December

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    1 December

    1 December 1709 Franz Xaver Richter is born, perhaps in Holleschau (Holesov).

    1 December 1753 Incidental music to Glover’s play Boadicea by William Boyce (42) is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    1 December 1755 Maurice Greene dies at his home in London, aged 59 years, three months and 19 days.

    1 December 1759 Incidental music to Hawkesworth’s (after Southerne) play Oroonoko by John Stanley (47) is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    1 December 1791 When Ferdinand Arbesser retires as first court organist in Vienna, he is succeeded by second organist Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (55).

    1 December 1800 Two musicians, Franz Anton Hoffmeister and Ambrosius Kühnel, found a publishing firm called the Bureau de Musique (Edition Peters) in Leipzig.

    1 December 1820 Franz Schubert’s (23) song Erlkönig to words of Goethe is performed for the first time outside the Schubert circle, in the home of Ignaz Sonnleithner, Vienna.

    1 December 1822 Franz Liszt (11), now a piano student of Carl Czerny (31) and a composition student of Antonio Salieri (72), gives his first public concert in the Landständischer Saal, Vienna.  Liszt plays the a minor piano concerto of Johann Nepomuk Hummel (44).  It is very well received.  The Allgemeine Zeitung will call him “a little Hercules...fallen from the clouds.”

    1 December 1828 Robert Schumann (18) confides to his diary, “Schubert is dead--dismay.”  His University of Leipzig roommate hears “him sobbing the whole night long.”

    1 December 1843 Deuxième Duo sur le Quatuor de “Lucille” de Grétry op.17 for piano four hands by César Franck (20) is performed for the first time, in Liège.

    1 December 1845 Incidental music to Racine’s play Athalie by Felix Mendelssohn (36) is performed for the first time, at the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin.

    1 December 1850 The president of Teatro La Fenice, Venice forwards to Giuseppe Verdi (37) and Francesco Maria Piave the Austrian governor’s “profound regret that the poet Piave and the celebrated Maestro Verdi have not chosen some other field to display their talents than the revolting immorality and obscene triviality forming the story of the libretto Le Maledizione (Rigoletto), submitted to us for eventual performance at La Fenice.”

    1 December 1853 La fuite en Egypte, a mystère ancien for tenor, chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (49) to his own words, is performed completely for the first time, in Leipzig conducted by the composer.  A young pianist-composer named Johannes Brahms (20) is in the audience.  See 12 November 1850 and 30 May 1853.

    1 December 1856 Bedrich Smetana (32) opens a music school in Göteborg and attracts more students than he can enroll.

    1 December 1861 In Mainz, Richard Wagner (48) reads the scenario of Die Meistersinger to Schott who immediately offers him 10,000 francs.

    1 December 1865 Bavarian Prime Minister von der Pfordten writes to King Ludwig that he must choose between his people and Richard Wagner (52), and threatens to resign.

    1 December 1867 Three movements from Ein deutsches Requiem by Johannes Brahms (34) are performed for the first time, in the Großer Redoutensaal, Vienna.  See 18 February 1869.  The performance is less than perfect and a few hisses are heard but the composer is loudly applauded and called on stage.

    Louis Moreau Gottschalk (38) premieres his Souvenir de Buenos Aires for piano in Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires.

    1 December 1870 Figle szatana (The Devil’s Jokes), a ballet by Stanislaw Moniuszko (51) in collaboration with Münchheimer, is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    1 December 1873 Der englische Gruss op.22/1 for unaccompanied chorus by Johannes Brahms (40) to traditional German words is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    1 December 1874 An die nachtigall op.46/4, a song by Johannes Brahms (41) to words of Hölty, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    1 December 1879 Arthur Sullivan (37) conducts the first “authentic” production of HMS Pinafore in the United States, in the Fifth Avenue Theatre, New York.  The librettist sings in the chorus.  It is “a success unparalleled in New York,” writes Sullivan to his mother.

    1 December 1883 The third version of Symphony no.1 “Winter Daydreams” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (43) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  See 15 February 1868.

    1 December 1885 Incidental music to Aeschylus’ play The Eumenides by Charles Villiers Stanford (33) is performed for the first time, at Theatre Royal, Cambridge, conducted by the composer.

    1 December 1897 The Bells of Yale for baritone, male chorus, piano, and violin by Charles Ives (23) is performed for the first time, in South Norwalk, Connecticut.

    1 December 1898 Song of My Heart op.18/6 for male chorus by Jean Sibelius (32) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    1 December 1901 A seven page pamphlet is published in Newton Center, Massachusetts announcing the establishment of the Wa-Wan Press “Established for the Periodical Publication of Contemporary American Compositions.”  The editor of the Wa-Wan Press is Arthur Farwell (29).

    1 December 1902 The Symphony no.2 “The Four Temperaments” op.16 of Carl Nielsen (37) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen, directed by the composer.

    1 December 1906 Alyeksandr Skryabin (34) sails second class aboard the Ryndam from Rotterdam bound for Hoboken, New Jersey.  His only confirmed playing engagement is gratis.  Skryabin will eventually perform in Cincinnati, Chicago, and Detroit but will see no profit from the trip.  He will reach Paris with 30 francs in his pocket.

    1 December 1908 Piano Sonata no.5 by Alyeksandr Skryabin (36) is performed for the first time.

    1 December 1911 Max Reger (38) enters upon duties as court conductor to Duke Georg II von Sachsen-Meiningen.

    The Second Piano Sonata op.21 of Karol Szymanowski (29) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Horatio Parker’s (48) cantata A Song of Times op.73, to words of Long, is performed for the first time, at the Wannamaker Department Store, Philadelphia.

    1 December 1913 Syrinx for solo flute by Claude Debussy (51), is performed for the first time, at the residence of Louis Mors, Paris.  See 13 December 1913.

    1 December 1915 After a concert of Skryabin’s (†0) piano works by Sergey Rakhmaninov (42) (during which a disturbance by Skryabin partisans breaks out), Sergey Prokofiev (24) and Rakhmaninov have an icy exchange, thus ending whatever good relations they had.

    1 December 1915 Lee de Forest publishes an article entitled “Audion Bulbs as Producers of Pure Musical Tones”, describing the musical properties of sounds produced by vacuum tubes.

    1 December 1919 Richard Strauss (55) enters upon duties as director of the State Opera of the Austrian Republic.

    Autrefois for two sopranos and small orchestra by Jean Sibelius (53) to words of Procopé is performed for the first time, at the opening of the Gösta Stenman gallery in Helsinki.

    1 December 1921 Gustav Holst’s (47) ballet music for his own unperformed opera The Perfect Fool is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  See 14 May 1923.

    Poèmes des rivages, a symphonic suite by Vincent d’Indy (70), is performed for the first time, in New York, conducted by the composer.

    1 December 1923 Der Dämon op.28, a dance pantomime by Paul Hindemith (28) to words of Krell, is performed for the first time, at the Darmstadt Landestheater.

    1 December 1924 A funeral service is held in memory of Giacomo Puccini in the Church of Sainte-Marie, Brussels.  The body is then transported by train to Milan.

    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 New York, at the Liberty Theatre.  Songs by Gershwin include Fascinating Rhythm and the title song.  The Man I Love was cut before the play reached New York.  It will see 330 performances.  See 17 November 1924.

    1 December 1925 Tyrolian Valse-fantaisie op.116 for piano by Amy Cheney Beach (58) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.

    1 December 1926 Poema autunnale for violin and orchestra by Ottorino Respighi (47) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    1 December 1928 In his Paris apartment, Sergey Prokofiev (37) plays through his ballet The Prodigal Son for Sergey Diaghilev.  Diaghilev is generally pleased, but the evening is not without its differences.

    Two of the Three Pieces for Small Orchestra by Arnold Bax (45) are performed for the first time, in Central Hall, Westminster.

    1 December 1929 Aubade, a “choreographic concerto” for piano and 18 instruments by Francis Poulenc (30), is performed publicly for the first time, in a concert setting in the Salle Pleyel, Paris the composer at the piano.  See 18 June 1929 and 21 January 1930.

    1 December 1933 The New World Quartet records the Andante movement from Ruth Crawford Seeger’s (32) String Quartet on a twelve-inch shellac disc at Capital Sound Studios, New York.  It is among the first recordings of music by an American modernist, or an American woman.

    1 December 1934 Don Quichotte à Dulcinée, three songs for voice and orchestra by Maurice Ravel (59) to words of Morand, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    1 December 1935 Violin Concerto no.2 op.63 by Sergey Prokofiev (44) is performed for the first time, in Madrid.

    Two numbers from Marc Blitzstein’s unperformed ballet Cain are performed for the first time, on the piano, in Town Hall, New York.

    1 December 1936 Les Soirées de Nazelles for piano by Francis Poulenc (37) is performed for the first time, by the composer over the airwaves of the BBC.

    1 December 1937 Riders to the Sea, an opera by Ralph Vaughan Williams (65) to his own words, after Synge, is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.

    These things shall be, a cantata by John Ireland (58) to words of Symonds, is performed publicly for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  See 13 May 1937.

    1 December 1938 Alexander Nevsky, a film by Sergey Eisenstein with music by Sergey Prokofiev (47) is shown for the first time in general release.  See 17 May 1939.

    At a party at the Club Crawford in Pittsburgh, Duke Ellington (39) is introduced to Billy Strayhorn.  The 23-year-old will be a big part of Ellington’s music in the future.

    1 December 1940 Incidental music to Garcia Lorca’s play Blood Wedding by Otto Luening (40) is performed for the first time, at Bennington College, Bennington, Vermont.

    1 December 1943 Piano Sonata no.3 by Ernst Krenek (43) is performed for the first time, in Bridgman Hall, Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota by the composer.

    1 December 1944 Concerto for Orchestra by Béla Bartók (63) is performed for the first time, in Boston.  It is an immediate hit with American audiences.

    1 December 1946 The first version of the Symphony no.3 by Anton Bruckner (†50) is performed for the first time, in Dresden, 73 years after it was composed.

    1 December 1949 Il prigioniero, an opera by Luigi Dallapiccola (45) to his own words after Villiers de l’Isle Adam and C. de Coster, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RAI.  See 20 May 1950.

    Symphony no.2 by Hans Werner Henze (23) is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    1 December 1950 Henry Cowell’s (53) dance music A Full Moon in March to a story by Lippincott and Yeats is performed for the first time, in Fargo, North Dakota.

    1 December 1951 Billy Budd op.50, an opera by Benjamin Britten (38) to words of Forster and Crozier after Melville, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, conducted by the composer.

    1 December 1953 Symphony no.5 by Carlos Chávez (54) is performed for the first time, in Royce Hall Auditorium, Los Angeles the composer conducting.

    1 December 1956 Candide, a comic operetta by Leonard Bernstein (38) to words of Hellman, Wilbur, La Touche, Parker, and the composer after Voltaire, is performed for the first time in New York at the Martin Beck Theatre.  Critics are decidedly mixed.  See 29 October 1956 and 20 December 1973.

    Music for Orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (18) is performed for the first time, at Columbia University, New York.

    1 December 1957 Igor Stravinsky’s (75) ballet Agon is staged for the first time, in City Center, New York.  The music, and the choreography by George Balanchine, are a stupendous success.  See 17 June 1957.

    Two male choruses by Leos Janácek (†29) are performed for the first time, in Prague, approximately 75 years after they were composed:  On the Bushy Fir Tree Two Pigeons are Perched, and On the Ferry.

    1 December 1958 Arnold Schoenberg’s (†7) unfinished oratorio Jacob’s Ladder to his own words, for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    1 December 1961 Incidental music to Brecht’s (tr. Bentley) play The Exception and the Rule by Stefan Wolpe (58) is performed for the first time, in Wollman Auditorium, New York.

    1 December 1962 A concert setting of the music to the film Journey to the Stars by Gunther Schuller (37) is performed for the first time, in Toledo conducted by the composer.

    1 December 1964 Three Against Christmas, a comic opera by Andrew Imbrie (43) to words of Wincor, is performed for the first time, in Berkeley, California.

    1 December 1965 Incidental music to Cholendro’s play Somebody’s Life by Alfred Schnittke (31) is performed for the first time, in Mossoviet Theatre, Moscow.

    Phonophonie, four melodramas by Mauricio Kagel (33), is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    1 December 1968 Livre pour cordes Ia for string orchestra by Pierre Boulez (43) is performed for the first time, in London directed by the composer.

    Overture for Large Orchestra by Henry Cowell (†2) is performed for the first time, in Santa Rosa, California.

    1 December 1974 Anton Bruckner’s (†78) Mass “Kronstorfer” is performed for the first time, at St. Florian, 90 years after it was composed.

    1 December 1976 Letter from Mozart by Michael Colgrass (44) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    1 December 1977 Ponteach for narrator and piano by Lejaren Hiller (53) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.

    1 December 1980 Accusation Against the Unknown, an opera by Bohuslav Martinu (†21) to his own words after Neveux, is performed for the first time, in Brno, 27 years after it was composed.

    1 December 1984 Symphony no.7 by Hans Werner Henze (58) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    1 December 1986 What Time Is It? for boys chorus and jazz orchestra by TJ Anderson (58) to his own words is performed for the first time, in New York, directed by the composer.

    1 December 1988 A revised version of Valis, an opera by Tod Machover (35) to words of Ikam, Raymond, and the composer after Dick, is performed for the first time, at the Pompidou Center, Paris.

    Serenade in G for string sextet op.64b by Robin Holloway (45) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, originating in London.  See 14 May 1987.

    Slides for chamber ensemble by Witold Lutoslawski (75) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York, composed in honor of Elliott Carter’s 80th birthday on 11 December.

    1 December 1989 Nocturne for brass quintet by John Harbison (50) is performed for the first time, in Washington Square Church, New York.

    1 December 1991 The fugue from the unfinished Sonata for cello op.134 by Sergey Prokofiev (†38) is performed for the first time, in London.

    1 December 1995 Watershed I for percussion by Roger Reynolds (61) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.

    1 December 1996 Antagonismes for tape by Pierre Henry (68) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.

    1 December 1997 Music for the silent film Cenere by Phillip Glass (60) is performed for the first time, in Messina.  The music is performed live by the composer and Jon Gibson, saxophone.  It will later be made into a soundtrack.

    Ballad in Yellow for piano by David Del Tredici (60) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    1 December 1998 Gedrängte Form for 14 players by Wolfgang Rihm (46) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.  Also premiered is Rihm’s cycle Nebendraußen for baritone and piano to words of Lenz.

    1 December 2001 A revised version of Dérive called Dérive 2 for eleven instruments by Pierre Boulez (76) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam, conducted by the composer.  See 21 June 1990 and 7 February 1993.

    1 December 2009 Passage 1, an intermedia performance by Roger Reynolds (75), is performed for the first time, in the Conrad Prebys Music Center, La Jolla, California.

    1 December 2012 Two Psalms for chorus and orchestra by Benjamin Britten (†35) are performed for the first time, in the Sheldonian Theatre of Oxford University, 81 years after they were composed.

    2 December

    2 December 1757 Isabella, or the Fatal Marriage, a play by Garrick, after Southerne, with music by Thomas Augustine Arne (47), is performed for the first time, at the Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    2 December 1764 A memorial service for Jean-Marie Leclair takes place in the church of the Feuillants near the Place Vendôme.  A motet, De profundis, by Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (52) and an arrangement of Leclair’s music are performed.

    2 December 1772 Thomas Augustine Arne’s (62) comic opera The Rose, perhaps to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    2 December 1786 Antonio Salieri’s (36) tragédie lyrique Les Horaces to words of Guillard after Corneille is performed for the first time, at Versailles.  The work is liked by singers and players but is a complete disaster with the audience and critics.

    2 December 1788 Démophon, a tragédie lyrique by Luigi Cherubini (28) to words of Marmontel after Metastasio, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is not successful.

    2 December 1804 Napoléon Bonaparte crowns himself Emperor of the French in the presence of the Pope in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris.  He then crowns his wife, Josephine, as Empress.  The music for the occasion, a mass and a Te Deum, is by Giovanni Paisello (64).

    2 December 1833 César Franck (10) begins harmony lessons with Joseph Daussoigne at the Royal Conservatory of Liège.

    2 December 1837 Le domino noir, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (55) to words of Scribe is performed for the first time, at Théâtre de la Bourse, Paris.

    2 December 1840 La favorite, an opéra by Gaetano Donizetti (43) to words of Royer and Vaëz after d’Arnaud, is performed for the first time, in the Paris Opéra.  The initial response of the audience is a trifle frosty.

    2 December 1841 Frédéric Chopin (31) performs at a musical soiree given by the king’s son, the Duc d’Orleans at his residence, the Pavillon de Marsan.  500 people attend, including the King Louis Philippe and Queen Marie Amalie, three other of their children, Queen Maria Cristina of Spain, the ambassadors of Prussia, Sweden and Saxony, former French Prime Minister Adolphe Thiers and Eugène Delacroix.  The program is conducted by Fromental Halévy (42), the duke’s music director.  The featured work is Chopin’s Ballade op.47.

    2 December 1845 Johannes Simon Mayr dies in Bergamo, aged 82 years, five months and 18 days.  His funeral will be attended by Giuseppe Verdi (32).

    2 December 1849 Georges Bizet (11) is awarded the First Prize in Solfège at the Paris Conservatoire.

    2 December 1853 Schnee-Glöcken op.143, a waltz by Johann Strauss (28), is performed for the first time, in the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    2 December 1855 The Théâtre des Jeunes Elèves is handed over to Jacques Offenbach (36).  It is renamed the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens.

    2 December 1859 Begräbnisgesang op.13 for chorus, winds, and timpani to words of Weisse and a setting of Ave Maria op.12 for female chorus and orchestra by Johannes Brahms (26) are performed for the first time, in the Wörmerscher Saal, Hamburg, conducted by the composer.

    2 December 1865 Edvard Grieg (22) and a companion depart Leipzig for Italy.  Instead of returning to Berlin to be with his ailing friend, Rikard Nordraak as he promised, Grieg has decided to go south on the sojourn he and Nordraak had intended.

    2 December 1870 The revised version of Dalibor, an opera by Bedrich Smetana (46) to words of Wenzig translated by Spindler, is performed for the first time, in the Provisional Theatre, Prague.  See 16 May 1868.

    2 December 1871 The first concert of the new Music Association orchestra takes place in Christiania (Oslo).  See 14 October 1871.

    2 December 1876 Excerpts from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (36) unperformed opera Vakula the Smith are performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.  See 6 December 1876.

    2 December 1877 Samson et Dalila, an opéra by Camille Saint-Saëns (42) to words of Lemaire, is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Hoftheater, conducted by Franz Liszt (66).  Gabriel Fauré (32), in town for the premiere, meets Liszt for the first time.  Fauré will later write, “being at that first performance was one of the greatest pleasures and one of the most moving experiences of my life.”

    Suite for string orchestra by Leos Janácek (23) is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno), conducted by the composer.

    The Symphonic Variations op.78 by Antonin Dvorák (36) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    2 December 1878 Unüberwindlich op.72/5, a song by Johannes Brahms (45) to words of Goethe, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    2 December 1879 Arrigo Boito (37) sends Giuseppe Verdi (66) the libretto to Otello and offers to make any revisions that Verdi might require.

    Edvard Grieg (36) writes to Clara Schumann (60) introducing himself and asking her for letters to prepare a visit to England for him.  She will be very helpful, but illness will cause him to cancel the trip.

    2 December 1882 O Traurigkeit, O Herzelied WoO7, chorale prelude and fugue for organ by Johannes Brahms (49) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    2 December 1883 Symphony no.3 by Johannes Brahms (50) is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.  The work is a triumph.  There is organized hissing by the Wagner Club at the end of every movement but this is drowned out by prolonged applause.

    2 December 1885 Amy Marcy Cheney (18) marries Henry Harris Aubrey Beach, MD in Trinity Church, Boston.  He is 24 years her senior.  After a honeymoon in New York, they will live in Beach’s home at 28 Commonwealth Avenue.

    2 December 1886 Sonata for violin and piano no.2 op.100 by Johannes Brahms (53) is performed for the first time, in the Kleiner Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, the composer at the keyboard.

    A Partita for violin and piano by Hubert Parry (38) is performed for the first time, in London.

    2 December 1888 Kaiser Jubiläum op.434, a Jubel-Walzer by Johann Strauss (63), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    2 December 1889 Sonata for violin and piano op.20 by Arthur Foote (36) is performed for the first time, in Boston, the composer at the keyboard.

    2 December 1892 Eilende Wolken, Segler die Lüfte op.18 for alto and orchestra by Amy Cheney Beach (25) to words of Schiller, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    2 December 1900 The cantata Amarus, words by Vrchlicky and music by Leos Janácek (46) is performed for the first time, without the epilogue, at Kromeriz, the composer conducting.  See 20 March 1898 and 25 February 1912.

    2 December 1901 Concert allegro, op.46 for piano, of Edward Elgar (44) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London.  It is warmly received by the audience but critics are cool.

    2 December 1903 Incidental music to Järnefelt’s play Kuolema by Jean Sibelius (37) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.  The music contains the famous Valse triste.

    2 December 1904 My Brother is Abroad for male chorus by Jean Sibelius (38) to words of Aho is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    In a concert in Bechstein Hall, London, several songs by Gustav Holst (30) are premiered.  They are Soft and Gently op.4/3 to words of Heine; In a Wood op.15/4 to words of Hardy; I Will Not Let Thee Go op.15/6 to words of Bridges; Cradle Song op.16/5 to words of Blake; and Peace op.16/6 to words of Hyatt.  The composer accompanies each at the piano.  In the same performance, two song cycles by Ralph Vaughan Williams (32), The House of Life, to words of D. Rossetti, and Songs of Travel, to words of Stevenson, along with Orpheus with His Lute, a song to words of Shakespeare, are all performed for the first time.  These are part of a concert of the works of Holst and Vaughan Williams which the latter produces at his own expense.

    2 December 1913 Deutsche Motette op.62 for chorus by Richard Strauss (49), to words of Rückert, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    2 December 1915 En blanc et noir for two pianos by Claude Debussy (53) is performed for the first time, at Chez Durand, Paris, the composer and Louis Albert performing.

    2 December 1918 Incidental music to Méral’s play Le Dit des Jeux du Monde by Arthur Honegger (26) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Vieux Colombier, Paris.  It causes a scandal, complete with whistles, cheers, clapping, screaming, and fighting.  Among the audience are Maurice Ravel (43), Florent Schmitt (48), Albert Roussel (49), Pablo Picasso, and Jean Cocteau.  Honegger is now famous.

    2 December 1920 A Viola Sonata by Arthur Honegger (28) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Sonatine for piano op.59/5 by Charles Koechlin (53) is performed for the first time, in Salle Pleyel, Paris.

    2 December 1921 Danse de chèvre for flute by Arthur Honegger (29) is performed for the first time, in the Nouveau Théâtre, Paris.

    2 December 1922 Hecuba’s Lament op.31/1 for alto, female chorus, and orchestra by Gustav Holst (48) to words of Euripedes (tr. Murray) is performed for the first time, in Colston Hall, Bristol.

    2 December 1924 Three Little Pieces for cello and piano op.11 by Anton Webern are performed for the first time, in Mainz on the eve of he composer’s 41st birthday.

    Lachian Dances for orchestra by Leos Janácek (70) is performed for the first time, in Brno.  It is a hit.  The audience calls for two of them to be encored.  See 19 February 1925.

    2 December 1926 Piano Sonata no.1 by Dmitri Shostakovich (20) is performed for the first time, by the composer, in Leningrad Philharmonic Malyi Hall.

    The first five of the Seven Part Songs op.44 for soprano, chorus, and strings by Gustav Holst (51) to words of Bridges are performed for the first time, in Liverpool.

    Elegiac Poem for orchestra by Frederick S. Converse (55) is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    Danish voters elect a new Folketing with only modest changes in the standing of the parties.

    2 December 1928 Variations for Orchestra by Arnold Schoenberg (54) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    2 December 1931 Paul Marie Théodore Vincent d’Indy dies in Paris aged 80 years, eight months, and five days.

    2 December 1932 Pardon My English, a musical comedy with a book by Fields, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (34), is performed for the first time, Philadelphia.  See 20 January 1933.

    2 December 1940 Two songs for voice and piano by Roy Harris (42) are performed for the first time, in Cos Cob, Connecticut:  Evening Song to words of Tennyson and La Primavera, a folksong arrangement.

    2 December 1944 Krakauer Begrüssung by Hans Pfitzner (75) is performed for the first time, in Krakow.  It is dedicated to the Nazi governor of Poland, Hans Frank.

    2 December 1949 Turangalîla-symphonie for piano, ondes martenot, and orchestra by Olivier Messiaen (40) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston conducted by Leonard Bernstein (31) in the presence of the composer and Maurice Martenot.  Yvonne Loriod plays the piano part and Ginette Martenot plays the Ondes Martenot.  See 15 February 1948.

    Viola Concerto by Béla Bartók (†4), reconstructed and orchestrated by Tibor Serly, is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    2 December 1950 Scherzo fantastique for piano and orchestra by Ernest Bloch (70) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    2 December 1952 Suite for wind quintet by Ruth Crawford Seeger (51) is performed for the first time, at American University in Washington.

    2 December 1954 Arthur Honegger (62) is raised to the rank of Grand Officer in the Legion of Honor.

    Déserts for 14 winds, piano, five percussionists, and two-track tape by Edgar Varèse (70), is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, and broadcast live.  Pierre Henry (26) is in charge of the tape.  A scandal ensues with audience members of differing opinions hurling insults during the performance.  These turn to fisticuffs and wrestling matches with some patrons attempting unsuccessfully to use seats as weapons.  The office of Prime Minister Pierre Mendès-France is inundated with telephone calls from angry listeners trying to get the music or the broadcast stopped.  An order is given to RTF to stop the broadcast, but the order is ignored.

    2 December 1955 A funeral in memory of Arthur Honegger takes place at the Temple de l’Oratoire, Paris.  Afterwards, his mortal remains are cremated at Père Lachaise Cemetery.  On the occasion, words are spoken by Jean Cocteau.

    2 December 1957 The Duel, a film with music by Aram Khachaturian (54), is released.

    Dark Rapture Crawl for orchestra by Bruno Maderna (37) is performed for the first time, in Rome.  Also premiered is Divertimento for orchestra by Bruno Maderna and Luciano Berio (32).

    2 December 1958 Three Piano Moods by William Schuman (48) is performed for the first time, in Athens.

    A Satz für Klavier by Anton Webern (†13) is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 52 years after it was composed, and on the eve of the 75th anniversary of Webern’s birth.

    2 December 1959 LaMonte Young (24) begins a series of “Noon Concerts” for the University of California at Berkeley music department.  They feature contemporary composers, including John Cage (47) and himself.  Vision, a theatre and music piece by Young is performed for the first time.  Musicians are separated spatially and the performance takes place in the dark.  Among the performers is Terry Riley (24).

    2 December 1962 Zoltán Kodály (79) receives the Order of the Hungarian Peoples Republic, the nation’s highest state honor.

    2 December 1963 Murder of a Great Chief of State, In memory of John F. Kennedy for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (71) is performed for the first time, in Oakland, California.  Milhaud composed the work on 23 November 1963.

    2 December 1965 The Poet’s Echo op.76, a cycle for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (52) to words of Pushkin, is performed completely for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.  See 29 August 1965.

    2 December 1966 Doppio Concerto for oboe, harp, and strings by Hans Werner Henze (40) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    2 December 1970 The Knot Garden, an opera by Michael Tippett (65) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.

    2 December 1980 Sonatina for violin and piano by Hans Werner Henze (54) is performed for the first time, in London.

    2 December 1983 Domination of Black op.23, a symphonic poem by Robin Holloway (40), is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    Pour les baleines for strings by Iannis Xenakis (61) is performed for the first time, in Orléans.

    Ryoanji for oboe and percussion by John Cage (71) is performed for the first time, at the Asia Society, New York.

    2 December 1987 VALIS, an opera by Tod Machover (34) to his own words after Dick, is performed for the first time, at Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris conducted by the composer.

    2 December 1988 Fantasy Duo for violin and piano by John Harbison (49) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    2 December 1990 Aaron Copland dies of respiratory failure in Phelps Memorial Hospital, North Tarrytown, New York, aged 90 years and 18 days.  The ashes of his mortal remains will be buried on the grounds at Tanglewood.

    2 December 1991 One4 for percussion by John Cage (79) is performed for presumably the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    2 December 1993 Of Reminiscences and Reflections by Gunther Schuller (68) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.  It will win the Pulitzer Prize.  See 12 April 1994.

    2 December 1994 S709 for two-track Dynamic Stochastic Synthesis by Iannis Xenakis (72) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  Also premiered is Ariadne’s Thread for string quartet and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (60).

    2 December 1997 Cabaret Songs, a cycle for medium voice and piano by William Bolcom (59) to words of Weinstein, is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    2 December 1998 String Quartet no.2 by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (59) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    2 December 2000 Ring Out Wild Bells for clarinet, violin, cello, and piano by Thea Musgrave (72) is performed for the first time, at Franklin and Marshall College, Philadelphia.

    2 December 2001 Figment no.2:  Remembering Mr. Ives for cello by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    2 December 2007 There Is No Rose for chorus by John Tavener (63) is performed for the first time, at Northern Illinois University.

    2 December 2008 The Message for E flat clarinet, trumpet in C, and military drum by Harrison Birtwistle (74) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    Tintinnabulation for six percussionists by Elliott Carter (99) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.

    3 December

    3 December 1596 Nicolò Amati is born in Cremona.

    3 December 1729 Antonio Francisco Javer José Soler Ramos is baptized in Olot, Gerona.

    3 December 1781 The Naples Cappella Reale formally dismisses Niccolò Piccinni (53).  He has been living in Paris since receiving a one-year leave of absence in 1776.  This has been renewed annually until now.  The Cappella decides that he is not returning.  Giuseppe de Magistris, who has been doing the job for half-salary, is formally appointed second organist.

    3 December 1787 Domenico Cimarosa (37) arrives in St. Petersburg to become Maestro di Cappella to the court of Yekaterina the Great.  On the way from Italy, Cimarosa and his wife visited Livorno as guest of Grand Duke Leopold of Tuscany, also Parma, visiting Duchess Maria Amalia, and three weeks in Vienna, during which he was presented to Emperor Joseph II.

    3 December 1818 Karl van Beethoven, young nephew and ward of Ludwig (47), runs away from his uncle back to his mother.  The composer goes to his sister-in-law’s house to secure the return of the boy.  She promises to release him that evening, but this is not good enough for Ludwig and he summons the police who remove the boy by force.  Beethoven then places Karl back in the Del Rio boarding school from whence he removed him last 24 January.

    Giaocchino Rossini’s (26) dramma Ricciardo e Zoraide to words of Berio di Salsa after Forteguerri, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  It is very successful.

    3 December 1820 Maometto II, a dramma by Gioachino Rossini (28) to words of della Valle, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.  It is not well received.

    3 December 1822 Il vero omaggio, a cantata by Gioachino Rossini (30) to words of Rossi, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Filarmonico, Verona, commissioned by Prince Metternich for the Congress of Verona.  The performance takes place before the assembled heads of state.

    3 December 1837 Clara Wieck (18) gives her first concert in Vienna, at the home of Baroness Pereira.

    Richard Wagner’s (24) Volks-Hymne “Nikolai” for solo voices, chorus and orchestra to words of von Brackel is performed for the first time, in the Riga Stadttheater.

    3 December 1848 Johann Strauss, Jr. (23) conducts the Marseillaise at a concert the day after the accession of Emperor Franz Joseph.

    A Grand Duo for violin and piano on themes from Meyerbeer’s (57) Le Prophète, jointly composed by Henri Vieuxtemps and Anton Rubinstein (19), is performed for the first time, by the composers, in St. Petersburg.

    3 December 1849 Stephen Foster (23) signs a contract with the New York music publisher Firth, Pond & Co. thus beginning his professional career.

    3 December 1852 Vom Pagen und der Königstöchter for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Robert Schumann (42) to words of Geibel is performed for the first time, in Düsseldorf, directed by the composer.  Since his doctor ordered him to avoid exertion, this is his first conducting since August.

    3 December 1855 Trio for piano and strings by Bedrich Smetana (31) is performed for the first time, in Konvikt Hall, Prague.

    3 December 1861 Clara Schumann (42) performs Johannes Brahms’ (28) Piano Concerto no.1 in Hamburg, conducted by the composer.  She writes, “The public understood nothing and felt nothing.”

    3 December 1870 John Knowles Paine (31) gives the first of 18 public lectures on the history of music at Wesleyan Association Hall, under the auspices of Harvard University.

    3 December 1871 Volkslied op.7/4, a song by Johannes Brahms (38) to traditional words, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    3 December 1874 Incidental music to Sardou’s play La haine by Jacques Offenbach (55) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris.  An aimless plot and a snowstorm combine to sink the production.

    3 December 1880 The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom for chorus by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (40) is performed for the first time in a concert setting in Moscow.  The music was performed in the University Church, Kiev in 1879.

    Serenade for Strings by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (40) is performed for the first time, in a private setting, as a surprise for the composer by students at Moscow Conservatory.

    3 December 1883 Anton Friedrich Wilhelm von Webern is born in Vienna, third of five children born to Carl von Webern, a mining engineer, and Amalie Antonia Geer, daughter of a master butcher.

    3 December 1884 The Holberg-Kantate by Edvard Grieg (41) to words of Rolfsen is performed for the first time, at the unveiling of a monument to the playwright Holberg in Bergen.

    3 December 1889 Goryusha by Anton Rubinstein (60) to words of Averkiyev, is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.

    3 December 1896 Javotte, a ballet by Camille Saint-Saëns (61) to a scenario by Croze, is performed for the first time, in Lyon, the composer conducting.

    Two Episodes op.2 for orchestra by Henry F. Gilbert (27) is performed completely for the first time, in Chickering Hall, New York.  See 13 January 1896.

    3 December 1900 Two songs op.44 by Richard Strauss (36) for voice and orchestra are performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    3 December 1908 Symphony no.1 op.55 of Edward Elgar (51) is performed for the first time, in Free Trade Hall, Manchester.  The size of the crowd is kept down by a heavy fog and the performance is less than perfect, but the critics and the public are very appreciative.

    3 December 1914 Irving Gifford Fine is born in Boston, the first of three children born to George Fine, a lawyer, and Charlotte Friedman.

    String Quartet in e minor by Ethel Smyth (56) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    3 December 1918 Two pieces for piano, Prélude and Filigrane, by Claude Champagne (27) are performed for the first time, in Windsor Hall, Montreal.

    3 December 1920 The Birthday of the Infanta Suite for orchestra by John Alden Carpenter (44) from his ballet of the same name, is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.  See 23 December 1919.

    3 December 1921 Erik Satie (55) meets Man Ray at an exhibition of Man Ray’s paintings in Paris.  Afterwards, walking along the street, the two go into a shop where they buy a flat iron, glue and a box of tacks.  They return to the gallery and glue a row of tacks onto the surface of the flat iron.  It is Man Ray’s first Dada sculpture.

    3 December 1924 Rites of the Roman Catholic Church are performed for the remains of Giacomo Puccini in the Milan Cathedral as the La Scala orchestra plays his music from Edgar conducted by Arturo Toscanini.  The body is then placed temporarily in the Toscanini family tomb in the Cimitero Monumentale.  The funeral oration is given by Prime Minister Benito Mussolini.  See 29 November 1926.

    3 December 1925 Concerto in F for piano and orchestra by George Gershwin (27) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, the composer at the keyboard.  The critics are generally ambivalent.

    3 December 1926 Suite no.1 from Façade by William Walton (24) is performed for the first time, in the Lyceum, London the composer conducting.

    3 December 1931 Delicious, a film with music by George Gershwin (33), is released in the United States.  See 25 December 1931.

    3 December 1932 Partita for string orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (41) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    3 December 1934 The first three movements of William Walton’s (32) Symphony no.1 are performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.  See 6 November 1935.

    3 December 1936 Symphony in F by Frederick S. Converse (65) is performed for the first time, in Sanders Theatre of Harvard University.

    3 December 1937 Duo for violin, cello, and orchestra or piano op.43 by Hans Pfitzner (68) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    Not Even Summer Yet for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten (24) to words of Burra is performed for the first time, in Berkshire.

    3 December 1942 Gayaneh, a ballet by Aram Khachaturian (39) to a story by Derzhavin, is performed for the first time, in Molotov (Perm, Russia).  The performers are members of the Kirov Ballet evacuated from Leningrad.

    3 December 1943 Symphony no.4 “Requiem” by Howard Hanson (47) is performed for the first time, in Boston under the baton of the composer.  See 1 May 1944.

    3 December 1944 Civil War in Greece erupts as British troops and Greek police open fire on a massive leftist demonstration in Athens, killing 28 and wounding 100.  The job of dispersing the crowd is accomplished with tanks.  Among the injured is Mikis Theodorakis (19), struck by a British rifle butt.  Of the day he remembers, “It was the first time I had seen so much blood.”

    3 December 1948 Sergey Prokofiev’s (57) opera The Story of a Real Man to words of Mendelson and the composer after Polevoy, is performed for the first time, in a private, concert setting for Communist Party and Union of Composers officials at the Kirov Theatre, Leningrad.  The composer’s doctors allow him to attend the performance, but not the discussion following.  The work is condemned by the audience.

    Quattro liriche di Antonio Machado for voice and piano by Luigi Dallapiccola (44) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Belgian Radio originating in Brussels.

    3 December 1949 Music for Aguet’s radio play Saint François d’Assise by Arthur Honegger (57) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Lausanne.  This composition is awarded the Swiss Radio Prize.

    3 December 1950 The Hour Glass, a choral song cycle for chorus by Irving Fine, to words of Jonson, is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York on the composer’s 36th birthday.

    3 December 1953 String Quartet no.4 op.83 by Dmitri Shostakovich (47) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.

    3 December 1954 Troilus and Cressida, an opera by William Walton (52) to words of Hassall, is performed for the first time, at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.  Reviews are generally good but many are disappointed, calling it “old fashioned.”  See 12 November 1976.

    Prayers of Kierkegaard op.30 for soprano, alto, tenor, chorus, and orchestra by Samuel Barber (44) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    3 December 1957 Piano Sonata by Bohuslav Martinu (66) is performed for the first time, in Brno.

    3 December 1958 Nocturne for chamber orchestra by Colin McPhee (58) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    3 December 1961 Two songs for voice and piano by Henry Cowell (64) to words of Colum are performed for the first time, in the Newark Museum:  I Heard in the Night and Night Fliers.

    3 December 1963 Dance Panels in Seven Movements by Aaron Copland (63) is performed for the first time, in the National Opera Theatre, Munich.

    A hearing takes place before the planning commission of Petaluma, California on whether or not Harry Partch (62) may continue to occupy the firetrap wherein he and his instruments presently reside.  Trying to be understanding, the commission grants Partch a temporary use permit which will allow him to connect to the gas line, but only if he rewires the building to current codes.

    3 December 1964 The Sound of Time for soprano and piano by Jacob Druckman (36) to words of Mailer, is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    3 December 1965 Seven In Nomine for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (31) is performed completely for the first time, at the Commonwealth Institute, London.

    3 December 1966 Triform for electronic sound generators by Leslie Bassett (43) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    3 December 1967 The Birds for female chorus by Ulysses Kay (50) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    3 December 1968 Do It for speaker, chorus, gongs, double basses, and bassoons by Robert Erickson (51) to words of Peterson, is performed for the first time, at the University of California at San Diego.

    3 December 1970 Concerto in Six Movements for piano and orchestra by Ned Rorem (47) is performed for the first time, in Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh.

    Suite from Music for Films for tape by Vladimir Ussachevsky (59) is performed for the first time, at Weber State College, Ogden, Utah.

    3 December 1971 De natura sonoris II for orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (38) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.  The work was commissioned by the Juilliard School of Music.

    Drumming for percussion, two female voices, whistling, and piccolo by Steve Reich (35) is performed for the first time, at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.  The audience grants the music a standing ovation.

    Concerto for rhythmicon and orchestra by Henry Cowell (†5) is performed for the first time, in Palo Alto, California, by a computer and orchestra, forty years after it was composed.

    3 December 1978 The title music for the BBC television Shakespeare series, composed by William Walton (76), is broadcast for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC-2 television.  See 26 January 1978.

    Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird for soprano, flute, piano, percussion, and tape by Lukas Foss (56) to words of Stevens is performed for the first time, in Baird Recital Hall, State University of New York at Buffalo.

    William Grant Still dies in Los Angeles, aged 83 years, six months, and 22 days.

    3 December 1979 Humoresk for organ and orchestra by William Bolcom (41) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    3 December 1981 Tutuguri III for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (29) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    3 December 1982 Fanfare for brass quintet by Thea Musgrave (54) is performed for the first time, in Centre Theatre, Norfolk, Virginia.

    Concerto for winds by Karel Husa (61) is performed for the first time, at Michigan State University, East Lansing.

    3 December 1984 Chiffre V for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (32) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    3 December 1989 William Schuman (79) is one of five people receiving the Kennedy Center Honor in Washington “for an extraordinary lifetime of contributions to American culture through the performing arts.”

    3 December 1991 Variation for piano by Roger Reynolds (57) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Concert Hall, New York.

    3 December 1992 O God, My Heart is Ready for chorus and organ by Ned Rorem (69) to words of Psalm 108 is performed for the first time, in St. Thomas’ Church, New York.

    Concerto for oboe by John Harbison (53) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    3 December 1994 Wedding Prayer for chorus by John Tavener (50) is performed for the first time, in the House of Lords, London to celebrate the wedding of Lord and Lady Marks.

    3 December 1996 String Quartet no.13 by Peter Sculthorpe (67) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    As One Who Has Slept for chorus by John Tavener (52) is performed for the first time, in Winchester.

    3 December 1998 Sea Elegy for solo voice, chorus, and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (64) to words of George Mackay Brown is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh the composer conducting.

    3 December 2002 Retracing for bassoon by Elliott Carter (93) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, Carnegie Hall, New York.

    3 December 2003 Ned Rorem (80) is awarded the ASCAP Lifetime Achievement Award in the Walter Reade Theatre in Lincoln Center, New York.  He is handed the award by John Corigliano (65).

    3 December 2004 Fisher-Price announces the release of Color Pixter®Symphony Painter in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab and Tod Machover (51).  It is music software based on Machover’s Hyperscore that allows children to draw music and have it played back.

    4 December

    4 December 1660 André Campra is baptized in Aix-en-Provence.

    4 December 1773 Sabinus, a tragédie lyrique by François-Joseph Gossec (39) to words of de Chabanon, is performed for the first time, in Versailles.

    4 December 1774 Il divertimento de’ numi, a scherzo rappresentativo per musica by Giovanni Paisiello (34) to words of Lorenzi, is performed for the first time, in the Royal Palace, Naples.

    4 December 1791 Afternoon.  From  his sickbed, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (35) sings the alto line, of parts of his Requiem.  Three friends sing the other parts. (some sources feel this is unlikely)

    4 December 1803 Ludwig van Beethoven (32) is brought to court because he has not yet published his retraction, as required by the court finding of 26 September.  In fact, he never will.  See 31 March 1804.

    4 December 1805 A private performance in honor of Napoléon is given at Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna directed by Luigi Cherubini (45).  300 political and military men of Napoléon’s staff and government attend.  At the conclusion, Napoléon rises and leaves without applauding or acknowledging the music.

    4 December 1816 Otello, ossia Il moro di Venezia, a dramma by Gioachino Rossini (24) to words of Berio di Salsa after Shakespeare, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro del Fondo, Naples.  The work is a success.

    4 December 1830 Franz Liszt (19) meets Hector Berlioz (26) for the first time, in Paris on the eve of Symphonie fantastique.  Berlioz will remember in his Mémoires, “We were strongly attracted to one another, and our friendship has increased in warmth and depth ever since.  He was present at the concert and excited general attention by his applause and enthusiasm.”

    4 December 1836 Daniel Read dies in New Haven, Connecticut, aged 79 years and 18 days.  His earthly remains will be laid to rest in Grove Street Cemetery, New Haven.

    4 December 1843 Das Paradies und die Peri for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Robert Schumann (33) to translated words of Moore is performed for the first time, in Leipzig directed by the composer in his conducting debut.  It is so successful that another performance is scheduled for 11 December.

    4 December 1845 Concerto for piano and orchestra op.54 by Robert Schumann (35) is performed for the first time, in the Hotel de Saxe, Dresden, Clara Schumann (26), seven months pregnant, at the keyboard.  See 1 January 1846.

    The demand to see Jenny Lind at a Gewandhaus concert directed by Felix Mendelssohn (36) is so great that ticket prices are increased and the usual free admission for students of the Leipzig Conservatory is cancelled.  The students protest and their leader, Otto Goldschmidt (later accompanist and husband to Jenny Lind), negotiates with Mendelssohn.  At the conductor’s wish, Ms. Lind will give a benefit concert for the Gewandhaus musicians pension fund.

    4 December 1853 In Leipzig, Franz Brendel, editor of the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik, gives a reception during which Johannes Brahms (20) plays his Piano Sonata in C and Scherzo in e flat minor.  Hector Berlioz (49) is present and is effusive in his praise.

    4 December 1874 The overture to Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (34) unperformed opera Vakula the Smith is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    4 December 1878 This month sees the first complete performance of the Slavonic Dances of Antonin Dvorák (37), in Dresden.  Tonight, nos.1-4 are performed.  See 16 May 1878 and 18 December 1878.

    4 December 1881 Concerto for violin and orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (41) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    4 December 1883 Rondo after C.M. von Weber for piano by Johannes Brahms (50) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Eric Satie (17) enters the harmony class of Antoine Taudou as an auditor.

    4 December 1895 Caprice bohémien op.12 for orchestra by Sergey Rakhmaninov (22) is performed for the first time, in Moscow the composer conducting.

    Waldmeister, an operetta by Johann Strauss (70) to words of Davis, is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.

    4 December 1896 Ferruccio Busoni (30) performs the Piano Concerto of Edvard Grieg (53) in Christiania (Oslo) in the presence of the composer.  He is compared to Anton Rubinstein(†1).

    4 December 1898 Heroic Song, a tone poem by Antonín Dvorák (57), is performed for the first time, in Vienna conducted by Gustav Mahler (38).

    4 December 1901 String Quintet in e minor by Frank Bridge (22) is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London.

