Music History on May 17

Vivaldi's First Opera

1713 Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi's first opera "Ottone in villa" opens at Teatro delle Grazie in Vicenza, Republic of Venice (now Italy)

  • 1890 Pietro Mascagni's opera "Rustic Chivalry" premieres in Rome at the Teatro Costanzi

Shéhérazade

1904 Maurice Ravel's song cycle "Shéhérazade" premieres with Jeanne Hatto as soprano, at the Salle Nouveau Théâtre, Paris, France

  • 1919 Maurice Ravel's orchestral piece "Alborada del gracioso" premieres in Paris by the Pasdeloup Orchestra

Glenn Miller Orchestra

1939 The Glenn Miller Orchestra begins a three month engagement at the Glen Island Casino in New Rochelle, New York

  • 1947 "Street Scene" closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 148 performances
  • 1969 "My Wife, My Dog, My Cat" by Maskman & The Agents hits #92

Music History

1970 Anonymous buyer purchases one of the pairs of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" for $15,000 at MGM Studio auction, and donates them to the Smithsonian Institution

  • 1971 Stephen Schwartz' musical "Godspell" premieres off-Broadway
  • 1973 "Nash at Nine" opens at Helen Hayes Theater NYC for 21 performances

#1 in the Charts

1973 Stevie Wonder releases the music single "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life", goes to #1 and wins him a Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

Music History

1974 Dmitri Shostakovich completes his 15th String quartet

  • 1975 "Funky Gibbon" by The Goodies hits #79

Music History

1975 Singer Mick Jagger (31) punches a restaurant window, needs 20 stitches for repairs

Music History

1980 Paul & Linda McCartney appear in remote segment from England, after being awakened by Father Guido Sarducci, on "Saturday Night Live"

  • 1981 A. Marcus Hemphill's stage comedy "Inacent Black", starring Melba Moore and Reginald Vel Johnson, closes at Biltmore Theater, NYC, after 14 performances
  • 1986 "Chicken Song" by Spitting Image hits #1 on the UK pop chart
  • 1987 Musical revue "Stardust - The Mitchell Parish Musical", featuring songs of the Lithuanian-American lyricist, closes at Biltmore Theater, NYC, after 101 performances

Chattahoochee

1993 "Chattahoochee" single released by Alan Jackson (CMA Award Single of the Year & Billboard Song of the Year, 1993)

Academy of Country Music Awards

2005 40th Academy of Country Music Awards: Kenny Chesney, Gretchen Wilson & Keith Urban win

Music History

2005 Australian singer Kylie Minogue is diagnosed with breast cancer at 36

Blurryface,

2015 "Blurryface," 4th studio album by Twenty One Pilots is released (1st album ever to have every track gold-certified)

Billboard Music Awards

2015 22nd Billboard Music Awards: Taylor Swift wins top artist & 7 other awards