Wikipedia

1951 in music

This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1951.

List of years in music (table)
In radio
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
In television
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
In film
1948
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
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Specific locations

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Specific genres

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Events

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Albums released

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US No 1 hit singles

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These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1951.

First week Number of weeks Title Artist
March 3, 1951 1 "If" Perry Como
March 10, 1951 1 "Be My Love" Mario Lanza
March 17, 1951 5 "If" Perry Como
April 21, 1951 9 "How High the Moon" Les Paul & Mary Ford
June 23, 1951 5 "Too Young" Nat King Cole
July 28, 1951 6 "Come On-a My House" Rosemary Clooney
September 8, 1951 8 "Because of You" Tony Bennett
November 3, 1951 6 "Cold, Cold Heart" Tony Bennett
December 15, 1951 2 "(It's No) Sin" Eddy Howard
December 29, 1951 11 "Cry" Johnnie Ray & The Four Lads

Biggest hit singles

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The following songs achieved the highest chart positions in the limited set of charts available for 1951.

# Artist Title Year Country Chart entries
1 Johnnie Ray Cry 1951 US US 1940s 1 – Dec 1951, US 1 for 11 weeks Dec 1951, US BB 2 of 1951, DDD 4 of 1951, RYM 5 of 1951, POP 6 of 1952, Italy 68 of 1955, Acclaimed 1084
2 Nat King Cole Unforgettable 1951 US US BB 1 of 1952, POP 1 of 1952, RYM 4 of 1951, US 1940s 14 – Nov 1951, DDD 25 of 1951, Europe 63 of the 1950s, Scrobulate 78 of vocal, WXPN 500
3 Les Paul & Mary Ford How High the Moon 1951 US US 1940s 1 – Mar 1951, US 1 for 9 weeks Apr 1951, DDD 10 of 1951, US BB 12 of 1951, POP 12 of 1951, RYM 19 of 1951, RIAA 317, Acclaimed 514
4 Nat King Cole Too Young 1951 US US 1940s 1 – Apr 1951, US 1 for 5 weeks Jun 1951, POP 1 of 1951, DDD 5 of 1951, RYM 10 of 1951
5 Mario Lanza Be My Love 1951 US US 1940s 1 – Dec 1950, US 1 for 1 weeks Mar 1951, US BB 9 of 1951, POP 9 of 1951, Europe 79 of the 1950s, RYM 137 of 1951

