1758
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January 1, 1758 The cantata Gefährten zum Ewgen TWV I: 590 by Georg Philipp Telemann (76) is performed for the first time, in
Wenzel Anton, Count von Kaunitz replaces Marie Ernestine Franziska as Count of Rietberg.
Behold the Circle forms, an ode by William Boyce (46) to words of Cibber, is performed for the first time.
January 2, 1758 Adriano in Siria, an opera seria by Rinaldo di Capua (53) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Torre Argentina,
January 6, 1758 The third version of Tito Manlio, an opera seria by Niccolò Jommelli (43), is performed for the first time, in the Ducal Theater,
January 8, 1758 La fausse esclave, an opéra comique by Christoph Willibald Gluck (43) to words after Anseaume and Marcouville, is performed for the first time, in the Vienna Burgtheater.
January 14, 1758 Ipermestra, an opera seria by Baldassare Galuppi (51) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Regio Ducal,
January 21, 1758 Alessandro nelle Indie, an opera seria by Niccolò Piccinni (30) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, at the Teatro Argentina,
January 22, 1758 Russian troops occupy Königsberg (
January 24, 1758 Empress Elizaveta of
February 1, 1758 The Prophetess, or The History of Dioclesian, a musical play by Thomas Augustine Arne (47) to words of Betterton, is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden,
February 11, 1758 Two works by Niccolò Jommelli (43) are performed for the first time, in the Ducal Theater,
February 21, 1758 Two odes by William Boyce (46) appear in the first performance of Agis, a tragedy by Home, in
March 12, 1758 In a furious fight near
March 14, 1758 The remnants of
Les Israëlites à la Montagne d’Oreb, an oratorio by Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (46), is performed for the first time, in
March 16, 1758 A British fleet leaves
April 1, 1758 Pope Benedict XIV orders an investigation of the Society of Jesus by Cardinal Saldanha, based on allegations from King José of
April 2, 1758 Prussian forces lay siege to the Austrian garrison of Schweidnitz (Swidnica) in
April 10, 1758 Giovanni Battista Sammartini (57) is among the founders of the Accademia Filarmonica,
April 11, 1758 By the London Convention, signed today,
April 16, 1758 Prussian troops assault the Austrian garrison of
April 18, 1758 Austrians in Schweidnitz (Swidnica) surrender to besieging Prussians.
April 29, 1758 French and British fleets fight an indecisive battle off
May 3, 1758 The British East India Company trading town of
Prospero Lambertini, Pope Benedict XIV, dies in
May 8, 1758 Prussian forces lay siege to Olmütz (
May 9, 1758 Les fêtes de Paphos, an opéra-ballet by Jean-Joseph Cassanea de Mondonville (46) to words of Voisenon, is performed for the first time, at the Paris Opéra.
May 15, 1758 Cardinal Saldanha finds that the Jesuits are guilty of allegations brought by King José of
May 25, 1758 Modern German orchestral music is heard for the first time in
May 28, 1758 One-year-old Carl August replaces Ernst August II as Duke of Saxe-Weimar.
June 1, 1758 Prince Ferdinand of
June 2, 1758 Most of their colonial troops having fled, the British defenders of Fort St. David at
The British invasion force arrives off Louisbourg, including 157 ships and 14,000 men.
June 7, 1758 Jesuits are forbidden from preaching or hearing confessions in
June 8, 1758 Optician John Dollond reports to the Royal Society that achromatic (blur-free) lenses can be made, thus disproving
A British landing force attempts to come ashore at Louisbourg under withering fire from the French defenders. Only a small number manage to make it to shore, but the French, unaware of the relative numbers, withdraw. This allows the British to build a beachhead.
June 22, 1758 Domine ad adiuvandum in D for soprano, chorus and orchestra by Johnn Christian Bach (22) is performed for the first time, in
June 23, 1758 British and Hanoverian forces defeat a larger French army at Crefeld, 15 km northwest of Düsseldorf. Almost 6,000 people are killed or wounded. This draws the French back to the
William Boyce (46) is named organist to the Chapel Royal.
June 30, 1758 Prussian troops are forced to lift their siege of Olmütz (
July 1, 1758 French forces attack out of Louisbourg making steady progress but after two hours the fight is broken off by both sides.
July 6, 1758 Carlo Rezzonico dei conti della Torre becomes Pope Clement XIII.
British artillery begins landing inside the fort at Louisbourg. One hits the hospital, killing the chief surgeon.
July 8, 1758 An attack by 17,000 British troops on
July 22, 1758 British forces begin a 24-hour bombardment of Louisbourg, including the town itself.
July 24, 1758 The Austrian government orders all churches to announce from the pulpit it’s displeasure that so many young men have mutilated themselves to avoid military service.
July 26, 1758 The French governor of Louisbourg surrenders the fort to the surrounding British.
