1751 in music

Events

• 1751 is the year commonly given as the beginning of the classical era
• The "War of the Buffoons", concerning the relative merits of French and Italian opera, divides Paris.
• Francesco Geminiani publishes "The Art of Playing on the Violin" in London.

  Classical music

• Charles Avison – 6 Concertos in 7 Parts, Op. 3
• Johann Sebastian Bach – Kunst der Fuge with appendix of Chorale prelude BWV 668a
• Charles Burney – 6 Cornet Pieces for Organ
• Antoine Dauvergne – Concerts de Simphonies
• Pierre-Claude Foucquet – Second Livre de Pièces de Clavecin
• Wilhelm Gommaar Kennis – 6 Trio Sonatas, Op. 2
• Niccolò Pasquali – Raccolta di overture, e symphonie...
• Peter Pasqualino – 6 Cello Duets, Op. 2
• John Francis Wade – Cantus Diversi including Adeste Fideles

  Opera

• Pasquale Cafaro – Ipermestra
• Johann Adolf Hasse – Ciro Riconosciuto
• Joseph Haydn – Der Krumme Teufel
• Niccolò Jommelli – La villana nobile; Ifigenia in Aulide
• Jean-Philippe Rameau
• *Acante et Céphise
• *La Guirlande, RCT 42
• Giuseppe Sarti – Pompeo in Armenia
• Domingo Terradellas – Sesostri re d'Egitto

  Methods and theory writings

• William Hayes – The Art of Composing Music by a Method Entirely New
• Baldassare Galuppi – Antigona
• Carl Heinrich Graun – Britannico, GraunWV B:I:24
• Jacob Wilhelm Lustig – Inleiding tot de Muzykkunde
• Manuel de Moraes Pedroso – Compendio musico

  Births

• January 18 – Ferdinand Kauer, pianist and composer
• February 9 – Antoine Bullant, bassoonist and composer
• March 5 – Jan Křtitel Kuchař, composer
• March 29 – Supply Belcher, singer, composer and compiler of tune books
• date unknown – Blas de Laserna, composer

  Deaths

• January 17 – Tomaso Albinoni
• February 18 – Giuseppe Matteo Alberti, composer
• May 20 – Domènec Terradellas, composer
• October 2 – Pierre Dumage, organist
• date unknown – Henry Reinhold, singer