Italian opera was now being pushed hard by German opera, while French opera was very little heard. The table of performances published in New York at the end of the season 1900-1901 shows that Wagner had thirty-four performances out of a total of eighty-six. Gounod was next with twelve performances, Verdi with eight, Puccini with eight, Meyerbeer with five, Mascagni with four, Reyer and Massenet three each, Boito, Mozart and Donizetti two each, and Beethoven, Leoncavallo and Bizet one each.
American composers were seeking new themes indigenous to the soil. Many had already written something under the title of "Rip van Winkle," and Walter Damrosch had brought out an opera based on Hawthorne's novel "The Scarlet Letter." Anton Dvořák composed his "New World Symphony" making use of negro melodies for his themes. The resources of the Indians, the prairies and the mountains have been tapped more or less successfully. The oil fields still offer a thrilling subject for the composer.
1890. Jan. 4. Peter Cornelius's opera "Der Barbier von Bagdad" presented at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, under Walter Damrosch, also J. Bayer's ballet "Die Puppensee," with Frank Damrosch conducting.
1890. Jan. 4. Saint-Saëns's Third Violin Concerto (B minor) given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra with T. Adamowski as soloist; also Borodin's First Symphony (E flat).
1890. Jan. 11. Production of MacDowell's symphonic tone poem "Lancelot and Elaine," given by the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
1890. Jan. 23. Edouard Lalo's opera "Le Roy d'Ys," presented at New Orleans, La., with Furst, Balleroy, Geoffroy, Rossi, Butat, Miss Leavinson and Mrs. Beretta in the caste.
1890. Jan. 31. Brahms's "Liebeslieder Waltzes" given by the Symphony Society, in New York City.
1890. Feb. 1. Chaikovsky's Fourth Symphony (F minor) given at a concert of the Symphony Society in New York City. W. Damrosch conducting.
1890. Mar. 24. Début of Tamagno, great Italian tenor, as Otello at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York City.
1890. Mar. 25. Dvořák's Pianoforte Concerto in G minor, given at a concert in Chickering Hall, Boston, under B. J. Lang, with Benjamin L. Whelpley as soloist.