1889 in music

Events

January 4 - Anton Seidl conducts Das Rheingold at the Metropolitan Opera, commencing the first performance of the Ring Cycle in the United States.

November 20 - Gustav Mahler premieres his Symphony No. 1 in Budapest at the Vigadó Concert Hall, at this time described as a "Symphonic-Poem in 2 Parts"; it is not favourably received in this form

Emile Berliner markets the first commercial gramophone records

Joseph Kekuku is credited with inventing the Hawaiian steel guitar

Published popular music

"Ask A Policeman" w. E. W. Rogers m. A. E. Duran Deau

"Down Went McGinty" w.m. Joseph Flynn

"Four Little Curly Headed Coons" by James W. Wheeler

"Little Annie Rooney (Is My Sweetheart)" w.m. Michael Nolan

"Oh, Promise Me" w. Clement Scott m. Reginald de Koven

"Playmates" w.m. Harry Dacre

"Slide Kelly Slide" w.m. John W. Kelly

"Take A Pair Of Sparkling Eyes" w. W. S. Gilbert m. Arthur Sullivan

"The Thunderer" m. John Philip Sousa

"The Washington Post (march)" m. John Philip Sousa

Classical music

Edward Elgar - "Queen Mary's Song"

Enrique Granados - Danzas españolas

Augusta Holmès - Ode triomphale

Hubert Parry

Ode on Saint Cecilia's Day

Symphony No. 3, in C major, "The English" (first performance)

Symphony No. 4, in E minor (first performance, original version)

Johan Wagenaar - De Schipbreuk (cantata)

Valentin Zubiaurre - Ecos de Oiz

Opera

Francesco Cilea - Gina

Robert Fuchs - Die Königsbraut

Miguel Marqués - El plato del día (libretto by Andrés Ruesga, Manuel Lastra and Enrique Prieto, premiered in Madrid)

Louisa Melvin Delos Mars - Leoni, the Gypsy Queen (premiered in Providence, Rhode Island)

Giacomo Puccini - Edgar

Musical theater

The Gondoliers (Music: Sir Arthur Sullivan Book & Lyrics: W. S. Gilbert) London production opened at the Savoy Theatre on December 7 and ran for 554 performances

Love's Trickery London production

Births

January 31 - Michael Coleman, fiddler (d. 1945)

February 7 - Claudia Muzio, operatic soprano (d. 1936)

March 15 - Billy Jones, singer (d. 1940)

March 16 - Elsie Janis, musical comedy star and songwriter (d. 1956)

April 3 - Grigoraș Dinicu, Romanian composer and violinist (d. 1948)

April 8 - Sir Adrian Boult, conductor (d. 1983)

April 11 - Nick LaRocca - jazz bandleader (d. 1961)

April 30 - Rudolph Simonsen - composer (d. 1947)

May 15 - Graziella Pareto, operatic soprano (d. 1973)

May 20 - Felix Arndt, pianist & composer (d. 1918)

May 25 - Gilardo Gilardi, pianist, conductor and composer (d. 1962)

May 29 - Aksel Agerby, Danish composer, organist, and music administrator (d. 1942)

July 4 - Joe Young, US lyricist and singer (d. 1939)

July 10 - Noble Sissle, bandleader and singer (d. 1975)

August 10 - Cecil Armstrong Gibbs, composer (d. 1960)

September 10 - Vilém Petrželka, conductor and composer (d. 1967)

September 26 - Frank Crumit, singer (d. 1943)

October 3 - Manuel Manetta, jazz musician & teacher (d. 1969)

October 28 - Juliette Béliveau, actress and singer (d. 1975)

December 11 - Ben Black, composer and impresario (d. 1950)

December 25 - Nathaniel Shilkret, composer and musician (d. 1982)

December 28 - Vaslav Nijinsky, Ballet dancer (d. 1950)

date unknown - Nellie Briercliffe, singer and actress (d. 1966)

Deaths

January 23 - Selina Dolaro, actress and singer (b. 1849) (stroke)

January 31 - Joseph Gungl, composer and conductor (b. 1810)

March 3 - Sydney Smith, English composer and pianist (b. 1839)

March 13 - Felice Varesi, operatic baritone (b. 1813)

April 6 - Frederick Ouseley, organist, composer and musicologist (b. 1825)

April 9 - Jean-Baptiste Arban, cornet virtuoso (b. 1825)

April 30 - Carl Rosa, opera impresario (b. 1842)

May 30 - Silverio Franconetti, flamenco singer (b. 1831)

July 7 - Giovanni Bottesini, double bass player and composer (b. 1821)

October 3 - Karel Miry, Belgian composer (b. 1823)

October 10 - Adolf von Henselt, pianist and composer (b. 1814)

November 24 - Frederic Clay, composer (b. 1838) (stroke)

November 25 - Alojzy Gonzaga Jazon Żółkowski, actor and singer (b. 1814)

December 13 - Catherine Chislova, ballerina (b. 1846)

December 31 - Giuseppe Apolloni, composer (b. 1822)

date unknown

Jovo Ivanišević, composer

Jeanne-Catherine Pauwels, Belgian pianist (b. 1795)

Gustaw Lewita, pianist (b. 1855)