Classical Music Timeline: 1980s

This is one of a series of postings of important classical music dates, from the 17th century to the present. Included are the date and location of the birth and death of composers, and the premiere date and location of the first public performance of works. When the premiere date and location is unknown, the date or year of completion of the work is given. Though reasonably comprehensive, this is a subjective list, so the choice of composers and works is mine. If you find any errors, or if you can offer a premiere date and location for a work where only the completion date or year is listed, please post a comment here.

1980
January 17 – Epitaph for a Man Who Dreamed (In Memoriam: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.) by Adolphus Hailstork (1941-) was first performed in Baltimore, Maryland

May 6 – The Empire Strikes Back, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

December 24 – Alec Wilder (1907-1980) died in Gainesville, Florida

1981
January 23 – Samuel Barber (1910-1981) died in New York, New York

February 1 – Geirr Tveitt (1908-1981) died in Oslo, Norway

February 26 – Howard Hanson (1896-1981) died in Rochester, New York

June 12 – Raiders of the Lost Ark, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

1982
May 26 – E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

1983
March 8 – William Walton (1902-1983) died in La Mortella, Italy

May 1 – Cypresses, for voice and piano, B11 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic

May 25 – Return of the Jedi, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

June 25 – Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) died in Geneva, Switzerland

1984
June 8 – Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) died in Saffron Walden, Essex, England

July 18 – Olympic Fanfare and Theme by John Williams (1932-) was first performed in Los Angeles, California

1985
April 30 – “1712 Overture” by [P.D.Q. Bach] Peter Schickele (1935-2024) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

September 11 – William Alwyn (1905-1985) died in Southwold, England

October 13 – Requiem by John Rutter (1945-) was first performed in Dallas, Texas

1986
Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) completed Four Irish Dances, op. 126

January 22 – Ilse Fromm-Michaels (1888-1986) died in Detmold, Germany

November 15 – Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986) died in Paris, France

December 27 – Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986) died in Helsingborg, Sweden

1987
Krasimir Kyurkchiyski (1936-2011) completed Kalmankou Denkou (The Evening Gathering), for a cappella Bulgarian female choir, this year or before

February 14 – Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) died in Moscow, Russia

December 11 – Empire of the Sun, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

1988
November 28 – Atardecer (Dusk), for piano four hands, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Madrid, Spain

1989
September 30 – Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) died in New York, New York

December 20 – Born on the Fourth of July, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

←1970s

1990s→

How Far the Sun

How do we know our Sun is 93 million miles (150 million km) away1?

The ancient Greek astronomer and mathematician Aristarchus of Samos, who lived around 2,300 years ago, was probably the first person who made a reasonable attempt to determine the distance to the Sun.

Using a method of geometric analysis developed by Euclid (trigonometry had not yet been invented), Aristarchus measured the angle between the half-lit Moon and the Sun and determined that the Sun is 18 to 20 times farther away than the Moon.  Though he fell far short of the actual value of 389 due to the extreme difficulty of making accurate measurements using the instruments and methods available to him, Aristarchus showed the way for future generations of astronomers to determine the true distance to the Sun.

Determining the actual distance (and not the relative distance) to the Sun had to wait for Kepler’s Third Law of planetary motion that relates a planet’s orbital period to its distance from the Sun, the invention of the telescope, and Isaac Newton’s laws of motion and gravitation.

P^{2}\propto a^{3}

Distances within the solar system can be determined using trigonometry and parallax, which is the apparent shift of an object against the distant background stars as seen from different locations.

Hold your thumb at arm’s length and alternate between right and left eye open to see the parallactic shift.
Bring your thumb closer, and the shift is greater.

Measuring the parallax to a Sun-orbiting object (such as Mars) from two different locations on the Earth’s surface allows us to measure its distance and, thanks to Kepler and Newton, sets the scale for the entire solar system.  The true distance of each planet from the Sun can then be mathematically determined.  This was first accomplished in 1672, and has been done many times since, with ever-improving accuracy.

Observations of the position of Mars by Giovanni Cassini at Paris and Jean Richer at Cayenne
allowed the first determination of the distance to Mars using trigonometric parallax in 1672.

Today, we have even better methods to determine the scale of the solar system: timing radar reflections off of solar system objects, and measuring travel time for radio communications between Earth and spacecraft.  Both radar and radio signals travel at the speed of light, which is very well determined.

1Approximate average distance

Classical Music Timeline: 1970s

This is one of a series of postings of important classical music dates, from the 17th century to the present. Included are the date and location of the birth and death of composers, and the premiere date and location of the first public performance of works. When the premiere date and location is unknown, the date or year of completion of the work is given. Though reasonably comprehensive, this is a subjective list, so the choice of composers and works is mine. If you find any errors, or if you can offer a premiere date and location for a work where only the completion date or year is listed, please post a comment here.

