Buren.

    4 November 2005 The UNESCO music prize is conferred upon Mikis Theodorakis (80) in Aachen.

    Purple Rhapsody, a concerto for viola and orchestra by Joan Tower (67), is performed for the first time, in Omaha, Nebraska.

    4 November 2007 QUID EST DEUS? for chorus and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (55) is performed for the first time, in the Konzerthaus, Freiburg.

    Dark Days for voice and piano by Alexander Goehr (75) to words of Hesiod and Homer is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    4 November 2009 Quartettino 6 for string quartet by Robin Holloway (66) is performed for the first time, in West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge.

    4 November 2010 Silhouette for strings and percussion by Arvo Pärt (75) is performed for the first time, in Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    4 November 2011 Big Spinoff for 18 players by Charles Wuorinen (73) is performed for the first time, at Oberlin Conservatory, in Oberlin, Ohio.

    5 November

    5 November 1494 Hans Sachs is born in Nuremberg.

    5 November 1666 Attilo Malachia Ariosti is born in Bologna.

    5 November 1667 Franz Tunder dies in Lübeck at the age of 53.

    5 November 1759 Ippolito ed Aricia, a dramma per musica by Ignaz Holzbauer (48) to words of Frugoni, is performed for the first time, at the Mannheim Hoftheater.

    5 November 1761 Don Quichotte, der Löwenritter, an opera by Georg Philipp Telemann (80) to words of Schiebeler, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    5 November 1762 Sofonisba, an opera seria by Tommaso Traetta (35) to words of Verazi after Zanetti and Zanetti, is performed for the first time, at the Mannheim Hoftheater.

    5 November 1768 Adriano in Siria, a dramma per musica by Ignaz Holzbauer (57) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Mannheim Hoftheater.

    5 November 1770 Catone in Utica, a dramma per musica by Niccolò Piccinni (42) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Hoftheater, Mannheim.

    5 November 1772 Temistocle, an opera by Johann Christian Bach (37) to words of Varazi after Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in a gala performance before the court in the Mannheim Hoftheater.

    5 November 1775 Lucio Silla, an opera by Johann Christian Bach (40) to words of Verazi after De Gamerra, is performed for the first time, in the Mannheim Hoftheater.  The court watches the opera in the knowledge that Duke Christian is near death.  News of his end reaches them as the opera concludes.

    5 November 1800 L’equivoco, ovvero Le bizzarie dell’amore, a dramma giocoso by Simon Mayr (37) to words of Foppa, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    5 November 1832 The Philharmonic Society of London commissions Felix Mendelssohn (23) to compose “a symphony, an overture, and a vocal composition.”

    5 November 1846 Symphony no.2 by Robert Schumann (36) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig directed by Felix Mendelssohn (37).  The response is lukewarm.

    5 November 1847 Upon hearing the news of Mendelssohn’s death, Robert Schumann (37) immediately travels from Dresden to Leipzig.

    5 November 1879 WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan (37) arrive in New York aboard the Cunard steamer Bothnia to a tumultuous welcome.  They will produce HMS Pinafore and a new operetta yet to be named (The Pirates of Penzance).

    5 November 1882 The Liceo Musicale at Pesaro opens, funded by an endowment in the will of Gioachino Rossini (†13).

    The six tone poems of Ma Vlast by Bedrich Smetana (58) are performed together for the first time, in Prague.

    5 November 1886 Symphony no.2 by Alyeksandr Glazunov (21) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (44) is in the audience and is greatly impressed by the music of his young friend.

    After dinner in his London home, WS Gilbert reads the complete libretto of Ruddygore to Arthur Sullivan (44).

    5 November 1888 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play (translated by Bouchor) The Tempest by Ernest Chausson (33) is performed for the first time, in the Petit Théâtre des Marionettes, Paris.

    5 November 1891 Die Sarazenen and Die schöne Aldâ, two fragments after The Song of Roland by Edward MacDowell (30) for orchestra, are performed for the first time, in Boston.

    5 November 1893 Some of the Six Impromptus op.5 for piano by Jean Sibelius (27) are performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    5 November 1894 Anton Bruckner (70) delivers his last lecture at the University of Vienna.

    5 November 1895 Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche, a tone poem by Richard Strauss (31) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.  It is a hit with critics and the public.

    5 November 1898 Richard Strauss (34) conducts for the first time at the Berlin Court Opera.  It is Wagner’s (†15) Tristan und Isolde.

    5 November 1903 Sonata for violin and piano no.4 op.72 by Max Reger (30) is performed for the first time, in Munich, the composer at the piano.

    5 November 1910 Suite from The Firebird for orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (28) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.  See 25 June 1910.

    A newly constructed building to house the Institute of Musical Art (Juilliard School) is dedicated at the corner of Claremont Avenue and 122nd Street in New York.

    5 November 1914 Incidental music to Masefield’s play Philip the King by Gustav Holst (40) is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.

    5 November 1916 Incidental music to Hoffmannsthal’s play Everyman (tr. Jalkanen) by Jean Sibelius (50), for chorus, piano, organ, and orchestra, is performed for the first time, at the Finnish National Theatre, Helsinki.

    5 November 1920 A Suite for viola and orchestra by Ernest Bloch (40) is performed for the first time, in New York.  It is not well received.  In the audience is Roger Sessions (23) and his new wife.

    5 November 1922 The Gallant Seventh, a march by John Philip Sousa, is performed for the first time, at the New York Hippodrome, on the eve of the composer’s 68th birthday.  Composed in honor of a regiment of the New York National Guard, it was created while the composer recuperated from a broken neck.

    5 November 1923 String Quartet no.5 op.32 by Paul Hindemith (27) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    5 November 1925 Orfeo, ovvero L’ottava canzone, an opera by Gian Francesco Malipiero (43) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Düsseldorf Stadtsoper.

    5 November 1926 Concerto for harpsichord, flute, oboe, clarinet, violin, and cello by Manuel de Falla (49) is performed for the first time, in Palau de Música Catalana, Barcelona, the composer conducting.  The critics find it a step back artistically for the composer.

    The Skyscrapers Suite for orchestra by John Alden Carpenter (50), from the ballet of the same name, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.  See 19 February 1926.

    5 November 1927 Symphony no.2 “To October” for bass, chorus, and orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (21) to words of Bezimensky, is performed for the first time, in the Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall.  It was commissioned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution.

    Potpourri for orchestra by Ernst Krenek (27) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    5 November 1928 Gesänge op.56, three songs for baritone and piano by Ernst Krenek (28), are performed for the first time, in the Künstlerhaus, Dresden.

    Incidental music to Matthews’ play Beau Brummel by Edward Elgar (71) is performed for the first time, in the Royal Theatre, Birmingham, conducted by the composer.  Little notice is paid to it.

    5 November 1930 Violin Sonata no.1 by Bohuslav Martinu (39) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    5 November 1934 Danza Geométrica for orchestra by Silvestre Revueltas (34) is performed for the first time, in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City.

    5 November 1936 Pastorale for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon op.147 by Darius Milhaud (44) is performed for the first time, in Bourges.

    5 November 1938 Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber (28), an arrangement for string orchestra of the second movement of his String Quartet, is performed for the first time, in New York.  On the same program is the premiere of Barber’s Essay for Orchestra op.12.

    5 November 1943 Concerto for two pianos and orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (52) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    5 November 1944 A Song of Thanksgiving for soprano, speaker, chorus, and orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (72) is performed for the first time, in a recording session at the BBC’s London studio.  The work is to be broadcast at the conclusion of the European war.  See 13 May 1945.

    5 November 1947 Incidental music to Anouilh’s play L’invitation au château by Francis Poulenc (48) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de l’Atelier, Paris.

    5 November 1948 Piano Sonata no.4 by Ernst Krenek (48) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco, California.

    5 November 1953 Serenade for Nikolay Rubinstein’s Nameday for small orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (32) is performed publicly for the first time, in Moscow.  See 18 December 1872.

    5 November 1954 Divertimento on Sellinger’s Round for chamber orchestra by Michael Tippett (49) is performed for the first time, in the Zürich Tonhalle.

    5 November 1955 The newly rebuilt Vienna State Opera opens.

    5 November 1958 Huit poèmes de Jorge Guillen op.371 for chorus by Darius Milhaud (66) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    5 November 1959 Ulysses Kay’s (42) Serenade no.2 for four horns is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

    5 November 1960 Diversions for orchestra by Irving Fine (45) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.  See 22 March 1987.

    5 November 1966 The Circus Band, a song by Charles Ives (†12) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Sprague Hall, Yale University.

    5 November 1967 Pieces for trombone and piano by Ernst Krenek (67) is performed for the first time, in the Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo.

    5 November 1968 Dmitri Shostakovich (62) is awarded the Glinka State Prize for The Execution of Stepan Razin.

    5 November 1970 Why Don’t You Write a Short Piece for solo performer or group by Pauline Oliveros (38) is performed for the first time, at the University of California, San Diego.

    5 November 1971 Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra by Roger Sessions (74) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Young Caesar, a puppet opera by Lou Harrison (54) to words of Gordon and the composer, is performed for the first time, at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena.  See 9 April 1988.

    5 November 1972 Landscapes remembered for chamber orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (65) is performed for the first time, at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

    5 November 1973 Grand Union for cello and drums by Charles Wuorinen (35) is performed for the first time, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

    5 November 1981 Symphony no.3 by Alfred Schnittke (46) is performed for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

    5 November 1983 Percussion Quartet for four percussionists by Lukas Foss (61) is performed for the first time, in Pyramid Art Center, Rochester, New York.

    5 November 1985 Symphony in Two Movements (Symphony no.2) by Tan Dun (28) is performed for the first time, in Beijing.

    Adonai Malach for cantor, horn, piccolo, oboe, and clarinet by Shulamit Ran (36) to words of the Psalms is performed for the first time.

    5 November 1987 Electric Counterpoint for electric guitar and tape by Steve Reich (51) is performed for the first time, in the Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York.  See 24 February 1990.

    5 November 1992 Eclairs sur l’au-delà for orchestra by Olivier Messiaen (†0) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    Entrance:  Carousing: Embarkation op.71 for band by Robin Holloway (49) is performed for the first time, in Opperman Music Hall, Tallahassee, Florida.

    5 November 2005 String Quartet no.16 by Peter Sculthorpe (76) is performed for the first time, in Hamer Hall, Melbourne.

    Prayer of Thanksgiving in Times of Terror by Peter Maxwell Davies (71) to words of the Earl of Northampton, is performed for the first time, in Waltham Abbey, Essex.  It commemorates the 400th anniversary of the Gunpowder Plot.

    5 November 2006 Never Again the Same for voice and tuba by Charles Wuorinen (68) to words of Tate is performed for the first time, in the Peter Lewis Auditorium of the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

    Refrains for twelve tubas, twelve euphoniums, and percussion by Gunther Schuller (80) is performed for the first time, at Tennessee Technological University, Cokeville, Tennessee.

    5 November 2007 Never Again the Same for voice and tuba by Charles Wuorinen (69) to words of Tate is performed for the first time, at the Peter Lewis Auditorium of the Guggenheim Museum.

    5 November 2011 A Bridge for Marc for piano by Ned Rorem (88) is performed for the first time, at the Tenri Cultural Institute, New York.

    5 November 2012 Elliott Cook Carter, Jr. dies in his apartment in Greenwich Village, New York, aged 103 years, ten months, and 24 days.  His earthly remains will be laid to rest in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn.

    6 November

    6 November 1607 Sigmund Theophil Staden is baptized in Kulmbach.

    6 November 1672 Heinrich Schütz dies in Dresden, 87 years and 28 days after his baptism.

    6 November 1767 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (53) is officially appointed musical director of the five principal churches in Hamburg.  He succeeds Telemann (†0).  Bach will not arrive to take up his post until next March.

    6 November 1773 La belle Arsène, a comédie-féerie mêlée d’ariettes by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (44) to words of Favart after Voltaire, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    6 November 1795 Georg Anton (Jiri Antonin) Benda dies at his retirement home in Kostritz, 73 years, four months and seven days after his baptism.

    6 November 1825 String Quartet op.132 by Ludwig van Beethoven (54) is performed publicly for the first time, in Vienna.  See 9 September 1825.

    6 November 1832 Robert Schumann (22) writes to his mother, “I have become fully resigned and consider my hand incurable.”  His loss of one hand is attributed either to a device intended to strengthen his hand or to mercury poisoning which is part of a treatment for syphilis.

    6 November 1854 John Philip Sousa is born in Washington, third of ten children (only six surviving infancy) born to John Antonio Sousa, a Portuguese immigrant and trombonist in the US Marine Band, and Marie Elisabeth Trinkaus, an immigrant from Bavaria where her father was a small town mayor.

    6 November 1865 The rebel army of General Mariano Ignacio Prado attacks Lima and an urban battle ensues.  It is witnessed by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (36) hiding in a pharmacy.  After artillery shells begin landing, and a musket ball passes very close to his head, Gottschalk enters the fray, attempting to transport wounded to the hospital.

    6 November 1868 Alyeksandr Borodin (34) writes to his wife in St. Petersburg, telling her of his summer affair with Anna Nikolayevna Kalinina.  “My feelings toward her do not alter the way I feel towards you, and I am giving only that which I cannot give to you; it is nothing more than that ‘feeling of mine towards children,’ in her words, towards weakness, youth, hopes, and the future.”

    6 November 1870 Piano Trio no.4 op.85 by Anton Rubinstein (40) is performed for the first time, in Moscow, the composer at the keyboard.

    6 November 1885 Erik Satie (19) enters the intermediate piano class of Georges Mathias, a pupil of Chopin (†36), at the Paris Conservatoire.  The Certificate of Admission is signed by the director, Ambroise Thomas (74).

    Liebe und Frühling op.3/3, a song by Johannes Brahms (52) to words of von Fallersleben, is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 32 years after it was composed.

    6 November 1887 A hospital opens at Villanova near Sant’Agata.  The man responsible for the design, who supervised the building, hired the medical staff, and funded the entire project is Giuseppe Verdi (74).

    6 November 1891 Giuseppe Verdi (78) writes to his publisher, Giulio Ricordi, “Thank you for the score of [Mascagni’s (28) L’Amico] Fritz which you sent me.  In my life I have read many, many, very many bad librettos, but I have never read a libretto as idiotic as this...”

    6 November 1893 03:00  Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky dies in St. Petersburg, possibly of cholera, possibly of self-administered aresenic poisoning, aged 53 years, five months and 30 days.  The body is placed in an open coffin in the apartment of his brother Modest, where he died.  Through the next two days, five requiem services are sung.  Thousands of people stream up to the apartment to view the body, in contravention of rules governing cholera deaths.  Already there are rumors that the composer's death was not due to cholera.  Tsar Alyeksandr III agrees to fund the funeral.

    Five months after graduating from Harvard University, Frederick S. Converse (22) is hired by Price & Co., a Boston banking firm.

    6 November 1898 Gustav Mahler (38) conducts his first performance with the Vienna Philharmonic, a program of Beethoven (†71) and Mozart (†106).  At first lukewarm, the audience is very pleased by the end.

    6 November 1902 Adriana Lecouvreur, an opera by Francesco Cilèa (36), is performed for the first time, at Milan’s Teatro Lirico.

    6 November 1904 Danses for harp and string orchestra by Claude Debussy (42), is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    6 November 1914 Four of the songs for voice and piano op.137 by Max Reger (41) are performed for the first time, in Meiningen:  Dein Wille, Herr, geschehel, Am Abend, Klage vor Gottes Leiden and O Jesu Christ, wir warten dein.  The composer performs at the piano.

    The Camp is Hushed...Reposez vous, vous chevaliers! for male chorus by Arthur Foote (61) to words of Aldrich, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    6 November 1915 After a month of training camp in the Austro-Hungarian army at Bruck an der Leitha, Alban Berg (30) suffers acute asthma attacks and a bronchial catarrh.  He is immediately hospitalized.

    Sinfonietta op.5 for orchestra by Sergey Prokofiev (24) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    6 November 1916 The Six Songs op.38 of Sergey Rakhmaninov (43) are performed for the first time, in Moscow, the composer at the piano.

    6 November 1917 Armed Bolsheviks seize railway stations, bridges, the state bank, and telephone exchange in and around Petrograd.  The pro-Bolshevik crew of the battleship Aurora anchors its ship in the Neva River adjacent to the Winter Palace, the seat of the provisional government.  Hard at work on the revision of his Piano Concerto no.1, Sergey Rakhmaninov barely notices the fighting.

    Sonatina no.3 for piano by Ferruccio Busoni (51) is performed for the first time, in Zürich Tonahalle.

    6 November 1920 Several works by Henry Cowell (23) are performed for the first time, in Palo Alto, California:  Sonate for cello and piano, Prelude specifique, Annunciation, Prelude dimplomatique, Sifting, and The Sea Ride for piano, and two songs for voice and piano to words of Stevenson, Rain and Looking Forward.

    6 November 1923 Jean Sibelius (57) is awarded a 100,000 mark scholarship from the Kordelin Foundation in Helsinki, for his promotion and diffusion of Finnish music.

    6 November 1924 The Cunning Little Vixen, an opera by Leos Janácek (70) to words of Tesnohlidek, is performed for the first time, in the National Theatre, Brno.

    6 November 1925 String Quartet op.36 by Hans Pfitzner (56) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  See 23 March 1933.

    Trapeze op.39, a ballet by Sergey Prokofiev (34) to a scenario by Romanov, is performed for the first time, in Gotha.

    Concerto accademico for violin and strings by Ralph Vaughan Williams (53) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    6 November 1926 In Prague for a performance of Wozzeck, Alban Berg (41) downs some alcohol and attempts to find the house of his ferne geliebte Hanna Fuchs-Robettin.  He wanders through the city for hours, sometimes misdirected, and manages to reach it after midnight.  He walks around the house but refrains from entering and makes it back to his hotel at 03:00.  Berg calls it “a night of madness.”

    6 November 1928 An orchestration of the Seven Early Songs for voice and orchestra by Alban Berg (43) are performed for the first time, in Vienna, 20 years and more after they were originally composed.

    6 November 1930 Violin Sonata no.3 by Frederick Delius (68) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.  Arnold Bax (47) is at the piano.

    Begleitungsmusik zu einer Lichtspielszene op.34 for orchestra by Arnold Schoenberg (56) is performed for the first time before a live audience, in Berlin.  See 8 April 1930.

    6 November 1931 The Golden Mountains, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (25), is shown for the first time, in the Khudozhestvenny Cinema, Leningrad.

    6 November 1932 Dialogue from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.

    6 November 1935 Symphony no.1 by William Walton (33) is performed completely for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  See 3 December 1934.

    6 November 1936 Symphony no.3 by Sergey Rakhmaninov (63) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.  The response is “lukewarm.”

    Serestas for voice and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (49) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro, under the baton of the composer.

    6 November 1937 Il festino, an opera by Gian Francesco Malipiero (55) to his own words after de Rossi, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Turin Radio.  See 2 October 1954.

    6 November 1938 Alexander Nevsky, a film by Sergey Eisenstein with music by Sergey Prokofiev (47), is shown for the first time, in an official screening at Mosfilm.  See 17 May 1939.

    A Bassoon Sonata by Paul Hindemith (42) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.  Also premiered is Hindemith’s Sonata for piano four-hands.

    6 November 1939 Elegy in Memory of Maurice Ravel by David Diamond (24) in the version for string orchestra and percussion is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 28 April 1938.

    6 November 1940 Nadia Boulanger (53) and Ignacy Paderewsi arrive at the port of New York aboard the Excambion from Portugal.

    Symphony no.3 by Florence Price (53) is performed for the first time, at the Detroit Institute of the Arts.

    6 November 1942 The fifth of 18 patriotic fanfares for brass and percussion commissioned by Eugene Goossens and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, A Fanfare for Friends by Daniel Gregory Mason (68), is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    6 November 1943 The composer Igor Markevitch arrives by bicycle at the villa north of Fiesole where Luigi Dallapiccola (40) is staying.  He tells Dallapiccola, whose wife is Jewish, that the roundup of Jews has begun.

    Carl Orff’s (48) scenic cantata Catulli Carmina to words of the composer after Catullus, is performed for the first time, in the Städtische Bühnen, Leipzig.

    6 November 1945 Russian Fantasy for orchestra by Aram Khachaturian (42) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    6 November 1946 Deux mélodies for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (47) to words of Apollinaire are performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    6 November 1949 Mazurka for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (50) to words of Vilmorin is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    6 November 1950 Quatre études de rythme for piano by Olivier Messiaen (41) are performed for the first time, in Tunis, the composer at the keyboard.

    Concerto for clarinet and string orchestra with harp and piano by Aaron Copland (49) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the NBC radio network.  The soloist is Benny Goodman.

    6 November 1952 The Sun Shines Over our Motherland op.90, a cantata for boys’ chorus, chorus, and orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (46) to words of Domatovsky, is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    6 November 1954 Festive Overture op.96 for orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (48) is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow for the 37th anniversary of the October Revolution.

    6 November 1955 Griffelkin, an opera by Lukas Foss (33) to words of Reid after H. Foss, is performed for the first time, in an abridged form over the airwaves of the National Broadcasting Company.  See 6 August 1956.

    6 November 1956 The Boston Symphony Orchestra becomes the first American orchestra to perform in the USSR.  Their appearance at Leningrad Conservatory is given a tumultuous reception.

    6 November 1959 String Quartet no.2 by Ulysses Kay (42) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

    6 November 1965 About 05:00  Edgar Victor Achille Charles Varèse dies in New York after intestinal surgery, aged 81 years, ten months, and 15 days.

    6 November 1969 Two arias from Virgil Thomson’s (72) unperformed opera Lord Byron are performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.  See 20 April 1972.

    6 November 1971 Aram Khachaturian (68) wins the State Prize, awarded each year on the eve of the anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution.

    6 November 1973 Etcetera for small orchestra, tape, and three conductors by John Cage (60) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 8 December 1986.

    6 November 1976 Angle of Repose, an opera by Andrew Imbrie (55) to words of Hall after Stegner, is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    6 November 1977 Runes from a Holy Island for alto flute, clarinet, celesta, percussion, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (43) is performed for the first time, in a BBC broadcast originating in Edinburgh, conducted by the composer.  See 6 September 1978.

    6 November 1978 They Knew What They Wanted for speaker, oboe, piano, percussion, and tape by Ernst Krenek (78) to his own words is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York directed by the composer.

    6 November 1980 Aufblick, the first of the Nocturnes for soprano and orchestra by Arnold Bax (†27) to words of Dehmel, is performed for the first time, in a setting for voice and piano at the University of Keele.

    6 November 1983 Concertino for accordion and string quartet by Isang Yun (66) is performed for the first time, in Trossingen.

    6 November 1985 Rhapsody for string quartet by Benjamin Britten (†8) is performed for the first time, at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester, 56 years after it was composed.

    6 November 1986 Trombone Trio by Charles Wuorinen (48) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, Abraham Goodman House, New York.

    Two works for piano by George Perle (71) are performed for the first time, in Sacramento, California:  Fantasy-Variations and Sonatina.

    6 November 1987 Adagio for strings by Wolfgang Rihm (35) is performed for the first time, in Tauberbischofsheim.

    String Quartet no.3 by Charles Wuorinen (49) is performed for the first time, in the Hopkins Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire.

    Frammenti for organ by Karel Husa (66) is performed for the first time, at Northwestern University.  The piece is made up of fragments from Husa’s Concerto for organ.  See 28 October 1987.

    6 November 1991 How Slow the Wind for orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (61) is performed for the first time, in Glasgow.

    6 November 1992 Sixty-Eight for orchestra by John Cage (†0) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Hessischer Rundfunk, Frankfurt.

    6 November 1993 Cambridge Hocket op.57 for four horns and orchestra by Alexander Goehr (61) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge.

    6 November 1994 Symphonic Prelude for orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (59) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    Mercurius for chorus and crotales by Peter Maxwell Davies (60) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh.

    6 November 2006 Kaleidoscopes:  A Tribute to Mozart for percussion and string ensemble by John Tavener (62) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    6 November 2008 March of the Metro for orchestra by Michael Daugherty (54) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Phoenix.

    6 November 2009 Concerto for guitar and orchestra by Paul Lansky (65) is performed for the first time, in Birmingham, Alabama.

    6 November 2010 String Quartet no.8 by Richard Wernick (76) is performed for the first time, in the high school auditorium of Bay Shore, New York.

    Farewell, R.W. for piano by David Del Tredici (73) is performed for the first time, at Tenri Cultural Center, New York.

    6 November 2011 The two Herrick’s Anthems by David Del Tredici (74) to words of Herrick are performed for the first time, at the Church of the Incarnation, New York: 1.  Divination by a Daffadill for soprano, organ, and chorus, and 2.  To His Sweet Saviour for chorus.

    7 November

    7 November 1765 Thésée, a tragédie by Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (53) to words of Quinault, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.  See 13 January 1767.

    7 November 1773 Freuet euch, ihr Kinder Zions, an inauguration cantata by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (59) to words of Müller, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    7 November 1786 André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry’s (45) opéra-comique Les méprises par ressemblance to words of Patrat after Plautus is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    7 November 1797 Adrien Boieldieu’s (21) opéra-comique L’heureuse nouvelle to words of Saint-Just and Longchamps is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    7 November 1798 Die Geisterinsel, a singspiel by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (38) to words of Götter after Shakespeare, is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    7 November 1801 Le casque et les colombes, an opéra-ballet by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (60) to words of Guillard, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra to celebrate peace with Great Britain.

    7 November 1814 Le due duchesse, ossia La caccia dei lupi, a dramma semiserio per musica by Simon Mayr (51) to words of Romani, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    7 November 1825 Feierlichster Tag, for chorus by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (46) to words of Riemer, is performed for the first time, in Weimar as part of celebrations for the 50th anniversary of Goethe’s service to the Weimar court.

    7 November 1829 Le dilettante d’Avignon, an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy (30) to words of Hoffman and the composer’s brother Leon, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Ventadour, Paris.  It is Halévy’s first true success.

    7 November 1830 Ouverture pour La Tempête de Shakespeare for chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (26) is performed for the first time, in the Paris Opéra as an entr’acte between Act I of Rossini’s (38) La siège de Corinthe and a ballet.

    7 November 1836 The Euterpe Concert Society performs Hector Berlioz’ (32) Les Francs-Juges in Leipzig.  It is the first time that Berlioz’ music has been heard in Germany.

    When François Letellier, the organist of St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans is required to fill in for a missing bass soloist at high mass, he calls on his pupil, Louis Moreau Gottschalk (7) to take his place at the manuals while he plays the pedals.  None of the congregation can tell the difference.

    7 November 1844 Franz Liszt (33) performs at the royal palace in Madrid.  14-year-old Queen Isabella II awards him the Cross of Carlos III.

    7 November 1847 Thousands accompany the body of Felix Mendelssohn from his home to the Paulinerkirche, Leipzig.  There, a funeral service takes place.  Among the pallbearers are Robert Schumann (37) and Ignaz Moscheles.  At 22:00 thousands accompany the mortal remains to the train station, there to be placed upon a train bound for Berlin.

    7 November 1853 The chairman, Julius Illing, and another member, Joseph Herz, of the Allgemeiner Musikverein Committee visit Clara Schumann (34) with the unanimous proposal that in future Robert Schumann (43)  conduct only his own music.

    7 November 1857 Eine Symphonie zu Dantes Divina Commedia by Franz Liszt (46) is performed for the first time, in Dresden, directed by the composer.  With only one rehearsal, the performance is an unmitigated disaster.

    7 November 1871 The town of Bayreuth formally approves of Richard Wagner’s (58) plan for a new theatre.

    7 November 1872 Claude Debussy (10) attends his first solfege class at the Conservatoire.

    7 November 1876 The Kiss, a popular opera by Bedrich Smetana (52) to words of Krásnohorská after Svetlá, is performed for the first time, at the Prague Provisional Theatre.  The work proves a triumph.

    7 November 1880 Rosen aus dem Süden op.388, a waltz by Johann Strauss (55), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    7 November 1891 The University of Vienna presents an honorary Doctor of Philosophy to Anton Bruckner (67).  In conferring the degree, the rector states, “I--the Rector magnificus of the University--bow before the former assistant school teacher of Windhaag.”  At Bruckner’s request, the citation refers to him as a “symphonist.”

    7 November 1894 As part of a sojourn in Germany and Austria, Carl Nielsen (29) visits Johannes Brahms (61).

    The revised version of Antonín Dvorák’s (53) opera Dimitrij to words of Cervinková-Riegrová is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    7 November 1896 The Maiden in the Tower, an opera by Jean Sibelius (30) to words of Hertzberg, is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    7 November 1901 At a dinner party at the home of the Viennese anatomist Emil Zuckerkandl, Gustav Mahler (41) once again meets the daughter of the late landscape painter Anton Schindler, Alma Maria Schindler (22).

    7 November 1904 Incidental music to Nathan’s play The Eternal Feminine by Horatio Parker (41), is performed for the first time, in New Haven, Connecticut.

    7 November 1907 At an evening devoted to the music of the students of Arnold Schoenberg (33) at the Saal des Gremius of the Wiener Kaufmannschaft, Alban Berg (22) makes his first appearance as composer.  Berg’s works premiered include the three songs, Liebesode (words by Hartleben), Die Nachtigall (words by Storm) and Traumgekrönt (words by Rilke), and the Double Fugue for string quartet and piano.  The Piano Quintet of Anton von Webern (23) is also premiered.

    7 November 1908 Six Recital Pieces for violin and piano op.103a by Max Reger (35) are performed for the first time, in Prague, the composer at the keyboard.

    7 November 1913 Three sets of Miniatures for violin, cello, and piano by Frank Bridge (34) are performed for the first time, in Exeter.

    7 November 1918 Richard Strauss (54) conducts Salome in Berlin.  It is the last production at the Berlin Court Opera.  In two days, the German court will cease to exist.

    7 November 1921 Two songs by George Gershwin (23) are performed for the first time, as part of the musical comedy The Perfect Fool in the George M. Cohan Theatre, New York:  My Log-Cabin Home, to words of Caesar and DeSylva, and No One Else but that Girl of Mine, to words of Caesar.

    7 November 1922 On the fifth anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution, a man climbs on to a roof in Baku to direct a concert of sounds derived from the city.  Sources include factory sirens, steam whistles and foghorns.  Also heard are machine guns, artillery, and airplanes.

    7 November 1924 The second suite of Ancient Airs and Dances by Ottorino Respighi (45) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    7 November 1927 Edgard Varèse (43) writes to the editor of Eolus and announces that he is disbanding the International Composers Guild.  He believes its goals have been met.

    7 November 1929 Two of the Five Irish Fantasies for voice and orchestra, The Hosting of the Sidhe and Ballad of the Foxhunter, by Charles Martin Loeffler (68) to words of Yeats, are performed for the first time, in Severance Hall, Cleveland.  See 10 March 1922.

    7 November 1930 A setting of Veni Creator (tr. Wyspianski) for soprano, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Karol Szymanowski (48) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw at the inaugural ceremonies of the Higher School of Music, an academy created largely through the efforts of Szymanowski.  President Ignacy Moscicki and other national dignitaries are in attendance.

    Four Etudes for Orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (48) are performed completely for the first time, in Berlin.  See 16 November 1928.

    Metamorphosen, Modi XII by Ottorino Respighi (51), composed for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    Symphony no.2 by Daniel Gregory Mason (56) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    7 November 1932 The film Counterplan, with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (26), is shown for the first time, in Leningrad on the fifteenth anniversary of the Bolshevik Revolution.

    7 November 1933 String Quartet no.4 by Silvestre Revueltas (33) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Hidalgo, Mexico City.

    7 November 1934 Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini for piano and orchestra by Sergey Rakhmaninov (61) is performed for the first time, in Baltimore the composer at the keyboard.  It is an immediate success.

    7 November 1935 Cello Concerto by Arnold Schoenberg (61) is performed officially for the first time, in London.

    7 November 1940 Symphony no.6 by Frederick S. Converse (†0) is performed for the first time, in Indianapolis.

    Symphony in C by Igor Stravinsky (58), commissioned to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago under the baton of the composer.

    7 November 1941 Symphony no.2 “Kormtchaya” by Arthur Vincent Lourié (50) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    7 November 1942 The orchestral suite Native Leningrad by Dmitri Shostakovich (36), an arrangement of his music for Native Country, is performed for the first time, in the Dzerzhinsky Central Club, Moscow.  See 15 October 1942.

    7 November 1943 String Quartet no.6 by Paul Hindemith (47) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    7 November 1947 Incidental music to Perventsev’s play The Southern Junction by Aram Khachaturian (44) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    7 November 1948 Darius Milhaud’s (56) Violin Concerto no.2 is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    7 November 1951 Erosão (Origem do rio Amazonas), a symphonic poem by Heitor Villa-Lobos (64), is performed for the first time, in Louisville, Kentucky.

    7 November 1954 Suite cisalpine op.332 for cello and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (62) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    7 November 1956 During a broadcast of Gesang der Junglinge by Karlheinz Stockhausen (28), György Ligeti (33), unlike his fellow Hungarians who hide in cellars, braves explosions and shrapnel and stays above ground to hear the radio.

    Ulysses Turns Homeward from the Edge of the World (Ulysses at the Edge) for clarinet, cello, and two original instruments by Harry Partch (55) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Urbana.  Also premiered is Blur, an opera by Kenneth Gaburo (30) for actors and tape to his own words.

    7 November 1958 Bohuslav Martinu (67) undergoes an operation in Pratteln, Switzerland which reveals the presence of incurable stomach cancer.

    7 November 1961 Mosaïques for orchestra by Karel Husa (40) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg, conducted by the composer.

    7 November 1963 Six Absences for harpsichord by Hans Werner Henze (37) is performed for the first time, in Mainz.

    7 November 1967 Non-Improvisation for clarinet, cello, piano or electronic organ, and percussion by Lukas Foss (45) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, the composer at the keyboard.

    7 November 1972 La Fauvette des Jardins for piano by Olivier Messiaen (63) is performed for the first time, in L’Espace Cardin, Paris.

    Parable VIII op.120 for horn by Vincent Persichetti (57) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    7 November 1978 Samuel Chapter for voice, flute, clarinet (or percussion or piano or viola), and cello by John Harbison (39) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts directed by the composer.

    7 November 1979 Der Tribun, a radio play by Mauricio Kagel (47), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.  See 1 August 1981.

    7 November 1982 An Arsenal of Defense for viola and electronics by Morton Subotnick (49) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    7 November 1984 Summer Island for oboe and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (50) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    7 November 1985 Music to an Imagined Play for instrumental ensemble by Alfred Schnittke (50) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    7 November 1986 Reflections on the Nature of Water for marimba by Jacob Druckman (58) is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.  Also premiered is Autumn Island for marimba by Roger Reynolds (52).

    Something Wild, a film with music by Laurie Anderson (39), is released in the United States.

    7 November 1987 Spring Concertino for oboe and chamber orchestra by William Bolcom (49) is performed for the first time.

    Lyric Intermezzo for piano by George Perle (72) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.  See 8 November 1987.

    7 November 1988 Sori for flute by Isang Yun (71) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    New works to words of Giraud (tr. Hartleben) are performed for the first time, in Los Angeles County Museum of Art:  the first of the three Pierrot Songs for voice, flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by Leslie Bassett (65), Not Only Night for soprano, flute/piccolo, clarinet in E flat/bass clarinet, piano, violin, cello, and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (54), and Im Spiegel for voice, violin, and piano by John Harbison (49).  See 25 January 1989.

    7 November 1991 Two works are performed for the first time, in BBC Concert Hall, London:  First Grace of Light for oboe by Peter Maxwell Davies (57), and An Interrupted Endless Melody for oboe and piano by Harrison Birtwistle (57).

    7 November 1994 Etude 11 from György Ligeti’s (71) Etudes for piano Book II is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    7 November 1995 Two works by Isang Yun (†0) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  The first of the OstWest-Miniaturen for oboe and cello, and the Quartet for oboe, violin, viola, and cello.

    Notations sur La Fontaine, a “feuilleton radiophonique” in 20 episodes by Pierre Henry (67) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of France Culture from today until 2 December.

    7 November 1996 A second setting of Pol for 13 instruments by Wolfgang Rihm (44) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.  See 7 May 1996.

    Second Sonata for strings by Hans Werner Henze (70) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    7 November 1997 Night Mail, for speaker and 16 instrumentalists by Benjamin Britten (†21), to words of Auden, is performed for the first time, in London.  It comes from his film score of the same name released in 1936.

    Concerto for piano and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (63) is performed for the first time, in the Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham.

    7 November 2000 Mikis Theodorakis (75) is presented with the $250,000 Alexander S. Onassis Foundation award by Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos at a ceremony in Athens.

    Trochaic Trot for guitar by Richard Wernick (66) is performed for the first time.

    7 November 2004 Hymn of Dawn for two vocal soloists, violin, flute, percussion, harp, and strings by John Tavener (60) is performed for the first time, in Waterfront Hall, Belfast.

    7 November 2006 David Del Tredici’s (69) song On Learning On the Clearest Night Only 6000 Stars Are Visible to the Naked Eye is performed for the first time, at the National Arts Club, New York.

    8 November

    8 November 1599 Francisco Guerrero dies in Seville, aged approximately 71 years.

    8 November 1768 Giovanni Battista Sammartini (67) becomes maestro di cappella of the Regia Ducal Corte, Milan.

    8 November 1770 Luigi Boccherini (27) is appointed “violincellist of his Chamber and composer of music with the authorisation of H.M. Charles III” by Infante Don Luis of Spain at Aranjuez.

    8 November 1771 Leopold (51) and Wolfgang Amadeus (15) Mozart dine together with Johann Adolf Hasse (72) at the home of Count Carl Joseph Firmian, Governor-General of Austrian Lombardy in Milan.  Last month, both Hasse and Mozart produced operas in Milan to celebrate the wedding of Archduke Ferdinand with Maria Ricciarda Berenice.

    8 November 1793 The French National Convention decrees the formation of an Institut National de Musique, directed by François-Joseph Gossec (59).

    8 November 1796 Domenico Cimarosa (46) is promoted to the post of First Organist at the Royal Chapel, Naples.  He has served as Second Organist for the last eleven years.

    8 November 1816 A setting of the Tantum ergo by Gaetano Donizetti (18) for male chorus and orchestra is performed for the first time.

    8 November 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).

    8 November 1833 Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (29) begins his studies with the theorist Siegfried Dehn in Berlin.  “There is no doubt that I am more indebted to Dehn than to any other of my masters.”

    8 November 1838 Frédéric Chopin (28), George Sand, her two children and maid arrive in Palma, Mallorca where he intends to finish the Preludes op.28.

    The Théâtre de la Renaissance opens in Paris.  It is authorized to show plays with or without music.  Its first production is the premiere of Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo.

    8 November 1847 After an all night train trip from Leipzig, stopping at several towns to receive honors, the funeral train arrives in Berlin at 06:00  The body is borne to the Church of the Holy Trinity for a service, after which the earthly remains of Felix Mendelssohn are laid to rest in the cemetery of the church, near those of his sister Fanny (†0).

    8 November 1860 Franz Liszt’s (49) orchestral work, Künstlerfestzug zur Schillerfeier 1859, is performed for the first time, in Weimar.

    8 November 1868 While in Leipzig visiting his sister Ottilie and her husband Hermann Brockhaus, Richard Wagner (55) meets a young philology student named Friedrich Nietzsche.  The two find common ground in their interest in Schopenhauer.

    8 November 1873 A grand jubilee of three days begins in Budapest to honor the 50th anniversary of Franz Liszt’s (62) career as a performer and composer.  The honoree has come from Rome for the events.

    Barcarole op.44/3 for chorus by Johannes Brahms (40) to traditional Italian words translated by Witte is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    Incidental music to Barbier’s play Jeanne d’Arc by Charles Gounod (55) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris.  The critical response is somewhat tepid.

    8 November 1874 Three of the seven songs for chorus op.62 by Johannes Brahms (41) to words of Heyse are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Von altern Liebesliedern, Waldesnacht and Dein Herzlein mild.

    8 November 1879 Eric Satie (13) enters the preparatory piano class of Emile Descombes at the Paris Conservatoire.

    Sonata for violin and piano no.1 op.78 by Johannes Brahms (46) is performed for the first time, in Bonn.

    8 November 1883 08:30  Arnold Edward Trevor Bax is born at Heath Villa, Angles Road, Streatham, Surrey, first of four children born to Alfred Ridley Bax, a barrister and antiquarian, and Charlotte Ellen Lea, daughter of a Congregational minister and missionary.

    Sulamith, a biblical representation by Anton Rubinstein (53) to words of Rodenberg after the Bible, is performed for the first time, in the Hamburg Dammtortheater.  Performed the same evening is Rubinstein’s comic opera Unter Räubern to words of Wichert after Gautier.  The composer directs both.

    8 November 1887 German immigrant to the US Emile Berliner receives a US patent for a gramophone.  It uses flat discs rather than Edison’s cylinders to record sound.

    8 November 1888 Wagnerian tenor Ferdinand Jäger witnesses a performance of three of Hugo Wolf’s (28) Mörike-Lieder in Vienna.  Jäger will become Wolf’s most ardent supporter in performance.  See 15 December 1888.

    Incidental music to Dumas’ play Caligula by Gabriel Fauré (43) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de l’Odéon, Paris conducted by the composer.

    8 November 1890 05:00  César-August-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck dies of pleurisy in his Paris home, aged 67 years, ten months and 29 days.

    8 November 1896 Sérénade à Watteau for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Gustave Charpentier (36) to words of Verlaine is performed for the first time, in the Jardin du Luxembourg, Paris.

    8 November 1908 Variations on an Original Theme for piano by Alban Berg (23) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    8 November 1909 A String Quartet by Ralph Vaughan Williams (37) is performed for the first time, in Novello’s Rooms, London.

    The Boston Opera Company gives its first performance, La Gioconda, in the new Boston Opera House.

    8 November 1919 Several small works by Igor Stravinsky (37) are performed for the first time, in Lausanne:  Piano-rag Music, Three Easy Pieces for piano duet, Five Easy Pieces for piano duet, and Three Pieces for clarinet.

    8 November 1920 A ballet to Maurice Ravel’s (45) Le tombeau de Couperin is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.  See 28 February 1920 and 11 April 1919.

    8 November 1924 A state funeral for Gabriel Fauré takes place in the Madeleine, Paris.  The eulogy is delivered by Nadia Boulanger (37).  His Requiem is performed, after which, the mortal remains are laid to rest in Passy Cemetery.

    8 November 1926 Oh, Kay!, a musical comedy with a book by Bolton and Wodehouse, lyrics by Dietz and Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (28), is performed for the first time in New York, at the Imperial Theatre.  One of the new songs is Someone to Watch Over Me.  It runs for 256 performances.  One night during the rehearsals, Gershwin was so stressed he reached for a book to help him sleep.  Instead, he became so interested in it, he continued reading until he finished the book, about 04:00.  He immediately wrote a letter to its author, DuBose Heyward, proposing an opera on it.  The book is named Porgy.  See 18 October 1926.

    8 November 1928 Treasure Girl, a musical comedy with book by Lawrence and Thompson, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (30), is performed for the first time in New York, in the Alvin Theatre.  It is a failure, with only 68 performances.  See 15 October 1928.

    8 November 1932 Pastorale from the Six Compositions for Carillon by Gian Carlo Menotti (21) is performed for the first time, in Richmond, Virginia.

