December is a time of giving and celebration. Holidays celebrated by cultures around the world fill this month with joy, reflection, and renewal. In addition to these celebrations, there are numerous birthdays and important events from piano history throughout December. Read below to discover more about a premiere, a famous work given copyright status, and the births of two underrated composers.
December 2, 1866 – Birth of Harry T. Burleigh
Harry T. Burleigh, born Henry Thacker Burleigh, was a Black composer, pianist, and music editor. He studied at the National Conservatory of Music in New York City where he had the opportunity to study with Victor Herbert and Antonín Dvorak, among others.1 His time at the Conservatory was fruitful as he had the opportunity to work for Dvorak as a copyist and he introduced Dvorak to numerous spirituals, which likely helped to inspire some of the writing in Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“New World”).2 Although Burleigh is particularly well known for his song literature, he also wrote for piano, including his work From the Southland. Want to learn more about this piece? Listen to this Inspiring Artistry video by Roger McVey featuring this piece:
December 14, 1789 – Birth of Maria Szymanowska
Pianist and composer Maria Agata Szymanowska was born in Warsaw, Poland and lived until her death at age 41 in July 1831. A celebrated pianist of her time, Szymanowska toured Europe performing for the public and for royalty in concerts throughout Russia, Italy, England, Germany, and France, among others.3 Among her piano works are the Vingt exercices et préludes, dozens of mazurkas, and several nocturnes, which scholars have suggested may form the link between John Field and Frederic Chopin.4 The Frances Clark Center recently published an Inspiring Artistry video by Kristina Henckel, who discusses a selection from Szymanowska’s Six Minuets.
December 18, 1892 – Premiere of The Nutcracker
Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet The Nutcracker may be mainstream today, but in 1892, attendees of the premiere were not as thrilled as today’s audiences. The ballet is based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffman, which tells the tale of a young girl named Clara and a magical journey she shares with a nutcracker that comes to life in her dream. One of the most magical moments of the ballet occurs in the “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” which features the celesta, a newly invented keyboard instrument at that time. Writing to his publisher, Tchaikovsky announced, “I have discovered a new instrument in Paris, something between a piano and a glockenspiel, with a divinely beautiful tone. I want to introduce this into the ballet and the symphonic poem. The instrument is called the ‘Celesta Mustel,’ and costs 1,200 francs. You can only buy it from the inventor, Mustel, in Paris. I want to ask you to order one of these instruments […] Have it sent direct (sic) to Petersburg; but no one there must know about it. I am afraid Rimsky-Korsakov and Glazounov might hear of it and make use of the new effect before I could. I expect the instrument will make a tremendous sensation.”5 Learn more about the ballet and the celesta in this post on our Discovery Page.
December 29, 1902 – Scott Joplin Copyrights The Entertainer
On this day in 1902, Scott Joplin copyrighted several works including his famous rag, The Entertainer. Although born in Texas, Joplin spent a considerable amount of time in Missouri and moved to St. Louis in 1901.6 The piece, a favorite in piano recitals, has been arranged numerous times for pianists of all levels. In a form characteristic of ragtime music (AABBAACCDD), the piece repeats the famous opening melody once again in the middle of the piece, and contains other memorable sections. Many of Joplin’s other rags continue to be popular including his piece The Easy Winners. Learn more about this piece in Kate Acone’s Inspiring Artistry video:
notes
- Jean Snyder, “Burleigh, Henry [Harry] T(hacker),” Grove Music Online, 16 Oct. 2013; Accessed 26 Nov. 2024, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002248537.
- Snyder, “Burleigh,” 2013.
- Zofia Chechlińska, “Szymanowska [née Wołowska], Maria Agata,” Grove Music Online. 2001; Accessed 26 Nov. 2024, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000027327.
- Chechlińska, “Szymanowska,” 2001.
- Modeste Tchaikovsky, Life and Letters of Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky, trans. And ed. Rosa Newmarch (New York: Haskell House Publishers Ltd., 1970): 663.
- Edward A. Berlin, “Joplin, Scott,” Grove Music Online, 16 Oct. 2013; Accessed 26 Nov. 2024, https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002253061.
OTHER RESOURCES YOU MIGHT ENJOY:
- MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Women of Exceptional Accomplishment: Eight Women Composers by Teresa Rupp
- MICROCOURSE: Music by Black Composers for Intermediate Students (from Unsung Heroes in Piano Pedagogy: 20 Pieces by Black Composers to Use in Your Studio Now)
- REPERTOIRE VIDEO SERIES: Burleigh: From the Southland by Roger McVey
- REPERTOIRE VIDEO SERIES: Joplin: The Easy Winners by Kate Acone
- REPERTOIRE VIDEO SERIES: Szymanowska: Minuet No. 1 from Six Minuets for Piano by Kristina Henckel
- DISCOVERY POST: This Week in Piano History: The Premiere of Tchaikovsky’s Ballet “The Nutcracker” | December 18, 1892 by Curtis Pavey
- Use our search feature to discover more!