1910 in music facts for kids

The year 1910 was a busy and exciting time for music! Many new songs, ballets, and operas were performed for the very first time. Famous composers showed off their latest works, and new musical styles became popular. Let's take a look at some of the big musical moments from this year.

Big Musical Moments of 1910

• March 19 – A new piece by Béla Bartók, his First String Quartet, was first played in Budapest.
• June 25 – Igor Stravinsky's famous ballet, The Firebird, had its first show in Paris.
• September 12 – Gustav Mahler's huge Symphony No. 8, also called the Symphony of a Thousand, was first performed in Munich.
• October – Composers Pietro Mascagni and Giacomo Puccini ended their disagreement from 1905.
• November 7 – The fun musical show Naughty Marietta, with music by Victor Herbert, opened on Broadway.
• November 10 – Edward Elgar led the first performance of his Violin Concerto. The famous violinist Fritz Kreisler played the solo part.
• Mary Garden started her 20-year career as the main singer (soprano) at the Chicago Civic Opera.

Popular Songs of 1910

Many new songs became popular in 1910. These were the hits that people listened to and sang along with. Here are a few well-known ones:

• "Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life" by Rida Johnson Young and Victor Herbert. This song was from the operetta Naughty Marietta.
• "Come Josephine In My Flying Machine" by Alfred Bryan and Fred Fisher.
• "Down By The Old Mill Stream" by Tell Taylor.
• "Every Little Movement" by Otto Harbach and Karl Hoschna.
• "Grizzly Bear" by George Botsford and Irving Berlin.
• "I'm Henery the Eighth" by Fred Murray and R. P. Weston.
• "Italian Street Song" by Rida Johnson Young and Victor Herbert.
• "Let Me Call You Sweetheart" by Beth Slater Whitson and Leo Friedman.
• "Macushla" by Josephine V. Rowe and Dermot MacMurrough.
• "Mother Machree" by Rida Johnson Young, Ernest R. Ball, and Chauncey Olcott.
• "A Perfect Day" by Carrie Jacobs-Bond.
• "Some Of These Days" by Shelton Brooks. This song became a big hit!

Classical Music Premieres

In 1910, many important classical music pieces were created.

• Victor Ewald finished his Symphony for Brass.
• Gustav Mahler completed his Symphony No. 9.
• Arnold Schoenberg presented his Five Pieces for Orchestra.
• Alexander Scriabin created Prometheus, "The Poem of Fire".
• Igor Stravinsky's famous ballet music The Firebird was first heard.
• Ralph Vaughan Williams composed Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis and his Symphony No. 1 ('A Sea Symphony').

New Operas

Opera is a type of play where all the words are sung. In 1910, several new operas were performed:

• Giacomo Puccini's La fanciulla del West (which means The Girl of the Golden West) had its first show in New York City.
• Jules Massenet's Don Quichotte premiered in Monte Carlo. The famous singer Feodor Chaliapin starred in it.
• Scott Joplin finished his opera Treemonisha, but it wasn't performed on stage until later.

Musical Theater Shows

Musical theater combines singing, dancing, and acting to tell a story. Here are some shows that opened in 1910:

• The Balkan Princess opened in London and ran for 176 shows.
• The Chocolate Soldier by Rudolf Friml opened in London and was very popular, running for 500 shows!
• Madame Sherry opened on Broadway and ran for 231 shows.
• Naughty Marietta by Rida Johnson Young and Victor Herbert also opened on Broadway, running for 136 shows.
• The Quaker Girl opened in London and was a huge success, running for 536 performances. It starred Gertie Millar.

Musicians Born in 1910

Many talented musicians were born in 1910 who would later become famous.

• January 23 – Django Reinhardt, a very influential guitarist.
• March 9 – Samuel Barber, a well-known composer.
• May 8 – Mary Lou Williams, an amazing American jazz pianist and composer.
• May 23 – Artie Shaw, a famous American bandleader.
• May 28 – T-Bone Walker, a legendary blues musician.
• June 10 – Howlin' Wolf, a powerful blues singer and musician.
• June 29 – Frank Loesser, a talented American songwriter.
• December 7 – Louis Prima, a popular musician and singer.
• December 10 – John H. Hammond, a very important record producer who helped many artists.

Images for kids

• 

  A Ragtime banjo from 1910, played by Vess L. Ossman for Columbia Records.

• 

  The sheet music cover for "The Maiden with the Dreamy Eyes", featuring a photo of Anna Held.

• 

  Cover of sheet music "Spaghetti Rag" by Lyons and Yosco.