Top hits on record

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Top R&B hits on record

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Classical music

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Premieres

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Sortable table
Composer Composition Date Location Performers
Arnold, Malcolm Symphony No. 1 in D minor 1951-07-06 Cheltenham (Festival), UK Hallé Orchestra – Arnold[16][17]
Bal y Gay, Jesús Concerto Grosso 1951-03-30 Mexico City Mexico National Symphony – Chávez[18]
Berger, Arthur Duo for violin and piano 1951-10-19 New York, Town Hall Lack, [pianist][19]
Blomdahl, Karl-Birger Symphony No. 3, Facetter 1951-06-25 Frankfurt, Germany (ISCM Festival) Bavarian Radio Symphony – Lehmann[20]
Boulez, Pierre Polyphonie X 1951-10-06 Donaueschingen, Germany (Musiktage) SWF Radio Symphony – Rosbaud[21]
Britten, Benjamin Six Metamorphoses after Ovid 1951-06-14 Aldeburgh, UK (Festival) Boughton. [pianist unknown][22]
Cage, John Imaginary Landscape No. 4 1951-05-10 New York City[23]
Cooke, Arnold Violin Sonata No. 2 1951-05-17 London Rapaport, Cross[24]
Dority, Bryan "How Sweet I Roamed", for soprano and piano 1951-12-11 New York City, Carnegie Hall Turash, Garvey[25]
Dutilleux, Henri Symphony No. 1 1951-06-07 Paris RTF National Orchestra – Désormière[26]
Ellington, Duke Harlem 1951-06-20 New York (Lewisohn Stadium) NBC Symphony Orchestra – Ellington[27]
Ferguson, Howard Piano Concerto in D 1951-06-22 Belfast, UK Ferguson / City of Belfast Orchestra – Mulgan[28]
Foss, Lukas Piano Concerto No. 2 1951-10-07 Venice, Italy (Biennale) Foss / La Fenice Philharmonic – Sanzogno[29]
Fricker, Peter Racine Symphony No. 2 1951-07-26 Liverpool, UK Liverpool Philharmonic – Rignold[30]
Fulton, Norman Sinfonia pastorale 1951-06-? Bournemouth, UK Bournemouth Municipal Orchestra – [conductor unknown][31]
Gardner, John Symphony No. 1, Op. 2 1951-07-05 Cheltenham, UK (Festival) Hallé Orchestra – Barbirolli[16][32]
Garūta, Lūcija/Skulte, Bruno God, Thy Earth Is Aflame cantata, completed by Skulte[a] 1951-03-10 Brooklyn (Brooklyn Academy of Music) [performers unknown][33]
Gerhard, Roberto Piano Concerto 1951-06-16 Aldeburgh, UK (Festival) Newton-Wood / Aldeburgh Festival Orchestra – Del Mar[22][34]
Giannini, Vittorio A Canticle of Christmas, for baritone, chorus, and orchestra 1951-12-10 Charlotte, North Carolina White / Charlotte Symphony – Pfohl[35]
Glière, Reinhold Horn Concerto 1951-05-10 Leningrad, Soviet Union Polekh / Leningrad Radio Symphony – Glière[36]
Hartmann, Karl Amadeus Symphonie Concertante (Symphony No. 5) 1951-04-21 Stuttgart, Germany Stuttgart Radio Symphony – Müller-Kray[37]
Holst, Imogen Six Songs for women's voices and harp 1951-06-[8–17] Aldeburgh, UK (Festival) [performers unknown] – Holst[22]
Hovhaness, Alan Saint Vartan Symphony (Symphony No. 9, Op. 180) 1951-03-? New York Carnegie Hall [orchestra] – Hovhaness.[38]
Ibert, Jacques Symphonie Concertante for Oboe and Strings 1951-02-23 Basel, Switzerland Shann / Basel Chamber Orchestra – Sacher[39]
Ifukube, Akira Drumming of Japan 1951-11-17 Tokyo Tokyo Symphony – Ueda[40]
Ives, Charles Symphony No. 2 (1901) 1951-02-22 New York Carnegie Hall New York Philharmonic – Bernstein[41]
Jacobson, Maurice Symphonic Suite for strings 1951-07-04 Cheltenham, UK (Festival) Hallé Orchestra – Barbirolli[16][42]
Jolivet, André Piano Concerto 1951-06-19 Strasbourg, France (Festival) Descaves / Strasbourg Radio Orchestra – Jolivet[43]
Jacob, Gordon Flute Concerto 1951-08-05 London Morris / New London Orchestra – Sherman[44]
Jirak, Karel Symphony No. 5 1951-08-26 Edinburgh, UK (Festival) Scottish National Orchestra – Susskind[45]