    4 December 1903 In Ingrave, near Brentwood in Essex, Mr. Charles Potiphar, a laborer, sings “Bushes and Briars” to Ralph Vaughan Williams (31), who writes it down.  It is the first English folk song of the hundreds he will collect throughout his life.

    4 December 1909 In Memoriam PS Krøyer, a cantata by Carl Nielsen (44) to words of LC Nielsen, for reciter, solo voices, chorus, and piano, is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.  The composer performs the piano part.

    4 December 1912 The two giants of early twentieth century music meet for the first time, in Berlin.  Arnold Schoenberg (38) and Igor Stravinsky (30) are introduced by Sergey Diaghilev.

    4 December 1915 As of this date, 10,000 Armenians have been deported from Constantinople.

    An article by A. Walter Kramer appears in Musical America entitled “A New Note in Our Piano Music.”  It is a laudatory review of Charles T. Griffes (31) and goes a long way to introducing the music of Griffes to the public.

    4 December 1918 An Irish Concertino for violin, cello, and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (66) is performed for the first time, in London.  See 22 April 1920.

    4 December 1919 Charles T. Griffes (35) makes his last public appearance at a Boston performance of The Pleasure-Dome of Kublai Khan.

    4 December 1922 Symphony no.1 by Arnold Bax (39) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    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 New York, at the Nora Bayes Theatre, the first of 40 performances.  See 20 November 1922.

    4 December 1924 Relâche (No Performance), a ballet instantanéiste by Erik Satie (58) to a scenario by Picabia and Börlin, is performed for the first time, in a public dress rehearsal at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.  The premiere was scheduled for 29 November but, true to its title, the show was cancelled because the lead dancer became ill.  See 7 December 1924.

    4 December 1926 Three Preludes and Two Novellettes for piano by George Gershwin (28) are performed for the first time, by the composer at the Hotel Roosevelt, New York.

    4 December 1927 In a grand concert in the Column Hall of the House of Unions in Moscow to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the October Revolution, a suite from The Steel op.19, a ballet by Alyeksandr Vasilyevich Mosolov (27), is performed for the first time.  Also premiered is October, a cantata by Nikolay Andreyevich Roslavets (46) to words of Alexandrovsky, Kirillov and Obradovich.

    4 December 1928 For the enthronement of Cosmo Gordon Lang as Archbishop of Canterbury, a setting of the Te Deum for chorus and organ by Ralph Vaughan Williams (56) is performed for the first time, in Canterbury Cathedral.

    4 December 1931 An orchestral suite from the unperformed ballet Caballos de vapor by Carlos Chávez (32) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Arbeu, Mexico City under the baton of the composer.  See 31 March 1932.

    4 December 1933 The orchestration of the Sonatine française op.60/4 by Charles Koechlin (66) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio Coloniale.

    4 December 1934 Wilhelm Furtwängler resigns his posts as Deputy President of the Reichsmusikkammer, Director of the Berlin Staatsoper, and conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic, mostly because the government insists on labeling Paul Hindemith (39) a “cultural Bolshevik.”

    4 December 1935 Incidental music to Slater’s play Easter 1916 by Benjamin Britten (22) is performed for the first time, in a private setting in Islington Town Hall.

    4 December 1938 The Coming of Light for women’s chorus by Henry Cowell (41) to words of Hagemeyer is performed for the first time, at Bennington College, Vermont.

    4 December 1943 In an Allied air raid on Leipzig, the buildings and stockroom of Breitkopf and Härtel are destroyed, incinerating all but a few of the copper plates used to print works of the great masters during their lifetimes.  Manuscripts and other precious items have been stored in rural air raid shelters by the employees.

    A propaganda film called Philharmoniker is shown for the first time, in Tauentzien-Palast, Berlin.  It is a tribute to the Berlin Philharmonic and its conductor Wilhelm Furtwängler.  When Furtängler found that the film ascribes to Hitler a fundamental influence over the organization, he withdrew from the project.  Joseph Goebbels asked Richard Strauss (79) to replace him.  Strauss had no problem with allowing himself to be filmed conducting the orchestra.

    4 December 1945 Piano Quintet no.2 by Bohuslav Martinu (54) is performed publicly for the first time, in Boston.  See 31 December 1944.

    4 December 1951 The Pied Piper, a ballet to Aaron Copland’s (51) Clarinet Concerto choreographed by Jerome Robbins, is performed for the first time, at New York City Center.

    4 December 1953 Hans Werner Henze’s (27) radio opera Das Ende einer Welt, to words of Hildesheimer, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.  See 30 November 1965.

    Daniel Gregory Mason dies in Greenwich, Connecticut, aged 80 years and 14 days.

    4 December 1956 Nänie und Dithyrambe for chorus and orchestra by Carl Orff (61) to words of Schiller, is performed for the first time, in Bremen.

    Cinq refrains op.132 for three equal voices and piano by Florent Schmitt (86) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    4 December 1957 Le visage nuptial for soprano, alto, female chorus, and chamber orchestra by Pierre Boulez (32) to words of Char, is performed for the first time, in Cologne, the composer conducting.

    4 December 1962 Hexagrams for chamber orchestra by Richard Wernick (28) is performed for the first time, in Kiamesha Lake, New York.

    4 December 1965 Sweet Freedom’s Song:  A New England Chronicle, a cantata for narrator, vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Robert Ward (48) to various authors, is performed for the first time, in Cary Hall, Lexington, Massachusetts.

    4 December 1969 Ein Aufnahmezustand, a radio play by Mauricio Kagel (37), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR.

    4 December 1970 Piano Piece in Eleven Parts by Ernst Krenek (70) is performed for the first time, in Rudolf Ganz Recital Hall, Chicago Musical College of Roosevelt University.

    4 December 1973 Centering for violin and ten instruments by Earle Brown (46) is performed for the first time, in Manchester, England.

    4 December 1976 04:15  Edward Benjamin Britten dies of heart disease, in his home at Aldeburgh, aged 63 years and twelve days, in the arms of Peter Pears.

    Partita-Variations for piano by George Rochberg (58) is performed for the first time, in the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    4 December 1978 O caro m’é il sonno for chorus by Thea Musgrave (54) to words of Michelangelo, is performed for the first time, at the State College of Memphis, Tennessee.

    4 December 1981 Finale for chamber ensemble by Mauricio Kagel (49) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    4 December 1983 String Quartet II by Morton Feldman (57) is performed for the first time, at the University of Toronto and over the airwaves of the CBC.

    4 December 1984 The Sleeper for soprano and piano by George Crumb (55) to words of Poe is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Incidental music to Beckett’s play Endgame by Philip Glass (47) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    4 December 1985 Alone, a song for voice and piano by Aaron Copland (85) to words of Mathers, is performed for the first time, in New York 63 years after it was composed.

    4 December 1986 Epitaph:  The Clerk for voice and piano by Benjamin Britten to words of Asquith is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3 on the tenth anniversary of the composer’s death.  The song was composed in the 1920s.

    4 December 1987 Let Us Rejoice for female chorus and handbells by Samuel Adler (59) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Nativity:  A Canticle for the Child, an opera-oratorio by Norman Dello Joio (74) to words of Gibson, is performed for the first time, in the Midland Music Center, Midland, Michigan.

    4 December 1989 Les idées fixes for chamber orchestra by Mauricio Kagel (57) is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris directed by the composer.

    4 December 1990 Dear John, Dear Coltrane for chorus and piano by TJ Anderson (62) to words of Harper is performed for the first time, at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.

    4 December 1991 Lullaby for music box by John Cage (79) is performed for the first time, in Nice.

    4 December 2001 Lament for the Death of a Bullfighter, a cycle for voice and piano by David Del Tredici (64), to words of Beckman, is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, New York, the composer at the keyboard.  Also premiered by Del Tredici is his Wildwood Etude for piano.

    4 December 2002 Viola Concerto by Robin Holloway (59) is performed for the first time, in Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco.

    4 December 2003 Otherworldly Resonances for two pianos by George Crumb (74) is performed for the first time, in Weill Recital Hall, New York.

    A Flute Concerto by Ned Rorem (80) is performed for the first time, in Verizon Hall, Philadelphia.

    4 December 2004 Métamorphoses d’Ovide II for trumpet and tape by Pierre Henry (76) is  performed for the first time, in Grenoble.

    4 December 2005 Deux coups de sonnette for tape by Pierre Henry (77) is  performed for the first time.

    4 December 2008 Interventions for piano and orchestra by Elliott Carter (99) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    My Favorite Penis Poems, a cycle for baritone, soprano, and piano by David Del Tredici (71) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time, in Symphony Space, New York.

    4 December 2011 Adagio for piano by Charles Wuorinen (73) is performed for the first time, in Rockport, Massachusetts.

    5 December

    5 December 1687 Francesco Geminiani is baptized in Lucca.

    5 December 1783 Le faux lord, an opéra comique by Niccolò Piccinni (55) to words of GM Piccinni, is performed for the first time, at Fontainebleau.

    5 December 1786 Piano Concerto no.25 K.503 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (30) is performed, probably for the first time, in Vienna.

    5 December 1791 00:55  Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart dies in Vienna, aged 35 years, ten months and eight days.  The cause of death is registered as “severe miliary fever” and later diagnosed as “rheumatic inflammatory fever.”

    Baron Gottfried van Swieten, patron of Haydn (59) and Mozart, is stripped of all his official positions, having been implicated in the so-called “Illuminati Conspiracy.”

    5 December 1795 Étienne-Nicolas Méhul’s (32) comédie mise en musique La caverne to words of Forgeot is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  Originally successful, after a year it will disappear.

    5 December 1822 Concerto in a minor for piano and strings by Felix Mendelssohn (13) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    5 December 1823 Vendôme en Espagne, a drame lyrique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (41) and Ferdinand Hérold (32) to words of d’Empis and Mennechet, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    5 December 1830 In Vienna, Fryderyk Chopin (20) and Tytus Woyciechowski learn of the uprising in Warsaw.  Tytus returns to participate, but he convinces Chopin to stay in Vienna.  Chopin apparently changes his mind and tries to catch his friend as he is leaving, but is unable to do so.

    Afternoon.  Episode de la vie d’un artiste:  Symphonie fantastique en cinq parties by Hector Berlioz (26) is performed for the first time, at the Paris Conservatoire.  Also on the program is the premiere of Berlioz’ Chant guerrier for voice and piano to words of Moore, translated by Gounet.  Giacomo Meyerbeer (39) and Gaspare Spontini (56) are among the admirers.  Berlioz later remembers that Liszt (19) “forcibly led me off to dinner at his house and praised me with the most energetic enthusiasm.”  Tonight Harriet Smithson appears at the Opéra in the title role of Auber’s (48) La Muette de Portici.  Her performance is a failure.  Berlioz does not attend as he is having dinner with Liszt.

    5 December 1837 Grande messe des morts op.5 for tenor, chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (33) is performed for the first time, in L’Eglise des Invalides, Paris.  The work was commissioned by the French Minister of the Interior and is used to honor General Damrémont and others killed in the conquest of Constantine, Algeria by French troops.  The performance takes place before the royal family and all the powers of the nation.  It is an unquestioned success.

    5 December 1839 Charles Gounod (21) leaves Paris for Rome for his Prix de Rome year.

    5 December 1844 Clara Schumann (25) plays Beethoven’s (†17) Emperor Concerto in public for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus.  It is “the hardest concerto I know.”  It is her last performance there as a citizen of Leipzig.  The Schumanns are moving to Dresden.

    5 December 1850 Incidental music to the farce Ein nachmittag in Moabit by Albert Lortzing (49) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    5 December 1859 In spite of the ban of 19 March 1854, the Russian Musical Society gives its first concert, in St. Petersburg.  They avoid the ban largely through friends in high places.  Most of the music is conducted by Anton Rubinstein (30), who plays the solo part in his own Piano Concerto no.3.

    5 December 1863 Der Jäger op.22/4 for unaccompanied chorus by Johannes Brahms (30) to traditional German words is performed for the first time, in Hannover.

    5 December 1867 Francesco Maria Piave, librettist of Ernani, Rigoletto, La Traviata, Simon Boccanegra, and a host of others, suffers a stroke in Milan.  He will linger, paralyzed but alert, for eight years until his death on 5 March 1876.  Giuseppe Verdi (54) will provide for him and his illegitimate daughter.

    5 December 1873 Four songs by Johannes Brahms (40) are performed for the first time, in Frankfurt:  Ruhe, Süssliebchen op.33/9 to words of Tieck, Die Kränze op.46/1 to ancient Greek words, Auf dem See op.59/1 to words of Simrock, and Das Lied vom Hern von Falkenstein op.43/4 to traditional words.

    5 December 1882 Richard Strauss (18) makes his performing debut as pianist in a violin and piano reduction of his Violin Concerto op.8, in Vienna.  It is reasonably well received.  See 4 March 1890.

    5 December 1886 Today is the name day of Mitrofan Petrovich Belyayev for which a string quartet has been composed with the four movements by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (42), Alyeksandr Borodin (53), Anatol Konstantinovich Lyadov and Alyeksandr Glazunov (21) respectively.  Each movement is based on the theme B flat-A-F.

    5 December 1888 Two songs for voice and piano by Johannes Brahms (55) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Verrat op.105/5 to words of Lemcke, and Auf dem See op.106/2 to words of Reinhold.

    5 December 1898 An orchestral suite from the incidental music to Kung Kristian II by Jean Sibelius (32) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    5 December 1907 Leos Janácek’s (53) Folk Nocturnes for female chorus and piano, is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno).

    5 December 1910 The symphonic poem Dreams op.6, by Sergey Prokofiev (19), is performed for the first time, at a student concert in St. Petersburg Conservatory, conducted by the composer.

    5 December 1912 Symphonic Fantasia by Hubert Parry (64) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London directed by the composer.

    5 December 1913 Five of the Préludes for piano, Book II by Claude Debussy (51) are performed for the first time (Feuilles mortes, La puerta del vino, “Général Lavine” eccentric, Ondine and Canope).

    5 December 1915 Poème sur un cantique de Camargue op.13 for voice and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (23) is performed for the  first time, in Paris.

    5 December 1916 Gustav Holst’s (42) chamber opera Savitri op.25, to words of the composer after the Mahabharata, is performed for the first time, in Wellington Hall, St. John’s Wood, London.

    Moy Mell:  An Irish Tone Poem for two pianos by Arnold Bax (33) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    5 December 1921 Owing to the depreciation of the Austrian currency, the Society for Private Musical Performances ceases operations with a production of Pierrot Lunaire by Arnold Schoenberg (47).  In three years, it has presented 117 concerts which included 154 contemporary works.

    5 December 1926 Diptyque méditerranéen, for orchestra by Vincent d’Indy (75) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    5 December 1927 The Glagolitic Mass, for vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Leos Janácek (73) to church slavonic texts organized by Weingart, is performed for the first time, in Brno.

    Two works by Heitor Villa-Lobos (40) are performed for the first time, at the Salle des concerts, Maison Gaveau, Paris:  A Prole do Bebê no.2 for piano and Très poemas Indígenas for voice and orchestra to anonymous words and those of de Andrade.  The last work is conducted by the composer.

    5 December 1929 The second version of Der Lindberghflug, a cantata by Kurt Weill (29) to words of Brecht, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  See 28 July 1929.

    Concerto for viola and orchestra op.108 by Darius Milhaud (37) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.  The soloist is Paul Hindemith (33).

    5 December 1930 Concerto for percussion and chamber orchestra by Darius Milhaud (38) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    A suite from Roger Sessions’ (33) incidental music to The Black Masters (a play by Andreyev) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.  See 14 June 1923.

    5 December 1931 A funeral mass in memory of Vincent d’Indy takes place in the parish church of Saint-François Xavier in Paris.  Soldiers line the entire Boulevard des Invalides for the procession.  The mortal remains are laid to rest in the cemetery of Montparnasse.

    Vier kleine Stücke for orchestra by Franz Schreker (53) is performed for the first time, in Krefeld.

    5 December 1932 Fantasy and Fugue op.10 for orchestra and organ by Wallingford Riegger (47) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    5 December 1935 String Quartet no.1 by Michael Tippett (30) is performed for the first time, in the Mercury Theatre, London.

    Danza for orchestra by John Alden Carpenter (59) is performed for the first time, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.  It is an orchestration of his piano piece of the same name.

    5 December 1936 Prelude, arioso, fughette sur le nom de Bach for string orchestra by Arthur Honegger (44) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.  The original piano work was orchestrated by Arthur Hoérée.  See 26 November 1932.

    5 December 1937 Symphonic Dances by Paul Hindemith (42) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, originating from London the composer conducting.

    Incidental music to MacNeice’s play Out of the Picture by Benjamin Britten (24) is performed for the first time, in the Westminster Theatre, London.

    5 December 1942 A Ceremony of Carols op.28 for boys’ chorus and harp by Benjamin Britten (29) to anonymous medieval texts is performed for the first time, in Norwich Castle.

    5 December 1943 Three Songs from Viae inviae op.23 for voice and piano by Anton Webern (60) to words of Jone are performed for the first time, in Basel.  It is part of an all-Webern concert to mark the composer’s 60th birthday (3 December).  Webern’s music is banned in his homeland.

    The Catalogue for three voices, piano, and bassoon by Gian Carlo Menotti (32) to words of the Curtis Institute of Music 1943-1944 catalogue, is performed for the first time, privately at the Institute in Philadelphia.

    5 December 1945 Incidental music to Salacrou’s play Le soldat et la sorcière by Francis Poulenc (46) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris.

    5 December 1947 Incidental music to Molière’s play Amphitryon by Francis Poulenc (48) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de Marigny, Paris.

    An orchestral suite from the ballet Medea by Samuel Barber (37) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.  See 10 May 1946.

    5 December 1951 The Triumph of Saint Joan Symphony by Norman Dello Joio (38) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.  While writing the work, the composer was contacted by Martha Graham who had a commission for a solo ballet and she wanted Dello Joio to write the music.  He told her it was impossible as he was in the middle of writing a symphony.  She said she would dance to that.  Dello Joio remembers the premiere as a disaster for Ms. Graham (“she spent much of her time just running around the stage”) but she will turn it into Seraphic Dialogue, with three dancers taking the part of Joan.  It will become one of her more successful works.

    5 December 1952 Violin Concerto by Gian-Carlo Menotti (41) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music.

    5 December 1953 Pierre Boulez (28), Henri Pousseur (24), and Michel Fano travel from Paris to Cologne where Karlheinz Stockhausen (25) plays for them the first parts of Studie I that he has composed.

    Music for Anski’s play Le Dibbouk by Darius Milhaud (61) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France.

    5 December 1958 Quintet for strings by Leslie Bassett (35) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    5 December 1960 Osvaldo Noé Golijov is born in La Plata, Argentina.  His father is a physician, his mother a piano teacher.

    Dialoge, concerto for two pianos and orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (42), is performed for the first time, in Cologne.  See 10 March 1968.

    5 December 1963 Karl Amadeus Hartmann dies of pancreatic cancer in Munich, aged 58 years, four months, and three days.

    String Quartet no.1 by Richard Wernick (29) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    String Quartet no.6 by David Diamond (48) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.

    5 December 1964 El hijo fingido, a zarzuela by Joaquín Rodrigo (63) to words of Arozamena and Kamhi (Sra. Rodrigo) after Lope de Vega, is performed for the first time, in Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid.

    5 December 1965 The Golden Slippers, a musical folk play by David Diamond (50) to words of Citron after Pérez Galdós, is performed for the first time, in Joan of Arc Playhouse, New York.

    5 December 1970 Loyalty op.136 for male chorus by Dmitri Shostakovich (64) to words of Dolmatovsky is performed for the first time, in Estonia Concert Hall, Tallinn.

    The “definitive version” of La Messe de Liverpool by Pierre Henry (42) is performed for the first time, in the Palais des Sports, Toulouse.  Also premiered is Henry’s Mouvement-Rythme-Etude. See 26 May 1967.

    5 December 1972 The East is Red for violin and piano by Cornelius Cardew (36) is performed for the first time, at the Studio for New Music, Munich.

    5 December 1973 For Frank O’Hara for flute/piccolo/alto flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, and cello by Morton Feldman (47) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    5 December 1975 Prelude in Memory of DD Shostakovich (†0) by Alfred Schnittke (41) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Air Music for orchestra by Ned Rorem (52) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.  See 3 May 1976.

    5 December 1976 American Te Deum for vocal soloist, chorus,and winds by Karel Husa (55), to words of various sources, is performed for the first time, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, conducted by the composer.  See 9 May 1978.

    5 December 1977 Concerto for strings by Ross Lee Finney (70) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    5 December 1980 Gogol-Suite for orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (46) is performed for the first time, in London.

    5 December 1983 Cello Sonata:  Portraits of Antiquity for cello and piano by Richard Wernick (49) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    Sonata Waltzer for piano by Shulamit Ran (34) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York to celebrate the 75th birthday of Elliott Carter.

    5 December 1986 One Step More for flute/piccolo, oboe d’amore, harpsichord, and cello by Jonathan Lloyd (38) is performed for the first time, in Bracknell, Great Britain.

    5 December 1991 Un Sourire for orchestra by Olivier Messiaen (82) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre du Chatelet, Paris to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Mozart.

    Wa Wa Mozart for chamber orchestra by Jonathan Lloyd (43) is performed for the first time, in Broadcasting House, London.

    Concerto for violin, cello, and orchestra by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (52) is performed for the first time, in Louisville, Kentucky.

    5 December 1992 Pu wijnuej we fyp for children’s choir by Iannis Xenakis (70) to words of Rimbaud, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Two6 for violin and piano by John Cage (†0) is performed for the first time, in the Musée des Beaux-Arts, Orléans.

    5 December 1995 Two Portraits for Strings and an incomplete Piano Concerto by Benjamin Britten (†19) are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Radio 3, 65 years after they were composed.

    5 December 2007 Karlheinz Stockhausen dies at his home in Kürten-Kettenberg, aged 79 years, three months, and 13 days.  His mortal remains will be laid to rest in Waldfriedhof Cemetery, Kürten.

    Andrew Welsh Imbrie dies at his home in Berkeley, California, aged 86 years, seven months, and 29 days.

    Rocking for chorus by John Tavener (63) is performed for the first time, in Glaziers Hall, London.

    5 December 2012 Fanfare:  Her Majesty’s Welcome for winds, brass, and percussion by Peter Maxwell Davies (78) is performed for the first time, at the Barbican, London.

    6 December

    6 December 1550 Orazio Vecchi is baptized in Modena.

    6 December 1763 Destateri, o miei fidi, a cantata by Franz Joseph Haydn (31), is performed for the first time, in Eisenstadt Castle for the name day of his employer, Prince Nicholas Esterházy.

    6 December 1764 Qual dubbio, a cantata by Franz Joseph Haydn (32), is performed for the first time, in Eisenstadt for the name day of Nicholas Esterházy.

    6 December 1765 The Summer’s Tale, a pasticcio musical comedy with music by Thomas Augustine Arne (55) to words of Cumberland, is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.

    6 December 1772 Missa Sancti Nicolai by Joseph Haydn (40) is possibly performed for the first time, at Esterháza.

    6 December 1776 Thomas Augustine Arne’s (66) dramatic poem Caractacus to words of Mason is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.

    6 December 1779 Joseph Haydn’s (47) azione teatrale L’isola disabitata to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, at Esterháza for the name day of Prince Nicolas Esterházy.  The production occurs in the marionette theatre since the opera house burned down on 18 November.

    6 December 1780 Alcide al bivio, a festa teatrale by Giovanni Paisiello (40) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, at the Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

    6 December 1782 Orlando paladino, a dramma eroicomico by Joseph Haydn (50) to words of Badini and Porta, is performed for the first time, at Esterháza Palace to celebrate the name day of Prince Nicolas Esterházy.

    6 December 1784 Antonio Salieri’s (34) dramma giocosa Il ricco d’un giorno to words of da Ponte, is performed for the first time, at the Burgtheater, Vienna.  It will receive only six performances.

    6 December 1786 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (30) completes his Symphony no.38 “Prague” K.504 in Vienna.  See 19 January 1787.

    6 December 1791 14:30  The earthly remains of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are taken from his apartment to St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

    15:00  The body of Mozart is consecrated in Crucifix Chapel of St. Stephen’s, Vienna.  Many mourners attend (but we don’t know who for sure).  The body is then moved to the mortuary chapel and in the evening to St. Marx Cemetary.

    6 December 1821 Incidental music to von Kleist’s play Prinz Friedrich von Homburg by Heinrich August Marschner (26) is performed for the first time, in Dresden.

    6 December 1827 Franz Schubert’s (30) song Der Kampf D.594 to words of Schiller is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.

    6 December 1830 A package containing an expensive score of Olimpie arrives at the Paris home of Hector Berlioz (26).  The score is signed “your affectionate Spontini” (56) by the composer.

    6 December 1837 Agnes von Hohenstaufen, a grosse historisch-romantische Oper by Gaspare Spontini (63) to words of Raupach revised by Lichtenstein, is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Opera.  See 28 May 1827 and 12 June 1829.

    6 December 1841 Two orchestral works by Robert Schumann (31) are performed for the first time, in Leipzig:  Symphony no.4 (first performed as Symphony no.2) and Overture, Scherzo and Finale op.52.  Franz Liszt’s (30) Studentenlied aus Goethes Faust for male chorus is performed for the first time on the same program.  Clara Schumann (22) plays duets with Liszt, who is the star of the evening.

    6 December 1846 Hector Berlioz’ (42) légende dramatique La damnation de Faust for solo voices, chorus and orchestra to words of de Nerval, Gandonnière and the composer after Goethe is performed for the first time, before a half-empty house at the Paris Opéra.  The audience and critics are confused.  It is his greatest failure.

    6 December 1847 The Drury Lane Theatre, under the direction of Hector Berlioz (43), opens for its first production, Donizetti’s (50) Lucia di Lammermoor.

    6 December 1848 Johann Strauss, Jr. (23) is detained and interrogated by the police for playing the Marseillaise at a concert on 3 December.  He claims that if he had not played it, the audience would have attacked him.

    6 December 1850 L’enfant prodigue, an opéra by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (68) to words of Scribe, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    6 December 1855 A setting of Psalm 13 for tenor, chorus and orchestra by Franz Liszt (44) is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Singakademie, conducted by the composer.  The hall is completely filled, including King Friedrich Wilhelm IV of Prussia and Queen Elisabeth.  While Liszt is in Berlin, he continues his secret tryst with Agnès Street-Klindworth.

    6 December 1865 Confronted with his cabinet’s threat to resign, the grumblings and open hostility of his people and the strongly worded advice of the royal family, King Ludwig sends his second cabinet secretary, Johann von Lutz, to Richard Wagner’s (52) Munich home to inform him he must leave the country.

    6 December 1876 Vakula the Smith, an opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (36) to words of Polonsky after Gogol, is performed for the first time, at the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.  Although there are loud cheers, hisses also abound.  In the words of the composer, it “failed solemnly.”  See 4 December 1874 and 2 December 1876.

    6 December 1879 Two works by Pietro Mascagni are performed for the first time, at the Istituto Musicale Luigi Cherubini, Livorno on the eve of his 16th birthday:  Elegia for soprano, violin and piano, and Sinfonia in c minor.

    6 December 1881 Nänie for chorus and orchestra by Johannes Brahms (48) to words of Schiller is performed for the first time, in Zürich, directed by the composer.

    6 December 1890 The first part of Les Troyens, a grand opéra by Hector Berlioz (†21) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe, 33 years after it was composed.  See 6 August 1857, 29 August 1857, and 4 November 1863.

    6 December 1896 Gesang der Apollopriesterin for voice and orchestra by Richard Strauss (32) to words of von Bodmann, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels.

    6 December 1904 Three songs for voice and piano by Frank Bridge (25) are performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London:  A Dead Violet and A Dirge, both to words of Shelley, and Night Lies on the Silent Highways to words of Heine (tr. Kroeker).  Also premiered is Concert Piece for viola and piano by Arnold Bax (21), the composer at the keyboard.

    6 December 1906 Six Pieces for piano op.94 by Max Reger (33) are performed for the first time, in Berlin, the composer at the keyboard.

    Dolly, suite for orchestra op.56 by Gabriel Fauré (61), is performed for the first time, in Monaco.  See 30 April 1898 and 9 January 1913.

    Love’s Secret op.14/2 for voice and piano by Arthur Farwell (34) to words of Blake is performed for the first time, in Detroit.

    6 December 1911 Two works by Hans Pfitzner (42) are performed for the first time, in Strasbourg:  Columbus op.16 for chorus to words of Schiller, and Der Blumen Rache for alto, women’s chorus, and orchestra to words of Freiligrath.

    The first group of Choral Hymns from the Rig-Veda, by Gustav Holst (37) to his own translation, for chorus and orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Newcastle.

    6 December 1915 Sonatina op.80 for violin and piano by Jean Sibelius (49) is performed for the first time, in Helsinki.

    6 December 1919 The Song of the Nightingale, a symphonic poem by Igor Stravinsky (37), is performed for the first time, in Geneva.  See 2 February 1920.

    6 December 1921 Composer and pianist Jean Wiéner opens his Concerts Wiéner new music series in the Salle des Agriculteurs, Paris.  He programs an hour of jazz with Billy Arnold and his band, a player piano version of Le Sacre du Printemps, and Darius Milhaud’s (29) Sonata for flute, oboe, clarinet, and piano op.47.  Aaron Copland (21) is in the audience.  Wiéner will recall that Maurice Ravel (46) enjoyed the performance very much but that Albert Roussel (52) walked out in protest.

    6 December 1922 Mass in g minor for chorus by Ralph Vaughan Williams (50) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, Birmingham.

    6 December 1924 Incidental music to Andreyev’s play King Hunger by Marc Blitzstein (19) is performed for the first time, in the Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley, near Philadelphia.

    6 December 1926 Pièce de circonstance op.90 for voice and piano by Darius Milhaud (34) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    6 December 1927 Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (31) demonstrates his new musical device before a sold out crowd in the Salle des Concerts in the Maison Gaveau, Paris.

    6 December 1929 The Capriccio for piano and orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (47) is performed for the first time, in Paris the composer at the keyboard.

    6 December 1933 Henryk Mikolaj Jozef Górecki is born in Czernica, near Rybnik, Poland, the only child of Roman Górecki, a railway worker, and Otylia Slota, a pianist and stepdaughter of a restaurant and hotel owner.

    6 December 1934 Speaking in the Berlin Sportpalast, Minister of Propaganda Joseph Goebbels denounces Paul Hindemith (39) (although not by name):  “Purely German his blood may be, but this only provides dramatic confirmation of how deeply the Jewish intellectual infection has eaten into the body of our own people.”  He also denounces the “moral decay” of atonal composers.  Following the speech, a telegram to Goebbels is read congratulating him on “weeding out undesirable elements,” signed by Reichsmusikkammer President Richard Strauss (70).  Strauss will deny that he sent the telegram, but there was a telegram sent to Goebbels, drafted by Strauss’ son Franz and approved by Strauss, congratulating Goebbels for going after atonality.

    6 December 1936 Petite Suite for piano by Béla Bartók (55) is performed for the first time, in Békéscsaba.

    6 December 1940 Violin Concerto by Arnold Schoenberg (66) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    6 December 1943 Opus Americanum for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (51), composed to thank the country which took him in when he was a refugee, is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    6 December 1945 Le bal martiniquais for two pianos by Darius Milhaud (53) is performed for the first time.

    6 December 1950 After reading a negative review in the Washington Post of a song recital by his daughter Margaret, President Harry Truman writes to the reviewer, Paul Hume.  “Mr. Hume:  I have just read your lousy review of Margaret’s concert.  I’ve come to the conclusion that you are an eight-ulcer man on four-ulcer pay...Some day I hope to meet you.  When that happens, you’ll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below.”

    6 December 1953 Rural Antiphonies for five orchestras by Henry Brant (40) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Henry Cowell’s (56) Rondo for Orchestra is performed for the first time, in Indianapolis.

    6 December 1955 Sheng Zong Liang (Bright Sheng) is born in Shanghai.

    6 December 1957 Symphony no.3 by Roger Sessions (60) is performed for the first time, in Boston.  Public and press are cool.

    6 December 1958 Walking Upright, a cycle for female voice and violin by Ralph Shapey (37) to words of his wife Vera Klement, is performed for the first time, at the Third Street Music School Settlement, New York.

    6 December 1959 Piano Quintet no.2 by Ernest Bloch (†0) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    6 December 1960 Divertimento for chamber ensemble by Lejaren Hiller (36) is performed for the first time, at the University of Illinois, Urbana.

    6 December 1961 A quartet from Act II of George Whitefield Chadwick’s (†30) opera The Padrone to words of Stevens is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.  The work was composed in 1917.  See 29 September 1995.

    6 December 1962 The mobile version of Répons for seven musicians by Henri Pousseur (33) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.  The fixed version was premiered in 1960.  The work is dedicated to John Cage (50).

    Two orchestral works by Charles Ives (†8) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York:  Set no.3 for chamber orchestra (first complete), finished in 1918 and Chromâtimelôdtune, completed in 1919 and realized by Gunther Schuller (37).  See 10 May 1951.

    6 December 1963 Piano Concerto for piano, three horns, percussion, and strings by John Tavener (19) is performed for the first time, at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

    6 December 1968 Connections, a Fantasy for string quintet by TJ Anderson (40) is performed for the first time, in Nashville.

    6 December 1969 Geod for four orchestral groups by Lukas Foss (47) is performed for the first time.

    6 December 1972 Capriccio stravagante for orchestra by Gunther Schuller (47) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    6 December 1974 Piano Concerto no.2 for amplified piano and orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (36) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    6 December 1977 Dieu, “action de voix et de gestes d’après Victor Hugo” by Pierre Henry (49), is performed for the first time, in the Palais de Justice de Lille.  It is very successful.

    Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by John Corigliano (39) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York conducted by Leonard Bernstein (59).

    Cortège for orchestra by R. Murray Schafer (44) is performed for the first time, in Ottawa.

    6 December 1982 The first public performance of Study for Player Piano no.44 by Conlon Nancarrow (70) takes place in Los Angeles.

    6 December 1983 Electric Etudes for amplified cello and live and prerecorded computer electronics by Tod Machover (30) is performed for the first time, in the American Center, Paris, directed by the composer.  Also premiered is Machover’s Chanson d’amour for piano.

    6 December 1987 In memoriam Vincent Persichetti for winds, brass, and percussion by Jacob Druckman (59) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    6 December 1990 Kehraus um St. Stephan, an opera by Ernst Krenek (90) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Vienna 60 years after it was composed.

    6 December 1991 One Hundred Frames for orchestra by Kevin Volans (42) is performed for the first time, in Ulster Hall, Belfast.

    6 December 1994 A Simple Magnificat for chorus and organ by Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (55) is performed for the first time, at Yale University.

    6 December 1995 Des Turmes Auferstehung for two male choruses and orchestra by Carl Orff (†13) to words of Werfel, is performed for the first time, in Munich 74 years after it was composed.  Also premiered is Orff’s Tanzende Faune op.21.

    For the Left Hand for piano by Leon Kirchner (76) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    6 December 1996 Roscobeck for cello and double bass by Iannis Xenakis (74) is performed for the first time, in the WDR Konzertsaal, Cologne.

    Suite for Sangen for shamisen by Lou Harrison (79) is performed for the first time.

    6 December 1997 Dopo La Vittoria for chorus by Arvo Pärt (62) is performed for the first time, in Basilica di San Simpliciano, Milan.

    6 December 1998 An Orkney Tune for piano by Peter Maxwell Davies (64) is performed for the first time, in Collins Performing Arts Center, Rochester, New York.

    6 December 1999 Musical Offerings for piano left hand by George Perle (84) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    6 December 2003 Lumières for tape by Pierre Henry (75) is  performed for the first time, in Dijon.

    Boogie Woogie Concertante for piano, winds, and percussion by TJ Anderson (75) is performed for the first time, at Harvard University.

    6 December 2009 Mallet Quartet for four mallet instruments by Steve Reich (73) is performed for the first time, in the Palace of Arts, Budapest.

    6 December 2012 imagE/viola by Roger Reynolds (78) is performed for the first time, in John Knowles Paine Concert Hall at Yale University.

    7 December

    7 December 1562 Adrian Willaert dies in Venice, aged approximately 72 years.

    7 December 1768 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s (12) Mass K.139/47a is performed, probably for the first time, before the Imperial Court, at the dedication ceremony of the Waisenhauskirche, Vienna, directed by the composer.  Also premiered is Mozart’s Trumpet Concerto K.47c.

    7 December 1778 Niccolò Piccinni’s (50) opera buffa La buona figliuola is performed at the Paris Opéra.  It proves to be his greatest success in Paris.  See 6 February 1760.

    The Independent Ledger, Boston reports as “just published” the collection by William Billings (32) entitled The Singing Master’s Assistant.

    7 December 1786 Le trame deluse, ossia I raggiri scoperti, a commedia per musica by Domenico Cimarosa (36) to  words of Diodati, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Nuovo, Naples.  It is a great success.

    7 December 1787 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (31) is appointed Imperial and Royal Chamber Composer to replace Christoph Willibald Gluck (†0).  It carries with it a salary of 800 gulden.

    7 December 1791 Early morning.  The mortal remains of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are laid to rest in St. Marx Churchyard in a third-class (not pauper’s) grave, as is the practice for the vast majority of Viennese citizens.  The Wiener Zeitung reports “The Royal and Imperial Kammerkompositeur Wolfgang Mozart died during the night of 4-5 December.  From childhood on he was known throughout Europe for his most exceptional musical talent.  Through the successful development and diligent application of his extraordinary natural gifts, he scaled the heights of the greatest masters.  His works, which are loved and admired everywhere, are proof of his greatness--and they reveal the irreplaceable loss which the noble art of music has suffered through his death.”  (Braunbehrens, 406)

    7 December 1805 Ludwig van Beethoven (34) writes a testimonial for his student Carl Czerny (14), saying “he has made such extraordinary progress on the pianoforte, exceeding his age of 14 years; in view of this fact, and also because of his admirable memory, he is deemed worthy of all possible assistance.”

    7 December 1814 Luigi Cherubini (54) is named a Chévalier of the Legion of Honor by King Louis XVIII.

    7 December 1820 Louis Spohr (36) and his wife arrive in Paris for the first time.  There he will meet Cherubini (60) and produce a new violin concerto.

    7 December 1823 Concerto for two pianos in E by Felix Mendelssohn (14) is performed for the first time, at the Mendelssohn residence in Berlin.  One of the invited guests is Friedrich Kalkbrenner (38).

    7 December 1831 Robert Schumann’s (21) review of Frédéric Chopin’s (21) Variations on La ci darem op.2 appears in the Allgemeine musikalische Zeitung.  Florestan and Eusebius declare, “Hats off gentleman, a genius!”

    7 December 1833 The first installment of a three part article called Der Davidsbündler appears in Der Komet.  It is written by Robert Schumann (23) and includes his cast of fictional characters personifying different ideas about art, Florestan, Eusebius, Raro et.al.

    7 December 1834 Andante spianato for piano by Frédéric Chopin (24) is performed for the first time, by the composer at a Berlioz (30) concert in the Paris Conservatoire.

    7 December 1842 The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performs for the first time, in the Apollo Rooms on Broadway.

    7 December 1844 Ein Feldlager in Schlesien, a singspiel by Giacomo Meyerbeer (53) to words of Scribe translated by Rellstab and Birch-Pfeiffer, is performed for the first time, at the opening of the Berlin Court Opera House.  It is successful in Berlin but is too specific to have appeal outside Prussia.  See 18 February 1847.

    Publisher George Willig of Philadelphia copyrights a song called Open Thy Lattice Love to words of Morris.  It is the first song composed by Stephen Foster (18) to be published.

    7 December 1849 Alyeksandr Borodin (16) receives his first review, a favorable one in Northern Bee, on two piano pieces:  Fantasia per il piano sopra un motivo de J.N. Hummel and Le Courant.

    7 December 1857 Camille Saint-Saëns (22) takes up his duties as organist at the Madeleine, Paris.

    7 December 1861 Johannes Brahms’ (28) work for solo piano, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel op.24, is performed publicly for the first time, in Hamburg, by Clara Schumann (42) from manuscript.  See 4 November 1861.

    7 December 1863 Morning.  Pietro Antonio Stefano Mascagni is born in Livorno, the second of five children born to Domenico Mascagni, a baker, and Emilia Rebua.

    7 December 1867 Liebe kam aus fernen Landen op.33/4, a song by Johannes Brahms (34) to words of Tieck, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    7 December 1871 Le Rouet d’Omphale op.31, a symphonic poem by Camille Saint-Saëns (36), is performed for the first time, in a version for two pianos, in the Salle Erard, Paris.  The composer performs one part.  See 14 April 1872.

    7 December 1872 Sonata no.1 op.32 for cello and piano by Camille Saint-Saëns (37) is performed for the first time, in Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    7 December 1873 Phaëton op.39, a symphonic poem by Camille Saint-Saëns (38) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

    7 December 1879 Opern-Maskenball-Quadrille op.384 by Johann Strauss (54) is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    7 December 1880 The choral version of Burschenwanderung op.389, a polka française by Johann Strauss (55), is performed for the first time, in the Sophiensaal, Vienna.

    7 December 1881 Leos Janácek (27) is appointed the first director of the Organ School in Brünn (Brno).  He is the driving force behind its creation.

    Andante with Variations and Scherzo for violin, cello, and piano by Ferruccio Busoni (15) is performed for the first time, in Milan.

    7 December 1883 String Quartet in G op. 4 by Arthur Foote (30) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    7 December 1887 Charles Villiers Stanford (36) is elected Professor of Music at Cambridge University.

    7 December 1889 The Gondoliers, or the King of Barataria, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (47) to words of Gilbert, is performed for the first time, in the Savoy Theatre, London.  The work enjoys a magnificent success and goes on to 554 performances.  It is their last triumph together.

    7 December 1892 Pantaleón Enrique Joaquín Granados y Campiña (25) marries María de los Desamparados (Amparo) Gal y Lloveras in the Church of San Pedro de las Puellas, Barcelona.  She is the daughter of a wealthy businessman

    Trio for piano and strings no.2 op.92 by Camille Saint-Saëns (57) is performed for the first time, at Salle Erard, Paris.

    7 December 1895 Two works for male chorus by Jean Sibelius are performed for the first time, in Helsinki:  Fire on the Island op.18/4 and The Power of the Song, on the eve of the composer’s 30th birthday.

    The Lily Nymph, a dramatic cantata by George Whitefield Chadwick (41) to words of Bates, is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    7 December 1897 Rondel op.16c, a song by Edward Elgar (40) to words of Longfellow after Froissart, is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London.

    Richard Strauss (33) conducts for the first time before a British audience, in Queen’s Hall, music of Wagner (†14), Mozart (†106) and himself.  Among the trombonists is a Royal College of Music student named Gustav Holst (23).

    7 December 1898 Mozart and Salieri, an opera by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (54) to words of Pushkin, is performed for the first time, in the Solodovnikov Theatre, Moscow.

    A gala performance takes place to inaugurate the third Salle Favart in Paris.  It was built to replace the second Salle Favart which burned down in 1887.

    7 December 1901 Gustav Mahler (41) and Alma Schindler secretly decide to marry.

    The Suite no.2 for two pianos, by Sergey Rakhmaninov (28) is performed for the first time, by Alexander Siloti and the composer, in Moscow.

    7 December 1902 Max Reger (29) marries Elsa (Bagenski) von Bercken in the village church of Boll near Göppingen, Württemberg in a Lutheran ceremony.  As a divorced Lutheran, Elsa is not welcome in the Reger family and Max Reger will be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church.

    7 December 1913 In the Mists for piano by Leos Janácek (59) is performed for the first time, in Kromeriz.

    7 December 1914 Carillon for reciter and orchestra by Edward Elgar (57) to words of Cammaerts, is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London, conducted by the composer.  The work is written in memory of all the bell towers of Flanders destroyed in the current conflict.  It is welcomed with great enthusiasm.

    7 December 1915 Claude Debussy (53) undergoes an operation for cancer.  The doctors find that it has spread too far to be cured.

    7 December 1917 From Dusk Till Dawn, a ballet by Arnold Bax (34) to a scenario by Lowther, is performed for the first time, in the Palace Theatre, London.

    7 December 1921 Deux petites airs op.21 for voice and piano by Darius Milhaud (29) to words of Mallarmé is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    7 December 1922 The sixth movement of the Divertimento op.5 for small orchestra and male chorus, entitled Chorale-Fantasy, by Kurt Weill (22) is performed for the first time, at the Singakademie, Berlin.  See 10 April 1923.

    7 December 1924 Half-time, a rondo for orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu, is performed for the first time in Prague, on the eve of the composer’s 34th birthday.

    Relâche (No Performance), a ballet instantanéiste by Erik Satie (58) to a scenario by Picabia and Börlin, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.  Posters onstage tell the audience, “Those who aren’t satisfied are authorized to f--- off.”  Satie and Picabia appear onstage in a 5CV car owned by the conductor, Roger Désormière.  The critics find the music beneath contempt.  See 4 December 1924.

    The symphonic suite Men and Mountains by Carl Ruggles (48) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, New York.  The reaction of the audience and critics is strongly mixed.  See 6 June 1931.

    7 December 1927 Four a cappella choruses by Ernst Krenek (27) to words of Goethe are performed for the first time, in the Vienna Mittlerer Konzerthaussaal.

    Zwei Lieder für drei Singstimmen by Paul Hindemith (32) to words of Hölderlin and Keller are performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    7 December 1929 Legend for viola and piano by Arnold Bax (46) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London the composer at the piano.

    7 December 1931 In the Night from the Set for Theatre Orchestra by Charles Ives (57) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul, Minnesota.  See 16 February 1932.

    7 December 1939 William Walton’s (37) Violin Concerto is performed for the first time, in Severance Hall, Cleveland by its dedicatee, Jascha Heifetz.

    7 December 1940 Finlandia Hymn op.26/7 for male chorus by Jean Sibelius to words of Koskenniemi is performed for the first time, in Helsinki on the eve of the composer’s 75th birthday.

    Two Choruses on Jacobean Poems for female chorus by Ernst Krenek (40) to words of Drummond and Raleigh, are performed for the first time, in Skinner Recital Hall, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, New York.

