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.
1870
January 5 – Liebeslieder Waltzes, op. 52, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
April 8 – Charles Auguste de Bériot (1802-1870) died in Brussels, Belgium
1871
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed The Bridal Procession Passes By, op. 19, no. 2 [later orchestrated by Johan Halvorsen (1864-1935) as the Norwegian Bridal Procession]
1872
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed the incidental music for Sigurd Jorsalfar, op. 22
May 1 – Hugo Alfvén (1872-1960) was born in Stockholm, Sweden
May 16 – Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940) was born in Lyubim, Russia
October 12 – Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) was born in Down Ampney, Gloucestershire, England
November 10 – L’Arlésienne Suite No. 1, op. 23bis, incidental music by Georges Bizet (1837-1875) was first performed in Paris, France
1873
January 19 – Cello Concerto No. 1 in A minor, op. 33, by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was first performed in Paris, France
April 1 – Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was born in Oneg, Novgorod, Russia
April 22 – Wiener Blut, op. 354, waltz by Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
November 2 – Variations on a Theme by Joseph Haydn, op. 56a, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
November 10 – Henri Rabaud (1873-1949) was born in Paris, France
December 11 – String Quartet No. 1 in C minor, op. 51, no. 1, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
1874
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) completed Der Abend (The Evening) from Three Quartets, op. 64, no. 2
January 4 – Josef Suk (1874-1935) was born in Křečovice, Czech Republic
May 22 – Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was first performed in Milan, Italy
June 22 – Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) completed Pictures at an Exhibition, for piano
September 21 – Gustav Holst (1874-1934) was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
1875
January 11 – Reinhold Glière (1875-1956) was born in Kyiv, Ukraine
January 24 – Danse macabre, op. 40, by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was first performed in Paris, France
February 2 – Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962) was born in Vienna, Austria
March 3 – Carmen, opera by Georges Bizet (1837-1875) was first performed in Paris, France
March 7 – Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was born in Ciboure, France
May 8 – Neue Liebeslieder Waltzes, op. 65, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Karlsruhe, Germany
June 3 – Georges Bizet (1837-1875) died in Bougival, France
September 15 – Louise Farrenc (1804-1875) died in Paris, France
October 31 – Piano Concerto No. 4 in C minor, op. 44, by Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was first performed in Paris, France
November 18 – Piano Quartet No. 3 in C minor, op. 60, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
1876
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed Ballade in the Form of Variations on a Norwegian Folk Song in G minor, op. 24, for piano
January 12 – Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari (1876-1948) was born in Venice, Italy
January 28 – Sérénade mélancolique in B♭ minor for violin and orchestra, op. 26, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
February 24 – Peer Gynt, op. 23, incidental music by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) was first performed in Oslo, Norway
November 4 – Symphony No. 1 in C minor, op. 68, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Karlsruhe, Germany
November 18 – Slavonic March in B♭ minor, op. 31, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
November 23 – Manuel de Falla (1876-1946) was born in Cádiz, Spain
December 10 – Serenade for Strings in E major, op. 22, B52 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
1877
March 4 – Swan Lake, op. 20, ballet by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
March 9 – Francesca da Rimini: Symphonic Fantasy after Dante, op. 32, symphonic poem by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
July 27 – Ernst von Dohnányi (1877-1960) was born in Bratislava, Slovakia
November 21 – Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877-1933) was born in Oberndorf am Neckar, Germany
December 2 – Symphonic Variations, op. 78, B70 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
December 9 – Cello Concerto in D minor by Édouard Lalo (1823-1892) was first performed in Paris, France
December 9 – Romance in F minor, for violin and orchestra, op. 11, B39 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
December 30 – Symphony No. 2 in D major, op. 73, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
1878
Vincent d’Indy (1851-1931) completed The Enchanted Forest (La forêt enchantée), op. 8
February 22 – Symphony No. 4 in F minor, op. 36, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
March 23 – Franz Schreker (1878-1934) was born in Monaco
1879
L’Arlésienne Suite No. 2, incidental music by Georges Bizet (1837-1875) and compiled by Ernest Guiraud (1837-1892), was published
January 1 – Violin Concerto in D major, op. 77, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Leipzig, Germany
February 26 – Frank Bridge (1879-1941) was born in Brighton, England
March 4 – Symphony No. 2 in B minor (revised) by Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
March 29 – Eugene Onegin, op. 24, opera by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
May 15 – Nocturne in B major, op. 40, B47 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed prior to this date in Nice, France
May 16 – Czech Suite in D major, op. 39, B93 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
July 9 – Ottorino Respighi (1879-1936) was born in Bologna, Italy
October 19 – Symphony No. 5 in F minor for Organ, op. 42, no. 1, by Charles-Marie Widor (1844-1937) was first performed in Paris, France
October 21 – Joseph Canteloube (1879-1957) was born in Annonay, France
October 29 – Eight Pieces for Piano, op. 76, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Berlin, Germany
November 8 – Violin Sonata No. 1 in G major, op. 78, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Bonn, Germany