Edith Wharton's THE HOUSE OF MIRTH was a literary sensation upon publication and quickly established its author as the most important American woman writer of her day. Often considered Wharton's masterpiece, this novel tells the story of the beautiful and tragic Lily Bart and her ill-fated attempt to rise to the top of the New York aristocracy.

Claude Debussy's three-movement orchestral seascape, LA MER, had its premiere performance. With its luminous textures and sea-breeze atmosphere, this work is considered the epitome of musical impressionism.