1920 in music

Events

January 19 - The Salzburg Festival was revived.

September 4 - City of Birmingham Orchestra (England) first rehearses (in a city police bandroom). Later this month, its first concert, conducted by Appleby Matthews, opens with Granville Bantock's overture Saul; in November it gives its "First Symphony Concert" when Edward Elgar conducts a programme of his own music in Birmingham Town Hall.

November 15 - First complete public performance of Gustav Holst's suite The Planets given in London by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Albert Coates.

December 4 - Première of the opera Die tote Stadt by 23-year-old Erich Wolfgang Korngold. It later becomes known that the librettist, "Paul Schott", is Korngold's father Julius.

December 30 - Pearl Hamilton (later with the Three X Sisters), plays piano with small jazz ensemble to appreciative audience at the Star Theater in New York City.

Mamie Smith's first blues recordings become a hit, alerting record companies to the African American market.

Hamilton Harty is appointed resident conductor of the Hallé Orchestra.

Henri Sauguet forms Groupe des Trois (the Group of Three) along with Louis Emié and Jean-Marcel Lizotte.

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra launches its Mahler festival.

Gabriel Fauré retires from the Paris Conservatoire, and is awarded the Grand-Croix of the Légion d'Honneur.

Publications

Stewart Macpherson - Melody and Harmony

Published popular music

"After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It" w.m. Irving Berlin

"All She'd Say Was "Umh Hum"" w.m. King Zany, Mac Emery, Gus Van & Joe Schenck

"All The Boys Love Mary" Gus Van & Joe Schenck

"Aunt Hagar's Blues" w.m. W. C. Handy

"Avalon" w.m. B. G. DeSylva, Al Jolson & Vincent Rose

"Blue Jeans" w. Harry D. Kerr, m. Lou Traveller

"Bright Eyes" w. Harry B. Smith m. Otto Motzan & M. K. Jerome

"Broadway Rose" w. Eugene West m. Martin Fried & Otis Spencer

"Chanson" m. Rudolf Friml

"Chili Bean" w. Lew Brown m. Albert Von Tilzer

"Crazy Blues" w.m. Percy Bradford

"The Cuckoo Waltz" w. Arthur Kingsley m. J. E. Jonasson

"Daddy, You've Been A Mother To Me" w.m. Fred Fisher

"Do You Ever Think Of Me?" w. John Cooper & Harry D. Kerr m. Earl Burtnett

"Down By The O-HI-O (I've Got The Sweetest Little O, My ! O ! )" w. Jack Yellen m. Abe Olman

"Feather Your Nest" w.m. James Kendis, James Brockman & Howard Johnson

"The Gipsy Warned Me" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee

"Great Camp Meeting Day" w. Noble Sissle

"He Went In Like A Lion (And Came Out Like A Lamb)" w. Andrew B. Sterling m. Harry von Tilzer

"Home Again Blues" w.m. Harry Akst & Irving Berlin

"I Belong to Glasgow" w.m. Will Fyffe

"I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody Like I'm Loving You" w.m. Tom Pitts, Raymond B. Egan & Roy Marsh

"I Used To Love You, But It's All Over Now" w. Lew Brown m. Albert Von Tilzer

"I'd Love To Fall Asleep And Wake Up In My Mammy's Arms" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. Fred E. Ahlert

"I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time" w. Neville Fleason m. Albert Von Tilzer

"I'll See You In C-U-B-A" w.m. Irving Berlin

"In A Persian Market" m. Albert William Ketèlbey

"The Japanese Sandman" w. Raymond B. Egan m. Richard A. Whiting

"Jellybean" by Jimmie Dupre, Sam Rosen, and Joe Verges

"Kalua" w. Anne Caldwell m. Jerome Kern

"Left All Alone Again Blues" w. Anne Caldwell m. Jerome Kern

"Little Town In The Ould County Down" w. Richard Pascoe m. Monte Carlo & Alma Saunders

"Look for the Silver Lining" w. B. G. DeSylva m. Jerome Kern

"The Love Boat" by Gene Buck

"Love Nest" w. Otto Harbach m. Louis A. Hirsch

"Margie" w. Benny Davis m. Con Conrad & J. Russel Robinson

"Mary" w. Otto Harbach m. Louis A. Hirsch

"My Little Bimbo Down On A Bamboo Isle" w. Grant Clarke w. Walter Donaldson

"My Mammy" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. Walter Donaldson

"My Man" w. (Eng) Channing Pollock (Fr) Albert Willemetz & Jacques Charles m. Maurice Yvain

"O'er The Hills To Ardentinny" w.m. Harry Lauder

"Old Pal Why Don't You Answer Me" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. M. K. Jerome

