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Music Critics in History

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Birthdays in Music

  • 1784-12-01 Castil-Blaze [François Henri Joseph Blaze], French composer and music critic, born in Cavaillon, France (d. 1857)
  • 1807-05-15 Luigi Ferdinando Casamorata, Italian composer, music critic, attorney, and educator (Conservatory of Florence, 1862-81), born in Würzburg, Kingdom of Bavaria (now Germany) (d. 1881)

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

1810-06-08 German pianist, composer (Humoresque), and music critic (Neue Zeitschrift für Musik - New Journal for Music), born in Zwickau, Kingdom of Saxony

Robert Schumann
  • 1812-02-29 Hermann Hirschboch, German composer and music critic, born in Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia (now Germany) (d. 1888)
  • 1813-08-10 William Henry Fry, American composer (Niagara Symphony), music director (Musical Fund Society), journalist, and music critic, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (d. 1864)
  • 1817-09-23 Léon Kreutzer, French composer and music critic, born in Paris France (d. 1868)
  • 1820-01-23 Alexander Serov, Russian composer and music critic, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1871)
  • 1824-01-14 Vladimir Stasov, Russian art and music critic, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1906)
  • 1825-09-11 Eduard Hanslick, German music critic, born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1904)
  • 1839-04-12 Victorin de Joncières, French composer (Dimitiri), and music critic, born in Paris (d. 1903)
  • 1846-05-09 Nicolai Soloviev, Russian music critic and composer, born in Petrozavodsk, Russia (d. 1916)
  • 1846-05-26 Arthur Coquard, French composer, and music critic (Le Monde; L'Echo de Paris), born in Paris, France (d. 1910)
  • 1846-06-04 Josef Sittard, German musicologist and music critic, born in Vital, Aachen, Germany (d. 1903)
  • 1849-09-17 Vaclav Juda Novotny, Czech composer and music critic, born in Vesce (d. 1922)
  • 1864-03-23 Hjalmar Borgstrom [Jensen], Norwegian composer (Hvæm er du med de tusene navne (Who are you with a thousand names)), and music critic, born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway (d. 1925)
  • 1867-02-27 Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Swedish composer and music critic, born in Ullånger, Sweden (d. 1942)
  • 1868-12-14 Richard Batka, Austrian music critic and composer, born in Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia (now Czech Republic) (d. 1922)
  • 1869-01-03 Paul Charles Rene Landormy, French musicologist, music critic, and composer, born in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France (d. 1943)
  • 1870-09-28 Florent Schmitt, French composer (La tragédie de Salome; Psalm 47), and music critic (Le Temps), born in Meurthe-et-Moselle, France (d. 1958)
  • 1874-08-09 Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan-French singer, composer, conductor, and music critic, born in Caracas, Venezuela (d. 1947)
  • 1875-11-03 Emīls Dārziņš, Latvian composer (Melanholiskais valsis - Melancholic waltz), and music critic, born in Jaunpiebalga, Russian Empire (d. 1910)
  • 1880-01-06 Yuliya Veysberg, Russian music critic and composer, born in Orenburg, Russia (d. 1942)
  • 1881-03-18 Paul Le Flem, French composer and music critic, born in Radon, France (d. 1984)
  • 1882-05-11 Joseph Marx, Austrian composer and music critic, born in Graz, Austria (d. 1964)
  • 1882-05-12 Kyrylo Stetsenko, Ukrainian composer (Burlaka), choral conductor, music critic, teacher, and later, Ukrainian Orthodox priest, born in Kvitkiv, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) (d. 1922)
  • 1884-09-29 Boris Asafiev, Russian composer and music critic, born in Saint Petersburg, Russia (d. 1949)
  • 1885-02-15 Richard Würz, German composer, and music critic, born in Munich, Germany (d. 1965)
  • 1885-12-22 (Joseph) Deems Taylor, American music critic (New York World), composer (Through The Looking Glass; Peter Ibbetson), and promoter of classical music (Fantasia), born in New York City (d. 1966)
  • 1888-02-08 Matthijs Vermeulen, Dutch composer and music journalist, born in Helmond, Netherlands (d. 1967)
  • 1893-09-21 Moses Pergament, Finnish-Swedish classical composer (The Jewish Song Choral Symphony) and music critic, born in Helsinki, Finland (d. 1977)
