Events in Music History in 1946

  • Jan 5 "Show Boat" opens at Ziegfeld Theater NYC for 417 performances
  • Jan 9 "Would-Be Gentleman" opens at Booth Theater NYC for 77 performances

Musical Finale

Jan 12 Frédéric Chopin (as adapted by Bronislaw Kaper) and John LaTouche's musical "Polonaise", based on the life of Polish-American patriot Tadeusz Kościuszko, closes at the Adelphi Theater, NYC, after 113 performances

  • Jan 21 "Nellie Bly" opens at Adelphi Theater NYC for 16 performances

Metamorphosis

Jan 25 Richard Strauss' composition "Metamorphosen" premieres with the Collegium Musicum in Zürich

  • Feb 2 "Nellie Bly" closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 16 performances
  • Feb 6 "Lute Song" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 142 performances

Bartók's 3rd Piano Concerto

Feb 8 Béla Bartók's 3rd Piano Concerto premieres in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormandy with György Sándor as piano soloist

  • Feb 13 "The Duchess Misbehaves" opens at Adelphi Theater NYC for 5 performances
  • Feb 16 Frank Black's musical "The Duchess Misbehaves" closes at Adelphi Theater, NYC, after 5 performances
  • Mar 7 "Three to Make Ready" opens at Adelphi Theater NYC for 323 performances
  • Mar 16 "Would-Be Gentleman" closes at Booth Theater NYC after 77 performances

Ebony Concerto

Mar 25 1st performance of Igor Stravinsky's "Ebony Concerto", by Woody Herman and His Thundering Herd, at Carnegie Hall, New York City

St Louis Woman

Mar 30 Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer's musical "St Louis Woman", starring Pearl Bailey and featuring the Nicholas Brothers, opens at Martin Beck Theater, NYC; runs for 113 performances

Ives' 3rd Symphony

Apr 5 1st performance of Charles Ives' 3rd Symphony

  • Apr 14 Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe.'s musical "The Day Before Spring" closes at National Theater, NYC after 167 performances
  • Apr 18 Rome, Auerbach and Horwitt's musical "Call Me Mister" opens at National Theater, NYC; runs for 734 performances

Symphonic Variations

Apr 24 One-act ballet "Symphonic Variations" choreographed by Frederick Ashton with music by César Franck danced by Sandler's Wells Ballet debuts at Covent Garden, London

For Those We Love

May 14 Paul Hindemith's requiem "For Those We Love" premieres

Annie Get Your Gun

May 16 Irving Berlin, Dorothy and Herbert Fields' musical "Annie Get Your Gun" starring Ethel Merman and featuring "There's No Business Like Show Business" opens at Imperial Theater, NYC

Concerto for Piano and Orchestra

May 26 Darius Milhaud's 3rd Concerto for Piano and Orchestra premieres in Prague

Lute Song

Jun 8 Raymond Scott and Bernard Hanighen's musical "Lute Song", starring Mary Martin, Yul Brenner, and Nancy Davis, and directed by John Houseman, closes at Plymouth Theater, NYC, after 142 performances

The Christmas Song

Jun 14 Nat King Cole records "The Christmas Song" (written by Mel Tormé and Bob Wells) for the first time

  • Jun 29 "Are You with It?" closes at Century Theater NYC after 264 performances
  • Jun 29 "Billion Dollar Baby" closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 219 performances

Music History

Jun 29 John Van Druten's stage play "I Remember Mama", marking the Broadway debut of Marlon Brando (20), in a minor role, closes at the Music Box Theatre, NYC, after 713 performances

  • Jul 6 "St Louis Woman" closes at Martin Beck Theater, NYC, after 113 performances
  • Jul 8 "Tidbits of 1946" opens at Plymouth Theater NYC for 8 performances

Rape of Lucretia

Jul 12 Benjamin Britten's "Rape of Lucretia" premieres at Glyndebourne Opera Festival

  • Jul 13 Musical revue "Tidbits of 1946" closes at Plymouth Theater, NYC. after 8 performances

Music History

Jul 25 Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis stage their first show as a comedy team at 500 Club in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Liturgique

Aug 17 Arthur Honegger's 3rd Symphony "Liturgique" premieres in Zürich, Switzerland with Charles Munch conducting the Suisse Romande Orchestra

Music History

Sep 5 "Yours Is My Heart", an adaptation of Franz Lehar's operetta "The Land of Smiles", opens at Shubert Theater, NYC; runs for 36 performances

  • Sep 17 Arthur Kay's musical revue of highlights from Victor Herbert operettas "Gypsy Lady" opens at Century Theater, NYC; runs for 79 performances
  • Sep 17 David Raksin and June Carroll's musical "If the Shoe Fits", featuring Gail Adams and Joe Besser, opens at Century Theater ,NYC; runs for 20 performances
  • Oct 5 "Yours Is My Heart" closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 36 performances
  • Oct 7 Charles Ives' 2nd string quartet premieres

Music Premiere

Oct 18 Aaron Copland's 3rd Symphony first performance, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra led by Serge Koussevitzky

Park Avenue

Nov 4 Arthur Schwartz, Ira Gershwin, and George S. Kaufman's musical "Park Avenue" opens at Shubert Theater, NYC; runs for 72 performances

  • Nov 7 Katherine Dunham's song and dance revue "Bal Nègre" opens at Belasco Theater, NYC; runs for 54 performances
  • Nov 23 Arthur Kay's musical revue of highlights from Victor Herbert operettas "Gypsy Lady" closes at Century Theater, NYC, after 79 performances
  • Nov 30 Philip Yordan's stage drama "Anna Lucasta", starring Hilda Sims, Canada Lee, and Alice Childress, and featuring the Broadway debut of Ruby Dee, closes at the Mansfield Theatre, NYC, after 957 performances

Williams Records with Sterling

Dec 11 Hank Williams begins to record on Sterling label

  • Dec 14 "Three to Make Ready" closes at Adelphi Theater NYC after 323 performances

"Pacific 1860"

Dec 19 Noël Coward's musical "Pacific 1860" premieres in London

  • Dec 20 Darius Milhaud's 2nd Symphony, premieres with the Boston Symphony conducted by the composer; the work was commissioned as a memorial to the wife of group's music director Serge Koussevitzky
  • Dec 21 "If the Shoe Fits" closes at Century Theater NYC after 20 performances

"Minstrel Show"

Dec 21 Morton Gould's "Minstrel Show" premieres in Indianapolis

  • Dec 22 "Bal Negre" closes at Belasco Theater NYC after 54 performances

Music Premiere

Dec 26 Duke Ellington and John La Touche's musical "Beggar's Holiday" opens at Broadway Theater, NYC; runs for 111 performances

  • Dec 26 Sammy Fain and George Marion Jr's musical "Toplitzky of Notre Dame" opens at Century Theater ,NYC; runs for 60 performances