1671
Composers
Albinoni born in Venice.
Contemporary Events
Opening of the Paris Opera.
Image
Le Premiere Opéra de Paris Marker. Here stood the Jeu de Paume de la Bouteille hall where the first Paris opera opened on March 16, 1671.
Historical Timeline: Baroque Kaleidoscope
The life and careers of our featured composers and the contemporary events of the time. Timeline provided by Lynne Murray and formatted by staff at the Brandenburg.
1678
Composers
Vivaldi born in Venice.
Contemporary Events
First book devoted to spiders, English Spiders, published by naturalist and physician Martin Lister replete with illustrations by his daughters Anne and Susanna.
Image
Portrait of Martin Lister. Unknown artist.
1681
Composers
Telemann born in Magdeburg, Germany.
Contemporary Events
The last dodo is killed, making the species extinct just 174 years after its discovery by Portuguese sailors.
Image
Dodo sketch by Sir Thomas Herbert, 1634.
1685
Composers
Handel born in Halle, Germany.
Contemporary Events
Louis XIV of France passes a decree, the Code noir, defining slavery conditions in French colonies.
Image
Photograph of Handel's birthplace by Andreas Praefcke.
1703
Composers
Vivaldi appointed violin teacher at the Pietà in Venice.
Contemporary Events
JS Bach begins first job, as court musician and footman at court of Weimar.
Image
Portrait of Vivaldi. Unknown artist.
1710
Composers
Pergolesi born in Jesi, near Naples.
Contemporary Events
Beijing becomes largest city in the world for the second time.
Image
Purported portrait of Pergolesi by Domenico Antonio Vaccaro.
1711
Composers
Vivaldi renowned throughout Europe after publication of L’estro armonico concertos; Handel's first opera for London, Rinaldo, performed.
Contemporary Events
Louis XIV of France becomes longest reigning monarch in the world (eventually ending with reign of 72 years, two years longer than Elizabeth II of Great Britain).
Image
Portrait of Louis XIV by Hyacinthe Rigaud.
1712
Composers
Handel moves to London permanently.
Contemporary Events
Peter the Great moves the capital of Russia from Moscow to Saint Petersburg.
Image
Portrait of Peter the Great, attributed to Jean-Marc Nattier.
1722
Composers
Albinoni publishes Opus 9 concertos.
Contemporary Events
Dutch navigator Jacob Roggeveen leads first European landing on Easter Island.
Image
Map of Jacob Roggeveen's voyage in 1722 by Carl Friedrich Behrens.
1724
Composers
Vivaldi composes the opera Giustino in Rome; Handel's opera Giulio Cesare premieres in London.
Contemporary Events
First performance of JS Bach's St John Passion in Leipzig.
Image
Portrait of JS Bach by Elias Gottlob Haussmann.
1725
Composers
Vivaldi's Four Seasons concertos published.
Contemporary Events
Catherine I becomes Empress of Russia after the death of her husband Peter the Great.
Image
Vivaldi's Four Seasons performed by the Brandenburg in 2023. Photo by Keith Saunders.
1727
Composers
Handel becomes a British subject.
Contemporary Events
First performance of JS Bach’s St Matthew Passion in Leipzig.
Image
Portrait of Handel by Balthasar Denner.
1736
Composers
Pergolesi composes Stabat Mater, dies from tuberculosis shortly after in Naples.
Contemporary Events
Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital un the United States, is founded in New York.
Image
An engraving from 1866 showing the city's first morgue, located in Bellevue Hospital.
1739
Composers
Handel publishes Opus 6 Concerti grossi.
Contemporary Events
Leopold Mozart expelled from the University of Salzburg for poor attendance.
Image
Portrait of Leopold Mozart, attributed to Pietro Antonio Lorenzoni.
1741
Composers
Vivaldi dies in poverty in Vienna; Handel composes oratorios Samson and Messiah.
Contemporary Events
Marguerite-Antoinette Couperin, first female court musician to the King of France, sells her official post for 6000 French livres to Bernard de Bury for reasons of health.
Image
La lezione di danza by Pietro Longhi, 1741.
1749
Composers
Handel composes oratorio Solomon and Music for the Royal Fireworks.
Contemporary Events
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer, born in Frankfurt.
Image
Portrait of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe by Joseph Karl Stieler.
1751
Composers
Albinoni dies in Venice.
Contemporary Events
1751 only had 282 days in Britain and its colonies (except Scotland) due to British Calendar Act of 1751, implemented to rectify dating anomalies.
Image
Portrait of Albinoni. Unknown artist.
1752
Composers
Premiere of Pergolesi’s La serva padrona in Paris.
Contemporary Events
In his Philadelphia newspaper, the Pennsylvania Gazette, Benjamin Franklin first describes the kite experiment (first proposed in 1750) proving lightning is electricity.
Image
Portrait of Benjamin Franklin by Joseph-Siffred Duplessis.
1759
Composers
Handel dies in London.
Contemporary Events
The British Museum opens to the public in London.
Image
Entrance ticket to the British Museum, 3 March 1790.
1767
Composers
Telemann dies in Hamburg.
Contemporary Events
Fragonard paints L'Escarpolette (The Swing); Mozart, aged 11, composes two piano concertos.
Image
L'Escarpolette (The Swing) by Fragonard.