    8 November 1938 Sonata for piano by Frederick S. Converse (67) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    8 November 1940 FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover directs his New York office to begin an investigation into the private life of Marc Blitzstein (35) because of his communist activities.

    The second and third movements of Roy Harris’ (42) ballet Song of the West are performed for the first time, at Madison College, Harrisonburg, Virginia.  See 17 January 1942.

    Sonatine for organ, pedals alone op.11 by Vincent Persichetti (25) is performed for the first time, in Arch Street Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia by the composer.

    8 November 1945 La sagesse op.141 for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (53) to words of Claudel, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Belge.

    8 November 1949 A ballet version of William Walton’s (47) Music for Children called Devoirs de vacances is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.  See 6 February 1941.

    8 November 1954 Concertino op.94 and Tarantella, both for two pianos four-hands by Dmitri Shostakovich (48) are performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.  Playing one of the parts is the composer’s 14-year-old son, Maxim.

    8 November 1957 Sergey Prokofiev’s (†4) opera War and Peace, to his own words after Tolstoy, is performed completely (with cuts) for the first time, in Stanislavsky Theatre, Moscow.  See 16 October 1944 and 12 June 1946.

    8 November 1958 Magnificat alleluia for solo voice and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (71) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

    8 November 1965 Chamber Concerto for oboe and ten instruments by Charles Wuorinen (27) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University conducted by the composer.

    Two new mixed-media works by Pauline Oliveros (33) are performed for the first time, in San Francisco:  George Washington Slept Here for amplified violin, film, projections, and two-track tape, and Light Piece for David Tudor for electronically modified piano, lights, film, and four-track tape.

    8 November 1968 Symphony no.12 “Pere Marquette Symphony” for tenor singer/speaker and orchestra by Roy Harris (70) to words of the Catholic Mass and the Bible, is performed completely for the first time, in Uihlein Auditorium, Milwaukee.  See 24 February 1968.

    8 November 1973 Pierre Boulez (48) announces in New York that he will resign his posts with the New York Philharmonic and the BBC Symphony and return to France to head a new music institute.

    8 November 1979 Erste Abgesangsszene for voice and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (27) is performed for the first time, in Kassel.

    8 November 1980 Some of “The Harmony of Maine” for organ and 3-6 assistants by John Cage (68) is performed for the first time, in Essen at the Lutheran Church of Essen-Rellinghausen.

    8 November 1981 Passacaglia for orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (46) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.

    Symphony for organ by Gunther Schuller (55) is performed for the first time, in House of Hope Presbyterian Church, St. Paul, Minnesota.

    8 November 1982 New York Notes for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, percussion, and piano by Charles Wuorinen (44) is performed for the first time, at California State University at Sacramento.

    8 November 1983 An American Overture by Benjamin Britten (†6) is performed for the first time, in Birmingham Town Hall, 42 years after it was composed.

    8 November 1986 Quintalogues for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, marimba, and vibraphone by Samuel Adler (58) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    8 November 1987 Duetto concertante for oboe/english horn, cello, and orchestra by Isang Yun (70) is performed for the first time, in Rotweil.

    Chaconne for guitar and tape by Lukas Foss (65) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Lyric Intermezzo for 15 players by George Perle (72) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.  See 7 November 1987.

    8 November 1990 Goodbye My Fancy for soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra by Ned Rorem (67) to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    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.

    8 November 1992 Music for the 1927 silent film The Last Days of St. Petersburg by Alfred Schnittke (57) is performed for the first time, when the film is shown in Frankfurt.

    Seventy-Four for orchestra by John Cage (†0) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Concerto for saxophone quartet and orchestra by Richard Wernick (58) is performed for the first time.

    8 November 1993 Fantasias 2 and 4 for string quartet by Harrison Birtwistle (59) are performed for the first time, in Antwerp.  See 28 April 1996.

    8 November 1995 Gagok for voice and harp by Isang Yun (†0) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    8 November 2002 Angelfire for amplified violin and orchestra by Joseph Schwantner (59) is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    8 November 2007 Concerto for Zheng and String Orchestra by Tan Dun (50) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.

    8 November 2011 Spring Two for orchestra by Christian Wolff (77) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    8 November 2013 Concert Overture:  Ebb of Winter for chamber orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (79) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh.

    9 November

    9 November 1771 Zémire et Azor, a comédie-ballet mêlée de chants et de danses by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (30) to words of Marmontel after Le Prince de Beaumont, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    9 November 1776 The Naples Cappella Reale grants Niccolò Piccinni (48) a one-year leave of absence.  He has been urged to go to Paris by the Neapolitan ambassador to France.

    9 November 1789 Two arias by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (33), Chi sà, chi sà, qual sia K.582 and Vado, ma dove?--Oh Dei! K.583, both to words of da Ponte, are performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.  Both are part of Martin y Soler’s Il burbero di buon cuore.

    9 November 1823 Gioachino Rossini (31) enters Paris for the first time, on his way to England.  The city will be very important in his later life.

    9 November 1834 Two works for male vocal quartet and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (30) are performed for the first time, in the Paris Conservatoire:  Sara la baigneuse to words of Hugo and La belle voyageuse to words of Moore translated by Goumet.  See 13 December 1840 and 22 October 1850.

    9 November 1835 Felix Mendelssohn (26), Clara Wieck (16) and Louis Rakeman perform J.S. Bach’s (†85) Concerto in d minor for three keyboards and orchestra for the first time in the composer’s home city of Leipzig since his death.  The performance is very successful and continues Mendelssohn’s dedication to reviving the music of Bach.  This day also sees the first complete performance of Clara Wieck’s Concerto for piano and orchestra in a minor, orchestrated by Robert Schumann (25), with the composer as soloist, Mendelssohn conducting.  See 5 May 1834.

    9 November 1845 Quadrille nach der Oper Der Liebesbrunnen von M.W. Balfe op.10 by Johann Strauss (20), is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    9 November 1853 Robert Schumann (43) makes a formal reply to the Musikverein Committee demand of 7 November by claiming that this is a breach of contract.

    9 November 1854 Franz Liszt (43) conducts his symphonic poem Festklänge in its first performance, with Schiller’s play Huldigung der Künste in Weimar.

    9 November 1859 Vor hundert Jahren, a melodrama for speaker and orchestra by Franz Liszt (48) to words of Halm, is performed for the first time, in Weimar.

    9 November 1862 Nachtigallen schwingen lustig op.6/6, a song by Johannes Brahms (29) to words of von Fallersleben, is performed for the first time.

    9 November 1867 The Leipzig music publishing house of CF Peters issues the first two numbers of Edition Peters, to print editions of older music.  They are Books I and II of The Well-Tempered Klavier.

    9 November 1873 The Fickleness of Love for male choir by Leos Janácek (19) to a traditional Moravian text is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno), conducted by the composer.

    9 November 1878 Frühlingslied D.914 for male vocal quartet by Franz Schubert (†49) to words of Pollak is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, 51 years after it was composed.

    9 November 1879 String Sextet op.48 by Antonin Dvorák (38) is performed publicly for the first time, in Berlin.  See 29 July 1879.

    9 November 1881 Concerto for piano and orchestra no.2 by Johannes Brahms (48) is performed for the first time, in Budapest. the composer at the keyboard.

    9 November 1884 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (44) meets Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (40), Alyeksandr Glazunov (19) and Anatoly Lyadov at the home of Mily Balakirev (47) in St. Petersburg.

    9 November 1892 In Autumn op.15/1 for piano by Amy Beach (25) is performed for the first time, at New England Conservatory, Boston by the composer.

    9 November 1893 Ruggero Leoncavallo’s (36) poema epico in forma di trilogia storica Crepusculum:  I medici to his own words is performed for the first time, in Teatro dal Verme, Milan.  The public responds very well.  The critics find it interesting but derivative.  Parts two and three will never be composed.

    The mortal remains of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky are carried in procession from the apartment of his brother Modest to the Mariinsky Theatre where a requiem is sung.  At noon they reach the Kazan Cathedral.  This is the main requiem of the day, on the order of Tsar Alyeksandr III, the first time that a civilian has been given this honor.  At 14:00 they proceed down Nevsky Prospect to the cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky monastery, St. Petersburg.  After another requiem and several orations and poems, the body is laid to rest not far from those of Modest Musorgsky (†12), Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (†36) and Alyeksandr Borodin (†6).

    9 November 1896 The second movement of Symphony no.3 by Gustav Mahler (36) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  It is an unexpected success, with the public and the press.  See 9 June 1902 and 9 March 1907.

    Vier ernste Gesänge op.121 for voice and piano by Johannes Brahms (63) to words from the Bible, are performed publicly for the first time, in Saal Bösendorfer, Vienna.

    9 November 1901 The Second Piano Concerto of Sergey Rakhmaninov (28) is given its first complete performance, in Moscow, with the composer at the piano.  It is well received.  He is now financially solvent.  See 15 December 1900.

    Die Rose vom Liebesgarten, an opera with words by Grun and music by Hans Pfitzner (32), is performed for the first time, in Elberfeld, conducted by the composer.

    Three works for organ by Max Reger (28) are performed for the first time, in Munich:  Fantasy on “Halleluja! Gott zu loben, bleibe meine Seelenfreud” op.52/3 and the Pieces for Organ op.59/7,9.

    9 November 1904 Cathaleen-ni-Hoolihan for two violins and piano by Arnold Bax (21) is performed for the first time, privately, at the Bax family home in Hampstead, the composer at the keyboard.

    9 November 1905 Gustav Mahler (45) makes three pianola rolls using the Welte-Mignon system, in Leipzig.  They are Ich ging mit Lust, Ging heut’ Morgens übers Feld and Das himmlische Leben.

    Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play (tr. Schlegel) Der Kaufmann von Venedig, by Engelbert Humperdinck (51), is performed for the first time, at the Deutsches Theater, Berlin.

    9 November 1906 Music from the Telharmonium is broadcast to a restaurant for the first time, from “Telharmonic Hall” at 39th Street and Broadway to the Café Martin on 26th Street between Fifth Avenue and Broadway where a banquet given by the directors of the New York Electric Music Company is taking place.  The press is present.  Their reports vary.

    9 November 1907 Florent Schmitt’s (37) mute drama Tragédie de Salomé for chamber orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Marcella, an opera by Umberto Giordano (40) to words of Stecchetti, Cain and Adenis, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Lirico, Milan.

    9 November 1909 Franz Schreker (31) marries the soprano Maria Binder, daughter of a hotel owner, in Vienna.

    9 November 1910 Two songs for voice and piano by Jean Sibelius (44) to words of Josephson are performed for the first time, in Helsinki:  Friendship op.57/7, and The Elfing op.57/8.

    9 November 1913 Two works by Lili Boulanger (20) are performed for the first time, at a concert of the Prix de Rome winners in the Palais d’Orsay, Paris:  Hymne au soleil for mezzo-soprano, chorus, and piano, and Le retour for mezzo-soprano and piano to words of Delaquys.  Also premiered is the orchestral version of her winning composition, the cantata Faust et Hélène.

    9 November 1918 “Gipsy Song” from The Bard of the Dimbovitza for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Arnold Bax (35) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.  See 8 April 1921.

    Elegy for Brahms (†21) for orchestra by Hubert Parry (†0) is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London, conducted by Charles Villiers Stanford (66), 21 years after it was composed.

    9 November 1921 Anton Webern (37) makes his debut as conductor of the Schubertbund, a male choral society in Vienna.

    9 November 1926 Cardillac op.39, an opera by Paul Hindemith (30) to words of Lion, after Hoffmann, is performed for the first time, at the Dresden Staatsoper.  See 20 June 1952.

    9 November 1929 Ten of Gustav Holst’s (55) Twelve Songs op.48 for voice and piano, to words of Wolfe, are performed for the first time, at the home of Louise Dyer in Paris.  See 5 February 1930.

    9 November 1938 Nazis in Garmisch plan to arrest Alice Strauss, daughter-in-law of Richard Strauss (74), who is Jewish, but she has been hidden by a family friend in Düsseldorf.  Strauss’ grandsons, Richard and Christian are beaten and taken to the town square in Garmisch where they are required to spit on Jews who have been arrested.

    9 November 1940 Concierto de Aranjuez for guitar and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (38) is performed for the first time, in Palau de la Música Catalana, Barcelona.

    A suite from the ballet Billy the Kid by Aaron Copland (39) is performed for the first time, at Radio City, New York.  See 6 October 1938 and 24 May 1939.

    9 November 1941 Karl Eliasberg directs the Leningrad Radio Symphony Orchestra in Beethoven’s (†114) Ninth Symphony at Philharmonic Hall, broadcast live to London.  At the beginning of the third movement, British listeners can hear sirens, bombs, and anit-aircraft guns.  The symphony is completed and the announcer signs off.

    9 November 1946 Little Music for string orchestra by Michael Tippett (41) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    9 November 1949 Overture for strings by Witold Lutoslawski (36) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    9 November 1951 String Quartet no.12 by Heitor Villa-Lobos (64) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    9 November 1956 Ulterior Motifs, a musical farce by Peter Sculthorpe (27) to words of Throssell and Godfrey-Smith, is performed for the first time, in the Riverside Theatre, Canberra.

    Concierto serenata for harp and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (54) is performed for the first time, in Palacio de la Música, Madrid.

    9 November 1958 The third of the Five Fantasies for organ by Ross Lee Finney (51) is performed for the first time, in Hill Auditorium of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

    9 November 1961 String Quartet by Peter Maxwell Davies (27) is performed for the first time, at the BBC Maida Vale Studio, London.

    9 November 1962 Gunther Schuller (36) begins his Twentieth Century Innovations concert series at Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    9 November 1965 Mixtur no.16 for orchestra, sine wave generators, ring modulators, and loudspeakers by Karlheinz Stockhausen (37) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of NDR, originating in Hamburg.

    9 November 1967 Terminus X for tape by Gottfried Michael Koenig (41) is performed for the first time, in Maastricht.

    November Steps for shakuhachi, biwa, and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (37) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York conducted by Leonard Bernstein (49).

    9 November 1970 Soviet Militia op.139 for band by Dmitri Shostakovich (64) is performed for the first time, in the House of the Soviets’ Hall of Columns, Moscow.

    Symphony no.5 by William Grant Still (75) is performed for the first time, at Oberlin College, Ohio.

    9 November 1975 Concerto for oboe by John Corigliano (37) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Symphony no.5 “We are the Echoes” for mezzo-soprano and orchestra by Samuel Adler (47), to words of his wife, Carol Stalker Adler, is performed for the first time, in Ft. Worth.

    9 November 1978 Muak, a dance fantasy for orchestra by Isang Yun (61), is performed for the first time, in Mönchengladbach.

    The second version of Gabriella di Vergy, an opera by Gaetano Donizetti (†130) to words of unknown hands, is performed for the first time, in Whitla Hall, Belfast approximately 140 years after it was composed.

    9 November 1981 La Seconde Apothéose de Rameau for instrumental ensemble by Henri Pousseur (52) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Ville, Paris.

    9 November 1983 The Blue Guitar for solo guitar by Michael Tippett (78) is performed for the first time, at the Ambassador Auditorium, Pasadena, California.

    9 November 1985 The Rocks on the Mountain Begin to Shout by Lukas Foss (63) after Ives (†31) is performed for the first time, in St. Peter’s Church, New York.

    9 November 1989 Traces for piano by Tan Dun (32) is performed for the first time, in Kyoto.  See 11 December 1992.

    9 November 1991 Delight of the Muses, a ballet by Charles Wuorinen (53), is performed for the first time, in a concert performance at the State University of New York, Stony Brook.  It is put on so the choreographer, Peter Martins, can have a recording of the music.  See 29 January 1992.

    9 November 1995 Sequenza XIII for accordion by Luciano Berio (70) is performed for the first time, in Rotterdam.

    Musik für Oboe und Orchester by Wolfgang Rihm (43) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    Festive Proclamation for organ by Samuel Adler (67) is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    9 November 2002 Praeludium for orchestra by Robin Holloway (59) is performed for the first time, in West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge.

    Grand Trio for piano, violin, and cello by David Del Tredici (65) is performed for the first time, in College Park, Maryland.

    9 November 2006 William Bolcom (68) is presented with the National Medal of Arts by US President George Bush in a ceremony in the Oval Office of the White House, Washington.

    9 November 2008 The Five Acts of Harry Partch for two vocal soloists and chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (74) is performed for the first time, in Portsmouth Cathedral.

    9 November 2011 Trije glasbeniki for flute, bass clarinet, and harp by Elliott Carter (102) is performed for the first time, in Marjana Kozina Hall, Ljubljana.

    10 November

    10 November 1668 François Couperin is born in Paris.

    10 November 1757 Publication of six symphonies by Johann Stamitz (†0) op.3 is advertised in Annonces, affiches, et avis divers, Paris.

    10 November 1792 Ludwig van Beethoven (21) arrives in Vienna on a stagecoach from Bonn. (probable date)

    10 November 1804 Die Neger, a singspiel by Antonio Salieri (54) to words of Treitschke, is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  It will be withdrawn after only a few performances.  This is Salieri’s last opera.

    10 November 1813 Zur Namensfeier des Herrn Andreas Siller D.83 for solo voice, violin and harp by Franz Schubert (16) is performed for the first time, in the Vienna home of the dedicatee.

    10 November 1816 Piano Sonata J.199 by Carl Maria von Weber (29) is performed for the first time, in a private home in Berlin, by the composer.

    10 November 1832 The Wilderness and the Solitary Place, an anthem by cathedral organist Samuel Sebastian Wesley (22), is performed for the first time, during ceremonies for the opening of the rebuilt Hereford Cathedral.

    10 November 1846 Felix Mendelssohn’s (37) choral song Der Sänger to words of Schiller is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    10 November 1857 Franz Liszt’s (46) symphonic poem Héroïde funèbre is performed for the first time, in Breslau (Wroclaw).

    10 November 1859 Wohl bist du uns geboren, gestorben bist du nicht for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Giacomo Meyerbeer (68) to words of Pfau is performed for the first time, in Paris to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Friedrich Schiller.  Also premiered is a Festmarsch by Meyerbeer for the occasion.  The march is better received than the cantata.  4,000 people attend the festival in the Cirque des Champs-Elysées.

    10 November 1862 La forza del destino, an opera by Giuseppe Verdi (49) to words of Piave after Saavedra, is performed for the first time, at the Imperial Theatre, St. Petersburg.  The work enjoys a good success.

    10 November 1864 Piano Concerto no.4 by Anton Rubinstein (34) is performed for the first time, in the Hall of the Nobility, St. Petersburg, the composer at the keyboard.

    10 November 1868 Louis Moreau Gottschalk (39) premieres his 2me symphonie romantique “A Montevideo” at an enormous concert in Montevideo.  The evening features a large number of musicians and is attended by President Lorenzo Batlle y  Grau of Uruguay and members of naval squadrons from Brazil and the United States.

    10 November 1872 Johannes Brahms (39) conducts his first performance with the Vienna Gesellschaftskonzerte, beginning a championing of the music of JS Bach (†122) and GF Handel (†113).  The organist is Anton Bruckner (48).  His interest in Baroque music is not shared by his audience.

    The first suite from the incidental music to L’arlesienne by Georges Bizet (34) is performed for the first time, in the Cirque d’hiver, Paris.  The music, unlike the play, proves a great success.  See 1 October 1872.

    10 November 1874 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (34) writes to his brother Modest from Moscow.  “I have thoroughly studied Boris Godunov ...  With my whole heart I consign Musorgsky’s (35) music to the devil; it is the most vulgar and foul parody of music.”

    10 November 1876 Four Characteristic Pieces op.25 for piano by John Knowles Paine (37) are performed for the first time, by the composer in Wesleyan Hall, Boston.

    10 November 1877 Hugo Wolf (17) sets out from his home in Windischgraz to Vienna in an attempt to support himself as a free musician.

    10 November 1879 String Quartet no.10 op.51 by Antonin Dvorák (38) is performed publicly for the first time, in Magdeburg.

    10 November 1887 A few months after completing his first opera, Sárka, Leos Janácek (33) writes to the author, Julus Zeyer for permission to use his words.  Zeyer will refuse.  See 17 November 1887 and 11 November 1925.

    10 November 1890 After a memorial service in Sainte-Clotilde, the earthly remains of César Franck are laid to rest at Montrouge.  The oration is made by Emanuel Chabrier (49).  Leo Délibes, Gabriel Fauré (45), Charles-Marie Widor and Edouard Lalo are also present but many other prominent musicians do not attend.

    10 November 1892 I Rantzau, an opera by Pietro Mascagni (28) to words of Targioni-Tozzetti and Menasci, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Pergola, Florence.  It is very successful.

    10 November 1900 The commedia lirica Zazà, with music by Ruggero Leoncavallo (43) and words by the composer after Berton and Simon, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro Lirico, Milan.

    10 November 1904 Concerto for piano, chorus, and orchestra op.39 by Ferruccio Busoni (38) to words of Oehlenschlaeger is performed for the first time, in the Beethovensaal, Berlin.

    A Dragonfly op.17/5, a song by Jean Sibelius (38) to words of Levertin, is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    10 November 1907 The fourth movement of Albert Roussel’s (38) Le poème de la forêt op.7 for orchestra, entitled Faunes et Dryades, is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 15 December 1904 and 22 March 1908.

    10 November 1910 The Violin Concerto of Edward Elgar (53) is performed publicly for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London, conducted by the composer and featuring dedicatee Fritz Kreisler as soloist.  The audience affords it “rapturous applause” which lasts for 15 minutes.  See 8 September 1910.

    10 November 1912 O Tod, wie bitter bist du op.110/3 for chorus by Max Reger (39) is performed for the first time, in Chemnitz.

    10 November 1916 Fünf Lieder op.26 for voice and piano by Hans Pfitzner (47) is performed for the first time, in Strasbourg.

    10 November 1917 Violin Sonata no.2 op.108 by Gabriel Fauré (72) is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    Elégie for orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (30) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.  See 3 February 1917.

    10 November 1918 John Philip Sousa (64) leads his band in Toronto as part of a campaign to aid the Victory Loans of Canada.  With so many amputee veterans in attendance, Sousa calls it one of the most moving experiences of his life.

    10 November 1920 Edward Elgar (63) conducts the first concert by the City of Birmingham Orchestra.  The program is entirely his music.

    10 November 1924 Luigi Dallapiccola (20) receives a diploma in piano from the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini in Florence.

    10 November 1925 String Quartet no.7 by Darius Milhaud (33) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    10 November 1927 At a gala dinner after he conducts a performance of Aida in Brno, Pietro Mascagni (63) meets Leos Janácek (73).

    10 November 1931 Ruth Crawford (30) arrives in New York from Cherbourg, her Guggenheim fellowship over.  While she and Charles Seeger pretend to be married, they will give this date for their wedding day.

    10 November 1935 Formal Dance for piano and trumpet by David Diamond (20) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 November 1936 During the night, the acting mayor of Leipzig (a Nazi named Haake) has the memorial statue to Mendelssohn (†89), which stands before the Gewandhaus, removed to a cellar.  There his henchmen hack it to bits.

    10 November 1938 Metamorphosis for piano by John Cage (26) is performed in Seattle by the composer, perhaps for the first time.

    10 November 1943 Legend-Sonata in f# minor for cello and piano by Arnold Bax (60) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    10 November 1944 Sex carmina Alcaei for soprano and eleven instruments by Luigi Dallapiccola (40) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Italian Radio originating in Rome.  The work was dedicated to Anton Webern on his 60th birthday (last 3 December).  See 13 January 1949.

    10 November 1945 Cosmos, a tone poem for four pianos by Ivan Alyeksandrovich Vyshnegradsky (52), is performed for the first time, in Paris.  Two of the pianos are tuned a quarter-tone higher than the other two.

    Symphony no.1 by Michael Tippett (40) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

    10 November 1947 Sonata for violin and piano by Henry Cowell (50) is performed for the first time, in Wilshire Ebell Theatre, Los Angeles the composer at the piano.

    10 November 1949 Incidental music to Mikhalkov’s play Iliya Golovin by Aram Khachaturian (46) is performed for the first time, in Gorky Art Theatre, Moscow.  It is a satire of “formalist” composers.  The main character is a caricature of both Sergey Prokofiev (58) and Dmitri Shostakovich (43).

    10 November 1951 Evensong at Brookside:  A Father’s Lullaby for male chorus by Henry Cowell (54) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    10 November 1953 Elliott Carter’s (44) Sonata for flute, oboe, cello, and harpsichord is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    10 November 1957 Incidental music to the television program The World of Nick Adams by Aaron Copland (56) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBS television network.

    String Quartet in One Movement by Kenneth Gaburo (31) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Champaign.

    10 November 1958 Le Son Calligraphie II for four violins, two violas, and two cellos by Toru Takemitsu (28) is performed for the first time, in Yamaha Hall, Tokyo.

    10 November 1959 Dance Preludes for chamber orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (46) is performed for the first time, in Louny, Czechoslovakia.  See 15 February 1955.

    10 November 1962 Canção do poeta do século XVIII for voice and guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†2) to words of Ferreira is performed for the first time, in the Auditório do Ministério da Educaçao e Cultura, Rio de Janeiro.

    Preghiere for baritone and chamber orchestra by Luigi Dallapiccola (58) to words of Mendes (tr. Jacobbi) is performed for the first time, in Herz Hall, Berkeley, California.

    10 November 1963 Two sections of Arc for piano, orchestra, and electronic sounds by Toru Takemitsu (33) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of NHK.  They are “Pile” and “Solitude”.

    10 November 1967 Concerto for oboe and orchestra no.2 by Bruno Maderna (47) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    10 November 1969 Hallelujah, a film for two choruses and organ by Mauricio Kagel (37), is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR-TV.

    10 November 1972 Music With Changing Parts for small ensemble by Philip Glass (35) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 November 1974 Six Grand Pianos Bash Plus Friends for trumpet, trombone, three piccolos, six grand pianos, and percussion by Henry Brant (61) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 November 1978 Salome, a ballet by Peter Maxwell Davies (44) to a scenario by Flindt, is performed for the first time, in the Circus Building, Copenhagen.

    10 November 1979 The Sixth All-Union Congress of the Composers Union meets in the Kremlin.  Union head Tikhon Nikolayevich Khrennikov denounces the playing of “avant-garde” Soviet composers in the west under the guise of Soviet music.  He mentions seven “non-conformists” by name.  Among them is Sofia Gubaidulina (48).  It will bring her into personal and professional disrepute.

    Amazon II for chamber orchestra by Joan Tower (41) is performed for the first time, in Kingston, New York.

    A second version of Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis op.8 for chorus and piano by Vincent Persichetti (64) is performed for the first time, at Ithaca College.

    10 November 1980 Three Madrigals for soprano, violin, viola, bass, vibraphone, and harpsichord by Alfred Schnittke (45) to words of Tanzer are performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Salammbo, an opera by Modest Musorgsky (†99) to words after Flaubert, is performed for the first time, in a version orchestrated by Peskó, over the airwaves of RAI originating in Milan.

    10 November 1985 Coconino...a shattered landscape for string quartet by Roger Reynolds (51) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Symphony no.58 “Symphony Sacra” by Alan Hovhaness (74) is performed for the first time, in Valparaiso, Indiana.

    10 November 1986 Fanfare for Rutgers University for brass sextet by Charles Wuorinen (48) is performed for the first time, in Meadowlands, New Jersey the composer conducting.

    10 November 1987 Virtuoso Alice for piano by David Del Tredici (50) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    10 November 1988 Concerto Grosso No.4/Symphony No.5 by Alfred Schnittke (53) for violin, oboe, and orchestra is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    10 November 1989 Rufe for oboe and harp by Isang Yun (72) is performed for the first time, in Ravensburg.

    Duomonolog for violin and cello by Wolfgang Rihm (37) is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler.

    10 November 1994 Symphony no.8 by Alfred Schnittke (59) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.

    Das A und das O for soprano, alto, harp, and cello by Gottfried Michael Koenig (68) is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    A suite from the opera Ulisse by Luigi Dallapiccola (†19) is performed for the first time, in Turin, 33 years after it was composed, conducted by Luciano Berio (69).

    10 November 1995 Lollapalooza for orchestra by John Adams (48) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Birmingham, Great Britain.

    10 November 1996 Requiem and Lullaby for soprano, solo stringed instrument, and orchestra by Tan Dun (39) is performed for the first time, in Hong Kong, conducted by the composer.  It is performed under the name Don’t Cry Nanjing from the composer’s soundtrack to the film Nanjing 1937.

    10 November 1999 Woefully Arrayed op.89 for chorus and organ by Robin Holloway (56) is performed for the first time, in St. Alban’s Abbey, St. Alban’s.

    10 November 2000 With Pipes, Drums, Fiddles, a cycle for mezzo-soprano and percussion by Györgi Ligeti (77) to words of Weöres, is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    10 November 2002 Pentecost for tenor and harp by Charles Wuorinen (64) to words of Wolcott is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 November 2003 The Challenge of the Muse for soprano, tenor, and orchestra by Samuel Adler (75) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    10 November 2006 Amoveo, a ballet with music by Philip Glass (69) and choreography by Benjamin Millepied, is performed for the first time, in Paris.  The music is from Glass’ Einstein on the Beach reorchestrated.

    Old Churches for chorus by Michael Colgrass (74) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.

    11 November

    11 November 1677 Barbara Strozzi dies in Padua at the age of 58.

    11 November 1760 The souls of the righteous, an orchestral anthem by William Boyce (49), is performed for the first time, during funeral ceremonies for King George II in London.

    11 November 1772 Antigona, an opera seria by Tommaso Traetta (45) to words of Coltellini, is performed for the first time, at the Russian court, St. Petersburg.

    11 November 1774 A massive public funeral service in memory of Niccolò Jommelli (†0) takes place in the Church of San Agostino della Zecca, Naples.

    11 November 1775 The Naples Cappella Reale grants Niccolò Piccinni (47) a one-year leave of absence on condition that one-quarter of his salary go to a replacement.  He will travel to Rome but will return by next March.

    11 November 1779 Les événemas imprévus, an opéra-comique by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (38) to words of d’Hèle, is performed for the first time, at Versailles.

    11 November 1811 Two works by Carl Maria von Weber (24) are performed for the first time, at his farewell concert in Munich:  The overture Der Beherrscher der Geister J.122 and the concert aria Misera me! J.121.

    11 November 1815 Was stürmet die Haide herauf?, a song for baritone and keyboard by Carl Maria von Weber (28), is performed for the first time, as a part of Gordon und Montrose, oder Der Kampf der Gefühle, a play by Reinbeck after von Diericke, in Prague.

    11 November 1817 Armida, a dramma by Gioachino Rossini (25) to words of Schmidt after Tasso, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  Both audience and critics do not approve.

    11 November 1821 At a musical gathering at Goethe’s house in Weimar, visiting musicians play through Felix Mendelssohn’s (12) Piano Quartet in D, led by his teacher Carl Friedrich Zelter.  Goethe, who heard the seven-year-old Mozart, states that Mendelssohn’s accomplishment at such a young age “borders on the miraculous.”  Comparisons to Mozart begin to fly.

    11 November 1830 The Verdi family is evicted from their home of 39 years for non-payment of rent.  They move to a tavern in Busseto.

    11 November 1834 Fantaisie et variations brillantes sur des motifs de L’Opéra La Norma de Bellini op.25 for piano and strings by Otto Nicolai (24) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    11 November 1845 Die Frauen und die Sänger for chorus by Felix Mendelssohn (36) to words of Schiller, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    11 November 1846 Frédéric Chopin (36) arrives in Paris from Nohant alone.  His relationship with George Sand is, for all intents and purposes, over.

    11 November 1847 A German Liturgy for chorus and Psalm 98 for solo voice, chorus, two harps, two trumpets and three trombones by Otto Nicolai (37) are performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    11 November 1848 Le val d’Andorre, an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy (49) to words of Saint-Georges, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  It is an unqualified success with press and public.

    11 November 1854 The Siberian Hunters, a romantic opera by Anton Rubinstein (24) to words of Zherebtsov, is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Hoftheater, directed by Franz Liszt (43).

    11 November 1863 After the premiere of Franco Faccio’s opera I profughi fiamminghi at La Scala, Milan, Arrigo Boito (21) recites his ode All’arte italiana, condemning the current state of Italian art and advocating the ideas of Faccio, Boito and their bohemian friends.

    11 November 1865 String Quartet in one movement by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (25) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    11 November 1868 Gavotte in A for piano by Johannes Brahms (35) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    11 November 1877 06:30  Hugo Wolf (17) enters Vienna.

    11 November 1884 Der Papagei, a comic opera by Anton Rubinstein (54) to words of Wittmann after the Persian, is performed for the first time, in the Hamburg Dammtortheater, conducted by the composer.

    11 November 1886 The Dirección General de Bellas Artes creates Isaac Albéniz (26) a member of the Royal Order of Isabella the Catholic.  The ceremony will take place 22 November.

    11 November 1887 Incidental music to Mendès’ play La femme de Tabarin by Emanuel Chabrier (46) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    11 November 1889 Don Juan, a symphonic poem by Richard Strauss (25), is performed for the first time, in Weimar, conducted by the composer.  More than any other, this work establishes his fame.

    Salut d’amour for orchestra by Edward Elgar (32) is performed for the first time, in the Crystal Palace, London.

    11 November 1890 Quintet for strings no.2 op.111 by Johannes Brahms (57) is performed for the first time, in Saal Bösendorfer, Vienna.

    11 November 1891 The first documented public performance of Gustav Holst (17) takes place when he and his father play some of Brahms’ (58) Hungarian Dances at the Montpellier Rotunda, Cheltenham.

    11 November 1906 Carl Nielsen’s (41) opera Maskarade, to words of Andersen after Holberg, is performed for the first time, at the Royal Theatre, Copenhagen, conducted by the composer.  The dean of Scandinavian composers, Edvard Grieg (63), is present and is very pleased, as are the audience and critics.

    Strandrecht, a lyrical drama by Ethel Smyth (48) to words of Brewster and the composer (tr. Decker and Bernhoff), is performed for the first time, in the Neuestheater, Leipzig.  See 22 June 1909.

    11 November 1907 Alfredo Casella (24), along with the Swiss critic Aloys Mooser, visits Mily Balakirev (70) in his St. Petersburg apartment.  Casella recently completed an orchestration of Balakirev’s Islamey and sent it to St. Petersburg, hoping for his approval.  It is given gladly.  Balakirev, who is living in near seclusion, tells Casella, “The last Frenchman I spoke to was Berlioz.”

    11 November 1911 Cantata with words by W. von Konow for women’s chorus by Jean Sibelius (45) is performed for the first time, in Turku.

    11 November 1917 Piano Concerto no.2 by Alyeksandr Glazunov (52) is performed for the first time, at Petrograd Conservatory, the composer conducting.

    11 November 1918 While completing his instrumentation of Rag-time in Lausanne, Igor Stravinsky (36) hears a buzzing in his ears.  Going down to the street, he sees that everyone else heard the same buzz.  They later learn that the noise is a cannon on the French frontier signaling the armistice.

    Richard Strauss (54) is named interim artistic advisor of the Berlin Opera.

    11 November 1922 The British Broadcasting Company begins broadcasting musical programs for the first time.

    Several works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (35) are performed for the first time, at the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro:  the motets Tantum ergo and Salutaris hostia for chorus and Memorare for chorus and organ, orchestral works Marcha solene no.6 and Marcha religiosa no.7, Ave Maria for solo voice and strings, and Vidapura for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra (performed under the title Second Mass), conducted by the composer.

    11 November 1923 The Piano Quintet of Ernest Bloch (43) is performed for the first time, in the Klaw Theatre, New York.  Joining Bloch in the audience is his Cleveland Institute colleague, Roger Sessions (26).

    11 November 1925 Sarka, an opera by Leos Janácek (71) to words of Zeyer, is performed for the first time, in the National Theatre, Brno.

    11 November 1937 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar by Marc Blitzstein (32) is performed for the first time, in the Comedy Theatre, New York, in a production by John Houseman and starring Orson Welles.

    11 November 1938 Piano Sonata no.1 by Michael Tippett (33) is performed for the first time, in Queen Mary Hall, London.

    11 November 1939 Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 5 from Album 1 of the Guia prático for children’s voices by Heitor Villa-Lobos (52) are performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    11 November 1940 The Adventures of Korzinkina, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (34), is shown for the first time.

    11 November 1946 Five Greek Folk Songs for chorus by Arnold Bax (63) is performed for the first time, in Cowdray Hall, Royal College of Nursing, London.

    11 November 1947 Fleeing persecution in right-wing Greece, Iannis Xenakis (25) arrives in Paris after having been spirited across the Italy-France border at Vintimille by Communist Party members.

    The film The Shocking Miss Pilgrim is released.  The score is made up of unpublished songs by George Gershwin (†10).

    11 November 1952 Two works by Igor Stravinsky (70) are performed for the first time, in Los Angeles:  Concertino for Twelve Instruments, a transcription of his Concertino for string quartet, and Cantata for soprano, tenor, female chorus, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, and cello, to anonymous words, conducted by the composer.

    11 November 1956 Today is the broadcast of the first of 22 programs in a series called Air Power by CBS.  The music for the series is by Norman Dello Joio (43).

    11 November 1959 Symphony no.3 by Charles Wuorinen (21) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    11 November 1962 Genesis, an oratorio for tenor, narrator, chorus, brass, percussion, organ, piano, and string quartet by John Tavener (18) is performed for the first time, in St. Andrews’, Frognal.

    11 November 1963 Echoi for clarinet, cello, piano, and percussion by Lukas Foss (41) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University Charles Wuorinen (25) at the piano.

    11 November 1965 Three Sections from TS Eliot’s The Four Quartets for voice and piano by John Tavener (21) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    11 November 1969 Catharsis:  Open Style for Two Improvisation Ensembles, Tapes, and Conductors by Larry Austin (39) is performed for the first time, in Oakland.

    11 November 1971 Guten Morgen, a Hörspiel by Mauricio Kagel (39), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR.

    11 November 1973 Ani maamin, un chant perdu et retrouvé op.441 for soprano, four speakers, chorus, and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (81) to words of Wiesel, is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York conducted by Lukas Foss (51).

    11 November 1979 Psalm 39 for baritone and guitar by Charles Wuorinen (41) is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington.

    11 November 1989 Two ‘Identical’ Rooms, a sound work by Max Neuhaus (50), is inaugurated in the Deichtorhallen, Hamburg.  It will exist until 18 February 1990.

    Leftist rebels begin a new offensive in San Salvador and other cities throughout El Salvador.

    Interlude for piano by Leon Kirchner (70) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Les Yeux clos II for piano by Toru Takemitsu (59) is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    The first piece from ...in real time op.50 for piano by Alexander Goehr (57) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    The first public performance of Study for Player Piano no.26 by Conlon Nancarrow (77) takes place in New York.

    11 November 1990 Abgewandt II for 14 players by Wolfgang Rihm (38) is performed for the first time, in Gütersloh.  It was composed in memory of Luigi Nono (†0).

    Repertoire, a film with music by Mauricio Kagel (58), is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of ZDF, Mainz.

    11 November 1991 Mexico City Blues for orchestra by Terry Riley (56) is performed for the first time, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

    Omaramor for cello by Osvaldo Golijov (30) is performed for the first time, in Painted Bride Arts Center, Philadelphia.

    El Dorado for orchestra by John Adams (44) is performed for the first time, in Davies Hall, San Francisco conducted by the composer.

    Music for Trumpet, Strings, and Timpani by Robert Erickson (74) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    11 November 1993 Originel for orchestra by Pierre Boulez (68) is performed for the first time, in New York, the composer conducting.

    11 November 1994 Fünf Fragmente zu Bildern von Hieronymus Bosch for tenor, violin, trombone, harpsichord, timpani, and string orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (59) to words of Reuser (tr. Droysen) is performed for the first time, in the Barbican Center, London.

    11 November 1997 Apolytikion of St. Martin for chorus by John Tavener (53) is performed for the first time, at St.-Martin-in-the-Fields, London.

    11 November 1999 Vocalise for soprano and orchestra by John Corigliano (61) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Fraternité:  Air pour l’orchestre by Hans Werner Henze (73) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    11 November 2001 BONUS, a birthday quintet for english horn, two trumpets, trombone, and harp by Wofgang Rihm (49), is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.

    11 November 2003 Male über Male for clarinet, two violas, cello, and two double basses by Wolfgang Rihm (52) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    11 November 2006 Piano Sonata no.3 “The Forbidden” by Leon Kirchner (87) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    11 November 2009 The Peace that Surpasseth Understanding for chorus and organ by John Tavener (65), to words of St. Paul, is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey, London.  The performance takes place before Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh at a service to honor the passing of the World War I generation.

    11 November 2010 Chiacone-After Colombi for cello by Tan Dun (53) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    11 November 2011 Concerto no.2 for percussion, timpani, and orchestra by Joseph Schwantner (68) is performed for the first time, in Hilbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis.

    12 November

    12 November 1771 The Fairy Prince, a masque by Thomas Augustine Arne (61) to words of Colman after Jonson, is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.

    12 November 1776 The syndicate of Johann Christian Bach (41), Karl Friedrich Abel and Giovanni Andrea Gallini dissolves, partly because of a rival concert series.  Gallini becomes the sole owner and begins renovations to the Hanover Square Rooms.

    12 November 1788 Publication of the Piano Trio K.502 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (32) is announced in the Wiener Zeitung.

    Le mari comme il les faudrait tous, ou La nouvelle école des maris, an opéra-comique by François-André Danican-Philidor (62) to words of de Senne, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Comte de Beaujolais, Paris.

    12 November 1806 Muzio Clementi (54) arrives in Vienna from St. Petersburg where he will meet Beethoven (35) and buy the rights to some of his works.

    12 November 1818 Johann Nepomuk Hummel (39) informs the Stuttgart management that he considers himself absolved from his contract.  The court responds that he is dismissed.

    12 November 1833 Alyeksandr Porfiryevich Borodin is born in St. Petersburg, the illegitimate son of Prince Luka Stepanovich Gedianov (Gedianishvili) by Avdotya Konstantinovna Antonova, daughter of a soldier from Narva.  According to common practice, the child is registered as the son of one of the Prince’s serfs, Porfiry Ionovich Borodin.

    12 November 1837 Robert Schumann’s (27) Impromptus op.5 and Piano Sonatas opp.11&14 are given favorable reviews in the Paris Gazette musicale.  While he is cheered by the news, he unfamiliar with the author, Franz Liszt (26).

    12 November 1848 Franz Liszt (36) conducts the music of Richard Wagner (35) for the first time, in the Court Theatre in Weimar.  It is the overture to Tannhäuser.

    12 November 1850 At a Société Philharmonique performance at the Salle Ste.-Cécile, Hector Berlioz (46) conducts L’Adieu des bergers.  He says that he found the manuscript in a cupboard at the Ste.-Chapelle and that it was composed by “Pierre Ducré, master of the music to Sainte-Chapelle, 1679.”  It was composed by Berlioz and will become part of his La fuite en Egypte

    12 November 1855 Anklänge op.7/3, a song by Johannes Brahms (22) to words of Eichendorff, is performed for the first time, in Göttingen.

    12 November 1857 Louis Spohr (73) receives a message from the Hesse-Kassel court that he is being “allowed to retire” due to his age, at three-quarters of his present salary.

    12 November 1868 Serenade to Welhaven for male chorus by Edvard Grieg (25) to words of Bjørnson is performed for the first time, in Christiania (Oslo), by a procession of students honoring their retiring professor, JS Welhaven.

