Events February 16 – Composer William Boyce is buried in St Paul's Cathedral. The music at his funeral features the massed choirs of St Paul's itself, Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal."William Boyce", Eighteenth Century English Music (rslade.co.uk) March 7 – Griffith Jones, aged about 21, is recommended for membership of the Royal Society of Musicians. April – The London Magazine reports on the organ-playing of three-year-old prodigy William Crotch. December 26 – Teatro alla Scala in Milan opens its operatic carnival season with Josef Mysliveček's new opera Armida. The opera house at Eszterháza burns down. Mezzo-soprano Luigia Polzelli and her violinist husband Antonio arrive at the Esterházy court, where she quickly becomes the lover of Joseph Haydn.
Opera Johann Christian Bach – Amadis de Gaule (premiered Dec. 14 in Paris) Domenico Cimarosa L'infedeltà fedele L'italiana in Londra (premiered Dec. 28 in Rome) Il matrimonio per raggiro Christoph Willibald Gluck – Iphigénie en Tauride (premiered May 18 in Paris) André Ernest Modeste Grétry – L'amant jaloux (first published, premiered 1778) Joseph Haydn – L'isola disabitata Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Zaide Giovanni Paisiello – Demetrio, R.1.59 Antonio Salieri – Il Talismano
Classical music Anna Amalia – Organ Trio in C major Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach Clavier-Sonaten für Kenner und Liebhaber, Wq.55 Rondo in E major, Wq. 57, H.265 Rondo in F major, Wq. 57, H.266 Claude-Bénigne Balbastre – Sonates en Quatuor, Op. 3 (Paris) William Billings – Music in Miniature William Boyce – 10 Voluntaries for the Organ Muzio Clementi 6 Sonatas, Op. 2 3 Piano Duets and 3 Sonatas, Op. 3 François Joseph Gossec – Symphonie Concertante du Ballet de Mirza, B.90 Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 70 in D major Symphony No. 71 in B-flat major, Hob.I:71 Symphony No. 75 in D Major Aria: "Quando la rosa" Michael Haydn – Symphony No.23 in D major, MH 287, P.43 Johann Adam Hiller – "Lieder und Arien aus Sophiens Reise", compilation including pieces from Mozart. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Kommet her, ihr frechen Sünder, K.146/317b Mass in C major, K.317 (Composed March 23, Premiered April 4 in Salzburg) Symphony No.32 in G major, K.318 (Composed April 26) Symphony No.33 in B-flat major, K.319 Serenade in D major, "Posthorn" K.320 Vesperae solennes de Dominica in C. K.321 Church Sonata in C major, K.329/317a 2 Marches, K.335/320a Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K.364/320d Concerto in E-flat major for Two Pianos, K.365/316a Johann Heinrich Rolle – Thirza und ihre Söhne (oratorio) Johann Adolph Hasse - Mass in E-flat major Joseph Bologne Saint-Georges – 2 Symphonies, Op.11 Antonio Salieri – Organ Concerto in C major William Shrubsole – "Miles's Lane (All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name)", in The Gospel Magazine and Moral Miscellany, Vol.6. Maria Carolina Wolf – "Die Rose" Carl Friedrich Zelter – Viola Concerto in E-flat major
Methods and theory writings Joseph Amiot – Mémoire sur la musique des Chinois Anton Bemitzrieder – Nouvel essai sur l'harmonie François Vincent Corbelin – Méthode de Harpe Franz Paul Rigler – Anleitung zum Klavier Francisco Inácio Solano – Francesco Antonio Vallotti – Della scienza teorica e pratica della moderna musica (On the scientific theory and practice of modern music)
Births January 8 – John White, organist and composer January 15 – Jean Coralli, ballet producer and choreographer February 1 – Nikolaus von Krufft, Austrian composer (died 1818) February 2 – Georg Heinrich Lux, organist and composer (died 1861) February 5 – François van Campenhout, singer and composer (d. 1848) February 17 – Wilhelm Friedrich Riem, composer (died 1857) February 22 – Joachim Nicolas Eggert, composer (d. 1813) February 23 – Johann Caspar Aiblinger, composer (d. 1867) February 28 – Henry Darondeau, composer (died 1865) March 1 – Jacob Gottfried Weber, composer (d. 1839) March 13 – Oliver Shaw, composer (d. 1848) April 11 – Louise Reichardt, German composer (died 1826) April 21 – William Knyvett, composer May 28 – Thomas Moore, poet and lyricist June 23 – Johann Baptist Schiedermayr, composer (died 1840) July 20 – Ignaz Schuster, bass and composer (died 1835) August 1 – Francis Scott Key, songwriter (died 1843) September 8 – Johann Philipp Samuel Schmidt, composer (died 1853) September 10 – Louis Alexandre Piccinni, composer October 15 August Ferdinand Häser, composer (died 1844) Johan Olof Wallin, songwriting bishop November 14 – Adam Oehlenschläger poet and lyricist (died 1850) date unknown Georges-Joseph-Laurent Lambert, composer (died 1852)
Deaths January 20 – David Garrick, librettist (born 1717) February 7 – William Boyce, composer, 69 February 12 – Hinrich Philip Johnsen, composer (born 1717) April 6 – Tommaso Traetta, composer, 52 April 7 – Martha Ray, singer, 32/33 (murdered) June 6 – Joseph Inchbald, actor and singer, 44 November 27 – Josse Boutmy, organist and harpsichordist, 82 December 5 – Hermann Anton Gelinek, organist and violinist, 70 December 28 – Gennaro Manna, composer, 64 December - Richard Morris, collector of folk songs, 76 unknown date – Edward Jones, Welsh composer, 49/50
References