1920 in music

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… 1917 • 1918 • 1919 – 1920 – 1921 • 1922 • 1923 … … 1890s • 1900s • 1910s – 1920s – 1930s • 1940s • 1950s … … 19th century – 20th century – 21st century …
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1 Events
2 Published popular music
3 Top hits on record
4 Classical music
5 Opera
6 Musical theatre
7 Births
8 Deaths

Events

January 19 - The Salzburg Festival is revived.
December 4 - Première of the opera Die tote Stadt by 23-year-old Erich Wolfgang Korngold. It later becomes known that the librettist, "Paul Schott", is Korngold's father Julius.
Mamie Smith's first blues recordings become a hit, alerting record companies to the African American market.
Hamilton Harty is appointed resident conductor of the Hallé Orchestra.
Henri Sauguet forms Groupe des Trois (the Group of Three) along with Louis Emié and Jean-Marcel Lizotte.
The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra launches its Mahler festival.
Gabriel Fauré retires from the Paris Conservatoire, and is awarded the Grand-Croix of the Légion d'Honneur.

Published popular music

The Japanese Sandman

"After You Get What You Want, You Don't Want It" w.m. Irving Berlin
"All She'd Say Was "Umh Hum"" w.m. King Zany, Mac Emery, Gus Van & Joe Schenck
"All The Boys Love Mary" Gus Van & Joe Schenck
"Aunt Hagar's Blues" w.m. W. C. Handy
"Avalon" w.m. B. G. DeSylva, Al Jolson & Vincent Rose
"Blue Jeans" w. Harry D. Kerr, m. Lou Traveller
"Bright Eyes" w. Harry B. Smith m. Otto Motzan & M. K. Jerome
"Broadway Rose" w. Eugene West m. Martin Fried & Otis Spencer
"Chanson" m. Rudolf Friml
"Chili Bean" w. Lew Brown m. Albert Von Tilzer
"Crazy Blues" w.m. Percy Bradford
"The Cuckoo Waltz" w. Arthur Kingsley m. J. E. Jonasson
"Daddy, You've Been A Mother To Me" w.m. Fred Fisher
"Do You Ever Think Of Me?" w. John Cooper & Harry D. Kerr m. Earl Burtnett
"Down By The O-HI-O (I've Got The Sweetest Little O, My ! O ! )" w. Jack Yellen m. Abe Olman
"Feather Your Nest" w.m. James Kendis, James Brockman & Howard Johnson
"The Gipsy Warned Me" w.m. R. P. Weston & Bert Lee
"Great Camp Meeting Day" w. Noble Sissle
"He Went In Like A Lion (And Came Out Like A Lamb)" w. Andrew B. Sterling m. Harry von Tilzer
"Home Again Blues" w.m. Harry Akst & Irving Berlin
"I Belong To Glasgow" w.m. Will Fyffe
"I Never Knew I Could Love Anybody Like I'm Loving You" w.m. Tom Pitts, Raymond B. Egan & Roy Marsh
"I Used To Love You, But It's All Over Now" w. Lew Brown m. Albert Von Tilzer
"I'd Love To Fall Asleep And Wake Up In My Mammy's Arms" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. Fred E. Ahlert
"I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time" w. Neville Fleason m. Albert Von Tilzer
"I'll See You In C-U-B-A" w.m. Irving Berlin
"In A Persian Market" m. Albert William Ketèlbey
"The Japanese Sandman" w. Raymond B. Egan m. Richard A. Whiting
"Jellybean" by Jimmie Dupre, Sam Rosen, and Joe Verges

