1785 in music

Events

• January 1 – Giovanni Paisiello officially leaves his employment at the court of Catherine the Great in Russia, having returned to Italy some months earlier.<ref name=musichistory>MusicAndHistory:1785 Template:Webarchive Accessed 21 April 2013</ref>
• January 12 – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's Die Entführung aus dem Serail is produced by impresario Pasquale Bondini's company in Dresden.<ref>Peter Branscombe, "Bondini, Pasquale", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• January 15 – The first performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's six string quartets dedicated to Joseph Haydn (or possibly just three of them) is given in Mozart's own home.<ref name=musichistory/>
• January 21 – Soprano Nancy Storace, who was about to give birth, was replaced as Rosina in a Vienna production of Giovanni Paisiello's Il barbiere di Siviglia by Luisa Laschi, to great acclaim.<ref>Christopher Raeburn, "Laschi [Mombelli], Luisa", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• February 7 – Leopold Mozart leaves Munich for Vienna, with a pupil, Heinrich Marchand, in tow.<ref name=musichistory/>
• February 26 – Polish violinist Feliks Janiewicz makes what was probably his debut as a soloist in a concert at the Burgtheater in Vienna.<ref>Jacek Berwaldt and Margaret Mikulska, "Janiewica, Feliks [Yaniewicz, Felix]", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• March 7 – King Ferdinand I of Naples awards a lifetime annual salary of 1,200 ducats to Giovanni Paisiello, on the understanding that the latter writes one new opera every year.<ref name=musichistory/>
• March 28 – Domenico Cimarosa becomes second organist at the Chapel Royal of Naples.<ref name=musichistory/>
• September 19 – Amélie-Julie Candeille makes her Comédie-Française début as a singer.<ref>Julian Rushton, Julie Anne Sadie, Robert Adelson, and Jacqueline Letzter, "Candeille, Julie", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• October 13 – The Lord Chamberlain, James Cecil, Earl of Salisbury, refuses to grant a licence to Giovanni Gallini for his Italian Opera House in London, unless he appoints a Mr. Crawford as deputy manager.<ref>Anonymous, untitled notice in The Times, no. 251 (14 October 1785): 2C.</ref>
• October 26 – Joseph Haydn receives a visit from Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda, to whom he gives a guided tour of Schloss Esterházy.<ref name=musichistory/>
• November 22 – The Hermitage Theatre in St Petersburg, Russia, is officially opened.<ref name=musichistory/>
• Composer John Antes is appointed warder of the Fulneck Moravian Settlement in England<ref>Karl Kroeger, "Antes, John [Johann]", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• Composer Supply Belcher settles in Maine.<ref>Richard Crawford and Nym Cooke, "Belcher, Supply", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• Opera composer Template:Ill relocates to London from his native Italy.<ref>Marita P. McClymonds, “Mortellari, Michele”, The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (London: Macmillan, 1992).</ref>
• Pietro Leopoldo, Grand Duke of Tuscany appoints Filippo Maria Gherardeschi organist and maestro di cappella at the Chiesa Conventuale dei Cavalieri di S Stefano at Pisa.<ref>Howard Brofsky and Stefano Barandoni, "Gherardeschi, Filippo Maria", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• Violinist Regina Strinasacchi marries Johann Conrad Schlick, cellist & Konzertmeister of the Gotha ducal band.<ref>Chappell White, "Strinasacchi {Strina Sacchi], Regina", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>

Bands formed

• Band of the Coldstream Guards (16 May)

Published popular music

• "Cara sposa", music by Johann Christian Bach from the cantata Rinaldo ed Armide (lost)<ref name="WPCleanerAuto1">"Music Just Published, by Longman and Broderip" (classified advertisement), The Times, no. 28 (2 February 1785): 4A</ref>
• "Song of the Page", music by William Shield from Follies of a Day, or The Marriage of Figaro<ref name="WPCleanerAuto1" />
• "Black-eyed Susan", by Robert Broderip<ref name="WPCleanerAuto1" />