"Pale Moon" w. Jesse Glick m. Frederick Knight Logan

"Palesteena" w.m. Con Conrad & J. Russell Robinson

"Polly" w. Leo Wood m. Jack Richmond

"Pretty Kitty Kelly" w. Harry Pease m. Ed G. Nelson

"Rose Of Washington Square" w. Ballard MacDonald m. James F. Hanley

"San" w.m. Lindsay McPhail & Walter Michels

"So Long, Oo Long" w. Bert Kalmar m. Harry Ruby

"Tell Me Little Gypsy" w.m. Irving Berlin

"That Old Irish Mother Of Mine" w. William Jerome m. Harry Von Tilzer

"La Veeda" w. Nat Vincent m. John Alden

"Wang Wang Blues" w. Leo Wood m. Gus Mueller, Buster Johnson & Henry Busse

"When My Baby Smiles At Me" w. Andrew B. Sterling m. Billy Munro

"Where Do They Go When They Row, Row, Row?" w. Bert Kalmar & George Jessel, m. Harry Ruby

"Whispering" w. Malvin Schonberger m. John Schonberger

"White Army, Black Baron" w. Pavel Grigor'ev, m. Samuel Pokrass

"Whose Baby Are You?" w. Anne Caldwell m. Jerome Kern

"Wild Rose" w. Clifford Grey m. Jerome Kern

"A Young Man's Fancy" w. John Murray Anderson & Jack Yellen m. Milton Ager

Top hits on record

"Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith

"Dardanella" by Ben Selvin's Novelty Orchestra

"I've Got My Captain Working for Me Now" by Al Jolson

"Love Nest" by John Steel

"Whispering" by Paul Whiteman's Orchestra

Classical music

Granville Bantock – Arabian Nights

Béla Bartók – Eight Improvisations on Peasant Songs

Arnold Bax – Phantasy for viola and orchestra

Arthur Bliss

The Tempest, overture and interludes;

Concerto for piano, tenor voice, strings and percussion

Rout (for soprano and chamber orchestra)

Ernest Bloch – Violin Sonata No. 1

Ferruccio Busoni –

Piano Sonatina No. 6 (Fantasia da camera super Carmen),

Divertimento for flute and orchestra

Carlos Chávez – Symphony, Piano Sonata No. 1

Frederick Delius – Hassan

Gabriel Fauré – Masques et Bergamasques

Johan Halvorsen - Norwegian Rhapsody No. 2

Gustav Holst – The Planets

Arthur Honegger

Pastorale d'été

Viola Sonata

Cello Sonata

Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov - An Episode from the Life of Schubert, op. 61

Leoš Janáček – Ballad of Blanik (symphonic poem)

Darius Milhaud – Le Boeuf sur le toit (ballet), Ballade (for piano and orchestra)

Francis Poulenc – Five Impromptus for Piano, Suite in C Major for Piano

Sergei Prokofiev – Five Songs without Words (for voice and piano)

Maurice Ravel

La Valse

Sonata for violin and cello

Erik Satie – La Belle excentrique

Dmitri Shostakovich – Five Preludes for piano

Igor Stravinsky – Pulcinella, Concertino for string quartet, Symphonies of Wind Instruments

Ralph Vaughan Williams – The Lark Ascending, Mass in G minor, London Symphony

Heitor Villa-Lobos – Symphony No. 5, "A paz" (Peace)

Opera

Vincent D'Indy - The Legend of St. Christoper

Clemens Freiherr von Franckenstein - Li-Tai-Pe

Henry Hadley - Cleopatra's Night

Leoš Janáček - The Excursions of Mr. Broucek on the Moon and in the 15th Century

Erich Korngold - Die tote Stadt

Ruggiero Leoncavallo - Edipo Re

Musical theatre

Afgar Broadway production opened at the Central Theatre on November 8 and ran for 168 performances

As You Were Broadway revue by Arthur Wimperis opened at the Central Theatre on January 27 and ran for 143 performances. Starring Sam Bernard, Irene Bordoni, Clifton Webb and Hugh Cameron.

The Beggar's Opera London production opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on June 5 and ran for 1,463 performances

Die Blaue Mazur (The Blue Mazurka) (Music by Franz Lehár), Vienna

George White's Scandals Of 1920 Broadway revue opened at the Globe Theatre on June 7 and ran for 134 performances

The Gingham Girl Broadway production (music by Albert Von Tilzer) at the Central Theatre ran for 322 performances

Irene London production opened at the Empire Theatre on April 7 and ran for 399 performances

Johnny Jones London production opened at the Alhambra Theatre on June 1 and ran for 349 performances

Jumble Sale London revue opened at the Vaudeville Theatre on December 16 and ran for 176 performances

Just Fancy London production opened at the Vaudeville Theatre on March 26 and ran for 332 performances

Der letzte Walzer (The Last Waltz) (Music by Oscar Straus), Berlin

A Little Dutch Girl opened at the Lyric Theatre on December 1 and ran for 207 performances

The Night Boat Broadway production opened at the Liberty Theatre on February 2 and ran for 318 performances. Jeanette MacDonald made her first Broadway appearance as a member of the chorus.

A Night Out London production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 18 and ran for 309 performances

Sally Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on December 21 and ran for 570 performances

The Shop Girl London revival opened at the Gaiety Theatre on March 25 and ran for 327 performances

Tickle Me ( Music: Herbert P. Stothart) Broadway production opened at the Selwyn Theatre on August 17 and ran for 207 performances. Starring Louise Allen, Allen Kearns and Frank Tinney.