    Sonatine for two violins op.221 by Darius Milhaud (48) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.  Also premiered is Milhaud’s Sonatine à trois op.221b for violin, viola, and cello.

    7 December 1943 A Flute Sonata op.94 by Sergey Prokofiev (52) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    7 December 1944 The Seven Lively Arts, a musical revue with music partly by Igor Stravinsky (62), opens on Broadway.  See 24 November 1944.

    William Grant Still’s (49) Poem for orchestra is performed for the first time, in Severance Hall, Cleveland.

    7 December 1946 Truth Shall Deliver for male chorus by William Schuman (36) to words of Chaucer (adapted by Farquhar), is performed for the first time, in Bronxville, New York.  Composed for the Yale Glee Club, this work was actually performed on a “trial” basis at the Princeton and Harvard Football concerts on  15 and 22 November.

    7 December 1947 Ernst Krenek (47) resigns his position at Hamline University, intending to move to California.

    A suite from Werner Egk’s (46) unperformed ballet Abraxas is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden conducted by the composer.

    7 December 1948 Wheat Field at Noon for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (52) is performed for the first time, in the Columbia Auditorium, Louisville, Kentucky.

    7 December 1950 Lento in Due Movimenti for piano by Toru Takemitsu (20) is performed for the first time, in Yomiuri Hall, Tokyo.  It is the first work of Takemitsu to be publicly performed.

    7 December 1951 Three Symphonic Essays for orchestra by Roy Harris (53) is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School, New York.

    7 December 1953 The Symphony no.1 of Samuel Adler (25) is performed for the first time, in Dallas.

    7 December 1955 The Opening of the Springs, a cantata for solo voices, female chorus, and instruments by Bohuslav Martinu to words of Bures, is performed for the first time, in Prague on the eve of the composer’s 65th birthday.

    La procession de Vergès, an electronic composition of 2’47” for the film Around and About Joan Miró by Edgar Varèse (71), is performed for the first time, in the Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    7 December 1962 Trio for violin, clarinet, and cello by Richard Wernick (28) is performed for the first time, at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.

    7 December 1968 Capriccio burlesco for orchestra by William Walton (66) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, New York.  The work was commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra to celebrate its 125th anniversary.

    7 December 1969 Warm-Up, a round for chorus by Leonard Bernstein (51) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Hall, New York.  It will be incorporated into Mass.

    Mass for chorus, brass, and organ by Norman Dello Joio (56) is performed for the first time, in the Church of Our Lady of Loretto at St. Mary’s College in Indiana.

    7 December 1973 Music for Pieces of Wood by Steve Reich (37) is performed for the first time, at New York University in New York City.

    7 December 1974 Voix premières, a “cantate radiophonique” by Betsy Jolas (48), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RTF.

    7 December 1975 Elegiac Symphony (Symphony no.2) for orchestra by Lou Harrison (58) is performed for the first time, in the Paramount Theatre, Oakland.

    7 December 1976 The funeral for Benjamin Britten takes place in Aldeburgh Parish Church.  A procession passes through the town as bells toll.  The guard of honor is made up of local lifeboatmen.  The choir sings Hymn to the Virgin composed by Britten at the age of 16.  Burial takes place in the churchyard attended only by close family and friends.

    7 December 1980 Trois élégies op.199 for two voices and strings by Darius Milhaud (†6) to words of Jammes, is performed for the first time, in Orleans.

    Leonard Bernstein (62) receives the Kennedy Center Honor for Lifetime of Contributions to American Culture through the Performing Arts.

    7 December 1982 Aaron Copland (82) makes his last appearance as a conductor, with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra.  He directs two of his early works:  An Outdoor Overture and Symphony for Organ and Orchestra.

    7 December 1983 Chiffre III for twelve players by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.

    Serenata al alba del día for flute and guitar by Joaquín Rodrigo (82) is performed for the first time, in the Ambassador Auditorium, Los Angeles.

    7 December 1984 For the Pleasure of Ovid’s Changes for Javanese gamelan by Lou Harrison (67) is performed for the first time, at Mills College, Oakland.

    7 December 1990 Kyania for orchestra by Iannis Xenakis (68) is performed for the first time, in Montpellier.

    7 December 1991 A Concerto for clarinet and orchestra by Lukas Foss (69) is performed for the first time, in Los Angeles.

    7 December 1992 Espace I for cello and piano by Isang Yun (75) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    7 December 1993 Concerti e Corali for winds, strings, piano, vibraphone, and marimba by Gottfried Michael Koenig (67) is performed for the first time, in Antwerp.

    7 December 1997 When Famous Last Words Fail You for voice and orchestra by Robert Ashley (67) is performed for the first time.

    7 December 1999 SOLO for trombone and orchestra by Luciano Berio (74) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    7 December 2002 Awed by the Beauty for male chorus by John Tavener (58) to words of the Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, at First Congregational Church, Harvard University.

    8 December

    8 December 1642 Johann Christoph Bach is born in Arnstadt.

    8 December 1752 The Drummer, or The Haunted House, a play by Thomas Augustine Arne (42) to words of Addison, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.

    8 December 1755 L’innocenza giustificata, a festa teatrale by Christoph Willibald Gluck (41) to words of Durazzo and Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Burgtheater for the birthday of Emperor Franz.

    8 December 1756 Christoph Willibald Gluck’s (42) dramma per musica Il rè pastore to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna for the birthday of Emperor Franz.  Also born today is the Emperor’s son, Archduke Maximilian Franz, who in 1784 will become the patron of the young Ludwig van Beethoven.

    8 December 1760 Johann Adolf Hasse’s (61) cantata Apprendesti, o germana to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, at the Royal Court, Vienna.  Like the cantata of 13 May, this features two solo parts performed by the young royal children, Archduchesses Maria Carolina and Maria Antonia.  It celebrates the birthday of their father, Emperor Franz I.

    8 December 1761 Le cadi dupé, an opéra comique by Christoph Willibald Gluck (47) to words after Le Monnier, is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna for the birthday of Emperor Franz.  It is very successful.

    8 December 1762 Thomas Augustine Arne’s (52) pasticcio comic opera Love in a Village to words of Bickerstaff after Johnson, is performed for the first time, in Covent Garden, London.

    8 December 1781 The Wiener Zeitung announces the publication of six violin sonatas K.296, 376-380 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (25) by Artaria & Co.  They are the first works of Mozart to be published.

    8 December 1786 Symphonie Concertante B.111 by Ignaz Pleyel (29) is performed for perhaps the first time, in Strasbourg.

    8 December 1790 Johann Peter Salomon and Franz Joseph Haydn (58) sign an agreement in Vienna which will produce several works and concerts in London by Haydn.

    8 December 1803 Elbondocani, a singspiel by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (†1) to words of Haug, is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    8 December 1804 A Mass for double chorus by Antonio Salieri (54) is performed for the first time, in Vienna conducted by the composer to celebrate the adoption of the title Emperor of Austria by Franz I.  The work was originally composed in 1799 to celebrate peace between Austria and France but since peace was not concluded, the mass was never performed.

    8 December 1813 A benefit for wounded Austrian and Bavarian soldiers at the University of Vienna features the first performance of two works by Ludwig van Beethoven (42):  the Symphony  no.7 and Wellington’s Victory.  The works cause ecstatic applause and critical raves.  The concert is so successful it will be repeated 12 December.  Wellingtons’s Victory is directed by Beethoven with the assistance of Ignaz Moscheles, and Antonio Salieri (63).  The violins include Louis Spohr (29), Ignaz Schuppanzigh, and Joseph Mayseder.  Playing bass drum are Meyer Beer (Giacomo Meyerbeer) (22) and Johann Nepomuk Hummel (35).  Besides the Beethoven works, the concerts also include two marches, one by Jan Ladislav Dussek (†0), one by Ignace Joseph Pleyel (56), performed by Mälzel’s Mechanical Trumpeter with orchestral accompaniment.

    8 December 1821 Der Blumen Schmerz D.731, a song by Franz Schubert (24) to words of Mayláth, is published in the Zeitschrift für Kunst, Vienna.

    8 December 1828 In a letter to Carl Klingemann, Fanny Mendelssohn (23) first uses the phrase “songs without words.”

    8 December 1831 The committee overseeing the Royal Academy of Music resolves that William Crotch (56) no longer be allowed to instruct the female students owing to his unsatisfactory tutelage.  In fact, he was found rewarding one of the girls for her excellent work in harmony with a kiss.

    8 December 1844 The Piano Quartet by Robert Schumann (34) is performed for the first time, at a farewell party for the Schumann family in Leipzig.  Clara Schumann (25) plays the piano part.

    8 December 1846 Gesänge zur Feier des heiligen Opfers der Messe (Deutsche Messe) D.872 for chorus, winds and organ by Franz Schubert (†18) to words of Neumann is performed for the first time, in the Anna-Kirche, Vienna.

    8 December 1849 Giuseppe Verdi’s (36) melodramma tragico Luisa Miller, to words of Cammarano after Schiller, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples, directed by the composer.  It is successful, despite numerous difficulties during rehearsals.

    8 December 1850 String Quartet D.887 by Franz Schubert (†22) is performed completely for the first time, at the Musikverein, Vienna.  See 26 March 1828.

    8 December 1855 Anton Bruckner (31) performs at mass for the first time as Dom-und- Stadtpfarrkirchen-Organist in Linz, for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

    8 December 1865 12:30  Johan Christian Julius Sibelius is born in Tavastehus (Hämeenlinna), Finland, 130 km north of Helsinki, second of three children born to Christian Gustaf Sibelius, a physician and surgeon, and Maria Charlotta Borg, daughter of a priest.

    8 December 1866 O Lord, Thou hast cast us out, a cantata by Hubert Parry (18) to words from the Bible, is performed for the first time, at Eton College.  The work is in partial fulfillment of the B.Mus. degree.

    8 December 1868 One of the Three Odes of Anacreon for solo voice and piano by Hubert Parry (20), translated by Moore, Away, away, you men of rules, is performed for the first time, at Exeter College, Oxford.

    8 December 1869 Stanislaw Moniuszko’s (50) choral ballad Pani Twardowska to words of Mickiewicz is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    8 December 1871 Two of the lieder op.41 for unaccompanied chorus by Johannes Brahms (38) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Ich schwing mein Horn ins Jammertal to anonymous old German words, and Gebt acht! Gebt acht! to words of Lemcke.

    8 December 1873 Christus factus est for chorus, strings, and three trombones by Anton Bruckner (49), is performed for the first time.

    8 December 1878 Warum ist das Licht gegeben op.74/1, a motet by Johannes Brahms (45), is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Sarabande for string quartet by Leos Janácek (24) is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno).

    8 December 1881 Shortly before the beginning of the second Viennese performance of Les contes d'Hoffmann in the Ringtheater, fire breaks out on stage.  Since the doors open inward, many are killed in the crush.  About 650 people are burned, asphyxiated, or trampled to death.  Johann Strauss (56) attended the Vienna premiere last night.  Anton Bruckner (57), who keeps all his musical manuscripts in an apartment next door, rushes to the scene to save his work.  By the time he gets there, the fire is under control.  Among the dead are Heinrich Nachod and his wife, aunt and uncle of Arnold Schoenberg (7).  Their two children will be adopted by the Schoenbergs.

    8 December 1883 Cello Sonata in F op.6 by Richard Strauss (19) is performed for the first time, in the Hotel Goldner Adler, Nuremberg.

    8 December 1885 Johann Strauss, Jr. (60) is granted release from his Austrian citizenship in order to marry his mistress, Adèle Deutsch Strauss (no relation).

    A setting of Virga Jesse for unaccompanied chorus by Anton Bruckner (61) is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Hofkapelle.

    Piano Quartet op.13 by Richard Strauss (21) is performed for the first time, in Weimar, the composer at the keyboard.

    8 December 1890 Bohuslav Jan Martinu is born in Policka, Bohemia, the fifth of five children born to Ferdinand Martinu, a cobbler, and Karolina Klimes, daughter of a cabinet maker.  Along with being a cobbler, Mr. Martinu keeps the tower of St. James’ Church.  It is in the tower that his wife gives birth.

    Symphony no.3 by Alyeksandr Glazunov (25) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.  The work was created over the span of seven years.

    String Sextet “Souvenir de Florence” op.70 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (50) is performed for the first time, privately, in St. Petersburg.  See 10 December 1890.

    8 December 1896 The Clown’s Songs op.65, a cycle for voice and piano by Charles Villiers Stanford (44) to words of Shakespeare, is performed for the first time, in London.

    8 December 1897 Three Shakespeare Choruses for female chorus and piano op.39 by Amy Beach (30) are performed for the first time, in Detroit.

    8 December 1899 Zwei Männerchöre by Richard Strauss (35) to folk poems are performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    8 December 1900 Incidental music to Racine’s play Phèdre by Jules Massenet (58) is performed for the first time, at the Théatre de l’Odéon in Paris.  The overture was first performed on 22 February 1874.

    8 December 1908 Piano Trio no.2 op.65 by Arthur Foote (55) is performed for the first time, in Boston at Fenway Court, the home of Isabella Stewart Gardner.

    8 December 1910 The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom for chorus by Sergey Rakhmaninov (37) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  This most sacred work is produced in a secular concert, the religious authorities not having reacted well to the music of Rakhmaninov.

    Angelus op.56 for chorus by Edward Elgar (53) to anonymous words, is performed for the first time, at the Royal Albert Hall, London.

    8 December 1911 The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra is established.

    8 December 1912 Igor Stravinsky (30), in Berlin with the Ballets Russes, witnesses a performance of Pierrot Lunaire.  He is favorably impressed.  Stravinsky says that “Schoenberg (38) is one of the greatest creative spirits of our day.”

    8 December 1915 Symphony no.5 by Jean Sibelius is performed for the first time, in Turku, directed by the composer on his fiftieth birthday.  Also on the program is the premiere of Two Serenades for violin and orchestra.

    8 December 1918 Sergey Rakhmaninov (45) makes his first concert appearance in the United States since leaving Europe, in Providence, Rhode Island.  He is in the process of recovering from influenza.

    8 December 1920 Lullabies, a cycle for voice and piano by Bohuslav Martinu is performed for the first time, in Prague, on the composer’s 30th birthday.  Also premiered is Martinu’s Three Songs for voice and piano.

    The Cleveland Institute of Music opens headed by Ernest Bloch (40).  Next year, Roger Sessions (23) will be hired for the faculty.

    8 December 1925 President Lauri Relander presents Jean Sibelius with the Order of the White Rose of Finland on the composer’s 60th birthday.

    8 December 1926 Piano Sonata by Béla Bartók (45) is performed for the first time, in a broadcast originating in Budapest.  Also premiered are nos. 1, 4 and 5 from Out of Doors and eight of the Nine Little Pieces.

    Sonata in a minor for cello and piano by Ethel Smyth (68) is performed for the first time, in London, 39 years after it was composed.

    8 December 1927 Rosalie, a musical comedy with a book by Bolton and McGuire, lyrics by Wodehouse and Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (29) is performed for the first time, in Boston.  It includes the song How Long Has This Been Going On? See 10 January 1928.

    8 December 1931 The Christmas Rose, an opera by Frank Bridge (52) to his own words after Kemp-Welch and Cotterell, is performed for the first time, in Parry Opera Theatre, Royal College of Music, London directed by the composer.

    Of Thee I Sing, an operetta with a book by Kaufman and Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (33), is performed for the first time, in Boston.  See 26 December 1931.

    8 December 1932 Caixinha de boas festas, an ballet by Heitor Villa-Lobos (45), is performed completely for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro.  See 23 November 1932.

    8 December 1933 Incidental music to Achard’s play Petrus by Francis Poulenc (34) is performed for the first time, at the Comédie des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    8 December 1935 Incidental music to Slater’s play Easter 1916 by Benjamin Britten (22) is performed publicly for the first time, in the Phoenix Theatre, London.

    8 December 1940 Four Romances on Poems by Pushkin op.45 for voice and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (34) are performed for the first time, in Polytechnic Museum Hall, Moscow the composer at the piano.

    Queen’s Hall, London is damaged in an air raid.  Nearly all the doors and windows are blown out.

    8 December 1943 Two song groups for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (44) are performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris the composer at the keyboard:  Métamorphoses to words of Vilmorin and the Deux poèmes de Louis Aragon.

    8 December 1947 Three of Les chants de Nectaire for flute op.200 by Charles Koechlin (80) are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    8 December 1948 Piano Sonata no.1 by David Diamond (33) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    Five Postludes for piano by Kenneth Gaburo (22) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    8 December 1949 A film based on the musical On the Town with music by Leonard Bernstein (31) is shown publicly for the first time, in New York.

    8 December 1950 Sinfonia concertante for violin, oboe, basoon, cello, and orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu is performed for the first time, in Basel, on the composer’s 60th birthday.

    Concertino for flute, viola, and strings by Ernest Bloch (70) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Kentucky Jazz Piece for dance band by Roy Harris (52) is performed for the first time, at Western Kentucky State College, Bowling Green the composer conducting.

    8 December 1954 Six days after the “scandale”, Edgard Varèse’s (70) Déserts is given its second performance in a studio broadcast over NDR in Hamburg.  Bruno Maderna (34) conducts the orchestra and Karlheinz Stockhausen (26) oversees the tape.  Also on the program is Stockhausen’s Kontra-Punkte and the premiere of Maderna’s Composizione in 3 tempi.

    8 December 1960 O Magnum Mysterium for chorus, organ, and instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (26) is performed for the first time, in Cirencester Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, Gloucestershire, the composer conducting.

    8 December 1961 Quelques chorals pour des fêtes populairs op.153 for winds by Charles Koechlin (†10) are performed completely for the first time, in Salle Erard, Paris.

    8 December 1962 Make Ye Merry for Him that is to Come for women’s chorus and children’s chorus by Thea Musgrave (34) to a 15th century text, is performed for the first time, in St. Bartholemew’s the Great, Smithfield.

    8 December 1963 Computer Cantata by Lejaren Hiller (39) and Robert Baker is performed for the first time, in Urbana, Illinois.  Three computers were involved.  The text was made by the Illiac I, the score with the IBM-7090, and sounds were generated with the CSX-1 computer.

    8 December 1964 Shakespeare Music for instrumental ensemble by Peter Maxwell Davies (30) is performed for the first time, at the John Lewis Theatre, London.  It was commissioned by the BBC for the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth.

    Elytres for flute, two violins, and instrumental ensemble by Lukas Foss (42) is performed for the first time, as part of dedication week for the Pavilion of the Music Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

    8 December 1966 David, the Psalmist for tenor and orchestra by George Rochberg (48) is performed for the first time, at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.

    8 December 1968 Livre pour cordes Ib for string orchestra by Pierre Boulez (43) is performed for the first time, in Brighton the composer conducting.

    8 December 1970 Spring Fire for orchestra by Arnold Bax (†17) is performed for the first time, in Kensington, 57 years after it was composed.

    Cello Variations I for cello alone by Charles Wuorinen (32) is performed for the first time, in Blauvelt Theatre, Philadelphia.

    8 December 1972 Momente (1972 version) for soprano, four choruses, and chamber ensemble by Karlheinz Stockhausen (44) is performed for the first time, in Bonn the composer conducting.

    Sextet for two violins, two violas, cello, and piano by Leslie Bassett (49) is performed for the first time, in Coolidge Auditorium, Library of Congress, Washington.

    8 December 1973 Four Silhouettes for band by Ulysses Kay (56) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    8 December 1975 Mass in Honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary by Norman Dello Joio (62) is performed for the first time, in the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, Washington.

    8 December 1980 Popular music entertainer John Lennon is shot to death by a deranged stalker in New York.  Upon hearing the news, Lukas Foss (58) begins to compose Night Music for John Lennon.  See 1 April 1981.

    8 December 1982 Harpsichord Sonata no.5 op.152 by Vincent Persichetti (67) is performed for the first time, in Tempe, Arizona.

    8 December 1983 Oracle I (The Oracle of Shimon Bar Yochai) for soprano, cello, and piano by Richard Wernick (49) is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    8 December 1984 The Harp of New Albion for piano in just intonation by Terry Riley (49) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR, Cologne.

    8 December 1985 Guitarra for solo guitar by Ulysses Kay (68) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    8 December 1986 Etcetera, in the version for 2/4 Orchestras by John Cage (74), is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.  See 6 November 1973.

    8 December 1987 Acclamation for chorus by John Tavener (43) is performed for the first time, for the arrival of His All Holiness, the Ecumenical Patriarch Demetrios I at Canterbury Cathedral.

    8 December 1990 Suite in d minor op.117 for violin and strings by Jean Sibelius (†33) is performed for the first time, on the 125th anniversary of the composer’s birth and 61 years after it was composed.

    The second movement of a String Trio by Krzysztof Penderecki (57) is performed for the first time, in Kraków.  See 15 November 1991.

    8 December 1991 Triptyque for clarinet and orchestra by Jean-Claude Risset (53) is performed for the first time, in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.

    8 December 1993 Let’s Get This Show on the Road:  an Alternative View of “Genesis”, an opera by John C. Eaton (58) to words of Walter, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    8 December 1994 A revised version of Out of Peking Opera (Violin Concerto no.1) for violin and orchestra by Tan Dun (37) is performed for the first time, in Glasgow, directed by the composer.  See 7 February 1988.

    8 December 1995 Symphony no.3 by Krzysztof Penderecki (62) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    8 December 1996 Motives from Tatar Folklore for domra and piano by Sofia Gubaidulina (65) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    8 December 1997 Four Songs on Czech Folk Poetry for voice and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (†38) is performed for the first time, in Prague, on the 107th anniversary of the composer’s birth.

    Chansons cachées for piano by George Perle (82) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    8 December 2005 Donald James Martino dies on a cruise ship off the coast of Antigua, of a heart attack following complications of diabetes, aged 74 years, six months, and 22 days.

    8 December 2007 Solemnitas in Conceptione Immaculate Beatae Maria Virginis for solo voices and string quartet by John Tavener (63) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.

    8 December 2011 Two works by Elliott Carter (102) are performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York:  String Trio and A Sunbeam’s Architecture, a cycle for tenor and chamber orchestra to words of cummings.

    9 December

    9 December 1765 La confederazione dei Sabini con Roma pt.I, a cantata by Luigi Boccherini (22) to words of Trenta and de’Nobili, is performed for the first time, in Lucca.

    9 December 1770 Gottlieb Muffat dies in Vienna, 80 years, seven months and 14 days after his baptism.

    9 December 1783 Giovanni Paisiello (43) is nominated compositore della musica de’ drammi by King Ferdinando IV of Naples.  The composer is presently in Russia but conducted an extensive campaign through friends to gain the position.

    9 December 1789 Johann Schenk’s (36) singspiel Das unvermuthete Seefest is performed for the first time, in Freihaus-Theater auf der Wieden, Vienna.

    9 December 1799 An arrest warrant is issued in Naples for Domenico Cimarosa (49), by order of King Ferdinando, for his part in the Parthenopean Republic.  After hiding for several days, he will be arrested.  He will spend four months in prison and miss a death sentence probably through the intervention of powerful friends.  Upon release he will be banished from Naples.

    9 December 1800 L’imbroglione e il castiga-matti, a farsa giocosa by Johann Simon Mayr (37) to words of Foppa, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.

    9 December 1813 A chorus for a production of Shakespeare’s  Romeo and Juliet by Carl Maria von Weber (27), is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    9 December 1820 Die Forelle D.550, a song by Franz Schubert (23) to words of Schubart, is published in Zeitschrift für Kunst, Vienna.

    9 December 1828 Clari, an opera semiseria by Fromental Halévy (29) to words of Giannone, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre-Italien, Paris.  It is his least successful opera so far.

    9 December 1832 Le retour à la vie, mélologue en six parties for orchestra by Hector Berlioz (28) is performed for the first time, in the Paris Conservatoire.  The work is intended as a sequel to Symphonie fantastique and will be renamed Lélio, ou Le retour à la vie.  Berlioz sends tickets to Harriet Smithson through a British journalist.  It is not until she enters a cab to go to the Conservatoire that her companion, the journalist Schutter, gives her the program, and she finds out whose music she will hear.  Among those present are Nicolò Paganini (50), Franz Liszt (21), Frédéric Chopin (22), George Sand, Heinrich Heine, Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo.  Symphonie fantastique is also presented but in a much better performance than 1830.  Harriet “felt the room reel about her; she heard no more, but sat in a dream, and at the end went home like a sleepwalker, hardly aware of what was happening.”

    9 December 1836 A Life for the Tsar, an opera by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (32) to words of Rosen, Sollogub, Kukolnik and Zhukovsky, is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre, St. Petersburg before Tsar Nikolay and other members of the royal family.  “The opera was a complete success and I was in a state of intoxication.”   Glinka is called to the Imperial box to meet the Tsar.  The night will be viewed as the birth of Russia as an art music power.

    9 December 1842 Ruslan and Lyudmilla, an opera by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (38) to words of the composer, Kukolnik, Shirkov, Markevich and Gedeonov after Pushkin is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre, St. Petersburg.  The production is flawed from the start with bad sets, some inadequate singers and an undramatic libretto.  The audience reception includes both loud applause and hissing.

    9 December 1853 Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann op.20 for piano by Clara Schumann (34) is performed for the first time, in Rotterdam, by the composer.

    9 December 1857 Le carnaval de Venise, an opéra comique by Ambroise Thomas (46) to words of Sauvage, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    9 December 1865 Two works by Hubert Parry (17) are performed for the first time, at Eton College:  Overture in b minor for piano duet, and the part-song Take, O take those lips away, to words of Shakespeare.

    9 December 1877 Romance for violin and orchestra op.11 by Antonin Dvorák (36) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    Two songs by Johannes Brahms (44) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Geheimnis op.71/3, to words of Candidus, and Im Garten am Seegestade to words of Lemcke.

    9 December 1878 The overture to Johann Strauss’ (53) unperformed operetta Blindekuh is heard for the first time, in Theater-an-der-Wien.  See 18 December 1878.

    9 December 1879 Three scenes from Modest Musorgsky’s (40) Khovanshchina are performed for the first time, at a Free Music School concert in St. Petersburg, conducted by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (35).  It is a great success.

    9 December 1882 The Wiener Landsgericht grants a civil divorce between Johann Strauss, Jr. (57) and his second wife, Lili.

    Joaquín Turina is born in Seville, the son of a painter.

    Four works by Gabriel Fauré (37) are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris:  Les Berceaux op.23/1, a song for voice and piano to words of Sully-Prudhomme, Chanson d’amour op.27/1 for voice and piano to words of Silvestre, and two piano works, Barcarolle no.1 op.26 and Impromptu no.1 op.25.  At the keyboard for the last two is Camille Saint-Saëns (47).

    9 December 1884 Four of the Songs and Romances op.93a for unaccompanied chorus by Johannes Brahms (51) are performed for the first time, in Hamburg, conducted by the composer:  Der bucklichte Fiedler to anonymous words, O süsser Mai to words of von Arnim, Fahr wohl! to words of Rückert and Der Falke to anonymous Serbian words translated by Kapper.  See 27 January 1885.

    9 December 1898 A Piano Concerto by Cesar Cui (63) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg, Alyeksandr Skryabin (26) at the keyboard.

    9 December 1900 Two of the three Nocturnes, Nuages and Fêtes, by Claude Debussy (38) are performed for the first time, in Paris.  Critics are generally positive.  See 27 October 1901.

    Erik Satie (34) is introduced to pianist Ricardo Viñes by Maurice Ravel (25) in Paris.  Viñes will become a major exponent of Satie’s work.

    Today marks the final concert of the Society of Classical Concerts in Barcelona, a project founded by Enrique Granados (33) to promote symphonic and chamber music in the city.  Finances are not the cause of the society’s demise, but the exact reason is not known.

    9 December 1901 Jules Massenet’s (59) ballet Les Rosati, to a story by Mariquita, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    9 December 1902 Intermezzo for string orchestra by Franz Schreker (24) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  It won a competition sponsored by the Neue musikalische Presse.

    The Hag for baritone and orchestra by Frank Bridge (23) to words of Herrick is performed for the first time, at the Royal College of Music, London, the composer conducting.

    9 December 1905 Salome op.54, a Musikdrama by Richard Strauss (41) to words of Oscar Wilde (tr. Lachmann), is performed for the first time, at the Dresden Court Opera.  Although one critic called it the “ultimate in salacious and blasphemous art”, the opera is a great success.

    9 December 1907 After a farewell by 200 people at the station organized by Anton von Webern (24), Gustav Mahler (47) with his wife and daughter, leaves Vienna for Cherbourg, and America.  Among the gathered is Arnold Schoenberg (33).

    9 December 1908 Three works for voice, piano and viola obbligato by Frank Bridge (29) are performed for the first time, in Broadwood Concert Rooms, London, the composer at the keyboard:  Far, far from each other, to words of Arnold, Music when soft voices die, to words by Shelley, and Where is it that our soul doth go? to words of Heine (tr. Kroeker).

    9 December 1909 Among the four second prizes of the Glinka Prize, one goes to Alyeksandr Skryabin (37) for his Piano Sonata no.5 and one to Igor Stravinsky (27) for his Scherzo fantastique.

    9 December 1911 Friede auf Erden op.13 for acappella chorus by Arnold Schoenberg (37) to words of Meyer, is performed for the first time, in Vienna, Franz Schreker (33) conducting.

    After almost a year abroad, the John Philip Sousa (57) band plays the last concert of its world tour at the New York Hippodrome.

    9 December 1918 Concertino for clarinet and small orchestra op.48 by Ferruccio Busoni (52) is performed for the first time, in the Zürich Tonhalle.

    Half Past Eight, a revue with music by George Gershwin (20) is performed for the first time, in the Empire Theatre, Syracuse, New York.  It never reaches New York City.

    9 December 1919 The Great God Pan, a choral ballet by Granville Bantock (51), is performed for the first time, in St. Andrew’s Hall, Glasgow.

    9 December 1922 Works for violin and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (35) are performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro:  the second movement of Fantasia de movimentos mistos, conducted by the composer, and Martírio dos insetos.  See 17 November 1917 and 23 April 1941.

    9 December 1926 Le carnaval d’Aix for piano and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (34), based on themes from the ballet Salade, is performed for the first time, in New York, the composer at the keyboard.  See 17 May 1924.

    9 December 1927 Pierre Henry is born in Paris.

    9 December 1928 Deux melodies op.20 for voice and orchestra by Albert Roussel (59) to words of Chalupt is performed for the first time, in Paris.  See 27 December 1919.

    The Canticle of the Sun op.123 for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Amy Cheney Beach (61) to words of St. Francis of Assisi (tr. Arnold), is performed for the first time, in St. Bartholemew’s Church, New York.  This occasion sees the chorus accompanied by organ.  Also performed is the premiere of Beach’s Benedicite, omnia opera Domini op.121 for chorus and organ to words of the Bible.  See 12 May 1930.

    9 December 1929 Goodmorrow, a carol for the king’s recovery for chorus by Edward Elgar (72) to words of Gascoigne, is performed for the first time, in a broadcast from Windsor the composer conducting.

    9 December 1932 String Quartet op.45 by Albert Roussel (63) is performed for the first time, at the Palais dex Beaux-Arts, in Brussels.

    9 December 1935 Frankfurt Radio broadcasts a government-sponsored attack on jazz, attacking its “erotic,” “perverse” and less-than-Aryan qualities.

    9 December 1936 Fragments dramatiques op.154b for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (44) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    9 December 1938 John Cage (26) gives his first percussion concert at the Cornish School of Music, Seattle.  Trio for three percussionists is performed, probably for the first time.

    9 December 1939 First Construction (In Metal) for six percussionists by John Cage (27) is performed for the first time, at the Cornish School of Music, Seattle.

    9 December 1940 Sextet for piano, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and horn by Francis Poulenc (41) is performed for the first time, in its “definitive” version, in the Salle Pleyel, Paris.  Also premiered is Poulenc’s Ce doux petit visage for voice and piano to words of Eluard.

    Incidental music to Euripedes’ (tr. Hamilton) play The Trojan Women by Virgil Thomson (44) is performed for the first time, in a radio broadcast.

    9 December 1941 Mazurka elegiaca op.23/2 for two pianos by Benjamin Britten (28) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    9 December 1942 Huit hommes dans un château, a film with music by Arthur Honegger (50), is shown for the first time, in Paris.

    The 20th anniversary of the League of Composers is celebrated in Town Hall, New York with several first performances, including String Quartet no.11 by Darius Milhaud (50), Quintet for flute and strings by Walter Piston (48), Danzón cubano for two pianos by Aaron Copland (42) performed by the composer and Leonard Bernstein (24), and Madrigal-Sonata for flute, violin, and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (52).

    9 December 1945 Three Pieces for two pianos by Aram Khachaturian (42) is performed for the first time.

    9 December 1948 Witold Lutoslawski (35) wins the Music Prize of the City of Warsaw for his music for children.

    9 December 1949 The Battle of Stalingrad, a film with music by Aram Khachaturian (46), is released.

    Piano Sonata in e flat minor op.26 by Samuel Barber (39) is performed for the first time, in Havana.

    9 December 1950 Festive Poem for orchestra by Aram Khachaturian (47) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    9 December 1951 The first of the Two Pastorales for prepared piano by John Cage (39) is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York, to a dance by Merce Cunningham.  See 10 February 1952.

    9 December 1953 Song for the Lonely for voice and piano by William Grant Still (58) is performed for the first time, in Limoges.

    Piano Concerto no.2 by Roy Harris (55) is performed for the first time, in Columbia Auditorium, Louisville, the composer conducting.

    9 December 1955 Petite Suite op.348 for organ by Darius Milhaud (63) is performed for the first time, at Synagogue Buffault, Paris.

    Santa Claus, an opera by Leland C. Smith (30) to words of cummings, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    9 December 1959 Legend, a symphonic poem by Andrew Imbrie (38) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    9 December 1964 Mikrophonie I no.15 for tam-tam, two microphones, two filters, and potentiometers by Karlheinz Stockhausen (36) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    9 December 1968 Concerto-Rhapsody for piano and orchestra by Aram Khachaturian (65) is performed for the first time, in Gorky.

    Stimmung für sex-tête no.24 for six voices by Karlheinz Stockhausen (40) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Das Floss der “Medusa”, an oratorio volgare e militare for soprano, baritone, speaker, chorus, boys’ chorus, and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (42) to words of Schnabel, is to be premiered tonight in Hamburg.  Before the performance, a poster of Che Guevara is placed on stage, only to be torn down by the organizer of the concert.  Left-wing students stick a red flag on the platform in retaliation.  When concert officials attempt to remove the banner, the students vigorously defend it.  Meanwhile, some members of the West German Radio Chorus refuse to sing under the red flag but the composer will not have it removed.  Given these circumstances, the chorus departs.  Meanwhile, police have arrived in battle gear, arrest several students and shove the poet, Ernst Schnabel, through a glass door before arresting him as well.  Under these conditions the composer refuses to go on and the concert is cancelled.  See 29 January 1971.

    Concerto for amplified piano, brass, string basses, and percussion by Roy Harris (70) is performed for the first time, in Royce Hall at the University of California at Los Angeles, the composer conducting.

    9 December 1969 Vesalii icones for male dancer, cello, piccolo, flute, alto flute, clarinet, basset horn, piano, percussion, and violin by Peter Maxwell Davies (35) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, the composer conducting.

    9 December 1970 Night Dances op.114 for orchestra by Vincent Persichetti (55) is performed for the first time, at Kiamesha Lake, New York.

    9 December 1974 Suite for violin with American gamelan by Lou Harrison (57) is performed for the first time, at Lone Mountain College, San Francisco.

    9 December 1976 Epeï for english horn, clarinet, trumpet, two trombones, and double bass by Iannis Xenakis (54) is performed for the first time, in Montreal.

    9 December 1977 Quartets I-VIII for up to 96 instruments by John Cage (65) is performed for the first time, in the Beethovenhalle, Bonn.

    9 December 1982 Incidental music for the narrative Richard Whittington for gamelan and voice by Lou Harrison (65) to words of Masefield is performed for the first time, at Mills College, Oakland.

    9 December 1983 Ohne Titel (String Quartet no.5) by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    Tallis:  Four Voluntaries arranged for brass quintet by Pater Maxwell Davies (49) is performed for the first time, in The Cloisters, New York.

    9 December 1984 Symphony no.2 by Isang Yun (67) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    9 December 1987 Symphony (Vertigo) for orchestra and electronic sound generators by Roger Reynolds (53) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    9 December 1989 Lyric Studies for woodwinds and piano by Roy Harris (†10) is performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y, New York.

    9 December 1990 Divertimento for oboe, percussion, and piano by Ross Lee Finney (83) is performed for the first time, at the Baltimore Museum of Art.

    9 December 1993 Walker, a chamber opera by TJ Anderson (65) to words of Walcott is performed for the first time, in the Boston Athenaeum.

    9 December 1998 Clarissa Sequence op.30b for soprano and orchestra by Robin Holloway (55) to his own words after Richardson is performed for the first time, in London.  See 18 May 1990.

    9 December 2000 Rebonds for disklavier keyboard by Jean-Claude Risset (62) is performed for the first time, in the Auditorium des Halles, Paris.

    9 December 2001 Hiyoku for two clarinets by Elliott Carter (92) is performed for the first time, in the Kleine Zaal of the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

    Fratres, in the setting for cello, strings, and percussion by Arvo Pärt (66), is performed for the first time, in De Doelen, Rotterdam.

    9 December 2004 Concerto for piano-left hand and orchestra by Paul Hindemith (†40) is performed for the first time, in Berlin, 81 years after it was composed.

    9 December 2005 Harrison Birtwistle (71) wins two British Composer Awards, in the orchestral category for Night’s Black Bird, and in the choral category for Ring Dance of the Nazarene.

    9 December 2007 Trajectoire for tape by Pierre Henry is  performed for the first time, at Radio France, Paris, on the composer’s 80th birthday.

    9 December 2008 Take Two Oboes for (oddly enough) two oboes by Thea Musgrave (80) is performed for the first time.

    9 December 2009 Violin Concerto no.2 “The American Four Seasons” by Philip Glass (72) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    10 December

    10 December 1618 Giulio Romolo Caccini is buried in Florence.  He died at the age of 67.

    10 December 1665 Tarquinio Merula dies in Cremona, aged approximately 70 years.

    10 December 1755 The earthly remains of Maurice Greene are laid to rest privately, according to his wish, in the minister’s vault of St. Olave Jewry, London.  See 18 May 1888.

    10 December 1768 Les agréments d’Hylas et Silvie, a pastorale by François-André Gossec (34) to words of Rochon de Chabannes, is performed for the first time, at the Comédie-Française, Paris.

    10 December 1770 William Billings (24) advertises his The New England Psalm-Singer in the Boston Gazette.

    10 December 1791 A service in memory of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (†0) takes place in St. Michael’s Church, Vienna, organized by the directors of the Theater-an-der-Wieden.  Some of his unfinished Requiem is performed, partly orchestrated by unknown hands.

    10 December 1797 General Napoléon Bonaparte is given an official welcome home to Paris by Étienne Nicolas Méhul’s (34) Le chant du retour performed by 200 musicians and various officials, including the executive of the Directory.

    10 December 1818 String Quartet op.104 by Ludwig van Beethoven (47), an arrangement of his Piano Trio op.1 no.3,  is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    10 December 1822 07:00  César-Auguste-Jean-Guillaume-Hubert Franck is born in Liège, in the Walloon District of the Netherlands, the second of five children (eldest of two surviving infancy) born to Nicholas-Joseph Franck, an unemployed clerk, and Marie-Catherine-Barbe Frings, the daughter of a German textile merchant.

    10 December 1825 La dame blanche, an opéra comique by Adrien Boieldieu (49) to words of Scribe after Scott, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.  It is very successful.

    10 December 1832 On the eve of his 29th birthday, Hector Berlioz is officially introduced to Harriet Smithson in Paris, the English actress with whom he has been infatuated for five years.

    10 December 1854 L’enfance du Christ, a trilogie sacrée for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Salle Herz, Paris directed by the composer on the eve of his 51st birthday.  It is a great success.

    10 December 1861 Le roman comique, an opéra-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (42) to words of Crémieux and Halévy is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    10 December 1865 Richard Wagner (52), accompanied by his servant and dog, leaves Munich by train for Bern.  He is seen off by Peter Cornelius (40), Heinrich Porges and Cosima von Bülow.

    10 December 1869 Les brigandes, an opéra-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (50) to words of Meilhac and Halévy, is performed for the first time, at the Variétés, Paris.

    10 December 1871 Remembrance, a song by Antonin Dvorák (30) to words of Krásnohorská, is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    Marche héroïque op.34 for orchestra by Camille Saint-Saëns (36) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    10 December 1876 From Bohemia’s Fields and Groves, a symphonic poem from Ma Vlast by Bedrich Smetana (52), is performed for the first time, in Prague.  The audience calls for the work to be repeated.

    Serenade for strings op.22 by Antonin Dvorák (35) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    10 December 1882 Gesang des Parzen op.89 for chorus and orchestra by Johannes Brahms (49) to words of Goethe is performed for the first time, in Basel conducted by the composer.

    10 December 1886 Symphony no.2 by George Whitefield Chadwick (32) is performed completely for the first time, in the Music Hall, Boston, the composer conducting.  See 7 March 1884 and 29 April 1885.

    10 December 1887 Violin Sonata no.3 op.45 by Edvard Grieg (44) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig, the composer at the piano.  Each movement receives applause.

    10 December 1889 Lovely Rosabelle for chorus by George Whitefield Chadwick (35) is performed for the first time, in Association Hall, Boston.

    10 December 1890 String Sextet “Souvenir de Florence” op.70 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (50) is performed publicly for the first time, in St. Petersburg.  See 8 December 1890.

    Count Robert of Paris, an overture by Horatio Parker (27), is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Romance and Scherzo for cello and piano op.22 by Arthur Foote (37) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 December 1895 Christmas Eve, an opera by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (51) to his own words after Gogol, is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.  After the royal family enforced changes in the work, the composer boycotts the premiere.

    10 December 1896 Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov’s (52) drastic rewriting of Boris Godunov by Modest Musorgsky (†15) is performed for the first time, privately, in the Great Hall of St. Petersburg Conservatory.  See 19 December 1898.

    Nadia Boulanger (9) enters the Paris Conservatoire as a solfège student.

    Thème et variations for piano op.73 by Gabriel Fauré (51) is performed for the first time, in St. James’ Hall, London.

    10 December 1904 Among the recipients of the Glinka Prizes awarded today are Sergey Rakhmaninov (31) for his Second Piano Concerto and Alyeksandr Skyrabin (32) for his third and fourth Piano Sonatas.

    10 December 1905 On his first visit to America, Vincent d’Indy (54) takes part in a performance of the Rhapsodies by Charles Martin Loeffler (44) in Arthur Whiting’s studio in New York.  Whiting plays piano, Georges Longy, oboe and Loeffler, viola.  The French poems upon which the music is based are read aloud by d’Indy.  All this before a small audience of some of the most important musicians in the United States.

    10 December 1908 Midnight.  Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen is born in Avignon, first of two children born to Pierre Messiaen, an English teacher and Shakespeare scholar, and Cécile Sauvage, a poet.

    Sevilla op.2, a suite for piano by Joaquín Turina (26), is performed for the first time, in Seville.

    The Symphony no.4 “Poem of Ecstasy” by Alyeksandr Skryabin (36) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 December 1909 Lili Boulanger (16) begins serious musical study:  harmony with Georges Caussade.

    Le passeur d’eau for string sextet by Charles Martin Loeffler (48) is performed for the first time, in Fenway Court, Boston.

    10 December 1910 La fanciulla del West, an opera by Giacomo Puccini (51) to words of Civinini and Zangarini after Belasco, is performed for the first time, before a glittering audience (which includes Engelbert Humperdinck (56)) at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.  Although there is no applause through the first act, Puccini, Toscanini, and the cast receive 14 curtain calls at the intermission, 19 after the second act and 14 at the end. Even though the critics are mixed, the production is a spectacular success.

    Charles Martin Loeffler (49) marries Elise Fay, member of a wealthy family and eight years his senior, at the home of Frank Webster on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.  The couple became engaged on 6 April 1886.  They will move into his recently purchased home in Medfield, Massachusetts.

    10 December 1913 Maurice Ravel's (38) piano work A la manière de... is performed for the first time, at the Salle Pleyel, Paris, played by Alfredo Casella (30).  Also premiered is Reflets for voice and piano by Lili Boulanger (20) to words of Maeterlinck, the composer at the piano.

    10 December 1916 Three works by Sergey Prokofiev (25) are performed for the first time, in Petrograd:  Five Poems for voice and piano op.23 to words of Balmont, Sarcasms for piano op.17 and Toccata op.11 for piano.

    The Sonata for flute, viola, and harp by Claude Debussy (54) is performed for the first time, privately, at the Paris home of Jacques Durand.  See 9 March 1917.

    10 December 1919 La boîte à joujoux, a ballet by Claude Debussy (†1) to a scenario by Hellé, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Lyrique, Paris.  The work, left unfinished at the composer’s death, was partially orchestrated by André Caplet.

    Charles T. Griffes (35) collapses and is taken to the Master’s house at the Hackley School, Tarrytown-on-the-Hudson, where he is employed.  He is confined to bed.  A doctor diagnoses pleurisy.

    10 December 1921 Symphony no.3 op.71 for chamber ensemble by Darius Milhaud (29) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Trois chorals op.76/1 for instrumental ensembles by Charles Koechlin (54) are performed for the first time, in Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    Romanza e Scherzoso op.54 for piano and orchestra by Ferruccio Busoni (55) is performed for the first time, in Basel Casino.

    10 December 1923 La Brebis égarée, a roman musical by Darius Milhaud (31) is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.

    The first of the Two Movements for Piano by Henry Cowell (26) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London by the composer.  It is Cowell’s European debut.

    10 December 1925 Song of the Flame, an operetta by H. Stothart and George Gershwin (27) to words of Hammerstein and Harbach, is performed for the first time, in Wilmington, Delaware.  See 30 December 1925.

    10 December 1927 Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (31) demonstrates his device to an invited group of elite scientists and musicians at the Savoy Hotel in London.

    10 December 1928 Der singende Teufel, an opera by Franz Schreker (50) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Berlin Staatsoper.  The audience seems to like it but critics will savage it.  The opera is a failure.

