Music History Monday

Frontispiece to the Harmonice musices odhecaton A, published on May 15, 1501 On May 15, 1501 – 522 years ago today – the first polyphonic (that is, multi-part) music printed using moveable type was...

15 Touko 202319min

Louis Moreau Gottschalk (1829-1869) circa 1864 We mark the birth on May 8, 1829 – 194 years ago today – of the American composer and pianist Louis Moreau Gottschalk, in New Orleans. He died, all-to...

8 Touko 202326min

Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro, title page of the first edition of the score, published by the firm of N. Simrock in 1819 On May 1, 1786 – on what was also a Monday, 237 years ago today – a miracl...

1 Touko 202319min

Barbra Streisand (born 1942) in 1965 We mark the birth on April 24, 1942 – 81 years ago today – of the American singer, songwriter, actress, and filmmaker Barbara Joan “Barbra” Streisand, in Brookl...

24 Huhti 202325min

Grand Opera House (originally “Wade’s Opera House”), San Francisco, in 1881 We mark the final San Francisco performance – on the evening of Tuesday, April 17, 1906, 117 years ago today – of the gre...

17 Huhti 202317min

We mark the premiere on April 10, 1868 – 155 years ago today – of Johannes Brahms’ magnificent A German Requiem, for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) in 1866 Jo...

10 Huhti 202325min

Johannes Brahms on his deathbed, April 1897 We mark the death on April 3, 1897 – 126 years ago today – of the German composer and pianist Johannes Brahms at the age of 63. One of the great ones an...

3 Huhti 202319min

A quick comment in reference to the title of today’s post, “Papa’s Last Appearance.” Not that you really need me to tell you, but by “Papa” we are not referring to Papa John Schnatter, who founded “Pa...

27 Maalis 202312min