  • 1894-02-22 Alexander Spitzmüller, Austrian composer, educator, radio broadcaster, and music critic, born in Vienna, Austria (d. 1962)
  • 1894-09-08 Willem Pijper, Dutch composer and music critic, born in Zeist, Netherlands (d. 1947)
  • 1895-05-19 Cecil Gray, Scottish composer and music critic, born in Edinburgh, Scotland (d. 1959)
  • 1896-11-25 Virgil Thomson, American composer and music critic (Four Saints in Three Acts; Louisiana Story), born in Kansas City, Missouri (d. 1989)
  • 1898-03-26 Renzo Massarani, Italian-Brazilian composer and music critic, born in Mantova, Italy (d. 1975)
  • 1900-03-23 José Antonio Calcaño, Venezuelan composer (De Profundis), music critic, and diplomat, born in Caracus, Venezuela (d. 1978)
  • 1900-10-20 Rodolfo Halffter, Spanish composer, and music critic, born in Madrid, Spain (d. 1987)
  • 1901-04-06 Willem Pelemans, Flemish composer, and music critic, born in Antwerp, Belgium (d. 1991) [some sources give birthdate as April 8]
  • 1904-01-16 Max Vredenburg, Dutch composer and music critic, born in Brussels, Belgium (d. 1976) [1]
  • 1906-02-01 Pierre Capdevielle, French conductor, composer (Élégie de Duino), music critic (Monde musicale), and teacher, born in Paris (d. 1969)
  • 1907-01-28 Constantin Regamey, Ukranian pianist, composer and music critic, born in Kiev, Russian Empire (now Kyiv, Ukraine) (d. 1987)
  • 1907-08-17 Zygmunt Mycielski, Polish composer and music critic, born in Przeworsk, Habsburg Empire (now Poland) (d. 1987)
  • 1907-08-19 Zygmunt Mycielski, Polish composer, music writer and editor (Ruch Muzyczny, 1957-68), born in Przeworsk, Austrian Galicia (now Poland) (d. 1987) [1]
  • 1908-08-31 Conrad Baden, Norwegian composer, organist and music critic, born in Drammen, Norway (d. 1989)
  • 1911-01-22 Roberto Garcia Morillo, Argentine composer and music critic, born in Buenos Aires, Argentina (d. 2003)
  • 1912-05-15 Arthur Berger, American composer (Ideas of Order), music critic, and educator (Brandeis, 1953-80; New England Conservatory of Music, 1980-99), born in New York City (d. 2003)
  • 1913-07-17 Everett Helm, American music critic and composer, born in Minneapolis, Minnesota (d. 1999)
  • 1914-10-30 Marius Flothuis, Dutch composer, (Kleine Suite for 12 Harps; Espressioni Cordiali), artistic director (Concertgebouw Orchestra, 1955–74), musicologist (Mozart), and music critic, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands (d. 2001)
  • 1917-07-06 Hugo Cole, composer and music critic, born in London (d. 1995)
  • 1922-03-02 Mario Zafred, Italian composer, music critic, and opera director, born in Trieste, Italy (d. 1987)
  • 1923-08-14 William Flanagan, American composer, and music critic, born in Detroit, Michigan (d. 1969)
  • 1923-08-29 Lester Trimble, American composer, music critic and educator, born in Bangor, Wisconsin (d. 1986)
  • 1924-03-04 Cal Lampley, American session pianist, record producer (Miles Davis; Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Groove Holmes), music critic, and educator (Peabody Institute), born in Dunn, North Carolina (d. 2006)
  • 1924-03-21 Karl Heinz Fussl, Austrian composer, musicologist, publisher, and music critic, born in Jablonec, Czechoslovakia (d. 1992)
  • 1926-10-07 Ivan Jirko, Czech composer, music critic and psychiatrist, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (d. 1978)
  • 1928-08-26 Andrew Porter, British organist, opera director, music critic, and librettist, born in Cape Town, South Africa (d. 2015)
  • 1929-05-31 Zoltán Aladár, Transylvanian composer, music critic and teacher (The Goat and the Three Goons), born in Homorodszentmárton, Romania (d. 1978)
  • 1929-12-03 Paul Harris Turok, American composer, educator and music critic (Ragtime Caprice), born in New York (d. 2012)
  • 1932-05-30 Seppo Nummi, Finnish composer and music critic, born in Oulu, Finland (d. 1981)
  • 1934-06-07 Samuel Lipman, American pianist and music critic, born in Los Gatos, California (d. 1994)
  • 1934-10-07 Amiri Baraka [Everett Leroy Jones], American poet (Somebody Blew Up America), writer (Black Music), and music critic, born in Newark, New Jersey (d. 2014)
  • 1935-08-20 Charles Shere, American contemporary classical composer, broadcaster, music critic, and educator, born in Berkeley, California (d. 2020)
  • 1942-05-27 Priscilla McLean (née Taylor), American composer, performer, and music critic, born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts

