This lively book takes us back to the very first performances of five famous pieces of music: Monteverdi's Orfeo in 1607, Handel's Messiah in 1742, Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in 1824, Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique in 1830, and Stravinsky's Sacre du printemps in 1913. Thomas Forrest Kelly brings to life the fascinating details of these premiere nights - the cities, concert halls, audiences, conductors, musicians, the sound of the music, and the responses of audiences and critics.