1761
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1 January 1761 The cantata Schaue Zion die Stadt TWV 1:1242 by Georg Philipp Telemann (79) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
Still Must the Muse, Indignant, Hear, an ode by William Boyce (49) to words of Whitehead, is performed for the first time.
3 January 1761 Niccolò Piccinni’s (32) intermezzo and comedy Le vicende della sorte to words of Petrosellini after Goldoni, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Valle, Rome.
Armida, an azione teatrale by Tommaso Traetta (33) to words of Durazzo and Migliavacca after Quinault, is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna to celebrate the birthday of Archduchess Isabella.
10 January 1761 The Way to Keep Him, a play Murphy, with music by Thomas Augustine Arne (50) is performed for the first time, at the Drury Lane Theatre, London.
12 January 1761 The Brazilian Jesuit Gabriel de Malagrida is found guilty in Lisbon of planning the attempted regicide of September 1758, along with blasphemy, impiety and false prophecy. He will be executed in September.
14 January 1761 Afghan forces demolish the army of the Marathas at Panipat, 80 km north of Delhi. The Peshwa’s eldest son and all important chiefs are killed.
15 January 1761 British troops defeat forces of Mogul Emperor Shah Alam II at Patna, 470 km northwest of Calcutta.
16 January 1761 After a siege of eight months, the French garrison at Pondicherry surrenders to the British, thus ending French power in India. The French commander, Thomas-Arthur, comte de Lally, will be convicted of treason and executed.
18 January 1761 Li tre amanti ridicoli, a dramma giocoso by Baldassare Galuppi (54) to words of his son Antonio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.
24 January 1761 Leopold Mozart (41) inscribes on a copy of a scherzo by Georg Christoph Wagenseil (45) that his son Wolfgang learned to play this music three days before his fifth birthday.
4 February 1761 Le cadi dupé, an opéra bouffon by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (31) to words of Le Monnier after de la Croix, is performed for the first time, in the Foire St.-Germain, Paris.
6 February 1761 Clemens August I, Elector-Archbishop of Cologne, Prince-Bishop of Hildesheim, Prince Bishop of Osnabrück, dies in the Fortress of Ehrenbreitstein, near Koblenz.
11 February 1761 L’Olimpiade, an opera seria by Niccolò Jommelli (46) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Stuttgart Opera House, in honor of the birthday of Duke Carl Eugen.
12 February 1761 The Pardo Declaration is issued by King Carlos III of Spain. He rejects the previously agreed to boundaries between Spanish and Portuguese areas in South America.
The Jealous Wife, a play by George Colman, opens at the Drury Lane Theatre in London. It is a great success.
18 February 1761 Le jardinier et son seigneur, an opéra comique by François-André Danican-Philidor (34) to words of Sedaine, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Foire St. Laurent, Paris. The public receives the work well, but critics are mixed.
27 February 1761 Judith, an oratorio by Thomas Augustine Arne (50) to words of Bickerstaffe, is performed for the first time, at the Drury Lane Theatre, London.
19 March 1761 This is the date thought by some historians to be when Franz Joseph Haydn (28) begins to organize the musical establishment for Prince Paul Anton Esterházy.
Luigi Boccherini (18) gives a concert in Florence of music written entirely by himself.
23 March 1761 La halte des Calmouckes, a ballet by Christoph Willibald Gluck (46) to a choreography by Angiolini, is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.
6 April 1761 Maximilian Friedrich Count von Königsegg und Rotenfels becomes Archbishop of Cologne.
7 April 1761 Vanbrugh and Cibber’s play The Provok’d Husband, or a Journey to London with music by Thomas Augustine Arne (51), is performed for the first time, at Covent Garden, London.
13 April 1761 Die Auferstehung, a sacred oratorio by Georg Philipp Telemann (80) to words of Zachariae, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
22 April 1761 In the middle of a performance of a symphony to celebrate the birthday of Prince Paul Anton Esterházy, the prince interrupts to ask who wrote such beautiful music. “Haydn”(29) is the response. The prince orders that henceforth Haydn is in his service. When he is told that Haydn is already in his service, the prince asks how is it that he has not seen him before. He tells Haydn to go and get dressed like a maestro. Henceforth, Haydn wears a courtier’s wig. This story is related by Giuseppe Carpani.