Classical music

• Carl Friedrich Abel – 4 Trio Sonatas, WK 98–101 (Op. 16)
• Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach – 2 Sonaten, 2 Fantasien und 2 Rondos für Kenner und Liebhaber, Wq.59
• Johann Christian Bach
  • 6 Violin Sonatas, Op.10 (posthumously)
  • 2 Symphonies, Op. 18 (posthumously)
• Ludwig van Beethoven – Three quartets for harpsichord, violin, viola, and cello, in ETemplate:Music major, D major, and C major, WoO 36
• William Billings – "I Was Glad When They Said Unto Me, We Will Go Into The House Of Ye Lord"
• Luigi Boccherini – Cello Concerto No. 10 in D major, G.483
• William Boyce, Ten Voluntaries
• Giuseppe Maria Cambini
  • 6 Flute Quartets, T.145–150
  • 6 Trios for Flute, Oboe and Bassoon, Op. 45
• Muzio Clementi – Six piano sonatas, Op. 13
• Francois Devienne – Flute Concerto No.3 in G major
• Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf – Six Symphonies after Ovid's Metamorphoses (comp. 1781, first three published 1785)
• Anton Eberl – Symphony in C major
• Giuseppe (or Tomasso) Giordani – Caro Mio Ben
• Joseph Haydn
  • Symphony 83 in G minor "La poule"
  • Symphony 85 in B-flat "La Reine"
  • Symphony 87 in A major, Hob.I:87
  • Overture in D major, Hob.Ia:4
  • 12 Minuets, Hob.IX:8
  • Piano Trios, Op.27 (Hob.XV:2,9,10)
• Franz Anton Hoffmeister
  • Double Bass Concerto No.1 in E-flat major
  • Keyboard Sonata in A major, WeiH 37
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  • Piano Concertos 20 in D minor and 21 in C major
  • String Quartet No.18 in A major, K.464
  • String Quartet in C, "Dissonance"
  • Lied zur Gesellenreise, K. 468
  • Davidde penitente, K. 469
  • Fantasia in C minor, K. 475
  • Piano Quartet No. 1, K. 478
• Giovanni Paisiello – Il ritorno di Perseo, R.2.6 (cantata)
• Ignaz Pleyel
  • String Quartet
  • Symphony in D major, B.126
• Joseph Bologne de Saint Georges – 6 String Quartets, Op. 14
• Johann Schenk – Die Weinlese (singspiel)
• John Stanley – "Delusive is the poet's dream"
• Template:Ill – 12 Organ Sonatas, Op. 1
• Friedrich Witt – Symphony in A major
• Ernst Wilhelm Wolf – 3 String Quartets, Op. 3
• Maria Carolina Wolf – Glänzender sinket die Sonne

