1866 in music

Events

*Sir William Sterndale Bennett becomes Principal of the British Royal Academy of Music.
*May 30 - Bedřich Smetana's opera "Prodana Nevesta" (The Bartered Bride) debuts in Prague at the Provisional Theater
*August 4 - First performance of Gabriel Fauré's "Cantique de Jean Racine"
*October 21 - Jacques Offenbach's operetta "La Vie Parisienne" debuts in Paris's Palais Royale
*November 17 - Ambroise Thomas's opera "Mignon" debuts in Paris at the Opéra-Comique

Published popular music

* "Come Back To Erin" w.m. Claribel
*"When You and I Were Young, Maggie" by James A. Butterfield & George Washington Johnson
* "Write Me A Letter Home" w.m. Will S. Hays

Classical music

*Georges Bizet - "La jolie fille de Perth: suite"
*Felix Draeseke - "Fantasie on Themes from Boieldieus "Weisse Dame"
*Johann Gottfried Piefke - "Königgrätzer Marsch"
*Amilcare Ponchielli - "Concerto for Trumpet in F major "
*Franz von Suppé - "Light Cavalry Overture"

Opera

*Karel Miry
**"Maria van Boergondië" (opera in 4 acts, libretto by N. Destanberg, premiered on August 28 in Ghent)
**"De Keizer bij de Boeren" (opera in 1 act, libretto by N. Destanberg, premiered on October 29 in Ghent)
**"De occasie maakt den dief" (opera in 1 act, libretto by N. Destanberg, premiered on December 24 in Ghent)

Musical theater

*"La Belle Hélène" (Lyrics: Henri Meilhac & Ludovic Halévy Music: Jacques Offenbach) London production opened at the Adelphi Theatre on June 30
* "The Black Crook" - the first "book musical". Broadway production opened at Niblo's Garden on September 12 and ran for 474 performances

Births

*January 13 - Vasily Kalinnikov, composer (d. 1901)
*April 1 - Ferruccio Busoni, pianist, composer
*May 17 - Erik Satie, composer
*June 15 - Charles Wood, composer
*June 30 - Harry Tally, tenor
*July 26 - Francesco Cilea, composer
*"date unknown" - La Goulue, can-can dancer

Deaths

*January 25 - Minna Wagner, estranged wife of Richard Wagner
*February 6 - Anna Liszt, pianist and mother of Franz Liszt (b. 1788)
*March 20 - Rikard Nordraak, composer (b. 1842) (tuberculosis)
*November 26 - Adrien-Francois Servais, cellist (b. 1807)
*December 1 - Jules Demersseman, flautist and composer (b. 1833)
*December 3 - Jan Kalivoda, violinist, conductor and composer (b. 1801)
*"date unknown" - Adam Darr, guitarist, singer and composer (b. 1811)