1970
June 4 – Two Pieces for cello and piano by Anton Webern (1883-1945) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

June 16 – Heino Eller (1887-1970) died in Tallinn, Estonia

July 4 – Sinfonietta for String Orchestra by William Alwyn (1905-1985) was first performed in Cheltenham, England

1971
February 8 – King Lear, with film score (op. 137) by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), was released

April 6 – Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971) died in New York, New York

1972
Robert Farnon (1917-2005) completed Colditz March

Einojuhani Rautavaara (1929-2016) completed Pelimannit (“The Fiddlers”), for string orchestra

January 8 – Symphony No. 15 in A major, op. 141 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

March 2 – Sonata for String Orchestra by William Walton (1902-1983) was first performed in Perth, Australia

April 3 – Ferde Grofé (1892-1972) died in Santa Monica, California

October 5 – A Ring of Time by Dominick Argento (1927-2019) was first performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota

October 15 – Symphony No. 10 in F♯ major (Cooke II) by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was first performed in London, England

October 18 – Cantus Arcticus, Concerto for Birds and Orchestra, by Einojuhani Rautavaara (1929-2016) was first performed in Oulu, Finland

1973
Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) completed Concerto for Harp and String Orchestra, op. 267

February 25 – Amanda Harberg (1973-) was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October 21 – Lera Auerbach (1973-) was born in Chelyabinsk, Russia

1974
February 15 – Kurt Atterberg (1887-1974) died in Stockholm, Sweden

April 12 – Snowflakes Are Dancing, with music by Claude Debussy as electronically realized by Isao Tomita (1932-2016), was released

November 15 – String Quartet No. 15 in E♭ minor, op. 144 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1975
April – Pictures at an Exhibition by Modest Mussorgsky as electronically realized by Isao Tomita (1932-2016) was released

May 18 – Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) died in Woodbury, Connecticut

August 9 – Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) died in Moscow, Russia

September 5 – Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun by Claude Debussy and Firebird Suite by Igor Stravinsky as electronically realized by Isao Tomita (1932-2016) was released

1976
December 4 – Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) died in Aldeburgh, England

1977
Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) completed Sonatina para dos Muñecas (Sonatina for two Puppets), for piano four hands

March 14 – Gyula Dávid (1913-1977) died in Budapest, Hungary

May 25 – Star Wars, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

June – The Beatles Concerto, for two pianos and orchestra, by John Rutter (1945-) was first performed in London, England

September 3 – Marjatta, Lowly Maiden, a Finnish Mystery Play, by Einojuhani Rautavaara (1929-2016) was first performed in Espoo, Finland

September 13 – Leopold Stokowski (1882-1977) died in Nether Wallop, Hampshire, England

October 23 – Piano Quartet by William Bolcom (1938-) was first performed in New York, New York

November 14 – Richard Addinsell (1904-1977) died in London, England

November 16 – Close Encounters of the Third Kind, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

1978
Hanget soi (“Singing Snow”), for children’s chorus, by Heikki Sarmanto (1939-) [Arranged by Auvo Sarmanto (1935-)] was published

January 29 – Peter Schickele (1935-2024) [P.D.Q. Bach] completed “Twelve Quite Heavenly Songs”

March 27 – A la busca del más allá “In search of the beyond” by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Houston, Texas

May 1 – Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) died in Moscow, Russia

December 3 – William Grant Still (1895-1978) died in Los Angeles, California

December 10 – Superman, with film score by John Williams (1932-), was released

1979
April 10 – Nino Rota (1911-1979) died in Rome, Italy

September 7 – Peter Schickele (1935-2024) [P.D.Q. Bach] completed “Liebeslieder Polkas”

October 1 – Roy Harris (1898-1979) died in Santa Monica, California

December 7 – Star Trek: The Motion Picture, with film score by Jerry Goldsmith (1929-2004), was released

December 30 – Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) died in New York, New York

←1960s

1980s→

Hale, Hooker, Hubble, Humason

Clockwise from upper left: George Ellery Hale, Edwin Powell Hubble, Milton La Salle Humason, John Daggett Hooker, Hooker 100-inch telescope at Mt. Wilson Observatory

Edwin Powell Hubble (1889-1953) was born in Marshfield, Missouri, nine years after a devastating F4 tornado destroyed most of the town, killing 99 people and injuring 100. The Hubble family moved to Wheaton, Illinois (near Chicago) the year Edwin was born.

After receiving a B.S. degree from the University of Chicago in 1910, Hubble spent three years at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar. The experience must have made quite an impression on young Hubble, as he returned to the U.S. with an affected British accent and other mannerisms (such as smoking a pipe) that stayed with him (and sometimes irritated others) for the rest of his life.