    I Sing the Birth, a carol for chorus by Edward Elgar (71) to words of Jonson, is performed for the first time, in Royal Albert Hall, London.

    Two works by Samuel Barber (18) are performed for the first time, in Philadelphia:  Prelude and Fugue for organ and the Violin Sonata, the latter by the composer at the piano.

    10 December 1929 Sonata for two pianos by Arnold Bax (46) is performed for the first time, in the Music Club, Westminster.

    10 December 1931 The Circumnavigators Club, a march by John Philip Sousa (77), is performed for the first time, at the annual meeting of its namesake in New York.  The composer is a member.

    10 December 1933 Saxophone Quartet op.109 by Alyeksandr Glazunov (68) is performed for the first time, at the Russian Conservatory, Paris.

    Two new works by Henry Cowell (36) are performed for the first time, in New York:  Four Continuations for String Orchestra, and Three Dances of Activity to a scenario by Delza.

    10 December 1936 Psalm for orchestra by David Diamond (21) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York conducted by Howard Hanson (40).

    10 December 1937 The first concert of the newly founded Ernest Bloch (57) Society takes place in Aeolian Hall, London.

    Symphony in g minor “Song of a New Race” by William Grant Still (42) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music, to mixed reviews.

    10 December 1938 Alfred, an heroic opera by Antonín Dvorák (†34) to words of Körner, is staged for the first time, in the Czech Theatre, Olomouc, 68 years after its composition.  See 6 February 1938.

    10 December 1942 Night Shift, a film with music by Marc Blitzstein (37), is released in the United States.

    10 December 1943 Choeurs monodiques op.169 for male chorus by Charles Koechlin (76) is performed for the first time, privately in a production of Alceste by Euripedes (tr. Marchand) in Paris.  See 23 March 1952.

    10 December 1944 Uirapuru for chorus by Heitor Villa-Lobos (57) is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    10 December 1947 Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.7 for viola and piano by Henry Cowell (50) is performed for the first time, in Kimball Hall, Chicago.

    10 December 1949 Symphonische Variationen und Fuge über “In dulci jubilo” for orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (31) is performed for the first time, in Koblenz.

    Preamble for a Solemn Occasion for speaker and orchestra by Aaron Copland (49), commissioned by NBC for the first anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is performed for the first time, in New York, Leonard Bernstein (31) conducting.  The speaker is Laurence Olivier.

    10 December 1950 Concerto for violin and orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (32) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.

    Ceremonial Fanfare for orchestra by David Diamond (35) is performed for the first time, in the Metropolitan Opera House, New York.

    10 December 1952 String Quartet by Irving Fine (38) is performed for the first time, at Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts.

    Sea Piece With Birds for orchestra by Virgil Thomson (56) is performed for the first time, in McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, Dallas.

    10 December 1953 Leonard Bernstein (35) becomes the first American to conduct at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, directing Maria Callas in Medea.

    10 December 1956 György Ligeti (33) and his wife Vera take a train from Budapest to the west, hoping to flee Hungary.  The train is stopped at Sárvár by Soviet troops, but the Ligetis manage to escape into the town and hide in the local post office.

    10 December 1958 Homage to Iran for violin and piano by Henry Cowell (61) is performed for the first time, in Lisner Auditorium, Washington.

    10 December 1962 Four Portraits for baritone, clarinet, and piano by Thea Musgrave (34) to words of Davies, is performed for the first time, in London.

    10 December 1963 Symphony no.3 “Kaddish” for speaker, boys’ chorus, chorus, and orchestra by Leonard Bernstein (45) to words of the Hebrew liturgy and the composer, is performed for the first time, in Tel Aviv the composer conducting.

    Song of Human Rights for chorus and orchestra by Howard Hanson (67) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    10 December 1965 Henry Dixon Cowell dies in Shady, New York, aged 68 years, eight months, and 29 days.

    10 December 1969 Moon Canticle for chorus, cello, narrator, and soprano by Leslie Bassett (46) to various texts is performed for the first time, in the Concord Hotel, New York.

    10 December 1971 Melodien for orchestra by György Ligeti (48) is performed for the first time, in Nuremberg.

    10 December 1973 Sonata no.2 for violin and piano by Lejaren Hiller (49) is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    10 December 1974 Pianississimo for piano by Donald Martino (43) is performed for the first time, at the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston.

    10 December 1978 Bacchanal for soprano, saxophone quartet, bayan, and percussion by Sofia Gubaidulina (47) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Syringa for mezzo-soprano, bass, and eleven players by Elliott Carter to words of Ashbery and ancient Greek texts, is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York on the eve of the composer’s 70th birthday.

    10 December 1979 Concerto for piano and strings by Alfred Schnittke (45) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad.

    10 December 1983 Two works by Steve Reich (47) are performed for the first time, at the 92nd Street Y in New York:  Eight Lines, an orchestration of his Octet, and Vermont Counterpoint for flute ensemble.  See 1 October 1982.

    10 December 1985 Anniversary Variations for brass quintet by Vladimir Ussachevsky (74) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    10 December 1986 Appalachia: An American Rhapsody for orchestra by Frederick Delius (†52) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London 90 years after it was composed.

    Chain 3 for orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (73) is performed for the first time, in Davies Hall, San Francisco conducted by the composer.

    10 December 1995 Todtnauberg for soprano, two clarinets, viola, cello, and double bass by Harrison Birtwistle (61) to words of Celan (tr. Hamburger) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3.  See 28 April 1996.

    10 December 1996 Second Piano Quartet by William Bolcom (58) is performed for the first time, at the Kennedy Center, Washington.

    10 December 1997 Arianna abbandonata op.58c for tenor and guitar by Alexander Goehr (66) to words of Rinuccini is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3.  See 14 November 1998.

    10 December 1998 ‘kein Gedanke, nur ruhiger Schlaf’ op.65 for chamber ensemble by Alexander Goehr (66) is performed for the first time, in Birmingham.  It is an arrangement by the composer of part of his Schlussgesang op.61 in honor of Olivier Messiaen (†6) on the 90th anniversary of his birth.

    10 December 1999 Celebration Day for chorus and orchestra by Thea Musgrave (71) to words of Dryden is performed for the first time, at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

    10 December 2004 Rilke:  Vier Gedichte for voice and orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (52) is performed for the first time, in the Casino, Basel.

    Octant for computerized sounds by Jean-Claude Risset (66) is performed for the first time, in Marseille.

    10 December 2007 Morning Star for chorus by Arvo Pärt (72) is performed for the first time, at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London.  The text comes from a prayer above the tomb of St. Bede at Durham Cathedral.

    10 December 2010 Concertino for bass clarinet and chamber orchestra by Elliott Carter is performed for the first time, in Isabel Bader Theatre, Toronto on the eve of his 102nd birthday.

    10 December 2011 Concierto Argentino for piano and orchestra by Alberto Ginastera (†28) is performed for the first time, in Hill Auditorium at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 70 years after it was composed.

    11 December

    11 December 1651 Ennemond Gaultier dies in Neves, near Villette, aged 76 years.

    11 December 1712 Francesco Algarotti is born in Venice.

    11 December 1784 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (28) dates the score of his Piano Concerto no.19 K.459 in Vienna.

    11 December 1789 Antonio Salieri’s (39) dramma giocoso La Cifra to words of da Ponte after Petrosellini is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.

    Se il duol che il cor m’affana, an aria for a production of Guglielmi’s La pastorella nobile by Luigi Cherubini (29) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre de Monsieur, Paris.

    11 December 1797 Joseph Haydn (65) is admitted into the Tonkünstler-Societät, Vienna with “all formalities waived” because of his “extraordinary merit.”  See 4 February 1779.

    11 December 1803 Louis-Hector Berlioz is born at La Côte-St.-André, 48 km northwest of Grenoble in the Department of Isere, the first of six children born to Louis-Joseph Berlioz, a physician and Marie-Antoinette-Joséphine Marmion, daughter of a Grenoble lawyer.

    11 December 1814 The overture to Louis Spohr’s (30) unperformed opera Faust is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  See 1 September 1816.

    11 December 1818 While giving testimony in the ongoing custody battle between himself and his sister-in-law, Ludwig van Beethoven (47) lets it be known that neither he, nor his nephew Karl, is of noble birth.  This puts the case out of the jurisdiction of the Landrechte and the case must be entirely retried in the commoners’ courts.

    11 December 1819 The earliest datable compositions by Fanny (14) and Felix (10) Mendelssohn are performed this day in honor of their father’s birthday in Berlin: Lied zum Geburtstag meines guten Vaters by Felix and Ihr Töne, schwingt euch fröhlich! by Fanny.

    11 December 1820 Die Soldatenliebschaft, a singspiel by Felix Mendelssohn (11) to words of Casper, is performed for the first time, with piano accompaniment, at the Mendelssohn home in Berlin for the fiftieth birthday of the composer’s father.  See 3 February 1821.

    11 December 1824 Die Erscheinung D.229, a song by Franz Schubert (27) to words of Kosegarten, is published in the Album musicale, Vienna.

    11 December 1830 Fromental Halévy’s (31) opéra comique La langue musicale to words of Saint-Yves is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Ventadour, Paris.  It will run for 30 performances into next year.

    11 December 1833 Auf zum Sitz der Geister for chorus by Otto Nicolai (23) to words of Ribbeck is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    11 December 1853 Amidst a very successful round of concertizing in Leipzig, Hector Berlioz is given a dinner to celebrate his 50th birthday.  He is told “Why don’t you speak German, M. Berlioz?  It should be your language--you are German.”

    11 December 1861 The Christmas Song for Auerbach’s play Die Waldkönigin by Giacomo Meyerbeer (70) is performed for the first time, in Viktoria Theater, Berlin.

    11 December 1864 Um Mitternacht for alto, male chorus, and piano by Anton Bruckner (40) to words of Prutz, is performed for the first time, in Linz, the composer conducting.

    11 December 1865 Les bergers, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (46) to words of Crémieux and Gille, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    11 December 1866 Oft in the stilly night, a madrigal by Hubert Parry (18) to words of Moore, is performed for the first time, at Eton College.

    11 December 1869 Paria, an opera by Stanislaw Moniuszko (50) to words of Checinski after Delavigne, is performed for the first time, in Warsaw.

    La romance de la rose, an operetta by Jacques Offenbach (50) to words of Tréfeu and Prével, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    11 December 1873 String Quartet no.1 op.51/1 by Johannes Brahms (40) is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.

    11 December 1892 I Come to Thee, for chorus and organ by Charles Ives (18) to words of Elliott, is performed for the first time, in Danbury Baptist Church, Connecticut.

    11 December 1893 On the Way to Kew for voice and piano by Arthur Foote (40) to words of Henley is performed for the first time, the composer at the keyboard.

    11 December 1900 Sonata for violin and piano no.3 op.41 by Max Reger (27) is performed for the first time, in Munich, the composer at the piano.

    11 December 1904 En mer, la nuit op.27, a symphonic poem by Charles Koechlin (37) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre du Chátelet, Paris.

    The choral work Dream Tryst op.12/1 by Gustav Holst (30) to words of Thompson, is performed for the first time, in London, directed by the composer.  This is part of the first concert by the Settlement Choral Society under its new director, Gustav Holst.

    11 December 1906 Incidental music to von Stach’s play Das Christ-Elflein op.20 by Hans Pfitzner (37) is performed for the first time, in Munich.  See 11 December 1917.

    11 December 1908 Elliott Cook Carter, Jr. is born in New York City, the son of Elliott Cook Carter, Sr., a lace importer and Florence Doris Chambers.

    The symphonic poem In a Summer Garden, by Frederick Delius (46), is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London, conducted by the composer.  The audience is warmly appreciative.

    11 December 1912 A Violin Sonata by John Alden Carpenter (36) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, New York.  The critics are not impressed.

    11 December 1913 Ach, Herr, strafe mich nicht op.110/2 for chorus by Max Reger (40)  is performed for the first time, in Aachen.

    11 December 1914 A Piano Concerto by Willem Pijper (21) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht, the composer at the keyboard.  This is a concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Utrecht Music School, where Pijper is a student, and constitutes Pijper’s public debut.  It is very successful.

    11 December 1917 Das Christ-Elflein, a spieloper by Hans Pfitzner (48) to his own words after von Stach, is performed for the first time, in Dresden.  This is a revision of his incidental music for von Stach’s play.  See 11 December 1906.

    Rapsodie nègre, for baritone, piano, string quartet, flute, and clarinet by Francis Poulenc (18) is performed for the first time, at the Vieux-Colombier, Paris.  This is the first work of Poulenc to be performed in public.  When the singer does not appear, the composer performs the vocal part.

    11 December 1920 Enrico Caruso suffers a throat hemorrhage during a performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.  He will die 2 August 1921.

    11 December 1924 After being mercilessly assailed in the first issue of its magazine, Arnold Schoenberg (50) resigns from the Austrian Association of Teachers of Music.

    11 December 1925 Symphony no.6 by Carl Nielsen (60) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen the composer conducting.  Nielsen finished the symphony six days ago.  Critics are mixed.

    11 December 1928 Kleines Konzert for winds, harpsichord, and percussion by Carl Orff (33) is performed for the first time, in the Herkulessaal, Munich.

    11 December 1930 The first known performance of Our Song for chorus by Leos Janácek (†2) to words of Cech takes place over the airwaves of Czechoslovak Radio, Brno.

    11 December 1932 Kurt Weill’s (32) Mahagonny Songspiel and Der Jasager are performed in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.  They are very successful and open Weill to possibilities outside Germany.

    11 December 1933 Two Two-Part Songs for chorus and piano by Benjamin Britten (20) to words of Wither and Graves are performed for the first time, at the Ballet Club (Mercury Theatre) in London.  Also premiered are three movements from Britten’s Alla Quartetto Serioso “Go Play, Boy, Play” for string quartet.

    11 December 1934 Coeur en péril op.50/2 for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (65) to words of Chalupt is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    11 December 1935 Alban Berg (50), in considerable pain, attends the Vienna premiere of the Lulu “Symphony”.  It is the last music he will hear.

    Suite française d’après Claude Gervaise for six winds, harpsichord, and percussion by Francis Poulenc (36) is performed for the first time, in Salle Chopin, Paris.

    Seven Associated Movements for violin and piano by Henry Cowell (38) is performed for the first time, in Midtown Community Center, New York.  Also premiered is Cowell’s Mosaic Quartet, later called String Quartet no.3.

    11 December 1936 Under strong pressure from party officials, Dmitri Shostakovich (30) withdraws his Symphony no.4 scheduled for performance tonight in Leningrad.

    Three chamber works by Arnold Bax (53) are performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London:  Threnody and Scherzo for bassoon, harp, and string sextet, Concerto for flute, oboe, harp, and string quartet, and Octet for horn, piano, and string sextet.  At 22:01 the concert is interrupted for the seven minute broadcast of King Edward announcing his abdication.  Under this cloud, Bax’s works are introduced to the world.

    11 December 1938 The Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional is inaugurated in Lima.

    11 December 1941 Canti di prigionia for chorus, two pianos, two harps, and percussion by Luigi Dallapiccola (37), to words of Mary, Queen of Scots, Boethius, and Savonarola, is performed completely for the first time, in Teatro delle Arti, Rome.  See 10 April 1940.

    11 December 1942 The seventh of 18 patriotic fanfares for brass and percussion commissioned by Eugene Goossens and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Fanfare de la liberté by Darius Milhaud (50), is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    I Wonder as I Wander for orchestra by Ernst Krenek (42) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    11 December 1943 Prelúdios for guitar by Heitor Villa-Lobos (56) are performed for the first time, in Montevideo.

    New World a-Comin’ for piano and jazz ensemble by Duke Ellington (44) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York the composer at the keyboard.

    11 December 1945 The setting for full orchestra of Darius Milhaud’s (53) ballet Jeux de printemps op.243 is performed for the first time, over the  airwaves of Radio Bruxelles.  See 30 October 1944.

    11 December 1949 Der Spiegelritter D.11, a singspiel by Franz Schubert (†121) to words of Kotzebue, is performed for the first time, over Swiss Radio 137 years after it was composed.

    11 December 1950 Paul Hindemith’s (55) Clarinet Concerto is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.  The solo part is played by the commissioner, Benny Goodman.

    11 December 1951 Dickinson Song Cycle for voice and piano by Otto Luening (51) is performed publicly for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.  See 21 August 1951.

    11 December 1954 Symphony no.3 by Carlos Chávez (55) is performed for the first time, in Caracas, under the baton of the composer.

    11 December 1955 Incidental music to Wilde’s play Salomé by Leonard Bernstein (37) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBS television network.

    11 December 1956 György Ligeti (33) and his wife Vera continue their escape from Hungary in a postal train from Sárvár hidden under mailbags.  They are let off a few kilometers from the border and, under the cover of darkness, they walk across into Austria making it finally to the town of Lutzmannsdorf.

    11 December 1958 Exaltation by Carl Ruggles (82) is performed for the first time, at Cornell University.  It is a wordless hymn in honor of his late wife.

    11 December 1959 Oedipus der Tyrann, a funeral play by Carl Orff (64) to words of Sophocles (tr. Hölderlin), is performed for the first time, in the Württembergisches Staatstheater, Stuttgart.

    11 December 1960 Ludus de nato infante mirificus, a Christmas play by Carl Orff (65) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart.

    11 December 1962 Chorale Prelude:  So Pure the Star op.91 for band by Vincent Persichetti (47) is performed for the first time, in Durham, North Carolina the composer conducting.

    11 December 1965 A second composition called Fern Hill for mezzo-soprano, chorus, and orchestra by John Corigliano (27) is performed for the first time, in the National Cathedral, Washington.

    11 December 1966 Five Carols for children’s chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (32) is performed for the first time, in All Saints’ Church, London.

    11 December 1969 Canticum Graduum op.27 for orchestra by Henryk Górecki (36) is performed for the first time, in Düsseldorf.

    Requiem für einen jungen Dichter for vocal soloists, narrator, three choruses, electronic instruments, jazz combo, organ, and orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (51) to words of various authors, is performed for the first time, in the Rheinhalle, Düsseldorf.

    11 December 1970 Soviet officials cancel an American tour by the Bolshoy ballet and opera companies because of demonstrations by “Zionist thugs”, opponents to Soviet treatment of Jews.

    String Quartet no.13 op.138 by Dmitri Shostakovich (64) is performed for the first time, privately at the USSR Composers’ Club, Moscow.  See 13 December 1970.

    Museum Piece for early instruments and orchestra by Gunther Schuller (45) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    11 December 1971 Two suites from film music by Peter Maxwell Davies (37) are performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London under the baton of the composer:  The Devils for orchestra, and The Boy Friend for soprano and 13 instruments.

    11 December 1976 The first performance of the electroacoustic version of A Merciful Coincidence for quadraphonic tape by Roger Reynolds (42) to words of Beckett takes place in Los Angeles.  See 9 June 1976.

    11 December 1978 Two-part Symphony for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (40) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    11 December 1979 Bilude for piano and tape by Pierre Schaeffer (69) is performed for the first time, at Musée Guimet, Paris.

    Earthrise for taped narration, alto, tenor, chorus, and orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (72) to words of Thomas and Teilhard de Chardin, is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    11 December 1981 Sonata for violin and piano no.2 by David Diamond (66) is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.

    11 December 1983 Changes for guitar by Elliott Carter is performed for the first time, in the 92nd Street Y, New York on the composer’s 75th birthday.

    11 December 1985 The Juniper Tree, a chamber opera by Philip Glass (48) and Robert Moran to words of Yorinks after Grimm, is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    11 December 1987 String Quartet no.2 “Hunting:Gathering” by Kevin Volans (38) is performed for the first time, in Herbst Theatre, San Francisco.

    11 December 1988 Whispers Out of Time for strings by Roger Reynolds (54) is performed for the first time, at Amherst College, Massachusetts.  It will win the Pulitzer Prize for music.  See 30 March 1989.

    11 December 1991 From Uluru for orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe (62) is performed for the first time, in Eugene Goossens Hall, Sydney.

    Dies irae, Ave verum corpus, and Lux aeterna, from Hans Werner Henze’s (63) unperformed Requiem, for piano and chamber orchestra, are performed for the first time, in London.  See 24 February 1993.

    Strathclyde Concerto no.5 for violin, viola, and orchestra by Peter Maxwell Davies (57) is performed for the first time, in City Halls, Glasgow, conducted by the composer.

    11 December 1992 A revised version of Traces for piano by Tan Dun (35) is performed for the first time, in Toronto.  See 9 November 1989.

    11 December 1995 Agnus Dei for two sopranos, female chorus, and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (61) is performed for the first time, in Oslo.

    11 December 2004 A Wedding, an opera by William Bolcom (66) to words of Weinstein and Altman, after Altman’s film, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    11 December 2006 Caténaires for piano by Elliott Carter is performed for the first time, in Zankel Hall, New York, on the composer’s 98th birthday.

    11 December 2013 Mixed Blessings, Indiana by Robert Ashley (83) is performed for the first time, in Brooklyn, New York.

    12 December

    12 December 1764 The Guardian Out-witted, a comic opera by Thomas Augustine Arne (54) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.

    12 December 1771 After showing interest in hiring Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (15), Archduke Ferdinand, Governor and Captain-General of Lombardy in Milan is warned in a letter from his mother, Empress Maria Theresia not to employ such “useless people.”

    12 December 1781 Erwin und Elmire, a singspiel by Georg Joseph Vogler (32) to words of Goethe, is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.

    12 December 1793 John Field (11) makes his London piano debut, performing at the Tavern.

    Johann Peter Schulz’s (46) singspiel Peters bryllup to words of Thaarup is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.

    12 December 1822 Jan Václav Vorísek (31) undergoes examination as one of nine candidates for the position of second court organist in Vienna.  He is successful and will take up duties next month.

    12 December 1823 Franz Liszt (12) and his father seek out the director of the Paris Conservatoire, Luigi Cherubini (63), to ask for admittance.  The director, an Italian, explains that admittance is reserved only for French citizens.

    12 December 1827 Four songs by Franz Schubert (30) are published by Weigl as his op.88:  Abendlied für die Entfernte to words of von Schlegel, Thekla:  eine Geisterstimme to words of Schiller, An die Musik to words of Schober, and Um Mitternacht to words of Schulze.

    12 December 1831 Frédéric Chopin (21) writes from Paris about a conversation he has had with Frédéric Kalkbrenner (46), “After studying me closely, he advised me to study with him for three years, and he will make of me someone really--really...”  He also writes that he has seen Robert le Diable and was overwhelmed.

    12 December 1833 Selections from Richard Wagner’s (20) romantic opera Die Feen WWV 32 are performed for the first time, in Munich.  See 10 January 1835 and 29 June 1888.

    12 December 1835 After Nicolò Paganini (53) leads an orchestra concert in Parma for the birthday of Grand Duchess Marie-Louise, she gives him exclusive control over court music.

    12 December 1836 Teatro La Fenice in Venice is almost totally destroyed by fire.

    12 December 1852 Georges Bizet (14) is presented with the  First Prize in Piano at the Paris Conservatoire.

    12 December 1862 Eléonore Adélaide Royer de Marancour Massenet appears before authorities in Nice to plead that her youngest son not be taken for military service.  Noting that young Jules (20) has three brothers already in service, they agree.

    Arthur Sullivan (20) makes the last of several visits with Gioachino Rossini (70) which he has made over the last few days in Paris.  They were recently introduced.  Rossini presents Sullivan with an inscribed photograph of himself.

    12 December 1866 In the Christiania (Oslo) Morgenbladet, Norwegian composers Edvard Grieg (23) and Otto Winter-Hjelm lay out their plans for a music academy in the city.  It will include a music school and training for teachers.

    12 December 1867 Upon Rikard Nordraak’s Death:  Tone Poem for Orchestra by Edvard Grieg (24) is performed for the first time, in Christiania (Oslo), conducted by the composer.

    12 December 1869 Islamey, an oriental fantasy for piano by Mily Balakirev (32) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    Im Gägenwartigen Vergangenes D.710 for male vocal quartet and piano by Franz Schubert (†41) to words of Goethe is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 48 years after it was composed.

    12 December 1872 On his arrival to conduct a performance at the Prague Provisional Theatre, Bedrich Smetana (48) is greeted by a ten-minute ovation from artists, orchestra and audience in response to attempts by rivals to remove him from his post.

    12 December 1874 Two songs by Gabriel Fauré (29) are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris:  Rêve d’amour op.5/2, to words of Hugo, and Ici bas! op.8/3 to words of Prudhomme.

    12 December 1877 Antonin Dvorák (36) writes to Johannes Brahms (44) to thank him for his part in securing a state artist’s stipend for Dvorák.  He asks Brahms to recommend his Bohemian songs to Brahms’ publisher Fritz Simrock.  Brahms will do so immediately.

    12 December 1878 Antonín Dvorák (37) travels from Prague to Vienna where he will make the acquaintance of Johannes Brahms (45), who has already championed his music.

    12 December 1879 Des Teufels LustschlossD.84, a Zauberoper by Franz Schubert (†51) to words of Kotzebue, is performed for the first time, at the Vienna Musikvereinsaal, 65 years after it was composed.

    Variations on a theme by Robert Schumann for piano op.9 by Johannes Brahms (46) is performed for the first time, in Berlin, 25 years after it was composed.

    12 December 1880 Autumn Song for male chorus by Leos Janácek (26) to words of Vrchlicky is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno) directed by the composer.

    Gavotte der Königin op.391 by Johann Strauss (55) is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    Marche funèbre by Georges Bizet (†5) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    12 December 1886 Solitude dans les bois, a symphonic poem by Ernest Chausson (31) is performed for the first time, in the Eden Theatre, Paris.

    12 December 1888 Festival Overture “Queen of the Seas”, for orchestra by Charles Villiers Stanford (36), is performed for the first time.

    12 December 1891 Two chamber works including clarinet by Johannes Brahms (58) are performed for the first time, in the Saal der Singakademie, Berlin:  Trio for clarinet, cello, and piano op.114 and Quintet for clarinet and strings op.115.  The composer performs the piano part in the trio.  The response is overwhelmingly positive.

    12 December 1892 Der Schildwache Nachtlied and Verlor’ne Müh from Des knaben Wunderhorn, a cycle for voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler (32) to words of Brentano and von Arnim, are performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    12 December 1893 Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (49) conducts an evening of the music of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (†0) as one of the Russian Symphony Concerts in honor of the late composer in St. Petersburg.  Tchaikovsky’s song We Sat Together op.73/1, to words of Ratgauz, is performed for the first time.

    Fantasia for two pianos op.5 by Sergey Rakhmaninov (20) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  The composer plays one part.

    Bal masque op.22 for orchestra by Amy Cheney Beach (26) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    12 December 1894 The Chieftan, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (52) to words of Burnand, is performed for the first time, in the Savoy Theatre, London, conducted by the composer.  The piece is a reworking of The Contrabandista.  See 18 December 1867.

    12 December 1896 A Song for Lemminkäinen for male chorus and orchestra by Jean Sibelius (30) to words of Veijola is performed for the first time, in Helsinki, directed by the composer.

    12 December 1903 Gustav Holst’s (29) song A Prayer for the Light, to words of Mackay, is performed for the first time, in Bechstein Hall, London.  The composer submitted it to a song contest held by the baritone Charles Phillips.  Holst did not win first prize, but Phillips performs it anyway.

    12 December 1904 Arnold Schoenberg (30) writes to Gustav Mahler (44) in Vienna after hearing Mahler’s Symphony no.4.  “...I saw your very soul, naked, stark naked.  It was revealed to me as a stretch of wild and secret country, with eerie chasms and abysses neighbored by sunlit, smiling meadows, haunts of idyllic repose.  I felt it as an event of nature, which after scourging us with its terrors puts a rainbow in the sky....I shared in the battling for illusion; I suffered the pangs of disillusionment; I saw the forces of evil and good wrestling with each other; I saw a man in torment struggling towards inward harmony; I divined a personality, a drama, and truthfulness, the most uncompromising truthfulness.”

    12 December 1907 Gustav (47) and Alma Mahler board the Kaiserin Augusta Viktoria in Cherbourg heading for New York.

    Sur l’herbe, a song by Maurice Ravel (32) to words of Verlaine, is performed for the first time, at the Salle de la Société Française de Photographie, Paris, the composer at the piano.

    12 December 1909 The scherzo from the original version of Anton Bruckner’s (†13) Fourth Symphony is performed for the first time, in Linz.

    12 December 1916 The nine Etudes-Tableaux op.39 for piano by Sergey Rakhmaninov (43) are performed for the first time, in Petrograd, by the composer.

    The Chivalry of the Sea, an ode for chorus and orchestra by Hubert Parry (68) to words of Bridges, is performed for the first time, in London.

    12 December 1920 La Valse, by Maurice Ravel (45), is performed for the first time in its orchestral setting, in Paris.  See 23 October 1920, 12 January 1929 and 23 May 1929.

    12 December 1921 Fanfare for a Hosting at Dawn for orchestra by Arnold Bax (38) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    Mai-Dun for orchestra by John Ireland (42) is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    Esquisse d’une fanfare, an overture to Act V of Romeo and Juliet by Francis Poulenc (22), is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    12 December 1924 Two Piano Suites op.26 by Ernst Krenek (24) are performed for the first time, in the Berlin Blüthnersaal.

    12 December 1925 Five Preludes for piano by Ruth Crawford (24) are performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    12 December 1927 Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (31) gives a recital on his Thereminovox at Albert Hall, London.  The reaction is stunned amazement, the audience rushing the stage and demanding encores.  The press is mixed.

    12 December 1928 Thoreau from the Piano Sonata no.2 by Charles Ives (54) is performed for the first time, in Hartford, Connecticut.

    12 December 1929 Three works by Ruth Crawford (28) are performed for the first time, in New York:  Suite no.1 for five winds and piano, Five Songs on Poems of Carl Sandburg for voice and piano, and Suite no.2 for four strings and piano.

    12 December 1930 Arthur Honegger’s (38) operetta Les aventures du roi Pausole, to words of Willemetz, after Louÿs, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiennes, Paris.

    12 December 1932 Three Two-Part Songs, to words of de la Mare by Benjamin Britten (19) are performed for the first time, at the Ballet Club Theatre (later the Mercury Theatre), the composer at the piano.

    12 December 1935 La Spirale gives its first concert at the Schola Cantorum, Paris.  It is a group dedicated to the propagation of contemporary French music.  As part of this first outing, Olivier Messiaen (27) performs the organ version of his L’Ascension.

    Homenaje a Lope de Vega op.90 for voice and piano by Joaquín Turina (52) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro de la Comedia, Madrid.

    12 December 1936 Rapsodie flamande for orchestra by Albert Roussel (67) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    12 December 1937 Scenes from the Holy Infancy According to St. Matthew, for tenor, baritone, bass, and chorus by Virgil Thomson (41), is performed for the first time, at the 46th Street Theatre, New York.

    Ernst Krenek (37) arrives in Los Angeles with the Salzburg Opera Guild where he will meet Arnold Schoenberg (63) for the first time.

    12 December 1945 Deux marches op.260 for orchestra by Darius Milhaud (53) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of CBS radio, originating in New York.

    12 December 1946 The Hollow Men op.25 for trumpet and strings by Vincent Persichetti (31) is performed for the first time, in Germantown, Pennsylvania.

    12 December 1948 Violin Concerto no.1 by Hans Werner Henze (22) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.  The work was commissioned by Berlin Radio and was scheduled for performance there, but plans were changed due to the blockade of Berlin.

    12 December 1950 The name of Aaron Copland (50) is placed in the Prominent Individuals Subsection of the Security Index.  These are American citizens who will be arrested without due process in the case of a national emergency.  His name will be removed on 2 August 1955.

    Second Sonata in C for cello and piano by Ross Lee Finney (43) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    12 December 1951 Wedding Suite op.126 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.

    12 December 1952 Concerto for harp and chamber orchestra by Ernst Krenek (52) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    12 December 1960 Monologue for piano by Thea Musgrave (32) is performed for the first time, at Birkbeck College, London.

    Symphony no.11 by Darius Milhaud (68) is performed for the first time, in Dallas.

    12 December 1961 Colloîdes sonores for strings by Isang Yun (44) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    12 December 1964 Bun no.2 for orchestra by Cornelius Cardew (28) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.  Unhappy with his work, the composer refuses to take a bow.

    12 December 1966 Antiphonal Fantasy for organ, brass, and strings by Norman Dello Joio (53) is performed for the first time, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

    12 December 1967 Nightpiece from The Tiger’s Mind by Cornelius Cardew (31) is performed for the first time, in London.  Among the performers is Christian Wolff (33).  See 30 October 1967.

    12 December 1968 Some Trees, a cycle for soprano, mezzo-soprano, bass-baritone, and piano by Ned Rorem (45) to words of Ashberry, is performed for the first time, in New York the composer at the keyboard.

    12 December 1969 Variations for violin and piano by Carlos Chávez (70) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    12 December 1976 Ritorno for orchestra by Donald Martino (45) is performed for the first time, in Plainfield, New Jersey.

    12 December 1977 Ten Etudes for cello by Sofia Gubaidulina (46) are performed for the first time, at the Moscow Composers Union.

    12 December 1979 Babylon the Great is Fallen op.40 for chorus and orchestra by Alexander Goehr (47) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    12 December 1981 Nunc dimittis for male chorus by John Harbison (42) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    12 December 1982 Gnomic Variations for piano by George Crumb (53) is performed for the first time, at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    Praises for the Nativity for vocal soloists, chorus, and organ by Ned Rorem (59) to words from the Book of Common Prayer is performed for the first time, in the Church of the Annunciation, New York.

    12 December 1983 The fifth of the Five Songs for tenor and piano by Gian Carlo Menotti (72), The Ghost, is performed for the first time, in the Fliegler Museum, Palm Beach, Florida.  See 21 October 1981.

    12 December 1986 Sieben Liebeslieder for cello and orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (60) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    12 December 1987 Europeras I&II by John Cage (75) are performed for the first time, at the Frankfurt Schauspielhaus.  The critics are generally positive if confused.  The audience is not pleased.

    12 December 1991 Chicago Skyline for brass and percussion by Shulamit Ran (42) is performed for the first time, in Chicago conducted by Pierre Boulez (66).

    12 December 1997 Cello Concerto by Kevin Volans (48) is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    12 December 2001 Ice Field for orchestra by Henry Brant (88) is performed for the first time, in Davies Hall, San Francisco, the composer at the organ.  It will win the Pulitzer Prize.  See 8 April 2002.

    12 December 2004 Fratres, in the version for brass orchestra, by Arvo Pärt (69) is performed for the first time, in Hilgen.

    12 December 2008 Ex Maria Virgine for chorus and organ by John Tavener (64) to various texts is performed for the first time, in St. John’s College, Cambridge.

    Duettino for violin and cello by Elliott Carter (100) is performed for the first time, in Zankel Hall, New York.

    12 December 2010 Fleecy Care Carol for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (76) is performed for the first time, in the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, London.

    12 December 2011 Three Explorations for solo voice, winds, and brass by Elliott Carter (103) to words of Eliot is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    13 December

    13 December 1768 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (12) dates his Symphony no.8 K.48, in Vienna.

    13 December 1770 King Arthur, or The British Worthy, a masque revival of Henry Purcell’s (†75) semi-opera with ten new songs by Thomas Augustine Arne (60) to words of Garrick after Dryden, is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    13 December 1771 Die Apotheke, a comic opera by Christian Gottlob Neefe (23) to words of Engel, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    13 December 1794 Luigi Cherubini’s (34) opéra comique Eliza, ou Le voyage aux glaciers du Mont St. Bernard, to words of Saint-Cyr, is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    13 December 1803 Les sabots et le cerisier, an opéra by François-Joseph Gossec (69) to words of Sedaine and Cazotte, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    13 December 1822 Eight songs by Franz Schubert (25) are published by Cappi and Diabelli, Vienna:  Drei Gesänge des Harfners to words of Goethe as his op.12, and Der Schäfer und der Reiter to words of Fouqué, Lob der Tränen to words of von Schlegel and Der Alpenjäger to words of Mayrhofer, all as his op.13, and the first setting of Suleika and Geheimes, both to words of Goethe as his op.14.

    13 December 1836 Frédéric Chopin (26) sees George Sand for the third time, at a social gathering in his Paris home.  Instead of her usual men's clothes, she wears a dress of white and red, the Polish colors.  By this time, Chopin is smitten.  Chopin and Franz Liszt (25) play a Sonata for piano-four hands by Moscheles.  Also attending are Marie d’Agoult, Eugène Delcroix, and Heinrich Heine.

    13 December 1840 Sara la Baigneuse for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Hector Berlioz (37) to words of Hugo is performed for the first time, in the Paris Conservatoire.  See 7 November 1834 and 22 October 1850.

    13 December 1847 Zum Grossadmiral, a komische Oper by Albert Lortzing (46) to his own words after Duval (tr. Iffland), is performed for the first time, in Leipzig Stadttheater.

    13 December 1861 Afferentur regi for chorus, three trombones and organ by Anton Bruckner (37) is performed for the first time, at St. Florian.

    13 December 1863 Der Geistertanz D.494 for male chorus by Franz Schubert (†35) to words of Matthisson is performed for the first time, in the Redoutensaal, Vienna, 47 years after it was composed.

    13 December 1867 Marlborough s’en va-t-en guerre, with the first act by Georges Bizet (29) to words of Giraudin and Busnach, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de l’Athénée.

    13 December 1868 Adrast D.137, an unfinished opera by Franz Schubert (†40) to words of Mayrhofer, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Redoutensaal, approximately 50 years after it was composed.

    13 December 1879 La fille du tambour-major, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (60) to words of Chivot and Duru, is performed for the first time, at the Folies-Dramatiques, Paris.  The audience is ecstatic.

    13 December 1883 WC Stockley’s orchestra gives the first performance of Intermezzo moresque by one of the orchestra’s violinists, Edward Elgar (26), in Birmingham.

    13 December 1884 The first issue of a new journal in Brünn (Brno) meant to review the productions at the new Czech Provisional Theatre appears today.  It includes an opera review by Leos Janácek (30).

    The fifth of the five choruses for mixed chorus In Nature’s Realm op.63, by Antonín Dvorák (43) to words of Hálek, is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    Two songs for voice and piano by Gabriel Fauré (39) to words of Silvestre are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris:  Aurore op.39/1 and Fleur jetée op.39/2.

    Symphony no.2 in f minor by Richard Strauss (20) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    13 December 1885 Alyeksandr Borodin (52) makes a successful conducting debut with the amateur orchestra of the Medical Academy in St. Petersburg.

    Kriegsabenteuer op.419, a polka schnell by Johann Strauss (60), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    13 December 1891 The “Vienna” version of the Symphony no.1 by Anton Bruckner (67) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  It receives “a completely decisive success.”  It is dedicated to the University of Vienna in gratitude for the honorary doctorate he received last month.  See 9 May 1868.

    13 December 1895 Symphony no.2 “Resurrection” for soprano, alto, chorus and orchestra by Gustav Mahler (35) is performed completely for the first time, in Berlin conducted by the composer.  The work marks Mahler’s first great success as a composer.  Bruno Walter will remember it as the true beginning of Mahler’s career as a composer and he resolves to devote himself to Mahler’s music.

    13 December 1897 Marche religieuse for organ op.107 by Camille Saint-Saëns (62) is performed for the first time, in the Church of San Francisco, Madrid, by the composer.

    13 December 1904 The historical drama Der Roland von Berlin by Ruggero Leoncavallo (47) to his own words, after Alexis (tr. Droescher) is performed for the first time, at the Städtische Oper, Berlin.  The public likes it but the critics are unimpressed.

    A musical prologue to Synge’s play Riders to the Sea by Henry F. Gilbert (36) is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.  See 22 August 1914.

    13 December 1906 An Irish Overture for orchestra by Arnold Bax (23) is performed for the first time, at the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth.

    For One Who Fell in Battle for chorus by Charles Martin Loeffler (45) to words of Parsons is performed for the first time, in Jordan Hall, Boston.

    13 December 1907 Ralph Vaughan Williams (35) arrives at the house of Maurice Ravel (32) in Paris to begin lessons.  After learning that for his first assignment Vaughan Williams is to compose a “minuet in the style of Mozart”, the Englishman summons his best French to inform his teacher that he did not give up his life in England to come to France and write minuets in the style of Mozart.  After this, the two become great friends.  Vaughan Williams will spend about three months studying with Ravel, learning mostly orchestration.

    13 December 1913 Kolokola (The Bells) op.35, a choral symphony by Sergey Rakhmaninov (40) to words of Balmont after Poe, is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg, the composer conducting.

    Syrinx for solo flute by Claude Debussy (51) is performed publicly for the first time, as part of Mourey’s play Psyché, in Paris.  See 1 December 1913.

    13 December 1919 Pietro Mascagni’s (56) operetta Si, to words of Lombardo and Franci, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro Quirino, Rome.  Although the composer is upset by cuts made by the conductor, the opera is a moderate success.  Mascagni does not attend the premiere.

    13 December 1920 Edipo Rè, a grand opera by Ruggero Leoncavallo (†1) to words of Forzano after Sophocles, is performed for the first time, at the Chicago Opera.  The work was completed (or entirely composed) by Giovanni Pennacchio.

    13 December 1922 The Christmas fairy tale Tuttifäntchen by Paul Hindemith (27), to words of Michel and Becker, is performed for the first time, in Darmstadt.

    Berceuse sur le nom de Gabriel Fauré for violin and piano by Maurice Ravel (47) is performed for the first time, by the Société Musicale Indépendante, Paris.

    Choral sur le nom de Fauré op.73bis for piano and chorus ad lib by Charles Koechlin (55) is performed for the first time, in Salle de l’École Normale, Paris.

    Danças africanas for two violins, viola, cello, continuo, flute, clarinet, and piano by Heitor Villa-Lobos (35) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Municipal, São Paulo.

    13 December 1923 The Piano Trio no.1 op.8 by Dmitri Shostakovich (17) is performed for the first time in a concert setting, at Petrograd Conservatory, the composer at the piano.  See 25 October 1923.

    13 December 1928 George Gershwin’s (30) tone poem An American in Paris is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.  Critics are widely mixed.

    13 December 1929 The Second Symphony of Arnold Bax (46) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    An orchestral version of incidental music to Lord Dunsany’s play The Gods of the Mountain by Arthur Farwell (57) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    13 December 1930 Symphony of Psalms for chorus and orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (48) is performed for the first time, in the Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels.  The work was commissioned by Serge Koussevitzky and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, but the music is delayed in transit and their performance has to be put off until 19 December.

    13 December 1931 Concerto for cello and orchestra no.1 by Bohuslav Martinu (41) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    13 December 1932 Good Friday, the second of the Six Choruses op.53 by Gustav Holst (58) to medieval lyrics (tr. Waddell), is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey.

    13 December 1934 Blue Glass for flute and piano by Lou Harrison (17) is performed for the first time, at his graduation ceremony from Burlingame High School, California, the composer at the keyboard.

    13 December 1936 Symphony no.1 by Samuel Barber (26) is performed for the first time, in the Adriano Theatre, Rome.  During the rehearsals, the tuba player told Barber, “I’ve been waiting 15 years for a part like that.”

    13 December 1944 On the Town, a musical by Leonard Bernstein (26) to words of Comden, Green, and the composer, is performed for the first time, at the Colonial Theatre in Boston.  See 28 December 1944.

    13 December 1946 Three symphonic poems by Charles Koechlin (79) are performed for the first time, in Brussels:  La méditation de Purun Bhagat op.159, La loi de la jungle op.175, and Les bandar-log op.176.

    13 December 1947 Aram Khachaturian’s (44) Symphony-Poem is performed for the first time, in Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall.

    The Los Angeles Times publishes an article identifying Igor Stravinsky (65) as the most important sponsor of a concert to benefit Hanns Eisler, presently being accused of concealing membership in the Communist Party.

    13 December 1948 Overture for string quartet in e minor by Franz Schubert (†120) is performed publicly for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    William Walton (46) marries Susana Valeria Rosa Maria Gil Passo, daughter of an Argentinian lawyer, in a ceremony in civil court, Buenos Aires.

    13 December 1950 Improvisation for piano by Henry Cowell (53) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    13 December 1951 Incidental music to de Musset’s play On ne badine pas avec l’Amour by Arthur Honegger (59) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Marigny, Paris.

    Piano Sonatina no.2 by Vincent Persichetti (36) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    13 December 1955 Richard III, a film with music by William Walton (53), is shown for the first time, in Leicester Square Theatre, London.

    13 December 1957 Sonata for viola and piano by Leslie Bassett (34) is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    13 December 1958 Izaht, an opera by Heitor Villa-Lobos (71) to words of Azevedo, Júnior, and Villalba Filho (pseud. Villa-Lobos), is performed completely for the first time, at the Teatro Municipal, Rio de Janeiro, 44 years after it was composed.  See 15 August 1918 and 16 November 1921.

    13 December 1959 Mela/Fair for orchestra by Henry Cowell (62) is performed for the first time, in a radio broadcast from New Delhi.

    13 December 1962 Fanfare for two trumpets and trombone op.400 by Darius Milhaud (70) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    13 December 1963 Perpetuum mobile by Arvo Pärt (28) is performed for the first time, in Tallinn.

    13 December 1964 Concerto no.1 for koto and orchestra by Henry Cowell (67) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Academy of Music.

    13 December 1965 String Quartet no.2 by Otto Luening (65) is performed for the first time, at Columbia University, 42 years after it was composed.

    13 December 1966 String Quartet no.2 by Jacob Druckman (38) is performed for the first time, at Hunter College, New York.

    13 December 1970 String Quartet no.13 op.138 by Dmitri Shostakovich (64) is performed publicly for the first time, in Glinka Concert Hall, Leningrad.  See 11 December 1970.

    13 December 1973 Delizie Contente che L’Alme Beate for woodwind quintet and tape by Jacob Druckman (45) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    13 December 1974 Duo for cello and piano by Walter Piston (80) is performed for the first time, at the Library of Congress, Washington.

    13 December 1979 Sonata for cello and piano op.49 by Alberto Ginastera (63) is performed for the first time, in Alice Tully Hall, New York.

    13 December 1981 Between 01:00 and 01:30  Brian Cornelius McDonough Cardew is struck and killed by a car near his home in Leyton, East London, aged 45 years, seven months, and six days.  There are no witnesses to the actual event.  (Many details remain sketchy and unsolved.  The driver has never been identified.)

