April 1st
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The Big Book of Classical Music: 1000 years of music in 366 days

4. April 1st
Russian composer Rachmaninov, born on this day in 1873, is anything but an April Fool's joke. He's responsible for some of the most intense pieces of music the Romantic era has to offer - one of which, The Rock, was given its first performance on this day in 1894, the composer's 21st birthday.