George Ellery Hale (1868-1938) offered Hubble a job at the Mount Wilson Observatory in 1919, and that same year also hired a talented man who would soon become Hubble’s assistant, Milton Humason (1891-1972), just as Mt. Wilson’s 100-inch Hooker telescope (the largest in the world at that time) started to see regular use.

Hubble identified Cepheid variables in M31, the Andromeda Nebula (and some other spiral nebulae), using the 100-inch in 1922-1923. From those observations, Hubble determined without a shadow of doubt that the Andromeda Nebula is in fact another galaxy of stars lying far beyond our own Milky Way galaxy. Up until this time, there was great debate about whether “spiral nebulae” like M31 were within our own galaxy or beyond it. Many thought that our galaxy was the entire universe. Thanks to Edwin Hubble and those who followed him, we now know that our galaxy is but one of many billions in this unimaginably vast universe we are lucky enough to explore.

How did Hubble use the faint Cepheid variables to determine the distance to M31? Cepheid variables are very luminous yellow giant and supergiant stars whose luminosity is directly related to the period of time it takes for the star to vary in brightness from brightest to dimmest to brightest again. The longer the period, the brighter the star really is. Knowing the apparent brightness of a star (dependent on distance), and knowing its true brightness (not dependent on distance), we can easily calculate the distance to the star. In the case of M31, the Andromeda Galaxy, we now know its distance to be 2.48 ± 0.04 million light years. M31 and the Milky Way are comparable in size and mass, and are by far the two largest galaxies of the Local Group, which contains at least 80 members. M31 and our Milky Way are moving towards each other due to gravitational attraction, and they will “collide” in about 4 to 5 billion years, probably leading to the formation of a giant elliptical or lenticular galaxy. But no one on Earth will witness this event. Due to the warming Sun, the surface of the Earth will become lifeless in a billion years or so.

Classical Music Timeline: 1960s

This is one of a series of postings of important classical music dates, from the 17th century to the present. Included are the date and location of the birth and death of composers, and the premiere date and location of the first public performance of works. When the premiere date and location is unknown, the date or year of completion of the work is given. Though reasonably comprehensive, this is a subjective list, so the choice of composers and works is mine. If you find any errors, or if you can offer a premiere date and location for a work where only the completion date or year is listed, please post a comment here.

1960
James Moody (1907-1995) completed Little Suite for Harmonica and Orchestra

February 9 – Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960) died in New York, New York

May 8 – Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960) died in Falun, Sweden

October 2 – String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, op. 110 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1961
January 21 – Gloria by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

February 20 – Percy Grainger (1882-1961) died in White Plains, New York

October 1 – Symphony No. 12 in D minor, op. 112, “The Year 1917” by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Samara, Russia

October 22 – Atmosphères by György Ligeti (1923-2006) was first performed in Donaueschingen, Germany

December 30 – Symphony No. 4 in C minor, op. 43 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

1962
William Grant Still (1895-1978) completed Vignettes, for oboe, bassoon, and piano

Thomas Bloch [aka Johann Julius Sontag von Holt Sombach] (1962-) was born in Colmar, France

January 29 – Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) died in New York, New York

December 31 – Jennifer Higdon (1962-) was born in Brooklyn, New York

1963
Timothy Brock (1963-) was born in the USA [date and location unknown]

January 30 – Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) died in Paris, France

March 8 – Variations on a Theme by Hindemith by William Walton (1902-1983) was first performed in London, England

October 3 – Violin Concerto, op. 30 by Alberto Ginastera (1916-1983) was first performed in New York, New York

1964
Nino Rota (1911-1979) completed 15 Preludes for piano

November 20 – String Quartet No. 9 in E♭ major, op. 117 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

November 20 – String Quartet No. 10 in A♭ major, op. 118 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

1965
March 14 – Requiem by György Ligeti (1923-2006) was first performed in Stockholm, Sweden

June 18 – George Melachrino (1909-1965) died in London, England

July 15 – Chichester Psalms by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), was first performed in New York, New York

1966
Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) completed Four Cornish Dances, op. 91

January 20 – Ralph Greaves (1889-1966) died in Tonbridge, Kent, England

March 19 – Symphony No. 3, op. 57 by Ruth Gipps (1921-1999) was first performed in London, England

November 28 – Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966) died in New York, New York

1967
Rudolf Barshai (1924-2010) completed the arrangement of String Quartet No. 8 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), approved by the composer, and known as the Chamber Symphony, op. 110a

March 6 – Zoltán Kodály (1882-1967) died in Budapest, Hungary

July 30 – Concierto Madrigal by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Los Angeles, California