    13 December 1982 Seven Songs Home for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (48) is performed for the first time, in the Congress Hall of the Academy of Sciences, Budapest.

    13 December 1984 George Rochberg’s (66) Oboe Concerto is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    Movers and Shakers for orchestra by Charles Wuorinen (46) is performed for the first time, in Severance Hall, Cleveland.

    13 December 1986 Zwölf kleine Elegien for Renaissance instruments by Hans Werner Henze (60) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    13 December 1992 John Harbison’s (53) longer setting of O Magnum Mysterium for chorus is performed for the first time, in Emmanuel Church, Boston.

    13 December 1997 Idées fixes op.63 for 13 players by Alexander Goehr (65) is performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London.

    Cellist Étienne Pasquier, who played the famous premiere of Olivier Messiaen’s (†5) Quatour pour la fin du temps, dies at the age of 92 in a nursing home in Neuilly-sur-Seine near Paris.  See 15 January 1941.

    13 December 2004 Ned Rorem:  Words and Music, a film by Jim Dowell and John Kolomvakis, is shown for the first time, at Florence Gould Hall, New York.

    13 December 2008 Hymn to the Spirit of Fire for chorus and organ by Peter Maxwell Davies (74) to words of Hildegard von Bingen is performed for the first time, in Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral.

    Poems of Louis Zukofsky for mezzo-soprano and clarinet by Elliott Carter (100) is performed for the first time, in Avery Fisher Hall, New York.

    13 December 2012 Percussion Concerto:  The Tears of Nature by Tan Dun (55) is performed for the first time, in Lübeck, conducted by the composer.

    14 December

    14 December 1779 Amadis de Gaule, a tragédie lyrique by Johann Christian Bach (44) to words of de Vismes du Valgay after Quinault, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra, before Queen Marie Antoinette.  It is his last complete opera, and a failure.

    14 December 1783 Seven months after the death of his first wife, Johann Friedrich Reichardt marries Johanna Alberti Hensler of Hamburg.  The marriage takes place in either Berlin or Hamburg.

    14 December 1786 Die Weihnacht auf dem Lande, a singspiel by Johann Schenk (33) to words of Wiest, is performed for the first time, in the Theater in der Leopoldstadt, Vienna.

    14 December 1788 22:00  Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach dies of a “chest ailment” in Hamburg, aged 74 years, nine months and six days.

    14 December 1789 Marianna Agata Wolowska (Szymanowska) is born in Warsaw, one of seven children born to Franciszek Wolowski, owner of a brewery, and Barbara Lanckoronska-Wolowska.

    14 December 1811 Carl Maria von Weber (25) and Heinrich Baermann perform the premiere of Weber’s Seven Variations on a Theme from Silvanna J.128 at the home of Count Firmian in Prague.

    14 December 1828 Franz Schubert’s (†0) Symphony no.6 D.589 is performed publicly for the first time, in the Vienna Redoutensaal.

    14 December 1837 Clara Wieck (18) gives her first concert at the Musikvereinsaal in Vienna.  Through the winter, she will give six concerts here, two at the Kärntnertortheater, and appear at many private parties.  She becomes the sensation of the city, compared to Paganini (55) for her technical virtuosity and depth of feeling.

    14 December 1841 While in Paris, Richard Wagner (28) learns that through the intercession of Giacomo Meyerbeer (50), Der fliegende Holländer has been approved by the intendant of the Berlin Court Opera.

    14 December 1844 Trauermusik on motifs from Weber’s “Euryanthe” WWV 73 for wind band by Richard Wagner (31) is performed for the first time, to accompany the remains of Carl Maria von Weber (†18) to reburial in Dresden.  It is directed by the composer.

    14 December 1848 Preußens Stimme for voice and piano by Otto Nicolai (38) to words of Lange is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    Geißelhiebe op.60, a polka by Johann Strauss, Jr. (23), is performed for the first time, at the Grünes Thor.

    14 December 1861 Psalm 146 for solo voices, double chorus and orchestra by Anton Bruckner (37) is performed for the first time, at St. Florian.

    Heinrich August Marschner dies of a heart attack in Hannover, aged 66 years, three months and 28 days.

    14 December 1866 Hubert Parry (18) leaves Eton College after having achieved the B.Mus. degree.  He will apply to Exeter College, Oxford.

    14 December 1869 At Tijuca, near Rio de Janeiro, where he had gone to escape the summer heat, Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s (40) appendix bursts and, although he is no longer in pain, he shortly becomes delirious.  He develops peritonitis.

    14 December 1871 Boule de neige, an opéra-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (52) to words of Nuitter and Tréfeu, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    14 December 1875 Tarte à la crème, a valse by Jacques Offenbach (56) to words of Millaud, is performed for the first time, at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris.

    14 December 1881 An eine Äolsharfe op.19/5, a song by Johannes Brahms (48) to words of Mörike, is performed for the first time, in Strasbourg.

    String Quartet no.9 by Antonín Dvorák (40) is performed for the first time, at Trieste.

    14 December 1885 Johan Sibelius (20) appears in public, probably for the first time, at a concert of the Helsinki Music Institute.  There are no reviews of the event since all the critics attend the local premiere of Tchaikovsky’s (45) First Piano Concerto.

    14 December 1889 Scherzquartett for male chorus by Richard Strauss (25) is performed for the first time, in Weimar.

    14 December 1896 Trio for piano, violin, and cello op.8 by Hans Pfitzner (27) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    14 December 1901 Fritz (Frederick) Delius’ (39) orchestral work Paris:  A Nocturne is performed for the first time, in Elberfeld.

    Béla Bartók (20) is paid for making music for the first time, by a Budapest casino.

    14 December 1904 Three works by Max Reger (31) are performed for the first time, in Munich:  Serenade for flute, violin, and viola op.77a; Sonata for cello and piano no.3 op.78, the composer at the keyboard; and Variations and Fugue on a Theme of JS Bach op.81.

    14 December 1905 Alyeksandr Glazunov (40) returns to St. Petersburg Conservatory after most of the demands of the professors are met.

    The Piano Quintet of Ralph Vaughan Williams (33) is performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    14 December 1907 Two songs from the Nine Wunderhorn-Lieder for voice and piano by Gustav Mahler (47) are performed for the first time, in Berlin.  They are Um schlimme Kinder artig zu machen and Ablösung im Sommer.

    Edward Elgar’s (50) The Wand of Youth Symphonic Suite no.1 is performed for the first time, in Queen’s Hall, London.

    14 December 1915 Eternal Eros op.84/4 for baritone and male chorus by Jean Sibelius (50) to words of Gripenberg is performed for the first time, at Helsinki University.

    14 December 1916 Etudes by Claude Debussy (53) are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    14 December 1918 Il Trittico, a series of three operas by Giacomo Puccini (59), Il tabarro, to words of Adami after Gold, Suor Angelica, to words of Forzano, and Gianni Schicchi to words of Forzano after Dante, are performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.  It was originally hoped that the premiere would take place in Rome, but too many performers are in the armed forces.

    The Moscow Professional Composers Union is founded.  Nikolay Roslavets (37) is elected chairman of the governing board.

    14 December 1919 The Third Symphony “Sinfonia brevis de Bello Gallico” by Vincent d’Indy (68) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.  The first public performance of Impromptu op.21 for harp by Albert Roussel (50) takes place at the same concert.  See 6 April 1919.

    Sports et divertissements for piano by Erik Satie (53) is performed for the first time, privately at the Paris home of Mme Vogel.  See 31 January 1922.

    14 December 1920 Sérénade for orchestra op.62 by Darius Milhaud (28) is performed for the first time, in Winterthur conducted by Arthur Honegger (28).

    14 December 1921 Ralph Vaughan Williams (49) conducts his first program as director of the Bach Choir.  The concert, in Central Hall, Westminster, consists of cantatas.

    14 December 1924 The Pines of Rome, a symphonic poem by Ottorino Respighi (45) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Augusteo, Rome.

    Sechs Liebeslieder nach Gedichten von Ricarda Huch op.35 for female voice and piano by Hans Pfitzner (55) are performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    14 December 1925 Wozzeck op.7, an opera by Alban Berg (40) to words of Büchner, is performed for the first time, in the Berlin Staatsoper.  During the performance disturbances break out including hisses, whistles, and fistfights.  The critics are also divided.

    Lied in der Abwesenheit D.416 for voice and piano by Franz Schubert (†97) to words of Stolberg is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, 109 years after it was composed.

    14 December 1926 Lethe op.37 for baritone and orchestra by Hans Pfitzner (57) to words of Meyer is performed for the first time, in Munich.

    Noches en los jardines de España, symphonic impressions for piano and orchestra by Manuel de Falla (50), is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Fernando, Seville.  This is a revision of his 1916 suite of the same name.

    14 December 1927 Ich sitze da un’ esse klops, a song for tenor, two piccolos, and bassoon by Kurt Weill (27) to traditional words, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    14 December 1928 La Symphonie by Bohuslav Martinu (38) is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.  It was composed to commemorate the event in June 1918 when the first Czechoslovak flag was presented to the Czechoslovak regiment in Darney, France.  On the same program is the premiere of Lento molto for string orchestra by Aaron Copland (28).

    14 December 1929 Incidental music to Bezimensky’s play The Shot by Dmitri Shostakovich (23) is performed for the first time, at the Working Youth Theatre, Leningrad.

    After a performance of Rhapsody in Blue by the New York Philharmonic, the composer at the piano, Alyeksandr Glazunov (64) goes backstage and is introduced to Gershwin (31).  Gershwin expresses the desire to travel to Russia and study orchestration with Glazunov.  The Russian declines.

    14 December 1936 String Quartet op.11 by Samuel Barber (26) is performed for the first time, at the Villa Aurelia in Rome.

    14 December 1940 Festmusik zur Feier des 2600 jährigen Bestehens des Kaiserreichs Japan for orchestra by Richard Strauss (76), is performed for the first time, in the Kabukiza Theatre, Tokyo.

    Banalités for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (41) to words of Apollinaire, is performed for the first time, at the Salle Gaveau, Paris the composer at the piano.

    Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play King Lear by Henry Cowell (43) is performed for the first time, at the New School in New York.

    14 December 1941 Calypso, a cabaret song by Benjamin Britten (28) to words of Auden, is performed for the first time, in Southold High School, Long Island, New York.

    14 December 1944 Three of the Seven Stars’ Symphony op.132 for orchestra by Charles Koechlin (77) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris and broadcast on French Radio.  The three stars honored are Douglas Fairbanks, Clara Bow, and Charlie Chaplin.  See 16 November 1969.

    14 December 1947 Western Dance from Merce Cunningham’s dance The Open Road by Lou Harrison (30) is performed for the first time, in the version for six instruments, at Hunter College, New York.

    14 December 1948 Variations and Capriccio for violin and piano by Norman Dello Joio (35) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall.

    Elegy and Paean for viola and orchestra by Roy Harris (50) is performed for the first time, in Houston.

    14 December 1961 Collected Poems for soprano, baritone, and piano by Virgil Thomson (65) to words of Koch, are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    Trio for flute, cello, and piano no.1 by Charles Wuorinen (23) is performed for the first time, at Barnard College, New York, the composer at the keyboard.

    14 December 1963 A Sea Dirge for mezzo-soprano, flute, violin, and oboe by Ben Johnston (37) to words of Shakespeare is performed for the first time, in Urbana, Illinois.  Also premiered is Johnston’s Knocking Piece for two percussionists and grand piano.

    14 December 1967 Symphony no.4 “New York” by Roberto Gerhard (71) is performed for the first time, in New York to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the New York Philharmonic.

    14 December 1969 String Quartet no.2 by György Ligeti (46) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.

    14 December 1970 Piano Sonata no.1 by Charles Wuorinen (32) is performed for the first time, at Kay Spiritual Life Center, Washington.

    14 December 1972 The Cave of the Winds for flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, and french horn by Lukas Foss (50) is performed for the first time, in Hunter College Playhouse, New York.

    14 December 1975 Cantus perpetuus for keyboard and percussion by Alfred Schnittke (41) is performed for the first time.

    Fantasia for violin and piano by Charles Wuorinen (37) is performed for the first time, at the Baltimore Museum of Art, the composer at the piano.

    14 December 1980 A Little Suite for Christmas, AD 1979 for piano by George Crumb (51) is performed for the first time, at the Smithsonian Institute, Washington.

    14 December 1981 Wings for clarinet by Joan Tower (43) is performed for the first time, in Merkin Recital Hall, New York.

    14 December 1983 Mehrere kurze Walzer for piano four-hands by Wolfgang Rihm (31) is performed for the first time, in Gelsenkirchen.

    Serenade no.3 for piano and chamber ensemble by George Perle (68) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    14 December 1985 Two Hymns to the Mother of God for chorus by John Tavener (41) to words of the Orthodox liturgy are performed for the first time, in Winchester Cathedral.

    14 December 1988 The Seasons for orchestra by Thea Musgrave (60) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    14 December 1990 20 Polish Carols for soprano, female chorus, and orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (77) are performed completely for the first time, in Aberdeen conducted by the composer.  See 15 December 1985.

    14 December 1992 Paille in the wind for cello and piano by Iannis Xenakis (70) is performed for the first time, in Milan.

    14 December 1993 Trio for violin, cello, and piano no.2 by Leon Kirchner (74) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    14 December 1995 Suite:  The Tempest for tenor, baritone, and instrumental ensemble by Michael Tippett (90) is performed for the first time, in the Purcell Room, London.  The suite is arranged by Bowen from Tippett’s incidental music to The Tempest, plus the newly composed Caliban’s Song.  See 26 November 1995 and 29 May 1962.

    14 December 1997 Rain Waves for clarinet, violin, and piano by Joan Tower (59) is performed for the first time, in the Frick Museum, New York.

    14 December 2008 Carol:  Kings and Shepherds for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (74) is performed for the first time, in the Chapel Royal, St. James’ Palace, London.

    14 December 2013 La Follia for violin by Krzysztof Penderecki (80) is performed for the first time, at Carnegie Hall, New York.

    15 December

    15 December 1567 Johannes Christoph Demantius is born in Reichenberg, Bohemia (Liberec, Czech Republic).

    15 December 1657 Michel-Richard de Lalande is born in Paris.

    15 December 1756 Two songs by William Boyce (45) appear in the first performance of Amphitryon, a comedy by Hawkesworth after Dryden, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    15 December 1763 King George III grants Johann Christian Bach (28) a royal privilege for the publication of his works in Britain.

    15 December 1790 Joseph Haydn (58) and Johann Peter Salomon depart Vienna for London.  As Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (34) share a tearful farewell, Mozart says “We are probably saying our last adieu in this life.”  Haydn takes this to refer to his own age.

    15 December 1791 A funeral ceremony in memory of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart takes place in the Nicolai Church, Prague.  The number of people desiring to attend far exceeds the space in the church and the square outside.

    Ignaz Pleyel (34) travels to London with his student Jacob Philipp Pfeffinger, at the invitation of Wilhelm Cramer.  Cramer wants Pleyel for his “professional concerts” in competition to the Haydn (59) series by Salomon.  By coincidence, Pleyel once studied with Haydn.

    15 December 1797 Le pari ou Mombreuil et Merville, an opéra-comique by Adrien Boieldieu to words of Longchamps, is performed for the first time, in the Salle Favart, Paris on the eve of the composer’s 22nd birthday.

    Étienne-Nicolas Méhul’s (34) fait historique La prise du pont de Lody to words of Delrieu is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.  It will later be called Le pont de Lody.

    15 December 1800 Two French Hussars knock on the door of Michael Haydn’s (63) house in Salzburg.  As he answers, they level pistols at him and demand everything of value in the house, which they take, including his three months salary.

    Georg Joseph Vogler (51) delivers his famed treatise Data zur Akustik in Berlin.

    15 December 1807 La vestale, a tragédie lyrique by Gaspare Spontini (33) to words of Jouy, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  The performance came to fruition only through the patronage of Empress Josephine.  It is an enormous success and will run 200 performances.

    15 December 1811 Seraphine, an opera by Jan Vaclav Tomásek (37) to words of Dambek, is performed for the first time, in the Prague Estates Theatre.  It is well received.

    15 December 1815 Gioachino Rossini (23) signs a contract with Duke Francesco Sforza Cesarini for an opera to be performed at the Nobile Teatro della Torre Argentina.  It will eventually become Il barbiere di Siviglia.

    15 December 1818 Una follia, a farsa by Gaetano Donizetti (21) to words of Merelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Luca, Venice, to mixed reviews.

    15 December 1823 La France et l’Espagne, a scéne lyrique by Adrien Boieldieu to words of Chazet, is performed for the first time, in the Hôtel de Ville, Paris on the eve of the composer’s 48th birthday.

    15 December 1826 The largest of the Schubertiads takes place in the Vienna home of Josef von Spaun, at which Johann Vogl sings 30 songs.  This night will inspire the famous von Schwind sepia drawing.

    15 December 1832 The Symphony in C by Richard Wagner (19) is performed publicly for the first time, in Leipzig.

    Ferdinand Hérold’s (41) opéra comique Le pré aux clercs to words of Planard after Mérimée is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Bourse, Paris.  The reception is very enthusiastic.

    15 December 1833 Frédéric Chopin (23), Franz Liszt (22), and Ferdinand Hiller perform JS Bach’s (†82) Concerto for three keyboards, at the Paris Conservatoire.

    15 December 1835 Vincenzo Lavigna certifies that Giuseppe Verdi (22) successfully completed lessons in counterpoint with him in Milan and that he is eligible for employment as a maestro di cappella.

    15 December 1838 Frédéric Chopin (28), George Sand and her two children are forced to leave their lodgings in Palma.  The proprietor has learned that doctors have diagnosed Chopin’s constant coughing as tuberculosis.  The couple are not married either.  They traverse the rocky road, with furniture, to Valldemosa some 16 km away.

    15 December 1844 An Webers Grabe WWV 72 for male chorus by Richard Wagner (31) is performed for the first time, as the mortal remains of Carl Maria von Weber (†18) are reinterred in Dresden.  It is directed by the composer.

    15 December 1852 By this date, Richard Wagner (39) has finished the entire text of Der Ring des Nibelungen.

    Robert Schumann (42) receives a vote of confidence by 22 members of the Düsseldorf Allgemeiner Musikverein, who object to Wilhelm Wortmann’s letter of yesterday.  Nevertheless, Schumann agrees to hand over choral rehearsals to Julius Tausch.

    15 December 1858 Der Barbier von Bagdad, a comic opera by Peter Cornelius (33) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Hoftheater conducted by Franz Liszt (47).  Although the work and performance are excellent, there are noisy demonstrations in the audience which Liszt takes to be against him.  In the face of this, he will resign his post of Grand Ducal Director of Music Extraordinary at Weimar.

    15 December 1877 While visiting the library of the Doge’s Palace in Venice, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (37) happens upon a rare 1581 publication of three Euripides plays in Latin.  He steals it.

    Two songs by Johannes Brahms (44) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Lerchengesang op.70/2 to words of Candidus, and Serenade op.70/4 to words of Goethe.

    15 December 1878 Der Schmied op.19/4, a song by Johannes Brahms (45) to words of Uhland, is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    Idyll for string orchestra by Leos Janácek (24) is performed for the first time, in Brünn (Brno), conducted by the composer.  Antonin Dvorák (37) is in attendance at the invitation of the conductor.

    15 December 1883 Elégie op.24 for cello and piano by Gabriel Fauré (38) is performed publicly for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.  See 21 June 1880 and 23 January 1902.  On the same program, Trois valses romantiques for two pianos by Emanuel Chabrier (42) is performed for the first time, the composer at one keyboard.

    15 December 1884 Two Old German Songs for voice and piano by Ferruccio Busoni (18) to words of Neidhard von Reuenthal and Walther von der Vogelweide are performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    15 December 1886 Love Took Me Softly By the Hand, the third of the Five Songs op.13 by Arthur Foote (33), is performed for the first time, in Boston, the composer at the piano.

    15 December 1888 The foundation stone is laid for the Royal English Opera House by Helen Lenoir Carte on Shaftesbury Avenue, London.

    Russian Easter Overture by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (44) is performed for the first time, in a Russian Symphony concert at the Club of the Nobility, St. Petersburg.

    Ferdinand Jäger, who sang Parsifal at Bayreuth, gives an all-Wolf (28) concert accompanied by the composer, Wolf’s first appearance in that role.  The performance, in the Bösendorfersaal, Vienna, is very successful.

    15 December 1895 Trau, schau wem! op.463, a waltz by Johann Strauss (70), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    15 December 1896 A concert is given in Queen’s Hall, London of seven young British composers, organized by one of them, Granville Bantock (28).  It is an attempt to further the cause of contemporary British music.  It is not successful.

    15 December 1900 The second and third movements of Piano Concerto no.2 op.18 by Sergey Rakhmaninov (27) are performed for the first time, in Moscow, the composer at the keyboard.  It is a success and encourages him to complete the first movement.  See 9 November 1901.

    15 December 1901 The Cello Sonata op.19 by Sergey Rakhmaninov (28) is performed for the first time, in Moscow, by cellist Anatol Brandukov and the composer at the piano.

    15 December 1904 The Soir d’été, the third movement of Le poème de la forêt op.7 for orchestra by Albert Roussel (35), is performed for the first time.  See 10 November 1907 and 22 March 1908.

    15 December 1910 The symphonic poem Bourgogne by Edgard Varèse (26) is performed for the first time, in Bluthner Hall, Berlin.  The performance was made possible through the intervention of Richard Strauss (46). The critics are scathing.  Varèse will destroy this manuscript about 1962.

    The Piano Concerto op.114 by Max Reger (37) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.

    15 December 1912 Cantique op.3 arranged for small orchestra by the composer, Edward Elgar (55), is performed for the first time, in the Royal Albert Hall, London.

    15 December 1913 Parisina, a tragedia lirica by Pietro Mascagni (50) to words of D’Annunzio, is performed for the first time, at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, the composer conducting.  The curtain goes up at 20:30 and the opera runs until 01:35.  Even with cuts made for the second performance, it will fail.

    15 December 1916 Toccata et Variations for piano by Arthur Honegger (24) is performed for the first time, in Salle Oedenkoven, Paris.

    15 December 1917 Settings of Five Slovak Folk Songs for male chorus, by Béla Bartók (36), are performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    Of One That is so Fair and Bright op.34/3 for vocal soloists and chorus by Gustav Holst (43) to anonymous words is performed for the first time, in Newcastle.

    15 December 1920 The Lark Ascending by Ralph Vaughan Williams (48) is performed for the first time, in an arrangement for violin and piano made by the composer for this occasion, in Shirehampton Public Hall.  See 14 June 1921.

    15 December 1921 Quintet for strings op.1 by Antonín Dvorák (†17) is performed for the first time, in Prague, fifty years after he composed it.

    Les cinq doits for piano by Igor Stravinsky (39) is performed for the first time, in Salle des Agriculteurs, Paris.

    15 December 1927 Arnold Schoenberg’s (53) Suite for piano, three woodwinds, and three strings op.29 is performed for the first time, in Paris, conducted by the composer.

    A suite from Zoltán Kodály’s singspiel Háry János, in the version for orchestra, is performed for the first time, in New York on the eve of the composer’s 45th birthday.

    15 December 1932 Two operas by Gian Francesco Malipiero (50) to his own words are performed for the first time, in the Coburg Landestheater:  Le aquile di Aquileia and I corvi di San Marco.

    15 December 1933 William Grant Still’s (38) orchestral suite A Deserted Plantation is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York.

    Sinfónia de Antígona by Carlos Chávez (34) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Hidalgo, Mexico City the composer conducting.

    15 December 1934 The choir of the AEAR (Association des Écrivains et Artistes Révolutionnaires), France’s most important leftist cultural organization, gives its first performance in a concert hall, at the Salle Pleyel, Paris.  They present a program of Soviet music.

    The first public performance of String Quartet no.2 by Virgil Thomson (38) takes place in Avery Auditorium, Hartford, Connecticut.  See 14 April 1933.

    15 December 1936 Two Ballads for two voices and piano by Benjamin Britten (23) to words of Slater and Auden is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.  Also premiered is Britten’s Temporal Variations for oboe and piano.

    15 December 1937 Regozijo de uma raça for tenor, chorus, and percussion by Heitor Villa-Lobos (50) to words of Baptista, is performed for the first time, conducted by the composer.

    15 December 1938 Stefan Wolpe (36) and his wife arrive at Ellis Island from Palestine.

    Two works by Silvestre Revueltas (38) are performed for the first time, in the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City directed by the composer:  Sensemayá for solo voice and orchestra, and Música para Charlar for orchestra, taken from his film music.

    Ernest Bloch’s (58) Violin Concerto is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    15 December 1940 Kammersymphonie no.2 by Arnold Schoenberg (66) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    Proprium missae in festo SS.Innocentium martyrum for female chorus by Ernst Krenek (40) is performed for the first time, in the Vassar College Chapel, Poughkeepsie, New York.

    A Red-Bird in a Green Tree, a folksong arrangement for chorus by Roy Harris (42), is performed for the first time, at Western Kentucky State Teachers College, Bowling Green.

    15 December 1952 Thème varié for piano by Francis Poulenc (53) is performed for the first time, in Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    15 December 1953 Concerto for cello and small orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (35) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.  It will be reworked as Canto di speranza.  See 28 July 1958.

    15 December 1955 Alagoana, Caprichos Brasileiros, a ballet by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (37), is staged for the first time, in Städtische Bühnen Essen.  See 21 November 1953.

    15 December 1956 Zeitmasze no.5 for woodwind quintet by Karlheinz Stockhausen (28) is performed for the first time, in Paris conducted by Pierre Boulez (31).

    15 December 1957 Line Studies for flute, clarinet, viola, and trombone by Kenneth Gaburo (31) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Piano (Three Hands) and Two Pianos, both by Morton Feldman (31) are performed for the first time, in Paine Hall of Harvard University by John Cage (45) and David Tudor.    Also premiered is Duo for Pianists I by Christian Wolff (23).

    15 December 1959 Blue Flame, an opera by Alan Hovhaness (48), is performed for the first time, in San Antonio.

    15 December 1962 Chaconne for piano by Sofia Gubaidulina (31) is performed for the first time, in Gnesin Hall, Moscow.  The first half of the program is dedicated to her works.

    Bohor for four-track tape by Iannis Xenakis (40) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  Although the work is dedicated to Pierre Schaeffer (52), this will cause a break between the two.

    New works for organ are performed for the first time, at the dedication of the Aeolian-Skinner organ in Philharmonic Hall (Avery Fisher Hall), New York:  Pange lingua by Virgil Thomson (66), Hymn and Fuguing Tune no.14 for organ by Henry Cowell (65), and Shimah B’Koli op.89 for organ by Vincent Persichetti (47).

    15 December 1964 Lovers:  A Narrative in Ten Scenes for harpsichord, oboe, cello, and percussion by Ned Rorem (41) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    15 December 1965 A concert in memory of Edgar Varèse takes place in the McMillin Theatre of Columbia University.  The provost, Jacques Barzun delivers a brief address as does Otto Luening (65).  Some film of Thomas Bouchard is shown as well as a recording of recent remarks by Varèse.  Charles Wuorinen (27) directs a performance of Varèse’s Octandre.  Density 21.5 is performed.  Excerpts from Déserts are played as well as Poème électronique, adapted for the occasion by Vladimir Ussachevsky (54).

    15 December 1967 Solo, from the film Schnebel:  Visible music II, by Mauricio Kagel (35) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of NDR television, Hamburg.

    15 December 1971 Musique d’hiver for organ and orchestra by Betsy Jolas (45) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.

    15 December 1981 A coroner’s inquest into the death of Cornelius Cardew concludes that the death was accidental.

    Vers le soleil op.174, seven monodies for ondes martenot by Charles Koechlin (†30) is performed for the first time, at the École de Musique, Verrières-le-Buisson, 42 years after it was composed.

    15 December 1983 Sonatina for two violas by Isang Yun (66) is performed for the first time, in Tokyo.

    15 December 1984 Wayang V for piano and orchestra by Anthony Davis (33) is performed for the first time, in San Francisco the composer at the keyboard and John Adams (37) conducting.

    15 December 1985 17 of the 20 Polish Carols for soprano, female chorus, and orchestra by Witold Lutoslawski (72) are performed for the first time, in Queen Elizabeth Hall, London conducted by the composer.  See 14 December 1990.

    Fast and Slow for saxophone quartet by Lejaren Hiller (61) is performed for the first time, in Buffalo.

    15 December 1986 Akea for piano and string quartet by Iannis Xenakis (64) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    Opening Prayer for baritone and orchestra by Leonard Bernstein (68) to words from the Bible is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York directed by the composer.  It is to celebrate the reopening of Carnegie Hall after renovations.

    15 December 2000 El Niño, an oratorio for solo voices, chorus, children’s chorus, and orchestra by John Adams (53) to words of various sources, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    The first two parts of Anastenaria, Procession aux eaux claires for chorus, men’s chorus, and orchestra, and Le Sacrifice for orchestra, by Iannis Xenakis (78) are performed for the first time, in Munich.  See 16 October 1955.

    15 December 2006 Remember O Thou Man for chorus by John Tavener (62) is performed for the first time, in the National Cathedral, Washington.

    15 December 2008 Green for string orchestra by Thea Musgrave (80) is performed for the first time, at Queen’s Cross Church, Aberdeen.

    15 December 2010 Fantasia for strings and piano by Wolfgang Rihm (58) is performed for the first time, in Bottrop, Germany.

    15 December 2012 O that we were there! for female chorus by John Tavener (68) is performed for the first time, in Sherborne Abbey, Dorset.

    16 December

    16 December 1754 L’allégresse du jour, a pantomime by Ignaz Holzbauer (43), is performed for the first time, in the Mannheim Komödiensaal.

    16 December 1770 This is the day generally assumed to be the birthdate of Ludwig van Beethoven.

    16 December 1771 Sigismund Christoph von Schrattenbach, Archbishop of Salzburg, employer of Leopold (52) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (15), and Michael Haydn (34), dies at the age of 74.

    16 December 1773 Achilles in Petticoats, a burlesque by Thomas Augustine Arne (63) to words of Colman after Gay, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.

    16 December 1775 François-Adrien Boieldieu is born near Rouen, the first of three children born to Jacques François Adrien Boieldieu, a clerk in the secretariat of the Rouen archdiocese, and Anne-Marguerite Dumouchel.

    16 December 1777 Vittorina, an opera buffa by Niccolò Piccinni (49) to words of Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, London.

    16 December 1779 Jan Ladislav Dussek (19) appears in public for the first time as a pianist in Malines (Mechelen).

    16 December 1783 Johann Adolf Hasse dies in Venice, 84 years, eight months and 21 days after his baptism.  After a long and illustrious career in opera and sacred music, his burial will be attended by only a few family members.

    16 December 1785 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (29) dates the score to his Piano Concerto no.22 K.482 and his Violin Sonata K.481 in Vienna.

    16 December 1812 A cantata for “La Goguette” by Luigi Cherubini (52) is performed in Paris at a meeting of that singing society.

    16 December 1835 Fromental Halévy’s (36) opéra comique L’éclair to words of Saint-Georges and de Planard is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Bourse, Paris.  The critics are pleased.  Among the orchestra is a young cellist named Jacques Offenbach (16).

    16 December 1838 Hector Berlioz (35) conducts an orchestral concert at the Conservatoire featuring music of Gluck (†51) and himself. Nicolò Paganini (56), frail and ill with throat cancer, is in the audience.  It is the first time he hears Harold in Italy, which was composed originally for him.  At the conclusion, Paganini comes on stage as Berlioz is about to leave it.  His voice inaudible from the cancer, he whispers in the ear of his son Achille and then beckons him to stand on a chair.  The young man proclaims, “My father says he is so moved and overwhelmed, he could go down on his knees to you.”  Paganini takes Berlioz’ arm and brings him back to the platform, whereupon he kneels and kisses Berlioz’ hand.

    16 December 1854 In a letter to Franz Liszt (43), Richard Wagner (41) first mentions the idea of Tristan und Isolde.

    16 December 1855 Marie Taglioni Polka op.173 and the polka-mazurka Le Papillon op.174 by Johann Strauss (30) are performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    16 December 1860 Music from Stanislaw Moniuszko’s (41) incomplete opera Rokiczana is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in Warsaw.

    16 December 1861 Du bist wie eine blume for unaccompanied chorus by Anton Bruckner (37) to words of Heine, is performed for the first time, in Linz.

    16 December 1874 Four songs by Johannes Brahms (41) are performed for the first time, in Munich:  Junge Lieder, I&II to words of F. Schumann, and Heimweh I&II to words of Groth.

    16 December 1877 The second version of the Symphony no.3 by Anton Bruckner (53) is performed for the first time, in the Grosser Musikvereinsaal, Vienna, directed by the composer.  Bruckner, a substitute conductor, is not up to the demands of his work.  The musicians play badly and the audience is divided, with the “cons” outnumbering the “pros.”  Many of the audience leave during the last movement and only about 25, including Gustav Mahler (17) and several of his fellow Vienna Conservatory students, are left at the end.  With the last note, the disgruntled musicians immediately depart.  See 21 December 1890.

    16 December 1879 Klage I op.69/1, a song by Johannes Brahms (46) to traditional words, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    16 December 1880 Quartet for piano and strings op.23 by Antonin Dvorák (39) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    16 December 1882 Zoltán Kodály is born in Kecskemét, Hungary, 80 km southeast of Budapest, second of three children born to Frigyes Kodály, a railroad station master and amateur violinist, and Paulina Jaloveczky, an accomplished singer and pianist, daughter of an innkeeper.

    16 December 1886 Sonata for violin and piano in A by César Franck (64) is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    16 December 1889 Two works for orchestra by Pietro Mascagni (26) are performed for the first time, at the Palazzo di Città, Cerignola:  Danza Boema and Marcia Militare.

    16 December 1890 Johannes Brahms (57) attends a performance of Don Giovanni conducted by Gustav Mahler (30) in Budapest.  Brahms is so delighted by what he hears he asks to meet the conductor.  They spend the rest of the evening together.

    16 December 1891 Scherzo for chamber orchestra by Gustav Holst (17) is performed for the first time, in Montpellier Rotunda, Cheltenham.

    16 December 1892 Two songs for voice and piano by Jean Sibelius (27) to words of Runeberg, are performed for the first time:  Beneath the Fir Trees op.13/1, and To Frigga op.13/6.

    Scherzo for small orchestra by Gustav Holst (18) is performed for the first time, in Montpellier Rotunda, Cheltenham.

    16 December 1893 Two songs by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (†0) to words of Ratgauz, are performed for the first time, in Kiev:  Amid Sombre Days op.73/5 and Again, As Before, Alone op.73/6.

    Symphony no.9 “from the New World” by Antonín Dvorák (52) is performed for the first time, in New York.  “The success of the symphony was tremendous; the papers write that no composer has ever had such success.  I was in a box; the hall was filled with the best New York audience, the people clapped so much that I had to thank them from the box like a king!?  alla Mascagni in Vienna (don’t laugh!...)”

    16 December 1899 Giuseppe Verdi (86) signs a document establishing the foundation of the Casa di Riposo in Milan.

    16 December 1901 Arnold Schoenberg (27) is hired as conductor at the Wohlzogen Theater, Berlin.

    Deux Rhapsodies for oboe, viola, and piano by Charles Martin Loeffler (40) is performed for the first time, in Chickering Hall, Boston, the composer playing the viola part.

    Largo for violin and organ by Charles Ives (27) is performed for the first time, in Central Presbyterian Church, New York, the composer at the organ.

    16 December 1905 Pietro Mascagni (42) begins conducting for the Società Teatrale Internazione in Rome with a performance of Tristan und Isolde.

    16 December 1908 Incidental music to Jean-Aubry’s play Le marchand de sable qui passe op.13 by Albert Roussel (39) is performed for the first time, in the Salle de l’Enseignement, Le Havre.

    16 December 1912 Prelude Cantata by Alyeksandr Glazunov (47) celebrating the 50th anniversary of St. Petersburg Conservatory, is performed for the first time, by faculty and students at the Conservatory.

    16 December 1913 Sergey Rakhmaninov’s (40) Piano Sonata no.2 op.36 is performed for the first time, in Moscow, the composer at the keyboard.

    16 December 1914 Prelude and Fugue op.81 for piano by Amy Cheney Beach (47) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    16 December 1917 The first suite of Ancient Airs and Dances for orchestra by Ottorino Respighi (38) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Augusteo, Rome.

    16 December 1920 Piano Sonata op.17 by Paul Hindemith (25) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    16 December 1921 22:00  On his regular winter trip to Algiers, Charles Camille Saint-Saëns dies at the Hôtel de l’Oasis, aged 86 years, two months, and seven days.

    Piano Concerto no.3 op.26 by Sergey Prokofiev (30) is performed for the first time, in Chicago, the composer at the keyboard.

    16 December 1927 Le pauvre matelot, a complainte by Darius Milhaud (35) to words of Cocteau, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    16 December 1928 Abodah for violin and piano by Ernest Bloch (48) is performed for the first time, in Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles.  The soloist is the young Yehudi Menuhin.

    16 December 1932 On the Dnieper op.51, a ballet by Sergey Prokofiev (41) to a scenario by Lifar and the composer, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  It is panned by the critics.

    Sonatine for violin and cello by Arthur Honegger (40) is performed for the first time, at the inaugural performance of Triton, a society dedicated to modern chamber music, in Paris.  It was formed by Honegger, Darius Milhaud (40), Francis Poulenc (33), and Sergey Prokofiev (41).

    Prophecy, a tone poem for soprano and orchestra by Frederick S. Converse (61) to words from the Book of Isaiah, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    16 December 1936 Incidental music to the play The Christmas Sparrow or Double or Nothin’ by Irving Fine (22) is performed for the first time, at Harvard University.  The play was written by Fine’s Harvard classmate, John Horne Burns.

    16 December 1937 12 Variationen in drei Sätzen for piano by Ernst Krenek (37) is performed for the first time, in the Los Angeles home of Mrs. Edgar Baruch, by the composer.

    16 December 1938 Concerto for organ, strings, and timpani by Francis Poulenc (39) is performed for the first time, privately at Hôtel Singer-Polignac in Paris with Maurice Duruflé at the organ and Nadia Boulanger (51) conducting.  See 21 June 1939.

    An Outdoor Overture by Aaron Copland (38) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    16 December 1942 Seven Choruses from the Medea of Euripedes (tr. Cullen) by Virgil Thomson (46) is performed for the first time, in the Hotel Plaza Ballroom, New York.

    16 December 1946 String Quartet no.3 by Dmitri Shostakovich (40) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Malyi Hall.

    Street Scene, a broadway opera by Kurt Weill (46) to words of Rice and Hughes, is performed for the first time, in the Shubert Theatre, Philadelphia.  It will run for three disastrous weeks to nearly empty houses.  See 9 January 1947.

    16 December 1947 Pirogov, a film with music by Dmitri Shostakovich (41), is shown for the first time.

    16 December 1951 El mondo novo, a ballet by Gian Francesco Malipiero (69) to his own story after Tiepolo, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in Teatro Argentina, Rome.

    Introït, récit et congé for cello and orchestra by Florent Schmitt (81) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    16 December 1952 String Quartet no.2 by Hans Werner Henze (26) is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.

    16 December 1958 A Song for Christmas for voice and piano by Thea Musgrave (30) to a text attributed to Dunbar is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Scotland.

    Sonata for piano by Charles Wuorinen (20) is performed for the first time, in Salon de Musique of the Barbizon Hotel, New York.

    16 December 1962 Morsima-Amorsima for piano, violin, cello and double bass by Iannis Xenakis (40) is performed for the first time, in Athens, conducted by Lukas Foss (40).

    16 December 1964 Eonta for two trumpets, three trombones and piano by Iannis Xenakis (42) is performed for the first time, in Paris, conducted by Pierre Boulez (39).

    16 December 1965 Canon on a Russian Popular Tune for orchestra by Igor Stravinsky (83) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the CBC, originating in Toronto.

    Piano Sonata no.11 by Vincent Persichetti (50) is performed for the first time, at the Philadelphia Art Alliance by the composer’s wife Dorothea Persichetti.  Also premiered is Persichetti’s Parable I op.100 for flute.

    16 December 1969 Consequents for orchestra by Gunther Schuller (44) is performed for the first time, at Woolsey Hall, Yale University, the composer conducting.

    16 December 1977 Chamanengesänge for alto and chamber orchestra from the opera Geisterliebe by Isang Yun (60) to words of Kunz, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    16 December 1980 A monument to the victims of Polish communism is dedicated in Gdansk.  The ceremony is attended by thousands, including the Communist Party Central Committee, leaders of the Roman Catholic Church and the independent trade union Solidarity.  Lacrimosa for soprano, chorus, and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (47) is performed for the first time.  The names of the dead of the uprisings of 1956, 1970, and 1976 are read out.  Lech Walesa lights an eternal flame.

    Chroniques berlinoises for piano quintet with baritone ad lib by Henri Pousseur (51) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    16 December 1981 A Christmas Carol, an opera by Thea Musgrave (53) to her own words after Dickens, is performed for the first time, in Norfolk Center Theatre, Norfolk, Virginia.

    16 December 1983 Festival Overture by Arnold Bax (†30) is performed for the first time in its original two-piano version, over the airwaves of the BBC during the centennial of the composer’s birth.  See 27 March 1912.

    String Quartet no.5 by Ben Johnston (57) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    16 December 1986 For Elliott at 75 for piano, a birthday piece for Elliott Carter (78) by Arthur Berger (74), is performed for the first time, in New York.

    16 December 1990 String Quartet no.4 “The Ramanujan Notebooks” by Kevin Volans (41) is performed for the first time, in the Almeida Theatre, London.

    16 December 1991 Summer 1990:  Piano Trio no.3 by George Rochberg (73) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    16 December 2005 Emily’s Aria from Ned Rorem’s (82) unperformed opera Our Town is performed for the first time, in St. Matthew and St. Timothy’s Church, New York.

    16 December 2008 Wind Rose for winds by Elliott Carter (100) is performed for the first time, at the Barbican Center in London.

    16 December 2011 Bel Canto Songs for voice and piano by Thomas Pasatieri (66) to words of Blake are performed for the first time, in Morgan Library, New York.

    17 December

    17 December 1749 Domenico Cimarosa is born in Aversa.

    17 December 1770 Ludwig van Beethoven is baptized at the Parish of St. Remigius in Bonn, the second and eldest surviving of seven children born to Johann van Beethoven, tenor and music teacher, and Maria Magdalena Keverich (widow of M. Leym), daughter of the chief kitchen overseer for the Elector of Trier.  Given the practices of the day, it is presumed that the birth took place yesterday.

    17 December 1777 Emperor Joseph II decrees the creation of a Singspiel company in Vienna tied to the company producing spoken plays at the Burgtheater.  It will be directed by Ignaz Umlauf.  See 17 February 1778.

    17 December 1811 John Antes dies at his home in Bristol, England, aged 71 years, eight months and 23 days.

    Amphion, an opéra by Étienne-Nicholas Méhul (48) to words of de Jouy, is performed for the first time, in the Paris Opéra.  It will later be called Les Amazones, ou La fondation de Thèbes.  The response is disappointing, largely due to the libretto.

    17 December 1812 The Piano Concerto no.2 J.155 by Carl Maria von Weber (26) is performed for the first time, in Gotha, the composer at the keyboard.  Weber reports that everything “went excellently.”

    17 December 1819 Two publications of songs by Louise Reichardt (40) are announced in the Hamburg Wöchentliche Nachricht.  One is for 12 songs, the other six songs of Novalis.

    17 December 1845 In the Engelklub, Dresden, Richard Wagner (32) reads the libretto of Lohengrin to colleagues, including Ferdinand Hiller and Robert Schumann (35).

    17 December 1847 Esmerelda, an opera by Alyeksandr Sergeyevich Dargomizhsky (34) to his own words after Hugo, is performed for the first time, at the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow.

    17 December 1853 Piano Sonata no.1 op.1 by Johannes Brahms (20) is performed publicly for the first time, in the Leipzig Gewandhaus by the composer.  The work, and Brahms (in his first Leipzig performance) are well received.

    17 December 1856 President Franklin Pierce welcomes Sigismond Thalberg (44) to the White House for a private reception.  The president signs Thalberg’s autograph book.

    17 December 1858 Franz Liszt (47) conducts an all-Beethoven (†31) concert in Weimar, his last performance as Kapellmeister in that city.  He receives a standing ovation.

    17 December 1864 La belle Hélène, an opéra-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (45) to words of Meilhac and Halevy, is performed for the first time, at the Variétés, Paris.  The public is lukewarm.  Critics don’t like the irreverence.  It will eventually succeed.

    17 December 1865 Symphony no.8 “Unfinished” D.759 by Franz Schubert (†37) is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Musikvereinsaal, 43 years after it was composed.

    17 December 1879 Edward op.75/1 for alto, tenor and piano by Johannes Brahms (46) to anonymous words is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    17 December 1885 The Jurist’s Song for chorus by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (45) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the School of Jurisprudence.

    17 December 1887 Simplicius, an operetta by Johann Strauss (62) to words of Léon after Grimmelshausen, is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  The work is awful and receives an appropriate response.

    17 December 1889 Incidental music to Haraucourt’s (after Shakespeare) play Shylock by Gabriel Fauré (44) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de l’Odéon, Paris, conducted by the composer.  The play is successful but critics are not impressed by the music.

    17 December 1890 Natha-Waltz op.50/4 for piano by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (50) is performed for the first time, in Kiev.

    17 December 1891 Wie die Wolke nach Sonne op.6/5, a song by Johannes Brahms (58) to words of von Fallersleben, is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 38 years after it was composed.

    17 December 1892 Erik Satie (26) and Contamine de Latour present their “christian ballet” Uspud, to Eugène Bertrand, director of the Théâtre National de l’Opéra.  They have already sent the score to Bertrand, but the director did not acknowledge that he received it.  An interview with the composer was arranged only after Satie sent his seconds to arrange a duel.  Satie tells Bertrand, “...it is an artistic manifestation of great consequence, and we believe that the National Academy of Music should make it a point of honor to mount it with all the luxury and care that it deserves.”  Satie further suggests that a commission should be formed to judge the work, half of them chosen by the Minister of Fine Arts, half by Satie and Latour.  At that, Bertrand throws them out of the office.

