Today we note the American premiere of just one of dozens of symphonic masterworks introduced to these shores by German-born conductor Theodore Thomas, arguably the most important figure in the development of American symphony orchestras in the 19th century.

In 1864, Thomas began a series of summer concerts, first in New York City, and later in Philadelphia, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Milwaukee and Chicago. It was in New York City, on today’s date in 1867, that Thomas gave a concert at Terrace Gardens, a brand-new entertainment complex that included a five-story hotel, a concert hall, ballroom, banquet rooms, and big, beautifully-planted outdoor gardens, all located on East 58th Street, between Lexington and Third Avenue. In 1867, this address was still relatively green and quiet, perfect for an open-air garden concert, so under a blue July 4 sky the Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss, Jr., was performed for the first time in America — and less than five months after its world premiere performance in Vienna!

The price for a ticket to the Terrace Garden concert was 25 cents — and alongside the new music by Johann Strauss Jr., audiences would have heard pieces by Weber, Gounod, Suppe, Offenbach and Verdi among others.

Johann Strauss Jr. (1825-1899): By the Beautiful Blue Danube; New York Philharmonic; Leonard Bernstein, conductor; Sony 46710

The piano became the dominant keyboard instrument in Mozart’s lifetime in the late 18th century. Before that, the harpsichord had ruled. But for more than a hundred years after Mozart’s day, the harpsichord seemed as dead as the dodo, and even the great harpsichord works of Bach and other early 18th century masters were always played on the piano — that is, until Wanda Landowska came on the scene.

This indomitable woman was born in Warsaw, Poland, in 1879, and single-handedly brought the harpsichord back to life. It was on today’s date in 1927 that she inaugurated a historic series of harpsichord concerts at her summer home near Paris — and, two years later, in 1929, Landowska premiered the Concert Champêtre, by Francis Poulenc, a brand new harpsichord concerto written specially for her.

Very much in the spirit of Landowska, the contemporary composer and performer Barbara Harbach is in the vanguard of today’s advocates for the harpsichord.

A passionate advocate for new music, she has recorded several compact discs of 20th Century Harpsichord Music for the Gasparo label, featuring works by American composers from Samuel Adler to Ellen Taafe Zwillich.

J. S. Bach (1685-1750): Little Prelude; Wanda Landowska, harpsichord; Pearl 9489

Barbara Harbach (b. 1946): Cante Flamenco, from Tres Danzas para Clavecin; Barbara Harbach, harpsichord; Gasparo 290

On this date in 1723, churchgoers in Leipzig were offered some festive music along with the gospel readings and sermon. The vocal and instrumental music was pulled together from various sources, some old, some newly-composed, and crafted into a fresh, unified work, the church cantata Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben — which in English would be “heart and voice and thought and action.” The idea was that text and music would complement and comment on that day’s scripture readings and sermon.

Now this sort of thing was not all that uncommon back then for the hard-working composer Johann Sebastian Bach. On average Bach would prepare and present around 50 church cantatas a year, and his cantata No. 147, presented on July 2, 1723, concluded with a catchy melody that would be revived to great effect 200 years later.

In 1926, the concluding choral section of Bach’s cantata, Jesus Bleibet Meine Freude in the original German, was arranged by the British pianist Dame Myra Hess and given an English title, Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. It became a popular piano recital selection, and, over time, a very popular piece to play at weddings — even though Bach’s original cantata text had nothing at all to do with tying the knot.

J.S. Bach (1627-1750): Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring; Celia Nicklin, oboe; Academy of St. Martin in the Fields; Neville Marriner, conductor; Warner 975562