October 22 – Lontano by György Ligeti (1923-2006) was first performed in Donaueschingen, Germany

November 18 – Concierto Andaluz by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in San Antonio, Texas

1968
March 16 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) died in Beverly Hills, California

April 15 – Borys Lyatoshynsky (1895-1968) died in Kyiv, Ukraine

May 30 – Anadyomene (Adoration of Aphrodite) by Einojuhani Rautavaara (1929-2016) was first performed in Helsinki, Finland

1969
March 6 – Trombone Concerto in C major by Nino Rota (1911-1979) was first performed in Milan, Italy

September 29 – Symphony No. 14 in G minor, op. 135 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

←1950s

1970s→

Maria Mitchell: America’s First Female Astronomy Professor

Maria (pronounced Ma-RYE-ah) Mitchell (1818-1889), America’s first female professor of astronomy, was born August 1, 1818 on Nantucket Island (Massachusetts). Her interest in astronomy was encouraged by her father, and she assisted him with his research at a time when few women were allowed an opportunity to do scientific research. She discovered a comet in 1847 at the age of 29, and this brought her fame as one of America’s few women scientists. She was employed for many years as a computer (a person who performs lengthy mathematical calculations), and then taught astronomy at Vassar College for many years (1865-1888), a women’s college in Poughkeepsie, New York. At Vassar, she was also the director of the Vassar College Observatory. A devoted teacher, she believed that students learn best by doing real research projects. In 1869, she traveled to Burlington, Iowa with six of her students to observe a total solar eclipse.

Seven years after the death of Maria Mitchell, her sister, Phebe Mitchell Kendall, (1828-1907) compiled a book, Maria Mitchell: Life, Letters, and Journals (1896).

The Maria Mitchell Observatory was established on Nantucket Island in 1908, and today continues its long legacy of public outreach and undergraduate research.

“When we are chafed and fretted by small cares, a look at the stars will show us the littleness of our own interests.”

“We travel to learn; and I have never been in any country where they did not do something better than we do it, think some thoughts better than we think, catch some inspiration from heights above our own.”

“Question everything.”

“The best that can be said of my life so far is that it has been industrious, and the best that can be said of me is that I have not pretended to what I was not.”

Quotes by Maria Mitchell

Classical Music Timeline: 1950s

This is one of a series of postings of important classical music dates, from the 17th century to the present. Included are the date and location of the birth and death of composers, and the premiere date and location of the first public performance of works. When the premiere date and location is unknown, the date or year of completion of the work is given. Though reasonably comprehensive, this is a subjective list, so the choice of composers and works is mine. If you find any errors, or if you can offer a premiere date and location for a work where only the completion date or year is listed, please post a comment here.

1950
Gyula Dávid (1913-1977) completed the Viola Concerto

January 6 – Piano Concerto in C♯ minor, FP 146 by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

March 1 – Cello Sonata in C major, op. 119 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

April 3 – Kurt Weill (1900-1950) died in New York, New York

May 22 – Four Last Songs by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was first performed in London, England

1951
Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) completed The Phantom Regiment

April 14 – English Dances, op. 27 by Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) was first performed in London, England

August 21 – Constant Lambert (1905-1951) died in London, England

October 23 – Symphony No. 3 in B minor by Borys Lyatoshynsky (1895-1968) was first performed in Kyiv, Ukraine

1952
January 26 – Taras Bulba, ballet in four acts, op. 92 by Reinhold Glière (1875-1956) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

May 3 – Romance in D♭ major for harmonica and orchestra by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in New York, New York

July 13 – Alla Pavlova (1952-) was born in Vinnytsia, Ukraine

October 11 – Symphony No. 7 in C♯ minor, op. 131 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

1953
Heino Eller (1887-1970) completed Five Pieces for String Orchestra

January 14 – Symphony No. 7, “Sinfonia Antartica”, by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in Manchester, England

March 5 – Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) died in Moscow, Russia

April 11 – Concerto Grosso No. 2 for string orchestra by Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) was first performed in London, England

August 22 – Soleriana by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Berlin, Germany

November 13 – String Quartet No. 5 in B♭ major, op. 92 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

December 17 – Symphony No. 10 in E minor, op. 93 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1954
Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) completed The First Day of Spring

February 12 – The Stone Flower, ballet, op. 118 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

March 5 – Jack Stamp (1954-) was born in College Park, Maryland

April 3 – Elisabetta Brusa (1954-) was born in Milan, Italy

November 6 – Festive Overture in A major, op. 96 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

November 8 – Concertino in A minor for two pianos, op. 94 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

November 8 – Tarantella for Two Pianos by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

1955
January 15 – From Jewish Folk Poetry, op. 79 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) received its first public performance in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