    12 November 1870 Two songs by Johannes Brahms (37) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Die Trauernde op.7/5, and Sehnsucht op.14/8, both to traditional words.

    12 November 1871 Huldigungsmarsch WWV 97 by Richard Wagner (58) is performed for the first time in the setting for orchestra, at the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde, Vienna.  See 5 October 1864.

    12 November 1880 Richard Wagner (67) sees King Ludwig II of Bavaria for the last time, at a private performance of the Prelude to Parsifal in the court theatre, Munich.

    12 November 1881 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (41) song Softly the Spirit Flew Up To Heaven op.47/2, to words of A. Tolstoy, is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    Concerto for piano and orchestra no.2 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (41) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    12 November 1887 The Spanish Capriccio for orchestra by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (43) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.  In the audience is Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (47).

    12 November 1890 Karl Goldmark agrees to teach Jean Sibelius (24), in Vienna.

    12 November 1893 Hochzeitsreigen op.453, a waltz by Johann Strauss (68), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    12 November 1898 Maria del Carmen, a zarzuela by Enrique Granados (31) to words of Feliu y Codina, is performed for the first time, in Teatro de Parish, Madrid.  The music receives a good response, the words are panned.  It is Granados’ first significant success.

    12 November 1902 The Märchenoper Dornröschen, with words by Ebeling and Filhès after Perrault and music by Engelbert Humperdinck (48), is performed for the first time, at the Stadttheater of Frankfurt-am-Main.  The press is not kind.

    12 November 1906 Introduction, Passacaglia, and Fugue op.96 for two pianos by Max Reger (33) is performed for the first time, in Cologne, the composer at the piano.

    12 November 1907 Harnham Down for orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (35) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  Also premiered are three songs by Ethel Smyth (49) for voice and chamber orchestra to words of Régnier:  Odette, La Danse, and Chrysilla.

    12 November 1909 Two songs for voice and guitar or piano by Jean Sibelius (43) to accompany a production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night are performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    12 November 1912 Anton Bruckner’s (†16) motet for chorus, three trombones, and organ, Ecce sacerdos, is performed for the first time, in Vöcklabruck.

    The first of the Two Russian Tone Pictures for piano by Arnold Bax (29) entitled May-Night in the Ukraine, is performed for the first time, at the Royal Academy Musical Union, London.  (This could be 2 November)

    12 November 1913 Heitor Villa-Lobos (26) marries Lucília Guimarães, a pianist, in the Tijuca section of Rio de Janeiro.

    12 November 1914 From Death to Life, a symphonic poem by Hubert Parry (66), is performed for the first time, in Brighton.

    12 November 1919 Several chamber works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (32) are performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro:  Valsa musica from the Simples coletânea for piano, the Piano Trio no.2, the String Quartet no.3 and the songs Festin pagão to words of de Carvalho, Cascavel to words of Júnior, and the Cromo no.3.

    12 November 1925 String Quartet no.2 by Bohuslav Martinu (34) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    12 November 1929 Violin Concerto by Josef Matthias Hauer (46) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    12 November 1931 Edward Elgar (74) opens the new His Master’s Voice studio in Abbey Road, St. John’s Wood, with a recording of Falstaff.

    Das Herz, a music drama by Hans Pfitzner (62) to words of Mahner-Mons, is given simultaneous premieres in Berlin and Munich.

    Three Pieces for piano by Sergey Rakhmaninov (58) is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School, New York by the composer.

    12 November 1934 Suite for viola and small orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (62) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    12 November 1936 An Organ Symphony by four British composers is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Church, Red Lion Square, London.  The Theme for Improvisation is by Benjamin Britten (22) and the Adagio is by William Walton (34).

    12 November 1943 William Schuman’s (33) Symphony no.5 “for strings” is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    12 November 1944 Pastoral for piano and english horn by Elliott Carter (35) is performed for the first time, in New York the composer at the keyboard.  See 25 April 1988.

    12 November 1945 Ode to the End of the War op.105 for winds, eight harps, four pianos, percussion, and double basses by Sergey Prokofiev (54) is performed for the first time, in Tchaikovsky Hall, Moscow.

    12 November 1946 The First Suite op.107 from Sergey Prokofiev’s (55) ballet Cinderella is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  See 21 November 1945.

    Trois chansons de F. Garcia-Lorca for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (48) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    Feldeinsamkeit, a song by Charles Ives (72) to words of Allmers, is performed for the first time, in Royce Hall Auditorium at UCLA.

    12 November 1947 Flourish, Mighty Homeland op.114, a cantata for the 30th anniversary of the October Revolution by Sergey Prokofiev (56) to words of Dolmatovsky, is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Trois chansons de F. Garcia-Lorca for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (48) is performed for the first time, the composer at the keyboard.

    12 November 1948 Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano dies in Milan, aged 81 years, two months, and 15 days.

    12 November 1951 Brasilianischen Ouvertüre, part I of Alagoana, Caprichos Brasileiros for orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (33), is performed for the first time, in the Stadttheater Bielefeld.  See 25 April 1954.

    12 November 1953 An orchestral suite from Samuel Barber’s (43) unperformed ballet Souvenirs is performed for the first time, in Chicago.  See 11 March 1953 and 15 November 1955.

    12 November 1961 A setting of the Credo for tenor, chorus, organ, three oboes, three trumpets, and two trombones with spoken narration by John Tavener (17) is performed for the first time, in St. Andrew’s, Frognal.

    Two works by Lou Harrison (44) are performed for the first time, in Aptos, California:  Psalter Sonato for great psaltery or cheng, and Prelude for Piri and Reed Organ.

    12 November 1962 At a festival of his music in Gorky, Dmitri Shostakovich (56) conducts his music in public for the first and only time, in performances of the Festive Overture and the Cello Concerto no.1.

    Modinha for solo voice and guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†2) to words of Bandeira is performed for the first time, in the Auditório do Palácio da Cultura MEC, Rio de Janeiro.

    Ouverture philharmonique op.397 for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (70) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.

    12 November 1963 Mass for chorus by Paul Hindemith (67) is performed for the first time, in Vienna, the composer conducting in his last public appearance.

    12 November 1964 Scenes for baritone and orchestra on texts from Giraudoux’s Sodom et Gomorrhe by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (†0) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    12 November 1967 After ten days of a hunger strike, Mikis Theodorakis (42) is taken from his cell to the Averoff prison hospital.

    12 November 1973 String Quartet no.14 op.142 by Dmitri Shostakovich (67) is performed publicly for the first time, in Glinka Concert Hall, Leningrad.  See 30 October 1973.

    Six Songs on Poems of Marina Tsvetayeva op.143 for alto and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (67) are performed for the first time, in Bolshoy Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic.

    12 November 1974 Makrokosmos (Volume II) for amplified piano by George Crumb (45) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.  See 12 June 1980.

    12 November 1976 Walter Hamor Piston dies of a heart attack at his home in Belmont, Massachusetts, aged 82 years, nine months, and 23 days.  His ashes will be spread in Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Cambridge.

    The revised version of William Walton’s (74) opera Troilus and Cressida to words of Hassall is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden.  See 13 December 1954.

    12 November 1981 Serenade no.4 op.28 for violin and piano by Vincent Persichetti (66) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    12 November 1982 Tutuguri, a poème dansée by Wolfgang Rihm (30) after Artaud, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Introit and Toccatina for two trumpets and organ by Samuel Adler (54) is performed for the first time.

    12 November 1983 String Quartet no.4 by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler.

    12 November 1985 First Ferry to Hoy for children’s chorus, children’s band, and ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (51) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    12 November 1987 A fire started by a homeless East German refugee causes considerable damage to the Frankfurt Opera House.  Damage is estimated at DM3,500,000.  The premiere of John Cage’s (75) Europeras I&II, scheduled for three days from now, must be postponed.  See 12 December 1987.

    Little Quartet no.2 for string quartet by Peter Maxwell Davies (53) is performed for the first time, at St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York.

    12 November 1989 Figur for four bass trombones, harp, and percussion by Wolfgang Rihm (37) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    12 November 1995 Kaï for nine instrumentalists by Iannis Xenakis (73) is performed for the first time, in Oldenburg.

    A Musical Kaddish “In Sea” for John Zimarowski for soprano and piano by TJ Anderson (67) to words of Belletini is performed for the first time, at Duke University.

    12 November 1998 Many Years for soprano and string quartet by John Tavener (54) is performed for the first time, in Hampton Court Palace to celebrate the 50th birthday of the Prince of Wales.

    12 November 1999 Musik für Klarinette und Orchester by Wolfgang Rihm (47) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    12 November 2000 Three Scenes for clarinet by Shulamit Ran (51) is performed for the first time, in Loosemore Auditorium, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

    12 November 2004 Suite for orchestra by Conlon Nancarrow (†7) is performed for the first time, in Cologne, about 60 years after it was composed.

    12 November 2010 Henryk Mikolaj Jozef Górecki dies in Katowice, aged 76 years, eleven months, and six days.

    12 November 2013 John Kenneth Tavener dies at his home in Child Okeford, Dorset, aged 69 years, nine months, and 15 days.

    13 November

    13 November 1753 Jean-Philippe Rameau’s (70) acte de ballet Les Sibarites, to a scenario by Marmontel, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    13 November 1756 Leopold Mozart is appointed violin teacher at the Kapellhaus, Salzburg on the eve of his 37th birthday.

    13 November 1762 Johann Christian Bach (27) appears professionally in London for the first time.  He directs the pasticcio Il Tutore e la Pupilla, to which he contributed.

    13 November 1766 Wie lieblich sind auf den Bergen, a cantata by Georg Philipp Telemann (85) for the installation of Johann Heinrich Daniel Moldenhaur as priest in Hamburg Cathedral, is performed for the first time, in a Hamburg concert hall.  The actual performance was postponed until today because of the death of Emperor Franz I.

    13 November 1767 Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (53) writes to the Hamburg Senate accepting his appointment to the post of musical director of the five major churches in the city.

    13 November 1770 L’amitié à l’épreuve, an opéra-comique by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (29) to words of Favart and Fusée de Voisenon after Marmontel, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    13 November 1778 Barely a month after the death of his son, Carl Philip Emanuel Bach (64) sends the manuscript for the first volume of Sechs Clavier-Sonaten für Kenner und Liebhaber to his publisher Breitkopf.

    13 November 1780 Wir haben ein Fest des Herrn for chorus and strings by Johannes Herbst (45) is performed for the first time.

    13 November 1786 Le comte d’Albert, an opéra-comique by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (45) to words of Sedaine after La Fontaine, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    13 November 1834 The earthly remains of François-Adrien Boieldieu are laid to rest in Rouen, his birthplace.

    13 November 1840 Hector Berlioz (36) is imprisoned for 24 hours in the prison on the quai d’Austerlitz for failing to report for National Guard duty on 30 July.  See 28 July 1840.

    13 November 1842 Felix Mendelssohn (33) meets with King Friedrich August II in Dresden.  He turns down an appointment as Kapellmeister but urges the king to found a conservatory in Leipzig.

    13 November 1843 Dom Sébastien, roi de Portugal, an opéra by Gaetano Donizetti (45) to words of Scribe after Foucher, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    13 November 1854 George Whitefield Chadwick is born in Lowell, Massachusetts, the youngest of two children born to Alonzo Calvin Chadwick, a carpenter in the Massachusetts Mills, and Hannah Godrey Fitts who comes from a family of musicians.  Mrs. Chadwick will die within a week of puerperal fever.

    13 November 1855 An organ tuner arriving at St. Florian tells Anton Bruckner (31) that there is to be a preliminary competition for the post of cathedral organist in Linz today.  Bruckner is reluctant to attend but is convinced by others.  His performance is so outstanding that he will be named the winner tomorrow.  See 25 January 1856.

    Incidental music to von Rodenberg’s play Waldmüllers Margret by Heinrich August Marschner (60) is performed for the first time, in Hannover.

    13 November 1857 Les deux pêcheurs, a bouffonnerie musicale by Jacques Offenbach (38) to words of Dupeuty and Bourget, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    13 November 1868 Evening.  Gioachino Antonio Rossini receives the last rites of the Roman Catholic Church and dies at 23:15 at his home in Passy of what is probably cancer of the rectum, aged 76 years, eight months and 15 days.  Over the last ten days since his operation he was visited by the greats of the Parisian artistic world.  A messenger brought news of his condition to the royal family daily and the Italian embassy regularly sent reports to Florence.

    13 November 1876 Death, a melodrama for reciter and orchestra by Leos Janácek (22) to words of Lermontov, is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno).

    13 November 1882 String Quartet no.1 by Alyeksandr Glazunov (17) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    13 November 1887 Gustav Mahler (27) conducts Tannhäuser in Leipzig in the presence of Cosima Wagner.  The two meet for the first time.

    13 November 1889 Two songs for voice and piano by Gustav Mahler (29) are performed for the first time, in Budapest:  Erinnerung. to words of Leander, and Scheiden und Meiden to words of Brentano and von Arnim.

    13 November 1890 My Love Dwelt in a Northern Land op.18/3 for chorus by Edward Elgar (33) to words of Lang is performed for the first time, in Tenbury.

    13 November 1892 A setting of Psalm 150 for soprano, chorus and orchestra by Anton Bruckner (68) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    13 November 1893 Music to accompany a set of historical tableaux by Jean Sibelius (27) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.  See 17 November 1893.

    Two songs from op.21 of Amy Beach (26) are performed for the first time, in New York:  Elle et moi to words of Boret, and Extase to words of Hugo.

    13 November 1897 Over the Hills and Far Away, a fantasy overture by Fritz (Frederick) Delius (35), is performed for the first time, in the Elberfeld Stadthalle.

    13 November 1899 The Absent Minded Beggar, a song for voice and piano by Arthur Sullivan (57) to words of Kipling, is performed for the first time, at the Alhambra Theatre, London.  All proceeds from the song, including singing rights and direct sale (the printing is donated), go to the wives and children of those on active service.  It is an enormous success and becomes the 19th century equivalent of a number one hit.

    13 November 1904 Caprice andalous op. 122, for violin and orchestra by Camille Saint-Saëns (69), is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    13 November 1905 Manuel de Falla’s (28) lyrica drama La Vida breve wins the prize of the Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

    13 November 1908 Theme, Variations and Fugue for organ and orchestra by George Whitefield Chadwick, is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston, conducted by the composer on his 54th birthday.

    13 November 1909 Mein Oden ist schwach op.110/1 for chorus by Max Reger (36) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    13 November 1913 O Praise the Lord of Heaven for two choirs and semi-chorus by Ralph Vaughan Williams (41), to words of the Bible, is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    13 November 1915 Several works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (28) are performed for the first time, in the Salão Nobre da Associção do Empregados do Comércio, Rio de Janeiro, in the first concert made up entirely of his music:  Valsa Scherzo op.17 for piano, Berceuse op.50 for violin or cello and piano, the Sonata Fantasia no.2 for violin and piano, and five songs for solo voice and piano:  Confidência to words of Bastos de Carvalho, Mal secreto to words of Correa, Fleur fanée to words of Gallay, A virgem to words of de Quental, and A cegonha to words of Teôfilo.  Although reviews are mixed, it is the first major performance of the works of Villa-Lobos and catapults him onto the national musical scene.  See 8 February 1925 and 13 November 1950.

    13 November 1922 In a concert devoted entirely to his music, two works by Arnold Bax (39) are performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London:  Mediterranean for orchestra and Mater Ora Filium for double choir.  See 26 May 1921.

    13 November 1923 Two works for male chorus by Edward Elgar (66) are performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London:  The Wanderer, to words of the composer after Wit and Drollery, and Zut! Zut! Zut!, to words of Mardon (pseud. of the composer).

    13 November 1932 Three works by Silvestre Revueltas (32) are performed for the first time, in Teatro Orientación, Mexico City directed by the composer:  Dúo para pato y canario for voice and nine players to words of Barrera, El Tecolote for voice and eight instruments to words of Castañeda, and Ranas for voice and eleven instruments to words of Castañeda.

    13 November 1933 Grantchester, a song by Charles Ives (59) to words of Brooke, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    String Quartet by Ruth Crawford Seeger (32) is performed for the first time, at the New School for Social Research in New York.

    13 November 1935 Te Deum for treble, chorus, and organ by Benjamin Britten (21) to words of the Book of Common Prayer is performed for the first time, in the Church of St. Michael’s, Cornhill, London.

    Serenade for flute and violin by Virgil Thomson (38) is performed for the first time, at the Midtown Community Music Center, New York.  This concert is a production of the New York City Composers’ Forum Laboratory of the Federal Music Project.

    13 November 1936 Reflections for piano op.62 by Sergey Prokofiev (45) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Incidental music to Mistler’s play Le conquérant by Darius Milhaud (44) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Odéon, Paris.

    13 November 1937 Two works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (50) are performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro:  Missa Sâo Sebastião for chorus, and Motivos gregos for flute, guitar, and female chorus.

    The revue One Sixth of the Earth takes place in Madison Square Garden sponsored by the New York Committee of the Communist Party.  The musical director is Marc Blitzstein (32).

    13 November 1938 Bachianas brasileiras no.1 for at least eight cellos by Heitor Villa-Lobos (51) is performed completely for the first time, at the Casa d’Italia, Rio de Janeiro.  See 22 September 1932.

    13 November 1939 Incidental music to Howard’s play Madam, Will You Walk? by Kurt Weill (39) is performed for the first time, in Baltimore.  The music is prerecorded.

    13 November 1940 Walt Disney’s Fantasia is shown for the first time, at the Broadway Theatre, New York.

    13 November 1941 Several selections from the series for piano Guia prática by Heitor Villa-Lobos (54) are performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro:  Album 1 (no.4), Album 5 (nos.1,2), Album 7 (nos. 1,3), Album 9 (nos.2,5), Album 10 (nos.2,6).

    13 November 1942 Symphony no.1 by Bohuslav Martinu (51) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    Concerto for two pianos and orchestra no.1 by Darius Milhaud (50) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    13 November 1944 Three Pieces for violin and piano by Lukas Foss (22) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, the composer at the keyboard.

    13 November 1946 Two works for chorus and organ by Arnold Bax (63) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Third Programme:  Te Deum and Nunc dimittis.

    13 November 1948 Arnold Schoenberg (74) writes to the editors of Saturday Review for Literature in protest to Thomas Mann’s unlicensed use of his twelve-tone method in his novel Doctor Faustus.

    Two works by Duke Ellington (49) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York:  The Tattooed Bride and Symphomaniac, the latter a collaboration with Billy Strayhorn.

    13 November 1951 Aaron Copland delivers his first lecture as Charles Eliot Norton Professor at Harvard University, on the eve of his 51st birthday.  His six lectures will be published in 1952 as Music and Imagination.

    13 November 1953 String Quartet no.5 op.92 by Dmitri Shostakovich (47) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.

    Structures for piano duet by Pierre Boulez (28) is performed completely for the first time, in Cologne.  See 4 May 1952.

    13 November 1954 The first of five episodes of War in the Air with music by Roberto Gerhard (58) is shown on British television.

    13 November 1959 Chamber Music no.1 for clarinet, violin, viola, cello , harp, and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (†0) is performed for the first time, in Braunschweig.

    Symphony no.2 by Ross Lee Finney (52) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    13 November 1960 Edson Hymns and Fuguing Tunes for chorus and orchestra by Henry Cowell (63) are performed for the first time, in Poughkeepsie, New York.

    New Dances for chamber orchestra by TJ Anderson (32) is performed for the first time, in Oklahoma City.

    13 November 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.”

    13 November 1966 Cello Duets by Leslie Bassett (43) are performed for the first time, at Interlochen, Michigan.  Bassett’s  Hear My Prayer, O Lord for treble voices and organ to words from the Psalms, is performed for the first time, in the First United Methodist Church, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    13 November 1968 Son of Heldenleben for orchestra and tape by R. Murray Schafer (35) is performed for the first time, in Montreal.

    13 November 1972 After a flight from Paris and a concert of his music in Leningrad, the mortal remains of Alyeksandr Konstantinovich Glazunov (†36) are interred in the Alyeksandr Nevsky Cemetery.

    Last Poems of Wallace Stevens, a cycle for soprano, cello, and piano by Ned Rorem (49) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    Festive Movement for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by Lou Harrison (55) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    Quintet for piano and strings by David Diamond (57) is performed for the first time.

    13 November 1973 Bruno Maderna dies in Darmstadt, aged 53 years, six months, and 23 days.

    13 November 1974 The film Tabuh Tabuhan:  Peter Sculthorpe in Bali, about Sculthorpe’s (45) use of Balinese musical materials, is aired by the Australian Broadcasting Commission.

    13 November 1976 I turcs tal Friúl, musica di scena, by Luigi Nono (52) to words of Pasolini, is performed for the first time, in Chiesa San Lorenzo, Venice.

    Three Harp Songs for tenor and harp by John Harbison (37) to words of Fried, Hamilton, and Snyder are performed for the first time, in Pickman Auditorium of the Longy School of Music, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    13 November 1977 Book of Hours and Seasons for mezzo-soprano, flute, cello, and piano by John Harbison (38) to words of Goethe is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    13 November 1979 Perpetuum for tape and multimedia by Pierre Henry (51) is performed for the first time, in Bordeaux.

    13 November 1980 Double Fanfare for percussion by Lou Harrison (63) and Anthony Cirone is performed for the first time, in San Jose Civic Auditorium.

    13 November 1981 Tears, idle tears for voice and piano by Frank Bridge (†40) to words of Tennyson is performed for the first time, at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, 76 years after it was composed.

    Remembering Tommy for piano, cello, and orchestra by Ned Rorem (58) is performed for the first time.

    13 November 1982 Esses, suite for chorus by William Schuman (72) to words beginning with “S”, is performed for the first time, in Ithaca, New York.

    13 November 1983 Viola Concerto by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    13 November 1985 Symphony no.2 by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (46) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    13 November 1986 Symphony no.4 “Im Dunkeln singen” by Isang Yun (69) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    Dies, an oratorio for solo voices, chorus, organ and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) to words of the Bible and Leonardo da Vinci is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Keqrops for piano and 92 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (64) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.

    A Doleful Dompe on Deborah's Departure As Well As Borda's Bawdy Badinage for english horn, violin, and cello by Charles Wuorinen (48) is performed for the first time, at a private party in San Francisco.

    13 November 1987 Suite for Baroque Flute by Otto Luening (87) is performed for the first time, at Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.

    Engram for winds by Jacob Druckman (59) is performed for the first time, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

    13 November 1989 Electron-Positron for tape by Jean-Claude Risset (51) is performed for the first time, in Geneva.

    The Natural World for voice, flute, clarinet (or piano or violin), and cello by John Harbison (50) to words of Bly, Stevens, and Wright is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    13 November 1991 Peter Sculthorpe (62) is elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities.

    13 November 1992 Kneeling Dance for six pianos by Kevin Volans (43) is performed for the first time, in Southampton.

    13 November 1993 String Quartet no.9 “Quartetsatz” by Wolfgang Rihm (41) is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler.

    13 November 1994 Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum for soprano and nine players by Wolfgang Rihm (42) to words of Aeschylus (tr. Handke) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    Toccata mistica for piano by Hans Werner Henze (68) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    13 November 1996 Nucleus for 13 players by Wolfgang Rihm (44) is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler, conducted by Pierre Boulez (71) as part of Pol-Kolchis-Nucleus.

    13 November 2002 Ikon of Eros for soprano, violin, chorus, and orchestra by John Tavener (58) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    13 November 2005 Two works for chorus by Henryk Górecki (71) are performed for the first time, in Krakow: The Song of Rodziny Katynskie op.81 to words of Lutoborski and Five Marian Songs op.54 to traditional words.

    13 November 2007 Nan Xiang Zi for zheng and bass flute by Tan Dun (50) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.

    Double Duo for two cellos and two pianos by Richard Wernick (73) is performed for the first time, in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York.

    13 November 2008 Taking Turns for three flutes by Thea Musgrave (80) is performed for the first time, in Duff House, Banff, Aberdeenshire.

    Hymn for the Sovereign for chorus, brass, timpani, and organ by John Tavener (64) to words of the Bible is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London.

    14 November

    14 November 1663 Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow is baptized in Leipzig.

    14 November 1692 Christoph Bernhard dies in Dresden, aged 64 years, ten months and 13 days.

    14 November 1719 Leopold Mozart is born in Augsburg.

    14 November 1769 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (13) is appointed Third Konzertmeister to the Salzburg court.  The position is unpaid.

    14 November 1774 Gaspare Luigi Pacifico Spontini is born in Maiolati, near Iesi, the son of an artisan.

    14 November 1777 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (21) writes to his father after seeing Ignaz Holzbauer’s (66) Günther von Schwarzburg in Mannheim that “Holzbauer’s music is very beautiful.  The poetry doesn’t deserve such music.  What surprises me most of all is that a man as old as Holzbauer should still possess so much spirit; for you can’t imagine what fire there is in that music.”  (Anderson, 374)

    14 November 1778 Johann Nepomuk Hummel is born in Pressburg (Bratislava), the only child of Johannes Hummel, violinist and conductor, and Margaretha Sommer, widow of a wig maker.

    14 November 1783 Le dormeur éveillé, an opéra comique by Niccolò Piccinni (55) to words of Marmontel, is performed for the first time, at the Comédie-Italienne, Paris.

    14 November 1787 16:00  While on a drive with his wife in Vienna, Christoph Willibald Gluck (73) suffers a fourth stroke.

    14 November 1798 The Captive of Spilberg, a musical drama by Jan Ladislav Dussek (38) to words of Prince Hoare, is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.  Reaction to the music is good, to the libretto, mixed.

    14 November 1805 Fanny Mendelssohn is born in Hamburg, the first of four children born to Abraham Mendelssohn, a banker, himself the son of the Enlightenment philosopher Moses Mendelssohn, and Lea Solomon, daughter of the Prussian court jeweler and granddaughter of Daniel Itzig, a financial advisor to King Friedrich II of Prussia and one of the most affluent citizens of Berlin.

    14 November 1815 The dying Caspar Carl van Beethoven, with the help of his solicitor, draws up his will.  He names his wife and his brother Ludwig (44) as co-guardians of his son.  When Beethoven sees this, he demands and receives the sole guardianship of his nephew.  After Ludwig leaves, Caspar Carl adds a codicil stipulating that the boy not be taken from the care of his mother.

    14 November 1816 The Senate of Genoa requires Nicolò Paganini (34) to pay 3,000 francs in damages to Ferdinando Cavanna. Paganini is accused of impregnating Cavanna’s daughter.  The musician refuses to pay.

    14 November 1818 The first opera of Gaetano Donizetti (20) to be staged, the melodramma Enrico de Borgogna to words of Merelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Luca, Venice.  The soprano faints from stage fright at the end of Act I and has to be replaced in Act III.

    Albert Lortzing (17) appears on stage for the first time in Schiller’s Wilhelm Tell in Aachen.

    14 November 1820 Margherita d’Anjou, a melodramma semiserio by Giacomo Meyerbeer (29) to words of Romani after Pixérécourt, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  It receives great popular and critical success.

    14 November 1824 The Symphony no.1 op.11 by Felix Mendelssohn (15) is performed for the first time, in the Mendelssohn home, Berlin on the occasion of his sister Fanny’s 19th birthday.

    14 November 1829 A setting of Hora est for chorus and organ by Felix Mendelssohn (20) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    14 November 1831 Ignace Joseph Pleyel dies in Paris, aged 74 years, four months and 27 days.

    Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel dies in Berlin at the age of 61.

    14 November 1837 The Boston School Committee accepts the offer of Lowell Mason (45) to teach music in the Hawes Grammar School in South Boston, without payment.  Although the School Committee authorized music at their 19 September meeting, the City Council refused to fund the measure.

    14 November 1840 Grande scène espagnole for cello and orchestra by Jacques Offenbach (21) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    14 November 1847 Elijah by Felix Mendelssohn (†0) is given its Vienna premiere.  “Music stands draped in black, singers dressed in black; on the conductor’s desk lay a score and a laurel wreath, but there was nobody standing at the desk, the performance being led from a lower stand by the chorus master.”

    14 November 1852 Hector Berlioz (48) and Marie Recio arrive in Weimar, the toast of the Romantics there, led by Franz Liszt (41).

    14 November 1853 The Düsseldorf Musikverein Committee replies courteously to Robert Schumann’s (43) statement of 9 November but implements its design.

    14 November 1855 Sarabande in a minor WoO 5/1 posth. for piano by Johannes Brahms (22) is performed for the first time, in Danzig (Gdansk), by the composer.

    14 November 1873 A student at Moscow Conservatory, Eduard Zak, kills himself.  It is possible that he has been having a love affair with one of the professors, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (33).

    14 November 1874 The third movement of Souvenir of Hupsal op. 2/3, “Song Without Words” for piano by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (34), is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    18 Liebeslieder Waltzes op.52a by Johannes Brahms (41) are performed for the first time, in Vienna in a setting for piano four hands.  See 5 January 1870 and 19 March 1870.

    14 November 1875 The National Hungarian Royal Academy of Music opens its doors under President Franz Liszt (64).  The President is currently living in Rome.

    14 November 1880 Morceau de concert op.62 for violin and orchestra by Camille Saint-Saëns (45) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    14 November 1886 Two works for male chorus by Leos Janácek (32) to traditional Moravian words are performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno) conducted by the composer:  O Love and Ah, the war.

    14 November 1894 Romance for cello and piano op.69 by Gabriel Fauré (49) is performed for the first time, in Geneva.

    14 November 1896 The Water Goblin op.107, a symphonic poem by Antonín Dvorák (55) is performed publicly for the first time, in London.  See 3 June 1896.

    14 November 1897 16:30  Giuseppina Strepponi Verdi dies of pneumonia at Villa Sant’Agata in the presence of her husband, Giuseppe Verdi (84).  The two have been together for 54 years.

    14 November 1898 Edward Elgar’s (41) Festival March in C is performed for the first time, in the Crystal Palace.

    The Prelude to Act I of Isaac Albéniz’ (38) unfinished opera Merlin is performed for the first time, in Barcelona, conducted by Vincent d’Indy (47).

    14 November 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.

    14 November 1900 Aaron Copland is born in Brooklyn, New York, fifth of five children born to Harris M. Copland (originally Kaplan), a Russian immigrant and proprietor of a dry goods store, and Sarah Mittenthal, also a Russian immigrant, daughter of a dry goods merchant.

    Piano trio in d minor by Frank Bridge (21) is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.  The composer plays the violin part, making his debut as a chamber musician.  See 4 April 1902.

    14 November 1903 Two sacred pieces for chorus by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (†10) are performed for the first time, in Moscow:  Cherubic Hymn in D and It is Truly Fitting.

    14 November 1904 Tantum ergo, for soprano, chorus and organ by Gabriel Fauré (59), is performed for the first time, at the Madeleine, Paris.

    14 November 1906 The overture to the opera Jenufa by Leos Janácek (52) is performed for the first time, under the name Jealousy, in Prague.

    14 November 1909 Incidental music to Aakjaer’s play The Wolf’s Son by Carl Nielsen (44) is performed for the first time, in Aarhus.

    Après-midi d’Octobre op.30/2 for orchestra by Charles Koechlin (41) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre des Arts, Paris.

    14 November 1915 Enrique Granados (48) plays what will prove to be his final public performance at his home in Barcelona.  He plays the a minor piano concerto of Edvard Grieg (†8).

    14 November 1917 Leos Janácek’s (63) orchestral work The Fiddler’s Child is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    14 November 1920 Paul Hindemith’s (24) Sonata for unaccompanied viola op.11/5 is performed for the first time, in Friedburg, by the composer.

    14 November 1926 The San Antonio Express (Texas) announces that Silvestre Revueltas (26), “violin virtuoso and conductor”, has been added to the faculty of the San Antonio College of Music.

    14 November 1928 Portraits for Violin Alone by Virgil Thomson (31) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Majestic, Paris.

    14 November 1929 Ruth Crawford (28) submits an application for a Guggenheim grant.  She will be awarded $2,500.  On the same day she begins formal lessons in dissonant counterpoint with Charles Seeger in New York.

    14 November 1930 Piano Trio no.1 by Bohuslav Martinu (39) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Symphony no.4 op.47 by Sergey Prokofiev (39), composed for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    14 November 1931 Northern Ballad No. 1 for orchestra by Arnold Bax (48) is performed for the first time, in St. Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow.

    14 November 1934 The first three of the Vier Bauernstücke aus Georgica for orchestra by Werner Egk (33) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Harry Partch (33) meets William Butler Yeats at the poet’s home in Rathfarnham near Dublin.  Partch sings his setting of Yeats’ By the Rivers of Babylon.  Yates is unimpressed by Partch’s voice but enthralled with his music.  Partch will spend seven days in Dublin, four of them with Yeats.

    14 November 1935 Der Schwanendreher, a viola concerto by Paul Hindemith (39), is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam, the composer as soloist.

    14 November 1936 Albert Roussel’s (67) opera-bouffe Le testament de la tante Caroline to words of Nino (in a Czech translation) is performed for the first time, in Olomouc.  See 11 March 1937.

    14 November 1937 At a dance recital in New York, Leonard Bernstein (19) meets Aaron Copland (37) for the first time.  Later in the evening, at a birthday party for Copland, Bernstein performs Copland’s Piano Variations and several other things at the keyboard.  The two become life-long friends.

    14 November 1938 Incidental music to a play by Auden and Isherwood, On the Frontier, by Benjamin Britten (24), is performed for the first time, in Cambridge.

    14 November 1940 Incidental music to Lope de Vega’s play The Valencian Widow by Aram Khachaturian (37) is performed for the first time, in Lenin Komsomol Theatre, Moscow.

    Sanctus for alto and piano by Lou Harrison (23) is performed for the first time, at the San Francisco Museum of Art.

    14 November 1941 Concerto grosso for chamber orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (50) is performed for the first time, in Boston.  A scheduled 1938 premiere in Vienna was cancelled due to the Anschluss.  One scheduled in Prague was cancelled because of the German invasion of Czechoslovakia.  And a premiere scheduled in Paris in May 1940 was called off due to the German invasion of Belgium.

    14 November 1942 Béla Bartók’s (61) Concerto for two pianos, percussion, and orchestra, an arrangement of his Sonata for two pianos and percussion, is performed for the first time, in London.

    14 November 1943 After guest conductor Bruno Walter becomes ill, assistant conductor and last-minute replacement Leonard Bernstein (25) gives his debut directing the New York Philharmonic in a nationally broadcast concert.  It is a triumph of incalculable proportions, and launches Bernstein into the public eye.

    14 November 1944 Two chamber works by Dmitri Shostakovich (38) are performed for the first time, in the Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall:  Piano Trio no.2 op.67, with the composer at the keyboard, and String Quartet no.2 op.68.

    Piano Sonata no.3 by Ross Lee Finney (37) is performed for the first time, in Times Hall, New York.

    14 November 1945 Schwyzer Fäschttag for orchestra by Arthur Honegger (53) is performed for the first time, in Winterthur.  It is an orchestral suite from his ballet L’appel de la montagne. See 9 July 1945.

    14 November 1946 Manuel María de los Dolores Clemente Ramón del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús de Falla y Matheu is found dead in his house, “Los Espinillos” in Alta Gracia, Argentina, 640 km northwest of Buenos Aires, the apparent victim of a heart attack.  He was aged 69 years, eleven months, and 22 days.

    Bohuslav Martinu (55) learns that he has been appointed to the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Prague.  But his doctors forbid any transatlantic journey presently.

    Piano Sonata no.4 by Ross Lee Finney (39) is performed for the first time, in Times Recital Hall, New York.

    14 November 1951 Six Adagios for orchestra by Willem Pijper (†4) are performed for the first time, in Utrecht.  A premiere was being planned in 1940 when the Germans invaded the Netherlands.

    14 November 1954 Leonard Bernstein (36) gives his first television lecture on the CBS Omnibus program.

    Menelaus on the Beach at Pharos for voice and piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams (82) to words of his wife Ursula Vaughan Williams, is performed for the first time, at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York.

    Symphonic Epigram for orchestra by Roy Harris (56) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of CBS radio originating in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Little Piano Book op.60 by Vincent Persichetti (39) is performed for the first time, at Philadelphia Conservatory by his daughter Lauren.

    14 November 1955 Symphony no.6 by Henry Cowell (58) is performed for the first time, in Houston.

    14 November 1957 The fourth movement of Folk Fantasy for Festivals for folksingers, soloists, speakers, chorus, and piano by Roy Harris (59) is performed for the first time, in University Auditorium, Oklahoma State University.  See 22 February 1956 and 6 May 1963.

    14 November 1958 Sechs Hölderlin-Fragmente op.61, a cycle for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (44), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Third Programme by Peter Pears and the composer.

    14 November 1959 Antiphony for Divided Orchestra by Henry Cowell (62) is performed for the first time, in Temple B’nai Jehuda, Kansas City, Missouri.

    14 November 1961 The first two movements of Kaze no Uma/Wind Horse for chorus and women’s chorus by Toru Takemitsu (31) to words of Akiyama, are performed for the first time, in Tokyo.  See 14 October 1966.

    14 November 1962 Praeludium for brass, bells and percussion by Michael Tippett (57) is performed for the first time, at Royal Festival Hall, London.

    Serenade no.12 op.88 for tuba by Vincent Persichetti (47) is performed for the first time, in Elkhart, Indiana.

    14 November 1967 The first concert of the new Orchestre de Paris takes place at the Salle Pleyel, conducted by Charles Munch.

    Etudes for organ by Lukas Foss (45) is performed for the first time, in King Memorial Chapel, Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa.

    14 November 1969 The Lobster Quadrille no.2 of An Alice Symphony for amplified soprano, folk group, and orchestra by David Del Tredici (32) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    14 November 1970 On his 70th birthday, Aaron Copland’s Ceremonial Fanfare for brass is performed for the first time, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

    2 Acts for 3 Players for piano, clarinet and percussion by Ross Lee Finney (63) is performed for the first time, at the University of Iowa, Ames.

    14 November 1973 Birthday Canon for Richard Hall’s 70th Birthday for wind quintet by Peter Maxwell Davies (39) is performed for the first time, in Leeds University Great Hall.  It is one of six pieces composed by Hall’s former students to celebrate the event.  Another work is contributed by Alexander Goehr (41).

    14 November 1974 Hervorgedunkelt, a cycle for mezzo-soprano and seven players by Wolfgang Rihm (22) to words of Celan, is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    14 November 1975 Bicentennial Fanfare for orchestra by Walter Piston (81) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    14 November 1980 La Musique creuse le ciel for two pianos and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (28) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    14 November 1981 Every Day for chorus by Karel Husa (60) to words of Thoreau is performed for the first time, at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.

    14 November 1982 Septet for flute, two clarinets, violin, viola, cello, and harpsichord or organ by Alfred Schnittke (47) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Der Herr ist mein Hirte for solo trombone and chorus by Isang Yun (65) to words of the Bible and Sachs, is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    Sonnets of Desolation for chorus by Ben Johnston (56) to words of Gerard Manley Hopkins is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois.

    14 November 1985 Proclamation (1982) by Aaron Copland, orchestrated by Ramey, is performed for the first time, in New York on the composer’s 85th birthday.

    14 November 1987 Concerto for cello and orchestra by George Perle (72) is performed for the first time, in New York, 21 years after it was composed.

    The Eleventh Commandment:  “No, thou shalt not Xerox® Music” for chorus and piano or organ by Richard Wernick (53) is performed for the first time, at Ithaca College, New York.

    14 November 1989 One3 by John Cage (77) is performed for the first time, in Kyoto, by the composer.

    14 November 1991 Swords and Plowshares, an oratorio for solo voices and orchestra by Ned Rorem (68) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    14 November 1993 Abschiedsstücke for female chorus and 15 players by Wolfgang Rihm (41) to words of Wondratschek is performed for the first time, in Badenweiler.

    14 November 1997 Piece for Tape by Conlon Nancarrow (†0) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    14 November 1998 Arianna abbandonata op.58c for tenor and guitar by Alexander Goehr (66) to words of Rinuccini is performed for the first time before a live audience, at United Reform Church, Muswell Hill, London.  See 10 December 1997.

    14 November 2000 Ottuplo!  Four inter-episodes for real and virtual string quartet by Larry Austin (70) is performed for the first time, in Nicosia, Cyprus.

    14 November 2004 Sextet for string quartet, double bass, and piano by Richard Wernick (70) is performed for the first time, at SUNY Stony Brook.

    14 November 2005 The Rhode Island School of Design presents its Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Award for Lifetime Achievement to Laurie Anderson (58) in New York.

    14 November 2006 A Flowering Tree, an opera by John Adams (59) to words of Peter Sellars and the composer after an Indian folktale, is performed for the first time, in the Museums Quartier, Vienna directed by the composer.

    14 November 2007 Hidden Similarities for voice and eight instruments by Robert Ashley (77) is performed for the first time, in The Paradiso, Amsterdam.

    14 November 2008 Two Shakespeare Poems for chorus by Ned Rorem (85) is performed for the first time, in Woolsey Hall, Yale University.

    14 November 2009 Fachwerk for percussion and strings by Sofia Gubaidulina (78) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    15 November

    15 November 1760 L’amante di tutte, a dramma giocoso by Baldassare Galuppi (54) to words of his son Antonio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.

    15 November 1765 L’arrivo di Enea nel Lazio, a componimento drammatico by Baldassare Galuppi (59) to words of Alamanni, is performed for the first time, in Teatro della Pergola, Florence.

    As his sister recovers from typhus, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (9) falls ill with the same disease at The Hague.

    15 November 1766 Francesco Maria Veracini (76) appears as a violin soloist for the last time, at the grand-ducal court in Florence.

    15 November 1781 The Independent Chronicle, Boston reports as “just published” William Billings’ (35) collection The Psalm-singer’s Amusement.

    15 November 1783 La kermesse ou La foire flamande, a comic opera by Georg Joseph Vogler (34) to words of Patrat, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    15 November 1787 Christoph Willibald Gluck dies at his home in Vienna after suffering his fourth stroke, aged 73 years, four months and 13 days.  Among those attending is Antonio Salieri (37).

    15 November 1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (35) finishes his last completed work, the cantata Laut verkünde unsre Freude K.623.

    15 November 1810 Gaetano Donizetti (12) learns that he has been accepted to the Bergamo art school, Accademia Carrara.  He applied because he fears he will be unsuccessful in music.

    15 November 1811 Der Zweikampf mit der Geliebten, an opera by Louis Spohr (27) to words of Schink, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg to great success.

    15 November 1815 Caspar Carl van Beethoven dies in Vienna of tuberculosis.  His will names his brother Ludwig (44) as guardian of his nine-year-old son Karl, but a codicil states that he not be taken from the care of his wife, Johanna.

    15 November 1817 Hold ist der Cyanendranz, a song for solo voices and chorus by Carl Maria von Weber (30), is performed for the first time, as part of Der Weinberg an der Elbe, a play by Kind, in the Dresden Hoftheater.

    15 November 1828 Albert Lortzing’s (27) oratorio Die Himmelfahrt Jesu Christi to words of Rosenthal is performed for the first time, in Münster.

    15 November 1832 Symphony no.5 “Reformation” by Felix Mendelssohn (23), originally intended for the 400th anniversary of the Augsburg Confession, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    15 November 1846 Quadrille nach Motiven der Oper Die Belagerung von Rochelle op.31 by Johann Strauss (21) is performed for the first time, in Dommayer’s Casino, Heitzing.