Jellybean

"Kalua" w. Anne Caldwell m. Jerome Kern
"Left All Alone Again Blues" w. Anne Caldwell m. Jerome Kern
"Little Town In The Ould County Down" w. Richard Pascoe m. Monte Carlo & Alma Saunders
"Look for the Silver Lining" w. B. G. DeSylva m. Jerome Kern
"The Love Boat" by Gene Buck
"Love Nest" w. Otto Harbach m. Louis A. Hirsch
"Margie" w. Benny Davis m. Con Conrad & J. Russel Robinson
"Mary" w. Otto Harbach m. Louis A. Hirsch
"My Little Bimbo Down On A Bamboo Isle" w. Grant Clarke w. Walter Donaldson
"My Mammy" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. Walter Donaldson
"My Man" w. (Eng) Channing Pollock (Fr) Albert Willemetz & Jacques Charles m. Maurice Yvain
"O'er The Hills To Ardentinny" w.m. Harry Lauder
"Old Pal Why Don't You Answer Me" w. Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young m. M. K. Jerome
"Pale Moon" w. Jesse Glick m. Frederick Knight Logan
"Palesteena" w.m. Con Conrad & J. Russell Robinson
"Polly" w. Leo Wood m. Jack Richmond
"Pretty Kitty Kelly" w. Harry Pease m. Ed G. Nelson
"Ritual Fire Dance" m. Manuel de Falla
"Rose Of Washington Square" w. Ballard MacDonald m. James F. Hanley
"San" w.m. Lindsay McPhail & Walter Michels
"So Long, Oo Long" w. Bert Kalmar m. Harry Ruby
"Tell Me Little Gypsy" w.m. Irving Berlin
"That Old Irish Mother Of Mine" w. William Jerome m. Harry Von Tilzer
"La Veeda" w. Nat Vincent m. John Alden
"Wang Wang Blues" w. Leo Wood m. Gus Mueller, Buster Johnson & Henry Busse
"When My Baby Smiles At Me" w. Andrew B. Sterling m. Billy Munro
"Where Do They Go When They Row, Row, Row?" w. Bert Kalmar & George Jessel, m. Harry Ruby
"Whispering" w. Malvin Schonberger m. John Schonberger
"Whose Baby Are You?" w. Anne Caldwell m. Jerome Kern
"Wild Rose" w. Clifford Grey m. Jerome Kern
"A Young Man's Fancy" w. John Murray Anderson & Jack Yellen m. Milton Ager

Top hits on record

"Crazy Blues" by Mamie Smith
"Dardanella" by Ben Selvin's Novelty Orchestra
"I've Got My Captain Working For Me Now" by Al Jolson
"Love Nest" by John Steel
"Whispering" by Paul Whiteman's Orchestra

Classical music

Granville Bantock - Arabian Nights
Béla Bartók - Eight Improvisations on Peasant Songs
Arnold Bax - Phantasy for viola and orchestra
Arthur Bliss
- The Tempest, overture and interludes;
- Concerto for Piano, tenor voice, strings and percussion;
- Rout (for soprano and chamber orchestra)
Ernest Bloch - Violin Sonata No. 1
Ferruccio Busoni - Piano Sonatina No. 6 (Fantasia da camera super Carmen), Divertimento for flute and orchestra
Carlos Chávez - Symphony, Piano Sonata No. 1
Frederick Delius - Hassan
Gabriel Fauré - Masques et Bergamasques
Johan Halvorsen - Norwegian Rhapsody No. 2
Gustav Holst - The Planets
Arthur Honegger
- Pastorale d'été
- Viola Sonata
- Cello Sonata
Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov - An Episode from the Life of Schubert, op. 61
Leoš Janáček - symphonic poem Ballad of Blanik
Darius Milhaud - Le Boeuf sur le toit (ballet), Ballade (for piano and orchestra)
Francis Poulenc - Five Impromptus for Piano, Suite in C Major for Piano
Sergei Prokofiev - Five Songs without Words (for voice and piano)
Maurice Ravel
- La Valse
- Sonata for violin and cello
Erik Satie - La Belle excentrique
Dmitri Shostakovich - Five Preludes for Piano
Igor Stravinsky - Pulcinella, Concertino for string quartet, Symphonies of Wind Instruments
Ralph Vaughan Williams - The Lark Ascending, Mass in G minor, London Symphony

Opera

Vincent D'Indy - The Legend of St. Christoper
Clemens Freiherr von Franckenstein - Li-Tai-Pe
Henry Hadley - Cleopatra's Night
Leoš Janáček - The Excursions of Mr. Broucek on the Moon and in the 15th Century
Erich Korngold - Die tote Stadt
Ruggiero Leoncavallo - Edipo Re
Michael Tippett - The Knot Garden

