Music History on April 7

St John Passion

1724 Johann Sebastian Bach's "St John Passion" premieres on Good Friday at St. Nicholas Church in Leipzig, Electorate of Saxony (now Germany)

Eroica

1805 Premiere of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Eroica" (Symphony No. 3), at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, conducted by the composer; contemporary reviews were mixed

1824 1st performance of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Missa Solemnis" in St. Petersburg, Russia

South Pacific

1949 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "South Pacific", starring Ezio Pinza and Mary Martin opens at Majestic Theater, NYC; runs for 1928 performances and wins 10 Tony Awards

High Spirits

1964 Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray's musical "High Spirits", based on Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit", opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 375 performances

Playwright, Director and Singer Noël Coward

1973 18th Eurovision Song Contest: Anne-Marie David for Luxembourg wins singing "Tu te reconnaitras" in Luxembourg

Street Songs

1981 "Street Songs" 5th studio album by Rick James is released (Billboard Album of the Year 1981)

Farm Aid Concert

1990 Farm Aid IV concert at Hoosier Dome (Indianapolis, Indiana) features Bonnie Raitt, John Mellencamp, John Hiatt, Carl Perkins, Arlo Guthrie, Garth Brooks, Bruce Hornsby, Elton John, Lou Reed, Taj Mahal, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, and others [1]

1991 "Shadowlands" closes at Brooks Atkinson Theatre NYC after 169 performances
1991 Brooke Allen's stage drama "The Big Love", a one-woman show starring Tracey Ullman, closes at Plymouth Theater, NYC, after 41 performances
1994 American soul singer Percy Sledge pleads guilty to tax evasion; receives sentence of six months in a halfway house, five years of probation, and ordered to pay $96,000 in back taxes and penalties