    15 November 1847 Les premiers pas, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (65), Adolphe Adam (44), Michele Carafa de Colobrano and Fromental Halévy (48) to words of Royer and Vaëz, is performed for the first time, at the opening of the Opéra-National, Paris.

    15 November 1855 Hector Berlioz’ (51) cantata L’imperiale for double chorus and orchestra to words of Lafont is performed for the first time, at the close of the Paris Exposition in the Palais de l’Industrie.  The composer conducts with the assistance of five others.  Halfway through the piece, Emperor Napoléon III, on a royal throne, gives the signal for the music to stop.  It does.

    15 November 1863 The Vienna Singakademie gives its first concert under the direction of Johannes Brahms (30).  The eclectic program includes Viennese premieres of the Cantata no.21 of Johann Sebastian Bach (†113), Requiem für Mignon by Robert Schumann (†7) as well as works by Isaac (†346) and Beethoven (†36) and folksong arrangements.  It is well received.

    15 November 1868 Some of the sixteen waltzes for piano op.39 by Johannes Brahms (35) are performed for the first time in the two-hand version, by the composer, in Hamburg.  See 23 November 1866 and 17 March 1867.

    15 November 1874 Giuseppe Verdi (61) is made a member of the Italian Senate.  He will not go to Rome to be sworn in because he does not wish to be involved in the production of Aida currently at the Teatro Apollo, Rome.

    15 November 1875 Giuseppe Verdi (62) takes the oath of office as an Italian Senator in Rome, one year to the day after he was supposed to be sworn.

    15 November 1878 Antonin Dvorák (37) gains international fame when his Slavonic Dances and Moravian Duets are given a rave notice in the Berlin Nationalzeitung.

    15 November 1882 Requiescat op.14/1 for voice and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (30) to words of Arnold is performed for the first time, at Cambridge University.

    15 November 1891 The Peer Gynt Suite no.2 for orchestra by Edvard Grieg (48) is performed for the first time, in Christiania (Oslo), to celebrate 25 years since Grieg’s first appearance as a pianist in the city.

    15 November 1893 Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (49) applies for retirement from his post as assistant superintendant of the Imperial Court Chapel.  He later writes, “...serving with Balakirev (56) (the superintendant) in the pious and sanctimonious chapel is unbearable to me.”

    15 November 1895 Sleep, Little Darling op.29/2, a song by Amy Beach (28) to words of Spofford, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    15 November 1909 On Wenlock Edge for tenor, piano, and string quartet by Ralph Vaughan Williams (37) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    15 November 1910 Incidental music to Cammaerts’ (tr. Brand) play The Two Hunchbacks by Frank Bridge (31) is performed for the first time, in the Savoy Theatre, London, directed by the composer.

    15 November 1912 A second revision of the tone poem Lebenstanz by Frederick Delius (50) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  See 30 May 1899 and 21 January 1904.

    15 November 1918 Russians, a cycle for voice and orchestra by Daniel Gregory Mason (44) to words of Bynner, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    15 November 1920 The Planets op. 32 for orchestra by Gustav Holst (46) is given its first complete performance, in Queen’s Hall, London, the composer conducting.  It is an immediate success.  See 29 September 1918.

    15 November 1924 Khamma, a ballet by Claude Debussy (†6), is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in Paris.  See 26 March 1947.

    15 November 1926 Meu país for chorus and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (39) to words of Zé Povo (pseud. of Villa-Lobos) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.  Also premiered is Villa-Lobos’ Choro no.10 for chorus and orchestra to words of da Paixão Cearense, the composer conducting.

    15 November 1929 Two Preludes and Fugues for organ by Johannes Brahms (†32) are performed for the first time, in Berlin, 72 years after they were composed.

    15 November 1933 The Reichskulturkammer is inaugurated with ceremonies in Berlin.  Richard Strauss (70), the President of the Reichsmusikkammer, a state music bureau within the Reichskulturkammer, conducts his Festliches Präludium for the event.

    15 November 1936 Belle et ressemblante from Francis Poulenc’s (37) Sept chansons for chorus is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC conducted by Nadia Boulanger (49).  The words are from Eluard.  See 21 May 1937.

    15 November 1941 Trois poèmes for voice and piano by Arthur Honegger (49), to words of Claudel, is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.  Francis Poulenc (42) plays the piano part.

    15 November 1943 Les corps glorieux for organ by Olivier Messiaen (34) is performed for the first time, at Église de la Sainte-Trinité, Paris, the composer at the keyboard.  See 28 December 1941.

    15 November 1944 String Quartet no.7 by Ernst Krenek (44) is performed for the first time, in the War Memorial Building Auditorium, Indianapolis.

    15 November 1946 Danza for piano by John Alden Carpenter (70) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    15 November 1947 WH Auden arrives in Hollywood and is granted the use of the sofa in the North Wetherly Drive home of Igor Stravinsky (65).  Here he will pen the libretto to The Rake’s Progress.

    15 November 1948 Suite in D by Michael Tippett (43), celebrating the birth of Prince Charles, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Third Programme.

    15 November 1949 The Song of the Forests op.81, an oratorio by Dmitri Shostakovich (43) to words of Dolmatovsky, is performed for the first time, in Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall.

    15 November 1950 Serenade no.5 op.43 for timpani and strings by Vincent Persichetti (35) is performed for the first time, in Louisville, Kentucky.

    15 November 1953 Three chamber works by Leslie Bassett (30) are performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan:  Four Songs for voice and piano to texts of Blake, Herbert, and Robinson, Trio for viola, clarinet, and piano, and Brass Trio for trumpet, horn, and trombone.

    Third Quintet op.325 for strings by Darius Milhaud (61) is performed for the first time, at the University of California, Berkeley.

    15 November 1954 Musiche di scena per “Come vi Piace” di William Shakespeare for baritone, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpet, guitar, and percussion by Luigi Nono (30) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    15 November 1955 Souvenirs, a ballet by Samuel Barber (45) to a story by Bolender, is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 11 March 1953 and 12 November 1953.

    Serious Song, a Lament for strings by Irving Fine (40) is performed for the first time, in Louisville, Kentucky.

    15 November 1959 An episode of the CBS television program The Twentieth Century entitled “The Fall of China” with music by Ulysses Kay (42) is shown for the first time, over the network.

    A television program called “Aaron Copland meets the Soviet Composers” is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of WGBH television in Boston.  It is a discussion between Copland (59), Nicholas Slonimsky, five visiting Soviet composers, including Dmitri Shostakovich (53), and the Soviet musicologist Boris Yarustovsky.

    15 November 1964 Divertimento for wind quintet by Ross Lee Finney (57) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    Wesak Sonata for cheng by Lou Harrison (47) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    15 November 1966 Hommage à Comenius op.421 for two voices and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (74) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France.

    15 November 1967 Élégie for piano by Karel Husa (46) is performed for the first time, at Ithaca College, Ithaca, New York.

    15 November 1969 With hostile musicians and a remarkably inattentive audience, Fresco no.29 for four orchestral groups by Karlheinz Stockhausen (41) is performed for the first time, in the Beethovenhalle, Bonn.

    The first Scratch Orchestra performance based on a Research Project takes place in Chelsea Town Hall.  They perform Journey of the Isle of Wight Westwards by Iceberg to Tokyo Bay by George Brecht.

    15 November 1970 Eucalypts I for flute, oboe, harp and strings by Toru Takemitsu (40) is performed for the first time, in Zurich.

    15 November 1974 String Quartet no.15 by Dmitri Shostakovich (68) is performed publicly for the first time, in Glinka Concert Hall, Leningrad.  See 25 October 1974.

    Three works for piano by Gabriel Fauré (†50) are performed for the first time, 105 years after they were composed, over the airwaves of Paris Radio:  Gavotte in c# minor, Fugue in e minor op.84/6, and a Prelude in e minor.

    Lyric Pieces op.35 for winds and double bass by Alexander Goehr (40) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Brass Quintet by Elliott Carter (65) is performed in concert for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium, Washington.  See 20 October 1974.

    A Bayou Legend, an opera by William Grant Still (79) to words of his wife, Verna Arvey, is performed for the first time, in Municipal Auditorium, Jackson, Mississippi 33 years after it was composed.

    15 November 1975 Seasons for guitar by William Bolcom (37) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    15 November 1976 Black Topaz for seven players by Joan Tower (38) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.

    Symphony no.4 by George Rochberg (58) is performed for the first time, in Seattle.

    15 November 1979 Symphony no.3 for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (27) to words of Nietzsche and Rimbaud is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Light for chamber orchestra and computer electronics by Tod Machover (25) is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    15 November 1983 Mirabai Songs for soprano and piano by John Harbison (44) are performed for the first time, in Emmanuel Church, Boston.  See 1 February 1984.

    15 November 1984 Intrada for brass quintet by Karel Husa (63) is performed for the first time, in Baltimore.

    15 November 1985 Harpsichord Sonata no.8 by Vincent Persichetti (70) is performed for the first time, in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, New York.

    15 November 1986 Dressur, a film with music by Mauricio Kagel (54), is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of Schweizer Fernsehen.

    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.

    15 November 1987 Three movements from the Mass for Saint Cecilia’s Day for chorus, harp, and optional organ by Lou Harrison (70) are performed for the first time, at California State University, Sacramento.  See 18 November 1988.

    15 November 1989 Leonard Bernstein (71) refuses the National Medal of Arts awarded by President George Bush to protest the revocation of a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts for an exhibit of AIDS related art.

    15 November 1991 String Trio by Krzysztof Penderecki (57) is performed completely for the first time, in Metz.  See 8 December 1990.

    Two4 for violin and piano or sho by John Cage (79) is performed for the first time, at the National Academy of Sciences, Washington.  This performance is on piano.

    15 November 1992 Saxatile for soprano saxophone and synthesized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (54) is performed for the first time, in Orléans.

    15 November 1998 Dust, an opera by Robert Ashley (68) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Yokohama.

    A revised version of Ballet-Variationen by Hans Werner Henze (72) is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in Berlin.  See 28 September 1949 and 21 December 1958.

    Piano Concerto no.2 by Milton Babbitt (82) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    15 November 2001 Jagden und Formen for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (49) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    Philadelphia Stories for orchestra by Michael Daugherty (47) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    15 November 2002 Two works by Roger Reynolds (68) are performed for the first time, in Dijon:  A Crimson Path for cello and piano, and Process and Passion for violin, cello, and electronic sound generators.  See 29 September 2000.

    15 November 2003 A Journey Beyond Time for soprano, piano, and percussion by George Crumb (74) to words of African-American spirituals, is performed for the first time, in Trinity Center, Philadelphia.

    Once Upon a Castle, symphonie concertante for organ and orchestra by Michael Daugherty (49) is performed for the first time, in Michigan Theatre, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    15 November 2007 Concerto for horn and orchestra by Elliott Carter (98) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    15 November 2008 Manacus Super “Dona Nobis” for trumpet, timpani, and strings by Peter Maxwell Davies (74) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Church, Piccadilly, London.

    15 November 2009 ET LUX for vocal quartet and string quartet by Wolfgang Rihm (57), is performed for the first time, in the Philharmonie, Cologne.

    15 November 2013 Three Shakespeare Sonnets for chorus by John Tavener is performed for the first time, in Southwark Cathedral, London, three days after his death.

    16 November

    16 November 1757 Daniel Read is born in Attleborough, Massachusetts.

    16 November 1812 Georg Joseph Vogler (63) gives the first public concert on his instrument, the triorganon, in St. Michael’s Church, Munich.  It is a great success.

    16 November 1816 La journée aux aventures, an opéra comique by Étienne-Nicholas Méhul (53) to words of Chapelle and Mézières-Miot, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    16 November 1821 Hector Berlioz (17) enrolls at the Faculté de Médecine of the Académie de Paris of the Université Royale de France.

    16 November 1823 A gigantic banquet is given in Paris by the city’s leading artists in honor of Gioachino Rossini (31) in the Restaurant du Veau Qui Tette.  150 guests attend including Adrien Boieldieu (47), Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (41), Ferdinand Hérold (32), many singers, actors and artists.

    16 November 1829 The house of Samuel Wesley (63) is set upon by several law officers sent by his creditors.  Wesley manages to escape to a friend’s house.

    16 November 1848 Frédéric Chopin (38), ill and exhausted, plays at a charity ball for the relief of Polish refugees at the Guildhall, London.  It is his last public performance.

    16 November 1850 Stiffelio, an opera by Giuseppe Verdi (37) to words of Piave after Souvestre and Bourgeois, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro Civico Grande, Trieste, the composer directing.  The audience is warm. The critics remark that Verdi did the best he could in the face of emasculating censorship.  See 19 November 1850.

    16 November 1851 Georges Bizet (13) is presented with the Second Prize in Piano at the Paris Conservatoire.

    16 November 1855 In the Palais de l’Industrie, Hector Berlioz’ (51) cantata L’imperiale is performed completely for the first time, as is the entire intended concert of yesterday.  An audience in the thousands, which does not include Emperor Napoléon III, is very appreciative.

    16 November 1861 Quartet for piano and strings no.1 by Johannes Brahms (28) is performed for the first time, in the Kleiner Wörmescher Saal, Hamburg.  Clara Schumann (42) performs the piano part.

    16 November 1862 Johannes Brahms (29) gives his first concert in Vienna, in the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde Vereinsaal.  He plays the piano part in his Quartet for piano and strings no.1 op.25.  It is a great popular and critical success, focusing attention on the newly arrived composer.

    16 November 1863 Once More My Love, a song for voice and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (11) is performed for the first time, in Dublin.  This is the earliest reference to a performance of music composed by Stanford.

    16 November 1867 At a faculty meeting at the University of Vienna, the request of Anton Bruckner (43) that a position in musical composition be created is denied.

    Violin Sonata no.2 op.13 by Edvard Grieg (24) is performed for the first time, at the Christiania (Oslo) Music Academy, the composer at the keyboard.  Also premiered are Grieg’s two songs for male choir, Evening Mood and The Bear-Hunter to words of Moe.

    16 November 1868 Cosima von Bülow leaves her husband for the last time and with her two daughters moves permanently to Tribschen, the home of the girls’ father, Richard Wagner (55).

    The mortal remains of Gioachino Rossini are placed in a temporary tomb in the Madeleine, Paris.

    16 November 1872 Georges Bizet’s (34) operetta Sol-si-re-pif-pan to words of Busnach is performed for the first time, at the Chateau d’Eau, Paris.

    16 November 1875 Arthur Sullivan (33) gives his first performance as conductor of the Glasgow Choral Union.

    16 November 1879 A first contract is signed between Gabriel Fauré (34) and the publisher Julien Hamelle, in Paris.

    Nordseebilder op.390, a waltz by Johann Strauss (54), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    16 November 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.

    A Pater Noster for soprano and string quintet by Pietro Mascagni (16) is performed for the first time, at the Istituto Musicale Luigi Cherubini, Livorno.

    16 November 1883 Charles Martin Loeffler (22) performs as violin soloist for the first time with the Boston Symphony Orchestra.  He plays Benjamin Godard’s Concerto romantique.

    16 November 1895 Paul Hindemith is born in Hanau, near Frankfurt, eldest of three children born to Robert Rudolf Emil Hindemith, a house painter, and Marie Sophie Warnecke, daughter of sheepherders.

    16 November 1900 Incidental music to Aeschylus’ play Agamemnon by Hubert Parry (52) is performed for the first time, at the University of Cambridge.  Critics are confused.

    16 November 1902 Henry Cowell (5) has his first music lesson, with violinist Sylvia Holmes in San Francisco.

    16 November 1905 Sonata no.2 for violin alone op.42/2 by Max Reger (32) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    16 November 1907 Three of the Hymns from the Rig-Veda for solo voice and piano op.24/1,6,9 by Gustav Holst (33), to his own translation, are performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.  Also on the program is the premiere of Holst’s song The Heart Worships, to words of Brockton.

    16 November 1908 Music to Lavedon’s film L’assassinat du Duc de Guise by Camille Saint-Saëns (73) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Charras, Paris.  This is the first known film score by a major composer.

    16 November 1909 Béla Bartók (28) marries his 16-year-old student Márta Ziegler in a civil ceremony in Budapest.

    English Lyrics Set IX for voice and piano by Hubert Parry (61) to word of M. Coleridge, is performed for the first time, in Bechstein Hall, London.

    16 November 1918 Otto Klemperer conducts the first German performance of Leos Janácek’s (64) Jenufa in Cologne.  He has to fight a chorus opposed to singing a Slavic work, journalists who wonder why a Czech work is being performed “when our Austrian brothers have to suffer so much from the effrontery of uncultured Slavs”, the privations of post-war Germany, and a half-empty hall.  Nevertheless, the work is a success.

    16 November 1919 The suite from Gabriel Fauré’s (74) comedie musicale Masques et Bergamasques op.112 is performed for the first time, at the Paris Conservatoire.

    Poem for flute and orchestra by Charles T. Griffes (35) is performed for the first time, to critical acclaim, in Aeolian Hall, New York.

    16 November 1921 Fantasia Contrappuntistica for two pianos by Ferruccio Busoni (55) is performed for the first time, in the Beethovensaal, Berlin.  The composer plays one part.

    16 November 1926 Antonius Wilhemus Adrianus (Ton) de Leeuw is born in Rotterdam.

    16 November 1928 The fourth of the Four Etudes for Orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (46) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 7 November 1930.

    16 November 1930 The first review of any work by Harry Partch (29) appears in the New Orleans Times-Picayune.  It is a review of his Exposition of Monophony by Selby Noel Mayfield, to whom Partch has shown the manuscript.

    16 November 1934 The Reichsmusikkammer equates Paul Hindemith (38) with Richard Strauss (70) and Hans Pfitzner (65) as “the only true composers and articles of export.”  Hindemith has threatened to emigrate if attacks on him are not stopped.

    16 November 1936 Pennies from Heaven, a film with music by William Grant Still (41), is released in the United States.

    16 November 1937 Prelude for Grandpiano by Lou Harrison (20) is performed for the first time in the Community Playhouse, San Francisco by the composer.

    16 November 1939 Suite for solo cello by Ernst Krenek (39) is performed for the first time, in Skinner Recital Hall of Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.

    16 November 1940 Violin Concerto by Aram Khachaturian (37) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  Sergey Prokofiev (49) and Dmitri Shostakovich (34) attend along with a host of Soviet musical luminaries.  It is a tremendous success.

    16 November 1941 England, My England, a choral song by Ralph Vaughan Williams (69) to words of Henley, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    16 November 1944 Ode to Friendship for orchestra by Roy Harris (46) is performed for the first time, in Madison Square Garden, New York the composer conducting.

    16 November 1945 Suite anglaise for violin and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (53) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.  See 28 May 1947.

    Elégie op.251 for cello and piano by Darius Milhaud (53) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    16 November 1951 Joie de vivre, a ballet by Toru Takemitsu (21) and Hiroyoshi Suzuki to a scenario by Akiyama, is performed for the first time, in Hibiya Public Hall, Tokyo.

    16 November 1952 The Lamb for chorus and piano by Leslie Bassett (29) to words of Blake is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    16 November 1953 Symphony no.5 by Darius Milhaud (61) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Italian Radio, originating in Turin, the composer conducting.

    Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.9 for cello and piano by Henry Cowell (56) is performed for the first time, at the New School, New York.

    16 November 1959 Four Songs by Virgil Thomson (62) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, the composer at the piano:  the Holly and the Ivy to traditional words, Remember Adam’s Fall to anonymous 15th century words, At the Spring to words of Fisher and Look, How the Floor of Heaven to words of Shakespeare.

    16 November 1962 Concert de chambre op.389 by Darius Milhaud (70) is performed for the first time, at Dartmouth College.

    Two chamber works by Heitor Villa-Lobos are performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro, on the eve of the third anniversary of the composer’s death:  Sexteto místico for flute, oboe, alto saxophone, harp, celesta, and guitar (completed 1917), and Instrumental Quintet for flute, violin, viola, cello, and harp.

    16 November 1964 The Robin’s Nest, a four-bar composition for piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams (†6), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC North of England Home Service, 86 years after it was composed.

    Aria for voice and orchestra by Bruno Maderna (44) is performed for the first time, in Cologne. See 23 July 1964.

    Trio in Two Parts for flute, cello and piano by Stefan Wolpe (62) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre, Columbia University.  Charles Wuorinen (26) plays the piano part.

    16 November 1965 Pine Tree Fantasy for orchestra by Walter Piston (71) is performed for the first time, in Portland, Maine.

    16 November 1967 La noire à soixante + Granulométrie for tape by Pierre Henry (39), to words of Dufrêne, is performed for the first time, in the Salle de l’Alhambra, Bordeaux.

    16 November 1968 Credo for chorus and orchestra by Arvo Pärt (33) is performed for the first time, in Tallinn.

    Carol for orchestra by Henry Cowell (†2) is performed for the first time, in the Municipal Theatre, Tulsa.

    16 November 1969 Seven Stars’ Symphony op.132 for orchestra by Charles Koechlin (†18) is performed completely for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC radio 3 and Radio France-Musique, 36 years after it was composed.  The seven movements are 1.  Douglas Fairbanks (du “Voleur de Bagdad”) 2.  Lilian Harvey 3.  Greta Garbo 4.  Clara Bow et la joyeuse Californie 5.  Marlene Dietrich 6.  Emil Jannings (de “L’ange bleu”) 7.  Charlie Chaplin (d’après “La ruée vers l’or”, “Circus” etc.).  See 14 December 1944.

    16 November 1970 Overture for a Happy Occasion by Peter Sculthorpe (41) is performed for the first time.  The work was composed to celebrate the reopening of the Princess Theatre in the composer’s home town of Launceston, Tasmania.  Ceremonies are attended by the Governor-General of Australia and the Premier of Tasmania.

    16 November 1971 Impromptu no.2 for flute, oboe, and clarinet by Thea Musgrave (43) is performed for the first time, at University College, Cardiff.

    No Longer Than Ten (10) Minutes for orchestra by R. Murray Schafer (38) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    16 November 1972 Heliogabalus Imperator for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (46) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    16 November 1974 Ballet Suite no.1 by Dmitri Shostakovich (68) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, at least 20 years after it was composed.

    16 November 1977 Coro for 40 voices and 40 instruments by Luciano Berio (52) to words of Neruda and folk texts is performed completely for the first time, in Graz.  See 24 October 1976.

    Kryl for trumpet by Robert Erickson (60) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    16 November 1978 Spatial Concerto “Questions from Genesis” for eight sopranos, eight altos, piano, and orchestra by Henry Brant (65) is performed for the first time, in Tucson.

    16 November 1980 Arien des Orpheus for guitar, harp, harpsichord, and strings by Hans Werner Henze (54) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    16 November 1984 Pilgrim Strangers for six male voices by Ned Rorem (61) to words of Whitman is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    16 November 1985 Perspectives II for chamber ensemble by Arthur Berger (73) is performed for the first time, in Pickman Hall, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    16 November 1986 Sea Runes for chorus and vocal sextet by Peter Maxwell Davies (52) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    An Idyll for the Misbegotten (to be heard from afar, over a lake, on a moonlit evening in August) for amplified flute and three percussionists by George Crumb (57) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    16 November 1989 A revised version of Le visage nuptial for soprano, alto, female chorus, and orchestra by Pierre Boulez (64) to words of Char is performed completely for the first time, in Metz conducted by the composer.  See 25 January 1988.

    16 November 1991 Silenzio for bayan, violin, and cello by Sofia Gubaidulina (60) is performed for the first time, in Hannover.

    16 November 1993 Camp Shadywillow for voice and piano by William Bolcom (55) to words of Tillinghast is performed for the first time, in New York.

    16 November 1995 Stedman Doubles by Peter Maxwell Davies (61), is performed for the first time, in the original version for clarinet and three percussionists, at the Royal Northern College of Music Manchester, 39 years after it was composed.  See 23 April 1968.

    Voile for strings by Iannis Xenakis (73) is performed for the first time, in the Herkulessaal, Munich.

    16 November 1996 Throstle’s Nest Junction for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (62) is performed for the first time, in Bridgewater Hall, Manchester.

    16 November 2000 Romanza for solo violin by Donald Martino (69) is performed for the first time, in John Knowles Paine Hall of Harvard University.

    16 November 2001 Six of the Seize Paysages planétaires by Henri Pousseur (72) are performed for the first time, at the University of Cologne.

    16 November 2007 Serenata for three cellos by Krzysztof Penderecki (73) is performed for the first time, in Krakow.

    16 November 2008 Leçons du petit jour, Hommage à Messiaen for organ by Betsy Jolas (82) is performed for the first time, in Église St. Agricol, Avignon.

    16 November 2011 Gold on Bronze for orchestra by Robin Holloway (68) is performed for the first time, in Cadogan Hall, London.

    16 November 2012 A Porter’s Song for chorus by Bright Sheng (56), to Chinese folk words, is performed for the first time, at Harvard University.

    17 November

    17 November 1663 Biagio Marini dies in Venice, aged 69 years, nine months, and 14 days.

    17 November 1760 The Tears and Triumphs of Parnassus, a masque by John Stanley (48) to words of Lloyd and Murphy, is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    17 November 1774 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (18) dates his Symphony no.28 K.200 in Salzburg.

    17 November 1784 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (28) dates the score to his String Quartet K.458.

    17 November 1785 The Masonic Funeral Music K.477 for winds and strings by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (29) is performed, possibly for the first time, in memory of Duke Georg August zu Mecklenburg-Strelitz and Count Franz Esterházy von Galántha, in Vienna.

    17 November 1787 A setting of De profundis by Christoph Willibald Gluck is performed for the first time, at the composer’s funeral in Vienna.  It is conducted by Antonio Salieri (37) to whom Gluck gave the score shortly before his death.  Gluck’s earthly remains are laid to rest in the cemetery of Matzleinsdorf.

    17 November 1791 Laut verkünde unsre Freude K.623, a masonic cantata by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (35) to words of Schikaneder, is performed for the first time, at Lodge “zur neugekrönten Hoffnung” in Vienna.  It is his last completed work. (There is considerable disagreement in the sources, some saying this took place on November 18)

    17 November 1824 Publication of the Two Piano Pieces op.109a by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (46) is announced in the Wiener Zeitung.

    17 November 1825 Der Gondelfahrer D.809, a vocal quartet by Franz Schubert (28) to words of Mayrhofer, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Musikverein.

    17 November 1826 Louise Reichardt dies in Hamburg, aged 47 years, seven months and six days.

    17 November 1828 Ferdinand Hérold’s (37) ballet La fille mal gardée to a scenario by d’Auberval and Aumer is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    17 November 1835 César Franck (12) gives his first piano recital in Paris, at the Gymnase Musical.  In spite of a vigorous advertising campaign by his father, no review appears in the press.

    17 November 1839 After receiving many reports of his wife’s infidelity, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35) overhears his mother-in-law arranging for a meeting of his wife with her lover.  “For me this was sufficient.”

    Oberto, Conte di San Bonifacio, a dramma by Giuseppe Verdi (26) to words of Solera possibly after Piazza, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  The work enjoys a reasonable success.  This opera marks the first time that Giuseppina Strepponi appears in a Verdi production.

    17 November 1849 Robert Schumann (39) receives a proposal from Ferdinand Hiller that he succeed Hiller as municipal director at Düsseldorf.

    17 November 1850 String Quartet D.956 by Franz Schubert is performed publicly for the first time, at the Musikverein, Vienna, two days before the 22nd anniversary of the composer’s death.

    17 November 1851 As part of an attempt to cool tensions between Spain and the United States after the events of last August, Louis Moreau Gottschalk (22) is invited by the royal family to a soiree at the palace in Madrid.

    17 November 1853 Johannes Brahms (20) arrives in Leipzig to find a city atwitter about the new genius trumpeted in Schumann’s (43) article “Neue Bahnen.”

    17 November 1864 Two works for organ by César Franck (41) are performed for the first time, in the Church of Sainte-Clotilde, Paris by the composer:  Fantaisie op.16 and Grande Pièce Symphonique op.17.

    17 November 1865 Variations on an Original Theme op.21/1 for piano by Johannes Brahms (32) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    17 November 1866 Mignon, an opéra comique by Ambroise Thomas (55) to words of Barbier and Carré after Goethe, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    17 November 1868 Giuseppe Verdi (55) writes from his villa Sant’Agata to his publisher, Tito Ricordi, suggesting a Requiem mass be composed by Italy’s best composers to be performed on the anniversary of Rossini’s death.

    17 November 1871 The first performance of the Société National de Musique takes place in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    17 November 1873 Antonin Dvorák (32) marries Anna Cermáková, daughter of a goldsmith and his piano pupil for several years.  She is already pregnant.

    17 November 1875 10:45  Outside the stage door of the Vienna Opera House, wherein a rehearsal of Tannhäuser is in progress, Hugo Wolf (15) meets Richard Wagner (62) for the first time.  “With a truly religious awe I gazed upon this great master of Tone...”

    17 November 1876 At a concert to benefit wounded veterans from the war with Turkey, Slavonic March op.31 (Marche slave) for orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (36) is performed for the first time, in Moscow. One audience member remembers that “The entire audience came to its feet, many jumped up on their chairs, one after another; to cries of ‘Bravo’ were mixed cries of ‘Hurrah!’  The March had to be repeated, after which the same tempest was raised anew.” (Wiley, 94-95)  The composer will remember that the music was “effective.”

    17 November 1877 The Sorcerer, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (35) to words of Gilbert, is performed for the first time, at the Opera Comique Theatre, London, conducted by the composer.  The first two-act collaboration of Gilbert and Sullivan is a definite success with the audience and critics and receives 178 performances.

    17 November 1878 Five new works by Antonin Dvorák (37) are performed for the first time, in Prague:  the Slavonic Rhapsodies nos.1&2 for orchestra, the Serenade for winds and strings, Three Modern Greek Poems for voice and orchestra and Furiants for piano.

    17 November 1880 Incidental music to Verne and D’Ennery’s play Michel Strogoff by Jules Massenet (38) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    17 November 1881 The first three movements of a String Quintet by Anton Bruckner (57) are performed for the first time, in Vienna.  See 7 May 1883.

    17 November 1887 In response to a second letter from Leos Janácek (33), Julius Zeyer refuses him permission to use his libretto Sárka.  The composition of the opera is already completed.

    17 November 1888 Symphony no.5 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (48) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg, conducted by the composer.  The audience is very enthusiastic but the critics are scornful.

    17 November 1898 WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan (56) are called on the stage of the Savoy after a performance celebrating the 21st anniversary of The Sorcerer, their first full length collaboration.  The two will never see each other again.

    Fedora, an opera by Umberto Giordano (31) to words of Colautti after Sardou, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Lirico, Milan.

    17 November 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.

    17 November 1908 Piano Quintet op.23 by Hans Pfitzner (39) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    17 November 1916 The original version of Frederick Delius’ (54) String Quartet is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.  See 1 February 1919.

    Sonata no.2 for cello and piano by Heitor Villa-Lobos (29) is performed for the first time, in the Salão Nobre, Rio de Janeiro.

    17 November 1917 Rhapsodie for two flutes, clarinet, and piano by Arthur Honegger (25) is performed for the first time, in the Parthénon, Paris.  It is very well received.

    Several new works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (30) are performed for the first time, in the Salão Nobre, Rio de Janeiro, including the piano pieces Movimento de Tarantella (2 pianos), Kankikis and Suite Floral Idîlio na Rêde, Improviso no.7 and Martíro dos insetos, both for violin and piano, and Cromo no.2 for solo voice and piano.

    17 November 1919 Cançao árabe for voice and piano by Heitor Villa-Lobos (32) to words of de Carvalho, is performed for the first time.

    17 November 1921 Phantasy for viola and orchestra by Arnold Bax (38) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  It is first performed under the name Concerto for viola and orchestra.

    17 November 1922 Sonata in G for viola and piano by Arnold Bax (39) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London the composer at the keyboard.

    17 November 1924 Six Poésies de Jean Cocteau for voice and piano by Arthur Honegger (32) are performed for the first time, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    Lady Be Good, a musical comedy with book by Bolton and Thompson, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and music by George Gershwin (26), is performed for the first time in Philadelphia.  Songs by Gershwin include Fascinating Rhythm and the title song.  The Man I Love will be cut before the play reaches New York.  See 1 December 1924.

    17 November 1927 The Kitchen Revue, a jazz-ballet by Bohuslav Martinu (36) to a story by Kroschlova, is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    17 November 1931 In a lecture in Mannheim, Ernst Krenek (31) declares that “politically neutral art is not possible.”

    17 November 1933 Concerto for piano, violin, cello, and orchestra by Alfredo Casella (50) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    17 November 1934 Just after leaving a meeting of the Jeunesses Communistes Belges in Brussels, Marc Blitzstein (29) and his wife are arrested by Belgian police.

    17 November 1936 Litanies à la Vierge Noire for female chorus and organ by Francis Poulenc (37) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, Nadia Boulanger (49) conducting.

    At Sea, a song by Charles Ives (62) to words of Johnson, is performed for the first time, in Steinway Concert Hall, New York.

    17 November 1937 A Lincoln Symphony by Daniel Gregory Mason (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 November 1938 CF Peters music publishers is confiscated by the German government.  The owner, Henri Hinrichsen and his family are Jewish.

    17 November 1939 Kleine Sinfonie op.44 by Hans Pfitzner (70) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    17 November 1940 German bombs destroy the Horsley Street wardrobe and scene store in Southeast London.  Scenery and costumes for the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company’s productions of The Sorcerer, HMS Pinafore, Princess Ida, and Ruddigore are destroyed.

    17 November 1941 Serenade for orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (34) is performed for the first time, at Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota.

    Symphony no.2 by Virgil Thomson (44) is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Seattle.  See 5 July 1975.

    17 November 1943 The Anxious Bugler for orchestra by John Alden Carpenter (67) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    17 November 1944 Virgil Thomson’s (47) orchestral suite Portraits is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia, conducted by the composer.  The portraits included are:  Bugles and Birds (Pablo Picasso), Cantabile for Strings (Nicolas de Chatelain), Fugue (Alexander Smallens), Percussion Piece (Jessie K. Lassel), and Tango Lullaby (Mlle Flavie Alvarez de Toledo).

    17 November 1945 Sonata for violin op.10 by Vincent Persichetti (30) is performed for the first time, in Waldport, Oregon.

    17 November 1948 Bachianas Brasileiras no.9 for string orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (61) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

    17 November 1951 Fantasia for saxophone (soprano or tenor) by Heitor Villa-Lobos (64) is performed for the first time, in the Auditório do Ministério da Educação e Cultura, the composer conducting.

    17 November 1952 Duo for cello and piano by Arthur Berger (40) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    17 November 1954 Fantasy for piano and orchestra by Roy Harris (56) is performed for the first time, in Hartford, Connecticut the composer conducting.

    Ahavah, a symphonic eulogy for narrator and orchestra by David Diamond (39), is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    17 November 1956 Polyphony for orchestra by Arthur Berger (44) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.

    17 November 1957 Piano Piece 1956B by Morton Feldman (31) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 November 1958 Three Miniatures for clarinet and piano by Krzysztof Penderecki (24) is performed for the first time, in Kraków.

    17 November 1959 15:55  Heitor Villa-Lobos dies at his apartment on Rua Araújo Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, of uremia, aged 72 years, eight months, and twelve days.

    Requiescant for chorus and orchestra by Luigi Dallapiccola (55) to words of Wilde, Joyce and the Bible is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Norddeutscher Rundfunk, originating in Hamburg.

    Domine, Domine noster op.119 for chorus and organ by Florent Schmitt (†1) to words of he Psalms, is performed for the first time, in the Church of the Madeleine, Paris.

    Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Richard II by Peter Maxwell Davies (25) is performed for the first time, in the Old Vic Theatre, London.

    Sonata for violin and piano by Leslie Bassett (36) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    17 November 1961 Divertimento for orchestra by Werner Egk (60) is performed for the first time, in Brunswick.

    Incidental music to Giraudoux’ play Judith by Darius Milhaud (69) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre de France, Paris.

    17 November 1962 Sacrifice for alto flute, lute, antique cymbals, and vibraphone by Toru Takemitsu (32) is performed for the first time, in Asahi Hall, Tokyo.

    Sonata for flute and piano by Charles Wuorinen (24) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WNYC, New York.

    17 November 1963 This Sacred Ground for male voice, chorus, and orchestra by David Diamond (48) to words of Lincoln, is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.

    17 November 1964 The documentary film The Louvre, with music by Norman Dello Joio (51), is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of NBC television.

    17 November 1966 Brébeuf, a cantata for baritone and orchestra by R. Murray Schafer (33), is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    Concerto for percussion and orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (59) is performed for the first time, at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota.

    17 November 1967 MUSICIRCUS by John Cage (55) is performed for the first time, in Stock Pavilion in Urbana, Illinois, originally designed as a livestock exhibition center.  There is no score.  Anyone so desiring may perform anything.  5,000 people participate in a performance lasting four hours.

    Gunther Schuller (41) is inaugurated as the ninth president of the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston.

    Opa Eboni for oboe and piano by Joan Tower (29) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Terry Riley (32) performs (perhaps for the first time) and records Poppy Nogood’s All Night Flight (The First Ascent) as part of an eight-hour concert at the Philadelphia College of Art.

    17 November 1972 Four Quartets for flute, clarinet, keyboards, percussion, violin, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (38) after Guillaume de Machaut (†595), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3, conducted by the composer.  The music, recorded on 2 November 1972, provides incidental music to a reading by Alec Guiness of Four Quartets by TS Eliot.

    The Young Peoples Guide to the Six-tone Scale for concert band and piano by Howard Hanson (76) is performed for the first time, in Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York.

    Collaboration One by Kenneth Gaburo (46) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    17 November 1974 Garden Rain for brass ensemble by Toru Takemitsu (44) is performed for the first time, in Nissei Theatre, Tokyo.

    John Tavener (30) marries Victoria Maragopoulou, a Greek dancer, daughter of a doctor, in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral in London.

    Metamorphosis/Dance op.36 for orchestra by Alexander Goehr (42) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    17 November 1977 Concerto for english horn and strings op.137 by Vincent Persichetti (62) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 November 1982 Triskelion for oboe and piano by Vladimir Ussachevsky (71) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress.

    Piano Sonata no.3 op.54 by Alberto Ginastera (66) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    17 November 1983 The third of the Hungarian Studies for unaccompanied chorus by György Ligeti (60) is performed for the first time, in Metz.  See 18 May 1983.

    Rocking Mirror Daybreak for two violins by Toru Takemitsu (53) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    17 November 1984 Es sang vor langen Jahren by Arvo Pärt (49) is performed for the first time, at the Hochschüle für Musik, Hannover.

    17 November 1985 Words Overheard for soprano, flute, oboe, bassoon, and strings by Harrison Birtwistle (51) to his own words is performed for the first time, in City Halls, Glasgow the composer conducting.

    Symphony no.9 by David Diamond (70) is performed for the first time, in New York, Leonard Bernstein (67) conducting.

    17 November 1987 XAS for saxophone quartet by Iannis Xenakis (65) is performed for the first time, in Lille.

    17 November 1989 La Ville d’en-haut for piano and chamber orchestra by Olivier Messiaen (80) is performed for the first time, in Salle Pleyel, Paris conducted by Pierre Boulez (64).

    Essay, an installation by John Cage (77), opens at the Wexner Center for the Visual Arts at Ohio State University.

    String Quartet no.2 “Vistas” by Shulamit Ran (40) is performed for the first time, in Mandel Hall of the University of Chicago.

    17 November 1991 GENDY3 for two-track Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis by Iannis Xenakis (69) is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    Four More Occasional Pieces for piano by John Harbison (52) is performed for the first time, in First and Second Church, Boston.

    Voyage Through Death to Life Upon These Shores by Anthony Davis (40) to words of R. Haydn is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    17 November 1994 Sonata for cello and piano no.2 by Alfred Schnittke (59) is performed for the first time, in the Barbican Center, London.

    last things, I think, to think about for bass-baritone, piano, electronic sound generators, and slide projections by Roger Reynolds (60) to words of Ashberry is performed for the first time, in Kathryn Bache Miller Theatre, New York.

    17 November 1995 Salvatore Martirano dies in Urbana, Illinois, aged 68 years, ten months, and five days.

    Pale Grass and Blue, and then Red, a ballet by Anthony Davis (44) to a choreography by Lemon, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 November 1996 MAXIMUM EST UNUM for alto, four sopranos, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Wolfgang Rihm (44) to words of Meister Eckhart and Nikolaus Cusanus is performed for the first time, in Freiburg.

    17 November 2000 Intrada for cello and piano by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (61) is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.  Also premiered is Zwilich’s Lament for cello and piano.

    17 November 2001 Polychromie for computer generated sound by Gottfried Michael Koenig (75) is performed for the first time, in Florence.

    Two 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), and Irreverent Heart by John Corigliano (63) to words of Harburg.

    17 November 2008 Arcos Concerto for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and strings by Samuel Adler (80) is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School, New York.

    18 November

    18 November 1761 Il caffè di campagna, a dramma giocoso by Baldassare Galuppi (55) to words of Chiari, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.

    18 November 1779 A fire at Esterháza guts the “Chinese ballroom.”  The Pressburger Zeitung will report:  “Two beautiful clocks; the magnificent theatrical costumes; all the music collected at great effort and expense; the musical instruments, including the beautiful harpsichord (Flieg) of the famous kapellmeister Haiden (sic) and the concert violin of the virtuoso Lotsch (Luigi Tomasini)-were all lost to the flames which reached their height at 8:00 a.m.”  Joseph Haydn (47) loses most of his marionette operas, some of his Italian operas and the orchestral parts of all his Esterhazy symphonies.

    Mirza, a ballet by François-Joseph Gossec (45) to a story by Gardel, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    18 November 1783 Chimène, a tragédie lyrique by Antonio Sacchini (53) to words of Guillard after Corneille, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.  Perceived as a rival of Niccolò Piccinni (55), Sacchini’s work does not compare well.

    18 November 1786 Carl Maria Friedrich Ernst von Weber is born at Eutin, first of two children born to Franz Anton von Weber, kapellmeister to the Prince-Bishop of Lübeck, and Genovefa Brenner, a singer and actress, daughter of a cabinet maker.  Franz Anton has eight children by a previous marriage.  (The date could be November 19)

    18 November 1791 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (35) appears in public for the last time, at a masonic meeting in Vienna.

    18 November 1797 Andromaca, a dramma per musica by Giovanni Paisiello (57), is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    18 November 1802 Der Fassbinder, a singspiel by Johann Baptist Schenk (48) to words after Audinot, is performed for the first time, in the Kärntnertortheater, Vienna.

    18 November 1821 Franz Schubert’s (24) song Der Wanderer D.493 to words of Schmidt von Lübeck is performed for the first time, in the Gasthof ‘zum römischen Kaiser’, Vienna.

    18 November 1832 The first movement of Robert Schumann’s (22) Symphony in g minor is performed for the first time, in Zwickau.  The symphony is not a success but Clara Wieck (13), on the same program, decidedly is.  See 12 February 1833.

    18 November 1839 Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35), having moved to a friend’s house in St. Petersburg, writes to his wife informing her that because of her infidelity, he can no longer live with her.  He is not blameless on that score either.

    18 November 1843 Cello Sonata no.2 op.58 by Felix Mendelssohn (34) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    Incidental music to Anicet, Bourgeois and d’Ennery’s play Kaspar Hauser by Stanislaw Moniuszko (24) is performed for the first time, in Minsk.