Tip Top Broadway production opened at the Globe Theatre on October 5 and ran for 241 performances

Ziegfeld Follies of 1920 Broadway revue opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on June 22 and ran for 123 performances, but ran most years until 1927.

Births

January 1 - Virgilio Savona, Italian singer and songwriter (Quartetto Cetra) (d. 2009)

January 3 - Renato Carosone, Italian musician and singer (d. 2001)

January 5 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianist (d. 1995)

February 13

Eileen Farrell, soprano (d. 2002)

Boudleaux Bryant, American songwriter (d. 1987)

February 18 - Rolande Falcinelli, organist, pianist and composer (d. 2006)

February 23 - Hall Overton, composer, jazz pianist and music teacher (d. 1972)

February 26 - Henri Crolla, jazz guitarist and film composer (d. 1960)

April 7 - Ravi Shankar, Indian sitarist (d. 2012)

April 12 - The Cox Twins, music hall entertainers(Frank, d. 2007) (Fred, d. 2013)

April 21 - Bruno Maderna, conductor and composer (d. 1973)

April 29 - Harold Shapero, composer (d. 2013)

May 2 - Jean-Marie Auberson, violinist and conductor (d. 2004)

May 13 - Gareth Morris, flautist (d. 2007)

May 18 - Lucia Mannucci, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra) (d. 2012)

May 21 - Bill Barber, jazz musician (d. 2007)

May 26 - Peggy Lee, singer and songwriter (d. 2002)

June 6

Dino Asciolla, violinist (d. 1994)

Robert Turner, composer (d. 2012)

June 10 - Bonnie Davis, R&B singer (d. 1976)

June 11 - Hazel Scott, classical pianist and singer (d. 1981)

June 19 - Johnny Douglas, film composer and conductor (d. 2003)

June 25 - Ozan Marsh, American concert pianist (d. 1992)

June 26 - Leonid Hambro, pianist (d. 2006)

July 1 - Amália Rodrigues, Portuguese singer and actress (d. 1999)

July 11 - Yul Brynner, actor, star of The King and I (d. 1985)

July 20 - Carmen Carrozza, accordionist (d. 2013)

July 21 - Manuel Valls, composer (d. 1984)

August 8

Leo Chiosso, Italian lyricist (d. 2006)

Jimmy Witherspoon, blues singer (d. 1997)

August 17 - Georgia Gibbs, singer (d. 2006)

August 29 - Charlie Parker, jazz musician (d. 1955)

September 17 - Jean Perrin, composer (d. 1989)

September 23 - Mickey Rooney, actor and entertainer (d. 2014)

September 28 - Irma Baltuttis, singer and entertainer (d. 1958)

October 13 - Albert Hague, songwriter (d. 2001)

October 27 - Nanette Fabray, actress and singer

December 6 - Dave Brubeck, jazz musician (d. 2012)

December 24 - Dave Bartholomew, bandleader, composer and arranger

Jan Van Halen (father of Eddie and Alex Van Halen)

Deaths

January 8 - Maud Powell, violinist (b. 1867)

January 16 - Reginald De Koven, US music critic and composer (b. 1859)

January 18 - Giovanni Capurro, poet, co-writer of "O Sole Mio" (b. 1859)

January 21 - John Henry Maunder, composer (b. 1858)

January 24 - William Percy French, songwriter (b. 1854)

February 2 - Theo Marzials, singer and composer (b. 1850)

February 11 - Gaby Deslys, dancer and actress (b. 1881)

February 12 - Émile Sauret, violinist and composer (b. 1852)

February 23 - Alexander Ilyinsky, music teacher and composer (b. 1859)

March 20 - Eva Mylott, operatic contralto (b. 1875) (domestic accident)

April 4 - Carl Bohm, pianist and composer (b. 1844)

April 8 - Charles Griffes, composer (b. 1884)

April 19 - Mathilde Mallinger, lyric soprano (b. 1847)

May 6 - Hortense Schneider, operatic soprano (b. 1833)

May 25 - Georg Jarno, composer of operettas (b. 1868)

May 28 - Hardwicke Rawnsley, hymn-writer (b. 1851)

June 27 - Adolphe-Basile Routhier, lyricist (b. 1839)

June 28 - Pauline Rita, singer and actress (b. c.1842)

July 17 - Dorothy Goetz, first wife of Irving Berlin (b. 1892) (typhoid)

July 26 - Carlos Troyer, composer (b. 1837)

August 29 - Gustav Jenner, composer and conductor (b. 1865)

October 2 - Max Bruch, composer (b. 1838)

October 16 - Alberto Nepomuceno, composer and conductor (b. 1864)

November 6 - Maria Waldmann, operatic mezzo-soprano associated with Verdi (b. 1844)

date unknown

George J. Gaskin, singer (b. c. 1850)

Carlos Hartling, German-born composer of the Honduras national anthem (b. 1869)

Paloke Kurti, Albanian composer (b. 1860)