29 April 1761 Catone in Utica, an opera seria by Florian Leopold Gassmann (31) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Samuele, Venice.
30 April 1761 Nicola Porpora (74) resigns his post at the Conservatorio di Santa Maria di Loreto, Naples.
1 May 1761 Franz Joseph Haydn (29) signs a contract with Prince Paul Anton Esterházy, a fantastically wealthy Hungarian nobleman, for the post of assistant kapellmeister. Haydn has been working for the Prince for at least a month already.
Enea e Lavinia, an opera seria by Tommaso Traetta (34) to words of Sanvitale after de Fontenelle, is performed for the first time, in Teatro Ducale, Parma.
3 May 1761 Carl Alexander, Duke of Lothringen replaces Clemens August, Duke of Bavaria as Prince-Grand Master of Mergentheim.
5 May 1761 Six weeks of voting conclude in the British general election.
10 May 1761 The Public Advertiser, London announces that six “overtures” by Giovanni Battista Sammartini (60) have been published. They include the symphonies JC.29 and JC.47.
22 May 1761 The Academy of Dijon elects the city’s most famous son, Jean Philippe Rameau (77), as a member.
26 May 1761 Mikhail Vasiliyevich Lomonosov, of the St. Petersburg Academy of Science, observes the transit of Venus from his observatory in that city. Through his observation and those of others, Lomonosov will conclude that Venus has an atmosphere.
30 May 1761 Andromaca, an opera seria by Antonio Sacchini (31) to words of Salvi, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo. It is his first opera seria.
31 May 1761 Oliver Goldsmith entertains Samuel Johnson at dinner in his Fleet Street home. It is the beginning of a notable friendship.
3 June 1761 After a brief battle, British invaders capture the French held island of Dominica.
4 June 1761 ‘Twas at the nectar’d feast of Jove, an ode by William Boyce (49) to words of Whitehead, is performed for the first time. It is the first ode performed in honor of the birthday of King George III.
7 June 1761 Le périgourdin, an intermezzo by François-Joseph Gossec (27) to words of Piédefer and the Marquis de La Salle d’Offémont, is performed for the first time, in a private theater of the Prince of Conti in Chantilly.
8 June 1761 British forces capture Belle Île near Quiberon in Brittany, just before peace talks begin.
24 June 1761 In the last attempt by France to retake Canada, British ships defeat a French fleet at the mouth of the Restigouche (Quebec).
2 July 1761 The cantata Wohl dem Volk, das jauchzen kann TWV 1: 1710 by Georg Philipp Telemann (80) is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
4 July 1761 Novelist Samuel Richardson dies in Parson’s Green, near London, at the age of 71.
15 July 1761 In an attempt to capture Lippstadt, 63 km northeast of Dortmund, 100,000 French attack a combined force of 60,000 Germans and British at Vellinghausen.
16 July 1761 Allied British and German troops repulse a French attack at Vellinghausen, further frustrating French goals in western Germany.
17 July 1761 A barge load of coal is transported for the first time along the newly opened Bridgewater Canal by Manchester. The first industrial canal in England, it was paid for by Francis Egerton, 3rd Duke of Bridgewater to carry coal from Worsley to Manchester.
15 August 1761 The Third Family Compact is concluded between the Bourbon lands of France and Spain. Both parties guarantee mutual protection. Spain pledges to enter the war if no peace is concluded by 1 May 1762.
20 August 1761 Karl Ludwig replaces Christoph Ludwig II as Count of Stolberg-Stolberg.
22 August 1761 Le maréchal ferrant, an opéra comique by François-André Danican-Philidor (34) to words of Quétant, is performed for the first time, at the Théâtre de la Foire St. Laurent, Paris, to enormous success.
27 August 1761 Freuet euch des Herrn, an oratorio by Georg Philipp Telemann (80), is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
28 August 1761 Luigi Boccherini (18) petitions the town of Lucca for a position as cello player. They will not decide for two-and-a-half years.
1 September 1761 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (5) makes his first public appearance, as a dancer in the play with music Sigismundus Hungariae rex in Salzburg.