Kay, Ulysses Short Suite for concert band 1951-05-08 Waco, US (Baylor University) Baylor University Golden Wave Band – Moore[46][47]
Kay, Ulysses Sinfonia in E (a.k.a. Symphony in E) 1951-05-02 Rochester, New York Eastman-Rochester Orchestra – Hanson[46][48]
Koechlin, Charles Prélude sur le nom de Fauré for strings 1951-03-02 London (French Institute) ["a string orchestra"][49]
Landré, Guillaume Symphony No. 3 1951-06-17 Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra – Kubelik[50]
Lutosławski, Witold Silesian Triptych 1951-12-02 Warsaw Polish National Radio Symphony – Fitelberg
Martinů, Bohuslav Concerto for Two Violins and Orchestra No. 2 (1950) 1951-01-14 Dallas, US G. Beal, W. Beal / [unknown orchestra and conductor] [51]
Murrill, Herbert Concerto for cello and orchestra 1951-03-03 London (Royal Albert Hall) Canning / BBC Symphony Orchestra – Cameron[52]
Oldham, Arthur The Commandment of Love song cycle 1951-06-[8–17] Aldeburgh, UK (Festival) Pears, Britten[22]
Pettersson, Allan Concerto for Violin and String Quartet 1951-03-10 Stockholm Frydén / Ridderstad, Nihlman, Jonsson, Ericson[53]
Piston, Walter Symphony No. 4 1951-03-30 Minneapolis Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra, Doráti[54]
Prokofiev, Sergei Piano Sonata No. 9 (1947) 1951-04-21 Moscow Richter[55]
Rawsthorne, Alan Piano Concerto No. 2 1951-06-17 London (Festival of Britain) Curzon / London Symphony – Sargent[56]
Reizenstein, Franz Serenade for Winds 1951-07-[9–14] Cheltenham, UK (Festival) The London Wind Players[16]
Rodrigo, Joaquín Sonatas de Castilla 1951-11-08 Madrid Rodrigo[57]
Rubbra, Edmund Festival Te Deum 1951-06-30 London Royal Festival Hall [unknown performers][58]
Rubbra, Edmund String Quartet [No. 1?] 1951-07-[9–14] Cheltenham, UK (Festival Griller String Quartet[16]
Sainton, Philip Serenade Fantastique for oboe and strings 1951-07-08 Cheltenham, UK (Festival) Goosens / Boyd Neel Orchestra – Neel[59][60]
Schoenberg, Arnold "The Dance around the Golden Calf" from Moses und Aron 1951-07-02 Darmstadt, Germany (Ferienkurse) Orchester und Chor des Landestheaters Darmstadt – Scherchen[61]
Shebalin, Vissarion Sinfonietta 1951-11-12 Moscow USSR Radio Symphony – Gauk[62]
Stevens, Bernard Sinfonietta 1951-07-06 Cheltenham, UK (Festival) [unknown oboist] / Boyd Neel Orchestra – Barbirolli[17][59]
Stockhausen, Karlheinz Sonatine for violin and piano 1951-08-24[b] Cologne, Germany Marschner, Stockhausen[64]
Talma, Louise The Leaden Echo and the Golden Echo, choral dialogue 1951-12-14 New York, Juilliard Concert Hall Juilliard Chorus – Hufstader[65]
Villa-Lobos, Heitor Fantasia for saxophone, three horns, and strings 1951-11-17 Rio de Janeiro, Auditório do Palácio de Cultura, Waldemar Szpilman [pt], Orquestra de Câmara do Ministério da Educação e Cultura – Villa-Lobos[66]
van Wyk, Arnold Symphony No. 1 in A minor 1951-07-03[c] Cheltenham, UK (Festival) Hallé Orchestra – Barbirolli[67][68]
Wigglesworth, Frank Summer Scenes for flute, oboe, and strings 1951-11-05 New York, Town Hall Little Orchestra – Scherman[69]
  1. ^ The cantata was written in 1944 by poet Andrejs Eglitis and composer Lucija Garuta. During the Nazi occupation of the Baltic state [Latvia] only small portions of the work could be performed. Eglitis later escaped to Sweden, but of Garuta nothing was ever heard. A new musical score was written by Bruno Skulte while he was in a German displaced persons camp.[33]
  2. ^ Broadcast date of radio recording, NWDR Cologne. First public performance did not occur until 22 October 1971, by Saschko Gawriloff and Aloys Kontarsky at a concert of the SMIP in Paris.[63]
  3. ^ Although previously performed in a radio broadcast in 1943, this was the first public performance.[67]

