Overview of the events of 1861 in music
Events
Published popular music
"Go Down, Moses ", traditional African American spiritual, heard as a rallying anthem for the Contrabands at Fort Monroe ; first spiritual known to be recorded in sheet music.
"Abide With Me ", w. Rev Henry Francis Lyte (1847), m. William Henry Monk ("Eventide," 1861)
"Alice, Where Art Thou? ", w. Wellington Guernsey m. Joseph Ascher
"Aura Lea ", w. W. W. Fosdick m. George R. Poulton
"The Bonnie Blue Flag ", w. Mrs Annie Chambers Ketchum m. Harry Macarthy
"Eternal Father, Strong to Save ", w. William Whiting m. Rev. John Bacchus Dykes
"Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty ", w. Reginald Heber (1826), m. John Bacchus Dykes ("Nicaea," 1861)
"I'm Going Home to Dixie ", w. Dan Emmett arr. C. S. Grafully
"John Brown's Body ", w. anon m. William Steffe
"Maryland, My Maryland ", w. James Ryder Randall m. Walter de Mapers, m. "Mini est Propositum" (12th century)
"The Privateer", w.m. anon ("Quien Sabé")
"The Vacant Chair ", w. Henry S. Washburn (1861), m. George Frederick Root (1862)
Classical music
Peter Benoit
Fantaisie No.4, Op.20
Piano Sonata, Op.34, premiered March 21 by Angèle Tailhardat
Hoogmis , premiered July 21 in BrusselsHermann Berens – 50 Piano Pieces for First Beginners, Op.70Alexander Borodin – Piano Trio in D majorJohannes Brahms
Anton Bruckner
Afferentur regi, WAB 1
Am Grabe, WAB 2
Ave Maria, WAB 6
Du bist wie eine Blume, WAB 64, dated December 5
Fugue in D minor, WAB 125, dated November 8 Antonín Dvořák – String Quintet No. 1 in A minor, Op. 1Hermann Goetz – Piano Concerto in E-flatEdvard Grieg – 4 Songs, Op.2Arthur Sullivan – The Tempest ,Thomas Dyke Acland Tellefsen
Marche triomphale, Op.29
Grande Valses, Op.30
Piano Trio, Op.31 Henri Vieuxtemps – Violin Concerto No. 5 Robert Volkmann
Ungarische Skizzen, Op.24
String Quartet No.6, Op.43
Opera
Musical theater
Published Methods and Writings
Births
February 1 – Emilio Pizzi , composer (died 1940)February 21 – Pierre de Bréville , composer (d. 1949)April 7 – Clara Novello Davies , singer, conductor and music teacher (d. 1943)April 26 – Ferdinand Buescher , instrument manufacturer (d. 1937)April 27 – Georgy Catoire , composer (died 1926)May 10 – Francisco Cimadevilla González , guitarist and composer (d. 1931)May 12 – Ivan Caryll , composer (died 1921)May 19 – Nellie Melba , operatic soprano (d. 1931)June 11 – Sigismund Zaremba , composer (d. 1915)June 15 – Ernestine Schumann-Heink , operatic contralto (d. 1936)June 17 – Sidney Jones , composer of musical comedies (d. 1946)June 27 – Fanny Davies , pianist (d. 1934)July 16 – Franz von Blon , composer (died 1945)August 11 – Anton Arensky , pianist and composer (d. 1906)August 19 – Sadie Martinot , actress and soprano singer (d. 1923)September 7 – Thomas Whitney Surette , composer (died 1941)November 3 – Thomas O'Brien Butler , composer (died 1915)November 19 – Theodor Mannborg , organ maker (died 1930)November 29 – Spyridon Samaras , Greek opera composer, who also set to music the Olympic Anthem (d. 1917)November 30 – Ludwig Thuille , composer (died 1907)December 5 – James Thornton , English-born US songwriter and vaudeville comedian (d. 1938)December 18 – Lionel Monckton , composer of musical comedies (d. 1924)date unknown
Deaths
January 17 – Lola Montez , dancer (b. 1821)January 22 – Giovanni Velluti , castrato singer (b. 1780)February 12 – Hippolyte André Jean Baptiste Chélard , conductor and composer (b. 1789)February 20 – Eugène Scribe , librettist (b. 1791)March 14 – Louis Niedermeyer , composer (b. 1802)May 3 – Anthony Philip Heinrich , composer (b. 1781)August 9 – Vincent Novello , composer and music publisher (b. 1781)August 11 – Catherine Hayes , soprano (born c. 1818)October 24 – Elisabeth Frösslind , opera singer (b. 1793)December 14 – Heinrich Marschner , composer (b. 1795)December 16 – Karol Lipiński , violinist and composer (b. 1790)December 18 – Ernst Anschütz , organist, composer and poet (b. 1780)December 25 – Natale Abbadia , composer (b. 1792)
References