May 4 – George Enescu (1881-1955) died in Paris, France

October 31 – Symphony No. 2, “Mysterious Mountain”, op. 132 by Alan Hovhaness (1911-2000) was first performed in Houston, Texas

1956
April 30 – Sextet in B♭ for piano and winds, op. 6 by Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) was first performed in London, England

June 23 – Reinhold Glière (1875-1956) died in Moscow, Russia

August 30 – Aita Donostia (1886-1956) died in Lecároz, Navarre, Spain

September 5 – Piano Concerto No. 4 in B♭ major for the left hand, op. 53 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Berlin, Germany

October 17 – Symphony No. 4 in C major, op. 54 by Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

December 1 – Candide, operetta with music by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), was first performed in New York, New York

December 27 – Spartacus, ballet by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1957
Lars-Erik Larsson (1908-1986) completed Concertino for Clarinet and String Orchestra, op. 45, no. 3

Malcolm Arnold (1921-2006) completed Commonwealth Christmas Overture, op. 64

January 26 – Overture to Candide by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) received its first concert performance in New York, New York

May 10 – Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, op. 102, (Piano Concerto No. 2) by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

June 18 – Sonata for Flute and Piano, FP 164 by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was first performed in Strasbourg, France

September 20 – Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) died in Järvenpää, Finland

September 26 – West Side Story, musical with music by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990), was first performed in New York, New York

October 30 – Symphony No. 11 in G minor, “The Year 1905”, op. 103 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

November 4 – Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957) died in Grigny, France

November 4 – Elena Kats-Chernin (1957-) was born in Tashkent, Uzbekistan

November 29 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) died in Los Angeles, California

1958
Vittorio Giannini (1903-1966) completed Symphony No. 3 for symphonic band

Alec Wilder (1907-1980) completed Woodwind Quintet No. 3

March 5 – Fantasía para un gentilhombre, concerto for guitar and orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in San Francisco, California

August 21 – Stevan Hristić (1885-1958) died in Belgrade, Serbia

August 26 – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) died in London, England

December 4 – Symphonie de danses by Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur (1908-2002) was first performed in Paris, France

1959
Trevor Duncan (1924-2005) completed The Girl from Corsica

Veljo Tormis (1930-2017) completed Overture No. 2

February 12 – George Antheil (1900-1959) died in New York, New York

July 15 – Ernest Bloch (1880-1959) died in Portland, Oregon

August 26 – Symphony No. 4 by William Alwyn (1905-1985) was first performed in London, England

August 28 – Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) died in Liestal, Switzerland

November 16 – The Sound of Music, musical with music by Richard Rodgers (1902-1979) and lyrics by Oscar Hammarstein II (1895-1960) premiered in New York, New York

November 17 – Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959) died in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

←1940s

1960s→

Star-Shy Asteroids

Thanks to Gaia, many star positions (and proper motions) and minor planet positions (orbits) have improved so much that those of us who try to observe stellar occultations by minor planets have recently seen a vast improvement in our likelihood of success. These occultation events are an excellent way to discover minor planet satellites as well as double stars. At the very least, they provide highly accurate minor planet astrometric positions that lead to more accurate orbits, and if several observers record an event, the size and shape of the minor planet can be more accurately determined.

Perhaps surprisingly, a number of low-numbered (and thus generally larger) minor planets have never been observed to occult a star. Here are the ten lowest-numbered minor planets still awaiting their first-observed stellar occultation event.

To predict future stellar occultation events for any given minor planet (and so much more!), use the latest version of Occult – Occultation Prediction Software by David Herald.

Last Updated: June 17, 2024

157 Dejanira
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 19.959 ± 2.476 km.
Discovered 1875 Dec 1 by A. Borrelly at Marseilles.
Named for the second wife Dejanira (Greek: Deianeira) of Heracles; Megara was the first. She unwittingly killed Heracles by sending him a garment steeped in the poisoned blood of the centaur Nessus. This garment, Nessus has said, had power to reclaim a husband from unlawful loves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/157_Dejanira

180 Garumna
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 23.440 ± 0.414 km.
Discovered 1878 Jan 29 by J. Perrotin at Toulouse.
Named for the Garonne river on which the city of discovery is situated. Garumna is the ancient name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/180_Garumna

183 Istria
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 32.927 ± 0.168 km.
Discovered 1878 Feb 8 by J. Palisa at Pola.
Named for the {now Croatian} peninsula at the northern end of the Adriatic sea, containing Trieste and the city of discovery. Named by Vice-Admiral B. Freiherr von Wüllerstorf who was the commander of the first Austrian circumnavigatory adventure with the frigate Novara.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/183_Istria

