Classical Music Timeline: 1830s

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.

1831
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Étude in C minor, op. 10, no. 12, “Revolutionary”

1832
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Three Nocturnes, op. 9

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Étude in E major, op. 10, no. 3, “Tristesse”

May 14 – Overture to The Hebrides, in B minor, op. 26, by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was first performed in London, England

1833
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Four Mazurkas, op. 17

May 7 – Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) was born in Hamburg, Germany

November 12 – Alexander Borodin (1833-1887) was born in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1834
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Fantasie Impromptu in C♯ minor, op. 66

November 23Harold in Italy, op. 16, H. 68, by Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was first performed in Paris, France

1835
October 9 – Camille Saint-Saëns (1835-1921) was born in Paris, France

November 9 – Piano Concerto in A minor, op. 7, by Clara Schumann (1819-1896) was first performed in Leipzig, Germany

1836
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) completed Fantasie in C major, op. 17

January 30 – Octet for Strings in E♭ major, op. 20, by Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was first performed in Leipzig, Germany

December 9A Life for the Tsar, opera, by Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857) was first performed in Saint Petersburg, Russia

1837
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Étude in C minor, op. 25, no. 12, “Ocean”

January 2 – Mily Balakirev (1837-1910) was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia

June 23 – Ernest Guiraud (1837-1892) was born in New Orleans, Louisiana

1838
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Prelude in A minor, op. 28, no. 2

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Prelude in E minor, op. 28, no. 4

Robert Schumann (1810-1856) completed Scenes from Childhood, op. 15

January 6 – Max Bruch (1838-1920) was born in Cologne, Germany

October 25 – Georges Bizet (1838-1875) was born in Paris, France

1839
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Prelude in D♭ major, op. 28, no. 15, “Raindrop”

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) completed Prelude in C minor, op. 28, no. 20

March 21 – Symphony No. 9 in C major, D. 944 “The Great” by Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was first performed in Leipzig, Germany

March 21 – Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881) was born in Karevo, Russia

1820s

1840s

Pictures at an Exhibition

Modest Mussorgsky (1839-1881)

If you listen to much classical music, you are no doubt familiar with Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, orchestrated by Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) in 1922. But have you heard Mussorgsky’s original version for piano, written in 1874? A fabulous recording by Russian-born American pianist Natasha Paremski was released just last year, and I highly recommend it. She also wrote the liner notes, which really adds to your understanding of the piece and her enthusiasm for it. Following Pictures is Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky, by contemporary composer, Fred Hersch. I like the piece, which he wrote for Paremski. It is based on one of the beautiful melodies in Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4. I’m sure you will recognize it.

Modest Mussorgsky was a musical rebel and had his demons to contend with, including the alcoholism that ended his life at the young age of 42. Though his character and compositional talents have often been maligned, I think there is more to this man than the caricatures, even of his contemporaries, tell. Stripping away the orchestration provided by Ravel and others, and listening to this work in its raw pianistic form, you will find here a work of true genius, bold and viscerally beautiful.