    Allegretto and Pastorale from Three Compositions op.29 for organ by Arthur Foote (39) are performed for the first time, in Brooklyn.

    17 December 1894 Alyeksandr Glazunov (29) conducts the premiere of his Scènes de Ballet op.52 for orchestra in the Hall of the Nobility, St. Petersburg.

    17 December 1895 Jurists’ March for orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (†2) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    17 December 1898 The second setting of Der Abendhimmel for male chorus by Anton Bruckner (†2) to words of Zedlitz, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    17 December 1901 Symphonic Poem op.14 by Antonín Dvorák (60) is performed for the first time, in Vienna, 27 years after it was composed.

    17 December 1921 Vincent Persichetti (6) gives his first performance, in a piano recital at the Combs Conservatory in Philadelphia.

    17 December 1922 Angels for six trumpets by Carl Ruggles (46) is performed for the first time, at an International Composers’ Guild concert in the Klaw Theatre, New York.  Also premiered are two works for piano by Dane Rudhyar (27):  Luciferian Stanza and Ravissement.  See 27 April 1922 and 24 April 1939.

    17 December 1923 Sevillana op.29 for guitar by Joaquín Turina (41) is performed for the first time, in Madrid by Andrés Segovia.

    17 December 1926 John Ireland (47) marries his 17-year-old student, Dorothy Phillips at the Chelsea Registry Office.  After a tempestuous marriage, they will divorce in March 1928.

    17 December 1927 Olivier Messiaen (19) passes an examination to officially enter the class of Marcel Dupré at the Conservatoire.

    17 December 1932 Corriere della sera of Milan, Il popolo d’Italia of Rome, and La Stampa of Turin, publish “A Manifesto of Italian Musicians for the Tradition of Nineteenth-Century Romantic Art” signed by several luminaries of Italian music including Ottorino Respighi (53).  It attacks modernism in Italian music, especially Malipiero (50) and Casella (49) and advocates a return to Romanticism.

    Beat! Beat! Drums! for men’s chorus and orchestra by Charles Martin Loeffler (71) to words of Whitman is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    17 December 1934 Andante and Scherzo for flute and piano op.51 by Albert Roussel (65) is performed for the first time, in Milan.

    Movements 1, 3, and 4 of the Suite for violin and piano op.6 by Benjamin Britten (21) are performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.  See 13 March 1936.

    17 December 1935 Alban Berg (50) is admitted to a Vienna hospital suffering from blood poisoning.  Doctors immediately operate, but the source of the malady can not be found.

    Three months after his arrival in New York, an all-Kurt Weill (35) evening is presented by the League of American Composers.  It is a failure and will convince Weill that he needs to write a different kind of music if he is to be successful in the United States.

    17 December 1936 Merry Mount Suite for orchestra by Howard Hanson (40) is performed for the first time, in Eastman Theatre, Rochester, New York the composer conducting.

    17 December 1937 Aaron Copland (37), Virgil Thomson (41), Roy Harris (39), Roger Sessions (40) and Douglas Moore meet in New York to form the American Composers Alliance “to regularize and collect all fees pertaining to the performance of copyrighted music.”

    Sei Cori di Michelangelo Buonarroti il Giovane (Set I) for chorus by Luigi Dallapiccola (33) is performed for the first time, in Trieste.  See 26 April 1938.

    17 December 1940 Fino cristal for voice and piano by Joaquín Rodrigo (39) to words of Rodríguez Pinto is performed for the first time, in Teatro de la Comedia, Madrid.

    A patriotic song for chorus and orchestra, It’s a Grand Life If We Don’t Weaken, by Ernest MacMillan (47) to words of his sister Dorothy, is performed for the first time, in Toronto.

    17 December 1944 Circus Overture for full orchestra by William Schuman (34) is performed for the first time, in Pittsburgh.  See 24 November 1944.

    17 December 1945 Violin Sonata no.3 by Bohuslav Martinu (55) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 December 1952 Y su sangre ya viene cantando for flute and chamber orchestra by Luigi Nono (28) to words of García Lorca is performed for the first time, in Baden-Baden.  See 4 October 1957.

    17 December 1953 Symphony no.10 op.93 by Dmitri Shostakovich (47) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad Philharmonic Bolshoy Hall.  It is a great success.

    17 December 1954 Symphony no.4 op.51 by Vincent Persichetti (39) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    17 December 1961 Das lange Weihnachtsmahl, an opera by Paul Hindemith (66) to words of Wilder (tr. Hindemith), is performed for the first time, at the Nationaltheater, Mannheim, conducted by the composer.  See 13 March 1961.

    17 December 1962 Cinque Capricci di Girolamo Fresobaldi “La Frescobalda” for orchestra by Bernd Alois Zimmermann (44) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    17 December 1963 John Cooke for chorus by Thea Musgrave (35) is performed for the first time, in Royal Festival Hall, London.

    17 December 1964 Documentary One for orchestra by William Bergsma (43) is performed for the first time, in Honolulu.

    17 December 1968 Traces for piano, flute, cello and tape by Roger Reynolds (34) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    17 December 1969 Kurzwellen mit Beethoven (Stockhoven-BeethausenOpus1970), a realization of Karlheinz Stockhausen’s (41) Kurzwellen with music of Beethoven, is performed for the first time, in Düsseldorf.  See 5 May 1968.

    17 December 1970 Six danses en trois mouvements op.433 for two pianos by Darius Milhaud (78) are performed for the first time, in Paris.

    17 December 1976 Le trièdre fertile for tape by Pierre Schaeffer (66) is performed for the first time, in Salle de l’Ancien Conservatoire, Paris.

    17 December 1981 Canzonetta for oboe and strings by Samuel Barber (†0) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    17 December 1983 Shima e, a song for chorus by Toru Takemitsu (53) to words of Izawa, is performed for the first time, in Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall.

    17 December 1984 Concerto for viola and orchestra by Gunther Schuller (59) is performed for the first time, in New Orleans, the composer conducting.

    17 December 1985 Cäcilia:  Ausgeplündert, Ein Besuch bei der Heiligen a Hörspiel by Mauricio Kagel (53), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR 3.

    17 December 1986 Aufzeichnung:  Dämmerung und Umriss for orchestra by Wolfgang Rihm (34) is performed for the first time, in Freiburg.

    17 December 1990 Two Emmanuel Motets for chorus by John Harbison (51) are performed for the first time, in Emmanuel Church, Boston.

    17 December 1991 Recuerdos for two pianos by William Bolcom (53) is performed for the first time, at the Murray Dranoff two-piano competition in Miami.

    17 December 1993 15 motets de style archïque op.225 by Charles Koechlin (†42) is performed completely for the first time, in the Stiftskirche, Stuttgart 44 years after it was composed.  See 21 October 1952.

    17 December 1994 Ergma for string quartet by Iannis Xenakis (72) is performed for the first time, at The Hague.

    17 December 2004 Jonah, a cantata by Samuel Adler (76) is performed for the first time, in Mannheim.

    17 December 2013 Leland Clayton Smith dies at his home in Palo Alto, California, aged  88 years, four months and eleven days.

    18 December

    18 December 1737 Antonio Stradivari dies in Cremona, aged approximately 90 years.

    18 December 1753 Ifigenia in Aulide, a pasticcio with some music by Tommaso Traetta (26) to words of Verazi after Zeno, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    18 December 1756 Zenobia, an opera seria by Niccolò Piccinni (28) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    18 December 1757 Niccolò Jommelli’s (43) opera seria Temistocle to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    18 December 1768 La schiava liberata, a dramma serio-comico by Niccolò Jommelli (54) to words of Martinelli, is performed for the first time, in the Ducal Theatre, Ludwigsburg.

    18 December 1779 A ceremony lays the foundation stone for a new Esterházy Theatre.  The Symphony no.70 of Joseph Haydn (47) is performed for the occasion.

    18 December 1780 Incidental music to Blumauer’s play Erwine von Steinheim by Johann Schenk (27) is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Burgtheater.  (It is possible that Schenk’s music was not used at the first performance)

    18 December 1795 The Piano Concerto no.1 op.15 by Ludwig van Beethoven (25) is performed for the first time, the composer at the keyboard, at a concert arranged by Joseph Haydn (63) in the Redoutensaal, Vienna.  Haydn introduces three of his London symphonies to the Viennese public.

    18 December 1804 Achille à Scyros, a ballet pantomime by Luigi Cherubini (44), is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    18 December 1813 The new Teatro Re in Milan opens with a performance of Tancredi by Gioachino Rossini (21).

    18 December 1820 L’auteur mort et vivant, an opéra comique by Louis Joseph Ferdinand Hérold (29) to words of Planard, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.

    18 December 1832 After five years and two symphonies since he first became infatuated with her, Hector Berlioz (29) hears Harriet Smithson say, “Eh bien, Berlioz...Je vous aime.”

    18 December 1838 While Hector Berlioz (35) is bedridden with bronchitis, Achille Paganini, son of the violinist (56), enters his room, hands Berlioz a letter and leaves, saying that no response is required.  Inside the envelope is a note which says “Beethoven being dead, only Berlioz could make him live again; and I, who have enjoyed your divine compositions, worthy of the genius that you are, beg you to accept as token of my homage 20,000 francs, which will be remitted to you by Baron Rothschild on your presenting the enclosed.  Ever your affectionate friend Nicolò Paganini.”

    18 December 1839 Friedrich Wieck presents an eleven-page appeal in court, attacking both his daughter Clara (20) and her suitor Robert Schumann (29) who are present.  He calls Schumann incompetent as a musician, composer and editor, that he has lied about his finances, that he is vain and egotistical, that he is an excessive drinker, and that he only wants Clara so he can live off her career.  Wieck’s worst epithet against Clara is that she is incapable of running a home.  Wieck’s unbridled behavior in court seriously hurts his case.  Judgment is reserved until 4 January.

    Franz Liszt (28) arrives in Pressburg (Bratislava), seat of the Hungarian Diet, the first stop in what will become his triumphal return to Hungary.

    18 December 1848 Milda, a cantata by Stanislaw Moniuszko (29) after Kraszewski, is performed for the first time, in Vilnius.

    18 December 1852 Today and tomorrow, Richard Wagner (39) gives the first reading of the complete poem of Der Ring des Nibelungen at the home of François and Eliza Wille in Mariafeld, near Zürich.

    18 December 1853 Symphony no.1 by Camille Saint-Saëns (18) is performed for the first time, anonymously in Paris.  The composer sits behind Charles Gounod (35) and Hector Berlioz (50) and listens as they discuss the work in glowing terms.  After learning the identity of the composer, Gounod will send him a letter saying in part, “...and remember that on Sunday, 18th December 1853, you contracted the obligation of becoming a great master.”

    18 December 1858 The first of the “Samedi soirs” takes place at the Rossini (66) residence in Paris (they will later be held at Villa Rossini).  Over the next ten years, Rossini and his wife will entertain the giants of the artistic world.  Composers who will attend at least one of these Saturday Nights include Auber, Boito, Gounod, Liszt, Meyerbeer, Rubinstein, Saint-Saëns, Thalberg, Thomas and Verdi.  Other notables include Sir Julius Benedict, Delacroix, Ernest and Gustave Doré, Dumas pére, Hanslick, Joachim, Tito di Giovanni and Giulio Ricordi, and Sarasate.

    18 December 1859 Sonata for piano duet D.812 by Franz Schubert (†31) is performed for the first time, by the Musikverein, Vienna.

    18 December 1860 Edward Alexander MacDowell is born in New York City, the son of Thomas MacDowell and Frances Knapp.

    18 December 1861 A funeral is held in honor of Heinrich August Marschner in Hannover.  In spite of very cold weather, there is a large crowd.

    18 December 1863 Three works of vocal chamber music by Johannes Brahms (30) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Wechsellied zum Tanz op.31/1 for vocal quartet to words of Goethe, Die Nonne und der Ritter op.28/1 for alto, baritone and piano to words of Eichendorff, and Vor der Tür op.28/2 for alto, baritone and piano to words of an old German poet translated by Wenzig.

    18 December 1867 The Contrabandista, or the Law of the Ladrones, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (25) to words of Burnand, is performed for the first time, at St. George’s Hall, London.

    18 December 1869 Dawn.  Louis Moreau Gottschalk dies at Tijuca, Brazil, of peritonitis following a burst appendix, aged 40 years, seven months and ten days.

    18 December 1872 Serenade for Nikolay Rubinstein’s Name Day for small orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (32) is performed for the first time, privately, in the Moscow apartment of the dedicatee.  See 5 November 1953.

    Seven of the songs op.57/2-8 by Johannes Brahms (39) to words and translations by Daumer, are performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    18 December 1874 The Piano Trio op.22 by John Knowles Paine (35) is performed for the first time, at the home of John Fiske in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  See 18 February 1882.

    18 December 1878 Blindekuh, an operetta by Johann Strauss (53) to words of Kneisel, is performed for the first time, in Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  It is undoubtedly the composer’s worst disaster.

    The first complete performance of Antonin Dvorák’s (37) Slavonic Dances concludes with nos. 5-8, in Dresden.  See 4 December 1878.

    18 December 1880 The Italian Capriccio for orchestra op.45 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (40) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    18 December 1887 Reitermarsch op.428 by Johann Strauss (62) is performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    18 December 1888 Capriccioso op.19/5 for piano by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (48) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    18 December 1890 At a private event in honor of Joseph Joachim at the Hochschule für Ausübende Tonkunst in Berlin, String Quartet no.2 by Carl Nielsen (25) is performed for the first time.  Joachim offers suggestions for improvements to the work.  Nielsen politely declines to discuss them.  See 8 April 1892.

    18 December 1892 Two works for the stage by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (52) are performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg:  Iolanta, a lyric opera to words of Modest Tchaikovsky after Hertz, and The Nutcracker, a fairy-ballet to a scenario by Petipa after Dumas’ version of Hoffmann.  Both works receive a tumultuous reception by the audience.  Iolanta is savaged by the critics.  Press reaction to The Nutcracker is mixed.

    The “Schalk” version of Symphony no.8 by Anton Bruckner (68) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  Present are members of the royal family, Crown Princess Stephanie and Archduchess Valerie, as well as Johannes Brahms (59), Johann Strauss (67), Hugo Wolf (32) and Siegfried Wagner.  It is among Bruckner’s most successful nights in Vienna.  The press is almost universal in their praise.  See 22 November 1892, 5 July 1939, and 2 September 1973.

    18 December 1893 Carnaval Overture op.40 and Concert Waltz no.1 op.47, both for orchestra by Ayeksandr Glazunov (28), are performed for the first time, in the Hall of the Nobility, St. Petersburg, conducted by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (49).

    18 December 1894 Minuet for orchestra by John Alden Carpenter (18) is performed for the first time, at Harvard University, where the composer is in his second year.

    18 December 1895 Frédégonde, a drame lyrique by Camille Saint-Saëns (60) to words of Gallet, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    Within Thy Heart op.29/1, a song by Amy Beach (28) to her own words, is performed for the first time, in Newark.  The same day sees the premiere of Beach’s cantata The Rose of Avon-Town op.30 for solo voices, female chorus and orchestra to words of Mischka, in New York.

    18 December 1901 Gretel op.11/5, a song for voice and piano by Hans Pfitzner (32) to words of Busse, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    18 December 1905 Alyeksandr Glazunov (40) is elected to direct the St. Petersburg Conservatory.  This comes as a result of the government’s concession to grant conservatories limited autonomy, including election of their directors.  Glazunov’s first action is to ask Rimsky-Korsakov (61) back to the faculty.

    Hubert Parry (57) is made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order by King Edward VII.

    18 December 1908 Claude Debussy’s (46) piano suite Children’s Corner is performed for the first time, in the Cercle musical, Paris.

    18 December 1911 The first Der Blaue Reiter exhibition of young expressionists opens at the Moderne Gallerie, Munich, including three paintings by Arnold Schoenberg (37).

    Thirteen Preludes op.32 for piano by Sergey Rakhmaninov (38) are performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg, by the composer.

    18 December 1913 Les pantins dansent, a poème dansé by Erik Satie (47) to words of Saint-Point, is performed for the first time, in Salle Léon-Poirier, Paris.

    18 December 1914 Ah, the Christmas Snow from Bethlehem, for soprano and male chorus by Carl Nielsen (49) to words of Jørgensen, is performed for the first time.

    18 December 1915 Edgard Varèse (31) boards ship for America with 80 dollars, letters of introduction, and no hope of performances or employment, thinking he will stay only a few weeks.

    When Christ was born of Mary free, a carol by Hubert Parry (67) to anonymous words, is performed for the first time, in Albert Hall, London.

    18 December 1916 Eight Waltzes op.6 for piano duet by Paul Hindemith (21) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main.

    18 December 1917 Improvisation on “Wie wohl ist mir, o Freund der Seele” for two pianos by Ferruccio Busoni (51) is performed for the first time, in the Zürich Tonhalle.

    18 December 1919 Horatio William Parker dies at his daughter’s home in Cedarhurst, New York of pneumonia, aged 56 years, three months, and three days.  He was on his way to a Caribbean cruise to recuperate from a recent appendectomy when he was stricken by pneumonia in New York.

    18 December 1923 Scarecrow Sketches, a symphonic suite from the opera Puritan Passions by Frederick S. Converse (52), is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    18 December 1926 The Makropulos Affair, an opera by Leos Janácek (72) to his own words after Capek, is performed for the first time, at the National Theatre, Brno.  It is a success.

    18 December 1929 Symphony op.21 by Anton Webern (46) is performed for the first time, at a League of Composers concert in Town Hall, New York.  The work was commissioned by the League.

    18 December 1938 Chaîne brisée op.87 for piano by Florent Schmitt (68) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    18 December 1942 The eighth of 18 patriotic fanfares for brass and percussion commissioned by Eugene Goossens and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, A Fanfare for American Heroes by William Grant Still (47), is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati.

    18 December 1946 Canções de cordialidade by Heitor Villa-Lobos (59) to words of Bandeira is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro, in settings for solo voice and piano, and solo voice and orchestra.

    18 December 1948 Circe, an opera by Werner Egk (47) to his own words after Calderón de la Barca, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  See 2 June 1966.

    18 December 1949 Sonata for flute and piano by Bohuslav Martinu (59) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    18 December 1950 Merlin, an opera by Isaac Albéniz (†41) to words of Money-Coutts, is staged for the first time, in Spanish, in Teatro Tívoli, Barcelona 48 years after it was composed.  See 13 February 1905 and 20 June 1998.

    David Tudor plays the American premiere of the Piano Sonata no.2 by Pierre Boulez (25) in New York.  John Cage (38) turns pages.

    18 December 1953 Une cantate de Noël for baritone, children’s chorus, chorus, and organ by Arthur Honegger (61) is performed for the first time, in Basel.

    18 December 1954 Henry Cowell’s (57) dance music Changing Woman, to a scenario by Erdman, is performed for the first time, in San Francisco.

    18 December 1955 Hymn of Zrínyi, for baritone solo and chorus by Zoltán Kodály (73), is performed for the first time, in Budapest.  The audience requires the entire work to be repeated.

    18 December 1961 The first in a concert series called Sonics takes place at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.  It includes electronic music created in a new studio set up in the conservatory’s attic by Ramon Sender.  It features music by Sender, Pauline Oliveros (29), Terry Riley (26), and Philip Winsor.  Oliveros’ Time Perspectives for four-track tape is performed for the first time.

    18 December 1962 Symphony no.13 “Babi Yar” for bass, male chorus, and orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (56) to words of Yevtushenko, is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.  In the afternoon, Party and government officials attend a dress rehearsal.  They apply strong pressure on Shostakovich, Yevtushenko, and the conductor, Kiril Kondrashin to cancel the performance.  All refuse.  At the evening concert, the words, some mildly critical of the government, are not printed in the program and television coverage of the event is cancelled.  But there is an overflow crowd which is swept into wild, rhythmic applause at the conclusion of the performance, bringing the composer and poet out for bows several times.  When Shostakovich returns home he finds KGB agents outside.

    Several works in honor of the 60th birthday of Stefan Wolpe are performed in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York, two for the first time:  Birthday Piece for Stefan Wolpe for piano by Ralph Shapey (41), and Only for voices by Morton Feldman (36) to words of Rilke.  In response is the premiere of Wolpe’s Street Music:  A Counter-Offering to the Musical Offerings of Ten Composers on My 60th Birthday for baritone, narrator, flute, oboe, clarinet, cello and piano to his own words.

    He Shall Not Cry for female chorus and organ by John Harbison (23) is performed for the first time, in the Princeton University Chapel.

    18 December 1963 Flute Variations I for flute solo by Charles Wuorinen (25) is performed for the first time, in Donnell Library, New York.

    18 December 1964 Emblems for symphonic band by Aaron Copland (64) is performed for the first time, in Tempe, Arizona.

    18 December 1965 Masques op.99 for violin and piano by Vincent Persichetti (50) is performed for the first time, at the Juilliard School, New York.

    18 December 1966 Trio for three flutists by Otto Luening (66) is performed for the first time, in New York.  The composer plays one part.

    18 December 1974 Glad and Very op.129 for chorus and piano by Vincent Persichetti (59), to words of Cummings, is performed for the first time, in Huntingdon, New York.

    18 December 1976 Ave Rex angelorum for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (42) is performed for the first time, in St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall, Orkney.

    18 December 1978 Archangel for bass trombone and string quartet by Charles Wuorinen (40) is performed for the first time, in Borden Auditorium, New York.

    Triple Concerto for clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, and chamber orchestra by Donald Martino (47) is performed for the first time, at the Manhattan School of Music, New York.

    18 December 1989 Canticum Novissimi Testamenti for vocal soloists, chorus, four clarinets, and four saxophones by Luciano Berio (64) is performed for the first time, in Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris.

    18 December 1990 Two works for male chorus and piano by William Bolcom (52) are performed for the first time:  Maha Sonnet for male chorus and piano to words of Weinstein, and The More Loving One to words of Auden.

    18 December 1991 The orchestral setting of Berliner Messe by Arvo Pärt (56) is performed for the first time, at Schloss Werneck near Schweinfurt.

    18 December 1994 Aria antigua for flute and guitar by Joaquín Rodrigo (93) is performed for the first time, in Madrid.  See 10 June 1959 and 21 February 1996.

    18 December 2002 The Hours, a film with music by Philip Glass (65), is shown for the first time.

    19 December

    19 December 1676 Louis-Nicolas Clérambault is born in Paris.

    19 December 1773 L’Esther ossia La liberatrice del popolo giudaico nella Persia, an oratorio by Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (34) to words of Pintus, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    19 December 1782 Il trionfo della costanza, a dramma giocoso by Pasquale Anfossi (55) to words of Badini, is performed for the first time, in King’s Theatre, London.

    19 December 1787 The Wiener Zeitung announces publication of Joseph Haydn’s (55) String Quartets op.50, as well as the publication of the Sonata for piano-four hands K.497 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (31).

    19 December 1788 The earthly remains of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach are laid to rest in the vault of St. Michael’s Church, Hamburg.

    19 December 1815 Meyer Beer (Giacomo Meyerbeer) (24) visits Frederick Kalkbrenner (30) in London.  They play for each other.  Meyerbeer is impressed, by Kalkbrenner and his English piano.

    19 December 1830 Die Jagd, a komische Oper by Albert Lortzing (29) to his own words after Hiller and Weisse, is performed for the first time, in Detmold Hoftheater.

    19 December 1839 Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35) petitions Tsar Nikolay I to be released from his position as Imperial Kapellmeister “because of ill health...and domestic disorders...”

    19 December 1850 Incidental music to Augier’s comédie en vers Le Joueur de flûte by Jacques Offenbach (31) is performed for the first time, at the Comédie-Française, Paris.

    19 December 1859 One of Cavaillé-Coll’s finest instruments is inaugurated at Ste. Clotilde by the basilica’s organist, César Franck (37).

    19 December 1869 After lying in state in the rooms of the Philharmonic Society, thousands of onlookers watch as the mortal remains of Louis Moreau Gottschalk are laid to rest in the Cemitério São João Batista, Rio de Janeiro.

    19 December 1870 A Pater noster for chorus by Charles Villiers Stanford (18) is performed for the first time, by the Dublin University Choral Society.

    19 December 1873 The Tempest, a symphonic fantasia by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (33), is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  The work is accorded a warm reception.

    19 December 1874 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor by Arthur Sullivan (32) is performed for the first time, in the Gaiety Theatre, London.

    19 December 1878 The Mandarin’s Son, a comic opera by Cesar Cui (43) to words of Krylov, is performed for the first time, at the Artists’ Club, St. Petersburg.

    19 December 1880 Suite Algérienne op.60 for orchestra by Camille Saint-Saëns (45) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    19 December 1881 Hérodiade, an opéra by Jules Massenet (39) to words of Milliet and Grémont (pseud. of Hartmann) after Flaubert, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels.  It is the first french opera to be premiered here and is a resounding success.

    19 December 1890 The Queen of Spades, an opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (50) to words of the composer and his brother Modest after Pushkin, is performed for the first time, in the Mariinsky Theatre, St. Petersburg.  It is a triumph.

    19 December 1891 Intermezzo for flute, clarinet and strings by Gustav Holst (17) is performed for the first time, in Montpelier Rotunda, Cheltenham.

    19 December 1895 Die sieben Geislein, a Liederspiel by Engelbert Humperdinck (41) to words of Wette after Grimm, is performed for the first time, in the Schiller Theatre, Berlin.

    19 December 1898 Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov’s (54) drastic rewriting of Boris Godunov by Modest Musorgsky (†17) is performed publicly for the first time, in Moscow.  See 10 December 1896.

    19 December 1901 Incidental music to Wied and Petersen’s play Atalanta, by Carl Nielsen (36) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.

    19 December 1903 Siberia, an opera by Umberto Giordano (36) to words of Illica, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    19 December 1906 Béla Bartók (25) and Zoltán Kodály (23) publish Hungarian Folk Songs with piano accompaniment.

    19 December 1908 Three folksong arrangements for chorus and orchestra by Gustav Holst (34) are performed for the first time, at Morley College, London:  On the Banks of the Nile, The Willow Tree, and Our Ship She Lies in the Harbour.

    19 December 1910 The first four of the Chants populaires for voice and piano by Maurice Ravel (35) is performed for the first time, in the Salle des Agriculteurs, Paris.  See 23 February 1975.

    19 December 1916 Lullay My Liking for soprano and chorus, and Terly Terlow for chorus, oboe, and cello by Gustav Holst (42) to anonymous words, are performed for the first time, in Aeolian Hall, London.

    The first two of the Three Tone Pictures op.5 arranged for woodwinds and harp by Charles T. Griffes (32) are performed for the first time, in Cort Theatre, New York.  See 3 April 1914 and 4 June 1920.

    19 December 1917 Quintet in g minor for piano and strings by Arnold Bax (34) is performed for the first time, privately, in the Savoy Hotel, London.  See 12 May 1920.

    19 December 1919 Three orchestral works by Charles T. Griffes (35), Notturno, Bacchanale and Clouds are performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    19 December 1920 The first of the Quatre Petites Mélodies for voice and piano by Erik Satie (54) to words of Lamartine, is performed for the first time, in Galerie La Boétie, Paris.  See 12 April 1921.

    19 December 1922 Urged on by Lenin, to encourage electrification and modernization, Lev Sergeyevich Termen (Leon Theremin) (26) begins a tour with his Etherphone with a one-man show in the Grand Hall of the Petrograd Philharmonic Society.  There is a light show and various other new instruments.  Among the audience are Alyeksandr Glazunov (57) and Dmitri Shostakovich (16).

    19 December 1923 Piano Concerto no.1 op.18 by Ernst Krenek (23) is performed for the first time, in Winterthur.

    19 December 1928 An orchestral suite from the incidental music to Phaedre by Arthur Honegger (36) is performed for the first time, in Utrecht, conducted by the composer.

    19 December 1936 Frederick S. Converse (65) suffers a severe stroke in Boston and is rushed to the hospital.  His left side is paralyzed.  He will survive, and slowly recover.

    19 December 1937 Maurice Ravel (62) undergoes exploratory brain surgery in Paris.  After initial consciousness he lapses into a coma, never to awaken.

    Deep Song, dance music by Henry Cowell (40) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    19 December 1940 Purdue for orchestra by Henry Cowell (43) is performed for the first time, in West Lafayette, Indiana.

    19 December 1941 Piano Concerto no.2 op.225 by Darius Milhaud (49) is performed for the first time, in Chicago the  composer at the keyboard.

    19 December 1943 Folk Rhythms of Today for orchestra by Roy Harris (45) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the NBC radio network originating in New York.

    19 December 1944 Two extended compositions by Duke Ellington (45) are performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York:  Blutopia and Perfume Suite (co-written by Billy Strayhorn).

    19 December 1945 Thunderbolt P-47 for orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (55) is performed for the first time, in Washington.

    19 December 1946 Rencesvals for voice and piano by Luigi Dallapiccola (42) to words from Le chanson de Roland is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Belgian Radio originating in Brussels.  The musicians are Pierre Bernac and Francis Poulenc (47).

    Tre ricercare for piano and orchestra by Norman Dello Joio (33) is performed for the first time, in New York the composer at the keyboard.

    Incidental music to Shaw’s play Androcles and the Lion by Marc Blitzstein (41) is performed for the first time, in the International Theatre at Columbus Circle, New York.

    19 December 1947 Incidental music to Sophocles’ (tr. by Obey) play Oedipus by Arthur Honegger (55) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris.

    19 December 1948 Sonata no.2 for violin alone by Ernst Krenek (48) is performed for the first time, in the National Gallery of Art, Washington.

    19 December 1950 Two large choral works by Sergey Prokofiev (59) to words of Marshak are performed for the first time, in the Home of the Unions, Moscow:  On Guard for Peace op.124, an oratorio for mezzo-soprano, speakers, boys’ chorus, chorus, and orchestra, and Winter Bonfire op.122, a suite for boys’ chorus and orchestra.

    19 December 1951 Concertino d’automne op.309 for two pianos and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (59) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    19 December 1955 Pavana Real, a ballet by Joaquín Rodrigo (54) to a story by Victoria Kamhi (Sra. Rodrigo), is performed for the first time, in the Gran Teatro del Liceo, Barcelona.

    19 December 1958 The First Nowell for solo voices, chorus, and small orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (†0), completed by Douglas, to words of Pakenham, is performed for the first time, at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.

    19 December 1962 Dos poemas de Juan Ramón Jiménez for voice and flute by Joaquín Rodrigo (61) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Principale, Valencia.

    19 December 1963 Meditations for voice and piano by Gunther Schuller (38) to words of Stein is performed for the first time, in New York.

    19 December 1972 Electrikaleidoscope for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, and electric piano by George Rochberg (54) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.  The third movement is dedicated to the Israeli Olympic athletes murdered by Palestinian terrorists last September.

    19 December 1976 String Quartet no.3 by Benjamin Britten (†0) is performed for the first time, at Snape Maltings.

    19 December 1980 The Palace for baritone and tape by Roger Reynolds (46) is performed for the first time, in a “pre-performance” in La Jolla, California.  See 28 February 1981.

    19 December 1984 Sextet for two amplified pianos or synthesizers and various percussion instruments by Steve Reich (48) is performed for the first time, in Centre Pompidou, Paris.

    19 December 1990 The original version of Steps for orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (59) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  See 22 June 1989.

    19 December 1991 The Ghosts of Versailles, an opera buffa by John Corigliano (53) to words of Hoffman after Beaumarchais, is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

    19 December 2000 Birthday Sleep for chorus by John Tavener (56) to words of Wordsworth is performed for the first time, in St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh.

    19 December 2003 Appassionatamente plus for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (77) is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

    19 December 2007 Animals in Love, a film with music by Philip Glass (70), is released in France and Belgium.

    20 December

    20 December 1775 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (19) dates his Violin Concerto K.219 in Salzburg.

    20 December 1823 Incidental music to von Chézy’s play Rosamunde, Fürstin von Zypern by Franz Schubert (26) is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  The play is a failure.

    20 December 1826 Ludwig van Beethoven (56) undergoes surgery in his Vienna home to remove abdominal fluids, the first of four such operations.

    20 December 1829 Il genio dell’armonia for solo voices and chorus by Gaetano Donizetti (32) to words of Visconti, is performed for the first time, in Rome, to honor Pope Pius VIII.

    20 December 1866 Student Life, one of the Four Songs for Male Voices by Edvard Grieg (23) is performed for the first time, in Copenhagen.

    20 December 1868 Romance op.5 for piano by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (28) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    20 December 1869 Rêve d’amour, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (87) to words of d’Ennery and Cormon, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    20 December 1879 Suite no.1 for orchestra by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (39) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    20 December 1882 Two songs by Johannes Brahms (49) are performed for the first time, in Strasbourg:  Der Kranz op.84/2 to words of Schmidt, and Vergebliches Ständchen op.84/4 to traditional words.

    20 December 1883 Incidental music to Richepin’s play Nana-Sahib by Jules Massenet (41) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Porte St. Martin, Paris.

    20 December 1886 Trio for piano and strings no.3 op.101 by Johannes Brahms (53) is performed for the first time, in Budapest the composer at the keyboard.

    20 December 1895 The ninth and 16th of the 24 Preludes op.11 for piano by Alyeksandr Skryabin (23) are performed for the first time, in Moscow by the composer.

    20 December 1898 A String Quartet in D by Arnold Schoenberg (24) is performed publicly for the first time, in the Bösendorfersaal, Vienna.  See 17 March 1898.

    20 December 1901 Alma Schindler receives a letter from Gustav Mahler (41) indicating that she will have to give up any ambitions to be a composer.  At first angry, she will convince herself tomorrow that this is the best course.

    20 December 1907 Four Character Pieces after the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám op.48 for orchestra by Arthur Foote (54) is performed for the first time, in Chicago.

    20 December 1908 Introduction and Dance of Salomé op.90 by Alyeksandr Glazunov (43) is performed for the first time, for a production of Oscar Wilde’s Salome in the Great Hall of St. Petersburg Conservatory.

    20 December 1915 Igor Stravinsky (33) conducts for the first time in public at a concert in Geneva organized by Sergey Diaghilev to support the International Committee of the Red Cross.

    20 December 1919 A funeral in memory of Horatio Parker is held in St. Mary’s Church, Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts.

    20 December 1922 Incidental music to Cocteau’s (after Sophocles) play Antigone by Arthur Honegger (30) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de l’Atelier, Paris.

    20 December 1923 The Perfect Lady, a musical comedy with book by Mandel and Schwab, lyrics by DeSylva and seven new songs by George Gershwin (25), is performed for the first time in the Shubert Theatre, Boston.  Before it hits New York it will be renamed Sweet Little Devil.  See 21 January 1924.

    20 December 1924 La cena delle beffe, a poema drammatico by Umberto Giordano (57) to words of Benelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    20 December 1928 Pope Pius XI issues Divini Cultus Sanctitatem.  These are laws governing the proper performance of the liturgy and other sacred music.  The occasion is the 900th anniversary of the coming to Rome of Guido d’Arezzo.

    Vocalise no.1 for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (59) is performed for the first time, in Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    America, an epic Rhapsody for chorus and orchestra by Ernest Bloch (48), the unanimous winner of a prize offered by Musical America for a symphonic work on an American subject, is given simultaneous premieres by the judges:  Frederick Stock of the Chicago Symphony, Walter Damrosch of the New York Philharmonic, Leopold Stokowski of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Serge Koussevitzky of the Boston Symphony, and Alfred Hertz of the San Francisco Symphony.

    20 December 1930 Elegy on the Death of Our Daughter Olga, a cantata by Leos Janácek (†2) to words of Veveritsa, is performed for the first time, in Brno.  Also performed is Janácek’s orchestral Adagio (possibly composed around 1890) probably for the first time.

    20 December 1933 Midi op.15/2 for voice and orchestra by Charles Koechlin (66) to words of Leconte de Lisle is performed publicly for the first time, in Paris 33 years after it was composed.  See 7 February 1906.

    20 December 1936 Chronicle op.21, a dance by Wallingford Riegger (51) to a scenario by Graham, is performed for the first time, in New York.

    20 December 1938 John Harbison is born in Orange, New Jersey.

    20 December 1940 Six Choral Songs to be Sung in Time of War for unison chorus and piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams (68) to words of Shelley, are performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.

    20 December 1945 Charles Ives (71) is notified that he has been elected to the National Institute of Arts and Letters, even though most of the music he wrote during his most fertile period, 1896-1918, has never been performed.

    Musicans Wrestle Everywhere for chorus and strings by Elliott Carter (37) to words of Dickinson, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WNBC radio.  See 12 February 1946.

    20 December 1946 Symphony no.2 by Darius Milhaud (54) is performed for the first time, in Boston, the composer conducting.

    20 December 1951 Two of Les chants de Nectaire for flute op.200 by Charles Koechlin (†0) are performed for the first time, at the Schola Cantorum, Paris.

    20 December 1954 Giovanni d’Arco al rogo, a film with music by Arthur Honegger (62), is released in Italy.

    20 December 1955 Sonata for four horns by Michael Tippett (50) is performed for the first time, in Wigmore Hall, London.

    20 December 1958 Organ Suite no.1 by Ulysses Kay (41) is performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Chapel, Trinity Parish, New York.

    20 December 1959 In a memorable evening in New York, Igor Stravinsky (77) conducts a performance of his Les Noces.  The four pianists are Roger Sessions (62), Aaron Copland (59), Samuel Barber (49) and Lukas Foss (37).  Premiered this evening is Stravinsky’s (76) Double Canon for string quartet.

    Miracles of Christmas for chorus and organ by Ned Rorem (36) to words of Jacob is performed for the first time, in Garden City Community Church, Long Island, New York.

    20 December 1960 Songs of War and Peace, a cantata by Alfred Schnittke (26) to words of Leontyev and Pokrovsky, is performed for the first time, in the Great Hall of Moscow Conservatory.

    Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Thea Musgrave (32) is performed for the first time, at the Old Vic Theatre, London.

    20 December 1962 They Found a Cave, a film with music by Peter Sculthorpe (33), is shown for the first time, at the Hobart Odeon, Tasmania.

    20 December 1963 Pacem in terris, a choral symphony for baritone, chorus and orchestra by Darius Milhaud (71) to words of Pope John XXIII, is performed for the first time, at the inauguration of the new hall of Paris Radio.

    Tone Roads no.3 for orchestra by Charles Ives (†9) is performed for the first time, in New York, about 50 years after it was composed.  Also premiered is Ives’ Scherzo:  Over the Pavements for piccolo, clarinet, bassoon/baritone saxophone, trumpet, three trombones, cymbal, bass drum, and piano.

    20 December 1966 L’Equipe de Mathématique et Automatique Musicales is founded by Iannis Xenakis (44) and others at Boosey and Hawkes, Paris.

    Incidental music to Anouilh’s play Médée by Gian Carlo Menotti (55) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Quirinale, Rome.

    20 December 1967 Olivier Messiaen (59) succeeds to the Institute.

    20 December 1968 Domaines for clarinet and 21 instruments by Pierre Boulez (43) is performed completely for the first time, in Brussels the composer conducting.  See 20 September 1968.

    20 December 1969 Quatre Plages for string orchestra by Betsy Jolas (43) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RTF.

    20 December 1973 A wholly revised version of Candide, a comic operetta by Leonard Bernstein (55) to words of Wilbur, LaTouche, Sondheim, and the composer after Wheeler after Voltaire, is performed for the first time, in New York.  See 29 October 1956.

    20 December 1974 Adagio for piano by Silvestre Revueltas (†34) is performed for the first time, at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música, Mexcio City 56 years after it was composed.

    20 December 1979 In memoriam for orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (45) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    Incidental music to Brecht’s play Turandot by Alfred Schnittke is performed for the first time, in Taganka Theatre, Moscow.

    20 December 1991 Threnody for cello by Peter Sculthorpe (62) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, Sydney.

    Ikon of the Nativity for chorus by John Tavener (47) to words of St. Ephrem the Syrian (tr. Brock) is performed for the first time.

    20 December 1995 Le streghe di Venezia, a ballet by Phillip Glass (58) to a scenario by Montressor, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    20 December 1999 The Great Gatsby, an opera by John Harbison to words of Horwitz and the composer after Fitzgerald, is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera, New York on the composer’s 61st birthday.

    20 December 2008 Alleluia-Tropus for chorus and eight cellos ad lib by Arvo Pärt (73) is performed for the first time, in Bari.

    20 December 2010 A Carol Service for chorus by John Tavener (66) is performed for the first time, at All Saints Church, Weston-super-Mare, Great Britain.

    20 December 2013 let me tell you for soprano and orchestra by Hans Abrahamsen (60) is performed for the first time, in the Philharmonie Berlin.

    21 December

    21 December 1766 Or che il dover...Tali e cotanti sono, a concert aria for tenor and orchestra K.36 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (10), is performed for the first time, in Salzburg for the anniversary of the consecration of Archbishop Sigismund.

    21 December 1771 Esterházy Kapellmeister Joseph Haydn (39) witnesses a contract settling a dispute between two Esterházy musicians, oboist Zacharaias Pohl and bassist Xavier Marteau, to wit, a brawl in the local tavern in June during which Pohl lost an eye.

    21 December 1777 A Missa brevis in B flat K.275 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (21) is performed for the first time, in St. Peter’s, Salzburg.

    21 December 1790 A concert of sacred music takes place at the Stone Chapel for the benefit of William Billings (44) “whose distress is real.”  Since the mid-1780s he has been trade inspector, street cleaner, coal inspector, hogreeve and sealer of leather for the Town of Boston.

    21 December 1799 The Wiener Zeitung announces publication of Ludwig van Beethoven’s (29) two piano sonatas op.14.

    21 December 1826 Der Zwerg D.771, a song by Franz Schubert (29) to words of von Collin, is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.

    21 December 1832 Albert Lortzing’s (31) vaudeville Der Weihnachtsabend to his own words is performed for the first time, in Münster.

    21 December 1836 L’ambassadrice, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (54) to words of Scribe, is performed for the first time, at Théâtre de la Bourse, Paris.

    21 December 1846 Ruslan and Lyudmilla by Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (42) is given its first Moscow performance.

    21 December 1852 Marco Spada, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (70) to words of Scribe and Delavigne, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (48) is in the audience and, except for the beginning of the overture, finds the music “very unsatisfactory.”  Giacomo Meyerbeer (61) is also there.

    21 December 1867 Sadko op.5 for orchestra by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (23) is performed for the first time, by the Russian Musical Society, St. Petersburg, conducted by Mily Balakirev (30).

    Wehe, so willst du mich wieder op.32/5, a song by Johannes Brahms (34) to words of Platen, is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    21 December 1884 Hungarian King’s Song by Franz Liszt (73) is performed for the first time, in Pressburg.

    21 December 1886 Incidental music to Sardou’s play Le crocodile by Jules Massenet (44) is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Porte St. Martin, Paris.

    21 December 1888 Sonata for violin and piano no.3 op.108 by Johannes Brahms (55) is performed for the first time, in Budapest, the composer at the keyboard.

    21 December 1890 The third version of Symphony no.3 by Anton Bruckner (66) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.  The composer is both booed and cheered by an audience which contains a greatly impressed Jean Sibelius (25).  Outside the theatre, Sibelius gets into a fight with some Brahms (57) supporters and injures his foot.  See 16 December 1887.

    21 December 1896 String Quartet no.4 by George Whitefield Chadwick (42) is performed for the first time, in Association Hall, Boston.

    21 December 1900 Festival of Pan, a symphonic poem by Frederick S. Converse (29), is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    21 December 1907 Gustav (47) and Alma Mahler arrive in New York aboard the Kaiserin Augusta Viktoria.  He is provided with a suite in the Hotel Majestic with two grand pianos.

    21 December 1908 The String Quartet no.2 of Arnold Schoenberg (34) is performed for the first time, in the Bösendorfersaal, Vienna, to the accompaniment of whistles and catcalls.  The Neue Wiener Tageblatt will report on the concert in its police blotter.

    21 December 1913 Trois poèmes romantiques op.11 for voice and piano by Darius Milhaud (21) is performed for the first time, in Aix-en-Provence.

    21 December 1916 Incidental music to Martínez Sierra’s play Navidad by Joaquín Turina (34) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Eslava de Madrid.

    21 December 1918 A Sonata for violin and piano by Francis Poulenc (19) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    21 December 1921 The Lamoricière, bearing the mortal remains of Camille Saint-Saëns, arrives in Marseille from Algiers.  They are met by horsed soldiers and leaders of the city and thereupon transported to Paris.

    21 December 1923 Ludions (Bottle Imps), a cycle of five songs by Erik Satie (57) to words of Fargue, are performed publicly for the first time, at the Salle des agriculteurs, Paris, the composer at the piano.  See 30 May 1923.

    21 December 1929 Serenade no.2 op.2 by Vincent Persichetti (14) is performed for the first time, at Combs Conservatory, Philadelphia by the composer.

    21 December 1931 Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny by Kurt Weill (31) and Bertolt Brecht opens in Berlin for the first time, in the Kurfürstendammtheater.  It turns out to be a great success in the capital.

    21 December 1937 An orchestral suite from the music to the film Regain by Arthur Honegger (45) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Gaveau, Paris.

    21 December 1939 Hail to Stalin op.85, for chorus and orchestra by Sergey Prokofiev (48), is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  The work was composed in honor of Stalin’s 60th birthday.

    21 December 1941 Symphony no.1 by David Diamond (26) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    21 December 1947 Symphonie gaspésienne for orchestra by Claude Champagne (56) is performed for the first time, in Montreal.

    21 December 1952 Set of Five for violin, piano and percussion by Henry Cowell (55) is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    21 December 1953 The first color broadcast of a commercial television program in the US takes place on the network of the National Broadcasting Company.  It is Gian Carlo Menotti’s (42) Amahl and the Night Visitors.

    21 December 1955 Saltanat, a film with music by Aram Khachaturian (52), is released.

    21 December 1956 Hands, Eyes, and Heart for voice and piano by Ralph Vaughan Williams (84) to the words of his wife Ursula Vaughan Williams, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the New Zealand Broadcasting Company, originating in Christchurch.

    21 December 1958 Hans Werner Henze’s (32) ballet blanc Ballet-Variationen is staged for the first time, in Wuppertal.  See 3 October 1949.

    21 December 1963 Dynamite Tonite, a cabaret opera by William Bolcom (25) to words of Weinstein, is performed for the first time, at the Actor’s Studio Theatre conducted by the composer.