    18 November 1862 The Prague Provisional Theatre opens with the expressed purpose of providing a stage for Czech art free of German domination.  Among the orchestra members is a violist named Antonin Dvorák (21).

    18 November 1866 Express-Polka schnell op.311, the waltz Feen-Märchen op. 312, and the polka française Wildfeuer op.313 by Johann Strauss (41) are performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    18 November 1867 The Bogatirs, an opera by Alyeksandr Borodin (34) to words of Krilov, is performed for the first time, at the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow.  Negative criticism and lack of understanding on the part of the public limits the work to one performance.

    18 November 1875 Anton Bruckner (51) is informed that he has been appointed an unpaid teacher in harmony and counterpoint at the University of Vienna.

    Quartet for piano and strings no.3 op.60 by Johannes Brahms (42) is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, the composer at the keyboard.

    18 November 1883 The Hussite Overture by Antonín Dvorák (42) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    18 November 1884 Suite in B flat by Richard Strauss (20) is performed for the first time, in Munich, conducted by the composer at the invitation of Hans von Bülow.  This is Strauss’ first professional appearance as a conductor and he does so without rehearsal with the orchestra.

    18 November 1889 Cello Sonata no.2 op.39 by Charles Villiers Stanford (37) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London, the composer at the piano.

    18 November 1891 Voyevoda, a symphonic ballad by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (51), is performed for the first time, in Moscow conducted by the composer.  Despite the composer’s misgivings, the work finds a favorable response with public and press.

    18 November 1893 The Symphony no.6 of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (†0) is performed again, in the Hall of the Nobility, St. Petersburg.  Unlike its premiere, three weeks ago before the composer’s death, it is received tumultuously.  In the audience is Igor Stravinsky (11), brought to the occasion by his mother.

    Music, When Soft Voices Die for male chorus by Ralph Vaughan Williams (21) is performed for the first time, at the Cambridge University Musical Club by a solo quartet.

    18 November 1908 Eton Memorial Ode by Hubert Parry (60) is performed for the first time, at Eton College, in the presence of King Edward and Queen Alexandra.

    18 November 1914 Five songs for voice and piano by Amy Cheney Beach (47) are performed for the first time, in Boston:  Ein altes Gebet op.72/1, Grossmütterchen, and Der Totenkranz op.73 to words of Zacharias, Separation to words of Stoddard, and The Lotus Isles to words of Tennyson op.76.

    18 November 1915 Piano Sonata no.8 op.66 by Alyeksandr Skryabin (†0) is performed for the first time, in Petrograd.

    Apple-Blossom-Time for piano by Arnold Bax (32) is performed for the first time, in Steinway Hall, London.

    18 November 1920 Toccata for piano by Ferruccio Busoni (54) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, Berlin by the composer.

    November Woods for orchestra by Arnold Bax (37) is performed for the first time, in Free Trade Hall, Manchester.

    18 November 1922 Zaubernacht, a ballet with song by Kurt Weill (22) to a scenario by Boritsch, is performed for the first time, in the Theater am Kurfürstendam, Berlin.  It is successful.  During the auditions, an aspiring dancer named Lotte Lenja is introduced to Weill, although she is on stage and he in the pit.

    18 November 1925 Fünf Klavierstücke op.39 by Ernst Krenek (25) are performed for the first time, in Kassel, by the composer.

    2 Chants d’Ariel for voice and orchestra by Arthur Honegger (33) to words of Shakespeare (tr. Pourtalès) are performed for the first time, at the Palais des Fêtes, Strasbourg.

    The sixth of the Seven Part Songs op.44 for soprano, chorus and strings by Gustav Holst (51) to words of Bridges is performed for the first time, in Liverpool.

    18 November 1927 Ottorino Respighi’s (48) opera La Campana sommersa to words of Guastalla after Hauptmann is performed for the first time, in the Stadttheater, Hamburg.

    Piano Sonata no.3 by Arnold Bax (44) is performed for the first time, in Liverpool.

    La Bagarre for orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (36), composed to celebrate the transatlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    18 November 1928 Dos esbozos for violin and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (26) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    18 November 1934 After spending a night in a Brussels jail, Marc Blitzstein (29) and his wife are deported from Belgium to France.  They are never told the reason for their detention.

    18 November 1937 A Violin Concerto by John Alden Carpenter (61) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.  The critics are very positive.

    18 November 1938 Four Gregorian Etudes op.104 for brass quartet by Frederick S. Converse (67) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    18 November 1939 The Nazis close all the technical schools in Czechoslovakia.  This forces Karel Husa (18), who is contemplating an engineering career, to seek another line of work.

    Concerto for harp and orchestra by Alyeksandr Vasilyevich Mosolov (39) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Homenajes, for orchestra by Manuel de Falla (62) is performed completely for the first time, in the Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires the composer conducting.

    18 November 1940 Evocations for piano by Carl Ruggles (64) is performed for the first time, in a private setting in Greenwich, Connecticut. See 31 January 1941.

    18 November 1945 The biblical cycle Genesis, organized by Nathaniel Shillkret, is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.  The constituent parts and their composers are:  1.  Prelude-Arnold Schoenberg (71)  2.  Creation-Shillkret  3.  Adam and Eve-Alexandre Tansman  4. Cain and Abel-Darius Milhaud (53)  5.  Noah’s Ark-Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco  6.  The Covenant-Ernst Toch  7.  The Tower of Babel-Igor Stravinsky (63).

    18 November 1946 Three small tone poems, Summer Evening, Winter Night, and Spring Morning by Frederick Delius (†12) are performed for the first time, in Central Hall, Westminster, 56 years after they were composed.

    18 November 1950 Concerto Grosso by Ralph Vaughan Williams (78) is performed for the first time, in London.

    18 November 1951 Joaquín Rodrigo (49) is invested into the Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, in Madrid.  For the occasion he plays the premiere of his Sonatas de Castilla for piano.

    Gypsy Fantasy op.127 for orchestra from Sergey Prokofiev’s unperformed ballet The Tale of the Stone Flower is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  See 12 February 1954.

    Four of the 24 Preludes and Fugues op.87 for piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (45) are performed for the first time, in Leningrad Glinka Hall by the composer.  The entire cycle will be performed on  23 and 28 December 1952.

    Sonatina for piano by Conlon Nancarrow (39) is performed for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    18 November 1952 Prelude on an Old Carol Tune for orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (80) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    18 November 1953 Noon.  Ruth Crawford Seeger dies of intestinal cancer in Chevy Chase, Maryland, aged 52 years, four months, and 15 days.

    Incidental music to Chepurin’s play Spring Stream by Aram Khachaturian (50) and Nina Makarova is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Symphony no.6 by Peter Mennin (30) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.

    18 November 1954 A Poem in Cycles and Bells for tape and orchestra by Otto Luening (54) and Vladimir Ussachevsky (43) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    18 November 1955 Leonard Bernstein (37) receives a telegram from the New York Philharmonic asking him to be guest conductor during the 1956-57 season.  It is his first official appointment from the orchestra since he was blacklisted.

    18 November 1957 New music by Pauline Oliveros (25) is performed for the first time, at San Francisco State College:  Three Songs for soprano and piano to words of Duncan and Olson, and Three Songs for soprano and horn, to words of Sandburg and Whitman.

    Proclamation for trumpet and orchestra by Ernest Bloch (77) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    18 November 1959 Attended by President Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira and other dignitaries, the mortal remains of Heitor Villa-Lobos are laid to rest in Cemitério São João Batista in the Botafogo section of Rio de Janeiro.

    18 November 1960 Soliloquy for narrator, string quartet, and percussion by Ralph Shapey (39) is performed for the first time, in Kaufman Auditorium of the 92nd Street Y, New York conducted by the composer.

    18 November 1963 Seven for piano-four hands by Ralph Shapey (42) is performed for the first time, in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco.

    18 November 1965 Cuatro canciones sefardies for voice and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (63) to anonymous words is performed for the first time, in the Ataneo de Madrid.

    String Quartet no.8 by David Diamond (50) is performed for the first time, in Kansas City, Kansas.

    18 November 1966 Sun Music III for string orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (37) is performed for the first time, in Melbourne.  See 16 May 1967.

    Celebrations op.103 for chorus and winds by Vincent Persichetti (51), to words of Whitman, is performed for the first time, in River Falls, Wisconsin.

    18 November 1967 Concerto andaluz for four guitars and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (65) is performed for the first time, in San Antonio.

    Padrevia, an opera by Thomas Pasatieri (22) to his own words after Boccaccio, is performed for the first time, at Brooklyn College, New York.

    18 November 1968 Livre pour orchestre by Witold Lutoslawski (55) is performed for the first time, in Hagen, West Germany.

    Funktion Rot for tape by Gottfried Michael Koenig (42) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht.

    18 November 1969 Musica ricercata for piano by György Ligeti (46) is performed for the first time, in Sundsvall, Sweden.  20 January 1969.

    18 November 1970 Music for Breuer’s theatre piece Red Horse Animation by Philip Glass (33) is performed for the first time, in the Guggenheim Museum, New York.

    18 November 1973 Alois Hába dies in Prague, aged 80 years, four months, and 28 days.

    Cantata on Poems of Edward Lear for soprano, baritone, chorus, and piano by Virgil Thomson (76) is performed for the first time, in the Fine Arts Building Concert Hall, Towson State University, Towson, Maryland the composer conducting.

    18 November 1974 Do Not Go Gentle op.132 for organ pedals alone by Vincent Persichetti (59) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    18 November 1975 Sonata for piano by Otto Luening (75) is performed for the first time, in Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, New York 20 years after it was composed.

    18 November 1977 Quatre degrés by Mauricio Kagel (45) is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    Runaway Horse on Main Street for band by Charles Ives (†23) realized by Sinclair is performed for the first time, in New Haven.

    Six Bagatelles for orchestra by George Perle (62) is performed for the first time, in Riverhead, New York.

    18 November 1979 Celestial Mechanics (Makrokosmos IV) for amplified piano four hands by George Crumb (50) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.  See 12 June 1980.

    Variations on a Theme by Paganini for violin and orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (66) is performed for the first time, in Miami.  This is an orchestration of his 1941 piece for solo violin.

    18 November 1983 Two of the Three Nocturnes for soprano and orchestra by Arnold Bax (†30) to words of Dehmel and Hartleben, are heard for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3, 72 years after they were composed, during the centennial year of the composer’s birth.  The recording was made 23 September 1982.

    18 November 1988 An orchestral suite from Tanz-Schul, ballet d’action by Mauricio Kagel (56), is performed for the first time, in Saarbrücken.

    Seven for flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, viola, and cello by John Cage (76) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    Mass for Saint Cecilia’s Day for chorus, harp, and optional organ by Lou Harrison (71) are performed completely for the first time, in Santa Cruz, California.  See 15 November 1987.

    18 November 1991 Several new works are performed for the first time, in the Konzerthaus, Vienna to celebrate the 90th birthday of Alfred Schlee, director of Universal Edition:  Pièce pour piano et quatuor à cordes by Olivier Messiaen (82), Anthèmes I for violin by Pierre Boulez (66), the second movement of the Sonata for viola by Györgi Ligeti (68), Psalmen for string quartet by Arvo Pärt (56), Zwischen den Zeilen for string quartet by Wolfgang Rihm (39) and Freize I for string quartet by Harrison Birtwistle (57).  See 19 October 1997, 28 March 1993, 23 April 1994, and 28 April 1996.

    18 November 1993 Etudes 12 and 14 from György Ligeti’s (70) Etudes for piano Book II are performed for the first time, in Münster.

    18 November 1998 Rocketekya for klezmer clarinet, klezmer fiddle, electronic viola, and double bass by Osvaldo Golijov (37) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Hall, New York.

    Quintet for piano and strings by Elliott Carter (89) is performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium of the Library of Congress, Washington.

    18 November 1999 Trigon for female voice and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (47) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Fantasy—Remembering Roger for violin by Elliott Carter (90) is performed for the first time, in Paine Concert Hall, Harvard University.

    18 November 2003 Snapshot:  Circa 1909 for string quartet by John Corigliano (65) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    18 November 2006 From the Rendition Series for piano with internal electronics by Gordon Mumma (71) is performed for the first time, in Den Bosch, the Netherlands.

    18 November 2007 Sanctuary for percussion quartet and computer processed and spatialized sound by Roger Reynolds (73) is performed completely for the first time, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.  See 4 June 2004 and 7 June 2007.

    18 November 2010 Lichtes Spiel:  ein Sommerstück for violin and chamber orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (58) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    Prometheus for chorus, orchestra, and solo piano by William Bolcom (72) to words of Byron is performed for the first time, in Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa, California.

    18 November 2011 Retracing III for trumpet by Elliott Carter (102) is performed for the first time, in Marjana Kozina Hall, Ljubljana.

    19 November

    19 November 1630 Johann Hermann Schein dies in Leipzig aged 44 years, ten months and 30 days.

    19 November 1760 Lieber König, du bist tot TWV 4:  15, a funeral cantata in honor of King George II of Great Britain by Georg Philipp Telemann (79), is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    19 November 1810 Piano Concerto no.1 by Carl Maria von Weber is performed for the first time, in Mannheim, the composer at the keyboard, on what might be his 24th birthday.

    19 November 1816 On the eve of her departure from Berlin, soprano Caroline Brandt becomes engaged to Carl Maria von Weber (30).

    19 November 1817 Gaspare Spontini (43) becomes a naturalized citizen of France by order of King Louis XVIII.

    19 November 1819 Das Dörfchen D.598 for male voices by Franz Schubert (22) to words of Bürger is performed for the first time, in the Vienna home of Ignaz von Sonnleithner.

    19 November 1825 Jan Václav Vorísek dies of tuberculosis in Vienna, aged 34 years, six months and eight days.  His earthly remains will be interred in Währing Cemetery (Franz Schubert Park).

    19 November 1826 Fanny (21) and Felix Mendelssohn (17) play a four-hand piano version of Felix’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream overture for Ignaz Moscheles.

    19 November 1828 15:00  Franz Peter Schubert dies in his brother’s Vienna apartment, aged 31 years, nine months and 19 days.  Although he suffered from syphilis, the immediate cause of death is still unknown.

    19 November 1834 A setting of Psalm 115 for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Felix Mendelssohn (25) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.

    19 November 1836 Gaetano Donizetti’s (38) dramma lirico L’assedio di Calais to words of Cammarano after DuBelloy is performed for the first time, at Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  The work, produced for the name day of the Neapolitan queen mother, is well received.

    19 November 1837 String Quartet no.4 op.44/2 by Felix Mendelssohn (28) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    19 November 1839 Franz Liszt (28) gives the first of six recitals in Vienna, this one attended by the dowager empress.  He premieres his transcription of the Symphony no.6 of Beethoven (†12).  The concerts are a smashing success.

    19 November 1844 The Serail-Tänze waltz op.5 and the Cytheren-Quadrille op.6 by Johann Strauss (19) are performed for the first time, in Dommayer’s Casino, Heitzing.

    19 November 1849 The Symphony no.4 “Tragic” of Franz Schubert is performed publicly for the first time, in the Buchhändlerbörse, Leipzig on the 21st anniversary of the composer’s death.

    19 November 1850 Domenico Ronzani, the director of Teatro Civico Grande, Trieste, is enjoined by the president of the theatre to warn singers to use only the words of Giuseppe Verdi’s (37) Stiffelio printed in the approved libretto or dire consequences will result.  The work has been heavily censored.

    19 November 1852 Le Carnaval de Venise for piano by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (23) is performed for the first time, in the Royal Palace, Madrid by the composer.

    19 November 1859 Geneviève de Brabant, an opéra-bouffon by Jacques Offenbach (40) to words of Jaime and Tréfeu, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    19 November 1871 Giuseppe Verdi (58) attends a performance of Richard Wagner’s (58) Lohengrin in Bologna, also attended by Arrigo Boito (29).  Verdi is recognized after the second act and applauded for 15 minutes, but refuses to show himself to the crowd.  He brings with him a copy of the score and makes notes on it throughout the performance.  His opinion:  “Impression mediocre.”

    19 November 1875 Symphony no.3 “Polish” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (35) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Incidental music to Barrière’s and Mürger’s play La vie de Bohème by Jules Massenet (33) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre de l’Odéon, Paris.

    19 November 1879 Leos Janácek (25) hears Anton Rubinstein (49) play for the first time, at Leipzig Conservatory.  “I’ve not heard a greater artist!  Not enormous technique, anyone can learn that, but his conception and rendition of compositions—that’s the real artist in him.”  (Tyrrell I, 150)

    19 November 1883 Incidental music to Calderón de la Barca’s play Der Richter von Zalamea by Engelbert Humperdinck (29) is performed for the first time, in the Stadttheater, Cologne.

    19 November 1888 String Quartet no.8 op.80 by Antonín Dvorák (47) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    19 November 1893 An overture and six numbers from the historical tableaux by Jean Sibelius (27), presented on 13 November, are performed for the first time as the Karelia Suite, in Helsinki, conducted by the composer.

    19 November 1898 Hymne an den Gesang for male chorus and orchestra op.21 by Max Reger (25) is performed for the first time, in Weiden, the composer conducting.

    19 November 1911 The first chapter of Jules Massenet’s (69) Mes Souvenirs appears in L’Echo de Paris.  Further installments will continue until July 1912.

    Morceau op.51/3 for piano by Alyeksandr Skryabin (39) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg by the composer.

    19 November 1916 Trois Valses distinguées du précieux dégoûté for piano by Erik Satie (50) is performed for the first time, at the Société Lyre et Palette as part of an exhibition of paintings including works by Matisse and Picasso.

    Arturo Toscanini directs a concert featuring the work of Richard Wagner (†33) in the Teatro Augusteo, Rome.  After a selection from Siegried he begins the Funeral March from Götterdämmerung.  Towards the beginning, a voice in the audience cries out, “This is for the dead of Padua!” referring to a recent air raid on the city which killed hundreds.  Although the young man who said it did not intend it this way, the audience takes it as an attack on the music and joins in with a chorus of nationalistic disdain directed towards the stage.  Toscanini attempts to calm them by playing the national anthem but nothing works.  The performance is abandoned, and Toscanini will leave Rome tomorrow.

    19 November 1923 For the fiftieth anniversary of the union of Pest, Buda, and Obuda into Budapest, two works by the leading Hungarian composers are performed for the first time:  Dance Suite for orchestra by Béla Bartók (42) and Psalmus Hungaricus op.13 for tenor, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Zoltán Kodály (40) to words of Kecskeméti Vég after the Psalms.

    19 November 1924 La giara, a ballet by Alfredo Casella (41) after Pirandello, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    19 November 1928 The Second Rhapsody for violin and piano by Béla Bartók (47) is performed for the first time.  See 25 November 1929.

    19 November 1931 Overture to a Picaresque Comedy for orchestra by Arnold Bax (48) is performed for the first time, in Manchester.  It is very successful.

    19 November 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.

    19 November 1934 Sinfonietta for strings by Albert Roussel (65) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    19 November 1935 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Timon of Athens by Benjamin Britten (21) is performed for the first time, in Westminster Theatre, London.

    Poem for violin and piano by Roy Harris (37) is performed for the first time, at a meeting of the National Association for Composers and Conductors in the New York apartment of Henry Hadley.

    19 November 1936 Johnny Johnson, a musical play by Kurt Weill (36) to words of Green, is performed for the first time, in the 44th Street Theatre, New York.  It is a moderate success.  Weill is particularly praised in the press.

    19 November 1937 Benjamin Britten’s (23) cycle for voice and piano On This Island op.11 to words of Auden is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in London.

    The film A Damsel in Distress with music by George Gershwin (†0) to words of Ira Gershwin is shown for the first time, at Radio City Music Hall, New York.  It includes the song A Foggy Day.

    19 November 1939 The first suite from the film score Descobrimento do Brasil by Heitor Villa-Lobos (52) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro conducted by the composer.  The score was commissioned by the Brazilian Cacao Institute of Bahia.

    19 November 1945 Arthur Honegger’s (53) Sérénade à Angelique for small orchestra is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Zürich.

    19 November 1946 A funeral in memory of Manuel de Falla takes place in the Cathedral of Córdoba, Argentina.

    19 November 1948 Music for Piano by Irving Fine (33) is performed (officially) for the first time, in Boston.  (It may have been performed as many as four times previous to this around the Boston area)

    Suite from “The Quiet One” for orchestra by Ulysses Kay (31) is performed for the first time, in Times Hall, New York conducted by the composer.

    19 November 1949 The Enormous Room, a symphonic poem by David Diamond (34), is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    19 November 1950 Flight for Heaven, a cycle for bass and piano by Ned Rorem (27) to words of Herrick, is performed for the first time, in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

    19 November 1951 A recording of Hans Werner Henze’s (25) radio opera after Kafka Ein Landarzt is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.  See 29 November 1951 and 30 November 1965.

    Le buisson ardent (part 1) op.203 and (part 2) op.171, symphonic poems by Charles Koechlin (†0), are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Concertino d’été op.311 for viola and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (59) is performed for the first time, in Charleston, South Carolina.

    19 November 1953 Plectra and Percussion Dances by Harry Partch (52) are performed for the first time, at the International House, Berkeley, California.

    19 November 1955 Twelve by Eleven for eleven players by Gunther Schuller (29) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    19 November 1957 Leonard Bernstein (39) is named co-Music Director of the New York Philharmonic.

    19 November 1958 The Sogetsu Arts Center opens in Tokyo.  It becomes a center for artistic development in the 1960s including film, video, electronic music, and theatre.

    19 November 1959 Concerto for violin with percussion orchestra by Lou Harrison (42) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    19 November 1963 Fantasy Variations for orchestra by Ulysses Kay (46) is performed for the first time, in Portland, Maine.

    Music for a Celebration for orchestra by Robert Ward (46) is performed for the first time, in Erie, Pennsylvania.

    19 November 1966 Symphony no.6 by Roger Sessions (69) is performed for the first time, in Newark, New Jersey.

    String Quartet no.7 by David Diamond (51) is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.

    19 November 1967 Duo for oboe and bassoon by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†8) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    In Memory of Victor Jowers for clarinet or english horn and piano or harp by Lou Harrison (50) is performed for the first time, at the memorial service in Aptos, California.

    19 November 1968 Fantasia concertante for piano, clarinet, and bassoon by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†9) is performed for the first time, in Sala Cecilia Meireles, Rio de Janeiro.

    19 November 1969 Beauty and the Beast, a ballet by Thea Musgrave (41) to a scenario by Graham after Barbot Villeneuve, is performed for the first time, in Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London.

    Valentine for double bass by Jacob Druckman (41) is performed for the first time, in Composer’s Theatre, New York.

    Contrafactum for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (31) is performed for the first time, in The Auditorium of the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

    19 November 1970 Communication in a Noisy Environment by Gordon Mumma (35) is performed for the first time, in the Automation House, New York.

    19 November 1973 Inauguration Fanfares for brass and timpani by Vladimir Ussachevsky (62) is performed for the first time, at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City.

    19 November 1976 Round, a sound work by Max Neuhaus (37), is inaugurated in the Rotunda of the Old US Customs House, New York.  It exists for three days.

    Trio for violin, cello, and piano by Lejaren Hiller (52) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo, 29 years after it was composed.

    Sonata for violin and piano by Morton Feldman (50) is performed for the first time, in Baird Recital Hall, Buffalo, 31 years after it was composed.

    19 November 1977 A Colone for chorus and 18 instruments by Iannis Xenakis (55) to words of Sophocles, is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    19 November 1981 “Luzifers Traum oder Klavierstuck XIII” no.51, an excerpt from Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (53) opera Samstag aus Licht for bass and piano, is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    Quaint Events from Child Alice part 2 by David Del Tredici (44) is performed for the first time, in Slee Chamber Hall at SUNY Buffalo.  See 23 February 1980, 16 September 1980 and 27 April 1986.

    19 November 1983 Perfect Lives (Private Parts), a video opera by Robert Ashley (53), is performed for the first time, in a television broadcast originating in New York.

    19 November 1988 Quodlibet for women’s voices and orchestra by Mauricio Kagel (56) to words from 15th century chansons is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Municipal, Metz, directed by the composer.

    The Aspern Papers, an opera by Dominick Argento (61) to words of the composer after James, is performed for the first time, in Fair Park Music Hall, Dallas.

    19 November 1993 Juglares for piano-four hands by Joaquín Rodrigo (91) is performed for the first time, in Barcelona 70 years after it was composed.

    19 November 1994 Von Weit for cello and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (42) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    John’s Book of Alleged Dances for string quartet and sampler or tape by John Adams (47) is performed for the first time, in the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

    19 November 1995 A revised version of An den Wassern zu Babel sassen Wir und weitern by Arvo Pärt (60) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.  See 28 April 1984.

    On the Underground Set no.3 (A Medieval Summer) for chorus by Thea Musgrave (67) to words of Chaucer and anonymous is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Smith Square, London.

    19 November 1999 Cantique des degrés for chorus and orchestra by Arvo Pärt (64) to words of the Psalms is performed for the first time, in the Cathedrale de Monte Carlo.

    Know What is Above You for chorus and percussion by Steve Reich (63) to words of Pirkei Avos is performed for the first time, in St. Anne’s Church, Brooklyn.

    19 November 2000 Cecilia, vergine romana for chorus and orchestra by Arvo Pärt (65) to words of the Roman Breviary is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    O Thou Gentle Light for chorus by John Tavener (56) is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Smith Square, London.

    Double Concerto for timpani and orchestra by Philip Glass (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    19 November 2003 Taoist Sacred Dance for piano and flute by Philip Glass (66) is performed for the first time, at Interfaith Center of New York.

    19 November 2004 Pratirùpa for piano and strings by John Tavener (60) is performed for the first time, in the Barbican Center, London.

    Wind, Water, Clouds, and Fire for four choruses, solo instruments, and chamber ensemble by Henry Brant (91) is performed for the first time, in St. John’s Cathedral, Milwaukee.

    19 November 2006 Lullaby for female chorus by Harrison Birtwistle (72) to words of James and Wedderburn is performed for the first time, in Southwark Cathedral, London.

    19 November 2007 Gambreled Tapestry for piano and possible electronic resonances by Gordon Mumma (72) is performed for the first time, by the composer in the Cunningham Dance Studio, New York.

    20 November

    20 November 1518 Pierre de la Rue dies in Kortrijk, aged approximately 66 years.

    20 November 1778 André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry’s (37) opéra-comique Les fausses apparences, ou L’amant jaloux, to words of d’Hèle after Centlivre is performed for the first time, at Versailles.

    20 November 1789 In response to the petition of Ludwig van Beethoven (18), the Archbishop-Elector of Cologne banishes Beethoven’s father to a country village and half his salary is to be paid to the son.  His Eminence cites increased alcoholism and an inability to perform his duties.

    20 November 1805 Leonore (Fidelio), an opera by Ludwig van Beethoven (34) to words of Sonnleithner after Bouilly, is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna with the Leonore Overture no.2.  Those few who review the work are unimpressed.  The hall includes some French officers.  Many of the Viennese aristocrats, traditional supporters of the composer, have fled the city.  As a result, the work is not a success and enjoys only two more performances.  One interested audience member is Luigi Cherubini (45).  See 29 March 1806 and 23 May 1814.

    20 November 1828 Dithyrambe D.801, a song by Franz Schubert (†0) to words of Schiller, is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.

    20 November 1830 Publication of the Concerto for Piano and Orchestra op.113 by Johann Nepomuk Hummel (52) is announced in the Allgemeiner musikalischer Anzeiger, Vienna.

    20 November 1834 Dorothea (Dorette) Spohr, wife of Louis Spohr (50) for 28 years, dies in Kassel.  The composer is devastated by the loss.

    20 November 1841 Samuel Sebastian Wesley (31) tells the Chapter of Exeter Cathedral of his intention to resign.

    20 November 1844 According to the terms of sale, Robert Schumann (34) gives up ownership of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik.

    Trois choeurs religieux by Gioachino Rossini (52) to words of Goubaux, Lucas, and Colet is performed for the first time, at the Salle Troupenas, Paris.

    20 November 1847 Johannes Brahms (14) makes his first public appearance as a pianist in a concert by the violinist Birgfeld.  He plays music of Sigismund Thalberg (35).

    20 November 1850 Incidental music to Gottschall’s play Ferdinand Schill by Albert Lortzing (49) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    20 November 1854 The first meeting of the Neu-Weimar-Verein takes place at the Russischer Hof.  Charter members include Franz Liszt (43) and Peter Cornelius (29), as well as out-of-town members Hector Berlioz (50), Hans von Bülow, Joseph Joachim and Richard Wagner (41).  The purpose of the association is to further the music of the more radical Romantics:  Berlioz, Wagner, Liszt and others.

    20 November 1856 Louis Moreau Gottschalk (27) and Sigismund Thalberg (44) perform Thalberg’s Fantasy on Norma for two pianos, four hands at the Academy of Music, New York.

    20 November 1859 Reiseabenteuer op.227, a waltz by Johann Strauss (34), is performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    20 November 1864 Mass no.1 in d minor for solo voices, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Anton Bruckner (40) is performed for the first time, in Linz Cathedral, directed by the composer.

    Hans von Bülow, his wife and children arrive in Munich and take up residence not far from Richard Wagner (51).  Von Bülow has been appointed “Vorspieler des Königs” at Wagner’s suggestion, but it is a ruse to bring Cosima as close to him as possible.

    20 November 1866 Sextet for Strings no.2 op.36 by Johannes Brahms (33) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    20 November 1868 The earthly remains of Gioachino Rossini (†0) are moved to L'Église de la Trinité for the funeral.  This venue is chosen owing to the number of people desirous of attending.  Giuseppe Verdi (55) writes this day, “A great name has disappeared from the world!  His was the most extensive, the most popular reputation of our time, and it was an Italian glory!”

    20 November 1873 Daniel Gregory Mason is born in Brookline, Massachusetts, the son of Henry Mason, founder of Mason and Hamlin piano and organ builders.  His uncle is William Mason, concert pianist and composer, and he is the grandson of Lowell Mason (†1), composer of hymns.

    20 November 1882 Alyeksandr Skryabin (10) makes his performing debut at the keyboard before the cadet corps at Moscow.  The audience consists of similarly aged boys and invited guests.

    20 November 1884 WS Gilbert presents Arthur Sullivan (42) with the libretto to The Mikado over dinner at the Gilbert residence in London.  Sullivan is pleased and makes suggestions for revision.

    20 November 1887 Sonata in a minor for violin and piano by Ethel Smyth (29) is performed for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

    20 November 1889 Symphony no.1 by Gustav Mahler (29) is performed for the first time, in Budapest, the composer conducting.  The audience response is tepid at best.  Critics range from praise to condemnation.

    20 November 1891 Les veillées d l’Ukraine, a suite for orchestra, violin and harp by Charles Martin Loeffler (30), is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Boston, the composer as soloist.  It is extremely successful.

    20 November 1892 I have sown green for chorus and orchestra by Leos Janácek (38) is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno) the composer conducting.  Also performed is Janácek’s The mosquitoes got married for chorus and orchestra, perhaps for the first time, and the premiere of his orchestral arrangement of Dances from Haná.

    20 November 1894 Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein dies at of heart disease in Peterhof (Petrovonets), aged 64 years, eleven months and 23 days.

    20 November 1895 As part of the bicentennial of the death of Henry Purcell, the Royal College of Music presents, at the Lyceum Theatre, the first performance of Dido and Aeneas since the composer’s life.  The work is directed by Charles Villiers Stanford (43) and the student participants include Ralph Vaughan Williams (23) and Gustav Holst (21).

    20 November 1900 John Alden Carpenter (24) marries Rue Winterbotham in Chicago.  She was educated at private school and in Europe and is the daughter of a wealthy businessman.

    20 November 1901 The conte lyrique Griséldis, words by Silvestre and Morand, music by Jules Massenet (59), is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  It is a financial success, but the critics are mixed.

    20 November 1904 Escenas románticas for piano by Enrique Granados (37) is performed for the first time.

    20 November 1908 Four Songs op.39 for voice and piano by Arthur Foote (55) to words of Baumbach (tr. Bancroft), are performed completely for the first time, in Boston.

    In an official ceremony, the cornerstone is laid for the new Boston Opera House.  Inside the stone is a compartment containing compositions by John Knowles Paine (†2), Edward MacDowell (†0), George Whitefield Chadwick (54), Charles Martin Loeffler (47), Horatio Parker (45), Amy Beach (41) and Frederick S. Converse (37).

    20 November 1910 Quatre morceaux op.56 for piano by Alyeksandr Skryabin (38) are performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg by the composer.

    The poema tragico Semirama by Ottorino Respighi (31) to words of Cerè is performed for the first time, in Teatro Comunale, Bologna.

    20 November 1911 Das Lied von der Erde for solo voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler (†0) to words of Bethge (adapted from the Chinese), is performed for the first time, in Munich.  Bruno Walter conducts.  Anton von Webern (27) and Alban Berg (26) are in the audience.

    20 November 1918 Sergey Prokofiev (27) makes his first well-publicized appearance in the United States, in Aeolian Hall, New York.  It is generally successful with public and critics.  Present is another recent arrival, Sergey Rakhmaninov (45).

    Berceuse du chat, for solo voice and three clarinets by Igor Stravinsky (36) is performed for the first time, in the Salle des agriculteurs, Paris.  This performance is done with piano accompaniment.  See 6 June 1919.

    20 November 1919 Fantaisie for piano and orchestra by Claude Debussy (†1) is performed for the first time, in London.

    20 November 1920 Three ballets arranged by Ottorino Respighi (41), to choreography of Leonidov, are performed for the first time, in Teatro Costanzi, Rome:  La pentola magica, to Russian folk music, Fantasia Indiana, to music of Glinka and Rimsky-Korsakov, and Canzoni arabe, to music of Borodin (†33) and Rimsky-Korsakov.

    20 November 1922 Our Nell, a musical comedy by George Gershwin (24) to a book by Hooker and Thomas and lyrics by Hooker, is performed for the first time, in Stamford, Connecticut. See 4 December 1922.

    20 November 1925 Music for the Theatre, for chamber orchestra by Aaron Copland (25), is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    20 November 1927 The Third Suite from the music to the film Salammbô by Florent Schmitt (57) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    20 November 1929 Richard Strauss (65) meets the writer Stefan Zweig for the first time, at the Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten in Munich.  They begin discussion on a new project, Die schweigsame Frau.

    20 November 1931 Drowsy Dreamtown op.129, a song for soprano, women’s chorus, and piano by Amy Beach (64) to words of Norwood, is performed for the first time, in New York, with the composer at the piano.  The performance is a surprise for Dr. Norwood who is the minister of St. Bartholemew’s Church.

    Esquinas for orchestra by Silvestre Revueltas (31) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Arbeu, Mexico City, directed by the composer.

    20 November 1942 Sonata for two pianos by Paul Hindemith (47) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    20 November 1946 Thema mit vier Variationen (Die vier Temperamente), a ballet by Paul Hindemith (51), is performed for the first time, in the Central High School of Needle Trades, New York.  See 3 September 1940.

    Lillian Hellman’s play Another Part of the Forest with incidental music by Marc Blitzstein (41) makes its New York premiere at the Fulton Theatre.

    20 November 1947 Pope Pius XII issues the encyclical Mediator Dei which allows some forms of “modern music” into the liturgy.

    Princess Elizabeth marries Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten, who becomes Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.  Two Fanfares for the Royal Wedding for brass by Arnold Bax (64) are performed for the first time, at the event in Westminster Abbey, London.

    20 November 1948 Leonard Bernstein (30) conducts members of the Israel Philharmonic in a concert at Beersheba for the Israeli soldiers who liberated it only a month ago.  Among the thousands of listeners, sitting mostly on the ground, are soldiers, airmen, civilians, local Arabs, and a number of camels.  The Egyptians, seeing the mass of people as a possible attack, withdraw troops from the Jerusalem front to counter the expected Israeli assault.

    Calligrammes, a cycle for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (49) to words of Apollinaire, is performed publicly for the first time, in Town Hall, New York, the composer at the keyboard.  See 16 October 1948.

    20 November 1949 Two works by Ralph Vaughan Williams (77) are performed for the first time, privately at the White Gates, Dorking:  An Oxford Elegy for speaker, small chorus, and small orchestra to words of Arnold and Fantasia on the “Old 104th” Pslam Tune for piano, chorus, and orchestra to words from the Bible.  See 6 September 1950 and 19 June 1952.

    Carmel Concerto by John Alden Carpenter (73) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Piano Concerto no.3 by Bohuslav Martinu (58) is performed for the first time, in Dallas.

    20 November 1952 Symphony no.7 by Roy Harris (54) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago conducted by the composer.

    20 November 1953 A revised version of Symphony in One Movement by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (35) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.  See 3 March 1952.

    Nuvoletta op.25 for voice and piano by Samuel Barber (43) to words of Joyce is performed for the first time, in Juilliard Concert Hall, New York.

    20 November 1954 The Little Black Boy for voice and piano by Henry Cowell (57) to words of Blake is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    20 November 1955 Hymn to St. Peter op.56a for chorus and organ by Benjamin Britten (41) is performed for the first time, in St. Peter Mancroft, Norwich.

    20 November 1958 Music for the documentary Péron and Evita by Darius Milhaud (66) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of CBS television, originating in New York.

    20 November 1960 Earth Shall be Fair, a cantata for chorus and orchestra by Robert Ward (43) to words of C. Bax and the Bible, is performed for the first time, in Des Moines, Iowa.

    20 November 1963 The Nationaltheater of Munich housing the Staatsoper opens to an invited audience who see Richard Strauss’ (†14) Die Frau ohne Schatten.  It was reconstructed to its exact appearance before destruction by Allied bombs on 18 October 1943.

    Fanfare for four trumpets and four trombones by Gunther Schuller (37) is performed for the first time, in Madison, Wisconsin.

    20 November 1964 String Quartets nos.9 and 10 by Dmitri Shostakovich (58) are performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.

    Down a Country Lane for school orchestra by Aaron Copland (64) is performed for the first time, in London.

    20 November 1966 Music for cello and piano by Leslie Bassett (43) is performed for the first time, at the California State University at Fresno.

    20 November 1967 Two works for chorus by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†8) are performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro:  Duas lendas ameríndas and Panis angelicus.

    20 November 1968 Tristorosa for piano by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†9) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro 58 years after it was composed.

    20 November 1970 Nenia:  the Death of Orpheus for soprano, three bass clarinets/clarinet, piano/prepared piano, and crotales by Harrison Birtwistle (36) is performed for the first time, in Maida Vale Studios, London.

    20 November 1972 Toccata for piano by George Perle (57) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    20 November 1973 Interval for piano four hands by Karlheinz Stockhausen (45) is performed for the first time, in New York.  The pianists must be blindfolded and they must be friends with each other.

    20 November 1974 Des canyons aux étoiles... for piano, 23 winds, seven percussionists, and 13 strings by Olivier Messiaen (65), composed for the bicentennial of the United States and inspired by Brice Canyon, Utah, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    20 November 1976 Jubilee, an opera by Ulysses Kay (59) to words of Dorr after Walker, is performed for the first time, in Jackson, Mississippi.

    20 November 1977 The Magic Fountain, a lyric drama by Frederick Delius (†43) to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, 82 years after it was completed by the composer.  See 22 June 1997.

    Antiphon for chorus and organ by William Walton (75), to words of Herbert, is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Church, Rochester, New York.  The work was commissioned by St. Paul’s Church to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

    20 November 1980 Liring Ballade for baritone and orchestra by Betsy Jolas (54) to words of Eugène Jolas is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    Sinfonia op.42 for chamber orchestra by Alexander Goehr (48) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Short Sonatas for piano nos.5, 6, and 7 by Otto Luening (80) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    20 November 1981 Pulse Sampler for oboe and claves by Harrison Birtwistle (47) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield Polytechnic Music Hall.

    20 November 1983 Glamour for voice and piano by Arnold Bax (†30) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3, 62 years after it was composed, during the centennial of the composer’s birth.

    Mass for chorus, violin, three trombones, and organ by Charles Wuorinen (45) is performed for the first time, in St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, New York, the composer conducting.

    20 November 1986 "Evas Zauber" no.58 for basset horn, alto flute, chorus, and orchestra, an excerpt from the opera Montag aus Licht by Karlheinz Stockhausen (58) is performed for the first time, in Metz.  See 7 May 1988.

    Palais De Mari for piano by Morton Feldman (60) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    20 November 1987 Tapis for string quintet by Isang Yun (70) is performed for the first time, in Mannheim.

    String Quartet no.2 by John Harbison (48) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.

    20 November 1989 Canons for Ursula for piano by Conlon Nancarrow (77) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    20 November 1992 Love Will Find Out the Way for soprano, two clarinets, viola, cello, and double bass by Robin Holloway (49) to words of Percy is performed for the first time, in Pebble Mill.

    An extended version of Initiale for brass by Pierre Boulez (67) is performed for the first time, in Chicago, conducted by the composer.

    Strict Songs, in the setting for baritone, chorus, and chamber orchestra by Lou Harrison (75) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the University of California at Santa Cruz.  See 18 January 1956.

    20 November 1994 Raumauge for chorus and five percussionists by Wolfgang Rihm (42) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    20 November 1995 Happy Valley Blues for violin, guitar, and double bass by Anthony Davis (44) is performed for the first time, at Pennsylvania State University.

    20 November 2000 Ballade for piano by Robin Holloway (57) is performed for the first time, at Keele University.

    20 November 2005 Three Little Nocturnes for string quartet and accordion by Hans Abrahamsen (52) are performed for the first time, in Huddersfield, England.

    Rip Van Winkle for speaker and orchestra by David Del Tredici (68) to words of Warman, after Irving, is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    20 November 2010 Partitina for piano by Robin Holloway (67) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    20 November 2010 Drifting on Wind and Currents, a poem for orchestra by Samuel Adler (82), is performed for the first time, in Las Vegas.

    20 November 2013 Verwandlung 5 for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (61) is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    On a Drop of Dew for chorus and organ by Robin Holloway (70), to words of Marvell, is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey.

    Fallingwater for violin and strings by Michael Daugherty (59) is performed for the first time, at the Mount View Center for Performing Arts, Mountain View, California.

    21 November

    21 November 1695 Henry Purcell dies at Westminster, aged approximately 36 years.

    21 November 1753 Niccolò Jommelli (39) signs a contract to become Musikdirektor und Oberkapellmeister for Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg in Stuttgart.  The contract becomes effective on 1 January 1754.

    21 November 1772 Elfrida, a dramatic poem by Thomas Augustine Arne (62) to words of Coleman after Mason, is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.

    21 November 1789 I zingari in fiera, a dramma per musica by Giovanni Paisiello (49) to words of Palomba, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Fondo, Naples.

    21 November 1793 Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (30) joins the staff of the Institut National de Musique.

    21 November 1795 L’impegno superato, a commedia per musica by Domenico Cimarosa (45) to words of Diodati, is performed for the first time, in Teatro del Fondo, Naples.

    21 November 1796 Ah! Perfido for soprano and orchestra by Ludwig van Beethoven (25) to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    21 November 1799 William Crotch (24) receives the degree of DMus from Oxford University.  At the occasion, his Ode to Fancy on words of Warton, is performed for the first time.

    21 November 1822 Owing to political unrest, the faculty of the Paris College of Medicine is dismissed and the college is closed.  Hector Berlioz (18), a student for little more than a year, thus ends his regular studies of medicine.