228 Agathe
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 9.30 ± 0.8 km.
Discovered 1882 Aug 19 by J. Palisa at Vienna.
Named in honor of the youngest daughter of Theodor von Oppolzer (1841-1886), professor of astronomy in Vienna.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/228_Agathe

244 Sita
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 11.077 ± 0.022 km.
Discovered 1884 Oct 14 by J. Palisa at Vienna.
Named possibly for the wife of Rama in the Sanskrit epic The Ramayana. It is a symbol of the ideal spouse and of everlasting faith.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/244_Sita

262 Valda
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 14.645 ± 0.141 km.
Discovered 1886 Nov 3 by J. Palisa at Vienna.
Any reference of this name to a person or occurrence is unknown. Name proposed by the Baroness Bettina von Rothschild.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/262_Valda

263 Dresda
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 23.952 ± 0.213 km.
Discovered 1886 Nov 3 by J. Palisa at Vienna.
The planet is named to honor the German city of Dresden.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/263_Dresda

281 Lucretia
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 11.036 ± 0.145 km.
Discovered 1888 Oct 31 by J. Palisa at Vienna.
Named in honor of Lucretia Caroline Herschel (1750-1848), sister of the discoverer (1781) of Uranus, Sir William Herschel (1738-1822), whom she assisted, beginning in 1772. She independently discovered seven or eight comets. After her brother’s death, she returned from England to Hannover, Germany and constructed a catalogue of the nebulae and clusters discovered by him. She received the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society in 1828.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/281_Lucretia

282 Clorinde
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 39.03 ± 1.0 km.
Discovered 1889 Jan 28 by A. Charlois at Nice.
Named probably after the heroine of the epic poem Jerusalem Delivered by the Italian writer Torquato Tasso (1544-1595).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/282_Clorinde

288 Glauke
Main-belt Asteroid. Diameter 28.981 ± 0.571 km.
Discovered 1890 Feb 20 by R. Luther at Düsseldorf.
Named for the daughter of Creon, king of Corinth, whom Jason planned to marry. Glauke is also the name of one of the Danaides and of one of the Nereides.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/288_Glauke

References
Schmadel, Lutz D. 2012. Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. 6th ed. Berlin, Germany: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29718-2.

Solar System Dynamics. (Downloaded 17 Jun 2024). (Small-Body Database Lookup). https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov

Classical Music Timeline: 1940s

This is one of a series of postings of important classical music dates, from the 17th century to the present. Included are the date and location of the birth and death of composers, and the premiere date and location of the first public performance of works. When the premiere date and location is unknown, the date or year of completion of the work is given. Though reasonably comprehensive, this is a subjective list, so the choice of composers and works is mine. If you find any errors, or if you can offer a premiere date and location for a work where only the completion date or year is listed, please post a comment here.

1940
Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) completed The Comedians, op. 26

June 11 – Divertimento for string orchestra, Sz. 113 BB 118 by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was first performed in Basel, Switzerland

July 1 – The Sea Hawk, with film score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957), was released

November 9 – Concierto de Aranjuez, for guitar and orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Barcelona, Spain

November 16 – Violin Concerto in D minor by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

December 3 – Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940) died in Moscow, Russia

December 9 – Sextet for Piano and Winds (1939 revision), FP 100 by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was first performed in Paris, France

December 26 – Symphony No. 4, “Folk Song Symphony”, by Roy Harris (1898-1979) was first performed in Cleveland, Ohio

1941
January 3 – Symphonic Dances, op. 45 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

January 10 – Frank Bridge (1879-1941) died in Eastbourne, England

February 7 – Violin Concerto, op. 14 by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

March 24 – King Lear, with incidental music (op. 58a) by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975), was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

April 17 – Adolphus Hailstork (1941-) was born in Rochester, New York

June 21 – Masquerade Suite by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

June 26 – Warsaw Concerto by Richard Addinsell (1904-1977) premiered in the film Dangerous Moonlight

1942
Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) completed Song of the Brave, for tenor and piano, op. 89, no. 2

March 5 – Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad”, by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Samara, Russia (Kuybyshev at that time)

April 16 – Second Essay for Orchestra, op. 17 by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was first performed in New York, New York

June 11 – Geoffrey Toye (1889-1942) died in London, England

June 18 – Paul McCartney (1942-) was born in Liverpool, England

December 4 – A Ceremony of Carols, op. 28 by Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was first performed (in its final form) in London, England

December 9 – Gayane, ballet by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978) was first performed in Perm, Russia

1943
March 12 – Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Cincinnati, Ohio

March 28 – Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) died in Beverly Hills, California

June 24 – Symphony No. 5 in D major by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England

November 4 – Symphony No. 8 in C minor, op. 65 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

1944
Percy Grainger (1882-1961) completed the orchestration of La Vallée des cloches (”Valley of the Bells”) from Miroirs by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937)

January 28 – Symphony No. 1, “Jeremiah”, by Leonard Bernstein (1918-1990) was first performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

April 16 – Concierto de estío, for violin and orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Lisbon, Portugal

May 7 – Our Town, music from the film score, by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

May 8 – Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) died in Woking, England

June 7 – Gran Marcha de los Subsecretarios (“Grand March of the Subsecretaries”), for piano four hands, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Madrid, Spain

August – Kaljo Raid (1921-2005) completed Symphony No. 1

October 30 – Appalachian Spring, ballet by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Washington, D.C.

