MARCH 31

1675 FP of Stradella's oratorio Saint John the Baptist at San Giovanni dei Fiorentini church in Rome. Photo.

1684 Birth of Italian teacher and composer Francesco DURANTE in Frattamaggiore. d-Naples, 13 AUG 1755.

1703 Death of German composer Johann Christian Bach in Eisenach Germany at age 60.

1717 Birth of composer Florian Wrastill.

1723 FP of G. F. Handel's Concerto in F.

1732 Birth of Austrian composer Franz Joseph HAYDN. d- 31 MAY 1809.

1739 FP of Handel's Organ Concerto in A.

1745 FP of J. P. Rameau's opera-ballet, Platée at Versailles.

1747 Birth of German composer Johann Abraham Peter SCHULZ in Lueneberg, Germany. d-Schwedt at the or, Germany 10 JUN 1800.

1770 Birth of American Psalmist and composer John WYETH in Cambridge, MA. d-Philadelphia, PA. 23 JAN 1858.

1784 FP of W. A. Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 16 in D, K. 451. Composer was soloist, in Vienna.

1791 Birth of composer Franciszek Wincenty Mirecki.

1794 FP of F. J. Haydn's Symphony No. 100 Military, conducted by the composer on his 62nd birthday in the spacious Queen’s Concert Rooms, Hanover Square in London.

1809 Birth of composer Otto Jonas Lindblad.

1822 Birth of composer Rafael Hernando.

1837 "Dueling Pianists benefit" Popular virtuosos Franz Liszt and Sigismond Thalberg perform at a concert to aid Italian refuguees, at the Parisian salon of Princess Cristina Belgiojoso-Trivulzio.

1841 FP of Robert Schumann's Spring Symphony No. 1 at the Leipzig Gewandhaus, Mendelssohn conducting. New concert house photos.

1847 Birth of composer Jarolslaw Zielinski.

1848 Birth of composer John Henry Roberts.

1852 Birth of German tenor Carl DIERICH.

1872 Birth of Russian ballet impresario Sergei DIAGHILEV. d-Venice, 19 AUG 1929.

1874 Birth of French composer and violinist Henri MARTEAU. d-Bavaria, 3 OCT 1934.

1876 Death of soprano Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield. Known as "The Black Swan". The Tribune reported: no Colored persons would be admitted.

1880 Death of Polish composer Henri Wieniawski in Moscow. b-Lubin, 10 July 1835.

1881 FP of Cesar Franck's Le Chasseur Maudit in Paris.

1887 Birth of Spanish composer Jose-Maria USANDIZAGA, Basque opera composer in San Sebastian. d- 5 OCT 1915.

1890 Birth of Belgian tenor Jose di TRéVI in Liège. d-Brussels, 21 JAN 1978.

1891 Birth of composer Erich Walter Sternberg.

1893 Birth of Austrian conductor Clemens KRAUS   in Vienna. d-Mexico City, 16 MAY 1954.

1897 Birth of American composer J. Murray BARBOUR. d-1970.

1899 Birth of German tenor Franz VöLKER  in Neu-Isenburg. d.-Darmstadt, 4 DEC 1965.

1901 Death of English composer Sir John Stainer at age 60, in Verona, Italy.

1901 FP of Dvorak's opera Russalka in Prague.

1906 Birth of composer Lauri Saikkola.

1911 Birth of German soprano Elisabeth GRUMMER in Niederjeutz, nr Diedenhofen [now Thionville, Lorraine]. d-Warendorf, Westphalia, 6 NOV 1986. MET Opera Début 20 APR 1967. [Elsa] Lohengrin, 1 season (1966-67) 9 perf., 1 work.

1913 FP of Anton Webern's Six Pieces for orchestra, in Vienna.

1915 Birth of composer Eliseo Morales Pajaro.

1922 Birth of American baritone, actor and documentary narrator Richard KILEY in Chicago. d-near Warwick, NY 5 MAR 1999. Best known for his Broadway portrayal of Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, a role that won him a Tony Award.

1924 Birth of American bass Frederick GUTHRIE in Pocatello, Idaho.

1931 FP of ALALEONA's "Mirra" in Rome.

1932 Birth of English tenor John MITCHINSON.

1932 FP of the ballet H. P. (Horsepower) by Mexican composer and conductor Carlos Chavez, in Philadelphia. Leopold Stokowski conducted the Philadelphia Grand Opera Company.

1937 Birth of Italian tenor Peyo GARAZZI.

1940 Birth of American tenor John STEWART in Cleveland, OH.

1941 Berth of American composer and pianist Jake HEGGIE.

1946 Birth of American soprano Christine WEIDINGER  in Springville NY. MET Opera Début 24 NOV 1972 [Ortlinde] Die Walküre, 5 seasons (1972-76, 92-93) 143 perf., 20 roles, 19 works.

1947 FP of Ulysses Kay's Short Overture in NYC.

1949 FP of William Grant Still's The Troubled Island, a three act opera, by NYC Opera.

1950 ('55?) Birth of American tenor Robert GAMBILL in Indianapolis. Robert GAMBILL.

1951 FP of Richard Strauss' Munich Waltz written for 1939 film and performed posthumously in Vienna.

1952 Birth of Roumanian soprano Nelly MIRICIOIU.

1954 Birth of Hungarian tenor Dénes GULYáS in Budapest. MET Opera Début 27 SEP 1985 [Italian Singer] Der Rosenkavalier, 3 seasons (1985-88) 44 perf., 6 works.

1961 FP of Jean Françaix's L'Horloge de Flore 'The Flower Clock' with oboist John de Lancie, and the Philadelphia Orchestra, Eugene Ormandy conducting.

1969 Birth of American composer Thomas HERLIN in Salt Lake City, UT.

1971 Birth of English composer and pianist Thomas ADES.

2001 FP of Peter Lieberson's Piano Quintet, with pianist Peter Serkin and the Orion String Quartet, at Carnegie Hall in NYC.