    21 November 1827 Gaetano Donizetti’s (29) farsa Le convenienze teatrali to the composer’s words after Sografi is performed for the first time, in Teatro Nuovo, Naples to good success.

    21 November 1828 A funeral service for Franz Peter Schubert takes place in the Church of St. Joseph, Margereten in the presence of family and some friends. Franz von Schober gives the oration.  Johann Baptist Gänsbacher, director of music at St. Stephen’s, leads the small church choir and some wind instrumentalists in some of his own music, along with one of Schubert.  On a dark, rainy day, the mortal remains of Franz Schubert are laid to rest in Währing Cemetery, Vienna near those of Beethoven (†1).

    21 November 1831 Samuel Sebastian Wesley (21) is appointed evening organist at Hampton Parish Church, Middlesex.

    Robert le Diable, a grand opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer (40) to words of Scribe and Delavigne, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It enjoys enormous critical and popular success and secures the fame of the composer.  The work will be performed thousands of times over the next hundred years throughout the world.

    21 November 1841 At his second concert in Kassel, Franz Liszt (30) has his head circled with a wreath by Louis Spohr (57).  The audience approves.

    21 November 1842 King Friedrich August II of Saxony informs Felix Mendelssohn (33) that he will use the estate of Heinrich Blümner to fund a conservatory in Leipzig.

    21 November 1850 Robert Schumann’s (40) Requiem für Mignon for solo voices, chorus and orchestra to words of Goethe is performed for the first time, in Düsseldorf.

    21 November 1861 Anton Bruckner (37) improvises a fugue on a given eight-bar theme at the organ of the Piaristenkirche, Vienna for the qualification of “Teacher of Harmony and Counterpoint at Conservatoria.”  After the test, one of the adjudicators remarks, “He should have examined us.”

    21 November 1868 4,000 people attend the funeral in memory of Gioachino Rossini at L’Église de la Trinité, Paris  Hundreds of singers, many of them famous, take part in the music, accompanied only by the organ.  Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (86) is in charge of the musical presentation, which features works by Rossini and others.  The streets along the procession to the Pére-Lachaise Cemetery are filled with onlookers.  After many orations, the remains of Gioachino Rossini are laid to rest.  In the evening, performances of Rossini’s music take place at the Théâtre-Italien and the Théâtre-Lyrique.

    21 November 1874 Richard Wagner (61) writes the last note of Götterdämmerung at Wahnfried, his Bayreuth home, thus completing Der Ring des Nibelungen.

    21 November 1876 Overture to Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” by John Knowles Paine (37) is performed for the first time, at the new Sanders Theatre at Harvard University.

    21 November 1880 Part four of Les béatitudes, an oratorio by César Franck (57) to words of the Bible adapted by Colomb, is performed for the first time with orchestra, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.  See 15 June 1891.

    21 November 1886 Romain Bussine and Camille Saint-Saëns (51) resign from the Société national de musique when the committee agrees to allow old and foreign music.  Within a week, César Franck (63) will become president, Vincent d’Indy (35) and Ernest Chausson (31) secretaries, and Gabriel Fauré (41) treasurer.

    21 November 1887 O Salutaris for solo voice and organ by Gabriel Fauré (42) is performed for the first time, in the Madeleine.

    21 November 1890 Scherzino, number 2 of Rêves for piano by Isaac Albéniz (30), is performed for the first time, in London by the composer.

    21 November 1891 Incidental music to Ibsen’s (tr. by Klingenfeld) play Das Fest auf Solhaug by Hugo Wolf (31) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Sonata for violin and piano op.1 by Max Reger (18) is performed for the first time, in Wiesbaden the composer at the keyboard.

    21 November 1892 The Vier Zigeunerlieder op.112/3-6 for vocal quartet and piano by Johannes Brahms (59) are performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    21 November 1894 Incidental music to Antigone, a play by Meurice and Vacquerie after Sophocles, by Camille Saint-Saëns (59), is performed for the first time, in the Comédie-Française, Paris.

    21 November 1895 A grand service of commemoration is held in Westminster Cathedral to mark 200 years since the death of Henry Purcell.  Wreaths are laid at his grave by some of the most notable figures in British music, including Hubert Parry (47) and Charles Villiers Stanford (43).

    21 November 1896 The Noon Witch op.108, a symphonic poem by Antonín Dvorák (55) is performed publicly for the first time, in London.  See 3 June 1896.

    21 November 1899 Melody for violin and piano op.44 by Arthur Foote (46) is performed for the first time, in Fall River, Massachusetts.

    21 November 1901 Feuersnot, an opera by Richard Strauss (37) to words of von Wolzogen, is performed for the first time, at the Dresden Court Opera, under the direction of the composer.  It is a success.

    21 November 1904 Three songs from A Celtic Song Cycle for voice and piano by Arnold Bax (21) to words of MacLeod, are performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London, the composer at the keyboard.  They are Eilidh my Fawn, Closing Doors and At the Last.  See 14 June 1907.

    The Piano Quintet of Béla Bartók (23) is performed for the first time, in Ehrbar Hall, Vienna.

    Several works by George Whitefield Chadwick (50) are performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston, conducted by the composer: Sinfonietta and Symphonic Sketches (movements 1-3), both for orchestra, and A Ballad of Trees and the Master for solo voice and orchestra to words of Lanier.

    21 November 1906 Two Preludes op.37/2, 3, Quasi Valse op.47, Four Preludes op.48 and the Trois morceaux op.45 by Alyeksandr Skryabin (34) are performed for the first time, in Brussels by the composer.

    21 November 1912 Ecce sacerdos magnus for chorus, three trombones, and organ by Anton Bruckner (†16) is performed for the first time, in Vöcklabruck.

    Vincent d’Indy’s (61) choral work Le chant de la cloche op.18 to his own words, after Schiller, is staged for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels.

    21 November 1918 The Dallapiccola family (including Luigi (14)) return to their home in Pisino d’Istria after having been interned in Graz by Austrian authorities who suspected them of Italian nationalism.

    Mélodie for violin or cello and piano by Frank Bridge (39) is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.

    21 November 1920 Two works for piano, Printemps (II) and Saudades do Brasil, by Darius Milhaud (28) are performed for the first time, in Gallerie Montainge, Paris.

    John Alden Carpenter’s (44) orchestration of his song cycle Water Colors to words of Chinese poets (tr. Giles) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    21 November 1925 Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (29) signs his rights to the Termenvox over to the German firm of MJ Goldberg und Söhne GmbH in Berlin.  This is a way for the Soviet Union to enter into western industry.  Anyone interested in the device will think they are dealing with Germans, not Soviets.

    21 November 1926 Concerto for piano and orchestra no.1 by Bohuslav Martinu (35) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    21 November 1929 Gesänge nach altern Gedichten for mezzo-soprano and piano by Ernst Krenek (29) to words of Günther, Weckherlin, and Fleming, is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Schwechtensaal.

    21 November 1930 Proclaimed John Philip Sousa Day by the mayor of Philadelphia, Sousa (76) directs the 52-member Philadelphia Harmonica Band in his new march, Harmonica Wizard.

    21 November 1931 Das Unaufhörliche, an oratorio by Paul Hindemith (36) to words of Benn, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    21 November 1935 Symphony no.6 by Arnold Bax (52) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    Concerto for two pianos by Igor Stravinsky (53) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.  The solo parts are performed by the composer and his son, Svyatoslav Soulima-Stravinsky.

    21 November 1936 Incidental music to Barrie’s play The Boy David by William Walton (34) is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, Edinburgh.  It is an unparalleled flop.

    21 November 1937 The Symphony no.5 by Dmitri Shostakovich (31) is performed for the first time, in the Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall.  One-half hour of applause greets the completion of the performance.  The work reinstates Shostakovich to official favor, although many see it as a description of and reaction to the Stalinist terror.

    21 November 1938 Incidental music to Catto’s play They Walk Alone by Benjamin Britten is performed for the first time, in the Q Theatre, London on the eve of the composer’s 25th birthday.

    21 November 1939 Symphony no.6 op.54 by Dmitri Shostakovich (33) is performed for the first time, in the Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall.  The audience requires the finale to be repeated.

    21 November 1941 Symphony in E flat by Paul Hindemith (46) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    Béla Bartók (60) gives his last solo recital, in Chicago.

    21 November 1945 Cinderella op.87, a ballet by Sergey Prokofiev (54) to a scenario by Volkov, is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow.  See 12 November 1946 and 3 September 1947.

    As part of the 250th anniversary of the death of Henry Purcell, Benjamin Britten’s (31) String Quartet no.2 is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    21 November 1946 March Caprice by Frederick Delius (†12) from the Suite de Trois morceaux caracteristiques for orchestra is performed for the first time, in Central Hall, Westminster 56 years after it was composed.  Also premiered is Delius’ I-Brasil for voice and orchestra or piano to words of Sharp.

    21 November 1947 Le Village Perdu, a film with music by Arthur Honegger (55), is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Symphony no.3 op.30 by Vincent Persichetti (32) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    21 November 1948 Virgil Thomson’s (51) Meditation for orchestra is performed for the first time, in the Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver.

    21 November 1953 Alagoana, Caprichos Brasileiros, a ballet by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (33), is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in Hamburg.  See 15 December 1955.

    21 November 1959 Iridescent Rondo in Old Modes for accordion by Henry Cowell (62) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    21 November 1960 Suites nos. 1 and 2 for chamber orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†1) are performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

    21 November 1964 Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by Easley Blackwood (31) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    21 November 1966 Piano Study no.8 by Charles Ives (†12) is performed for the first time, in New Haven.

    21 November 1967 William Walton (65) receives the Order of Merit.

    21 November 1968 String Quartet no.8 by Charles Villiers Stanford (†44) is performed before a live audience for the first time, at the Savile Club, 49 years after it was composed.  See 20 March 1968.

    Requiems for the Party-Girl for mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra by R. Murray Schafer (35) is performed for the first time, in Vancouver.

    21 November 1969 Gênesis, a symphonic poem and ballet by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†10) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

    33 1/3, for records, gramophones, and audience by John Cage (57) is performed for the first time, at the University of California, Davis.

    21 November 1974 Symphony no.8 by Peter Mennin (51) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    21 November 1975 Piano and Orchestra for the forces inherent in the title by Morton Feldman (49) is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    21 November 1976 The first of two performances of Einstein on the Beach by Philip Glass (39) takes place at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  It is an unexpected hit.

    21 November 1977 Short Sonata for flute and piano by Otto Luening (77) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.

    Impromptu for Roger for piano by Donald Martino (46) is performed for the first time, at Princeton University.

    49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs by John Cage (65) is performed for the first time, at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois.

    21 November 1980 Overture for organ by Peter Sculthorpe (51) is performed for the first time, in Albert Hall, Launceston, Tasmania.

    21 November 1981 The first three parts of Mitternachtsstük for speaker, solo voices, chorus and instruments by Mauricio Kagel (49) to words of Robert Schumann (†125) are performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Municipal, Metz.

    Clarinet Quintet by Harrison Birtwistle (47) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Hall, Huddersfield.

    21 November 1982 The first and third of the 3 ASKO Stücke for winds, string, piano, and marimba by Gottfried Michael Koenig (56) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.  See 21 October 1984.

    21 November 1984 Fremde Szene III for violin, cello, and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (32) is performed for the first time, in Gelsenkirchen as part of the first complete performance of all three Fremde Szenen.

    Concerto Quarternio for violin, flute, oboe, trumpet, and orchestra with recorded voice by Gunther Schuller is performed for the first time, in New York, on the eve of the composer’s 59th birthday.

    21 November 1985 Prelude to Kullervo for tuba and orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (47) is performed for the first time, in St. Peter’s Church, New York.

    21 November 1986 The Flight Into Egypt, a cantata for soprano, baritone, chorus, and orchestra by John Harbison (47), is performed for the first time, at New England Conservatory, Boston.  It will win the Pulitzer Prize.  See 16 April 1987.

    Voiceless Essay for tapes by John Cage (74) is performed for the first time, in Herbst Theatre, San Francisco to a dance by Merce Cunningham.

    21 November 1987 Organ2/ASLSP for organ by John Cage (75) is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    The Characteristics Man for actors, singers, chorus, orchestra, and tape by R. Murray Schafer (54) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    21 November 1988 Akathist of Thanksgiving:  Glory to God for Everything for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by John Tavener (44) to words of Petrov (tr. Mother Thekla) is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey, London.

    21 November 1989 The Hero, a chamber opera by Alyeksandr Vasilyevich Mosolov (†16) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Moscow, 61 years after it was composed.

    One2 by John Cage (77) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England.

    21 November 1990 Strathclyde Concerto no.4 for clarinet and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (56) is performed for the first time, in City Halls, Glasgow, conducted by the composer.

    21 November 1991 Concerto Fantastique for orchestra by Ralph Shapey (70) is performed for the first time, in Mandel Hall of the University of Chicago conducted by the composer.

    21 November 1994 With Letter and Clock for soprano, two clarinets, viola, cello, and double bass by Harrison Birtwistle (60) to words of Celan (tr. Hamburger) is performed for the first time, at King’s College, London.  See 28 April 1996.

    21 November 1995 Les petits métiers for tape by Pierre Henry (67) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.

    String Quartet in F by Benjamin Britten (†19) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, 67 years after it was composed.  Also premiered is Britten’s First Loss for viola and piano, 69 years after it was composed.

    21 November 1996 Transcendental Modulations for orchestra by George Perle (81) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    21 November 2001 Looking Back for violin, viola, cello, and double bass by Peter Sculthorpe (72) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    21 November 2002 Interscriptum for string quartet and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (50) is performed for the first time, in the Konzerthaus, Neuer Saal, Vienna.

    21 November 2004 Voix et Vues planétaires for multimedia by Henri Pousseur (75) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Balsamine, Brussels.

    21 November 2008 String Quartet by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (†38) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    String Quartet no.3 “Leaves of an unwritten diary” by Krzysztof Penderecki (74) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    21 November 2009 O Gloriosa virginum for chorus by Krzysztof Penderecki (75) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Teresa Carreño, Caracas.

    21 November 2010 Two works are performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London:  Nocturne no.2 for piano quartet by Peter Maxwell Davies (76), and Crescent Moon over the Irrational for instrumental ensemble by Harrison Birtwistle (76).

    22 November (St. Cecilia’s Day)

    22 November 1710 Wilhelm Friedemann Bach is born in Weimar.

    22 November 1762 Le roi et le fermier, a comédie mêlée morceaux de musique by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (33) to words of Sedaine after Dodsley, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre-Bourgogne, Paris.

    22 November 1763 A Requiem in C by Johann Adolf Hasse (64) is performed for the first time, for Elector Friedrich August, in Dresden.

    22 November 1771 Today or tomorrow, Leopold (52) and Wolfgang Amadeus (15) Mozart perform at the residence of Albert Michael von Mayr, keeper of the privy purse to Archduke Ferdinand, Governor of Lombardy in Milan.  The music probably includes the premiere of the Symphony K.112.

    Divertimento K.113 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (15) is performed today or tomorrow for probably the first time, in Milan.

    22 November 1772 On St. Cecilia’s Day, Georg Joseph Vogler (23) celebrates his first mass in the presence of the court of Elector Karl Theodor in Mannheim.

    22 November 1795 Ludwig van Beethoven's (24) Twelve Minuets WoO 7 and Twelve German Dances WoO 8 are performed for the first time, at a masked ball in the Vienna Redoutensaal attended by Joseph Haydn (63).

    22 November 1796 Five days after taking the throne, Tsar Pavel of Russia delivers an imperial ukaz appointing Dmitri Stepanovich Bortnyansky (45) to the post of Director of the Imperial Court Cappella.  He also promotes Bortnyansky to the rank of Collegiate Councillor.

    22 November 1808 Two movements of the Messe de Chimay by Luigi Cherubini (48) for three solo voices, solo flute, five winds and strings are performed for the first time, in the village church of Chimay.

    22 November 1815 The Imperial and Royal Landrechte of Lower Austria appoints Johanna van Beethoven guardian of her son Karl and Ludwig van Beethoven (44) co-guardian.

    22 November 1823 Hymne an die heilige Cäcilie for soprano, chorus and organ by Louis Spohr (39) to words of von Calenberg is performed for the first time, in Kassel.  The solo part is sung by the composer’s daughter Emilie.

    22 November 1824 In Berlin for a stay of six weeks, Ignaz Moscheles writes in his diary, “This afternoon...I gave Felix (Mendelssohn) (15) his first lesson, never for a moment forgetting that I was sitting beside a master, not a pupil.

    22 November 1825 Die letzten Dinge, an oratorio by Louis Spohr (41) to words of Rochlitz, is performed for the first time, in Kassel, directed by the composer with piano accompaniment.

    22 November 1827 Hector Berlioz (23) conducts in public for the first time in a performance of his 1825 mass in St. Eustache, Paris.

    22 November 1828 The managers of Covent Garden Theatre, London announce that they are going to remove the gas lights which were installed in 1817 and replace them with candles.  The odor is too much for the patrons.

    22 November 1833 At his first concert as music director in Düsseldorf, Felix Mendelssohn (24) directs a performance of George Frideric Handel’s (†74) Alexander’s Feast.

    22 November 1835 Le cinq Mai:  chant sur la mort de l’Empereur Napoléon for bass, chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (31) to words of de Béranger is performed for the first time, at the Paris Conservatoire.

    22 November 1842 The agreement between Felix Mendelssohn (33) and King Friedrich Wilhelm of Prussia of 26 October is formalized in a Supreme Cabinet Order naming Mendelssohn Generalmusikdirektor for church music.

    22 November 1845 Robert Schumann (35) sees Tannhäuser again and changes his previously hostile view of the score.  He writes to Mendelssohn (36) that he will have to retract most of what he wrote about it.

    22 November 1857 Louis Spohr (73) directs at performance of his opera Jessonda in Kassel.  It is his last act as Hofkapellmeister in Kassel, a post he has held for 35 years.

    Messe solennelle by Ambroise Thomas (46) is performed for the first time, in St.-Eustache, Paris.

    22 November 1859 Cecil James Sharp is born in London.

    22 November 1862 Demolirer Polka op.269 and the waltz Carnevals-Botschafter op.270 by Johann Strauss (37) are performed for the first time, in the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    22 November 1863 Fantasia Sonata in d minor for organ by John Knowles Paine (24) is performed for the first time, by the composer in the Music Hall, Boston.

    22 November 1866 Franz Liszt (55) moves into the Santa Francesca Romana in Rome, where he will live until 1871.

    22 November 1872 Quintet for piano and strings op.5 by Antonin Dvorák (31) is performed for the first time, in Konvikt Hall, Prague.

    22 November 1874 Gabriel Fauré (29) becomes secretary of the Société National de Musique.

    22 November 1879 Leos Janácek (25) attends a concert devoted entirely to the chamber music of Anton Rubinstein (49) at Leipzig Conservatory, Rubinstein at the keyboard.  “When I feel Rubinstein’s compositions I fell extraordinary:  my spirit truly melts, it takes wing, becomes free and, at the moment when I listen to it, paints free pictures for itself…This verve, this speaking ‘to the soul’ I find nowhere else but in his compositions.”  (Tyrrell I, 151).

    22 November 1882 The fourth of the five choruses for mixed chorus In Nature’s Realm op.63, by Antonín Dvorák (41) to words of Hálek, is performed for the first time, in Tábor.

    22 November 1885 Schatz-Walzer op.418 by Johann Strauss (60) is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    22 November 1887 Incidental music to Sophocles’ play Oedipus tyrannus by Charles Villiers Stanford (35) is performed for the first time, in Theatre Royal, Cambridge.

    22 November 1889 Suite no.2 for string orchestra op.21 by Arthur Foote (36) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    22 November 1892 Symphony no.8 by Anton Bruckner (55) is performed for the first time, in a four-hand piano arrangement, in Vienna.  See 18 December 1892.

    22 November 1898 Iris, a melodramma by Pietro Mascagni (34) to words of Illica, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Costanzi, Rome, the composer conducting before a glittering audience which includes Queen Margerita and many aristocrats, Gabriele d’Annunzio, Giacomo Puccini (39), Arrigo Boito (56), and Siegfried Wagner.  It is a popular but not critical success.  Puccini feels that Mascagni did the best he could with a poor libretto.  The rehearsals were a shambles, with the original conductor, Edoardo Mascheroni, storming out and sending off an indignant letter to the press.

    22 November 1900 Shortly after 06:00, Arthur Seymour Sullivan dies at the age of 58 years, six months and nine days, at 58 Victoria Street, Westminster, of a heart attack following years of bronchitis and kidney disease.

    Edward Elgar (43) is awarded an honorary Doctorate of Music by Cambridge University.

    The First Kiss op.37/1, a song by Jean Sibelius (34) to words of Runeberg, is performed for the first time, at Helsinki University.

    22 November 1901 Joaquín Rodrigo Vidre is born at Sagunto, Spain, the youngest of six children born to Vicente Rodrigo Peirats, a landowner, and the youngest of ten children born to Juana Vidre Ribelles.

    22 November 1903 Pope Pius X issues Motu proprio, setting down the proper interpretation and performance of Gregorian Chant.

    22 November 1904 Two songs for voice and piano by Arthur Farwell (32) are performed for the first time, in Pasadena, California:  A Ruined Garden op.14/1 to words of Marston and Requiescat to words of Heyman.

    22 November 1907 Pousse l’amour, an operetta by Erik Satie (41) to words of Féraudy and Kolb, is performed for the first time, at the Comédie-Royale, Paris.

    A Pagan Poem, for orchestra with piano, english horn, and three trumpets obbligato by Charles Martin Loeffler (46) is performed publicly for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.  See 29 October 1907.

    22 November 1909 Suite no.2 for orchestra op.4 by Béla Bartók (28) is given its first complete performance, in Budapest.  See 2 January 1909.

    22 November 1911 Two days after its premiere, Arnold Schoenberg (37) and Anton von Webern (27) play through a piano-four hand version of Gustav Mahler’s (†0) Das Lied von der Erde.  The experience leaves them literally speechless.

    The second and third of the Three Choruses op.6 by Max Reger (38) are performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    22 November 1913 Edward Benjamin Britten is born in Lowestoft, Suffolk, the youngest of four children born to Robert Victor Britten, a dental surgeon, and Edith Rhoda Hockey, an amateur pianist and singer, daughter of a Queen’s Messenger in the Home Office.

    22 November 1922 Du alte Mutter, a song by Charles Ives (48) to words of Vinje (tr. Lobedanz), is performed for the first time, in New York.

    22 November 1925 Gunther Alexander Schuller is born in New York, the son of Arthur Ernst Schuller, a violin player in the New York Philharmonic, and Elsie Bernartz.

    22 November 1927 Funny Face, a musical comedy with book by Smith and Thompson, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (29), is performed for the first time in New York, in the Alvin Theatre.  It includes the song ‘S Wonderful.  This is the first production in the Alvin Theatre and it runs for 244 performances.  See 11 October 1927.

    22 November 1928 Maurice Ravel’s (53) sensually stimulating ballet Boléro is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  Also premiered is Arthur Honegger’s (36) ballet Les noces d’amour et de psyché to a scenario by Rubinstein, and Darius Milhaud’s (36) ballet La bien-aimée.  See 11 January 1930.

    22 November 1930 Two works by Ottorino Respighi (51) are performed for the first time, in Siena:  Lauda per la natività del Signore for three solo voices, chorus, and nine players to words attributed to Jacopone da Todi, and Suite della tabacchiera for two flutes, two oboes, two bassoons, and piano four hands.  Both are directed by the composer.

    22 November 1932 Thème et variations for violin and piano by Olivier Messiaen (23) is performed for the first time, in Salle Debussy, Paris the composer at the keyboard.

    22 November 1936 Cello Concerto by Willem Pijper (42) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    22 November 1938 Set Me as a Seal Upon Thine Heart, for chorus by William Walton (36) to words from the Bible, is performed for the first time, at St. Mary Abbots, London.

    22 November 1940 Jeune France is founded by Pierre Schaeffer (30) and several others “to receive all artistic and cultural projects and to provide work for young, unemployed artists...”

    A suite from the ballet The Incredible Flutist by Walter Piston (46) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.  See 30 May 1938.

    22 November 1942 Hymn to Saint Cecilia op.27 for chorus by Benjamin Britten to words of Auden is performed for the first time, in a recording over the airwaves of the BBC Home Service, on the saint’s day and the composer’s 29th birthday.

    Ritornels for piano by Bohuslav Martinu (51) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    22 November 1943 Violin Concerto by Arnold Bax (60) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Home Service.

    22 November 1944 Zoya, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (38), is shown for the first time.

    Henry V, a film with music by William Walton (42), is shown for the first time, at the Carlton, Haymarket, London.

    22 November 1945 As part of the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the death of Henry Purcell, Benjamin Britten’s The Holy Sonnets of John Donne op.35, a cycle for voice and piano, is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London by Peter Pears and the composer on his 32nd birthday.

    22 November 1946 Serenade no.4 op.28 for violin and piano by Vincent Persichetti (31) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    Piano Concerto no.3 by Ernst Krenek (46) is performed for the first time, in Northrup Auditorium, Minneapolis.  The conductor, Dmitri Mitropoulos, is also piano soloist.

    22 November 1947 The Voice Out of the Whirlwind for chorus and organ or orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (75) to words from the Bible, is performed for the first time, in St. Sepulchre, Holborn.

    22 November 1959 Hausmusik for seven different chamber combinations by Ernst Krenek (59) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RIAS, Berlin.

    22 November 1964 Five Shakespearean Songs for baritone and orchestra by Gunther Schuller is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the composer conducting on his 39th birthday.

    The Salle Claude-Champagne (73) opens in Montreal with a retrospective concert of the works of the dedicatee.  It is the first retrospective concert devoted to the symphonic works of a Canadian composer.

    22 November 1969 Sonata for violin and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (34) is performed for the first time, in Kuybyshev.

    22 November 1972 Wedding Telegram (for Gary Kettel) for soprano and instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (38) to his own words is performed for the first time, at The Place, London conducted by the composer.

    22 November 1973 “Ceylon”, no.17 of Für kommende Zeiten by Karlheinz Stockhausen (45), is performed for the first time, in Metz.

    22 November 1974 Quattro for two trumpets and two trombones by Sofia Gubaidulina (43) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Gitimalya for marimba and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (44) is performed for the first time, in Rotterdam.

    Enivrez-vous, “concerts spontanés et dansés” by Pierre Henry (46) and Carolyn Carlson is performed for the first time, tonight and tomorrow night at Sigma 9 de Bordeaux.

    22 November 1978 Symphony no.4 by Easley Blackwood (45) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    22 November 1981 Thirty Pieces for Five Orchestras by John Cage (69) is performed for the first time, in Pont-à-Mousson, near Metz, France.  Also premiered is Komboï for amplified harpsichord and percussion by Iannis Xenakis (59).

    22 November 1985 Night covers up the rigid land for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (†8) to words of Auden, is performed for the first time, in London 48 years after it was composed, on the 72nd anniversary of the composer’s birth.

    22 November 1986 Two works by Benjamin Britten (†9) are performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London on the 73rd anniversary of his birth:  A Poison Tree for voice and piano to words of Blake 53 years after it was composed, and Introduction and Allegro for violin, cello, and piano 56 years after it was composed.

    Salute for orchestra by Steve Reich (50) is performed for the first time, in Houston.

    22 November 1987 Dithyrambi for chorus and instruments by Carl Orff (†5) to words of Schiller is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    22 November 1988 Birthday Song for Erwin by Benjamin Britten (†11) to words of Duncan is performed publicly for the first time, in London 43 years after it was composed on the 75th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

    22 November 1989 Little Suite no.1 and Little Suite no.2 for piano by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (†25) are performed for the first time, in Cologne, 63 years after they were composed.

    22 November 1991 Das Rot, six poems for high voice and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (39) to words of von Günderrode, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    22 November 1992 Their Lonely Betters by Ned Rorem (69) to words of Auden is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    22 November 1997 Quatuor VI “avec clarinette” for clarinet and string trio by Betsy Jolas (71) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France.

    22 November 1998 Celestial Dinner Music for flute and harp by William Bolcom (60) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    22 November 2002 Music for Organ by Leslie Bassett (79) is performed for the first time.

    22 November 2009 Broken Psalm for chorus and organ by Alexander Goehr (77) is performed for the first time, in the chapel of St. John’s College, Cambridge.

    Psalm 121 and Psalm 39 for chorus and organ by Robin Holloway (66) are performed for the first time, in Caius College Chapel, Cambridge.

    23 November

    23 November 1758 Thomas Augustine Arne’s (48) masque The Sultan, or Solyman and Zaide is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.

    23 November 1781 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (25) and Josepha Barbara Auernhammer give the first performance of the Sonata for two pianos K.448 at a private concert at her residence in Vienna.

    23 November 1785 King Carlos III of Spain agrees to give Luigi Boccherini (42) the first cello position to open and to support him in the interim.

    23 November 1791 Publication of Jan Ladislav Dussek’s (31) Harp Concerto C.53 is announced in The Times of London.

    23 November 1793 Joseph Haydn (61) writes to Maximilian Franz, Elector-Archbishop of Cologne, sending him some of Ludwig van Beethoven’s (22) compositions and saying that “Beethoven will in time attain the rank of the great musical artists of Europe, and I shall be proud to call myself his teacher.”  (Heartz, 707)  He also asks the Elector to increase Beethoven’s stipend.

    23 November 1801 Volume One of Muzio Clementi’s (49) Clementi’s Practical Harmony is published in London.

    23 November 1802 Joanna, an opéra by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (39) to words of Marsollier des Vivetières, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.  It is not well received and will be performed only eight times.

    23 November 1826 Franz Schubert’s (29) song Der Einsame D.800 to words of Lappe is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    23 November 1834 Harold in Italy, a symphony for viola and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (30) is performed for the first time, in the Salle du Conservatoire, Paris.  On the same program are two songs for soprano and orchestra by Berlioz:  La captive to words of Hugo and the orchestraton of Le jeune pâtre breton to words of Brizeux.  See 22 December 1833.

    23 November 1845 Die Österreicher op.22, a waltz by Johann Strauss (20), is performed for the first time, at the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    23 November 1856 Franz Liszt (45) conducts two of his symphonic poems, Les Preludes and Orpheus, at a concert at St. Gall, Switzerland.  Richard Wagner (43), who conducts the Eroica Symphony on the same program, is enormously impressed with both of them, and calls Orpheus “a totally unique masterpiece of the highest perfection.”

    23 November 1862 Richard Wagner (49) reads his poem Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in the home of Dr. Josef Standhartner in Vienna.

    Bluette op.271, a polka française by Johann Strauss (37), is performed for he first time, in the Redoutensaal, Vienna.

    23 November 1866 The Waltzes op.39 for piano four hands by Johannes Brahms (33) are performed for the first time, in Oldenburg, by Clara Schumann (47) and Albert Dietrich.  See 17 March 1867 and 15 November 1868.

    23 November 1867 Ballades op.10/1&4 for piano by Johannes Brahms (34) are performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Robinson Crusoé, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (48) to words of Cormon and Crémieux after Defoe, is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.

    23 November 1876 06:00  Manuel María de los Dolores Clemente Ramón del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús de Falla y Matheu is born in Cádiz, first of five children born to José María de Falla Franco, an export merchant, and María Jesús Matheu Zabala, daughter of an industrialist.  Both parents come from wealthy families.

    23 November 1879 Stabat mater for six solo voices and string quartet by Ferruccio Busoni (13) is performed for the first time, in Graz, conducted by the composer.

    23 November 1888 Maurice Ravel (13) meets the 13-year-old Ricardo Viñes in Paris.  As a virtuoso pianist, Viñes will become a major exponent and champion of Ravel’s music.

    23 November 1899 Kate and the Devil, a comic opera by Antonín Dvorák (58) to words of Wenig, is performed for the first time, at the National Theatre, Prague.

    23 November 1903 The second movement of a String Quartet in A by Arnold Bax (20) is performed for the first time, in a student concert of the Royal Academy of Music in St. James’ Hall, London.

    23 November 1904 The first concert of the Vereinigung Schaffender Tonkünstler in Wien takes place in Vienna, conducted by the group’s honorary president, Gustav Mahler (44).  It has been set up to mirror the Secession movement in visual arts.

    23 November 1906 Enrico Caruso is found guilty of “molesting a woman in the monkey house in the Central Park Zoo (New York) by touching her left forearm with his right elbow.”  The court fines the tenor ten dollars.

    23 November 1916 Two piano works by Gabriel Fauré (71), the Barcarolle no.12 op.106 and the Nocturne no.12 op.107, are performed for the first time, at the Concerts Durand, Paris.  Also on the program is the premiere of Elégie op.143 for violin and piano by Camille Saint-Saëns (81), the composer at the keyboard.

    23 November 1918 The first general meeting of the Verein für Musikalische Privataufführungen (Society for Private Performances) is held in Vienna.  An executive committee is elected.  Arnold Schoenberg (44) is named President.

    23 November 1920 Symphonic Variations for piano and orchestra by Arnold Bax (37) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  It is very successful with the audience.

    Concertino for string quartet by Igor Stravinsky (38) is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 11 November 1952.

    23 November 1921 Kát’a Kabanová, an opera by Leos Janácek (67) to his own words after Ostrovsky, is performed for the first time, at the National Theatre, Brno.

    23 November 1922 Trois rag caprices op.78 for piano by Darius Milhaud (30) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  Also premiered is Milhaud’s Le retour de l’enfant prodigue op.42 for five voices and orchestra.

    23 November 1927 Vom Tod im Wald, a ballad for bass and ten winds by Kurt Weill (27) to words of Brecht, is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, Berlin.

    23 November 1928 Pilgrim’s Progress, an oratorio by Granville Bantock (60), is performed for the first time, in London.

    A Toccata for piano and orchestra by Ottorino Respighi (49) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York, the composer at the keyboard.

    The festival overture Chanticleer by Daniel Gregory Mason (55) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    The first known performance of orchestral music by Heitor Villa-Lobos (41) in the United States takes place when Leopold Stokowski directs the Philadelphia Orchestra in Danças características africanas in Philadelphia.

    23 November 1931 An orchestral suite from Béla Bartók’s (50) ballet The Wooden Prince is performed for the first time, in Budapest.  See 12 May 1917.

    23 November 1932 Caixinha de boas festas, an unfinished ballet by Heitor Villa-Lobos (45), is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.  See 8 December 1932.

    23 November 1933 Krzysztof Penderecki is born in Debica, Krakow District, Poland, the second of three children born to Tadeusz Penderecki, a lawyer, and Zofia Wittgenstein, daughter of a bank director.

    L’annonce faite à Marie op.117 for vocal quartet and chamber ensemble by Darius Milhaud (41) to words of Claudel is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 21 January 1934.

    23 November 1934 Piano Concerto no.1 by Darius Milhaud (42) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Aaron Copland’s (34) Short Symphony is performed for the first time, in Mexico City conducted by Carlos Chávez (35).

    23 November 1936 Incidental music to Afinogenov’s play Hail, Spain by Dmitri Shostakovich (30) is performed for the first time, in the Pushkin Theatre of Drama, Leningrad.

    23 November 1937 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth by Darius Milhaud (45) is performed for the first time, in the Old Vic, London.

    23 November 1939 Variations on a Hungarian Folksong, the “Peacock” Variations for orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (56), is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.

    23 November 1940 Piano Quintet op.57 by Dmitri Shostakovich (34) is performed publicly for the first time, in the Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall, the composer at the keyboard.  This work wins Shostakovich a Stalin Prize.

    La Coronela, a ballet by Silvestre Revueltas (†0), is performed for the first time, in Mexico City.

    23 November 1941 Sonata for english horn and piano by Paul Hindemith (46) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    23 November 1944 Ode to Napoleon Buonaparte for speaker, piano, and string quartet by Arnold Schoenberg (70) to words of Byron, is performed for the first time, in New York.  This first performance is for string orchestra.

    23 November 1945 On Stage for orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (32) is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    23 November 1952 Song of Peace for children’s chorus by Zoltán Kodály (69) to words of Weöres, is performed for the first time.

    Two Meditations for organ by Ulysses Kay (35) is performed for the first time, at Fisk University, Nashville.

    23 November 1956 Henry Cowell’s (59) Variations for Orchestra is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    23 November 1958 Prophecy for unison chorus and piano by Peter Sculthorpe (29) to words of the Bible, is performed for the first time, in Birmingham, Great Britain.

    23 November 1959 Roger Sessions’ (62) String Quintet is performed completely for the first time, in New York.

    23 November 1961 Five Days, Five Nights, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (55), is shown for the first time, in Moscow.

    Francette a Piá for orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†2) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    23 November 1963 The newly reconstructed Nationaltheater of Munich opens to the public with Richard Wagner’s (†80) Die Meistersinger.

    23 November 1967 At a service commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Église de la Sainte-Trinité in Paris, Olivier Messiaen (58) improvises at the organ.  These improvisations will become the basis of Méditations sur la mystère de la Sainte Trinité.

    23 November 1970 Funktion Violett for tape by Gottfried Michael Koenig (44) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht.

    23 November 1971 Fairy-Tale Poem for orchestra by Sofiya Gubaidulina (40) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    23 November 1973 Incenters for orchestra by Jacob Druckman (45) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.  See 7 May 1968.

    23 November 1974 Dança dos mosquitos for orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†15) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, 52 years after it was composed.

    23 November 1975 By Bernstein, a revue consisting of unpublished theatre songs by Leonard Bernstein (57), is performed for the first time, in New York.

    23 November 1980 Vocalise for violin and harp by TJ Anderson (52) is performed for the first time, at Webster College, St. Louis, Missouri.

    23 November 1983 78 years after it was composed, From the Uplands to the Sea for voice and two pianos by Arnold Bax (†30) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3 during the centennial of the composer’s birth.

    Parts of the Polish Requiem for four solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (50) are performed for the first time, in Washington on the composer’s 50th birthday.

    23 November 1991 Trio no.2 for oboe, bassoon, and piano by Conlon Nancarrow (79) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.

    23 November 1993 Variations on Bach’s Sarabande from the English Suite in e minor for winds and timpani by Alexander Goehr (61) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Hall, Huddersfield.

    Forever and Ever for hyperviolin and orchestra by Tod Machover (40) is performed for the first time, in the Ordway Theatre, St. Paul, Minnesota.

    23 November 1999 Sechs Gesänge aus dem Arabischen for tenor and piano by Hans Werner Henze (73) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    23 November 2000 My Heart is in the Highlands for alto and organ by Arvo Pärt (65) is performed for the first time before a live audience, in the Cathedral of Saluzzo, Italy.  See 25 May 2000.

    23 November 2003 Seven Desires for guitar by Tan Dun (46) is performed for the first time, in the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    23 November 2004 The British Academy of Composers & Songwriters presents a Fellowship of the Academy to John Adams (57) at the Barbican, London.

    23 November 2005 Laudate Dominum for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (71) to Psalm 150 is performed for the first time.

    23 November 2007 Grande toccata for tape by Pierre Henry (79) is  performed for the first time.

    23 November 2008 A Birthday Card for Prince Charles for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (74), to celebrate the 60th birthday of Prince Charles, is performed for the first time, at Buckingham Palace.

    24 November

    24 November 1474 Guillaume Du Fay dies in Cambrai, aged approximately 77 years.

    24 November 1722 Johann Adam Reincken dies in Hamburg, aged approximately 79 years.

    24 November 1759 Der neue krumme Teufel.  Eine Opera Comique, a newly written stage work by Joseph Kurz with music from Der krumme Teufel, an earlier Singspiel by Franz Joseph Haydn (27), is performed for the first time, in the Kärntnertortheater, Vienna.

    24 November 1767 Ernelinde, princesse de Norvège, a tragédie lyrique by François-André Danican-Philidor (41) to words of Poinsinet after Silvani, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is a succès d’estime and will be withdrawn.

    24 November 1778 L’avaro deluso, o Don Calandrino, a dramma giocoso by Antonio Sacchini (48) to words of Andrei after Bertati, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, London.

    24 November 1791 Joseph Haydn (59), invited by the Prince of Wales, visits the Prince’s brother Frederick, Duke of York at Oatlands.  The Duke was married yesterday in Buckingham Palace to Princess Friederike Charlotte Ulrike, daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia.  This wedding was only to satisfy British law as the couple was already married in Germany.  Haydn stays for two days and is a big favorite.

    With a performance of Sebastiano Nasolini’s Teseo a Stige, Emperor Leopold II reestablishes opera seria in Vienna.

    24 November 1800 Das Waldmädchen, a romantic comic-opera by Carl Maria von Weber (14) to words of von Steinsberg, is performed for the first time, in the Buttermarkt, Freiberg.

    24 November 1808 Johann Friedrich Reichardt, on the eve of his 56th birthday, arrives in Vienna.  He is Directeur général des théâtres et de son orchestre to Hieronymus Bonaparte, King of Westphalia since 1807.  When he arrives in the city, he is surprised to learn that Ludwig van Beethoven (37) has been offered his job.

    24 November 1812 L’occasione fa il ladro, a burletta per musica by Gioachino Rossini (20) to words of Prividali after Scribe, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.  The reaction of the public is tepid.

    24 November 1822 Gioachino Rossini’s (30) cantata La Santa Alleanza to words of Rossi is performed for the first time, in the Arena, Verona, commissioned by Prince Metternich for the Congress of Verona as a celebration of the Holy Alliance.

    24 November 1824 A Credo in D for chorus and orchestra by Gaetano Donizetti (26) is performed for the first time.

    24 November 1826 Three Songs op.65 by Franz Schubert (29), Lied eines Schiffers an die Dioskuren D.360 and Heliopolis I D.753, both to words of Mayrhofer, and Der Wanderer D.649 to words of Schlegel, are published in Vienna.

    24 November 1833 A concert for the benefit of Hector Berlioz (29) and Harriet Smithson, to help pay off their (mostly her) debts, takes place at the Théâtre-Italien.  Financially a success, artistically it is a fiasco. It begins an hour late.  Scenes from Shakespeare and Dumas are acted by Smithson and others and the performance of (mostly) Berlioz’ music does not begin until 23:30.  Franz Liszt’s (22) rendition of Weber’s (†7) Concertstück is the one bright spot of the evening.  By his own admission, Berlioz conducts badly.  The hour is so late, some orchestra musicians go home, as do many of the audience.

    24 November 1836 Richard Wagner (23) marries Christine Wilhelmine (Minna) Planer, an actress, in Tragheim near Königsberg (Kaliningrad).

    24 November 1839 Roméo et Juliette, a symphonie dramatique for solo voices, double chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (35) to words of Deschamps after Shakespeare, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Conservatoire, conducted by the composer.  Dedicated to Nicolò Paganini (57), it is an unquestioned triumph.  Richard Wagner (26), present either today or 1 December, is very impressed.

    24 November 1852 Zehner-Polka op.121 by Johann Strauss (27) is performed for the first time, in the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    24 November 1858 Franz Liszt (47) writes from Weimar to the poet, Ludwig Eckardt, “Art is for us none other than the mystic ladder from earth to Heaven--from the finite to the Infinite--from mankind to God:  an everlasting aspiration and impulse towards redemption through love!”  (Williams, 351)

    Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka op.214 by Johann Strauss (33) is performed for the first time, in “Zum großen Zeisig,” Vienna.

    24 November 1861 John Knowles Paine (22) enters upon duties at West Church in Boston.

    24 November 1864 Herbstlied for two sopranos, male chorus and piano by Anton Bruckner (40) to words of von Sallet is performed for the first time, in Linz, the composer conducting.