8 September 1761 George III, King of Great Britain and Hanover, marries Princess Charlotte Sophia, daughter of the late Duke Adolf Friedrich of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, in the Chapel Royal, St. James’. Johann Christian Bach’s (26) cantata Thanks be to God Who Rules the Deep to words of Lockman is performed for the first time along with the premiere of The King Shall Rejoice by William Boyce (49).
14 September 1761 On ne s’avise jamais de tout, an opéra comique mêlé de morceaux de musique by Pierre-Alexandre Monsigny (31) to words of Sedaine after La Fontaine, is performed for the first time, in Foire St. Laurent, Paris. It is a great success.
19 September 1761 The Portuguese government rules that, beginning in six months, all black slaves landing in Portugal will be freed.
20 September 1761 The Brazilian Jesuit Gabriel de Malagrida is executed publicly in Lisbon for treason, blasphemy, impiety and false prophecy. He is blamed for planning the attempted regicide of September 1758.
22 September 1761 George III is crowned King of Great Britain in Westminster Abbey. For the occasion, William Boyce (50) writes eight new anthems, including I was glad and My heart is inditing.
1 October 1761 Imperial forces capture Schweidnitz (Swidnica), 50 km southwest of Breslau (Wroclaw), and blockade Prussian troops at Bunzelwitz, just to the northwest of Schweidnitz.
7 October 1761 Zenobia, an opera by Johann Adolf Hasse (62) to words of Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in the Imperial Theatre, Warsaw.
13 October 1761 César Gabriel de Choiseul-Chevigny, comte de Choiseul-Praslin replaces Étienne François, duc de Choiseul as Chief Minister of France.
17 October 1761 Don Juan, ou Le festin de Pierre, a pantomime by Christoph Willibald Gluck (47) to a scenario by Angiolini, is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna.
22 October 1761 Margrave Ludwig Georg of Baden-Baden dies at Schloss Rastatt and is succeeded by his brother, August Georg Simpert.
26 October 1761 Arcadia, or The Shepherd’s Wedding, a dramatic pastoral by John Stanley (49) to words of Lloyd, is performed for the first time, in Drury Lane Theatre, London.
3 November 1761 Two works by Georg Philipp Telemann (80) are performed for the first time, in Hamburg: the serenata Don Quichotte auf der Hochzeit des Camacho to words of Schiebeler, and the oratorio Der friedliche Krieg.
The Kärntnertortheater in Vienna burns to the ground.
4 November 1761 Catone in Utica, an opera by Johann Christian Bach (26) to words after Metastasio, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Carlo, Naples to celebrate the name day of King Carlo III. It is well received.
Niccolò Jommelli’s (47) pastorale L’isola disabitata to words of Metastasio is performed for the first time, in the Ducal Theatre, Ludwigsburg.
5 November 1761 Don Quichotte, der Löwenritter, an opera by Georg Philipp Telemann (80) to words of Schiebeler, is performed for the first time, in Hamburg.
8 November 1761 Joseph Maria Graf von Thun replaces Joseph Dominicus Franz Kilian Graf von Lamberg as Prince-Bishop of Passau.
18 November 1761 Il caffè di campagna, a dramma giocoso by Baldassare Galuppi (55) to words of Chiari, is performed for the first time, in Teatro San Moisè, Venice.
1 December 1761 Fingal: An Ancient Epic Poem is published in London by Scottish poet James MacPherson. MacPherson claims they are English translations of third century poetry by the Celtic bard Ossian, son of Fingal. They are not. But they will be an important source for the Romantic movement.
2 December 1761 Writs of Assistance are issued in Boston. These are warrants issued by courts on demand of Parliament granting customs agents the right to search private homes for smuggled goods.
8 December 1761 Le cadi dupé, an opéra comique by Christoph Willibald Gluck (47) to words after Le Monnier, is performed for the first time, in the Burgtheater, Vienna for the birthday of Emperor Franz. It is very successful.
16 December 1761 Russian forces capture Kolberg (Kolobrzeg) on the Baltic coast, 100 km northeast of Stettin (Szczecin).
©Paul Scharfenberger 2004-2012
2 June 2012
Last Updated (Saturday, 02 June 2012 04:50)