October 31 – Sebastian, ballet by Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007) was first performed in New York, New York

December 1 – Concerto for Orchestra, Sz. 116, BB 123 by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

December 27 – Amy Beach (1867-1944) died in New York, New York

December 30 – Piano Sonata No. 8 in B♭ major, op. 84 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

1945
Suite from Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was arranged by Artur Rodziński (1892-1958)

January 13 – Symphony No. 5 in B♭ major, op. 100 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

April 9 – Girl No. 217, with film score by Aram Khachaturian (1903-1978), was released

August 2 – Emil von Reznicek (1860-1945) died in Berlin, Germany

September 15 – Anton Webern (1883-1945) died in Mittersill, Austria

September 24 – John Rutter (1945-) was born in London, England

September 26 – Béla Bartók (1881-1945) died in New York, New York

October 12 – Symphony No. 3, H. 299 by Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

November 3 – Symphony No. 9 in E♭ major, op. 70 by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906-1975) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

November 21 – Cinderella, ballet, op. 87 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

November 30 – Symphony No. 4, H. 305 by Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

December 17 – À l’ombre de Torre Bermeja (“In the Shadow of the Crimson Tower”) by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Madrid, Spain

December 17 – A Stopwatch and an Ordnance Map, for male chorus, brass, and drums, op. 15 by Samuel Barber (1910-1981) was first performed in New York, New York

1946
Twenty-Four Preludes, op. 38 by Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

February 8 – Piano Concerto No. 3 in E major, Sz. 119, BB 127 by Béla Bartók (1881-1945) was first performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

October 16 – Granville Bantock (1868-1946) died in London, England

October 18 – Symphony No. 3 by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

October 23 – Violin Sonata No. 1 in F minor, op. 80 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

November 14 – Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) died in Alta Gracia, Argentina

November 27 – Cinco piezas infantiles (“Five children’s pieces”), for orchestra, by Joaquín Rodrigo (1901-1999) was first performed in Madrid, Spain

December 6 – Maximilian Steinberg (1883-1946) died in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1947
January 8 – Piano Concerto, op. 44 by Richard Arnell (1917-2009) was first performed in New York, New York

February 15 – Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35 by Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was first performed in St. Louis, Missouri

February 15 – John Adams (1947-) was born in Worcester, Massachusetts

March 5 – Alfredo Casella (1883-1947) died in Rome, Italy

June 14 – Michael Mauldin (1947-) was born in Port Arthur, Texas

August 20 – Concerto for Bassoon and Strings with Percussion by Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) was first performed in London, England

October 23 – Starlight Roof Waltz by George Melachrino (1909-1965) was first performed in London, England

November 12 – Flourish, Mighty Land, cantata for chorus and orchestra, op. 114 by Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

November 29 – The Legend of Ohrid, ballet by Stevan Hristić (1885-1958) was first performed in Belgrade, Serbia

1948
William Grant Still (1895-1978) completed Miniatures, for flute, oboe, and piano

January 21 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876-1948) died in Venice, Italy

February 10 – Symphony No. 6 “after Delacroix” by George Antheil (1900-1959) was first performed in San Francisco, California

April 21 – Symphony No. 6 in E minor by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was first performed in London, England

May 4 – Sleigh Ride by Leroy Anderson (1908-1975) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

June 27 – George Templeton Strong (1856-1948) died in Geneva, Switzerland

October 29 – Violin Concerto in C major, op. 48 by Dmitry Kabalevsky (1904-1987) was first performed in Moscow, Russia

October 30 – The Red Pony, suite from the film score, by Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was first performed in Houston, Texas

1949
Clive Richardson (1909-1998) completed Beachcomber

Robert Farnon (1917-2005) completed How Beautiful is Night

January 14 – Joaquín Turina (1882-1949) died in Madrid, Spain

September 8 – Richard Strauss (1864-1949) died in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

September 11 – Henri Rabaud (1873-1949) died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France

December 2 – Turangalîla-Symphonie by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts

←1930s

1950s→

Solar Siblings

When our Sun formed 4.6 billion years ago, it almost certainly was a member of an open star cluster. Over several hundred million years, most of the stars in this cluster would have dissipated. Is there any hope, then, of finding some of our solar siblings?

