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.
1890
Feuillet d’album by Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894) was first published
Erik Satie (1866-1925) completed Gnossienne No. 3
January 15 – The Sleeping Beauty, ballet, op. 66 by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
February 2 – Symphony No. 8 in G major, op. 88, B163 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
June 21 – Death and Transfiguration, op. 24, tone poem by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was first performed in Eisenach, Germany
October 17 – Piano Quartet No. 2 in E♭ major, op. 87, B162 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Frankfurt am Main, Germany
November 4 – Prince Igor, opera by Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
November 8 – César Franck (1822-1890) died in Paris, France
December 8 – Bohuslav Martinů (1890-1959) was born in Polička, Czech Republic
1891
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed Two Melodies for String Orchestra, op. 53
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed Lyric Pieces, Book V, op. 54 (some were orchestrated later as the Lyric Suite)
Norwegian Dances, op. 35, by Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) was orchestrated by Hans Sitt (1850-1922)
Claude Debussy (1862-1918) completed Beau Soir
Josef Suk (1874-1935) completed Piano Quartet in A minor, op. 1
January 15 – Marche Solennelle by Edward German (1862-1936) was first performed in London, England
January 16 – Léo Delibes (1836-1891) died in Paris, France
January 22 – Erik Satie (1866-1925) completed Gnossienne No. 4
March 16 – Fantasy Pieces, op. 2, for oboe and piano, by Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) was first performed in Copenhagen, Denmark
April 18 – Symphony in B♭ major, op. 20 by Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) was first performed in Paris, France
April 27 – Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was born in Sontsivka, Ukraine
October 9 – Requiem in B♭ minor, op. 89, B165 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Birmingham, England
December 12 – Quintet for Clarinet and String Quartet in B minor, op. 115, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in Berlin, Germany
1892
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) completed Seven Fantasies for Piano, op. 116
Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909) completed Capricho árabe (Arabic Caprice), for solo guitar
March 19 – The Nutcracker Suite, op. 71a, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
March 27 – Ferde Grofé (1892-1972) was born in New York, New York
April 6 – Symphony No. 4 in D minor, op. 13, B41 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
April 22 – Édouard Lalo (1823-1892) died in Paris, France
May 6 – Ernest Guiraud (1837-1892) died in Paris, France
September 26 – Prélude in C♯ minor, op. 3, no. 2 from Morceaux de fantaisie by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in Moscow, Russia
October 21 – Te Deum, op. 103, B176 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in New York, New York
December 18 – Symphony No. 8 in C minor, WAB 108, by Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) was first performed in Vienna, Austria
1893
January 18 – Mass in D by Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) was first performed in London, England
January 30 – Intermezzo in E♭ major, op. 117, no. 1, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in London, England
March 4 – Symphony No. 2 in G minor, “Sintram”, by George Templeton Strong (1856-1948) was first performed in New York, New York
August 21 – Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) was born in Paris, France
October 28 – Symphony No. 6 in B minor, op. 74 “Pathétique” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
November 6 – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) died in Saint Petersburg, Russia
November 23 – Karelia Suite, op. 11 by Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was first performed in Helsinki, Finland
December 16 – Symphony No. 9 in E minor, op. 95, B178 “From the New World” by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in New York, New York
December 23 – Hänsel und Gretel, opera by Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921), was first performed in Weimar, Germany
1894
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859-1935) completed Caucasian Sketches, Suite No. 1, op. 10
January 1 – String Quartet No. 12 in F major, op. 96, B179 “American” by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Boston, Massachusetts
January 22 – Six Pieces for Piano, op. 118, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in London, England
January 22 – Rhapsody in E♭ major, op. 119, no. 4, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was first performed in London, England
February 25 – Serenade for Strings in E♭ major, op. 6 by Josef Suk (1874-1935) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
March 16 – Méditation from Thaïs by Jules Massenet (1842-1912) was first performed in Paris, France
May 17 – Richard Strauss (1864-1949) completed Ruhe, Meine Seele, op. 27, no. 1 at Weimar, Germany. He completed an orchestral song version of this piece in 1948.