Deaths in Music

Robert Schumann (1810-1856)

1856-07-29 German pianist, composer (Humoresque), and music critic (Neue Zeitschrift für Musik - New Journal for Music), dies at 46

Robert Schumann
  • 1857-12-11 Castil-Blaze [Francois Henri Joseph Blaze], French composer and music critic, dies at 73
  • 1864-12-21 William Henry Fry, American composer (Niagara Symphony), music director (Musical Fund Society), journalist, and music critic, dies of tuberculosis at 51
  • 1868-10-06 Léon Kreutzer, French composer and music critic, dies at 51
  • 1881-09-24 Luigi Ferdinando Casamorata, Italian composer, music critic, attorney, and educator (Conservatory of Florence, 1862-81), dies at 74
  • 1888-05-19 Hermann Hirschboch, German composer and music critic, dies at 76
  • 1903-10-26 Victorin de Joncières, French composer (Dimitiri), and music critic, dies at 64
  • 1904-08-06 Eduard Hanslick, German music critic, dies at 78
  • 1910-08-20 Arthur Coquard, French composer, and music critic (Le Monde; L'Echo de Paris), dies at 64
  • 1910-08-31 Emīls Dārziņš, Latvian composer (Melanholiskais valsis - Melancholic waltz), and music critic, dies when struck by a train at 34
  • 1916-05-17 Gervais Salvayre, French composer (Calypso; La Résurrection), and music critic dies at 68
  • 1916-12-27 Nicolai Soloviev, Russian music critic and composer, dies at 70
  • 1922-04-24 Richard Batka, Austrian music critic and composer, dies at 53
  • 1922-04-29 Kyrylo Stetsenko, Ukrainian composer (Burlaka), choral conductor, music critic, teacher, and later, Ukrainian Orthodox priest, dies of typhus while tending to the sick during an outbreak at 39
  • 1924-05-12 Henri Maréchal, French composer and music critic, dies at 82
  • 1925-10-23 Vyacheslav Gavrilovich Karatigin, Russian composer and music critic, dies at 50
  • 1936-04-24 Bernard van Dieren, Dutch composer, and music critic, dies at 51
  • 1942-12-03 Wilhelm Peterson-Berger, Swedish composer and music critic, dies at 75
  • 1943-11-17 Paul Charles Rene Landormy, French musicologist, music critic, and composer, dies at 74
  • 1947-01-28 Reynaldo Hahn, Venezuelan-French singer, composer, conductor, and music critic, dies at 72
  • 1947-03-19 Willem Pijper, Dutch composer and music critic, dies at 52
  • 1949-01-27 Boris Asafiev, Russian composer and music critic, dies at 64
  • 1951-09-09 Cecil Gray, Scottish composer and music critic, dies at 56
  • 1958-08-17 Florent Schmitt, French composer (La tragédie de Salome; Psalm 47), and music critic (Le Temps), dies at 87
  • 1962-11-12 Alexander Spitzmüller, Austrian composer, educator, radio broadcaster, and music critic, dies at 68
  • 1964-09-03 Joseph Marx, Austrian composer and music critic, dies at 82
  • 1965-02-02 Richard Würz, German composer, and music critic, dies at 79
