1771 in music

Events

 * March 28 – Mozart returns to Salzburg from a tour of Italy but is back in Milan for the premiere of his opera Ascanio in Alba on October 17.
 * Foundation of the Royal Theatre Ballet School in Copenhagen, Denmark.
 * The Chevalier de Saint-Georges is appointed maestro of the Concert des Amateurs in Paris.
 * Probable – Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf becomes Hoffkomponist (court composer) to Philipp Gotthard von Schaffgotsch, Prince-Bishop of Breslau, at château Jánský Vrch (Johannesberg) in Javorník.

Classical music

 * Carl Friedrich Abel
 * 6 Trio Sonatas, WK 86-91 Op. 9
 * 6 Easy Sonatas, WK 141-146
 * Carl Phillip Emanuel Bach
 * 6 Harpsichord Concertos, Wq.43
 * Ich will dem Herrn lobsingen
 * Luigi Boccherini
 * Cello Sonata in A major, G.4
 * 6 String Quintets, G.265-270, Op. 10
 * 6 String Quintets Op. 11 (with the famous minuet, No. 5 (G 275))
 * Symphony in D major, Op. 12 no 1/G 503
 * Symphony in E-flat major, Op. 12 no 2/G 504
 * Symphony in C major, Op. 12 no 3/G 505
 * František Xaver Brixi – Pastorella in C major for organ
 * Muzio Clementi – 6 Piano Sonatas, Op. 1
 * Ernst Eichner
 * 3 Harpsichord Trios, Op. 3
 * Harp Concerto in D major, Op. 9
 * Baldassare Galuppi
 * Confitebor tibi Domine in G major
 * Jephte et Helcana (oratorio)
 * Tommaso Giordani – 6 Harpsichord Quintets, Op. 1
 * Joseph Haydn
 * Baryton Trio in A major, Hob.XI:7
 * Baryton Trio in A major, Hob.XI:9
 * Baryton Trio in B minor, Hob.XI:96
 * Piano Sonata in C minor Hob. XVI:20
 * Keyboard Concerto in C major, Hob.XVIII:10
 * Symphony No. 42
 * Symphony No. 43
 * James Hook – 6 Keyboard Concertos, Op. 1
 * Thomas Linley Jr – Violin Concerto in F major
 * Leopold Mozart – Missa brevis in C major (formerly attributed to W.A. Mozart as K. 115)
 * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
 * Aria for soprano and orchestra, “Non curo l’affetto”, K. 74b
 * Symphony No. 12
 * Symphony No. 13
 * Symphony No. 14
 * Symphony in F, “No. 42”, K. 75/75
 * Symphony No. 46 in C major, K.96/111b
 * Symphony No. 50 in D major, K.161/141a
 * Divertimento No. 1 in E-flat major, K. 113
 * Regina coeli for soprano, chorus and orchestra in C major, K. 108/74d
 * Litaniae Lauretanae in B-flat major, K. 109/74e
 * Betulia liberata, oratorio K. 118/74c
 * Johann Gottfried Müthel – Keyboard Duet in E-flat major
 * Josef Mysliveček – Veni sponsa Christi
 * Johann Gottfried Wilhelm Palschau – Harpsichord Concertos No.1-2
 * Niccolo Piccinni – Le finte gemelle, intermezzo premiered Jan. 2 in Rome
 * Johann Baptist Vanhal
 * 6 String Quartets, Op. 6
 * 6 Oboe Quartets, Op. 7

Opera

 * Pasquale Anfossi
 * Lucio Papirio
 * Quinto Fabio
 * I visionari
 * Thomas Arne – The Fairy Prince
 * André Grétry
 * L'ami de la maison
 * Zémire et Azor
 * Johann Adolph Hasse – Il Ruggiero
 * Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Ascanio in Alba
 * Josef Mysliveček – Il Gran Tamerlano
 * Giovanni Paisiello
 * Annibale in Torino
 * Artaserse, R.1.30
 * Demetrio, R.1.25
 * I scherzi di amore e di fortuna, R.1.28
 * Antonio Salieri – Armida

Methods and theory writings

 * Anselm Bayly – A Practical Treatise on Singing and Playing
 * Anton Bemetzrieder – Leçons de clavecin, et principes d’harmonie
 * Charles Burney – The Present State of Music in France and Italy
 * Johann Kirnberger – Die Kunst des reinen Satzes in der Musik

Births
date unknown:
 * February 9 – Daniel Belknap, composer (d. 1815)
 * February 24 – Johann Baptist Cramer, pianist (d. 1858)
 * March 19 – Frederik Høegh-Guldberg, poet and librettist (died 1852)
 * March 21 – Thomas John Dibdin, dramatist and songwriter (d. 1841)
 * May 13 – Siegfried August Mahlmann, librettist and poet (died 1826)
 * June 1 – Ferdinando Paër, Italian composer (died 1839)
 * August 15 – Walter Scott, librettist and novelist (died 1832)
 * August 27 – Friedrich Methfessel, composer (died 1807)
 * September 17 – Johann August Apel, librettist (d. 1816)
 * October 1 – Pierre Baillot, violinist and composer (d. 1842)
 * October 3 – Auguste Creuzé de Lesser, librettist and politician (died 1839)
 * October 9 – Charles-Augustin Bassompierre (Sewrin), librettist (died 1853)
 * October 29 – Anna Leonore König, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (d. 1854)
 * November 1 – Stephan Schütze, librettist (died 1839)
 * November 4 – James Montgomery, librettist and editor (died 1854)
 * November 17 – Jonathan Huntington, composer (d. 1838)
 * December 26 – Heinrich Joseph von Collin, librettist and poet (died 1811)
 * Marie Antoinette Petersén, singer and member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music (d. 1855)
 * Margareta Sofia Lagerqvist, opera singer (d. 1800)

Deaths

 * January 23 – Martin Berteau, composer and musician (born 1691)
 * March 11 – Christoph Birkmann, hymnist and pupil of JS Bach (born 1703)
 * March 30 – Anton Joseph Hampel, horn player (b. 1710)
 * May 20 – Christopher Smart, poet and hymn-writer (b. 1722; possible liver failure)
 * May 29 – Johann Adolph Hass, clavichord and harpsichord maker (b. 1713)
 * July 30 – Thomas Gray, librettist and poet (born 1716)
 * August 19 – Daniel Schiebeler, librettist and hymnist (born 1741)
 * October – René de Galard de Béarn, Marquis de Brassac, composer (born 1699)
 * October 14 – František Brixi, composer (b. 1732)
 * October 28 – Johann Gottlieb Graun, composer (b. 1703)
 * November 4 – Pierre Nicolas Brunet, librettist and playwright (born 1733)
 * November 18 – Giuseppe de Majo, Italian composer (born 1697)
 * date unknown – Andrea Soldi, copyist and portraitist (born 1703)