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 Clemens Krauss Conducts Beethoven & Wagner  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 Franz Völker im Reich der Operette 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 Christine Weidinger - Verdi Arias 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.