Opera

• Template:Ill – Giasone e Medea
• Marcello Bernardini – Le donne bisbetiche, o sia L'antiquario fanatico, Teatro Pace, Rome (during carnival).<ref>Raoul Meloncelli and Marita P. McClymonds, "Bernardini, Marcello [Marcello da Capua]", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• Pierre-Joseph Candeille – Pizarre, ou La conquête de Pérou, Opéra, Paris (3 May)<ref>Julian Rushton, "Candeille, Pierre-Joseph", The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (London: Macmillan, 1992).</ref>
• Luigi Cherubini – La finta principessa, King's Theatre, London (9 April)<ref>Anon., "Italian Opera", The Times, no. 90 (11 April 1785): 2C.</ref>
• Domenico Cimarosa – La donna sempre al suo peggior s'appiglia
• Prosper-Didier Deshayes – Le Faux serment
• Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf Der Hufschmied (Der gelehrte Hufschmied) (German version, text translated by J. C. Kaffka, of Il maniscalco, 1775), Breslau (13 May)<ref>Margaret Grave and Jay Lane, "Dittersdorf, Carl Ditters von [Ditters, Carl]", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>
• Robert Jephson – Campaign, or Love in the East Indies, Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, London (12 May)<ref>Anon. "Favourite Airs in the New Comic Opera", The Times, no. 119 (14 May): 3B.</ref>
• Thomas Linley
  • Hurly-Burly, or The Fairy of the Well, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London (26 December)<ref name=Beechey>Gwilym Beechey and Linda Troost, "Linley: (1) Thomas Linley (i)", The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (London: Macmillan, 1992).</ref>
  • Strangers at Home, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London (8 December)<ref>Anon., "Theatre-Royal Drury-Lane (Never Performed) By his Majesty's Company", The Times, no. 298 (8 December): 1A</ref><ref name=Beechey />
• Template:Ill
  • Armida abbandonata, Teatro della Pergola, Florence (autumn)<ref name=McClymonds>Marita P. McClymonds, "Mortellari, Michele", The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, edited by Stanley Sadie (London: Macmillan, 1992).</ref>
  • L'infanta supposta, Teatro Ducale, Modena<ref name=McClymonds />
• Giovanni Paisiello – La grotta di Trofonio, R.1.69
• Ignaz Pleyel – Ifigenia in Aulide
• Johann Friedrich Reichardt – Artemisia
• Antonio Salieri – La Grotta di Trofonio
• Giuseppe Sarti – I finti eredi
• William Shield
  • The Nunnery, Covent Garden, London (12 April)<ref>Anon., “Theatre-Royal Covent-Garden", The Times, no. 90 (11 April): 1A; Anon., "Fable to the Comic Opera of The Nunnery", The Times, no. 93 (14 April): 3A.</ref>
  • The Choleric Fathers, Covent Garden, London (10 November)<ref>Anon., "Shield's Music", The Times, no. 279 (16 November): 2D.</ref>
  • Omai, or A Trip Round the World, Covent Garden, London (20 December)<ref>Anon., "Theatre: A New Pantomime, Entitled Omai", The Times no. 310 (22 December): 3A.</ref>
• Stephen Storace – Gli sposi malcontenti, Burgtheater, Vienna (1 June)<ref>Jane Girdham, "Storace, Stephen (John Seymour)", The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 2nd edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell (London: Macmillan, 2001).</ref>

Births

• February 2 – Isabella Colbran, coloratura soprano and composer (died 1845)
• March 3
  • Template:Ill, composer (died 1849)
  • Giovanni Ricordi, violinist and opera publisher (died 1853)
• March 6 – Karol Kurpiński, Polish composer (died 1857)
• March 19 – Pierre-Joseph-Guillaume Zimmermann, composer (died 1853)
• April 4 – Bettina Brentano, composer and writer (died 1859)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• April 19 – Alexandre Pierre François Boëly, composer (died 1858)
• August 18 – Friedrich Wieck, piano teacher, father of Clara Schumann (died 1873)
• September 5 – Thomas Adams, organist and composer (died 1858)
• September 11 – Alpheus Babcock, American piano maker (died 1842)
• November 2 – Friedrich Kalkbrenner, pianist and composer (died 1849)
• date unknown
  • Template:Ill, German-born composer and cellist (died 1867)
  • Zofia Dmuszewska, Polish actor and opera singer (died 1807)

Deaths

• January 3 – Baldassare Galuppi, composer (born 1706)<ref>Arnold, Denis. "Galuppi's Religious Music", The Musical Times, 1 January 1985, pp. 45–47 and 49–50 Template:Subscription required</ref>
• April 26 – Karl Siegmund von Seckendorff, composer and noble (born 1744)<ref>Template:Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie</ref>
• May 15 – Karel Blažej Kopřiva, organist and composer (born 1756)
• June 2 – Gottfried August Homilius, organist, cantor and composer (born 1714)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
• June 22 – Matthias Vanden Gheyn, composer (born 1721)<ref>Template:Cite NewGrove2001</ref>
• August 31 – Pietro Chiari, librettist (born 1712)
• November 19 – Bernard de Bury, composer (born 1720)<ref>Sadie, Stanley (Ed.) [1992] (1994). The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, vol. 1, A-D, chpt: "Bury [Bury], Bernard de" by Philip Weller, New York: MacMillan. Template:ISBN.</ref>
• December 8 – Antonio Maria Mazzoni, composer (born 1717)
• December 29 – Johann Heinrich Rolle, composer (born 1716)<ref>Erich Valentin, Johann Heinrich Rolle. Ein Mitteldeutscher Musiker des 18. Jahrhunderts, in: Sachsen und Anhalt 9 (1933), Template:Pp..</ref>
• date unknown
  • Giovanni Battista Gervasio, composer and musician (born c. 1725)
  • Antoine Mahaut, composer and flautist (born 1719)