Musical theatre

Afgar Broadway production opened at the Central Theatre on November 8 and ran for 168 performances
Always You Broadway
As You Were Broadway production opened at the Central Theatre on January 27 and ran for 143 performances. Starring Sam Bernard, Irene Bordoni, Clifton Webb and Hugh Cameron.
The Beggar's Opera London production opened at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on June 5 and ran for 1463 performances
Die Blaue Mazur (The Blue Mazurka) (Music by Franz Lehár), Vienna
Cherry London production opened at the Apollo Theatre on July 22 and ran for 76 performances
George White's Scandals Of 1920 Broadway revue opened at the Globe Theatre on June 7 and ran for 134 performances
Irene London production opened at the Empire Theatre on April 7 and ran for 399 performances
Jimmy Broadway
Johnny Jones London production opened at the Alhambra Theatre on June 1 and ran for 349 performances
Jumble Sale London revue opened at the Vaudeville Theatre on December 16 and ran for 176 performances
Just Fancy London production opened at the Vaudeville Theatre on March 26 and ran for 332 performances
Kissing Time Broadway production opened at the Lyric Theatre on October 11 and ran for 65 performances
Der letzte Walzer (The Last Waltz) (Music by Oscar Straus), Berlin
A Little Dutch Girl opened at the Lyric Theatre on December 1 and ran for 207 performances
The Midnight Rounders Broadway revue opened at the Century Promenade Theatre on July 12 and ran for 120 performances
The Night Boat Broadway production opened at the Liberty Theatre on February 2 and ran for 318 performances. Jeanette MacDonald made her first Broadway appearance as a member of the chorus.
A Night Out London production opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on September 18 and ran for 309 performances
Sally Broadway production opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on December 21 and ran for 570 performances
The Shop Girl London revival opened at the Gaiety Theatre on March 25 and ran for 327 performances
Tickle Me ( Music: Herbert P. Stothart) Broadway production opened at the Selwyn Theatre on August 17 and ran for 207 performances. Starring Louise Allen, Allen Kearns and Frank Tinney.
Tip Top Broadway production opened at the Globe Theatre on October 5 and ran for 241 performances
What's In A Name Broadway production opened at Maxine Elliott's Theatre on March 19 and ran for 87 performances
Ziegfeld Follies of 1920 Broadway revue opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre on June 22 and ran for 123 performances

Births

January 1 - Virgilio Savona, Italian singer and songwriter (Quartetto Cetra)
January 3 - Renato Carosone, Italian musician and singer (d. 2001)
January 5 - Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, pianist (d. 1995)
February 13
- Eileen Farrell, soprano (d. 2002)
- Boudleaux Bryant, American songwriter (d. 1987)
April 12 - The Cox Twins, music hall entertainers
April 29 - Harold Shapero, composer
May 2 - Jean-Marie Auberson, violinist and conductor (d. 2004)
May 13 - Gareth Morris, flautist (d. 2007)
May 18 - Lucia Mannucci, Italian singer (Quartetto Cetra)
May 21 - Bill Barber, jazz musician (d. 2007)
May 26 - Peggy Lee, singer and songwriter (d. 2002)
June 6 - Dino Asciolla, violinist (d. 1994)
June 10 - Bonnie Davis, R&B singer (d. 1976)
June 19 - Johnny Douglas, film composer and conductor (d. 2003)
June 25 -Ozan Marsh, American concert pianist (d. 1992)
June 26 - Leonid Hambro, pianist (d. 2006)
July 1 - Amália Rodrigues, Portuguese singer and actress (d. 1999)
July 11 - Yul Brynner, actor, star of The King and I (d. 1985)
August 8
- Leo Chiosso, Italian lyricist (d. 2006)
- Jimmy Witherspoon, blues singer (d. 1997)
August 17 - Georgia Gibbs, singer (d. 2006)
August 29 - Charlie Parker, jazz musician (d. 1955)
September 23 - Mickey Rooney, actor and entertainer
September 28 - Irma Baltuttis, singer and entertainer (d. 1958)
October 27 - Nanette Fabray, actress and singer
December 6 - Dave Brubeck, jazz musician
December 24 - Dave Bartholomew, bandleader, composer and arranger
date unknown - Carmen Carrozza, accordionist

Deaths

January 8 - Maud Powell, violinist (b. 1867)
January 16 - Reginald De Koven, US music critic and composer (b. 1859)
January 18 - Giovanni Capurro, poet, co-writer of "O Sole Mio" (b. 1859)
January 21 - John Henry Maunder, composer (b. 1858)
January 24 - William Percy French, songwriter (b. 1854)
February 2 - Theo Marzials, singer and composer (b. 1850)
February 11 - Gaby Deslys, dancer and actress (b. 1881)
April 4 - Carl Bohm, songwriter (b. 1844)
April 8 - Charles Tomlinson Griffes, composer (b. 1884)
May - Hardwicke Rawnsley, hymn-writer (b. 1851)
May 25 - Georg Jarno, composer of operettas (b. 1868)
June 27 - Adolphe-Basile Routhier, lyricist (b. 1839)
July 17 - Dorothy Goetz, first wife of Irving Berlin (b. 1892) (typhoid)
July 26 - Carlos Troyer, composer (b. 1837)
August 29 - Gustav Jenner, composer and conductor (b. 1865)
October 2 - Max Bruch, composer (b. 1838)
October 16 - Alberto Nepomuceno, composer and conductor (b. 1864)
date unknown
- George J. Gaskin, singer (b. c. 1850)
- Paloke Kurti, Albanian composer (b. 1860)
probable - Eva Mylott, operatic contralto (b. 1875) (domestic accident)