    24 November 1866 A Concerto for cello and orchestra by Arthur Sullivan (24) is performed for the first time, in the Crystal Palace, London.

    24 November 1869 Louis Moreau Gottschalk (40) directs an enormous performance of 650 musicians in the Theatro Lyrico Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro.  Included is the first performance of his orchestral work, Marche solennelle.

    24 November 1873 Ferruccio Busoni (7) appears as pianist for the first time in public, at the Schiller-Verein in Trieste.  He plays music of Mozart (†81), Schumann (†17), and Clementi (†41).

    24 November 1874 The second version of King and Charcoal Burner, a comic opera by Antonin Dvorák (33) to words of Lobesky, is performed for the first time, at the Prague Provisional Theatre.

    24 November 1877 Claude Debussy (15) competes in the harmony class of Emile Durand, unsuccessfully.  Durand thinks him “very gifted” in harmony but criticizes “a discouraging thoughtlessness.”

    24 November 1882 After repeated urgings from Mily Balakirev (45) to compose a work on Byron’s Manfred, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (42) writes to him totally rejecting the idea.  See 23 March 1886.

    Pianist and teacher Ernst Perabo plays a concert in Boston where he performs a piece entitled For Amy:  A Musical Sketch.  It is in honor of his very talented pupil for the last six years, Amy Cheney (15).

    24 November 1886 Sonata for cello and piano no.2 op.99 by Johannes Brahms (53) is performed for the first time, in the Kleiner Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, the composer at the keyboard.

    24 November 1888 Erik Satie (22) advertises the publication of the third of his Trois Gymnopédies.  “To the musical public, we cannot recommend this essentially artistic work too highly.  It is a work which rightly stands among the most beautiful of the century in which this unfortunate gentleman was born.”

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (48) fantasy-overture Hamlet is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg, conducted by the composer.

    24 November 1891 Jean Sibelius (25) appears for the first time as conductor, in Helsinki.

    24 November 1900 The Symphony no.1 by Alyeksandr Skryabin (28), without the sixth movement or a chorus, is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.  See 29 March 1901.

    24 November 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.

    24 November 1904 Novelletten for string quartet by Frank Bridge (25) is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music.

    24 November 1907 Fantaisie op.28 for piano by Alyeksandr Skryabin (35), is performed for the first time.

    Gustav Mahler (47) marks his farewell to Vienna with a performance of his Resurrection Symphony at a concert of the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde.  He is recalled 30 times with emotional applause, and is himself moved to tears.

    24 November 1909 Three works by Frank Bridge (30) are performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London:  Allegro appassionato for viola and piano, the third of the Three Dances for violin and piano, and Pensiero for viola and piano.

    24 November 1918 Ernest MacMillan (25) departs Ruhleben, Germany after almost four years of internment.

    Belvedere, the third of the Songs of Hradcany by Leos Janácek (62) for soprano, female chorus, flute, and harp, to words of Procházka, is performed for the first time, in Brno.

    24 November 1919 Piano Sonata no.2 by Arnold Bax (36) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    The definitive version of the Symphony no.5 by Jean Sibelius (53) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki in the presence of President Kaarlo Ståhlberg, the composer conducting.  He also directs the premiere of his Six Humoresques for violin and orchestra opp.87&89.  The newly revised symphony is highly lauded.

    24 November 1920 Two works for string quartet by Charles T. Griffes (†0) are performed for the first time, in New York:  Allegro energico ma maestoso and Two Sketches Based on Indian Themes.

    24 November 1924 After ten days of X-ray treatments for throat cancer in Brussels, Giacomo Puccini (65) undergoes an operation for the ailment.  The four-hour procedure places seven radioactive needles around the tumor in his throat.

    24 November 1925 Igor Stravinsky’s (43) Suite no.2 for orchestra, an arrangement of the Three Easy Pieces and Five Easy Pieces for piano four hands, is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.

    Tip Toes, a musical comedy with book by Bolton and Thompson, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (27), is performed for the first time in Washington.  See 28 December 1925.

    24 November 1926 Siesta for small orchestra by William Walton (24) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London, the composer conducting.

    24 November 1932 Quattro Canzoni for tenor and orchestra by Werner Egk (31) are performed for the first time, in Munich.

    24 November 1934 Alfred Garryevich Schnittke is born in Engels (Boronsk) in the Autonomous Republic of the Volga Germans, USSR, the son of Harry (Garry) Viktorovich Schnittke, a journalist and translator, and Maria Iosifovna Vogel, a German teacher.

    24 November 1936 The First Suite op.64a from Sergey Prokofiev’s (45) unperformed ballet Romeo and Juliet is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  See 30 December 1938.

    Nadia Boulanger (49) conducts a concert of the Royal Philharmonic in Queen’s Hall, London.  It is the first time a woman has conducted this orchestra.

    24 November 1938 Peer Gynt, an opera by Werner Egk (37) to his own words after Ibsen, is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Staatsoper conducted by the composer.

    24 November 1940 Four Irish Tales for piano and orchestra by Henry Cowell (43) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of radio station WNYC, originating in New York the composer at the keyboard.

    Music for the radio play The Dynasts after Hardy by Benjamin Britten (27) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBS radio network originating in New York.

    24 November 1944 The Seven Lively Arts, a musical revue with music partly by Igor Stravinsky (62) (Scènes de ballet), opens in the Forrest Theatre, Philadelphia.  See 7 December 1944.

    Circus Overture for chamber orchestra by William Schuman (34) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.  See 17 December 1944.

    Rounds for string orchestra by David Diamond (29) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    24 November 1947 The full orchestra version of The Cradle Will Rock by Marc Blitzstein (42) is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in City Center, New York conducted by Leonard Bernstein (29).  Bernstein decided to stage it in direct confrontation to the increasing attacks on the Left and the labor movement in the Congress and the country.

    24 November 1948 Organum for orchestra by Carl Ruggles (72) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.  See 20 April 1947.

    24 November 1950 In the midst of a coast-to-coast United States tour, Benjamin Britten (37) and Peter Pears meet Igor Stravinsky (68) in his Hollywood home.

    24 November 1953 Tod Machover is born in Mount Vernon, New York, the son of a computer graphics expert and a pianist.

    24 November 1956 Alagoana, a ballet suite for orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (38), is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.

    24 November 1957 Two Russian Folksongs op.104, a setting for chorus by Dmitri Shostakovich (51), is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    24 November 1959 James Joyce Songs op.74, a cycle for voice and piano by Vincent Persichetti (44), is performed for the first time, in Fleischer Auditorium, Philadelphia.

    24 November 1961 Excerpts of Atlántida, a scenic cantata by Manuel de Falla (†15) to his own words, after Verdaguer, completed by Halffter, are performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in Teatre Liceu, Barcelona.  See 18 June 1962.

    Gloria for alto, tenor, bass, chorus, and orchestra by William Walton (59) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield Town Hall, to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Huddersfield Choral Society.

    24 November 1965 Soli no.3 for bassoon, trumpet, viola, timpani, and orchestra by Carlos Chávez (66) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Südwestfunk, originating in Baden-Baden.

    Quick are the Mouths of Earth for chamber ensemble by Roger Reynolds (31) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.

    24 November 1968 Organologia for organ by Ernst Krenek (68) is performed for the first time, in the Petri-Kirche, Mülheim.

    24 November 1969 Funktion Indigo for tape by Gottfried Michael Koenig (43) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht.

    Chamber Symphony by TJ Anderson (41) is performed for the first time, in Nashville.

    24 November 1970 Symphony no.3 for solo voices, chamber chorus, double chorus, and orchestra by George Rochberg (52) is performed for the first time, in the Juilliard Theatre, New York.

    24 November 1972 An alternative version of Blind Man’s Buff, a masque for soprano, mezzo-soprano, mime, and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (38) to his own words after nursery rhymes and Büchner, is performed for the first time, at The Place, London, conducted by the composer.

    24 November 1973 Three Dances op.34 for orchestra by Henryk Górecki (39) is performed for the first time, in Rybnik.

    24 November 1976 String Quartet no.2 “Waves” by R. Murray Schafer (43) is performed for the first time, in Vancouver.

    24 November 1980 Palin for piano by John Tavener (36) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    Fantasy Variations for cello by Shulamit Ran (31) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    24 November 1981 Symphony no.47 “Walla Walla, Land of Many Waters” by Alan Hovhaness (70) is performed for the first time, in Walla Walla, Washington.

    24 November 1982 ¿Donde estas hermano? for two sopranos, mezzo-soprano, and alto by Luigi Nono (58) is performed for the first time, in the Musikhochschule, Cologne.  The work is dedicated “For the disappeared of Argentina.”  Also premiered is Mit geschlossenem Mund for eight voices by Wolfgang Rihm (30).

    Concerto for piano and orchestra no.2 by Gunther Schuller (57) is performed for the first time, in Mainz, the composer conducting.

    24 November 1986 Songs from Liquid Days, a cycle for voice and various instruments by Philip Glass (49) to words of Simon, Vega, Byrne, and Anderson, is performed for the first time.

    24 November 1989 Eros Piano for piano and orchestra by John Adams (42) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London conducted by the composer.

    Four for string quartet by John Cage (77) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield.

    24 November 1991 Youth, an overture for orchestra by Karel Husa (70), is performed for the first time, at the Seattle Opera House.

    24 November 1992 Eternal Memory for cello and strings by John Tavener (48) is performed for the first time, in the Michael Fowler Centre, Wellington, New Zealand.

    Strathclyde Concerto no.7 for double bass and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (58) is performed for the first time, in City Halls, Glasgow, the composer conducting.

    Alleluia for chorus by William Bolcom (54) is performed for the first time.

    24 November 1993 Two works by Peter Maxwell Davies (59) are performed for the first time, in City Halls, Glasgow, the composer conducting:  Strathclyde Concerto no.8 for bassoon and orchestra, and A Spell for Green Corn:  The MacDonald Dances.

    24 November 1994 The Spanish Lady, an opera by Edward Elgar (†60) to words of Jackson and the composer after Jonson, is performed for the first time, in West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge 61 years after it was composed.  See 15 May 1986.

    24 November 1995 Flute Concerto by John Harbison (56) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    24 November 1996 An enlarged version of Séraphin:  Versuch eines Theaters für Instrumente/ Stimmen/... by Wolfgang Rihm (44) after Artaud, is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.  See 7 September 1994.

    24 November 1998 Wild Winter II for chorus by Thea Musgrave (70) is performed for the first time, at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

    24 November 2003 Time Machine for three conductors and orchestra by Michael Daugherty (49) is performed for the first time, in Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh.

    24 November 2008 Skellig, an opera by Tod Machover to words of Almond, is performed for the first time, in Newcastle on the composer’s 55th birthday.

    25 November

    25 November 1752 Johann Friedrich Reichardt is born in Königsberg (Kaliningrad), son of Johann Reichardt, a lutenist and violinist.

    25 November 1766 Lisuart und Dariolette, oder Die Frage und die Antwort, a romantisch-comische Oper by Johann Adam Hiller (37) to words of Schiebeler after Favart, is performed for the first time, in Theater am Rannstädter Thore, Leipzig.

    25 November 1781 Johann Adam Hiller (51) directs the first performance in the newly built Gewandhaus in Leipzig.

    25 November 1794 Publication of Joseph Haydn’s (62) three Piano Trios XV:  18-20, is announced in The Sun, London.

    25 November 1811 Two works by Carl Maria von Weber (25) are performed for the first time, in Munich:  The Clarinet Concerto no.2 J.118 and the concert aria Qual altro attendi J.126.

    25 November 1824 Gioachino Rossini (32) signs a contract with the Théâtre-Italien, Paris to become directeur de la musique et de la scène.

    25 November 1841 Franz Liszt (30) first arrives in Weimar, which will be so important in his later life.  By chance, he runs into Robert (31) and Clara Schumann (22).

    25 November 1845 A Piano Concerto by Adolf von Henselt (31) is performed for the first time, in Dresden, Clara Schumann (26) at the piano.

    25 November 1846 Die Jovialen op.34, a waltz by Johann Strauss (21), is performed for the first time, in the Goldener Strauß, Vienna.

    25 November 1849 Künstler-Quadrille op.71 by Johann Strauss (24) is performed for the first time, in the Redoutensaal, Vienna.

    25 November 1865 Variations on a Theme by Paganini op.35 for piano by Johannes Brahms (32) is performed for the first time, in Zürich, by the composer from his manuscript.

    25 November 1869 Concerto for piano and orchestra no.3 op.29 by Camille Saint-Saëns (34) is performed for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus, conducted by the composer.  The work is badly received in Leipzig, even sparking a loud argument in the audience at the beginning of the slow movement.

    After lying exhausted in bed all day, Louis Moreau Gottschalk (40) appears for a performance at the Theatro Lyrico Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro.  He plays ten to twelve bars of his Tremelo, grande étude de concert op.58 and collapses from appendicitis.  Doctors, unaware of his affliction, treat him with opiates.

    25 November 1871 Trio de salon op.1/2 for violin, cello and piano by César Franck (48) is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    25 November 1878 La corona d’Italia for band by Gioachino Rossini (†10) is performed for the first time, in Rome.  It was written in 1868 when King Vittorio Emanuele II nominated Rossini for the Grand Knight of the Order of the Crown of Italy, but never performed.  The production today is by seven massed bands plus 30 drummers.

    25 November 1879 Three scenes from Alyeksandr Borodin’s (46) unperformed opera Prince Igor are performed for the first time, at the Free School of Music, St. Petersburg.

    25 November 1881 Der lustige Krieg, an operetta by Johann Strauss (56) to words of Zell and Genée, is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  The work is not a total disaster.

    25 November 1882 Iolanthe, or The Peer and the Peri, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (40) to words of Gilbert, is performed for the first time, in the Savoy Theatre, London.  This is the first Gilbert and Sullivan premiere in the new theatre.  It is received with overwhelming approval and will receive 398 performances.  Just before leaving for the theatre, Sullivan receives a letter from his friend and broker, Edward Hall, that Hall is ruined and all the money Sullivan had in mining shares is lost.  It amounts to about £7,000.

    25 November 1884 Piano Trio no.2 by Hubert Parry (36) is performed for the first time, in London.

    25 November 1889 The definitive version of String Quintet op.77 by Antonín Dvorák (48) is performed for the first time, in Boston.  See 18 March 1876.

    Piano Trio no.1 op.35 by Charles Villiers Stanford (37) is performed for the first time, at the University Musical Union, Oxford.

    25 November 1896 Virgil Garnett Thomson is born in Kansas City, Missouri, third of three children born to Quincy Alfred Thomson, a cable-car conductor, and Clara May Gaines, daughter of a farmer.

    25 November 1901 Gustav Mahler (41) conducts his own Fourth Symphony in it’s world premiere at the Kaim Saal, Munich.  The critics are not impressed.  “No trace of spontaneity, not a single autonomous idea, no original feeling, indeed not even pure colors for the impure images--nothing but technical skill, calculation, and inner deceit, a sickly, ill-tasting Supermusic.”

    25 November 1903 Béla Bartók (22) plays the premiere of his own Scherzo for piano in Budapest.

    25 November 1904 Two works for piano, Scottish Legend and Gavotte fantastique op.54 by Amy Cheney Beach (37), are performed for the first time, in Boston.

    25 November 1907 Symphony no.3 by Jean Sibelius (41) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki, directed by the composer.

    25 November 1909 The Act III interlude “Nachtstück” from Franz Schreker’s (31) unfinished opera Der ferne Klang is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  The audience is incensed and make various loud noises of disapproval.  See 18 August 1912.

    25 November 1913 For his 17th birthday, Virgil Thomson receives a copy of Oscar Wilde’s De Profundis.  It comes from his homosexual and musical mentor, Robert Leigh Murray.  He will keep it for the rest of his life.

    25 November 1918 Richard Strauss (54) resigns as interim artistic advisor to the Berlin Opera.  He is planning a move to Vienna.

    25 November 1920 Vérité?  Mensonge?, a marionette ballet by Arthur Honegger (28) to a story by Hellé is performed for the first time, in Salon d’Automne, Paris.

    25 November 1921 Duke Ellington (22) is persuaded to go on stage at the Convention Center in Washington to play for James P. Johnson, who is performing there.  Ellington plays Carolina Shout and Johnson encourages the young man.  The two men spend the night together talking well into the next morning.  “What I absorbed on that occasion might, I think, has constituted a whole semester in a conservatory.”

    25 November 1924 Go not, happy day for voice and piano by Frank Bridge (45) to words of Tennyson, is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.

    25 November 1925 Serenade in A for piano by Igor Stravinsky (43) is performed for the first time, by the composer, in Frankfurt.

    Symphonic Fantasia no.1 for orchestra by Otto Luening (25) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York, Howard Hanson (29) conducting.

    25 November 1928 Three new orchestral works by Dmitri Shostakovich (22) are performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Hall of the Moscow Conservatory:  A suite from his unperformed opera The Nose, Tahiti Trot, and a transcription of Youmans’ Tea for Two.  The suite is extremely successful.  See 16 June 1929.

    25 November 1930 Sonata op.51 for violin and piano by Joaquín Turina (47) is performed for the first time, in Madrid.

    25 November 1931 Der Löwe und die Maus, a children’s opera by Werner Egk (30), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Bavarian Radio conducted by the composer.

    The second (orchestral) version of Hammersmith op.52 by Gustav Holst (57) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  This arrangement is not a success.  See 17 April 1932.

    25 November 1932 Symphonie Concertante for piano and orchestra by Florent Schmitt (62), composed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    25 November 1934 In the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, Wilhelm Fürtwängler, vice-president of the Reichsmusikkammer, publishes an article strongly defending Paul Hindemith (39) who was the subject of a Nazi boycott.  He also condemns politics invading art.  In the evening, at the Berlin Staatsoper, Furtwängler is unable to begin the performance he is to conduct until he receives an ovation lasting 20 minutes.  See 6 December 1934.

    Saxophone Concerto by Alyeksandr Glazunov (69) is performed for the first time, in Nyköping, Sweden.

    25 November 1935 Dixième sonate de Baptiste Anet for violin and piano by Darius Milhaud (43) is performed for the first time, in Chaux de Fonds the composer at the piano.

    25 November 1937 Music to Auden’s play Hadrian’s Wall by Benjamin Britten (24) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in Newcastle, conducted by the composer.

    25 November 1943 Incidental music to Sackville-West’s (after Homer) radio play The Rescue by Benjamin Britten (30) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Home Service.

    Un seul amour, a film with music by Arthur Honegger (51), is shown for the first time, in Paris.

    Sonata da camera for cello and chamber orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (52) is performed for the first time, in Geneva.

    25 November 1951 Seven Pastorales for chamber orchestra by Lou Harrison (34) is performed completely for the first time, in New York.

    25 November 1952 Symphony no.7 by Henry Cowell (55) is performed for the first time, at Peabody Conservatory, Baltimore.

    Immortal autumn for tenor and chorus by Ross Lee Finney (45) to words of MacLeish is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Music Hall, Pittsburgh.  Also premiered is Ave Verum Corpus for female chorus by Francis Poulenc (53).

    25 November 1954 The Fiery Angel op.37, an opera by Sergey Prokofiev (†1) after Bryusov, is performed completely for the first time, in a concert setting at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.  See 14 June 1928.

    Heart’s Music for chorus by Ralph Vaughan Williams (82) to words of Campion is performed for the first time, in the Church of St. Sepulchre, Holborn, London.

    25 November 1955 Carlos Chávez (56) gives a lecture at the Colegio Nacional on the subject of dodecaphony.  This helps to spread interest in the technique in Mexico and Latin America in general.

    Symphony no.6 by Walter Piston (61), commissioned by the Boston Symphony Orchestra to celebrate its 75th anniversary, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    25 November 1956 Konfigurationen for piano by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (38) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    25 November 1959 Five Songs for soprano and piano by Witold Lutoslawski (46) to words of Illakowicz are performed for the first time, in Katowice.  See 12 February 1960.

    Investigations for tape by Pierre Henry (31) is performed for the first time, at the Galerie internationale d’art contemporain in Paris.

    25 November 1960 Khovanshchina, an opera by Modest Musorgsky (†79) to his own words, is performed for the first time in an arrangement completed and orchestrated by Dmitri Shostakovich (54).  See 23 May 1959.

    25 November 1966 Septet for flute, clarinet, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and piano by Arthur Berger (54) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    25 November 1968 Projekt 1-Version1 for ensemble by Gottfried Michael Koenig (42) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht.

    Treffpunkt and Es from Aus dem sieben Tagen no.26 by Karlheinz Stockhausen (40) are performed for the first time, in London.

    25 November 1969 32 Piano Games by Ross Lee Finney (62) is performed for the first time, in Columbia, Missouri.

    25 November 1974 Barcarolle monégasque op.149/4 for piano by Charles Koechlin (†23) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France-Musique, 39 years after it was composed.

    25 November 1980 Royal Winter Music:  “Second Sonata on Shakespeare Characters” for guitar by Hans Werner Henze (54) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    25 November 1982 Concerto for violin and orchestra no.1 by Isang Yun (65) is performed completely for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.  See 29 April 1982.

    25 November 1985 Trisagion for brass quintet by John Tavener (41) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Church, Huddersfield.

    In Memoriam:  Graham Wooton for organ by TJ Anderson (57) is performed for the first time, in Goddard Chapel, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts.

    25 November 1988 Sonata for violin and piano by Charles Wuorinen (50) is performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium at the Library of Congress in Washington.

    25 November 1989 A service in memory of Virgil Thomson takes place in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York on what would have been his 93rd birthday.  The cathedral is nearly full.

    Partita no.2 op.62/2 for horn by Robin Holloway (46) is performed for the first time, in Conway Hall, London.

    25 November 1992 Annunciation for vocal soloists and chorus by John Tavener (48) to words from the Bible is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey.

    Jo-Ha-Kyu for three performers on water, metals, and earth by Tan Dun (35) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    25 November 1996 Galgenlieder à 3, a cycle for mezzo-soprano, double bass, and percussion by Sofia Gubaidulina (65) to words of Morgenstern, is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield.

    25 November 1999 Orchestral Theatre IV:  The Gate for soprano, Peking Opera actress, Japanese Puppeteer, string orchestra, and film by Tan Dun (42) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    25 November 2007 Fourth Idyll for small orchestra by Robin Holloway (64) is performed for the first time, at The Swan, High Wycombe, Great Britain.

    26 November

    26 November 1755 Hearing that Maurice Greene (59) is near death, William Boyce (44) writes to the Prime Minister, the Duke of Newcastle, to request that he succeed Greene as Master of the Royal Musicians.  The request will eventually be granted.

    26 November 1757 Baldassare Galuppi’s (51) opera seria Sesostri, to words of Pariati, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice.

    26 November 1760 Franz Joseph Haydn (28) marries Maria Anna Aloysia Apollonia Keller in St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna.  She is the daughter of wigmaker Johann Peter Keller who took in the young Haydn after he left the cathedral school.

    26 November 1776 Creonte, a dramma per musica by Dmitri Stepanovich Bortnyansky (25) to words of Coltellini, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice.

    26 November 1782 André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry’s (41) comédie lyrique L’embarras des richesses to words of Lourdet de Santure after d’Allainval, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    26 November 1818 Saidar und Zulima oder Liebe und Grossmut, by Heinrich August Marschner (23) to words of Hornbostel, is performed for the first time, in Pressburg (Bratislava) Schauspielhaus.

    26 November 1820 After a successful first performance in October in Oedenburg (Sopron), Franz Liszt (9) appears in a noon concert in Pressburg (Bratislava).  Both concerts were arranged by Liszt’s father, Adam, who timed this performance to coincide with a meeting of the Hungarian Diet, when many important notables are in the city.  The mostly upper class audience is delighted and impressed.

    26 November 1839 Enrico II, a melodramma serio by Otto Nicolai (29) to words of Romani, is performed for the first time, in Teatro grande Trieste.

    26 November 1847 Jérusalem, an opéra by Giuseppe Verdi (34) to words of Royer and Vaëz (an adaption of I Lombardi), is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is not a success.

    26 November 1848 Giacomo Meyerbeer (57) resigns his post as Prussian Generalmusikdirektor in a cloud of controversy and personal animosity.  He retains the position of director of Royal Court Music.

    26 November 1853 Introduction and Allegro op.134 for piano and orchestra by Robert Schumann (43) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht, by Clara Schumann (34).

    26 November 1860 Le papillon, a ballet by Jacques Offenbach (41) to a scenario by Taglioni and Saint-Georges, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  Some see it as a desecration of the Opéra but the audience loves it.

    26 November 1863 Spartacus, an overture by Camille Saint-Saëns (28) is performed for the first time, in Notre Dame de Bordeaux.

    26 November 1865 Overture in F for orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (25) is performed for the first time, at St. Petersburg Conservatory, conducted by the composer.  It is Tchaikovsky’s conducting debut.

    26 November 1869 Louis Moreau Gottschalk (40), in agonizing pain, appears to conduct the second of the large festival performances in Rio de Janeiro.  Before he mounts the podium, he collapses again and is carried off to his hotel where he is attended by the personal physician to Emperor Pedro.

    26 November 1871 Scènes hongroise, the second suite for orchestra by Jules Massenet (29), is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    26 November 1881 I Bless You Forests op.47/5, a song by Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky (41), to words of A. Tolstoy, is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    26 November 1886 Heimkehr op.7/6, a song by Johannes Brahms (53) to words of Uhland, is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 35 years after it was composed.

    26 November 1887 The first all-Tchaikovsky (47) concert takes place in Moscow conducted by the composer.  It is so successful that it will be repeated tomorrow.  The evening sees the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Orchestral Suite no.4 “Mozartiana”.

    26 November 1889 In a letter to Cosima Wagner, Richard Strauss (25) writes about the Symphonie fantastique,  “Next to such a gigantic work, how wretched appears Ein Deutsches Requiem by the musically abstinent temperance society member Brahms (56).”

    26 November 1899 La lampe du ciel op.12, a cantata for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Charles Koechlin to words of Leconte de Lisle, is performed for the first time, privately at the home of Jules Griset, Paris, on the eve of the composer’s 32nd birthday.  See 13 February 1903.

    26 November 1905 Two choruses for male voices by Leos Janácek (51), If You Knew and The

    Evening Witch, both to words of Prikryl, are performed for the first time, in Prerov.

    26 November 1909 Incidental music to Aristophanes’ play The Wasps by Ralph Vaughan Williams (37) is performed for the first time, at the University of Cambridge.  See 23 July 1912.

    26 November 1917 Trois poèmes op.18 for voice(s) and piano or orchestra by Charles Koechlin to words of Kipling (tr. Fabulet and d’Humières) is performed completely for the first time, in Théâtre du Vieux-Colombier, Paris, the composer conducting on the eve of his 50th birthday.  See 11 March 1908.

    26 November 1920 A Pilgrim Vision, a tone poem by John Alden Carpenter (44), composed in honor of the 300th anniversary of the landing of the Mayflower, is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.  Critics are mildly positive.

    26 November 1921 The Third Symphony op.27 “The Song of the Night” for tenor, chorus, and orchestra of Karol Szymanowski (39), to words of Rumi (tr. Micinski), is performed for the first time, in London.  It is a terrible performance with the tenor solo replaced by a cello and the chorus by an organ.  See 11 April 1924.

    26 November 1925 Ernest Bloch (45) signs a three-year contract to direct the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

    26 November 1929 Rhapsody no.2 for violin and orchestra by Béla Bartók (48) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.  See 19 November 1928.

    26 November 1931 Die Nachtigall for voice and piano by Ernst Krenek (31) to words of Kraus, is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.  See 27 October 1931.

    26 November 1932 Prelude, arioso, fughette sur le nom de Bach for piano by Arthur Honegger (40) is performed for the first time, in a children’s concert in the Salle de Géographie, Paris by the composer’s wife Vaura.  See 5 December 1936.

    26 November 1933 An anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi demonstration takes place in Paris at a performance which includes three songs from Der Silbersee by Kurt Weill (33).  The demonstrations are led by Florent Schmitt (63) who cries out “Vive Hitler!”

    26 November 1934 Hungarian Sketches for orchestra by Béla Bartók (53) is performed completely for the first time, in Budapest.  See 24 January 1932.

    26 November 1935 Incidental music to Bourdet’s play Margot by Francis Poulenc (36) and Georges Auric is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Marigny, Paris.

    26 November 1936 Roger Sessions (39) marries his second wife, Sara Elizabeth (Lisl) Franck, a former student, in Hadley, Massachusetts.  One of the witnesses is a student of Sessions, David Diamond (21).

    Introduction et marche funèbre op.153b for band by Darius Milhaud (44) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    26 November 1937 Violin Concerto by Robert Schumann (†81) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  The owner of the manuscript, Joseph Joachim, willed that the work not be performed until 100 years after the composer’s death.

    26 November 1938 Cello Concerto op.58 by Sergey Prokofiev (47) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    A ballet entitled Soirée musicale, collected from the music of Gioachino Rossini (†70) by Benjamin Britten (25), is performed for the first time, in the London Palladium.

    26 November 1940 Arthur Vincent Lourié marries his third wife, Elisabeth, Countess Belevskaya-Zukovskaya, in Amélie-les Bains in the eastern Pyrenees.

    Piano Sonata no.6 op.82 by Sergey Prokofiev (49) is performed for the first time in a concert setting, at Moscow Conservatory.  See 8 April 1940.

    26 November 1942 The Conservatório Nacional de Canto Orfeônico is inaugurated in Rio de Janeiro by Heitor Villa-Lobos (55).

    26 November 1944 Sonata for solo violin by Béla Bartók (63) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    26 November 1946 Suite for viola and piano by Karel Husa (25) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    26 November 1948 An orchestral suite from music to the film Louisiana Story by Virgil Thomson (52) is performed for the first time, in the Philadelphia Academy of Music.  See 22 August 1948 and 2 May 1949.

    26 November 1954 Concerto for orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (41) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    26 November 1958 Kammermusik for tenor and nine players by Hans Werner Henze (32) to words of Hölderlin, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    26 November 1962 Four carols for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (28) to 15th century Latin words, are performed for the first time, in St. Pancras Town Hall, London:  Carol on St. Stephen, Jesus autem hodie, Nowell, and Alma redemptoris mater.

    26 November 1969 Symphony no.6 for two chamber orchestras by Hans Werner Henze (43) is performed for the first time, in Havana.

    26 November 1971 Ariel, a cycle for soprano, clarinet, and piano by Ned Rorem (48) to words of Plath, is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    26 November 1972 Three sacred works by Ned Rorem (49) are performed for the first time at the Chapel of the Intercession, New York:  Gloria for soprano, mezzo-soprano, and piano the composer at the keyboard, Canticle of the Lamb for chorus to words of the composer, and Canticles for chorus to liturgical words.

    26 November 1973 Bertha, an opera by Ned Rorem (50) to words of Koch, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    26 November 1982 Incidental music to Niroshnichenko’s play Spare the White Bird by Alfred Schnittke (48) and two others is performed for the first time, in Young Spectator’s Theatre, Moscow.

    26 November 1983 Voyage for flute and strings by John Corigliano (45) is performed for the first time, in London.

    26 November 1987 Instant Huddersfield by Henry Brant (74) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield, Great Britain.

    26 November 1988 Un Vitrail et des oiseaux for piano, woodwinds, trumpet, and percussion by Olivier Messiaen (79) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris conducted by Pierre Boulez (63).  It is part of a concert to celebrate the composer’s 80th birthday.

    String Quartet no.3 “The Songlines” by Kevin Volans (39) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln Center, New York.

    26 November 1989 Symphony no.4 “Adagio” by Krzysztof Penderecki (56) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    26 November 1990 Kammerkonzert II for chamber ensemble by Isang Yun (73) is performed for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

    26 November 1992 Rex tremendae, Lacrimosa, and Sanctus, (Drei geistliche Konzerte ) from Hans Werner Henze’s (63) unperformed Requiem, for piano, trumpet, and chamber orchestra, are performed for the first time, in Suntory Hall, Tokyo.  See 24 February 1993.

    26 November 1995 Caliban’s Song for baritone and piano by Michael Tippett (90) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.  It is an excerpt from the Suite:  The Tempest.  See 14 December 1995.

    26 November 1996 Maranoa Lullaby for mezzo-soprano and string quartet by Peter Sculthorpe (67) to aboriginal words is performed for the first time, in the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney.

    Red Forecast:  Orchestral Theatre III for soprano, video, and audio tape by Tan Dun (39) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield, England.

    Stony Brook Concerto for chamber orchestra by Ralph Shapey (75) is performed for the first time, in Staller Center for the Arts, State University of New York, Stony Brook.

    26 November 1997 Bent, a film with music by Philip Glass (60), is released in the United States.

    The Red Violin:  Chaconne for violin and orchestra by John Corigliano (59) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    Reverie (Reflections on a Hymn Tune) for orchestra by Dominick Argento (70) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis.  It is a reworking of his organ piece Prelude for Easter Dawning.

    26 November 2001 Resonant Soundscapes for computerized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (63) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    26 November 2004 The Fall of the Leafe for string orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (70) is performed for the first time, at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Glasgow.

    26 November 2006 A Little Child Shall Lead Them for chorus by John Tavener (62) is performed for the first time, at King’s College, Cambridge.

    27 November

    27 November 1602 Chiara Margarita Cozzolani is born in Milan.

    27 November 1758 Two works by Georg Philipp Telemann (77), to words of Richey, are performed for the first time, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Mattfield couple, Hamburg:  the cantata Entbrannter andecht helle Flammen and the serenata Sanfter Balsam, süsser Friede.

    27 November 1760 Mrs. Teresa Cornelys, a former opera singer, holds the first meeting of “The Society” at her mansion in Soho Square.  They are a group of subscribers who meet to hear music especially and they will have a great impact on London’s musical life.

    27 November 1804 Milton, a fait historique by Gaspare Spontini (30) to words of de Jouy and Dieulafoy, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    27 November 1812 Lowell Mason (20) leaves his home in Medfield, Massachusetts to move to Savannah, Georgia.

    27 November 1821 Three songs of Franz Schubert (24) are published by Cappi and Diabelli, Vienna as his op.7:  Die abgeblühte Linde and Der Flug der Zeit to words of Széchényi, and Der Tod und das Mädchen to words of Claudius.

    27 November 1828 A requiem mass in memory of Franz Schubert takes place in St. Ulrich’s Church, Vienna.  The Requiem of Mozart (†36) is performed.

    Widerspruch D.865, a vocal quartet by Franz Schubert (†0) to words of Seidl, is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.

    27 November 1841 17 Variations sérieuses for piano by Felix Mendelssohn (32) are performed for the first time, in the Gewandhaus, Leipzig by the composer.

    By decree of Emperor Pedro II of Brazil, the Conservatório de Música is established in Rio de Janeiro.

    27 November 1854 Schnellpost-Polka op.159 by Johann Strauss (29) is performed for the first time, in Schwender’s Collosseum, Vienna.

    27 November 1859 The overture King Lear by Mily Balakirev (22) is performed for the first time, at St. Petersburg University.

    27 November 1867 Charles Louis Eugène Koechlin is born in Paris, the seventh child of Jules Koechlin, a textile designer, and Camille Dollfus, daughter of a textile manufacturer.

    Marschieren op.41/4 for unaccompanied chorus by Johannes Brahms (34) to words of Lemcke is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    27 November 1868 The first complete performance of Sergey Dargomizhsky’s (55) opera The Stone Guest takes place in the composer’s home in St. Petersburg.  Modest Musorgsky (29) plays the parts of Leporello and Don Carlos.

    27 November 1872 Von waldbekränzter Höhe op.57/1, a song by Johannes Brahms (39) to words of Daumer, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Incidental music to Legouvé’s play Les deux reines by Charles Gounod (54) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre-Ventadour, Paris.

    At the request of Charles Villiers Stanford (20), the Cambridge University Music Society admits women to its choir.

    27 November 1882 Wind Serenade in Eb op.7 by Richard Strauss (18) is performed for the first time, in Dresden.

    27 November 1883 Incidental music to Aristophanes’ play The Birds by Hubert Parry (35) is performed for the first time, at the University of Cambridge.

    27 November 1891 Liebe und Frühling op.3/2, a song by Johannes Brahms (58) to words of von Fallersleben, is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 37 years after it was composed.

    27 November 1892 Märchen aus dem Orient op.444, a waltz by Johann Strauss (66), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    27 November 1893 Intermezzo op.117/3 for piano by Johannes Brahms (60) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    27 November 1896 Also sprach Zarathustra, a tone poem by Richard Strauss (32), is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main the composer conducting.  “Zarathustra is glorious--by far the most important of all my pieces, the most perfect in form, the richest in content and the most individual in character...”  Critical and popular response is highly positive.

    27 November 1897 Sapho, a pièce lyrique by Jules Massenet (55) to words of Cain and Bernède after Daudet, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris.  It is a resounding success.

    27 November 1898 The instrumental version of Auf’s Korn op.478, a Bundesschützen-Marsch by Johann Strauss (72), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    27 November 1900 After a service at the Chapel Royal, the body of Arthur Sullivan is transported across London to St. Paul’s Cathedral.  Against his wishes, his mortal remains are laid to rest in the crypt of St. Paul’s.

    The Sérénade lyrique for small orchestra by Edward Elgar (43) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London.

    27 November 1902 Two songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams (30) are premiered in St. James’ Hall, London:  Entlaubet ist der Walde to anonymous words, and Whither Must I Wander? to words of Stevenson.

    27 November 1911 The New Hungarian Music Society (UMZE), founded by several Hungarian musicians including Béla Bartók (30) and Zoltán Kodály (28), gives an inaugural performance in the Royal Hall, Budapest.  Within a year, the society will fail, largely due to public indifference.

    27 November 1920 Ottorino Respighi’s (41) choreographic comedy Scherzo veneziano, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Costanzi, Rome.

    27 November 1926 The Miraculous Mandarin op.19, a pantomime by Béla Bartók (45) to a scenario by Lengyel, is performed for the first time, in the Cologne Stadttheater.  At the conclusion, the chorus of abuse from the audience is so great that the safety curtain is lowered.  The press is savage.

    Orpheus und Eurydike op.21, an opera by Ernst Krenek (26) to words of Kokoschka, is performed for the first time, in the Kassel Staatstheater.

    27 November 1927 Incidental music to Claudel’s (after Aeschylus) play Les euménides by Darius Milhaud (35) is performed for the first time, in Antwerp.

    Carl Nielsen’s (62) overture An Imaginary Trip to the Faeroe Islands is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen, conducted by the composer.

    27 November 1928 The Fairy’s Kiss, a ballet by Igor Stravinsky (46) to his own scenario after Andersen, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    Sonata no.1 for violin and piano by Charles Ives (54) is performed for the first time, at the Rudolf Schaeffer Studios in San Francisco.

    27 November 1932 Sonata for two violins op.56 by Sergey Prokofiev (41) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Gemischte Chöre, three choruses by Ernst Krenek (32) to words of Keller are performed for the first time, in the Grosser Konzerthaussaal, Vienna.

    27 November 1937 A suite from Alberto Ginastera’s (21) unperformed ballet Panambí is performed for the first time, in Buenos Aires.

    FTP Plowed Under, a skit by Marc Blitzstein (32), is performed for the first time, as part of the revue Pins and Needles put on by members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union in New York.  It will eventually move to Broadway and run 1,108 performances, a record until Oklahoma!

    27 November 1939 The Great Citizen (series 2), a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (33), is shown for the first time.

    Several works for piano by Heitor Villa-Lobos (52) are performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro:  Bachianas Brasileiras no.4; Valsa da dor; Plantio do Caboclo and Festa no sertão from the Ciclo brasileiro; As très Marias; and several selections from the series Guia prático for children’s voices--Album 2 (nos.1,2,4,5), Album 3 (nos.2,4,5), Album 5 (no.3), Album 7 (no.2), and Album 9 (nos.1,4,6).

    27 November 1942 The sixth of 18 patriotic fanfares for brass and percussion commissioned by Eugene Goossens and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, A Fanfare for Paratroopers by Paul Creston, is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    27 November 1943 Incidental music to Claudel’s play Le Soulier de Satin by Arthur Honegger (51) is performed for the first time, in the Comédie-française, Paris.

    27 November 1945 Ten etudes for piano by Virgil Thomson (49) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Symphony no.2 by Peter Mennin (22) is performed completely for the first time, at the Eastman School of Music, Rochester, New York.  See 27 March 1945.

    27 November 1946 Trio for violin, clarinet, and piano by Ernst Krenek (46) is performed for the first time, in Jeanne d’Arc Auditorium, College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minnesota.

    27 November 1947 Ernst Krenek’s (47) Symphony no.4 is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    27 November 1948 Evocation op.17a for orchestra by Wallingford Riegger (63) is performed for the first time, in Vancouver.

    27 November 1953 Almost nine months after the death of Stalin, an article appears in Pravda blessing “...the importance of encouraging new departures in art, of studying the artist’s individual style, and...of recognizing the artist’s right to be independent, to strike out boldly on new paths.”

    27 November 1955 16:20  Arthur Honegger dies of a thrombosis, in his Paris home, aged 63 years, eight months, and 17 days.  Although very ill since a heart attack in 1947, the composer dies suddenly, in the arms of his wife.

    27 November 1956 Ballad for strings by Henry Cowell (59) is performed for the first time, at the University of Arizona in Tucson.

    27 November 1958 Drei Dithyramben for chamber orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (32) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    Omnia tempus habent, a cantata for soprano and 17 instruments by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (40) to words of the Vulgate Bible, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR originating in Cologne.

    Concerto for viola and orchestra no.2 op.340 by Darius Milhaud (66) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR originating in Cologne.

    27 November 1959 The first of the Four Last Songs for voice and piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams (†1) to words of his wife Ursula Vaughan Williams, are performed for the first time, in London.  See 3 August 1960.

    Seven Studies on Themes of Paul Klee for orchestra by Gunther Schuller (34) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    27 November 1962 Stabat mater for three choruses by Krzysztof Penderecki (29) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    27 November 1963 Die Verlobung in San Domingo, an opera by Werner Egk (62) to his own words after von Kleist, is performed for the first time, in the Nationaltheater, Munich.

    27 November 1964 Blue Aurora for Toshi Ichiyanagi, a musical happening with two flutists and one percussionist by Toru Takemitsu (34), is performed for the first time, in Sogetsu Hall, Tokyo.  John Cage (52) takes part.

    Quattro liriche di Antonio Machado for voice and chamber orchestra by Luigi Dallapiccola (60) is performed for the first time, in Braunschweig.

    27 November 1973 Cradle II for four sets of tube drums and instrumental ensemble by Robert Erickson (56) is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    27 November 1974 JS Bach:  Prelude and Fugue in C sharp Major for flute, clarinet, harpsichord, marimba, viola, and cello by Peter Maxwell Davies (40) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    27 November 1976 Sonata for guitar op.47 by Alberto Ginastera (60) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    27 November 1981 Lotte Lenya dies of cancer in the New York apartment of her former lover, Margo Harris, at the age of 83.

    27 November 1982 Passio Domini nostri Jesu Christi secundum Joannum for chorus and chamber ensemble by Arvo Pärt (47) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    27 November 1989 Hommage à Marina Tsvetayeva for chorus by Sofia Gubaidulina (58) is performed for the first time, in Stockholm.