Compositions

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Opera

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Film

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Jazz

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Main article: 1951 in jazz

Musical theater

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Musical films

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Births

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Deaths

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Notes

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  1. ^ Anon. "Riviera Dei Fiori"; Anon. "Sanremo 1951 Archived March 6, 2009, at the Wayback Machine", Sanremo Festival Website (Accessed November 30, 2009).
  2. ^ Cowell, Henry (July 1951). "Current Chronicle: New York". The Musical Quarterly. 37 (3): 396–402 (399–400). doi:10.1093/mq/XXXVII.3.396.
  3. ^ Everett Helm, "Current Chronicle: Berlin" (Subscription Access), The Musical Quarterly 37, no. 4 (October): 590–97.
  4. ^ "Queen Elisabeth Competition 1951–2008 Archived October 8, 2018, at the Wayback Machine", p. 3.
  5. ^ Anonymous, "First Performance of a Haydn Opera", The Times, issue 52024 (June 10, 1951): p. 4, col G.
  6. ^ A. J., "Cheltenham Festival", The Musical Times 92, no. 1303 (September 1951): 416–417.
  7. ^ Anon., "The Haslemere Festival", The Musical Times 92, no. 1301 (July 1951): 312.
  8. ^ Adolf Aber, "Tradition and Revolution at Bayreuth", The Musical Times 92, no. 1304 (October 1951): 453–457.
  9. ^ David Cherniavsky, "The Salzburg Festival", The Musical Times 92, no. 1305 (November 1951): 517–518.
  10. ^ Anonymous, "Berlin Festival of the Arts: Turn of Western Culture", The Times, issue 52091 (August 28, 1951): p. 3, col G.
  11. ^ Margaret Reece-Evans, "The Swansea Festival", The Musical Times 92, no. 1305 (November): 516.
  12. ^ Donaueschinger Musiktage: Programme seit 1921 Archived March 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
  13. ^ Anonymous, "Royal Opera House: Turandot", The Times, issue 52139 (October 23, 1951): p. 6, col F.
  14. ^ Anonymous, 'Visit of Hamburg Radio Orchestra: Series of Concerts', The Times, issue 52164 (November 21, 1951): p. 2, col F.
  15. ^ Anonymous, "Opening of the Season at La Scala: Two First Performances", The Times, issue 52179 (December 8, 1951): p. 5, col C.
  16. ^ a b c d e Anon., "Contemporary Music: Cheltenham Festival of British Works", Times(6 March 1951): 7.
  17. ^ a b Anon., "Cheltenham Festival: Arnold's Symphony", Times 7 July 1951: 8.
  18. ^ La Quinta de Mahler
  19. ^ H[arold] C S[chonberg], "Miss Lack Heard in Violin Recital: Saint-Saens Concerto Is Chief Work on Town Hall Program—Berger Duo Presented", The New York Times (20 October): 23.
  20. ^ Svensk Musik
  21. ^ To Boulez and Beyond, page 149
  22. ^ a b c d Anon., "Aldeburgh Festival: Purcell's Dido and Aeneas" The Times (28 February 1951): 8.
  23. ^ John Cage official website
  24. ^ Musicweb International
  25. ^ Anon., "Turash, Soprano, Bows: Otto Luening's Emily Dickinson Song Cycle on Her Program", The New York Times (12 December): 50.
  26. ^ Radio France
  27. ^ Anon., "Runyon Fund Concert: Ellington and N.B.C. Symphony to Appear at Stadium June 20", The New York Times (9 June): 12.
  28. ^ Boosey & Hawkes
  29. ^ "Venice Bienna official website" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 3, 2016. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  30. ^ University of California, Santa Barbara
  31. ^ Anon., "Music Proze Awarded", The Times (23 February 1951): 8.
  32. ^ Anon., "Cheltenham Festival: An Adventurous Symphony", Times (6 July 1951): 2.
  33. ^ a b Anon., "Ex-D.P.s to Give Cantata", The New York Times (3 March): 14.
  34. ^ http://sites.google.com/site/robertgerhardvalls18961970/
  35. ^ Anon., "Giannini Canticle Bows: Work by New York Professor Introduced in Charlotte, N.C.", The New York Times (10 December): 32.
  36. ^ "Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 30, 2015.
  37. ^ Schott Music
  38. ^ Cowell 1951, p. 396.
  39. ^ All the conducting masterclasses
  40. ^ Akira Ifukube official website
  41. ^ Cowell 1951, pp. 399–400.
  42. ^ Anon., "Cheltenham Festival: Maurice Jacobson", The Times (5 July 1951): 8.
  43. ^ Guide de la Musique Symphonique, p. 387.[full citation needed]
  44. ^ Gordon Jacob official website
  45. ^ Howard Taubman, "Edinburgh Hears Jirak's Symphony: Prize-Winning Work by Chicago Music Teacher Has World Premiere at Festival", The New York Times (27 August): 15.
