| Year |
Event |
| 1881 |
Henri Vieuxtemps, French violinist and composer, dies |
| 1881 |
Bela Bartok, Hungarian composer, born |
| 1881 |
Brahms: "Academic Festival Overture," Opus 80, Breslau |
| 1881 |
Modest Mussorgsky, Russian composer dies |
| 1881 |
Offenbach: "Les Contes d'Hoffman," Post. opera, Paris |
| 1882 |
Igor Stravinsky, Russian composer, born |
| 1882 |
Millocker: "Der Bettelstudent," operetta, Vienna |
| 1882 |
Tchaichovsky: "1812 Overture" |
| 1882 |
Gounod: "The Redemption," oratorio, Birmingham |
| 1882 |
Rimsky-Korsakov:" The Snow Maiden," opera, St Petersburg |
| 1882 |
Gilbert and Sullivan: " Iolanthe," London |
| 1882 |
Wagner: "Parsifal," Bayreuth |
| 1882 |
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra founded |
| 1882 |
Debussy: "Le Printemps," orchestral suite |
| 1883 |
Robert Volkmann, German composer, dies |
| 1883 |
Chabrier: "Espana, " rhapsody |
| 1883 |
Metropolitan Opera House, New York, opened |
| 1883 |
Royal College of Music, London, founded |
| 1883 |
Delibes: "Lakme," opera, Paris |
| 1883 |
Richard Wagner, German opera composer, dies |
| 1883 |
Friedrich von Flotow, German composer, dies |
| 1883 |
Anton von Webern, Austrian composer, born |
| 1884 |
Bedrich Smetana, Czech composer, dies |
| 1884 |
Brahms: Symphony No. 3 in F major, Opus 90 |
| 1884 |
Bruckner: Symphony No. 7, Leipzig |
| 1884 |
Cesar Franck: "Les Djinns," symphonic poem |
| 1884 |
Massenet: "Manonm" opera, Paris |
| 1884 |
C.V. Stanford: "Savonarola," opera, Hamburg |
| 1884 |
Gustav Mahler: "Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen" |
| 1884 |
Vicktor Nessler: "Der Trompeter von Sackingen," opera, Leipzig |
| 1885 |
Leopold Damrosch, German- American comductor, dies |
| 1885 |
Brahms: Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Opus 98 |
| 1885 |
Cesar Franck: "Symphonie Variations" |
| 1885 |
Gilbert and Sullivan: "The Mikado," London |
| 1885 |
Alan Berg, Austrian composer, born |
| 1885 |
Anna Pavlova, Russian ballet dancer, born |
| 1885 |
Strauss: " The Gypsy Baron," operetta, Vienna |
| 1886 |
Franz Liszt, Hungarian composer, dies |
| 1886 |
Wilhelm Furtwangler, German conductor, born |
| 1886 |
Charles Mustel of Paris invents the celesta |
| 1887 |
Aleksandr Borodin, Russian composer, dies |
| 1887 |
Sir John Stainer: "The Crucifixion," oratorio |
| 1887 |
Chabrier: "Le Roi malgre lui," opera, Paris |
| 1887 |
Richard Strauss: "Aus Italien," tone poems, Munich |
| 1887 |
Verdi: "Otello," opera, Milan |
| 1887 |
Gilbert and Sullivan: " Ruddigore," London |
| 1887 |
Ignace Paderewski gives his first recital in Vienna |
| 1887 |
Bruckner: "Te Deum" |
| 1888 |
Gilbert and Sullivan: "The Yeoman of the Guard,"London |
| 1888 |
irving Berlin, American composer, born |
| 1888 |
Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 5, St. Petersburg |
| 1888 |
Rimsky-Korsakov: "Sheherazade," opus 35, symphonic suite, St. Petersburg |
| 1888 |
Gustav Mahler becomes musical director of the Budapest Opera |
| 1889 |
Cesar Franck: Symphony in D Major |
| 1889 |
Richard Strauss: "Don Juan," symphonic poem, Weimar |
| 1889 |
Gilbert and Sullivan: "The Gondoliers," London |
| 1890 |
Cesar Franck dies |
| 1890 |
Bruckner: Symphonies No. 3 and 4 last versions |
| 1890 |
Richard Strauss: "Toid und Verklarung" |
| 1890 |
Borodin: "Prince Igor," opera, St. Petersburg, (posth.) |
| 1890 |
Pietro Mascagni: "Cavalleria Rusticana," opera, Rome |
| 1890 |
Tchaikovsky:"Quenn of Spades," opera, St. Petersburg |
Music History Timeline - 1881 to 1890