I ran a query against the Gaia DR3 database to find stars with radial velocities and proper motions that are zero, within the measurement uncertainties. In other words, their space motions appear to be similar to that of the Sun. Could some of these stars be our long lost solar siblings?

First, some caveats.

  • 4.6 billion years is a lot of time, and dynamical evolution may lead to solar siblings no longer having comparable space motions to the Sun.
  • Error bars for the radial velocities, proper motions, and distances of many of these stars are large enough that subsequent more precise measurements may show that they are not co-moving with the Sun.
  • Though radial velocities are not affected by increasing star distance, proper motions are; therefore, proper motion in right ascension and declination will approach zero with increasing stellar distance
  • Some co-moving stars will be coincidental, especially if they are at large distances

I found 230 candidate stars in Gaia DR3 that appear to be co-moving with the Sun. They are listed in the table below.

Gaia DR3 Zero Space Motion

wdt_ID wdt_created_by wdt_created_at wdt_last_edited_by wdt_last_edited_at Gaia DR3 SOURCE_ID Other Catalog RA (2016) Dec (2016) G Mag Distance (ly)
1 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 5534600793005666944 TYC 7663-2637-1 08 05 30 - 40 05 11 10.63 2,100
2 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 4044381556633823232 HD 321719 18 25 18 - 34 39 16 10.91 3,776
3 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 5933186123279263872 TYC 8323-81-1 16 15 34 - 52 29 35 11.30 2,930
4 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 4069457877771166464 18 00 01 - 22 47 10 11.33 5,673
5 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 5926323972473953792 TYC 8349-1491-1 17 19 13 - 50 14 57 11.85 999,999
6 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 1816548038377615872 TYC 1639-1018-1 20 22 27 + 20 06 07 11.86 1,208
7 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 3403073120299336960 UCAC4 557-018920 05 44 22 + 21 14 45 12.00 1,720
8 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 5316984970605614208 08 46 50 - 54 57 33 12.08 1,192
9 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 2224937958644193920 V898 Cep 22 38 02 + 67 27 58 12.19 1,998
10 do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM do18559252 30/04/2024 09:51 AM 4103489613769523712 18 42 09 - 14 55 00 12.21 2,988
Gaia DR3 SOURCE_ID Other Catalog RA (2016) Dec (2016) G Mag Distance (ly)

Please note that a distance of 999,999 ly (light years) indicates a Gaia parallax that is negative, meaning that the star is so far away that a reliable parallax cannot be measured. In other words, it is zero. Also, the farther away the star is, the more uncertainty there is in the distance.

19 of these 230 stars are bright enough, important enough, or lucky enough to have entries in the SIMBAD database. The nearest of these is TYC 8312-3134-1 which is 518 ly away in the constellation Norma.

We can do a simple BOTEC to determine how fast TYC 8312-3134-1 would have to be moving relative to the Sun to travel 518 ly in 4.6 Gyr. The answer is just 0.03 km/s = 30 meters/second. This is much less than the typical space motion of stars in the solar neighborhood relative to the Sun, which is on the order of many kilometers per second. It is therefore completely plausible that solar siblings could now be at a distance of at least 500 ly and even many times further than that.

Reference

SELECT TOP 2000   gaia_source.source_id,gaia_source.ra,gaia_source.dec,gaia_source.parallax,gaia_source.pmra,gaia_source.pmdec,gaia_source.ruwe,gaia_source.phot_g_mean_mag,gaia_source.bp_rp,gaia_source.radial_velocity,gaia_source.radial_velocity_error,gaia_source.phot_variable_flag,gaia_source.non_single_star,gaia_source.has_xp_continuous,gaia_source.has_xp_sampled,gaia_source.has_rvs,gaia_source.has_epoch_photometry,gaia_source.has_epoch_rv,gaia_source.has_mcmc_gspphot,gaia_source.has_mcmc_msc,gaia_source.teff_gspphot,gaia_source.logg_gspphot,gaia_source.mh_gspphot,gaia_source.distance_gspphot,gaia_source.azero_gspphot,gaia_source.ag_gspphot,gaia_source.ebpminrp_gspphot
FROM gaiadr3.gaia_source 
WHERE (gaiadr3.gaia_source.radial_velocity-gaiadr3.gaia_source.radial_velocity_error <= 0)
  and (gaiadr3.gaia_source.radial_velocity+gaiadr3.gaia_source.radial_velocity_error >= 0)
  and (gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmra-gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmra_error <= 0)
  and (gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmra+gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmra_error >= 0)
  and (gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmdec-gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmdec_error <= 0)
  and (gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmdec+gaiadr3.gaia_source.pmdec_error >= 0);