  • 1966-07-03 (Joseph) Deems Taylor, American music critic (New York World), composer (Through The Looking Glass; Peter Ibbetson), and promoter of classical music (Fantasia), dies at 80
  • 1969-07-09 Pierre Capdevielle, French conductor, composer (Élégie de Duino), music critic (Monde musicale), and teacher, dies at 63
  • 1969-09-01 William Flanagan, American composer, and music critic, takes his own life at 46
  • 1970-10-28 Eduardo López-Chávarri y Marco, Spanish composer, music critic and lawyer, dies at 99
  • 1976-08-09 Max Vredenburg, Dutch composer and music critic, dies at 72 [1]
  • 1977-03-05 Moses Pergament, Finnish-Swedish classical composer (The Jewish Song Choral Symphony) and music critic, dies at 83
  • 1978-07-09 Zoltán Aladár, Transylvanian composer, music critic and teacher (The Goat and the Three Goons), dies at 49
  • 1978-08-20 Ivan Jirko, Czech composer, music critic and psychiatrist, dies at 51
  • 1981-08-01 Seppo Nummi, Finnish composer and music critic, dies at 49
  • 1983-05-21 Finn Einar Mortensen, Norwegian composer, music critic, and educator, dies at 61
  • 1984-07-31 Paul Le Flem, French composer and music critic, dies at 103
  • 1986-12-31 Lester Trimble, American composer, music critic and educator, dies at 63
  • 1987-08-05 Zygmunt Mycielski, Polish composer, music writer and editor (Ruch Muzyczny, 1957-68), dies at 79 [1]
  • 1987-10-14 Rodolfo Halffter, Spanish composer, and music critic, dies at 86
  • 1989-06-12 Peter Baden, Norwegian composer, organist and music critic, dies at 80
  • 1989-09-30 Virgil Thomson, American composer and music critic (Four Saints in Three Acts; Louisiana Story), dies at 92
  • 1991-10-31 Willem Pelemans, Flemish composer, and music critic, dies at 90
  • 1994-12-16 Samuel Lipman, American pianist and music critic, dies of leukemia at 60
  • 1996-01-16 Marcia Davenport, American author and music critic (b. 1903)
  • 1999-02-16 Johan Kvandal, Norwegian composer, organist, and music critic, dies at 79
  • 2001-11-13 Marius Flothuis, Dutch composer, (Kleine Suite for 12 Harps; Espressioni Cordiali), artistic director (Concertgebouw Orchestra, 1955–74), musicologist (Mozart), and music critic, dies at 87
  • 2003-10-07 Arthur Berger, American composer (Ideas of Order), music critic, and educator (Brandeis, 1953-80; New England Conservatory of Music, 1980-99), dies at 91
  • 2003-10-26 Roberto Garcia Morillo, Argentine composer and music critic, dies at 92
  • 2006-07-06 Cal Lampley, American session pianist, record producer (Miles Davis; Nina Simone, Mahalia Jackson, Groove Holmes), music critic, and educator (Peabody Institute), dies from complications of multiple sclerosis at 82
  • 2015-04-03 Andrew Porter, British organist, opera director, music critic, and librettist, dies at 86
  • 2020-12-15 Charles Shere, American contemporary classical composer, broadcaster, music critic, and educator, dies at 85

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