    21 December 1965 Claude Joseph Arthur Adonai Champagne dies at his home in Montreal, aged 74 years, six months, and 24 days.

    Duo for flute and string bass by Ben Johnston (39) is performed for the first time.

    Four Instruments for violin, cello, chimes, and piano by Morton Feldman (39) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Recital Hall, New York.

    Neiz Radenn for english horn and piano by Jean-Claude Risset 27 is performed for the first time, the composer at the keyboard.

    21 December 1966 Glaben und Wissen for chorus, four speakers, and orchestra by Ernst Krenek (66) to his own words is performed for the first time, under the baton of the composer over the airwaves of NDR, originating in Hamburg.

    21 December 1968 Help! Help! The Globolinks!, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (57) to his own words, is performed for the first time, at the Hamburg Staatsoper.

    21 December 1971 The first and fourth of the Little Pieces for piano by Alfred Schnittke (37) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    21 December 1974 Cello Suite no.3 by Benjamin Britten (61) is performed for the first time, at Snape Maltings.

    21 December 1975 Gargoyle for piano by Frank Bridge (†34) is performed for the first time, at Glasgow University, 47 years after it was composed.

    21 December 1977 Jonchaies for orchestra by Iannis Xenakis (55) is performed for the first time, in the Salle Wagram, Paris.

    21 December 1978 Scenes and Entr’actes from Le Grand Macabre for soprano, mezzo-soprano, buffo tenor, character baritone, chorus, and orchestra by György Ligeti (55) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.  See 12 April 1978.

    21 December 1986 Voyages-film dansé op.222, a ballet by Charles Koechlin (†35), is performed for the first time, in the Staatstheater, Kassel 39 years after it was arranged from previous compositions.

    21 December 1987 Magnum Mysterium for brass quintet by John Harbison (49) is performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York.

    21 December 1990 Apple Basket:  Apple Blossom for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (56) to words of George Mackay Brown is performed for the first time, in St. Alban’s, Highgate, Birmingham.

    21 December 1994 Nagoya Marimbas for two marimbas by Steve Reich (58) is performed for the first time, in Shirakawa Hall, Nagoya.

    21 December 1996 Incidental music to Hwang’s play After Eros by Phillip Glass (59) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    Midwest Celebration Fanfare for three brass choirs and percussion by Karel Husa (75) is performed for the first time.

    21 December 1997 Chiaroscuro for two pianos (a quarter tone apart) by John Corigliano (59) is performed for the first time, in Miami.

    21 December 2006 The First Emperor, an opera by Tan Dun (49) to words of Ha Jin and the composer, is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

    22 December

    22 December 1762 Michael Haydn (25) dates his Partita in F for winds at Pressburg (Bratislava).

    22 December 1768 Baldassare Galuppi (62) is appointed maestro di coro at the Ospedale degli Incurabili, Venice.

    22 December 1779 La partenza inaspettata, an opera by Antonio Salieri (29) to words of Petrosellini, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Valle, Rome.  It is a complete triumph.

    22 December 1783 Franz Joseph Haydn (51) and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27) meet for possibly the first time, at a Tonkünstler-Societät concert in Vienna where works by both are performed, including the premiere of Mozart’s Misero! o sogno...Aura che intorni spiri K.431, a concert aria for tenor and orchestra.

    22 December 1789 The Quintet for Clarinet and Strings K.581 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (33) is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.

    22 December 1808 Ludwig van Beethoven (38) conducts a night of his works at the unheated Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  The program includes premiere performances of the Symphony no.5, Symphony no.6 and the Choral Fantasy op.80, and the Fourth Piano concerto.  Also performed are the scene and aria Ah! Perfido and portions of the Mass in C.  The musicians are not up to their best.  Beethoven has to stop the Choral Fantasia in the middle because of confusion in the orchestra.  In all, the music takes four hours to perform.  Prince Lobkowitz is in the audience with his guest, Johann Friedrich Reichardt (56).  This is the last time Beethoven performs a piano concerto in public.

    Jan Ladislav Dussek’s (48) Notturno Concertante op.68 C.233 is performed in Paris by the composer, possibly for the first time.

    22 December 1815 A cantata by Carl Maria von Weber (29), Kampf und Sieg, composed after the Battle of Waterloo, is performed for the first time, in Prague.  The audience is small owing to a storm and the Christmas season, but they applaud loudly.

    22 December 1819 Olimpie, a tragédie lyrique by Gaspare Spontini (45) to words of Dieulafoy and Brifaut after Voltaire, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    22 December 1823 Franz Liszt (12) performs in Paris to sensational audience and critical response.  He will perform in Paris no less than 38 times before next April.

    22 December 1829 Der Templer und die Jüdin, a romantic opera by Heinrich August Marschner (34) to words of Wohlbrück after Scott, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig Stadttheater.

    22 December 1833 Le roi Lear, a grand ouverture by Hector Berlioz (30) is performed for the first time, in the Paris Conservatoire.  On the same program are the premieres of his songs Le jeune Pâtre Breton to words of Brizeux and Romance de Marie Tudor to words of Hugo.  Nicolò Paganini (51) attends and later asks Berlioz to compose a work for him to play on the viola.

    22 December 1837 Albert Lortzing’s (36) komische Oper Zar und Zimmermann, oder Die beiden Peter to the composer’s words after Melesville, Merle and Boirie (tr. Römer) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.  This work secures Lortzing’s position as the most important German composer of comic opera.

    22 December 1841 Giuseppe Verdi (28) meets with the soprano Giuseppina Strepponi and shows her the score to Nabucco in an attempt to enlist her aid in having it produced in Milan.

    Fromental Halévy’s (42) opéra La reine de Chypre to words of Saint-Georges is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.  Despite the fact that George Sand does not approve, it is a success and will see 130 performances in the next 15 years.

    22 December 1847 Symphony no.8 by Louis Spohr (63) is performed for the first time, in Kassel.  It is warmly, but not enthusiastically, received.

    22 December 1858 Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini is born at Lucca, the fifth of nine children born to Michele Puccini, an organist and choirmaster at San Martino, and Albina Magi, member of a prominent local family.

    22 December 1859 Murmures éoliens op.46 for piano by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (30) is performed for the first time, in Havana, by the composer.

    22 December 1861 Le chant des Titans (Péchés de vieillesse vol.iii no.6) by Gioachino Rossini (69) is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.

    22 December 1865 Caprice on Peruvian Airs for piano by Louis Moreau Gottschalk (36) is performed for the first time, in Lima.

    22 December 1866 The scherzo of Symphony no.1 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (26) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  See 15 February 1868.

    22 December 1869 Three songs by Johannes Brahms (36) are performed for the first time, in Vienna:  Wie bist du, meine Königin op.32/9, to words of Hafis, Am Sonntag Morgen zierlich angetan op.49/1 and Wiegenlied op.49/4.

    22 December 1873 Five Songs (Ophelia-Lieder) WoO 22 for voice and piano by Johannes Brahms (40) to words of Shakespeare (tr.Schlegel), are performed for the first time, in Prague.

    22 December 1883 16:00  Edgard Victor Achille Charles Varèse is born in Paris, first of five children born to Henri Pie Jules Annibal Varèse, an engineer, and Blanche-Marie Cortot, daughter of a restaurant owner.

    22 December 1888 Alyeksandr Skryabin (16) makes his debut as composer-pianist at the Great Hall of the Noblemen (Hall of Columns of Union House).

    22 December 1892 Excerpts from Gustav Holst’s (18) operetta Lansdown Castle are performed for the first time, in the Assembly Rooms, Cheltenham conducted by the composer.  See 7 February 1893.

    22 December 1894 The lowest and highest natures of the French character are exhibited on the same day.  After a four-day secret court martial, Captain Alfred Dreyfus is found guilty of betraying military secrets and is sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil’s Island, French Guiana.  In the evening, Prélude a l’après-midi d’un faune, a tone poem by Claude Debussy (32) after Mallarmé, is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.  The work is cheered by audience and orchestra and is encored.  The poet, who is in attendance, is pleased.  The critics are mixed.

    22 December 1906 Alyeksandr Glazunov (41) conducts the premiere of his Symphony no.8 in St. Petersburg.

    22 December 1917 Two new carols by Hubert Parry (69) are performed for the first time, in London:  I sang the birth, and Welcome Yule.

    22 December 1922 A suite from Igor Stravinsky’s (40) ballet Pulcinella, prepared by the composer, is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    22 December 1925 Incidental music to Sargent’s play The Reveller by Charles Martin Loeffler (64) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    22 December 1927 The Second Piano Concerto of Willem Pijper (33) is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam the composer at the piano.

    22 December 1929 Divertissement for orchestra by Sergey Prokofiev (38) is performed for the first time, in Paris under the baton of the composer.

    22 December 1931 Incidental music to von Wangenheim’s play Die Mausefalle by Stefan Wolpe (29) is performed for the first time, in the Kleines Theater Unter Den Linden, Berlin.  It will have 120 performances in Berlin before touring Germany and Switzerland.

    22 December 1934 Incidental music to Déval’s play Marie Galante by Kurt Weill (34) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de Paris.  It is a failure.

    22 December 1938 An orchestral suite from the incidental music to Egyptian Nights op.61 by Sergey Prokofiev (47) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    22 December 1939 Of Mice and Men, a film with music by Aaron Copland (39), is shown for the first time, in Hollywood.  The composer attends the premiere.

    22 December 1947 Three Madrigals for violin and viola by Bohuslav Martinu (57) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    22 December 1948 Four Excursions op.20 for piano by Samuel Barber (38) are performed completely for the first time, in New York Times Hall.  See 4 January 1945.

    Concert Music for orchestra by Robert Ward (31) is performed for the first time, in Strong Vincent Auditorium, Erie, Pennsylvania.

    22 December 1960 Samuel Barber’s (50) orchestral work Die natali is performed for the first time, in Symphony Hall, Boston.

    22 December 1970 Villancicos y canciones de Navidad for soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra by Joaquín Rodrigo (69) to words of Victoria Kamhi (Sra. Rodrigo) is performed for the first time, in Iglesia de San Marcelo, León.

    22 December 1981 After a brief service, about 150 people, mostly his communist comrades, accompany the body of Cornelius Cardew to its final rest in Manor Park Cemetery, London.  They sing Immortal Sacrifice and The Internationale.

    22 December 1982 The Lamb for chorus by John Tavener (38) to words of Blake is performed for the first time, in Winchester Cathedral.  The response to this performance and a broadcast on Christmas Eve is overwhelmingly positive.

    22 December 1987 God Is with Us for male voice, chorus, and organ by John Tavener (43) to words of the Greek Orthodox liturgy is performed for the first time, in Winchester Cathedral.

    22 December 2005 Sebastian im Traum for orchestra by Hans Werner Henze (79) is performed for the first time, in the Concertgebouw, Amsterdam.

    22 December 2007 A concert in memory of Karlheinz Stockhausen takes place in the Sülztalhalle, Kürten.

    23 December

    23 December 1754 Lauda Jerusalem, a motet by François André Danican-Philidor (28) is performed for the first time, in the Chapel at Versailles during a mass attended by the King and Queen.  The Queen dispproves, finding it “too Italian.”

    23 December 1793 Maximilian Franz, Elector-Archbishop of Cologne writes to Joseph Haydn (61) claiming that all Beethoven’s (23) music he sent on 23 November, save one, was written before the young man left Bonn and could not be considered progress.  He refuses to increase Beethoven’s allowance.  His Eminence strongly suggests that Beethoven has wasted his time and His Eminence’s money and should return to Bonn.  This is seen as an important impetus for Beethoven to seek his fortune in Vienna.

    23 December 1797 The Variations on La ci darem la mano WoO28 for two oboes and english horn by Ludwig van Beethoven (27) are performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    23 December 1806 Ludwig van Beethoven’s (36) Concerto for violin and orchestra op.61 is performed for the first time, in the Theater-an-der-Wien, Vienna.  Since the music is not ready until the last minute, the soloist, Franz Clement, reads the solo part with only minimal preparation.

    23 December 1808 Sinfonia in D by Gioachino Rossini (16) is performed for the first time, in the Bologna Accademia Polimniaca.

    23 December 1812 Jephtas Gelübde, an opera by Meyer Beer (Giacomo Meyerbeer) (21) to words of Schreiber, is performed for the first time, in the Court Theatre, Munich.  Although nervous and troubled leading up to today, the composer is greatly pleased by the outcome.  However, it is not well received.

    23 December 1816 Having sat up most of the night in Rome going through possible opera scenarios, the impresario Pietro Cartoni, the librettist Jacopo Ferretti and the composer Gioachino Rossini (24) finally settle on Cinderella.

    23 December 1822 Opferlied op.121b by Ludwig van Beethoven (52) is performed for the first time, in Pressburg (Bratislava).

    23 December 1828 A well-attended memorial service for Franz Schubert takes place in the Augustinerkirche.  This is followed by a Schubert concert at the home of Joseph von Spaun.  Johann Micheal Vogl sings some of the composer’s last, unperformed works, including Die Brieftaube and Der Doppelgänger.

    23 December 1832 An 18-page biography of Hector Berlioz (29) appears in the Revue de Paris.  Signed by Joseph d’Ortigue, it is written mostly by the subject.

    23 December 1841 Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (36) completes Das Jahr, a cycle of 12 piano pieces in honor of the months of the year.  Only one will be published during her lifetime.  (The entire cycle will finally be edited and published in 1989.)

    23 December 1846 Giacomo Meyerbeer (55) attends a soiree in Vienna where Clara Schumann (27) is also present.  “I could not greet her, since she is the wife of a man who has persecuted me with such malice, but I very much applauded her piano playing, and said brava as she passed me.”

    23 December 1847 Samuel Sebastian Wesley (37) meets with a serious accident on the River Rye, near Duncombe Park in North Yorkshire.  Accounts vary on how the injury was received, but all agree that Wesley suffers a compound fracture in one leg.  He will be confined in The Black Swan, an inn in Helmsley, for six months, unable to do much of anything except composing.

    23 December 1857 Träume for violin and small orchestra by Richard Wagner (44) is performed for the first time, in Zürich, outside Otto Wesendonck’s villa, on the birthday of Mathilde Wesendonck.  This is an arrangement of the fifth of the Wesendonck lieder.  See 30 July 1862.

    23 December 1861 All go unto one place for chorus and organ by Samuel Sebastian Wesley (61) is performed for the first time, at a commemorative service for Prince Albert in Winchester Cathedral, the composer at the keyboard.

    23 December 1866 Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov’s (22) Overture on Three Russian Themes is performed for the first time, at the Free School of Music, St. Petersburg.

    23 December 1880 A setting of the Stabat mater for solo voices, chorus, and orchestra by Antonin Dvorák (39) is performed for the first time, in Prague.

    23 December 1882 Four the the Sept mélodies op.2 by Ernest Chausson (27) are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris:  Nanny and Le colibri to words of Leconte de Lisle, Sérénade italienne to words of Bourget, and La dernière feuille, to words of Gautier.

    23 December 1884 Psalm 23 op.3 for soprano, female chorus, organ, and harp by Horatio Parker (21) is performed for the first time, in the Königliche Musikhochschule, Munich.

    23 December 1886 In Monza, a son is born to Giacomo Puccini and his lover, Elvira Bonturi Gemignani, whose husband is a merchant in Lucca, a day after the composer’s 28th birthday.

    23 December 1891 Antonín Dvorák (50) signs a two-year contract to direct the National Conservatory of Music in New York.

    23 December 1893 Hänsel und Gretel, a Märschenoper by Engelbert Humperdinck (39) to words of A. Wette, H. Wette, and the composer after Grimm, is performed for the first time, in the Weimar Court Theatre, conducted by Richard Strauss (29).  It is an instant success.

    23 December 1901 Gustav Mahler (41) and Alma Schindler become engaged, before her guardians, Carl and Anna Moll, at their home in Vienna.

    23 December 1906 Ross Lee Finney is born in Wells, Minnesota, the youngest of three children born to Ross L. Finney, a minister, and Caroline Mitchell, who has a degree in music.

    23 December 1911 In the Great Nobleman’s Hall, Moscow, Alyeksandr Skryabin (39) and Sergey Rakhmaninov (38) perform a joint concert.  Skryabin plays the first half as pianist while Rakhmaninov conducts in the second half.  The audience is filled with partisans of the two who see the evening as a rivalry between the performers and each other.  The antagonists are a microcosm of Russian artistic thought:  Slavophiles follow Rakhmaninov while cosmopolitans support Skryabin.

    Das Mirakel, a pantomime by Engelbert Humperdinck (57) to a story of von Heisterbach and Maeterlinck, is performed for the first time, at the Olympia Theatre, London.

    23 December 1912 Poème-Nocturne op.61 for piano by Alyeksandr Skryabin (40) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg by the composer.

    Incidental music to Maeterlinck’s play (tr. Epstein) Der blaue Vogel by Engelbert Humperdinck (58) is performed for the first time, in the Deutsches Theater, Berlin.

    23 December 1913 Edward Elgar (56) signs an agreement with the publisher WW Elkin for two short pieces.  For the first time, an Elgar contract includes the clause:  “Two-thirds of net royalties received in respect of mechanical instrument reproduction to be paid to the Composer.”  It is his first recording contract.

    23 December 1919 The Birthday of the Infanta, a ballet-pantomime by John Alden Carpenter (43) after Wilde, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.  It is an immediate public and critical success.

    23 December 1921 Krazy Kat, a jazz pantomime by John Alden Carpenter (45), is performed for the first time, in a concert setting, in Orchestra Hall, Chicago.  See 20 January 1922.

    23 December 1934 George Gershwin (36) concludes his 30-minute radio program on Sunday nights, “Music by Gershwin.”  It has aired since 30 September.

    23 December 1935 The First Shoot, a ballet by William Walton (33), is performed for the first time, as part of Cochran’s revue Follow the Sun, in the Manchester Opera House.

    23 December 1937 Alyeksandr Vasilyevich Mosolov (37) enters a Soviet labor camp.

    23 December 1945 O Dame Get Up and Bake your Pies for piano by Arnold Bax (62) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Third Programme.

    23 December 1952 Twelve of the 24 Preludes and Fugues op.87 for piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (46) are performed for the first time, in Glinka Hall, Leningrad.

    Hans Abrahamsen is born in Copenhagen.

    23 December 1961 Something Wild, a film with music by Aaron Copland (61), is shown for the first time, in New York.  Originally, Morton Feldman (35) was hired to write the score but was fired when he wrote music in E flat major for string quartet and celesta for a rape scene.

    23 December 1962 Mobile for piano by Leslie Bassett (39) is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    23 December 1963 Shulamit Ran (14) performs the world premiere of her Capriccio for piano and orchestra, directed by Leonard Bernstein (45) on one of Bernstein’s televised Young People’s Concerts.

    23 December 1970 A Message to Denmark Hill for baritone, flute, cello, and piano by Charles Wuorinen (32) to words of Howard is performed publicly for the first time, at the New York Cultural Center, the composer at the keyboard.  See 20 October 1970.

    23 December 1974 Suite on Verses of Michelangelo op.145, a cycle for bass and piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (68) to words translated by Efros, is performed for the first time, in Glinka Concert Hall, Leningrad.  It is a great success with the public.

    23 December 1989 Leonard Bernstein (71) leads Beethoven’s (†162) Symphony no.9 in the Kaiser Wilhelm Kirche, West Berlin to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall.  The performance is timed to end at midnight, when West Germans no longer need visas to enter East Germany.

    23 December 1991 Ernst Krenek dies of respiratory failure in a hospital in Palm Springs, California, aged 91 years and four months.

    23 December 1997 Peter Maxwell Davies (63) arrives at the Rothera Research Station where he will stay one month in preparation to compose an “Antarctic” symphony.  The work is commissioned by the Philharmonia Orchestra and the British Antarctic Survey.

    23 December 2006 Unto Us is Born a Son for chorus by John Harbison (68) is performed for the first time, in St. Thomas’ Church, New York.

    24 December

    24 December 1755 Regina coeli, a petit motet by Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (44), is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    24 December 1769 A French royal decree forbids theater audiences to “commit any disorder when entering or leaving; to shout or make a noise before the show begins, or in the entr’actes, to whistle, boo, wear a hat, or interrupt the actors during performances, in whatever manner and on whatever pretext.”

    24 December 1781 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (25) and Muzio Clementi (29) take part in a piano playing contest before Emperor Joseph II and Grand Duke Pavel of Russia (later Tsar Pavel I) and the Grand Duchess.  They are both required to improvise and play some of their own music.  The Grand Duchess then requests that they play at sight sonatas by Paisiello (41).  Mozart is judged to be the winner, but not by much.  It is the first time the two composers meet.

    24 December 1791 Joseph Haydn (59) dines with his former student, Ignaz Pleyel (34) in London.  Pleyel arrived in London yesterday to take up position as composer for the Professional Concert series staged in competition with the Haydn-Salomon concerts.

    24 December 1793 Singt ihr Erlösten for chorus and strings by Johannes Herbst (58) is performed for the first time.

    24 December 1815 The first concert of the Boston Handel and Haydn Society takes place at King’s Chapel, Boston.  Excerpts from the works of the two namesakes are performed by about 100 men and women singers with organ and 12 other instrumentalists.

    24 December 1818 In the St. Nikolaus Kirche in Oberndorf, near Salzburg, the local organist, Franz Gruber, performs his composition Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht at mass.  The assistant priest, Joseph Mohr, wrote the words two years ago but gave it to Gruber only this afternoon.  Mohr sings the tenor part and plays guitar while Gruber sings the bass part.

    24 December 1824 Carl August Peter Cornelius is born in Mainz, fourth of six children born to Carl Joseph Gerhard Cornelius and Friederike Schradtke, both actors.

    24 December 1827 A document is registered in the name of Nicolò Paganini (45) in which he agrees to pay an annuity to Antonia Bianchi, the mother of his son.

    A Kindersymphonie by Felix Mendelssohn (18) for his sister Rebecka is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    24 December 1828 A second Kindersymphonie by Felix Mendelssohn (19) is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    24 December 1834 Robert Schumann (24) buys all publication rights to the Neue Leipziger Zeitschrift für Musik making him the sole owner.

    Little more than a year after he entered the Paris Conservatoire, Jacques Offenbach (15) is officially removed from the list of students, voluntarily.

    24 December 1835 An opinion of the Committee on Finance finds that the annuity promised to Gioachino Rossini (43) by King Charles X and withheld by the new regime can now be afforded by the French government.  The Ministry of Finance decides to drop its case against Rossini and pay the annuity retroactive to 1 July 1830.  The composer is now set for life.

    24 December 1837 A second child, Francesca Gaetana Cosima, is born to Franz Liszt (26) and Countess Marie d’Agoult, at Hotel dell’Angelo, Como, while they are on their extended tour of Switzerland and Italy.

    24 December 1843 A setting of Psalm 2 for solo voices and chorus by Felix Mendelssohn (34) is performed for the first time, in Berlin along with the first performance of his Frohlocket, ihr Völker for double chorus.

    24 December 1860 Barkouf, an opéra-bouffe by Jacques Offenbach (41) to words of Scribe and Boisseaux, is performed for the first time, at the Opéra-Comique, Paris.

    24 December 1864 Incidental music to Hippolyte and Théodore Cogniard’s féerie La Fille de l’air by Jacques Offenbach (45) is performed for the first time, at the Folies-Dramatiques, Paris.

    24 December 1865 Edvard Grieg (22) meets Henrik Ibsen for the first time, in Rome.

    24 December 1867 Edvard Grieg (24) and his wife spend Christmas Eve in Christiania (Oslo) with the great author and poet Bjørnsterne Bjørnson.  He brings the first volume of his Lyric Pieces op.12 as a present and plays some of them for him.  Bjørnson is so taken by the last one he resolves to write words for it.  This will happen within two days.

    24 December 1871 Aida, an opera by Giuseppe Verdi (58) to words of Ghislanzoni after Mariette, is performed for the first time, at the Cairo Opera House.  It is very successful.  The composer is not present.

    24 December 1877 Willkommen in Wahnfried, du heil’ger Christ for children’s chorus by Richard Wagner (64) is performed for the first time, in Bayreuth, for Cosima at Wahnfried.

    24 December 1880 Ernest Chausson (25) is officially admitted to the Paris Conservatoire.

    Claude Debussy (18) enters the composition class of Ernest Guiraud at the Paris Conservatoire.

    24 December 1887 The Melpomene Overture by George Whitefield Chadwick (33) is performed for the first time, in the Music Hall, Boston.

    24 December 1893 Our Father for chorus by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (†0) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    O Mother of God, Vigilantly Praying for chorus by Sergey Rakhmaninov (20) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    24 December 1896 Triumphal Overture by Anton Rubinstein (†2) is performed for the first time, for the opening of a new building for St. Petersburg Conservatory.  Tsar Nikolay II is supposed to be in attendance but he leaves before the music, being bored by an address by Cesar Cui (61).

    24 December 1903 The first performance of Parsifal outside Bayreuth takes place at the Metropolitan Opera New York over the objections of the Wagner (†20) family.

    24 December 1906 Canadian inventor Reginald A. Fessenden makes the first public broadcast of voice and music from Brant Rock, Massachusetts.  The letters CQ are followed by a song, a poem, a violin solo, and a speech.

    24 December 1921 A funeral mass is celebrated in the Madeleine, Paris to the memory of Camille Saint-Saëns.  Two battalions of soldiers are called out to hold back the crowds.  The Archbishop of Paris officiates and the music is by Charles Gounod (†28), Gabriel Fauré (76), and Saint-Saëns.  The body is transported to Montparnasse Cemetery where, after orations, it is laid to rest.

    24 December 1931 Mauricio Raúl Kagel is born in Buenos Aires, the fourth and last child born to Jewish immigrants who fled Russia in 1922.  The father, a printer, met his wife in Buenos Aires.

    24 December 1935 01:15  Alban Maria Johannes Berg dies in Vienna of general septicaemia presumably resulting from an insect bite, aged 50 years, ten months, and 15 days.

    24 December 1944 American band leader Glenn Miller is reported missing over the English Channel.

    Poet’s Christmas is broadcast as a feature over the airwaves of the BBC Home Service.  It includes first performances of Michael Tippett’s (39) motet for soprano and chorus The Weeping Babe to words of Edith Sitwell and A Shepherd’s Carol by Benjamin Britten (31) to words of Auden and also Britten’s Chorale after an Old French Carol to words of Auden.

    24 December 1949 The Christmas Story for vocal soloists, chorus, brass, timpani, and strings by Peter Mennin (26) to words from the Bible is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of radio station WABC, New York.

    24 December 1951 Amahl and the Night Visitors, an opera by Gian-Carlo Menotti (40) to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the NBC television network.  See 21 February 1952.

    24 December 1952 Carlos Chávez (53) is made an Officer in the French Legion of Honor.

    24 December 1961 The Saintmaker’s Christmas Eve, with music by Norman Dello Joio (48), is shown in a special broadcast over ABC television.

    24 December 1976 Rubáiyát, a canata for solo voice and chamber orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina (45) to words of medieval Persian poets (tr. Derzhavin), is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  Up to the opening down beat, no one is sure if the authorities will let it be heard.

    24 December 1977 King Herod and the Cock for chorus by William Walton (75) to anonymous words, is performed for the first time, in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge.

    24 December 1984 Peter Maxwell Davies’ (50) choral work One Star, At Last is performed for the first time, in King’s College Chapel, Cambridge for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

    24 December 1988 The Birthday of Thy King for chorus by Peter Sculthorpe (59), to words of Vaughan, is performed for the first time, during the Festival of Nine Lesson and Carols at King’s College, Cambridge.

    24 December 1989 Carol for St. Steven for chorus by Alexander Goehr (57) is performed for the first time, at King’s College, Cambridge.

    Several works by John Harbison (51) are performed for the first time, in Rochester, New York:  Christmas Vespers for narrator and brass quintet, Little Fantasy on The Twelve Days of Christmas for brass quintet, Two Choral Preludes for Advent for brass quintet, and The Three Wise Men for brass quintet and narrator.

    24 December 1990 Mother of God and Virgin for chorus by Arvo Pärt (55) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge.

    24 December 2005 Away in a Manger for chorus by John Tavener (61) is performed for the first time, in King’s College, Cambridge.

    24 December 2013 Hear the Voice of the Bard for chorus by Thea Musgrave (85) is performed for the first time, during the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at Kings College Cambridge.

    25 December

    25 December 1583 Orlando Gibbons is baptized in Oxford.

    25 December 1686 Giovanni Battista Somis is born in Turin.

    25 December 1711 Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville is baptized in Narbonne.

    25 December 1728 Johann Adam Hiller is born in Wendisch-Ossig, near Görlitz.

    25 December 1745 Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges is born in Baillif, Guadeloupe.

    25 December 1754 The cantata Was frag ich nach der Welt TWV I:  508 by Georg Philipp Telemann (73) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    25 December 1755 The cantata Siehe, ich verkündige euch TWV I:  1333 by Georg Philipp Telemann (74) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    25 December 1756 The cantata Ehre sey Gott in der Höhe TWV I:  411 by Georg Philipp Telemann (75) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    25 December 1757 The cantata Tönet die Freude TWV I:  1410 by Georg Philipp Telemann (76) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    25 December 1758 The cantata Es jauchzen die Engel TWV I:  517 by Georg Philipp Telemann (77) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    25 December 1759 The cantata Hier schläft es TWV I:  797 by Georg Philipp Telemann (78) to words of Ramler, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    25 December 1760 The cantata Auf Zion TWV 1:  109 by Georg Philipp Telemann (79) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.

    25 December 1777 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (21) dates his Flute Quartet K.285 in Mannheim.

    25 December 1781 Some or all of the String Quartets op.33 by Joseph Haydn (49) are performed publicly for the first time, at the Vienna home of Countess von Norden.  They may have been performed earlier at Esterháza.

    25 December 1808 Johann Nepomuk Hummel (30) is dismissed from the service of Prince Nikolas Esterházy.  The reason is that he did not give enough attention to his duties, in favor of composing for the theatre in Vienna.  Hummel asks to be reinstated, and he is.

    25 December 1815 Meeresstille und glückliche Fahrt, a cantata by Ludwig van Beethoven (45) to words of Goethe, is performed for the first time, in the großen Redoutensaal, Vienna along with the premiere of his overture Namensfeier.

    25 December 1816 Carl Maria von Weber (30) is informed by letter in Berlin that he has been appointed Kapellmeister to the King of Saxony in Dresden.  He is appointed in an attempt to equate German opera with the Italian opera dominant in the city.

    25 December 1823 Two works for chorus and organ by Samuel Wesley (57) are performed for the first time, in St. Paul’s Cathedral, London:  Magnificat and Nunc dimittis.

    25 December 1830 An overture in B flat “Drumbeat Overture” WWV 10 by Richard Wagner (17) is performed for the first time, in the Royal Saxon Hoftheater, Leipzig.  It is Wagner’s public debut as a composer.

    25 December 1831 Concert Overture no.1 in d WWV 20 by Richard Wagner (18) is performed for the first time, in the Royal Saxon Hoftheater, Leipzig.

    25 December 1832 Piano Concerto no.7 by John Field (50) is performed completely for the first time.

    25 December 1834 Franz Liszt (23) and Frédéric Chopin (24) appear jointly at Stoepel’s Music School, Paris, playing Moscheles Grand Duo for piano four hands and Liszt’s own Grosses Konzertstück über Mendelssohns Lieder ohne Worte.

    25 December 1835 A royal decree grants Nicolò Paganini (53) complete control of music in the Duchy of Parma.

    25 December 1846 Franz Schubert’s (†18) Kyrie in Bb D.45 is performed for the first time, as part of Ferdinand Schubert’s Mass in B flat, in the Anna-Kirche, Vienna.

    25 December 1857 John Knowles Paine (18) is involved in his first concert with the Haydn Association of Portland, Maine.  It is a performance of Messiah by George Frideric Handel (†98) and Paine plays the entire orchestral score at the organ.

    25 December 1858 Oratorio de Noël for chorus, strings, harp and organ by Camille Saint-Saëns (23) to words from the Vulgate Bible is performed for the first time, in the Madeleine, Paris.

    25 December 1864 Around this time, Edvard Grieg (21) is secretly engaged to his cousin, Nina Hagerup.  When she learns of it, Nina’s mother remarks, “He is nothing and he has nothing and he writes music that nobody wants to listen to.”

    25 December 1870 The Siegfried Idyll WWV 103 (originally titled Symphony) for small orchestra by Richard Wagner (57) is performed for the first time, on the stairs outside Cosima’s room at Tribschen.  The composer has assembled local musicians to perform the work as a birthday-Christmas present to his wife.

    Corporal Vincent d’Indy (19) spends Christmas night with his battalion in Issy in a tent in -10°C weather “with a layer of ice for a mattress and a heap of snow for a pillow.”

    25 December 1873 Kinder-Katechismus zu Kosels Geburtstag “Sagt mir Kinder, was blüht am Maitag” for solo voice, children’s choir, and piano by Richard Wagner (60) is performed for the first time, at Bayreuth.  Wagner has it sung by children in the room next to their bedroom so Cosima can hear it when she awakes.

    25 December 1875 In Gloucester Cathedral, Samuel Sebastian Wesley (65) plays the organ for the last time, for Choral Evensong.

    25 December 1878 The Prelude to Richard Wagner’s (65) unperformed music drama Parsifal is performed for the first time, at Wahnfried in Bayreuth, for the birthday of the composer’s wife, Cosima.  See 26 July 1882.

    25 December 1880 Ihr Kinder, geschwinde, geschwinde for children’s voices by Richard Wagner (67) is performed for the first time, at Wahnfried in Bayreuth.

    25 December 1881 O heilige Nacht for tenor, female chorus, and organ by Franz Liszt (70) is performed for the first time, in Rome.

    25 December 1888 Il est né le divin enfant for children’s choir and instruments by Gabriel Fauré (43) is performed for the first time, in the Madeleine, Paris.

    25 December 1892 Andante for violin, viola, cello, and organ by Albert Roussel (23) is performed for the first time, in the Church of the Trinity, Cherbourg.

    Charles Villiers Stanford (40) concludes his tenure as organist at Trinity Chapel, Cambridge.

    25 December 1902 The opera Kaschey the Immortal by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (58), to his own words, after Petrovsky, is performed for the first time, at the Solodovnikov Theatre, Moscow.

    Charles Martin Loeffler (41) is allowed to see Fenway Court, the home of Isabella Stewart Gardner in Boston, before its official opening on New Year’s Day.  “That revelation...I shall not forget as long as I can think.  I seemed to have dropped out of the clouds when I reached Huntington Avenue.”

    25 December 1907 Two Romances op.6 for voice and piano by Igor Stravinsky (25) to words of Gorodetsky are performed for the first time, privately, at the home of Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (63) in St. Petersburg.  See 22 January 1908.

    25 December 1908 Elvira Puccini (wife of Giacomo Puccini (50)) publicly confronts her servant Doria Manfredi, accusing her of an affair with her husband.

    25 December 1913 Piano Sonata no.10 op.70 by Alyeksandr Skryabin (41) is performed for the first time, in Moscow by the composer.

    25 December 1929 The second version of Strike Up the Band, an operetta with a book by Ryskind, after Kaufman, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by George Gershwin (31), is performed for the first time, in Boston.  See 5 September 1927 and 14 January 1930.

    25 December 1931 Delicious, a film with music by George Gershwin (33), opens in New York and several other cities in the United States.  See 3 December 1931.

    25 December 1934 Cello Sonata op.40 by Dmitri Shostakovich (28) is performed for the first time, in Leningrad Conservatory Malyi Hall, the composer at the piano.

    25 December 1936 By Strauss, a song by George Gershwin (38) to words of Ira Gershwin, is performed for the first time as part of the revue The Show is On at the Winter Garden Theatre, New York.

    25 December 1937 The first concert of the NBC Symphony Orchestra is broadcast from New York, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

    25 December 1947 Incidental music to the radio play Men of Goodwill by Benjamin Britten (34) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC Home Service.

    25 December 1950 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play King Lear by Marc Blitzstein (45) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    25 December 1960 An episode of the CBS television series The Twentieth Century entitled “Admiral Byrd” with music by Ulysses Kay (43) is shown for the first time, over the airwaves of the network.

    25 December 1967 Line of Apogee, a film with music by Vladimir Ussachevsky (56) is shown for the first time, at the International Experimental Film Festival in Belgium.

    Christmas at the Cloisters for chorus and piano by John Corigliano (29) to words of Hoffman is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the NBC television network.

    25 December 1978 Three works for chorus by Ned Rorem (55) are performed for the first time, in St. Stephens’, New York:  O magnum mysterium, The Oxen to words of Hardy, and Shout the Glad Tidings to words of the Muhlenberg Hymnal.

    25 December 1989 10:30  Leonard Bernstein (71) leads Beethoven’s (†162) Symphony no.9 in the Schauspielhaus, East Berlin to celebrate the fall of the Berlin Wall.

    25 December 1997 Kundun, a film with music by Philip Glass (60), is released in the United States.

    25 December 2005 Carol:  An Heavenly Song for chorus and organ by Peter Maxwell Davies (71) to an anonymous medieval text is performed for the first time, in the Chapel Royal, London.

    25 December 2006 Notes on a Scandal, a film with music by Philip Glass (69), is released in the United States.

    25 December 2007 Carol:  The Yule-tide Bell for chorus by Peter Maxwell Davies (73) is performed for the first time, at St. James’ Palace, London.

    26 December

    26 December 1752 La calamità de’ cuori, a dramma giocoso by Baldassare Galuppi (46) to words of Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Samuele, Venice.

    Antigono, a pasticcio arranged by Chiesa, with ballet music by Giovanni Battista Sammartini (51), is performed for the first time, in the Royal Ducal Palace, Milan.

    26 December 1753 Ciro in Armenia by Agnesi-Pinottini, with ballet music by Giovanni Battista Sammartini (52), is performed for the first time, in the Royal Ducal Palace, Milan.

    Niccolò Jommelli’s (39) opera seria Bajazette, to words of Piovene, is performed for the first time, in the Royal Theatre, Turin.

    26 December 1758 Demofoonte, a dramma per musica by Antonio Ferradini to words of Metastasio, and containing one aria by Johann Christian Bach (23), is performed for the first time, in Milan.

    26 December 1759 Ciro riconosciuto, an opera seria by Niccoló Piccinni (31) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    26 December 1760 Artaserse, an opera by Johann Christian Bach (25) to words after Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Regio, Turin.    This will greatly enhance Bach’s reputation as a composer.

    26 December 1762 Baldassare Galuppi’s (56) dramma giocoso Il puntiglio amoroso to words of Gozzi is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.

    26 December 1763 L’Issipile, a pasticcio with music by several composers including Domenico Scarlatti (†6), Johann Adolf Hasse (64), Baldassare Galuppi (57), Tommaso Traetta (36), and Johann Christian Bach (28), is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples.

    A second version of Ezio, a dramma per musica by Christoph Willibald Gluck (49) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Burgtheater.  The ballet music is by Florian Leopold Gassmann (34).

    26 December 1764 La partenza il ritorno de’ marinari, a dramma giocoso by Baldassare Galuppi (58), is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.

    Il nuovo Orlando, an opera buffa by Niccolò Piccinni (36) to words after Ariosti, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Rangoni, Modena.

    26 December 1767 Christoph Willibald Gluck’s (53) tragedy Alceste, to words of Calzibigi after Euripedes, is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.  It is not well received.  See 23 April 1776.

    26 December 1770 Mitridate, rè di Ponto K.87, a dramma per musica by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (14) to words of Cigna-Santi after Parini and Racine, is performed for the first time, in the Regio Ducal Teatro, Milan, the composer at the keyboard.  Including ballets by other composers, it lasts six hours.  The opera succeeds, winning 22 performances.

    26 December 1771 Giovanni Paisiello’s (31) dramma per musica Artaserse to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, at the Ducal court, Modena.

    26 December 1772 Lucio Silla K.135, a dramma per musica by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (16) to words of de Gamerra, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Regio Ducal, Milan.  The curtain goes up late due to the tardy arrival of Archduke Ferdinand, and the production lasts six hours.  Despite the inauspicious premiere, it will run for 26 performances.

    The Pigmy Revels, or Harlequin Foundling, a pantomime by Thomas Augustine Arne (62) to words of Messink, is performed for the first time, in the Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    26 December 1773 Alessandro nell’Indie, a dramma serio by Giovanni Paisiello (33) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, at the court of Modena.

    26 December 1774 Olimpiade, a dramma per musica by Pasquale Anfossi (47) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice.

    26 December 1778 Quinto Fabio, a dramma serio by Dmitri Stepanovich Bortnyansky (27) to words of Zeno, is performed for the first time, in the Court Theatre, Modena.

    26 December 1782 La Circe, a dramma per musica by Domenico Cimarosa (33) to words of Perelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Naples.

    26 December 1784 L’Idalide, an opera seria by Luigi Cherubini (24) to words of Moretti, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Pergola, Florence.

    Domenico Cimarosa’s (35) dramma per musica Artaserse to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Regio, Turin.

    26 December 1787 Le prisonnier anglais, an opéra-comique by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (46) to words of Desfontaines (pseud. of Fouques) is performed for the first time, at the Comédie-Italienne.

    26 December 1789 Zenobia di Palmira, a dramma per musica by Pasquale Anfossi (62) to words of Sertor, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice.

    26 December 1790 On St. Stephen’s Day, Franz Joseph Haydn (58) and Johann Peter Solomon attend mass in Bonn where one of his masses is performed by the musicians Elector Maximilian Franz.  Afterwards, the Elector introduces Haydn to his musicians, including Ludwig van Beethoven (20).  He then provides all of them with a dinner.

    26 December 1794 Penelope, a dramma per musica by Domenico Cimarosa (44) to words of Diodati, is performed for the first time, in Teatro del Fondo, Naples.

    26 December 1796 Missa in tempore belli by Joseph Haydn (64) is performed for the first time, in the Piaristenkirche, Josephstadt, a suburb of Vienna, directed by the composer.

    Gli Orazi ed i curiazi, a tragedia per musica by Domenico Cimarosa (47) to words of Sografi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

    26 December 1800 Gli sciti, a dramma per musica by Johann Simon Mayr (37) to words of Rossi after Voltaire, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

    26 December 1801 I virtuosi, a farsa by Simon Mayr (38) to words of Rossi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Luca, Venice.

    26 December 1803 11:00  Franz Joseph Haydn (71) makes his last appearance as conductor, directing his The Seven Last Words in the Redoutensaal, Vienna.

    Alonso e Cora, a dramma per musica by Simon Mayr (40) to words of Bernardoni after Marmontel, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    26 December 1805 Gli americani, a melodramma eroico by Johann Simon Mayr (42) to words of Rossi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

    26 December 1810 Raùl di Créqui, a melodramma serio by Simon Mayr (47) to words of Romanelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    26 December 1812 Tamerlano, a melodramma seria by Johann Simon Mayr (49) to words of Romanelli after Voltaire, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    26 December 1813 Aureliano in Palmira, a dramma serio by Gioachino Rossini (21) to words of Romani after Sertor, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  Unfortunately, the effort meets with a cool reception.

    26 December 1814 Gioachino Rossini’s (22) dramma Sigismondo to words of Foppa is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.  It is greeted with mass yawning.

    26 December 1815 Gioachino Rossini’s (23) dramma semiserio Torvaldo e Dorliska to words of Sterbini after Coudry, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Valle, Rome.  It is not well received.

    26 December 1817 Lanassa, a melodramma eroico by Johann Simon Mayr (54) to words of Rossi and Merelli after Lemierre, is performed for the first time, in Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

    26 December 1819 Il falegname di Livonia, o Petro il grande, czar delle Russie, an opera buffa by Gaetano Donizetti (22) to words of Bevilacqua-Aldobrandini after Duval, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Samuele, Venice.

    Gioachino Rossini’s (27) melodramma Bianca e Falliero, ossia Il consiglio dei tre to words of Romani after Arnault, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  It is received indifferently.

    26 December 1820 Fedra, a melodramma serio by Simon Mayr (57) to words of Romanelli, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    26 December 1827 A Piano Trio, either D.898 or D.929, by Franz Schubert (30) is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    26 December 1829 Two new works by the Mendelssohn siblings are performed for the first time, at the Berlin home of the composers’ parents, in honor of their silver wedding anniversary:  Die Heimkehr aus der Fremde, a liederspiel by Felix Mendelssohn (20) to words of Klingemann, and Festspiel for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra by Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel (24) to words of her husband, Wilhelm Hensel.

    26 December 1830 Gaetano Donizetti's (33) tragedia lirica Anna Bolena to words of Romani after Pindemonte and Pepoli is performed for the first time, in Teatro Carcano, Milan.  Of the unusually warm reception Donizetti writes, “success, triumph, delerium.”  A traveling Russian, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (26), will remember “The performance was like magic for me.”

    26 December 1831 Vincenzo Bellini’s (30) tragedia lirica Norma to words of Romani after Soumet is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  Tonight’s production is a not well received, but later performances are most successful.

    26 December 1833 Gaetano Donizetti’s (36) melodramma Lucrezia Borgia to words of Romani after Hugo is performed for the first time, at Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  Both audience and critics give the work lukewarm approval.

    26 December 1834 Gaetano Donizetti’s (37) tragedia lirica Gemma di Vergy to words of Bidèra after Dumas is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    26 December 1837 True to its name, Teatro La Fenice reopens in Venice, a little over a year after burning down.

    Clara Wieck (18) plays before the Imperial court in Vienna.  She will be given the title Imperial Court Pianist by Emperor Ferdinand.

    26 December 1840 Otto Nicolai’s (30) melodramma Gildippe ed Odoardo to words of Solera after Tasso, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa.

    26 December 1841 Maria Padilla, a melodramma by Gaetano Donizetti (44) to words of Rossi and the composer after Ancelot, is performed for the first time, in Teatro alla Scala, Milan.

    26 December 1843 The Venice Carnival season begins with a performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s (30) I Lombardi.  It is a complete disaster.  The audience hates it.  “One of the truly classic fiascos”, writes the composer.

    26 December 1848 Neue Steiersche Tänze op.61 by Johann Strauss, Jr. (23) are performed for the first time, in Dommayer’s Casino, Heitzing.