July 27, 1758 British forces enter Louisbourg. There were about 1,300 total casualties in the two-month battle for the garrison. The inhabitants will be transported to
August 3, 1758 A British fleet defeats the French off
August 7, 1758 Francesco Maria Veracini (68) assumes duties as maestro di cappella for the Theatine Fathers of San Gaetano in the
August 17, 1758 Four British warships sail into
August 24, 1758 The publication of three symphonies by Johann Stamitz (†1) (Eb-1, Eb-2, D-2), along with symphonies by Georg Christoph Wagenseil (43) (no.29) and Franz Xaver Richter (48), is advertised in Annonces, Paris.
August 25, 1758 Prussian troops attack a larger Russian army at Zorndorf (Sarbinowo), in Prussian territory northeast of Frankfurt-an-der-Oder. The Russians will withdraw on August 27. 20,000 people are killed or wounded.
August 27, 1758 British troops capture
September 3, 1758 With many of his men sick or wounded, Admiral Comte d’Aché quits
11 p.m. King José of
September 4, 1758 The Portuguese royal palace announces that the king has been taken ill. Last night’s events will not be announced until December.
September 6, 1758 Georg Philipp Telemann’s (77) cantata Hilf deinen Volk is performed for the first time, for the installation of Johann Dieterich Winckler as priest in
September 11, 1758 The publication of six “overtures” by Giovanni Battista Sammartini (57) is advertised in Annonces, Paris. Among them is the Symphony no.58, version A.
September 12, 1758 French astronomer and comet-hunter Charles Messier observes the Crab Nebula in Taurus. He begins a catalogue of astronomical entities which are neither comes, stars nor planets in order to not confuse them with what he is looking for.
September 18, 1758 British troops arrive off
September 22, 1758 Giovanni Matteo Francesco Maria Franzoni replaces Giovanni Giacomo Grimaldi as Doge of Genoa.
September 24, 1758 The French and Indian defenders of
September 29, 1758 The cantatas Welch Getrümmel erschüttert TWV 1: 558 and Sing Dank und Ehr TWV 1: 1341 by Georg Philipp Telemann (77) are performed for the first time, in
October 2, 1758 The first representative assembly in
October 3, 1758 Christoph Willibald Gluck’s (44) opéra comique L’île de Merlin, ou Le monde renversé to words of Anseaume after Le Sage and d’Orneval, is performed for the first time, at the Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna for the nameday of Emperor Franz (which is actually tomorrow).
October 13, 1758 The French fleet of Admiral Comte d’Aché arrives in
October 14, 1758 Imperial forces defeat the Prussians at Hochkirch, in
October 30, 1758 The publication of six symphonies op.4 by Johann Stamitz (†1) (F-3, D-4, cm-1, Eb-4, gm-1, Eb-5a) is advertised in Annonces, Paris.
William Boyce’s (47) ode When Othbert left th’Italian plain, to words of Whitehead, is performed for the first time, in honor of the birthday of King George II.
November 3, 1758 Louis Antoine de Bougainville, aide-de-camp to Louis Joseph de Montcalm, French commander in North America, departs
November 6, 1758 Christian Günther III replaces Heinrich as Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
November 12, 1758 A 9,000-man invasion force sails from
November 14, 1758 Alexis-Claude Clairaut reads his paper predicting the return of Halley’s Comet to the
November 23, 1758 Thomas Augustine Arne’s (48) masque The Sultan, or Solyman and Zaide is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden,
November 24, 1758 The French and Indians burn
November 25, 1758 British forces occupy the ruins of
November 27, 1758 Two works by Georg Philipp Telemann (77), to words of Richey, are performed for the first time, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Mattfield couple,
December 3, 1758 Etienne François, duc de Choiseul replace François Joachim de Piernes de Bernis as Chief Minister of
December 4, 1758 Count Mikhail Illarionovich Vorontsov becomes State Chancellor of Russia.
December 12, 1758 The advance guard of the French army reaches
December 14, 1758 French and colonial troops enter the Indian district of Madras and begin sacking the town. British troops move in to check them but the battle becomes confused and indecisive street fighting resulting in hundreds of casualties.
December 20, 1758 After a six-week voyage, Louis Antoine de Bougainville arrives in
December 25, 1758 The cantata Es jauchzen die Engel TWV I: 517 by Georg Philipp Telemann (77) is performed for the first time, in
Amateur astronomer Johann Georg Palitzsch aims his telescope where Edmund Halley predicted in 1682 that a comet would reappear some 76 years hence, and sees it, although he does not immediately realize which comet this is. Thereafter, it is known as Halley’s Comet.
December 26, 1758 Demofoonte, a dramma per music by Antonio Ferradini to words of Metastasio, and containing one aria by Johann Christian Bach (23), is performed for the first time, in
December 27, 1758 Buovo d’Antona, a dramma giocosa by Tommaso Traetta (31) to words of Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè,
December 30, 1758 A secret alliance is concluded in
December 31, 1758 A British force occupies Goree (