1779 in music

• February 16 – Composer William Boyce is buried in St Paul's Cathedral. The music at his funeral features the massed choirs of St Paul's itself, Westminster Abbey and the Chapel Royal. • March 7 – Griffith Jones, aged about 21, is recommended for membership of the Royal Society of Musicians. • April – The London Magazine reports on the organ-playing of three-year-old prodigy William Crotch. • December 26 – Teatro alla Scala in Milan opens its operatic carnival season with Josef Mysliveček's new opera Armida. • The opera house at Eszterháza burns down. • Mezzo-soprano Luigia Polzelli and her violinist husband Antonio arrive at the Esterházy court, where she quickly becomes the lover of Joseph Haydn. == Opera ==

• Johann Christian Bach – Amadis de Gaule (premiered Dec. 14 in Paris) • Domenico Cimarosa • ''L'infedeltà fedele'' • ''L'italiana in Londra'' (premiered Dec. 28 in Rome) • Il matrimonio per raggiro • Christoph Willibald Gluck – Iphigénie en Tauride (premiered May 18 in Paris) • André Ernest Modeste Grétry – ''L'amant jaloux'' (first published, premiered 1778) • Joseph Haydn – ''L'isola disabitata'' • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – Zaide • Giovanni Paisiello – Demetrio, R.1.59 • Antonio Salieri – Il Talismano == Classical music ==

• Anna Amalia – Organ Trio in C major • Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach • Clavier-Sonaten für Kenner und Liebhaber, Wq.55 • Rondo in E major, Wq. 57, H.265 • Rondo in F major, Wq. 57, H.266 • Claude-Bénigne Balbastre – Sonates en Quatuor, Op. 3 (Paris) • William Billings – Music in Miniature • William Boyce – 10 Voluntaries for the Organ • Muzio Clementi • 6 Sonatas, Op. 2 • 3 Piano Duets and 3 Sonatas, Op. 3 • François Joseph Gossec – Symphonie Concertante du Ballet de Mirza, B.90 • Joseph Haydn • Symphony No. 70 in D major • Symphony No. 71 in B-flat major, Hob.I:71 • Symphony No. 75 in D Major • Aria: "Quando la rosa" • Michael Haydn – Symphony No.23 in D major, MH 287, P.43 • Johann Adam Hiller – "Lieder und Arien aus Sophiens Reise", compilation including pieces from Mozart. • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart • Kommet her, ihr frechen Sünder, K.146/317b • Mass in C major, K.317 (Composed March 23, Premiered April 4 in Salzburg) • Symphony No.32 in G major, K.318 (Composed April 26) • Symphony No.33 in B-flat major, K.319 • Serenade in D major, "Posthorn" K.320 • Vesperae solennes de Dominica in C. K.321 • Church Sonata in C major, K.329/317a • 2 Marches, K.335/320a • Sinfonia Concertante for Violin, Viola and Orchestra in E-flat major, K.364/320d • Concerto in E-flat major for Two Pianos, K.365/316a • Johann Heinrich Rolle – Thirza und ihre Söhne (oratorio) • Johann Adolph Hasse - Mass in E-flat major • Joseph Bologne Saint-Georges – 2 Symphonies, Op.11 • Antonio Salieri – Organ Concerto in C major • William Shrubsole – "Miles's Lane (All Hail The Power of Jesus' Name)", in The Gospel Magazine and Moral Miscellany, Vol.6. • Maria Carolina Wolf – "Die Rose" • Carl Friedrich Zelter – Viola Concerto in E-flat major ==Methods and theory writings==

• Joseph Amiot – Mémoire sur la musique des Chinois • Anton Bemitzrieder – ''Nouvel essai sur l'harmonie'' • François Vincent Corbelin – Méthode de Harpe • Franz Paul Rigler – Anleitung zum Klavier • Francisco Inácio Solano – '''' • Francesco Antonio Vallotti – Della scienza teorica e pratica della moderna musica (On the scientific theory and practice of modern music) == Births ==

• January 8 – John White, organist and composer • January 15 – Jean Coralli, ballet producer and choreographer • February 1 – Nikolaus von Krufft, Austrian composer (died 1818) • February 2 – Georg Heinrich Lux, organist and composer (died 1861) • February 5 – François van Campenhout, singer and composer (d. 1848) • February 17 – Wilhelm Friedrich Riem, composer (died 1857) • February 22 – Joachim Nicolas Eggert, composer (d. 1813) • February 23 – Johann Caspar Aiblinger, composer (d. 1867) • February 28 – Henry Darondeau, composer (died 1865) • March 1 – Jacob Gottfried Weber, composer (d. 1839) • March 13 – Oliver Shaw, composer (d. 1848) • April 11 – Louise Reichardt, German composer (died 1826) • April 21 – William Knyvett, composer • May 28 – Thomas Moore, poet and lyricist • June 23 – Johann Baptist Schiedermayr, composer (died 1840) • July 20 – Ignaz Schuster, bass and composer (died 1835) • August 1 – Francis Scott Key, songwriter (died 1843) • September 8 – Johann Philipp Samuel Schmidt, composer (died 1853) • September 10 – Louis Alexandre Piccinni, composer • October 15 • August Ferdinand Häser, composer (died 1844) • Johan Olof Wallin, songwriting bishop • November 14 – Adam Oehlenschläger poet and lyricist (died 1850) • date unknown • Georges-Joseph-Laurent Lambert, composer (died 1852) == Deaths ==

• January 20 – David Garrick, librettist (born 1717) • February 7 – William Boyce, composer, 69 • February 12 – Hinrich Philip Johnsen, composer (born 1717) • April 6 – Tommaso Traetta, composer, 52 • April 7 – Martha Ray, singer, 32/33 (murdered) • June 6 – Joseph Inchbald, actor and singer, 44 • November 27 – Josse Boutmy, organist and harpsichordist, 82 • December 5 – Hermann Anton Gelinek, organist and violinist, 70 • December 28 – Gennaro Manna, composer, 64 • December - Richard Morris, collector of folk songs, 76 • unknown date – Edward Jones, Welsh composer, 49/50 ==References==