This article lists the most significant events and works of the year 1720 in music.

Events

*April – The

Royal Academy of Music The Royal Academy of Music (RAM) in London, England, is the oldest conservatoire in the UK, founded in 1822 by John Fane and Nicolas-Charles Bochsa. It received its royal charter in 1830 from King George IV with the support of the first Duke of ...

, a company formed for Handel in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, begins to produce operas. *

Giovanni Bononcini Giovanni Bononcini (or Buononcini) (18 July 1670 – 9 July 1747) (sometimes cited also as Giovanni Battista Bononcini) was an Italian Baroque composer, cellist, singer and teacher, one of a family of string players and composers. Biography E ...

arrives in London, his home until 1732, and becomes one of Handel's most notable rivals. *

Benedetto Marcello Benedetto Giacomo Marcello (; 31 July or 1 August 1686 – 24 July 1739) was an Italian composer, writer, advocate, magistrate, and teacher. Life Born in Venice, Benedetto Marcello was a member of a noble family and in his compositions he is f ...

's satirical attack on opera, '' Il teatro alla moda'', is published anonymously in Venice. *

Domenico Scarlatti Giuseppe Domenico Scarlatti, also known as Domingo or Doménico Scarlatti (26 October 1685-23 July 1757), was an Italian composer. He is classified primarily as a Baroque composer chronologically, although his music was influential in the deve ...

arrives in

Lisbon Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...

Publications

* Jan Josef Ignác Brentner – ''Horae Pomeridianae'' *

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...

- ''Suite de Pièces pour le clavecin'', a work including the famous set of variations known as '' The Harmonious Blacksmith''. * Marin Marais – ''Sonnerie de Ste-Geneviève du Mont-de-Paris'' *

James Paisible Jacques Paisible (ca. 16561721), also known as James Peasable or James Paisible, was a French baroque composer and recorder virtuoso who lived and worked in London for about forty years. Paisible arrived in London from France in September 1673, one ...

– ''Six setts of aires for two flutes & a bass...'' *

Alessandro Scarlatti Pietro Alessandro Gaspare Scarlatti (2 May 1660 – 22 October 1725) was an Italian Baroque composer, known especially for his operas and chamber cantatas. He is considered the most important representative of the Neapolitan school of opera. ...

– '' Messa di Santa Cecilia''

Classical music

Johann Sebastian Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

**Prelude for Lute in C minor **

Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin The sonatas and partitas for solo violin (BWV 1001–1006) are a set of six works composed by Johann Sebastian Bach. They are sometimes referred to in English as the sonatas and for solo violin in accordance with Bach's headings in the autograph ...

Opera

Antonio Maria Bononcini Antonio Maria Bononcini (18 June 1677 – 8 July 1726) was an Italian cellist and composer, the younger brother of the better-known Giovanni Bononcini. Bononcini was born and died at Modena in Italy. Like his brother, he studied with Giovanni Pa ...

– ''Nino'' *

– ''

Radamisto ''Radamisto '' ( HWV 12) is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel to an Italian libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, based on ''L'amor tirannico, o Zenobia'' by Domenico Lalli and ''Zenobia'' by Matteo Noris. It was Handel's fi ...

'' *

Johann David Heinichen Johann David Heinichen (17 April 1683 – 16 July 1729) was a German Baroque composer and music theorist who brought the musical genius of Venice to the court of Augustus II the Strong in Dresden. After he died, Heinichen's music attracted little a ...

– ''Flavio Crispo'' *

Leonardo Leo Leonardo Leo (5 August 1694 – 31 October 1744), more correctly Leonardo Ortensio Salvatore de Leo, was a Baroque composer. Biography Leo was born in San Vito degli Schiavoni (currently known as San Vito dei Normanni, province of Brindisi) in ...

– ''Caio Gracco'' * Giovanni Porta – ''Numitore'' *

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist and impresario of Baroque music. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lifetime was widespread a ...

– ''La verità in cimento''

Births

January 1 January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...

– Johann Christoph Altnickol, composer (baptized January 1, 1720) *

January 4 Events Pre-1600 *46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina. * 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army. 1601–1900 *1649 – Engli ...

–

Johann Friedrich Agricola Johann Friedrich Agricola (4 January 1720 – 2 December 1774) was a German composer, organist, singer, pedagogue, and writer on music. He sometimes wrote under the pseudonym Flavio Anicio Olibrio. Biography Agricola was born in Dobitschen, Thu ...

, composer (died

1774 Events January–March * January 21 – Mustafa III, List of Ottoman Sultans, Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, dies and is succeeded by his brother Abdul Hamid I. * January 27 ** An angry crowd in Boston, Massachusetts seizes, tars, and f ...

) * August 20 –

Bernard de Bury Bernard de Bury or Buri (20 August 1720 – 19 November 1785) was a French musician and court composer of the late Baroque era. Biography Bernard de Bury was born at Versailles, a member of a family of musicians, many of whom had appointments to t ...

, court musician and composer (died 1785) * October 17 –

Maria Teresa Agnesi Maria Teresa Agnesi Pinottini (; ; October 17, 1720 – January 19, 1795) was an Italian composer. Though she was most famous for her compositions, she was also an accomplished harpsichordist and singer, and the majority of her surviving com ...

, singer and composer (died

1795 Events January–June * January – Central England records its coldest ever month, in the Central England temperature, CET records dating back to 1659. * January 14 – The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Uni ...

) * November 16 –

Carlo Antonio Campioni Charles-Antoine Campion, italianized as Carlo Antonio Campioni (16 November 172012 April 1788) was a French-Italian composer who was born in Lorraine, France. He was a prolific composer and represented a link between Baroque compositional methods ...