    26 December 1852 Indra-Quadrille op.122 by Johann Strauss (27) is performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    Ode à Sainte-Cécile for solo voices, chorus and orchestra by Camille Saint-Saëns (17) is performed for the first time, in the Casino Paganini, Paris.  It is not well received.

    26 December 1854 Alliance-Marsch op.158 by Johann Strauss (29) is performed for the first time, in the Volksgarten, Vienna.

    26 December 1856 Sigisumund Thalberg (44) and Louis Moreau Gottschalk (27) perform a joint farewell concert in Niblo’s Saloon, New York.  Thalberg is leaving for New England while Gottschalk is about to begin a concert tour of Cuba.  They premiere a Grand Duo di bravura on Il Trovatore.

    26 December 1857 Nice à Stephanie, a cantata for soprano and chorus by Giacomo Meyerbeer (66) to words of Pillet, is performed for the first time, in Nice for the birthday of Archduchess Stephanie of Baden.

    26 December 1859 A Scherzo in F op.1 for orchestra by Cesar Cui (24) is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    26 December 1862 Richard Wagner (49) conducts music from his unperformed music-dramas Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, and Die Meistersinger in Vienna in a concert attended by Empress Elizabeth of Austria.

    26 December 1864 Kazachok, a fantasia for orchestra by Alyeksandr Dargomizhsky (51), is performed for the first time, in Brussels.

    26 December 1867 La jolie fille de Perth, an opéra by Georges Bizet (29) to words of Saint Georges and Adénis after Scott, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre-Lyrique, Paris.  The work is afforded an excellent reception and the press begin to take Bizet seriously, but the production is a financial failure.

    26 December 1871 Thespis, or The Gods Grown Old, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (29) to words of Gilbert, is performed for the first time, at the Gaiety Theatre, London.  The first night audience does not approve, it will never be revived, never published and the score will be lost.  But it does receive 64 performances.  This marks the first collaboration in the often stormy association of the two artists who will come to dominate the English musical stage.

    26 December 1874 Whittington, a grand-opéra-bouffe-féerie by Jacques Offenbach (55) to words of Nuitter, Tréfeu and Farnie, is performed for the first time, at the Alhambra Theatre, London.

    26 December 1880 Tragic Overture by Johannes Brahms (47) is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.  The audience gives it a cool reception.

    26 December 1884 Incidental music to Sardou’s play Théodora by Jules Massenet (42) is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre de la Porte St. Martin, Paris.

    26 December 1885 Die Wahrsagerin op.420, a polka mazur by Johann Strauss (60), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    26 December 1886 The symphonic poems Hamlet and Ophelia by Edward MacDowell (26) are performed together for the first time, in Wiesbaden.  See 4 November 1886.

    26 December 1895 Herrjemineh op.464, a polka française by Johann Strauss (70), is performed for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.

    26 December 1900 Enrico Caruso makes his debut at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, in Puccini’s (42) La Bohème.  The tenor is ill and the production is a disaster.

    26 December 1902 The Organ Concerto op.55 by Horatio Parker (39) is performed for the first time, in Boston, the composer as soloist.

    26 December 1915 After almost five years of marriage and three children, Anton von Webern (32) and his wife, finally having achieved papal dispensation to marry as first cousins, have their union solemnized by the Catholic Church at the Parish of Ober St. Veit, Vienna.  Father of the bride Gustav Mörtl and Arnold Schoenberg (41) are witnesses.

    26 December 1916 Golden Lane, the first 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 Smetana Hall, Prague.

    26 December 1926 Earle Appleton Brown is born in Lunenburg, Massachusetts.

    Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth by Granville Bantock (58) is performed for the first time, in London.

    Tapiola, a symponic poem by Jean Sibelius (61), is performed for the first time, in the Mecca Temple, New York.

    A masque with dancing, singing, and miming On Christmas Night, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (54), to words of Bolm and the composer, after Dickens, is performed for the first time, at the Eighth Street Theatre, Chicago.

    26 December 1929 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s (tr. Pourtalès) play The Tempest by Arthur Honegger (37) is performed for the first time, at the Monte Carlo Opera.

    26 December 1931 Of Thee I Sing, an operetta with a book by Kaufman and Ryskind, lyrics by Ira Gershwin and music by George Gershwin (33), is performed for the first time in New York, in the Music Box Theatre.  Its run of 441 performances is Gershwin’s greatest success in musical theatre.  See 8 December 1931.

    26 December 1936 The Palestine Symphony Orchestra gives its inaugural concert in Tel Aviv.

    26 December 1946 Beggar’s Holiday, a musical play with music by Duke Ellington (47) to words of LaTouche after Gay, is performed for the first time, in the Broadway Theatre, New York.

    26 December 1948 Ode in Memory of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin for orchestra by Aram Khachaturian (45) is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    26 December 1951 La Tour de Babel, a film with music by Arthur Honegger (59), is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    26 December 1959 Fantasy Quartet for four cellos by Gunther Schuller (34) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    26 December 1962 The “unofficial” premiere of Katerina Izmailova, the reworking of Dmitri Shostakovich’s (56) controversial opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, takes place at the Stanislavsky-Nemirovich-Danchenko Theatre, Moscow.  The performance is announced today for the first time, perhaps due to the desire of the government to test audience reaction before allowing an “official” premiere.  See 28 January 1936 and 8 January 1963.

    26 December 1976 Incidental music to Shaw’s play Caesar and Cleopatra by Alfred Schnittke (42) is performed for the first time, in Mossoviet Theatre, Moscow.  Also premiered is incidental music to Schiller’s dramatic poem Don Carlos by Schnittke.

    Symphony no.3 by Virgil Thomson (80) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York.

    26 December 1988 Twelve Penitential Psalms for chorus by Alfred Schnittke (54) to 16th century Russian poems are performed for the first time, in Moscow.  It is dedicated to the 1,000th anniversary of baptism in Russia.

    26 December 1989 The Wine Merchant Robin of Mere for male voices and piano by Harrison Birtwistle (55) to his own words, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC Radio 3.

    26 December 2002 The 170th and last broadcast of the complete music of Mikis Theodorakis (77) is given by Guy Wagner over the airwaves of Radio socio-culturelle, Luxembourg.  He has been at it since 6 May 1999.

    27 December

    27 December 1756 Mercury Harlequin, a pantomime by Thomas Augustine Arne (46) to words of Woodward, is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.

    27 December 1758 Buovo d’Antona, a dramma giocosa by Tommaso Traetta (31) to words of Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.

    27 December 1778 La scuola de gelosi, a dramma giocosa by Antonio Salieri (28) to words of Mazzolà, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.  The work achieves great success.

    27 December 1798 Two farsas by Johann Simon Mayr (35) to words of Mazzolà are performed for the first time, in Teatro San Benedetto, Venice:  Amor ingegnoso and L’ubbidienza per astuzia.

    27 December 1800 Étienne-Nicolas Méhul’s (37) comédie mêlée de musique Bion to words of Hoffman after de Lantier, is performed for the first time, in the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    27 December 1801 Nicolò Paganini (19) is appointed first violin in the national orchestra of the Republic of Lucca.

    27 December 1806 Samuel Wesley’s (40) third setting of Dixit Dominus, for three voices, is performed for the first time, at a meeting of the Concentores Society, London.

    27 December 1817 Gioachino Rossini’s (25) dramma Adelaide di Borgogna to words of Schmidt is performed for the first time, in Teatro Argentina, Rome.  It is greeted with almost unanimous disdain.

    27 December 1821 At a benefit for Gioachino Rossini (29) in the Teatro San Carlo, Naples, attended by King Ferdinando, the royal family, ministers and many members of the nobility, the composer’s cantata La riconoscenza to words of Genoino is performed for the first time.

    27 December 1824 Hector Berlioz’ (21) Messe en Grande Symphonie is rehearsed in the Church of St. Roch.  The parts prepared by the children of the choir are riddled with errors causing the musicians to give up.  A performance planned for tomorrow is cancelled.

    27 December 1841 Franz Liszt (30) plays his first concert in Berlin, before King Friedrich Wilhelm IV.  It is here where “Lisztomania” first occurs (a word coined by Heinrich Heine).  He is so successful that he stays in Berlin for ten weeks playing 21 concerts.  Liszt will receive the Ordre pour le Mérite from the King and be elected to the Prussian Academy of Fine Arts.

    27 December 1844 After visiting the grave of Weber (†18) in Dresden, Robert Schumann (34) is overcome with grief and suffers a “violent nervous attack.”  He will seek medical help for his psychological condition.

    27 December 1857 It is about this date that Modest Musorgsky (18) begins musical studies with Mily Balakirev (20) in St. Petersburg.

    Retired for only a month, Louis Spohr (73) trips over the steps at the museum in Kassel and suffers a broken arm.  Although he will recover, he will never perform on the violin in public again.

    Gesang der Geister über den Wassern for male octet and strings by Franz Schubert (†29) to words of Goethe is performed for the first time, in Vienna.

    27 December 1876 Le triomphe funèbre du Tasse for orchestra by Franz Liszt (65) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    27 December 1882 Habsburg hoch! op.408, a march by Johann Strauss (57), is performed for the first time, in the Carltheater, Vienna.

    27 December 1884 Two songs for voice and piano by Gabriel Fauré (39) are performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris:  Le Pays des rêves op.39/3 to words of Silvestre, and Les Roses d’Ispahan op.39/4 to words of de Lisle.

    27 December 1892 Werther, a drame lyrique by Jules Massenet (50) to words of Blau, Milliet, and Hartman after Goethe, is performed for the first time in French, at Geneva. See 16 February 1892.

    Let Us Rise Up and Build for solo voices, chorus, brass, timpani, and organ by Horatio Parker (29) to words from the Bible is performed for the first time, at the laying of the cornerstone of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York.

    27 December 1896 Poème op.25 for violin and orchestra by Ernest Chausson (41) is performed for the first time, in Nancy.

    27 December 1898 The Noblewoman Vera Sheloga, an opera by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (54) to his own words after Mey, is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    27 December 1900 L’hiver op.8/2 for voice and piano or orchestra by Charles Koechlin (33) to words of Banville is performed for the first time, in Paris, the composer at the keyboard.

    27 December 1906 A setting of Psalm 47 for orchestra, chorus, and organ by Florent Schmitt (36) is performed for the first time, in Paris.  Jules Massenet (64) and Gabriel Fauré (61) are in the audience.  The work is a great success but Schmitt is so shy he can not be persuaded from his box to take a bow.

    27 December 1907 Matteo Falcone, a dramatic scene by Cesar Cui (72) after Mérimée (tr. Zhukovsky) is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre Moscow.

    27 December 1919 Four songs by Albert Roussel (50) are performed for the first time, at the Sallee des Agriculteurs, Paris:  Deux mélodies op.19 to words of Jean-Aubry and Oliphant, and Deux mélodies op.20 to words of Chalupt.  See 9 December 1928.

    Gabriel Fauré’s (74) song cycle Mirages op.113 to words of de Brimont is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris, the composer at the piano.  It is Fauré’s last performance with the SNM.

    Morris Gest’s Midnight Whirl, a revue with book by DeSylva and Mears and music by George Gershwin (21), is performed for the first time, at Century Grove, Century Theatre.

    27 December 1925 Luigi Russolo (40) introduces a new noise instrument, the enharmonic bow, at a concert in the Teatro Popolo, Milan.

    Kurt Weill’s (25) ballet with song Zaubernacht is performed in the Garrick Theatre, New York.  It is the first performance of his music in North America.

    Sonata for violin and double bass by Arthur Lourié (34) is performed for the first time, in an International Composers’ Guild concert in Aeolian Hall, New York.  Also premiered are excerpts from Moments for piano by Dane Rudhyar (30).

    27 December 1931 Decoration Day for orchestra by Charles Ives (57) is performed for the first time, in the Teatro Nacional, Havana.

    27 December 1933 Les 12 coups de minuit, a radio mystery by Arthur Honegger (41) to words of Larronde, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio-Colonial originating in Paris.

    27 December 1936 Concerto for flute, violin, and orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (46) is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    27 December 1940 Le voyage d’été op.216, a cycle for voice and piano by Darius Milhaud (48) to words of Paliard, is performed for the first time, in New York the composer at the piano.

    27 December 1942 Piano Suite in Three Movements by Roy Harris (44) is performed for the first time, at the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

    27 December 1943 An orchestral suite from the music to Sergey Prokofiev’s (52) opera Semyon Kotko op.81a is performed for the first time, in Moscow.    See 23 June 1940.

    27 December 1944 Amy Marcy Cheney Beach dies of a heart ailment in her rooms at the Hotel Barclay, New York, aged 77 years, three months, and 22 days.

    27 December 1949 Three songs by Charles Ives (75) are performed for the first time, in McMillin Theatre at Columbia University:  Chanson de Florian to words of Florian, The Rainbow (So May It Be!) to words of Wordsworth, and Lincoln, the Great Commoner to words of Markham.  On the same program is the premiere of Piano Sonata no.4 by Vincent Persichetti (34).

    Happy as Larry, a musical directed by, and starring, Burgess Meredith, is given its out-of-town preview in Boston.  Meredith persuaded Edgard Varèse (66) to compose a piece to be included in it, called Dance for Burgess.

    27 December 1954 The Saint of Bleecker Street, a music drama by Gian-Carlo Menotti (43) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Broadway Theatre, New York.  It receives mixed reviews.  See 2 May 1955.

    27 December 1956 Spartak, a ballet by Aram Khachaturian (53) to a story by Volkov, is performed for the first time, in the Kirov Opera and Ballet Theatre, Leningrad.  The composer’s party overseers discouraged him from using this subject as not relevant to the revolution.  He informed them that Marx once named Spartacus as a hero of his and they relented.

    27 December 1968 Contrappunto dialettico alla mente for magnetic tape by Luigi Nono (44) is performed for the first time, in Palermo.

    27 December 1976 Die Umkehrung Amerikas, an episches Hörspiel by Mauricio Kagel (45), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of WDR.

    27 December 1989 Today the Virgin for chorus by John Tavener (45) to words of Mother Thekla is performed for the first time, in Westminster Abbey.

    27 December 1991 Sonata for two percussionists by Sofia Gubaidulina (60) is performed for the first time, in Moscow 25 years after it was composed.

    Lauda for vocal soloists, speaker, chorus, and orchestra by Sofia Gubaidulina is performed for the first time, in Genoa.

    28 December

    28 December 1736 Antonio Caldara dies in Vienna, aged approximately 65 years.

    28 December 1779 L’italiana in Londra, an intermezzo by Domenico Cimarosa (30) to words possibly by Petrosellini, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Valle, Rome, the composer directing from the harpsichord.  It is a triumph.

    28 December 1783 Morgengesang am Schöpfungsfeste by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (69) to words of Klopstock, is performed publicly for the first time, in Hamburg.

    28 December 1787 Einige Hexenscenen aus Schackespears Macbeth, some incidental music by Johann Friedrich Reichardt (35), is performed for the first time, in the Nationaltheater, Berlin.

    28 December 1791 Publication of the String Quartets K.575, 589, 590 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (†0) is advertised in the Wiener Zeitung.

    28 December 1794 Sorge-sange da Prindsesse Sophie Frederike bisattes, a cantata by Johann Peter Schulz (47) to words of Thaarup, is performed for the first time, in Roskilde Cathedral.

    28 December 1799 A decree by King Carlos IV forbids any theatrical performance in Spain in any language other than Spanish.

    28 December 1801 Simon Mayr’s (38) dramma eroico per musica Argene, to words of Rossi, is performed for the first time, in the Teatro La Fenice, Venice.

    28 December 1806 Adrien Boieldieu’s (31) opéra comique Télémaque, to words of Dercy, is performed for the first time, in the Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

    28 December 1826 Franz Schubert’s (29) song Die junge Nonne D.828 to words of Craigher is performed publicly for the first time, in the Musikverein, Vienna.  See 3 March 1825.

    28 December 1832 Johann Nepomuk Hummel (54) is awarded the Order of the White Falcon by his employer, Grand Duke Carl Friedrich of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.

    28 December 1847 Haydée, ou Le secret, an opéra comique by Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (65) to words of Scribe after Mérimée, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.

    28 December 1850 La dame de pique, an opéra comique by Fromental Halévy (51) to words of Scribe, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Favart, Paris.  It is a success.

    28 December 1878 An open dress rehearsal of the first four scenes of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s (38) unperformed opera Yevgeny Onyegin takes place at Moscow Conservatory.  See 29 March 1879.

    Madame Favart, an opéra-comique by Jacques Offenbach (59) to words of Chivot and Duru, is performed for the first time, at the Folies-Dramatiques, Paris.

    28 December 1879 Prague Waltzes for orchestra by Antonin Dvorák (38) are performed for the first time, in Prague.

    28 December 1880 The Septet op.65 for trumpet, two violins, viola, cello, double bass, and piano by Camille Saint-Saëns (45) is performed completely for the first time, in Paris, the composer at the keyboard.  See 6 January 1880.

    28 December 1881 The Savoy Theatre becomes the first theatre to be entirely illuminated by electricity.  One gaslight is kept burning, in case the experiment in electricity fails.  Between the acts of Patience by Gilbert and Sullivan (39), the impresario, Richard D’Oyly Carte comes on stage and demonstrates the safety of electricity.  He has an electric light wrapped in muslin and smashed to demonstrate that it can not cause fire with drapery.  The audience is impressed and duly applauds.  See 10 October 1881.

    28 December 1884 Hugo Wolf (24) publishes a scathing condemnation of Anton Bruckner (60) in the Wiener Salonblatt.

    Elegy in Honor of Ivan Samarin for strings by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (44) is performed for the first time, in the Bolshoy Theatre, Moscow.

    28 December 1885 The Kneisel Quartet gives its first performance, in Chickering Hall, Boston.  Made up of the first chair players from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, it is among the first world class chamber groups in America, and will lift the standard of chamber music performance in the New World.

    28 December 1890 En prière, a canticle for voice and organ by Gabriel Fauré (45) to words of Bordèse, is performed for the first time, in Paris.

    28 December 1896 Roger Huntington Sessions is born in Brooklyn, New York, second of four children (three surviving) born to Archibald Lowery Sessions, a lawyer, and Ruth Gregson Huntington, the daughter of an Episcopal bishop.  (The name on the birth certificate is Roger Pitkin Sessions but was changed at the baptism.  It will not be until 1924 that Sessions learns his legal name.)

    28 December 1897 The Bride Elect, an operetta by John Philip Sousa (43) to his own words, is performed for the first time, in the Hyperion Theatre, New Haven, Connecticut.

    28 December 1910 Engelbert Humperdinck’s (56) märchenoper Königskinder, to words of Rosmer, is performed for the first time, at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York.  It is very successful and even does better than Puccini’s (52) La fanciulla del West currently playing in the city.

    28 December 1922 Andante festivo for string quartet by Jean Sibelius (57) is performed for the first time.

    28 December 1924 Nikolay Roslavets (43) resigns as director of the political section of MUSEKTOR, the music sector of the state publishers of the USSR.  He is unhappy with recent decisions made, especially the abandonment of Musical Culture.

    28 December 1925 Tanz der Spröden by Carl Orff (30), to a translation of Rinuccini by Günther, is performed for the first time, in Karlsruhe.  See 30 November 1940.

    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 New York, at the Liberty Theatre.  It will run for 194 performances.  See 24 November 1925.

    28 December 1927 Antigone, an opera by Arthur Honegger (35) to words of Cocteau (after Sophocles), is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Monnaie, Brussels.  Press and public are mixed.

    28 December 1930 Piano Concerto by Henry Cowell (33) is performed completely for the first time, in Havana, the composer at the piano.  See 26 April 1930.

    28 December 1931 Land of Luthany op.87 for cello and piano by Arthur Farwell (59) is performed for the first time.

    28 December 1932 Harry Partch (31) completes a Ptolemy keyboard in which the octave has 39 tones.

    28 December 1935 The earthly remains of Alban Berg are laid to rest in Hietzing Cemetery, in a grave donated by the City of Vienna.  Speaking on behalf of the ISCM is Ernst Krenek (35).

    28 December 1937 Early morning.  Joseph Maurice Ravel dies in Paris after an unsuccessful brain operation to treat apraxia and dysphasia, aged 62 years, nine months, and 21 days.

    The first transatlantic radio transmission of a musical score takes place when parts to Sibelius’ (72) Origin of Fire, ordered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra, are lost in the mail.  The publishers Breitkopf and Härtel transmit them by means of radio waves.

    28 December 1940 Five Mosaics for chamber orchestra by Ulysses Kay (23) is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    28 December 1941 Olivier Messiaen (33) gives the first public performance of two movements from Les corps glorieux for organ, at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris.  See 15 November 1943.

    28 December 1942 Governor Culbert Olson of California pardons Henry Cowell (45), now on parole, so that he may continue his war work.  He is part of efforts to create greater cultural ties between the United States and Latin American countries to counter German efforts to separate them.

    28 December 1944 On the Town, a musical by Leonard Bernstein (26) to words of Comden and Green, is performed in New York for the first time, in the Adelphi Theatre.  It is a smash with the public.  Critics are generally happy.  See 13 December 1944.

    28 December 1945 Igor Stravinsky (63) and his wife become American citizens in Los Angeles.  Their sponsor, Edward G. Robinson, is actually an illegal immigrant.

    Suite concertante for violin and orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (55) is performed for the first time, in New York.

    28 December 1948 Hymne for voice and piano by Francis Poulenc (49) to words of Racine is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    28 December 1952 Twelve of the 24 Preludes and Fugues op.87 for piano by Dmitri Shostakovich (46) are performed for the first time, in Glinka Hall, Leningrad.

    28 December 1954 A Wreath for Waits for chorus by Ulysses Kay (37) to anonymous words is performed for the first time, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

    28 December 1958 The second five of the ten Brigand Songs for male chorus by Bohuslav Martinu (66) to Slovak folk texts are performed for the first time, in Prague.

    28 December 1960 Sonata for organ op.86 by Vincent Persichetti (45) is performed for the first time, at Washington University in St. Louis.

    28 December 1962 Lukas Foss (40) signs a two-year contract as conductor and music director of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.

    28 December 1963 Paul Hindemith dies of acute pancreatitis in a Frankfurt hospital, aged 68 years, one month, and twelve days.  His earthly remains will be laid to rest in the churchyard of Saint-Légier-LaChiésaz, Vaud, Switzerland.

    28 December 1964 The Execution of Stepan Razin op.119, a cantata for solo voice, chorus, and orchestra by Dmitri Shostakovich (58) to words of Yevtushenko, is performed for the first time, in Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    28 December 1979 Dedication to Igor Stravinsky (†8), Sergey Prokofiev (†26) and Dmitri Shostakovich (†4) for piano six-hands by Alfred Schnittke (45) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    28 December 1988 Klingende Buchstaben for cello by Alfred Schnittke (54) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    28 December 1991 Autumn for oboe and piano by Michael Tippett (86) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC.  It is an arrangement by Bowen of music from Crown of the Year.  See 25 July 1958.

    28 December 1994 Divertimento for cello by Krzysztof Penderecki (61) is performed for the first time, in Cologne.

    28 December 1995 Blue, Yellow, a dance by Kevin Volans (46) to a choreography of Burrows, is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of BBC2.

    29 December

    29 December 1781 Artaria announces the forthcoming publication of Franz Joseph Haydn’s (49) String Quartets op.33.  Haydn is astonished since he has not yet sold subscription copies.  He breaks off all contacts with Artaria, but the matter will be smoothed over.

    29 December 1803 L’heureux malgré lui, an opéra-bouffon by Étienne-Nicolas Méhul (40) to words of Saint-Just, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre Feydeau, Paris.  This is the one and only performance.

    29 December 1812 The Violin Sonata op.96 by Ludwig van Beethoven (42) is performed for the first time, at the home of Prince Lobkowitz, Vienna.  The performers are the violinist Jacques Pierre Joseph Rode and Archduke Rudolph.

    29 December 1813 At the final vote of the General Committee of the Foundling Hospital to hire an organist, Samuel Wesley (47) finishes tied for third.

    29 December 1823 Gioachino Rossini (31) is presented to King George IV of Great Britain at the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.  By request of the king, he sings two of his own arias, accompanying himself on the piano.  Choristers of the Chapel Royal also perform, including Samuel Sebastian Wesley (13).

    29 December 1829 Giacomo Meyerbeer (38) signs his first contract with the Paris Opéra.

    29 December 1836 Johann Baptist Schenk dies in Vienna, aged 83 years and 29 days.

    29 December 1842 Hector Berlioz’ (39) ballade La belle voyageuse for mezzo-soprano and orchestra to words of Moore translated by Gounet is performed for the first time, in Stuttgart directed by the composer.

    29 December 1847 During dinner at the house of his son, Rev. WR Crotch, in Taunton, William Crotch suffers a heart attack and dies, aged 72 years, five months and 24 days.  He will be buried in the churchyard in Bishop’s Hull near Taunton.

    29 December 1855 Ba-ta-clan, a chinoiserie musicale by Jacques Offenbach (36) to words of Halévy, is performed for the first time, at the opening night of the Bouffes-Parisiens theatre, Paris.

    29 December 1857 Hunnenschlacht, a symphonic poem by Franz Liszt (46), is performed for the first time, in Weimar, conducted by the composer.

    29 December 1868 In Rome, Franz Liszt (57) writes a letter to Edvard Grieg (25) commending Grieg, especially his Violin Sonata no.1 op.8.  Grieg will use the letter to assist his application for a government stipend to support his creative work.  See 10 January 1869.

    29 December 1876 Evening op.27/4 a song for voice and piano by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (36) to words of Lev Mei after Taras Shevchenko, is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    29 December 1878 String Quartet no.7 op.16 by Antonin Dvorák (37) is performed publicly for the first time, in Prague.  See 17 June 1875.

    29 December 1882 Two chamber works by Johannes Brahms (49) are performed publicly for the first time, in Frankfurt-am-Main:  Trio for piano and strings no.2 op.87 and String Quintet no.1 op.88.

    29 December 1888 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth by Arthur Sullivan (46) is performed for the first time, in the Lyceum Theatre, London in a production by Henry Irving.

    29 December 1893 The String Quartet by Claude Debussy (31) is performed for the first time, by the Société National de Musique, Paris.

    29 December 1901 Le ménestral reports that Mary Garden will play Melisande in the upcoming Debussy-Maeterlinck opera.  The poet is so angry that he goes to the composer’s house with the intent of using his cane on Debussy (39).  Debussy remains unmoved and Maeterlinck will seek to destroy the performance.  There is reason to believe that Maeterlinck desires that his mistress, Georgette Leblanc be cast in the role.

    29 December 1906 Pohjola’s Daughter, a symphonic poem by Jean Sibelius (41), is performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg, conducted by the composer.  He is called back several times by the audience.

    29 December 1915 Incidental music to Pearn’s play (after Blackwood) The Starlight Express by Edward Elgar (58) is performed for the first time, at the Kingsway Theatre, London.  The composer is not present since his wife is recovering from a taxicab accident.

    Soir d’hiver for voice and orchestra by Nadia Boulanger (28) to her own words is performed for the first time, in Théâtre Sarah Bernhardt, Paris.

    Edgard Varèse (32) arrives in New York from Europe intending a short stay.  He will not return to France until 1922.

    29 December 1918 The first performance of the Society for Private Performances takes place in Vienna.  The program includes Alyeksandr Skryabin’s (†3) Piano Sonatas nos.4&7, four songs and Proses lyriques by Claude Debussy (†0) and the Seventh Symphony of Gustav Mahler (†7) in an arrangement for piano-four hands.

    29 December 1922 At a luncheon to honor the visiting Vincent d’Indy (71) in Chicago, attended by Sergey Prokofiev (31) and John Alden Carpenter (46), the French Consul, Antonin Barthélemy, announces that Carpenter has been named a member of the Legion of Honor.

    29 December 1927 Where She Lies for voice and piano by Henry Cowell (30) to words of Millay is performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    29 December 1932 Overture “From the Gayety and Sadness of the American Scene” for orchestra by Roy Harris (34) is performed for the first time, in Philharmonic Auditorium, Los Angeles.

    29 December 1936 Fünf Lieder von Friedrich Hölderlin, a cycle for voice and piano by Stefan Wolpe (34), is performed for the first time, in Jerusalem.  This is the inaugural concert of the ISCM, Palestine Branch, Jerusalem Group, founded by Wolpe.

    29 December 1938 Concerto for string quartet by David Diamond (23) is performed for the first time, in the Library of Congress, Washington.

    29 December 1940 Piano Sonata by Ulysses Kay (23) is performed for the first time, in Cleveland.

    29 December 1941 A New Year Carol for chorus and piano by John Ireland (62) to traditional words is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC originating in Bedford.

    29 December 1950 Intermezzo for orchestra by Bohuslav Martinu (60) is performed for the first time, in Louisville.

    29 December 1951 Karlheinz Stockhausen (23) marries Doris Andreae, a pianist and daughter of an industrialist, in Hamburg.

    29 December 1956 Concertino for cello and orchestra op.132 by Sergey Prokofiev (†3), completed by Mstislav Rostropovich and Dmitri Kabalevsky, is performed for the first time, accompanied by piano, in Moscow.  See 18 March 1960.

    29 December 1963 Incidental music to the television program No Star on the Way Back by Thea Musgrave (35) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Border Television.  The music will later be known as Two Christmas Carols in Traditional Style for soprano, chorus, and orchestra to words of Nicholson.

    29 December 1968 Montage à titre de spectacle for three or more performers by Mauricio Kagel (37) is staged for the first time, in Palermo.  Also premiered is Kagel’s Der Schall for five players.  See 30 December 1967.

    30 December

    30 December 1680 Antonio Sartorio dies in Venice at the age of 50.

    30 December 1771 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (15) completes his Symphony K.114 in Salzburg.

    30 December 1773 Céphale et Procris, ou L’amour conjugal, a ballet-héroïque by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (32) to words of Marmontel after Ovid, is performed for the first time, at Versailles, to celebrate the wedding of the Comte d’Artois and Marie-Thérèse of Savoy.

    30 December 1777 Elector Maximilian III of Bavaria dies of smallpox in Munich, succeeded by Karl Philipp Theodor, Elector Palatine.  This results in the transfer of most of the Mannheim orchestra to Munich.

    30 December 1779 Aucassin et Nicolette, ou Les moeurs de bon vieux tems, an opéra-comique by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry (38) to words of Sedaine after de la Curne de Sainte-Palaye, is performed for the first time, at Versailles.

    30 December 1784 Lucette, an opéra-comique by Niccolò Piccinni (56) to words of GM Piccinni, is performed for the first time, at the Comédie-Italienne, Paris.

    30 December 1810 A private musical association called the Harmonischer Verein is founded in Darmstadt by Carl Maria von Weber (24), Meyer Beer (Giacomo Meyerbeer) (19), and three others.

    30 December 1823 Auf dem Wasser zu singen D.774, a song by Franz Schubert (26) to words of Stolberg, is published in the Zeitschrift für Kunst, Vienna.

    30 December 1825 A Kyrie in c minor for solo voices and double chorus by Felix Mendelssohn (16) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.

    30 December 1835 The original version of Maria Stuarda, a tragedia lirica by Gaetano Donizetti (38) to words of Bardari after Schiller, is performed for the first time, at Teatro alla Scala, Milan.  The lead soprano, Maria Felicita Malibran, carries through even though ill.  Unfortunately, it shows.  See 18 October 1834.

    30 December 1839 Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka (35), depressed over the break with his wife, is granted release from the position of Imperial Kapellmeister, St. Petersburg.  He has stayed on long enough to retire with the rank of collegiate assessor.

    30 December 1850 Giuseppe Verdi (37), Francesco Maria Piave, and Guglielmo Brenna, the secretary of Teatro La Fenice, meet at Busseto and sign a document agreeing to certain changes in the libretto of Le Maledizione (Rigoletto) which will allow its production.  Verdi and Piave mostly get their way.

    30 December 1852 The revised version of Symphony no.4 by Robert Schumann (42) is performed for the first time, in Düsseldorf.  This is the first complete concert he has conducted since the end of last season.  See 6 December 1841.

    30 December 1870 The Chorus of Flowers and Insects from Mandragora, an opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (30) to words of Rachinsky, is performed for the first time, in Moscow.  The opera will never be completed.

    30 December 1876 Nadezhda von Meck, the mercurial patron of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (36), writes her first letter to the composer, thanking him for setting some of his works for violin and piano for her.  He will write his first letter to her, probably tomorrow.

    30 December 1877 Symphony no.2 by Johannes Brahms (44) is performed for the first time, in the Musikvereinsaal, Vienna.  It is warmly received.

    30 December 1879 The Pirates of Penzance, or The Slave of Duty, an operetta by Arthur Sullivan (37) to words of Gilbert, is performed for the first time, in the Royal Bijou Theatre, Paignton, 40 km east of Plymouth.  It is given by one of Richard D’Oyly Carte’s touring companies and is missing important music that Sullivan has only recently composed in New York.  The singers had to learn it so quickly that the police enter in the second act not with lanterns but with copies of the music.  This performance is given only to secure the British copyright.

    John Philip Sousa (25) marries Jane van Middlesworth Bellis, the daughter of a carpenter, at her home in Philadelphia.

    30 December 1882 Hubert Parry (34) is appointed professor in the Department of Music History at the newly formed Royal College of Music.

    30 December 1884 Symphony no.7 by Anton Bruckner (60) is performed for the first time, in Leipzig.  The applause lasts 15 minutes as the composer receives two laurel wreaths.  Critical response is mixed.  It is his first true international recognition.

    30 December 1895 Hugo Wolf (35) calls on Wilhelm Jahn, the director of the Vienna Opera, to personally present the score of his recently completed work, Der Corregidor.  He is told by a bureaucrat that he may not see Jahn and must submit his score in the usual way.

    30 December 1899 Song of Oleg the Wise for tenor, bass, male chorus, and orchestra by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (55) to words of AK Tolstoy is performed for the first time, by the Russian Musical Society, St. Petersburg, conducted by the composer.

    30 December 1904 String Quartet no.3 op.74 by Max Reger (31) is performed for the first time, in Frankfurt.

    30 December 1906 The melodramatisches Krippenspiel Bübchens Weihnachtstraum, by Engelbert Humperdinck (52) to words of Falke, is performed for the first time, in Berlin.

    30 December 1911 A prelude and parts of Acts I and II of Sorochintsy Fair, an opera by Modest Musorgsky (†30), orchestrated by Lyadov and edited by Karatigin, are staged for the first time, in the Comedia Theatre, St. Petersburg.  See 29 March 1911.

    30 December 1916 String Quartet no.1 by Ernest Bloch (36) is performed for the first time, in New York.  It is very successful.

    30 December 1921 The Love for Three Oranges op.33, an opera by Sergey Prokofiev (30) to his own words after Gozzi, is performed for the first time, in the Chicago Auditorium, conducted by the composer.  See 29 November 1925.

    30 December 1925 Song of the Flame, an operetta by Herbert Stothart and George Gershwin (27) to words of Hammerstein and Harbach, is performed for the first time in New York, at the 44th Street Theatre.  It will see 219 performances.  See 10 December 1925.

    30 December 1928 String Quartet no.3 by Béla Bartók (47) is performed for the first time, in Philadelphia.

    Two songs for voice and piano by Marc Blitzstein (23) to words of Whitman are performed for the first time, in New York:  I Am He and Ages and Ages.

    30 December 1937 The earthly remains of Maurice Ravel are interred in the cemetery of Levallois, beside those of his parents.  Among those attending are Igor Stravinsky (55), Arthur Honegger (45), Darius Milhaud (45), and Francis Poulenc (38).

    30 December 1938 Romeo and Juliet op.64, a ballet by Sergey Prokofiev (47) to a scenario by several artists (including the composer) after Shakespeare, is performed for the first time, in Brno.  See 24 November 1936, 15 April 1937 and 8 March 1946.

    30 December 1940 Lady in the Dark, a musical play with book by Hart, lyrics by Ira Gershwin, and music by Kurt Weill (40), is performed for the first time, in the Colonial Theatre, Boston.  Despite the extreme anxiety of the creative team, it is a hit.  See 23 January 1941.

    30 December 1943 Symphony no.2 by Aram Khachaturian (40) is performed for the first time, in the Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall.

    March in Time of War for orchestra by Roy Harris (45) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall.

    30 December 1944 Sergey Prokofiev’s (53) Piano Sonata no.8 op.84 is performed for the first time, at Moscow Conservatory.

    30 December 1946 Poema de Itabira for voice and orchestra by Heitor Villa-Lobos (59) to words of Drumond de Andrade, is performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro, conducted by the composer.

    30 December 1948 Paul Hindemith’s (53) Wind Septet is performed for the first time, in Milan.

    Two suites for solo voices, chorus and orchestra from the musical comedy Magdalena by Heitor Villa-Lobos (61) are performed for the first time, in Rio de Janeiro.

    30 December 1949 Three Preludes for piano by Charles T. Griffes (†19) are performed for the first time, in Town Hall, New York.

    30 December 1950 Jack Pudding, a ballet by Hans Werner Henze (24) to a story by Sivori after Molière, is performed for the first time, in a concert setting in the Hessisches Staatstheater, Wiesbaden.

    30 December 1951 La Rédemption de François Villon, a radio play by José Bruyr and music by Arthur Honegger (59), is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France originating in Paris.  The recording was made on 12 December.

    30 December 1954 Incidental music to Lavrenev’s play Lermontov by Aram Khachaturian (51) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    30 December 1955 Incidental music to Shakespeare’s play Macbeth by Aram Khachaturian (52) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    30 December 1961 Symphony no.4 op.43 by Dmitri Shostakovich (55) is performed for the first time, at Moscow Conservatory Bolshoy Hall, 25 years after it was composed.  The work was scheduled to be performed in 1936 but was cancelled during the “Lady Macbeth” affair.  The air in the hall is of great emotion for all present.  After hearing his symphony, the composer deems it more interesting than all of his symphonies which followed.

    30 December 1964 Advance Democracy for chorus by Benjamin Britten (51) to words of Swingler is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of the BBC, 26 years after it was composed.

    30 December 1965 Variations for orchestra by Ross Lee Finney (59) is performed for the first time, in Minneapolis.

    30 December 1967 Montage for three or more performers by Mauricio Kagel (37) is performed for the first time, in Knokke.  See 29 December 1968.

    30 December 1977 Les Rêves for voice and piano by Albert Roussel (†40) to words of Silvestre is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of RTB 3e Programme originating in Brussels, about 78 years after it was composed.

    30 December 1983 Moz-Art à la Haydn for two violins and chamber orchestra by Alfred Schnittke (49) is performed for the first time, in Tbilisi.

    30 December 1990 A solis ortu for chorus by Charles Wuorinen (52) is performed for the first time, in St. Ignatius of Antioch Episcopal Church, New York.

    31 December

    31 December 1647 Giovanni Maria Trabaci dies in Naples, aged approximately 70 years.

    31 December 1759 Harlequin’s Invasion, or A Christmas Gambol, a pantomime by David Garrick with two songs by William Boyce (48), is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.  It includes the famous song and march Heart of Oak.

    31 December 1775 The first performance of George Frideric Handel’s (†16) Messiah in German takes place in Hamburg, conducted by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (61).

    31 December 1776 The man perceived to be the most important rival of Christoph Willibald Gluck (62), Niccolò Piccinni (48), arrives in Paris.  He is to be a director of a singing school for the next three years.

    31 December 1812 Meyer Beer (Giacomo Meyerbeer) (21) plays the piano at a concert to benefit wounded Bavarian soldiers in Munich.  His performance overwhelms the audience.  At a dinner following, the assembled guests immediately burst into applause when he enters the room.

    31 December 1814 The Vienna palace of Russian ambassador Count Andrei Kyrillovich Razumovsky is destroyed by fire.  Hundreds of art works, meticulously collected by him, are forever lost.  Two people, trying to save embassy documents, are killed.  The count will return to Russia, thus depriving Ludwig van Beethoven (44) of one of his most important patrons.

    31 December 1841 Casanova, a komische Oper by Albert Lortzing (40) to his own words after Varin and Desvergers (tr.Lebrun), is performed for the first time, in Leipzig Stadttheater.

    31 December 1842 Der Wildschütz, oder Die Stimme der Natur, a komische Oper by Albert Lortzing (41) to his own words after Kotzebue, is performed for the first time, in Leipzig Stadttheater.  It is wildly successful.

    31 December 1850 Hirten-Spiele op.89, a waltz by Johann Strauss (25), is performed for the first time, in the Sperl Ballroom, Vienna.

    31 December 1865 Symphony no.1 by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov (21), entirely reorchestrated by Mily Balakirev (28), is performed for the first time, at the Free School of Music, St. Petersburg, conducted by the orchestrator.  Advocates of a Russian national school of composition note this as the first performance of a truly Russian symphony.

    Edvard Grieg (22) and his friend Georg Bohlmann visit the Coliseum in Rome by moonlight.  At first entranced, their imaginations get the better of them and they run from the place in fear.  They then visit the Scandinavian Society but finding it too stuffy, stay only five minutes.  After visiting a cafe the two reach their beds by 23:00, missing the new year.

    31 December 1871 Anton Rubinstein (42) conducts a concert in Vienna which includes the first part of Christus, in the presence of the composer, Franz Liszt (60) and with Anton Bruckner (47) playing the organ part.

    31 December 1895 Jules Massenet (53) is raised to a Commander of the Legion of Honor.

    31 December 1899 The Casa di Riposo per Musicisti in Milan, funded completely by Giuseppe Verdi (86), is founded by royal decree in Rome.

    Silvestre Revueltas Sánchez is born in Santiago Papasquiaro, Durango, Mexico, 875 km northwest of Mexico City.  He is the oldest of twelve children born to José Revueltas Gutiérrez, a bookkeeper, and Romana Sánchez Arias, daughter of miners.

    31 December 1908 Sergey Prokofiev (17) performs for the first time in public, including seven of his own compositions:  Fairy Tale, Snowflakes, Reminiscence, Elan, Prayer, Despair and Diabolic Suggestions.  The concert takes place in the Reform Church Hall, St. Petersburg, sponsored by the Society for Contemporary Music.

    31 December 1911 Four Pieces op.4 for piano by Sergey Prokofiev (20) are performed for the first time, in St. Petersburg.

    31 December 1919 Silvestre Revueltas marries Jule Klaracy, a bookkeeper and music student, in Chicago.  She immigrated from Austria in 1906.  It is his 20th birthday.

    Six-and-a-half years after becoming engaged, Ernest MacMillan (26) marries Elsie Keith, the daughter of an engineer and inventor, in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Toronto.

    31 December 1923 Charles Villiers Stanford (71) resigns as Professor of Music at Cambridge University effective 1 April 1924.

    31 December 1925 Concerto in modo misolidio for piano and orchestra by Ottorino Respighi (46) is performed for the first time, in Carnegie Hall, New York the composer at the keyboard.

    31 December 1926 Carl Nielsen’s (61) resignation as conductor of the Copenhagen Philharmonic Society becomes effective at midnight.

    31 December 1934 A suite from Sergey Prokofiev’s (43) score to the film Lieutenant Kijé op.60 is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Moscow Radio.

    31 December 1943 Concerto for violin and orchestra no.2 by Bohuslav Martinu (53) is performed for the first time, in Boston.

    31 December 1944 While taking part in street battles by leftists resisting the British occupation of Athens, Iannis Xenakis (22) receives shrapnel in the face from an exploding shell.  “My palate was pierced, there were bits of teeth, flesh, blood, holes.  My jawbone was broken.  My left eye had burst.”  He is brought to a makeshift field hospital and left to die.

    Piano Quintet no.2 by Bohuslav Martinu (54) is performed for the first time, privately in Boston.  See 4 December 1945.

    31 December 1947 String Quartet no.4 by Ross Lee Finney (41) is performed for the first time, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    31 December 1948 Howard Hanson’s (52) Piano Concerto is performed for the first time, in Boston the composer conducting.  On the same program is the premiere of Lukas Foss’ (26) Recordare for orchestra.  This work is dedicated to Mohandas K. Gandhi and was begun on the day of his death.

    31 December 1949 Music for Cendrars’ play La fin du monde by Darius Milhaud (57) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Radio France the composer conducting.

    31 December 1950 Charles Louis Eugène Koechlin dies at his home in Le Canadel, Var, aged 83 years, one month, and four days.

    31 December 1959 Contours for orchestra by Gunther Schuller (34) is performed for the first time, in Cincinnati, the composer conducting.

    31 December 1963 The government of South Africa bans the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific because it advocates harmony and equality between races.

    31 December 1968 False Relationships and the Extended Ending for trombone, chimes, three pianos, violin, and cello by Morton Feldman (42) is performed for the first time, in Teatro Biondo, Palermo.

    31 December 1971 Colonel Jonathan the Saint, a comic opera by Dominick Argento (44) to words of Olon-Scrymgeour, is performed for the first time, in Denver at Loretto Heights College.  It is a flop.

    31 December 1975 Moz-Art for flute, clarinet, three violins, viola, cello, double bass, organ, and percussion by Alfred Schnittke (41) after Mozart (†184) is performed for the first time, in Moscow.

    31 December 1977 Hans Werner Henze (51) suffers his first heart attack, in London.

    31 December 1980 His condition slowly deteriorating, Samuel Barber (70) is brought from his room in University Hospital, New York to a conference room in the same building.  There, a concert of mostly his music is given for him by several musicians, including pianists Robert de Gaetano and John Browning.  His Adagio for Strings is among the works performed.

    31 December 1986 It is announced that Peter Maxwell Davies (52) has been made a Knight Bachelor.

    31 December 1992 Demos for orchestra by Jacob Druckman (64) is performed for the first time, in Palais des Beaux-Arts, Brussels.

    31 December 1997 Betsy Jolas (71) is named a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur.

    31 December 1999 A New Beginning for high voice, chorus, brass, percussion, and strings by John Tavener (55) is performed for the first time, in the Millennium Dome, Greenwich.

    Trio for the Beginning of Time for piano trio by Tod Machover (46) is performed for the first time, in First and Second Church, Boston.

    31 December 2001 The Queen’s New Year’s Honors List includes a CBE for Thea Musgrave (73).

    31 December 2008 Drei Chinesische Lieder for baritone and orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki (75) are performed for the first time, in Ieper, Belgium.

    ©2004-2014 Paul Scharfenberger

    12 January 2014

    Last Updated (Sunday, 12 January 2014 08:03)

     

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