    27 November 1992 Tandy’s Tango for piano by Lou Harrison (75) is performed for the first time.

    27 November 1993 Vier Gedichte von Peter Härtling for voice and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (41) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    The sixth of the Nonsense Madrigals for six solo voices by György Ligeti (70) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield.  See 25 September 1988 and 27 November 1993.

    27 November 1998 Swinton Jig for orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (64) is performed for the first time, at York University conducted by the composer.

    27 November 2007 Shanghai Overture for orchestra by Bright Sheng (51) is performed for the first time, at Shanghai Conservatory.

    27 November 2010 Advent Antiphon:  O Adonai for chorus by John Tavener (66) is performed for the first time, at Merton College, Oxford.

    28 November

    28 November 1695 Giovanni Paolo Colonna dies in Bologna aged 58 years, five months, and twelve days.

    28 November 1760 Thomas Augustine Arne’s comic opera (50) Thomas and Sally, or The Sailor’s Return to words of Bickerstaffe is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.

    28 November 1769 Daines Barrington, MP, lawyer and scientist, submits a paper to the Royal Society called “Account of a very remarkable young Musician.”  Barrington visited the Mozart family during their long stay in London, in June, 1765 and examined young Wolfgang.  It takes him four years to submit his report because it took him that long to obtain the birth certificate from Salzburg, so to confirm his age.

    28 November 1774 Lucio Vero, an opera seria by Tommaso Traetta (47) to words of Coltellini after Zeno, is performed for the first time, at the Russian court, St. Petersburg.

    28 November 1785 Two vocal ensembles by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (29) to words of Bertati are performed for the first time, as part of Francesco Bianchi’s La villanella rapita in the Vienna Burgtheater:  the quartet Dite almeno in che mancai K.479 and the terzetto Mandina amabile K.480.

    28 November 1809 Gaspare Spontini’s (35) tragédie lyrique Fernand Cortez, ou La conquête du Mexique to words of Jouy and d’Esmenard after Piron, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra in the presence of the Emperor as well as King Friedrich August I of Saxony and King Hieronymus Bonaparte of Westphalia.

    28 November 1811 Piano Concerto no.5 “Emperor” by Ludwig van Beethoven (40) is performed, probably for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus.

    28 November 1813 Simon Mayr’s (50) melodramma tragico Medea in Corinto to words of Romani after Euripides, is performed for the first time, at Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    28 November 1815 Ludwig van Beethoven (44) petitions the Imperial Royal Landrechte (court for nobility and clergy) of Lower Austria to take full guardianship of his nephew Karl.  See 9 January 1816.

    28 November 1822 An overture and five choral numbers for Den Sachsen-Sogn vermählet heute J.289, a festspiel by Robert, by Carl Maria von Weber (36), are performed for the first time, to celebrate the wedding of Prince Johann of Saxony to Princess Amalie August of Bavaria, at the Dresden Hoftheater.

    Valentine de Milan, a drame lyrique by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (†5) to words of Bouilly and completed by Daussoigne-Méhul, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    28 November 1826 Daniel-François-Esprit Auber’s (44) opéra comique Fiorella to words of Scribe is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    28 November 1829 Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein is born in an inn in Vikhvatinets, Russia (Ribnita, Moldova), the third of five children born to Grigory Romanovich Rubinstein, a farmer, and Kaleriya Khristoforovna Levenstein.

    Emmeline, an opéra comique by Ferdinand Hérold (38) to words of Planard, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de Ventadour, Paris.

    28 November 1835 Robert Schumann (25) visits Clara Wieck (16) at the Wieck house in Leipzig before she leaves on a concert tour.  At the end of the evening, as she is showing him out, they kiss for the first time.  “I thought I was on the point of fainting...everything went black in front of my eyes; I could barely hold the lamp that was supposed to light your way,--I thought I was dreaming.”

    28 November 1837 Messa di Gloria by Gaetano Donizetti for solo voices, chorus and orchestra is performed for the first time, on the eve of the composer’s 40th birthday.

    28 November 1847 A setting of Tantum ergo by Gioachino Rossini (55) is performed for the first time, in the Chiesa di San Francesco dei Minori, Bologna.

    28 November 1849 Scherz-Polka op.72 by Johann Strauss (24) is performed for the first time, in the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    28 November 1853 The first of two performances by Hector Berlioz (49) in Hannover takes place.  At the first rehearsal, Joseph Joachim, who played Harold in Italy on 22 November in Bremen, introduces Berlioz to his friend, Johannes Brahms (20).

    28 November 1863 While traveling from Mainz to Löwenberg, Richard Wagner (50) stops at the home of Hans von Bülow in Berlin.  In the afternoon, as von Bülow is rehearsing, Wagner and Cosima von Bülow go for a ride.  They both will regard this as the beginning of their serious relationship.

    28 November 1865 Trio in E flat for violin, french horn and piano op.40 by Johannes Brahms (32) is performed for the first time, in the Zürich Casino, the composer at the keyboard.

    28 November 1877 L’étoile, an opéra bouffe by Emanuel Chabrier (36) to words of Leterrier and Vanloo, is performed for the first time, by the Bouffes-Parisiens at Salle Choiseul, Paris.

    28 November 1880 The Austrian Minister of Education and Culture informs Anton Bruckner (56) that his request for a regular annual salary has been approved.

    28 November 1883 Concertouvertüre in c minor by Richard Strauss (19) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    28 November 1884 Prospice, a song for voice and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (32) to words of Browning, is performed for the first time.

    28 November 1892 Le malade imaginaire, a comédie-ballet by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (†188) restored by Camille Saint-Saëns (57) to words of Molière, is performed for the first time, in Paris.  For this production Saint-Saëns composed a new Sarabande et Rigaudon op.93.

    28 November 1894 The earthly remains of Anton Grigoryevich Rubinstein are laid to rest in Tikhvin Cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky monastery, St. Petersburg, on the 65th anniversary of his birth.

    28 November 1895 Incidental music to Ibsen’s play Das Fest auf Solhaug by Hans Pfitzner (26) is performed for the first time, in Mainz.

    28 November 1897 An der Elbe op.477, a waltz by Johann Strauss (72), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    28 November 1902 Carl Nielsen’s (37) opera Saul og David, to words of Christiansen, is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.  It is a hit with the sold-out audience but receives only eight more performances this season.  The management wishes to stage more lucrative works.

    28 November 1905 When I am Dead, My Dearest, a song by Ralph Vaughan Williams (33) to words of C. Rossetti, is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    Welcoming festivities for the new King Haakon VII of Norway and Queen Maud conclude in Christiania (Oslo) with a performance of Sigurd Jorsalfar.  At the conclusion the composer and poet, Edvard Grieg (62) and Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson are called to the royal box.  Grieg decides to begin a diary this night.  “This first meeting with free Norway’s first King and Queen struck me as something beautiful and meaningful.”

    28 November 1909 The Piano Concerto no.3 by Sergey Rakhmaninov (36) is performed for the first time, in New York, with Walter Damrosch on the podium and the composer at the piano.  Critics are warm but not ecstatic.

    28 November 1911 Hymns from the Rig-Veda op.24 for solo voice and piano by Gustav Holst (37) to his own translation, is given its first complete performance, in Bechstein Hall, London.

    28 November 1916 Wind o’ the Westland, a song for voice and piano by Amy Cheney Beach (49) to words of Burnett, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    28 November 1919 The Pleasure-Dome of Kublai Khan op.8 for orchestra by Charles T. Griffes (35) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston, to favorable reviews.  The composer is in attendance.

    28 November 1922 Two songs by Charles Ives (48) are performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York:  A Night Thought to words of Moore, and My Dear Old Mother to words of Vinje (tr. Corder).

    28 November 1925 Incidental music to Dietzenschmidt’s (pseud. for Schmidt) play Vom lieben Augustin by Ernst Krenek (25) is performed for the first time, in Kassel, conducted by the composer.

    28 November 1926 Mayor Konrad Adenauer of Cologne informs opera conductor Jenö Szenkár that The Miraculous Mandarin by Béla Bartók (45) must not be performed again in the city.  It is far too scandalous.  Szenkár considers resignation but the composer talks him out of it.

    Darker America, a symphonic poem by William Grant Still (31), is performed for the first time, at an International Composers’ Guild concert in Aeolian Hall, New York.  Also premiered is Pastorale and Rondino for two flutes, clarinet, trumpet, and piano by Colin McPhee (26).

    28 November 1927 A suite from the incidental music to Der Triumph der Empfindsamkeit by Ernst Krenek (27) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.  See 9 May 1926.

    28 November 1928 Incidental music to Feuchtwanger’s play Petroleuminseln by Kurt Weill (28) is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Staatstheater.

    28 November 1929 The First Airphonic Suite for Thereminovox and orchestra by Joseph Schillinger is performed for the first time, in Cleveland with Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (33) as soloist.

    28 November 1930 Symphony no.2 “Romantic” by Howard Hanson (34), composed for the fiftieth anniversary of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    Dances of Marosszék for orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (47), after the composer’s own piano work, is performed for the first time, in the Dresden Opera House.  See 14 March 1927.

    28 November 1934 Parts of the original version of Gustav Mahler’s (†23) cantata Das klagende Lied to his own words is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Brno 64 years after it was composed.  See 17 February 1901 and 8 April 1935.

    28 November 1935 The Italian Ministry of Propaganda announces a ban on performances of music from members of the League of Nations who voted punitive sanctions against Italy for its invasion of Ethiopia.  Those nations so honored include Great Britain, France, Spain, and the Soviet Union.

    28 November 1936 A Piano Concerto by Aram Khachaturian (33) is performed for the first time, privately in a two-piano version, at the Moscow Composers’ Union.  See 12 July 1937.

    28 November 1938 The State Jazz Orchestra of the USSR gives its inaugural concert including a performance of Shostakovich’s (32) Suite for Jazz Orchestra no.2.

    Trois poèmes for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (39) to words of Vilmorin are performed for the first time, at the Salle Gaveau, Paris the composer at the piano.  Also premiered is Scenic Railway for piano by Arthur Honegger (46).

    Piano Sonata no.2 “Concord, Mass., 1840-1860” by Charles Ives (64) is performed completely and publicly for the first time, before a small audience in The Old House, Cos Cob, Connecticut.  The only important critic in attendance, Paul Rosenfeld, will publish a very favorable review in Modern Music which will help secure Ives’ fame.  See 21 June 1938 and 20 January 1939.

    28 November 1939 Inspiration for orchestra by Ralph Shapey (18) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia, conducted by the composer.

    28 November 1940 La camera dei disegni, a ballet by Alfredo Casella (57), is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    28 November 1941 Scottish Ballad op.26 for two pianos and orchestra by Benjamin Britten (28) is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Cincinnati.

    28 November 1946 Cello Concerto no.2 by Darius Milhaud (54) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    28 November 1948 “Dirge” from the Symphony no.2 “Age of Anxiety” by Leonard Bernstein (30) is performed for the first time, in Tel Aviv the composer playing the piano part.  See 8 April 1949.

    28 November 1949 Psalm 24 for chorus, organ, and brass by Vladimir Ussachevsky (38) is performed for the first time, in Princeton, New Jersey.

    28 November 1951 Excerpts from King Oedipus for solo voices, chorus, and original instruments by Harry Partch (50) to his own words after Yeats after Sophocles, are performed for the first time, privately, at Mills College, Oakland, California.  See 14 March 1952.

    28 November 1953 Dissolution op.68/2 for voice and piano by Charles Koechlin (†2) to words of Claudel is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of French Radio.

    Improvvisazione no.2 for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (33) is performed for the first time, in Heidelberg.

    28 November 1954 Adventure for flute, clarinet, horn, harp, and various non-western instruments by Samuel Barber (44) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of NBC television, the composer conducting.  The non-western instruments are taken from the collection of the Museum of Natural History, New York.

    28 November 1959 Three Chinese Lyrics for soprano and two violins by Ben Johnston (33) to words of Li Po (tr. Pound) is performed for the first time, at Donnell Library, New York.  Also premiered is Johnston’s Nine Variations for string quartet.

    28 November 1960 Sonata no.1 for violin solo by Ernst Krenek (60) is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.

    28 November 1966 String Quartet no.6 by Ralph Shapey (45) is performed for the first time, in Eisner and Lubin Auditorium, New York University.

    28 November 1971 Fugue for organ by Otto Luening (71) is performed for the first time, in the National Cathedral, Washington.

    28 November 1980 Apocalypsis for solo voices, choruses, winds, and percussion by R. Murray Schafer (47) is performed for the first time, in London, Ontario.

    28 November 1981 Maddalena, an opera by Sergey Prokofiev (†28) to words of Lieven and the composer after Lieven, orchestrated by E. Downs, is staged for the first time, in Graz approximately 68 years after it was composed.  See 25 March 1979.

    28 November 1982 Works by Wolfgang Rihm (30) are performed for the first time, in Mainz:  Wölfli-Lieder for baritone and orchestra, Hölderlin-Fragmente for voice and orchestra, and Lenz-Fragmente for voice and orchestra.

    Songs for soprano and piano by Ralph Shapey (61) to words of various authors are performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    28 November 1983 Saint François d’Assise:  scènes franciscaines, an opera by Olivier Messiaen (74) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  Among the glittering audience are Iannis Xenakis (61) and Betsy Jolas (57).  The audience is very pleased, the critics guarded.  In today’s issue, Libération quotes the composer as saying, “Twilight has arrived.  I have finished.  I will never compose anything else.”

    28 November 1986 Li-Na im Garten, five pieces for violin by Isang Yun (69), is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    28 November 1987 No hay caminos, hay que caminar...Andrej Tarkovskij for seven choruses and orchestra by Luigi Nono (63) is performed for the first time, in Suntory Hall, Tokyo.

    String Quartet no.2 by Charles Koechlin (†36) is performed for the first time, in the Glockenhaus, Lüneburg, 72 years after it was composed.

    28 November 1988 String Quartet no.4 by Isang Yun (71) is performed for the first time, in Würzburg.

    28 November 1989 Tristesse au jardin for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (†52) to words of Tailhade is performed for the first time, in the auditorium of the Conservatoire, Turcoing at least 92 years after it was composed.

    New Moon, a dance for flute, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, violin, bass, and percussion by Lou Harrison (72) is performed for the first time, in Joyce Theatre, New York.

    28 November 1992 Concerto-Cantata op.65 for flute and orchestra by Henryk Górecki (58) is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

    28 November 1994 In nuce for viola, cello, and double bass by Wolfgang Rihm (42) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Sogno d’Or, a song for voice and piano by Giacomo Puccini to words of his nephew Carlo Marsili, is performed probably for the first time, at the Teatro del Giglio, Lucca on the 70th anniversary of the composer’s death.

    28 November 1995 Four works by Benjamin Britten (†19) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3, originating in London:  Reflection for viola and piano, 65 years after it was composed; Sonatina for piano, 67 years after it was composed; and Poème no.4 for small orchestra and Sonatina for violin and piano, both 68 years after they were composed.

    28 November 1996 Lumor, seven spiritual songs for a saxophonist (soprano and tenor) and orchestra, by Betsy Jolas (70), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France originating in Paris.

    28 November 2000 The University of Louisville awards the Grawemeyer Award of $200,000 to Pierre Boulez (75) for Sur Incises.

    28 November 2013 700 people attend the Greek Orthodox funeral in memory of John Tavener in Winchester Cathedral.

    29 November

    29 November 1632 Giovanni Battista Lulli (Jean-Baptiste Lully) is born in Florence.

    29 November 1643 Claudio Monteverdi dies in Venice aged 76 years, six months, and 14 days.

    29 November 1766 The Mozart family, including Leopold (47) and Wolfgang (10), return to Salzburg after an absence of three years, five months and 20 days.

    29 November 1779 Domenico Cimarosa (29) is appointed organist for the Royal Chapel, Naples, with no salary.

    29 November 1797 Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti is born into abject poverty, in Bergamo, Province of Lombardy, the fifth of six children born to Andrea Donizetti (occupation unknown) and Domenico Nava.

    29 November 1814 A concert of music by Ludwig van Beethoven (43) is given for the participants in the Congress of Vienna in the Redoutensaal.  This performance features the Symphony no.7, Wellington’s Victory and the premiere of his cantata Der glorreiche Augenblick to words of Weissenbach.  Attenders include Tsar Alyeksandr, the King Friedrich Wilhelm II of Prussia and the Prince of Sicily.  Also attending is Jan Vaclav Tomasek (40), who is particularly displeased with Wellington’s Victory.

    29 November 1817 Adrien Boieldieu (41) is elected to the French Institute, replacing Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (†0).

    29 November 1823 After several unsuccessful attempts, Carl Maria von Weber’s (37) request for an assistant is granted by the Dresden court.  He desires that his friend, Johann Gänsbacher be appointed but Gänsbacher has just been appointed Kapellmeister at St. Stephen’s in Vienna.  The post will go to someone not in favor with Weber, Heinrich August Marschner (28).

    29 November 1825 Gioachino Rossini’s (33) Il Barbiere di Siviglia is staged in Park Theatre, New York.  It is the first staging in the United States of an Italian opera in Italian.

    29 November 1829 After two months convalescence, Felix Mendelssohn (20) leaves England for Berlin.

    Gott im Ungewitter D.985, a vocal quartet by Franz Schubert (†1) is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Redoutensaal.

    Samuel Sebastian Wesley (19) is appointed organist at St. John, Waterloo Road, London.

    29 November 1832 Adolf von Henselt (18) makes his official public debut in Munich to great success.

    29 November 1841 Franz Liszt (30) performs publicly in Weimar for the first time, at the Court Theatre.  Weimar will become very important in his life.  He played privately on the 26th and before the court on the 28th.

    29 November 1845 Two works for solo voice and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (41) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Le chasseur danois to words of de Leuven, and the boléro Zaïde to words of de Beauvoir.

    29 November 1848 The festival hymn Du, Du, der über Raum und Zeit for solo voices and chorus by Giacomo Meyerbeer (57) to words of Winkler is performed for the first time, in Berlin for the 25th wedding anniversary of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV and and Queen Elisabeth of Prussia.

    29 November 1855 Messe Solennelle de Sainte Cécile for soloists, chorus, orchestra and organ by Charles Gounod (37) is performed for the first time, in the Church of St.-Eustache, Paris to critical acclaim.

    29 November 1857 A setting of O salutaris hostia for vocal quartet by Gioachino Rossini (65) is performed for the first time.

    29 November 1862 Quartet for piano and strings no.2 by Johannes Brahms (29) is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, the composer at the keyboard in his first solo concert in the city.  The positive reviews create a reputation for Brahms in Vienna.

    29 November 1863 Franz Schubert’s (†35) String Quartet D.173 is performed publicly for the first time, by the Vienna Musikverein, 48 years after it was composed.

    29 November 1869 On the 72nd anniversary of the composer’s birth, the first version of Gaetano Donizetti’s (†21) tragedia lirica Gabriella di Vergy to words of Tottola after Du Belloy is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples, 43 years after it was composed.  The work has been considerably altered for this production.

    29 November 1873 La jolie parfumeuse, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (54) to words of Crémieux and Blum, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Renaissance, Paris.

    29 November 1885 Brautschau op.417, a polka by Johann Strauss (60), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    29 November 1887 String Quartet op.11 by Horatio Parker (24) is performed for the first time, in Detroit.

    29 November 1892 The first and third of the Four Sketches for piano op.15 by Amy Cheney Beach (25) are performed for the first time, in Boston.

    29 November 1894 The first movement of the Symphony no.6 by Anton Bruckner (55) is performed for the first time, in a four-hand piano arrangement, in Vienna.  See 26 February 1899.

    29 November 1899 The Rose of Persia, or The Story-teller and the Slave, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (57) to words of Hood is performed for the first time, in the Savoy Theatre, London, conducted by the composer.  The work is fairly successful.

    29 November 1904 String Trio op.77b by Max Reger (31) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    29 November 1905 Three movements of Béla Bartók’s (24) Suite no.1 for orchestra op.3 are performed for the first time, in Vienna.  See 1 March 1909.

    29 November 1911 Trois rapsodies for two pianos by Florent Schmitt (41) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    29 November 1917 Phantasy on British Folk Songs for string quartet by Gustav Holst (43) is performed for the first time, in Steinway Hall, London.

    Theme with Variations op.40 for piano by Carl Nielsen (52) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.

    29 November 1919 Henry Cowell (22) performs an all-Cowell concert in New York before leaving for Europe.  The success causes him to seek professional management.

    29 November 1920 A choreography for The Slave-Girl for piano by Arnold Bax (37) is performed for the first time, in the London Coliseum.  See 15 June 1920.

    29 November 1924 04:00  Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini dies in Brussels of heart failure following X-ray treatment and surgery for throat cancer.  He is aged 65 years, eleven months, and seven days.

    29 November 1925 A suite from the opera The Love for Three Oranges op.33a by Sergey Prokofiev (34) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 30 December 1921.

    29 November 1926 On the second anniversary of his death, the earthly remains of Giacomo Puccini are removed from the Toscanini family tomb in Milan and interred at the composer’s villa at Tore del Lago.

    After disturbances rock the third Prague performance of Wozzeck by Alban Berg (41), city authorities ban further productions of the opera.

    29 November 1927 Three Rondos on Folk Tunes for piano by Béla Bartók (46) are performed for the first time, in Budapest.

    29 November 1932 Several works  for orchestra by Charles Koechlin (65) are performed for the first time, in Salle Pleyel, Paris:  the symphonic poem La course de printemps op.95, Cinq chorals dans les modes du moyen-âge op.117bis, Fugue symphonique “Saint-Georges” op.121, and the second of the Trois fugues sur des sujets de Koechlin op.112.

    29 November 1938 A Poem About Stalin for orchestra and chorus by Aram Khachaturian (35) to words of Bayramov, is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    29 November 1939 Pages from a Diary for piano by Roger Sessions (42) is performed for the first time, in New York.  This concert is a production of the New York City Composers’ Forum of the Federal Music Project.

    29 November 1940 Symphony no.5 op.107 by Frederick S. Converse (†0) is performed for the first time, in Indianapolis.

    29 November 1941 Sarnia:  an Island Sequence for piano by John Ireland (62) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    29 November 1943 Harry Partch (42) auditions for the concert committee of the League of Composers, successfully.  See 22 April 1944.

    29 November 1945 The Seven Ages, a symphonic suite by John Alden Carpenter (69), is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Choreographic episodes from William Schuman’s (35) ballet Undertow are performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.  See 10 April 1945.

    29 November 1946 The film Instruments of the Orchestra with music by Benjamin Britten (33) is shown for the first time, in the Empire Theatre, London.

    Barcarolle for woodwinds by Virgil Thomson (50) is performed for the first time, in Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, under the direction of the composer.  See 12 March 1946.

    Bells for orchestra by William Grant Still (51) is performed for the first time, in Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis.

    29 November 1948 Scott of the Antarctic, a film with music by Ralph Vaughan Williams (76), is shown for the first time, in the Empire Theatre, Leicester Square, London.

    29 November 1949 Suite in B for oboe and piano by Ulysses Kay (32) is performed for the first time, at the American Academy in Rome.  Also premiered is Kay’s Piano Quintet.

    29 November 1951 Hans Werner Henze’s (25) radio opera after Kafka Ein Landarzt is broadcast live for the first time.  See 19 November 1951 and 30 November 1965.

    Chorales for Spring for piano by Lou Harrison (34) is performed for the first time, at Black Mountain College, North Carolina.

    29 November 1952 Piano Sonata no.1 op.22 by Alberto Ginastera (36) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.  Also premiered is Quaderno musicale di Annalibera for piano by Luigi Dallapiccola (48).

    Concerto for Piano, Four Hands op.56 by Vincent Persichetti (37) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh, by the composer and his wife Dorothea Persichetti.

    29 November 1954 Sonatine for oboe and piano op.337 by Darius Milhaud (62) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    29 November 1960 A menina das nuvens, a musical adventure by Heitor Villa-Lobos (†1) to words of Benedetti, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.

    29 November 1962 Suite for clarinet and piano by Ernst Krenek (62) is performed for the first time, in Beaumont Lecture Hall, University of Miami, Florida.

    29 November 1963 Concerto for violin and orchestra no.1 by Alfred Schnittke (29) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Threnos for oboe and orchestra by Gunther Schuller (38) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    29 November 1964 Simultaneous Mosaics for violin, clarinet, cello, percussion, and piano by Henry Cowell (67) is performed for the first time, at the Albright-Knox art gallery, Buffalo directed by Lukas Foss (42).

    29 November 1967 Tratto for electronic instruments by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (49) is performed for the first time, at the Hochschüle für Musik, Cologne.

    29 November 1970 Croisées des couleurs croisées for female voice, pianos, two tape recorders, and two radios by Henri Pousseur (41) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Two works for orchestra by Charles Ives (†16), realized by Gunther Schuller (45), are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York:  The Yale-Princeton Football Game, probably composed in 1898, and The General Slocum, completed in 1904.

    29 November 1973 Anniversary Fanfare for brass and percussion by William Walton (71) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London in a concert celebrating the 75th anniversary of EMI.

    29 November 1974 Little Concerto for percussion and strings by Karl Amadeus Hartmann (†10) is performed publicly for the first time, in Brunswick.

    Concerto on Old English Rounds for viola, female chorus, and orchestra by William Schuman (64) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    29 November 1976 O Notte for baritone and chamber orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (24) to words of Michelangelo is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    O that I had ne’er been married for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (63) to words of Burns is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Thames Television, Britain.  It was pre-recorded last 20 May.  The song was composed in the 1920s and revised in 1967 or 68.

    29 November 1978 Paradise Lost, a sacra rappresentazione by Krzysztof Penderecki (45) to words of Fry after Milton, is performed for the first time, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.  See 8 April 1979 and 10 August 1979.

    29 November 1982 Mountain for soprano, female chorus, and chamber orchestra by Robert Erickson (65) to his own words is performed for the first time, at California State College at Long Beach.

    29 November 1983 First Sonata for Strings by Peter Sculthorpe (54) is performed for the first time, in the Sydney Opera House.

    29 November 1985 Mémoriale for flute and eight instruments by Pierre Boulez (60) is performed for the first time, in Paris directed by the composer.

    29 November 1987 Et exspecto for bayan by Sofia Gubaidulina (56) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Pendant l’attente for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (†50) to words of Catulle Mendès is performed for the first time, in Saint-Étienne, France, about 88 years after it was composed.

    29 November 1989 A String Around Autumn for viola and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (59) is performed for the first time, in Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    Guitar Concerto by Lukas Foss (67) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York conducted by Leonard Bernstein (71).

    Fanfare for the Uncommon Woman no.2 for brass and percussion by Joan Tower (51) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    29 November 1992 Those Who Wait for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by William Grant Still (†13) to words of his wife Verna Arvey, is performed for the first time, at St. Mark’s AME Church in Milwaukee, 49 years after it was composed.

    29 November 1994 Figures of Time for orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (63) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Birmingham.

    29 November 1995 A Poem of Hate for piano by Benjamin Britten (†19) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, 65 years after it was composed.  Also premiered is Britten’s Everyone Sang for tenor and small orchestra to words of Sassoon, 65 years after it was composed.

    29 November 1997 Histoire naturelle, ou Les roués de la terre for tape by Pierre Henry (69) is performed for the first time, in Salle Olivier Messiaen of Radio France, Paris.

    Fear and Rejoice, O People for chorus by John Tavener (53) to words of Mother Thekla and the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, simultaneously at St. John’s College, Cambridge and Winchester Cathedral.

    Amistad, an opera by Anthony Davis (46) to words of T. Davis, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    29 November 2007 Séraphin III for female narrator, two singers, and 14 instruments by Wolfgang Rihm (55) is performed for the first time, in Athens.

    Scala cromatica for violin, cello, and piano by Arvo Pärt (72) is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    30 November

    30 November 1753 Johann Baptist Schenk is born in Wiener Neustadt, the son of an employee at the Wiener Neustadt military academy.

    30 November 1793 Étienne-Nicolas Méhul’s (30) first republican work, Hymne à la raison for solo voices and orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Paris as the Church of St. Quentin is transformed into the Temple of Reason.

    30 November 1796 Johann Carl Gottfried Loewe is born in Lobejun, near Halle, the youngest of twelve children born to a Adam Loewe, a cantor and schoolmaster.

    30 November 1807 Kunst und Liebe, a liederspiel by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (55) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Nationaltheater, Berlin.

    30 November 1809 Pimmalione, a dramma lirico by Luigi Cherubini (49) to words of Vestris after Rousseau and Sografi, is performed for the first time, privately, in the Tuileries, Paris.  Legend has it that Emperor Napoléon resolves to divorce his wife during this performance.

    30 November 1810 Carl Maria von Weber (24) draws up statutes for the Harmonische Verein in Darmstadt, an organization to promote new musical works.

    30 November 1813 Charles-Valentin Morhange is born in Paris, the second of six children born to Alkan Morhange, proprietor of a boarding school, and Julie Abraham.  All of the children will become musicians under their father’s first name, Alkan.

    30 November 1833 Jacques Offenbach (14) is enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire.

    30 November 1841 Rheinweinlied for male chorus and piano by Franz Liszt (30) to words of Herwegh is performed for the first time, in Jena.

    30 November 1845 The revised version of the Symphony no.2 by Otto Nicolai (35) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    30 November 1846 A Te Deum in A for solo voices, chorus and organ by Felix Mendelssohn (37) is performed for the first time, in London.

    30 November 1848 Poliuto, a tragedia lirica by Gaetano Donizetti (†0) to words of Cammarano after Corneille, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  The previously censored work is produced owing to decreased censorship during the constitutional period.  See 26 September 1838.

    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.

    30 November 1870 Charles Villiers Stanford (18) gives his debut piano performance at Cambridge University.  It is well received.

    30 November 1872 Don César de Bazan, an opéra comique by Jules Massenet (30) to words of d’Ennery, Dumanoir and Chantepie after Hugo, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  It will receive only 13 performances.

    Before a Southern Convent op.20 for solo voices, female chorus and orchestra by Edvard Grieg (29) to words of Bjørnson is performed for the first time, in Christiania (Oslo).

    30 November 1877 Edouard Hanslick writes to Antonin Dvorák (36) that Johannes Brahms (44) has taken a great interest in his music and that he is to be awarded an artist’s stipend of 600 florins.

    Variations on a Rococo Theme for cello and orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (37) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    30 November 1878 On the second ballot, Jules Massenet (36) is elected to the Institut de France over Camille Saint-Saëns (43).

    30 November 1885 Le Cid, an opéra by Jules Massenet (43) to words of d’Ennery, Blau and Gallet after Corneille, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  The work is a triumph, although the composer spends the evening down the street at a performance of Manon.  Twelve members of the chorus leave after the third act because they feel the performance has lasted long enough.

    Three Character Pieces for piano and violin op.9 by Arthur Foote (32) are performed for the first time, the composer at the keyboard.

    30 November 1888 Auf dem Kirchhofe op.105/4, a song for voice and piano by Johannes Brahms (55) to words of von Liliencron, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    30 November 1889 A Greeting to Anton Rubinstein for his Golden Jubilee as an Artist for unaccompanied chorus by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (49) to words of Polonsky is performed for the first time, in the Hall of the Court Assembly, St. Petersburg.  Also premiered is Tchaikovsky’s Impromptu in A flat for solo piano, performed by the composer.

    Die Meere op.20/3 for soprano, alto, and piano by Johannes Brahms (56) to traditional Italian words translated by Müller is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    30 November 1890 Scherzo op.87 for two pianos by Camille Saint-Saëns (55) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Hymne for four voices and orchestra by César Franck (†0) to words of Racine is performed for the first time, in Liège.  See 27 April 1890.

    30 November 1892 Antonín Dvorák (51) is quoted in the Boston Post as saying that women can not contribute to the development of American music because of their intellectual inferiority.

    30 November 1894 Cello Concerto op.33 by Arthur Foote (41) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    30 November 1897 Four songs for voice, viola, and piano by Charles Martin Loeffler (36) are performed for the first time, in Steinert Hall, Boston:  La cloche félée and Harmonie du soir to words of Beaudelaire, and Dansons la gigue! and Sérénade to words of Verlaine.

    30 November 1899 Hubert Parry (51) receives a telegram telling him that he has been elected Heather Professor at Oxford University.

    30 November 1900 A Cantata for the Lorens Frølich Festival for reciter and piano, words by Olrik and music by Carl Nielsen (35), is performed for the first time, with the composer at the piano.

    30 November 1903 Le roi Arthus, a drame lyrique by Ernest Chausson (†4) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels.

    30 November 1906 The Laird of Cockpen, a song by Hubert Parry (58) to words of Lady Nairn, is performed for the first time, in London.

    30 November 1907 Several works of Carl Nielsen (42) are premiered in Copenhagen, including the String Quartet no.4, op.44, Come, God’s Angel for ATB choir to words of Aarestrup, and the Strophic Songs op.21, to the words of several poets, for solo voice and piano.  Nielsen attends, suffering from neuralgia, but his doctor forbids him to take part in the performance.  Of the string quartet, one critic remarked, “If what those four gentlemen sat there playing last night in all earnestness is to be considered beautiful and good music...then sciatica is a musical treat--for it, too, is very disagreeable.”

    Le jour op.14/1, a song for voice and piano by Charles Koechlin (40) to words of Banville, is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    30 November 1910 The opera Macbeth by Ernest Bloch (30) to words of Fleg after Shakespeare, is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.  Reaction is widely mixed.

    The New York Times reports that a production of Richard Strauss’ (46) Salome starring Mary Garden, scheduled for 2 December, has been cancelled.  The police asked that “offensive” parts of the opera be toned down.  The soprano refused and the production was cancelled.

    30 November 1914 Soleá for voice and guitar by Manuel de Falla (37) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Lara, Madrid, as part of Martínez Sierra’s play La pasión.

    30 November 1915 A Trio for violin, viola and cello by Max Reger (42) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    30 November 1918 Une châtelaine en sa tour op.110 for harp by Gabriel Fauré (73) is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    30 November 1924 Tzigane, rapsodie de concert, in the version for violin and orchestra, by Maurice Ravel (49), is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 26 April 1924.

    Two works for chamber orchestra by Arthur Honegger (32) are performed for the first time, at a League of Composers concert in the Klaw Theatre, New York:  L’ombre and L’homme et la mer.

    30 November 1925 Choros no.3 for male choir, clarinet, saxophone, bassoon, and three horns by Heitor Villa-Lobos (38) is performed for the first time, in São Paulo.

    30 November 1927 Two songs for voice and piano by Arnold Bax (44) are performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London:  In the Morning to words of Houseman, and On the Bridge to words of Hardy.

    30 November 1932 Two songs for voice and piano by Amy Beach (65) to words of Norwood are performed for the first time, in Roerich Museum, New York at a memorial for Dr. Norwood, the late minister at St. Bartholemew’s Church:  A Light that Overflows and My Love Came Through the Fields.

    30 November 1933 Sea-Drift, a symphonic poem by John Alden Carpenter (57), is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.

    30 November 1934 Overture on Hebrew Themes op.34b arranged for orchestra by Sergey Prokofiev (43) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  See 26 January 1920.

    After overcoming great political difficulties, Five Symphonic Pieces from Lulu, the unperformed opera by Alban Berg (49), are performed for the first time, in Berlin.  Press and public are strongly divided, some voicing loud opinions at the close of the performance.  One patron shouts “Heil, Mozart!”  The conductor, Erich Kleiber, responds, “You are mistaken, the piece was by Alban Berg.”  In a few days, Kleiber, will resign his post as conductor of the Berlin Staatsoper due to the artistic restraints of the Nazi regime.

    Holiday Diary op.5, a suite for piano by Benjamin Britten (21), is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    Hear Ye! Hear Ye!, a ballet by Aaron Copland (34) to a scenario by Page, is performed for the first time, at the Chicago Opera House.

    30 November 1935 Incidental music to Balzac’s play La faiseur by Darius Milhaud (43) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Atelier, Paris.

    30 November 1937 Two works by Albert Roussel (†0) are performed for the first time, privately in Paris:  Andante for oboe, clarinet, and bassoon, and Duo for bassoon and cello (or double bass).

    30 November 1940 A revised version of Klage der Ariadne by Carl Orff (45) to his own translation of Rinuccini, is performed for the first time, in Gera.  See 16 April 1925.  Also premiered is a revised version of Orff’s Tanz der Spröden to a translation of Rinuccini by Günther.

    30 November 1943 String Quartet no.6 “Il quarteto brasileiro” by Heitor Villa-Lobos (56) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    30 November 1945 Symphony no.4 by Bohuslav Martinu (54) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    Sonatina for violin and harpsichord by Walter Piston (51) is performed for the first time.

    30 November 1946 Sonata for violin and harpsichord op.257 by Darius Milhaud (54) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    30 November 1947 A Sermon on Miracles for solo voice, chorus, and strings by Ned Rorem (24), to words of Goodman, is performed for the first time, in Second Church, Boston.

    30 November 1949 Naissance de Venus op.292 for chorus by Darius Milhaud (57) to words of Supervielle is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France.

    30 November 1951 Horizontes for violin, cello, a microtonal zither-harp, and orchestra by Julián Carrillo (76) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    30 November 1952 Sonata concertante for violin and piano by Leon Kirchner (33) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    30 November 1954 Trio for violin, cello, and piano by Leon Kirchner (35) is performed for the first time, in Pasadena, California the composer at the keyboard.

    30 November 1955 Le château de feu op.338 for chorus and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (63) to words of Cassou is performed for the first time, in Palais Chaillot, Paris.

    William Tompkins, assistant Attorney General of the United States, concludes that there is “insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution” of Aaron Copland (55) for his political beliefs.

    30 November 1956 Piano Piece 1956 by Morton Feldman (30) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Cinque canti for baritone and eight instruments by Luigi Dallapiccola (52) to ancient Greek texts (tr. Quasimodo), is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    30 November 1958 The television series Lincoln Presents Leonard Bernstein (40) and the New York Philharmonic begins with a performance of the Ninth Symphony of Beethoven (†187).

    Rote Rosen, a song for voice and piano by Richard Strauss (†9) to words of Stieler, is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York 75 years after it was composed.

    Adagio for flute and string trio by Gunther Schuller (33) is performed for the first time, in Carl Fischer Hall, New York.

    30 November 1960 The Loneliness of Bunjil for violin, viola, and cello by Peter Sculthorpe (31) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    30 November 1962 Coral Island for soprano and orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (32) to words of Ooka, is performed for the first time, in a Japan radio broadcast.

    Giostra Genovese for orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (44) is performed for the first time, in the Stadttheater Bonn.

    Overture Philharmonique by Darius Milhaud (70) is performed for the first time, at Lincoln Center, New York.

    30 November 1963 Capriccio for piano and orchestra by Shulamit Ran (14) is performed for the first time, in a nationally televised Young Peoples Concert in Philharmonic Hall, New York conducted by Leonard Bernstein (45) with the composer at the piano.

    30 November 1964 Divertimenti for two pianos by Hans Werner Henze (38) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    30 November 1965 A revised version of Ein Landarzt, a radio opera by Hans Werner Henze (39) after Kafka, is staged for the first time, in the Frankfurt Staatstheater.  On the same program is the first staging of a revised version of Henze’s Das Ende einer Welt, to words of Hildesheimer, and a revision of Das Wundertheater, an opera for singers after Cervantes, (tr. Graf von Schack).  See 7 May 1949, 19 November 1951, 4 December 1953, and 13 October 1965.

    30 November 1967 Hymnen no.22 1/2 for four-track tape and instrumental soloists by Karlheinz Stockhausen (39) is performed for the first time, at the Apostel-Gymnasium, Cologne.

    The Decision, an opera by Thea Musgrave (39) to words of Lindsay after Taylor, is performed for the first time, in Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London.

    30 November 1969 Casanova in London, a ballet by Werner Egk (68) to his own scenario, is performed for the first time, in the Munich Staatsoper, directed by the composer.

    30 November 1970 Two Sketches for Computer Piece no.2 by Vladimir Ussachevsky (59) is performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre of Columbia University.

    From One to Another for viola and tape by Thea Musgrave (42) is performed for the first time, in the Leo S. Bing Theatre of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

    30 November 1973 Six Romances on Verses by British Poets op.140 for voice and orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (67) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    Intermezzo for 24 strings by Krzysztof Penderecki (40) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    Konzertante Figuren for orchestra by Isang Yun (56) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    30 November 1977 Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom for celebrants and chorus by John Tavener (33) is performed for the first time, in the Russian Orthodox Cathedral, London.  It is not an actual service and one celebrant is played by the composer.  Some members of the congregation are resentful of Tavener’s efforts with their liturgy, but the Russian Metropolitan is encouraging.

    A Flock Descends into the Pentagonal Garden for orchestra by Toru Takemitsu (47) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    The Pathways of the Grandmothers for accordion and voice by Pauline Oliveros (45) is performed for the first time, at the Center for Social Services in San Diego.

    30 November 1979 Chamber Symphony by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (40) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    30 November 1982 Palillos y panderetas for orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (81) is performed for the first time, in Centro Cultural de la Villa, Madrid.

    30 November 1983 Silence to be Beaten (Chiffre II) for 14 players by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Prelude, Fantasy and Fugue for piano by David Diamond (68) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    30 November 1984 Unbroken Circle for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (50), is performed publicly for the first time, at the Cultural Center, Rennes conducted by the composer.  See 1 June 1984.

    30 November 1989 In Distance for piccolo, harp, and bass drum by Tan Dun (32) is performed for the first time, in London.

    November 19, 1828 for piano quartet by John Harbison (50) is performed for the first time, in Atlanta.

    30 November 1991 Two works by John Cage (79) are performed for the first time, in Stuttgart:  One8 for cello and 108 for orchestra.  The two works are played simultaneously.

    30 November 1993 Corpus Christi, with Cat and Mouse for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (59) is performed for the first time, at Balliol College, Oxford.

    30 November 1995 ESU Variations for orchestra by Anthony Davis (44) is performed for the first time, in Detroit.

    30 November 1997 O-Mega for percussion and chamber orchestra by Iannis Xenakis (75) is performed for the first time, in Huddersfield, Great Britain.

    30 November 1998 Musis Aurora Benigna for brass by Peter Maxwell Davies (64) is performed for the first time, at the Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh.

    My Gaze Is Ever upon You for violin and tape by John Tavener (54) is performed for the first time, in the Hellenic Center, London.

    30 November 2000 Symphony no.2 for string orchestra by John Corigliano (62) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    30 November 2001 JUSTICE for actress, soprano, percussion, and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (67) to words of Aeschylus is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    Dancissimo for orchestra by Philip Glass (64) is performed for the first time, in Milwaukee.

    30 November 2002 A Calendar of Kings for vocal quartet by Peter Maxwell Davies (68) is performed for the first time, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

    30 November 2007 Son of a Chamber Symphony for chamber orchestra by John Adams (60) is performed for the first time, in Dinkelspiel Auditorium of Stanford University.

    30 November 2012 Peony Pavilion, a musical stage work for six players and Chinese instruments by Tan Dun (55), is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

    30 November 2013 Fanfare; Saffron Walden for two horns, two trumpets, trombone, and bass trombone by Peter Maxwell Davies (79) is performed for the first time, to celebrate the opening of Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden, Essex.

    Dum Dee Tweedle, an opera in ten scenes with a finale by David Del Tredici (76) to words of Carroll, is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Detroit.

    ©2004-2014 Paul Scharfenberger

    11 November 2014

    Last Updated (Tuesday, 11 November 2014 06:53)

     

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