1861 in music

See also: 1860 in music, other events of 1861, 1862 in music and the list of 'years in music'.

Events

• Tannhäuser scandal in Paris.
• Giuseppe Verdi is elected a deputy in the first parliament of the new Italian nation.

Published popular music

• "Abide With Me", w. Rev Henry Francis Lyte m. William Henry Monk (Words 1847)
• "Alice, Where Art Thou", w. Wellington Guernsey m. Joseph Ascher
• "Aura Lee", w. W. W. Fosdick m. George R. Poulton
• "The Bonnie Blue Flag", w. Mrs Annie Chamber-Ketchum m. Harry MacCarthy
• "Eternal Father, Strong To Save", w. William Whiting m. Rev. John Bacchus Dykes
• "Go Down, Moses", trad spiritual
• "Holy! Holy! Holy! Lord God Almighty", w. Reginald Heber m. John Bacchus Dykes
• "John Brown's Body", w. anon m. William Steffe
• "Maryland, My Maryland", w. James Ryder Randall m. Walter de Mapers (Music "Mini est Propositum" 12th century)
• "The Vacant Chair", w. Henry S. Washburne m. George Frederick Root

Classical music

Opera

• Ferenc Erkel – Bank Ban
• Amilcare Ponchielli – La Savoiarda

Musical theater

• Orpheus In The Underworld, New York production

Births

• April 16 – William F. Hooley
• May 19 – Nellie Melba, soprano
• June 15 – Ernestine Schumann-Heink, contralto
• August 11 – Anton Arensky, composer
• December 4 – Lillian Russell, US singer and actress
• December 4 – James Thornton, English-born US songwriter and vaudeville comedian
• December 18 – Lionel Monckton, English composer

Deaths

• June 5 – Tomas Genoves y Lapetra, composer
• December 14 – Heinrich Marschner, composer
• December 16 – Karol Joseph Lipinski, composer