September 13 – Emmanuel Chabrier (1841-1894) died in Paris, France
October 30 – Peter Warlock (1894-1930) was born in London, England
December 16 – Silent Woods, for cello and orchestra (or piano), op. 68, no. 5, B182 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Basel, Switzerland
December 22 – Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, symphonic poem by Claude Debussy (1862-1918) was first performed in Paris, France
1895
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) completed the Viola Sonata in F minor, op. 120, no. 1 (version of Clarinet Sonata, op. 120, no. 1)
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) completed the Viola Sonata in E♭ major, op. 120, no. 2 (version of Clarinet Sonata, op. 120, no. 2)
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed Two Nordic Melodies for String Orchestra, op. 63
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859-1935) completed Armenian Rhapsody on National Themes, op. 48
Léon Boëllmann (1862-1897) completed Suite gothique, op. 25 for organ
January 3 – Borys Lyatoshynsky (1895-1968) was born in Zhytomyr, Ukraine
April 3 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) was born in Florence, Italy
May 11 – William Grant Still (1895-1978) was born in Woodville, Mississippi
July 5 – Gordon Jacob (1895-1984) was born in London, England
November 5 – Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, op. 28 tone poem by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was first performed in Cologne, Germany
December 13 – Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Resurrection”, by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was first performed in Berlin, Germany
1896
Souvenir d’un lieu cher (Memory of a Beloved Place), op. 42, for violin and orchestra, by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) and orchestrated by Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936) was first published
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed Symphonic Dances, op. 64
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed Lyric Pieces, Book VIII, op. 65
Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909) completed Recuerdos de la Alhambra (Memories of the Alhambra), for solo guitar
Edward MacDowell (1860-1908) completed Woodland Sketches, op. 51
Leokadiya Kashperova (1872-1940) completed Sonata for Cello and Piano No. 1 in G major, op. 1, no. 1
January 10 – Sonatina in G major, for violin and piano, op. 100, B183 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Brno, Czech Republic
March 16 – Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen (“Songs of a Wayfarer”), song cycle for voice and orchestra by Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was first performed in Berlin, Germany
March 19 – Cello Concerto in B minor, op. 104, B191 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in London, England
May 20 – Clara Schumann (1819-1896) died in Frankfurt, Germany
June 3 – The Water Goblin, symphonic poem, op. 107, B195 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
June 3 – The Noon Witch, symphonic poem, op. 108, B196 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic
October 11 – Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) died in Vienna, Austria
October 28 – Howard Hanson (1896-1981) was born in Wahoo, Nebraska
November 25 – Virgil Thomson (1896-1989) was born in Kansas City, Missouri
November 27 – Also sprach Zarathustra, op. 30, tone poem by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was first performed in Frankfurt, Germany
December 27 – Poème, for violin and orchestra, op. 25 by Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) was first performed in Nancy, France
1897
Richard Strauss (1864-1949) completed Der Abend, op. 34, no. 1 (“The Evening”), for chorus
January – Erik Satie (1866-1925) completed Gnossienne No. 6
January 3 – Symphony in C major by Paul Dukas (1865-1935) was first performed in Paris, France
March 28 – Symphony No. 1 in D minor, op. 13 by Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873-1943) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia
April 3 – Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) died in Vienna, Austria
May 18 – The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, symphonic poem by Paul Dukas (1865-1935) was first performed in Paris, France
May 29 – Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was born in Brno, Czech Republic
June 12 – Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986) was born in Łódź, Poland
October 11 – Léon Boëllmann (1862-1897) died in Paris, France
1898
Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924) completed Sicilienne, op. 78, for cello and piano
February 12 – Roy Harris (1898-1979) was born in Chandler, Oklahoma
March 20 – The Wild Dove, symphonic poem, op. 110, B198 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Brno, Czech Republic
September 26 – George Gershwin (1898-1937) was born in Brooklyn, New York
November 13 – Four Sacred Pieces by Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was first performed in its entirety in Vienna, Austria
1899
Edvard Grieg (1843-1907) completed the orchestration for Two Lyric Pieces, op. 68
Percy Grainger (1882-1961) completed Fisher’s Boarding-House
January 7 – Francis Poulenc (1899-1963) was born in Paris, France
March 3 – Ein Heldenleben, op. 40, tone poem by Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was first performed in Frankfurt, Germany
June 3 – Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) died in Vienna, Austria
June 10 – Ernest Chausson (1855-1899) died in Limay, Yvelines, France
June 19 – Variations on an Original Theme, op. 36 “Enigma Variations” by Edward Elgar (1857-1934) was first performed in London, England
November 18 – The Devil and Kate, opera, op. 112, B201 by Antonín Dvořák (1841-1904) was first performed in Prague, Czech Republic