  46. ^ a b Aaron Horne, Brass Music of Black Composers: A Bibliography (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1996): 160. ISBN 0-313-29826-2
  47. ^ Constance Tibbs Hobson and Deborra A. Richardson, Ulysses Kay: A Bio-Bibliography, Bio-Bibliographies in Music 53 (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1994): 43. ISBN 978-0-313-25546-5.
  48. ^ Constance Tibbs Hobson and Deborra A. Richardson, Ulysses Kay: A Bio-Bibliography, Bio-Bibliographies in Music 53 (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1994): 44. ISBN 978-0-313-25546-5.
  49. ^ "French Institute Concert: Fugues and Concertos", Times (3 March 1951): 8.
  50. ^ Daniel L. Schorr, "The Hague Opens Fifth Music Fete: Royal Court, Diplomatic Corps Represented a Concert in Medieval Hall of Knights", The New York Times (15 June): 27.
  51. ^ Hyperion Records
  52. ^ Anon., "Henry Wood Birthday Concert: New Cello Concerto", Times (5 March 1951): 2.
  53. ^ Allan Pettersson Society
  54. ^ Steven Lowe, Liner notes Archived February 23, 2019, at the Wayback Machine to Walter Piston: Symphony No. 4, Capriccio for Harp and String Orchestra, Three New England Sketches. Seattle Symphony Orchestra; Gerard Schwarz, conductor. Naxos CD 8.559162. [Hong Kong]: Naxos, 2002.
  55. ^ Prokofiev's Piano Sonatas
  56. ^ BBC
  57. ^ Joaquín Rodrigo official website
  58. ^ W[ilfred] H. Mellers, "Current Chronicle: England", The Musical Quarterly 37, no. 4 (October 1951): 580–585. Citation on 582.
  59. ^ a b Paul Hamburger, "Cheltenham Festival". The Music Review 12 (1951): 317–319. Citation on 317 and 319.
  60. ^ Anon., "Cheltenham Festival: Three Serenades", Times (9 July 1951): 2.
  61. ^ Imke Misch and Markus Bandur (eds.), Karlheinz Stockhausen bei den Internationalen Ferienkursen für Neue Musik in Darmstadt 1951–1996: Dokumente und Briefe (Kürten: Stockhausen Stiftung für Musik, 2001): 9. ISBN 3-00-007290-X.
  62. ^ "Le Chant du Monde" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 17, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
  63. ^ Rudolf Frisius, Karlheinz Stockhausen II: Die Werke 1950–1977; Gespräch mit Karlheinz Stockhausen, "Es geht aufwärts" (Mainz, London, Berlin, Madrid, New York, Paris, Prague, Tokyo, Toronto: Schott Musik International, 2008): 30.
  64. ^ Karlheinz Stockhausen, "Sonatine für Violine und Klavier (1951)", in his Texte zur Musik 4 (1970–1977), edited by Christoph von Blumröder, 46–47, DuMont Dokumente (Cologne: DuMont Buchverlag, 1978), 46, ISBN 3-7701-1078-1; Michael Kurtz, Stockhausen: A Biography, translated by Richard Toop (London and Boston: Faber and Faber, 1992): 31. ISBN 0-571-14323-7 (cloth); ISBN 0-571-17146-X (pbk).
  65. ^ Anon., "Choral to Have Premiere", The New York Times (14 December): 28.
  66. ^ Villa-Lobos, sua obra Archived October 16, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, Version 1.0. MinC (Rio de Janeiro: IBRAM, and the Museu Villa-Lobos, 2009): 63.
  67. ^ a b Anon., "Cheltenham Festival", Times (4 July 1951): 8.
  68. ^ Paul Hamburger, "Cheltenham Festival". The Music Review 12 (1951): 317–319. Citation on 317–318.
  69. ^ a b Olin Downes, "Little Orchestra Gives 3 Premieres: Concertos by Martinu and Vivaldi and a Novelty by Wigglesworth Offered", The New York Times (5 November): 34
  70. ^ Stephen Williams, "Premiere of Britten's Billy Budd Stirs London", The New York Times (9 December): 133.
  71. ^ Everett Helm, "Current Chronicle: Berlin", The Musical Quarterly 37, no. 4 (October): 590–97. Citation on p. 594.
  72. ^ Anon., "Holland Hears 2 French Operas: Premiere of L'Apostrophe Is Given in Amsterdam—Work by Milhaud on Program" (2 July): 15.
  73. ^ Howard Taubman, "Florence Stages Haydn's Orpheus: World Premiere of 160-year-old Opera Is Presented at Music Festival in Italy", The New York Times (10 June): 22.
  74. ^ Anon., "New American Opera Unveiled in Detroit", The New York Times (17 November): 10.
  75. ^ Olin Downes, "Menotti Opera, the First for TV, Has Its Premiere; Boy, 12, Is Star", The New York Times (25 December): 1.
  76. ^ Anon., "Hardy Novel As An Opera", Times (16 January 1951): 6.
  77. ^ Wilfrid H. Mellers, "Current Chronicle:London" (Subscription Access), The Musical Quarterly 37, no. 4 (October): 580–8.
  78. ^ Andrew Porter, "New Wellesz Opera: 'Incognita,' Based on Congreve Story, Has Its First Performance at Oxford", The New York Times (16 December): 117.
  79. ^ Grein, Paul (March 7, 2024). "Barry Manilow, Jennifer Hudson & More Mourn Death of Singer & 'American Idol' Vocal Coach Debra Byrd". Billboard. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
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