1879 in music

List of years in music (table)
... 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 ... 1876 1877 1878 1879 1880 1881 1882 ... 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 ...
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Philosophy Science +...

This article is about music-related events in 1879.

Events

• January 1 - The Violin Concerto of Johannes Brahms is premiered in Leipzig. Joseph Joachim was the soloist with Brahms conducting.
• December 31 – Gilbert and Sullivan's comic opera The Pirates of Penzance opens at the Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York City (following a token performance the day before for U.K. copyright reasons in Paignton, Devon).
• Engelbert Humperdinck becomes the first winner of the Mendelssohn Award awarded by the Mendelssohn Stiftung (foundation) of Berlin.
• The Monte Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra gains a permanent home at the Garnier Palace.

Published popular music

• "O Dem Golden Slippers by James A. Bland
• "In the Morning By the Bright Light" by James A. Bland
• "My Visit to the Opera" by Joseph P. Skelly

Classical music

• Henri Duparc – Le Manoir de Rosemonde
• César Franck – Piano Quintet
• Asger Hamerik – Concert Romance for 'cello and piano
• Franz Lachner – Elegie for Flute and Organ
• Charles-Marie Widor – Symphony for Organ No. 5
• Bedrich Smetana – Ten Czech Dances (for piano)

Opera

• Giovanni Bottesini – Ero e Leandro
• Miguel Marqués – Camoens
• Viktor Nessler – Der Rattenfänger von Hameln
• Peter Tchaikovsky – Eugene Onegin

Musical theater

• The Mulligan Guards' Ball Broadway production opens at the Comique Theatre on January 13 and runs for 153 performances
• The Mulligan Guards' Chowder Broadway production opens at the Comique Theatre on August 11 and runs for 112 performances
• The Mulligan Guards' Christmas Broadway production opens at the Comique Theatre on November 17 and runs for 104 performances

Births

• January 3 – Lina Abarbanell, German-American soprano (d. 1963)
• February 9 – Natanael Berg, Swedish composer (d. 1957)
• February 26 – Frank Bridge, composer (d. 1941)
• April 1 – Louise Gunning, singer, Broadway and vaudeville (d. 1960)
• May 22
  • Jean Cras, French composer (d. 1932)
  • Eastwood Lane, composer (d. 1951)
• June 13 – Maria Gay, opera singer (d. 1943)
• June 21 – Henry Creamer, US songwriter (d. 1930)
• July 5 – Philippe Gaubert, composer (d. 1941)
• July 9 – Ottorino Respighi, composer (d. 1936)
• August 1 – Eva Tanguay, singer, vaudeville star (d. 1947)
• August 18 – Gus Edwards, Prussian-born US songwriter and entertainer (d. 1945)
• September 30 – Henri Casadesus, violist and music publisher (d. 1947)
• October 12 – Chris Smith, composer (d. 1949)
• October 18 – Grzegorz Fitelberg, Polish conductor, violinist and composer (d. 1953)
• October 21 – Joseph Canteloube, composer (d. 1957)
• December 1 – Beth Slater Whitson, US lyric writer (d. 1930)
• December 4 – Hamilton Harty, composer (d. 1941)
• December 19 – Otto Olsson, Swedish composer (d. 1964)
• December 26 - Julius Weismann, German conductor and composer (d. 1950)

Deaths

• January 8 – Ferdo Livadić, composer (born 1799)
• February 20 – John Orlando Parry, pianist, singer and comedian (born 1810)
• April 9 – Ernst Friedrich Eduard Richter, music theorist
• May 27 – E. S. Engelsberg, composer
• June 3 – Frances Ridley Havergal, hymn-writer
• July 6 – Henry Smart, organist and composer (born 1813)
• August 4 – Adelaide Kemble, opera singer
• September 12 – Peter Arnold Heise, composer
• October 14 – Karl Anton Eckert, conductor and composer (born 1820)
• November 30 – August Bournonville, Danish ballet-master and choreographer (born 1805)