1681 in music
The year 1681 in music involved some significant events.
Events
- Arcangelo Corelli is employed by the electoral prince of Bavaria.
- Giovanni Legrenzi becomes assistant maestro di cappella at St Mark's, Venice.
- Jean-Baptiste Lully is appointed court secretary to King Louis XIV of France.
- Antonio Stradivari makes the Fleming violin.
Classical music
- Heinrich Biber – 8 Violin Sonatas, C 138-145
- Dietrich Buxtehude
- * Afferte Domino gloriam honorem, BuxWV 2
- * Gen Himmel zu dem Vater mein, BuxWV 32
- * Kommst du Licht der Heiden, BuxWV 66
- * Sicut Mose, BuxWV 97
- * Ich habe Lust abzuscheiden, BuxWV 46
- Giovanni Paolo Colonna
- * Motetti sacri, Op. 2
- * Motetti, Op.3
- Arcangelo Corelli – Op. 1, 12 trio sonatas
- Henry Dumont
- *Motets à II, III et IV parties pour voix et instruments avec la basse continue
- *Benedicite Deum cæli
- *Jubilate Deo
- Johann Melchoir Gletle – Ave Maria
- Carlo Piazzi – Balletti, Op.2
- Henry Purcell – Suite for Strings, Z.770
- Alessandro Stradella – ''Il Barcheggio''
[Opera]
- Domenico Freschi – Pompeo Magno in Cilicia
- Jean-Baptiste Lully – Le Triomphe de l’Amour
- Agostino Steffani – Marco Aurelio
- Marc Antonio Ziani – ''La Flora''
[Publications]
- Johann Wolfgang Franck – Geistliche Lieder
- Andreas Werckmeister – ''Orgel-Probe''
Births
- January 20 – Francesco Bartolomeo Conti, composer
- March 14 – Georg Philipp Telemann, composer
- April 11 – Anne Danican Philidor, composer and concert organizer
- September 4 – Carl Heinrich Biber, composer
- September 28 – Johann Mattheson, composer
- December 14 – Giuseppe Valentini, violinist and composer
- date unknown – Giovanni Battista Reali, composer
Deaths
- May 25 – Pedro Calderón de la Barca, librettist
- June 27 – Ernst Christoph Homburg, librettist
- July 8 – Georg Neumark, hymnist
- October 22 – Benedetto Ferrari, composer
- date unknown – Francesco Corbetta, guitarist and composer
- date unknown – Benedetto Ferrari, opera composer