, composer (died

1788 Events January–March * January 1 – The first edition of ''The Times'', previously ''The Daily Universal Register'', is published in London. * January 2 – Georgia ratifies the United States Constitution, and becomes the fourth U.S ...

) *''date unknown'' ** Henry Hargrave, composer (died

1780 Events January–March * January 16 – American Revolutionary War – Battle of Cape St. Vincent: British Admiral Sir George Rodney defeats a Spanish fleet. * February 19 – The legislature of New York votes to allow ...

) **

William Savage William Savage (1720 – 27 July 1789) was an English people, English composer, organist, and singer of the 18th century. He sang as a boy boy soprano, treble and alto, a countertenor, and as a bass (voice), bass. He is best remembered for his ...

, singer, organist and composer (died

1789 Events January–March * January – Emmanuel Joseph Sieyès publishes the pamphlet ''What Is the Third Estate?'' ('), influential on the French Revolution. * January 7 – The 1788-89 United States presidential election a ...

) *''probable'' **

Gioacchino Cocchi Gioacchino Cocchi (''circa'' 1712 – 11 September 1796) was a Neapolitan composer, principally of opera. Cocchi was probably born in Naples in about 1712, although his place of birth has also been given as Padova. His first works were performed ...

, composer (died

1804 Events January–March * January 1 – Haiti gains independence from France, and becomes the first black republic, having the only successful slave revolt ever. * February 4 – The Sokoto Caliphate is founded in West Africa. * Februa ...

) ** Bernhard Joachim Hagen, composer (died

1787 Events January–March * January 9 – The North Carolina General Assembly authorizes nine commissioners to purchase of land for the seat of Chatham County. The town is named Pittsborough (later shortened to Pittsboro), for ...

) **

Joan Baptista Pla Joan Baptista Pla i Agustí (ca. 17201773) was a Spanish composer and oboist. Pla was born in Catalonia, Spain, into a Catalan family of musicians. In the years after 1751, he worked in many of the principal cities of Europe including Padua, St ...

, oboist and composer (died 1773) **

Johann Georg Schürer Johann Georg Schürer (1720 – 16 February 1786) was a German baroque composer. He was born in Bohemia, and died in Dresden, aged about 65. Operas * ''Astrea placata ovvero La felicità della terra,'' (libretto Biaggio Campagnari), 7 October ...

, composer (died

1786 Events January–March * January 3 – The third Treaty of Hopewell is signed, between the United States and the Choctaw. * January 6 – The outward bound East Indiaman '' Halsewell'' is wrecked on the south coast of Englan ...

)

Deaths

* July 7 – Maria Barbara Bach, first wife of

(born

1684 Events January–March * January 5 – King Charles II of England gives the title Duke of St Albans to Charles Beauclerk, his illegitimate son by Nell Gwyn. * January 15 (January 5 O.S.) - To demonstrate that the River Thames, froz ...

) * July 27 –

Johann Samuel Welter Johann Samuel Welter (27 August 1650, in Obersontheim – 27 July 1720, in Schwäbisch Hall) was a German composer.Andreas Traub Andreas Traub (born in 1949) is a German musicologist and university lecturer. Life Traub is grandson of the the ...

, composer *''date unknown'' ** Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval, Hindu saint and composer (born

1635 Events January–March * January 23 – 1635 Capture of Tortuga: The Spanish Navy captures the Caribbean island of Tortuga off of the coast of Haiti after a three-day battle against the English and French Navy. * January 25 ...

) **

Jean Hotteterre Jean Hotteterre (1677–1720) was a French composer and musician of the Hotteterre family. Hotteterre worked at the family workshop on the Rue de Harlay, Paris until his death at the court of Louis XIV of France. He and his brothers Jacques-Mart ...

, musician and composer ** José Peyró, composer (born c.1670) **

Demoiselle Conradi Demoiselle Conradi (died 1720), was a German opera singer. She was one of the first professional female opera singers in Germany. She was famous in her time. She was engaged at the Hamburg opera in 1690–1709, and also performed in Brunswick and ...

, German opera singer *''probable'' **

Antonia Bembo Antonia Padoani Bembo (c. 1640 – c. 1720) was an Italian composer and singer. Life She was born in Venice, the daughter of Giacomo Padoani (1603–1666), a doctor, and Diana Paresco (1609–1676); she married the Venetian noble Lorenzo Bembo (1 ...

, singer and composer (born c.

1640 Events January–March * January 6 – The Siege of Salses ends almost six months after it had started on June 9, 1639, with the French defenders surrendering to the Spanish attackers. * January 17 – A naval battle over ...

) **

Jean Baptiste Loeillet of Ghent Jean Baptiste Loeillet (6 July 1688 – c. 1720), who later styled himself Loeillet de Gant, was a Flemish composer, born in Ghent. He spent the largest part of his life in France in service to the archbishop of Lyon, Paul-François de Neufville de ...

, composer (born 1688) ** Guillaume Minoret, composer (born c.1650) **

Johann Speth Johann (''Johannes'') Speth (9 November 1664 – after 1719) was a German organist and composer. He was born in Speinshart, some 150 km from Nuremberg, but spent most of his life in Augsburg, where he worked as cathedral organist for two ...

, organist and composer (born

1664 It is one of eight years (CE) to contain each Roman numeral exactly once (1000(M)+500(D)+100(C)+50(L)+10(X)+(-1(I)+5(V)) = 1664). Events January–March * January 5 – In the Battle of Surat in India, the Maratha leader, Chhat ...

) {{DEFAULTSORT:1720 In Music 18th century in music Music by year