1720 in music

This article lists the most significant events and works of the year 1720 in music.

Events

• April – The Royal Academy of Music, a company formed for Handel in London, begins to produce operas.
• Giovanni Bononcini arrives in London, his home until 1732, and becomes one of Handel's most notable rivals.
• Benedetto Marcello's satirical attack on opera, Il teatro alla moda, is published anonymously in Venice.
• Domenico Scarlatti arrives in Lisbon.

Publications

• Jan Josef Ignác Brentner – Horae Pomeridianae
• George Frideric Handel - Suite de Pièces pour le clavecin, a work including the famous set of variations known as The Harmonious Blacksmith.
• Marin Marais – Sonnerie de Ste-Geneviève du Mont-de-Paris
• James Paisible – Six setts of aires for two flutes & a bass...
• Alessandro Scarlatti – Messa di Santa Cecilia

Classical music

• Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Prelude for Lute in C minor
  • Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin

Opera

• Antonio Maria Bononcini – Nino
• George Frideric Handel – Radamisto
• Johann David Heinichen – Flavio Crispo
• Leonardo Leo – Caio Gracco
• Giovanni Porta – Numitore
• Antonio Vivaldi – La verità in cimento

Births

• January 1 – Johann Christoph Altnickol, composer (baptized January 1, 1720)
• January 4 – Johann Friedrich Agricola, composer (died 1774)
• August 20 – Bernard de Bury, court musician and composer (died 1785)
• October 17 – Maria Teresa Agnesi, singer and composer (died 1795)
• November 16 – Carlo Antonio Campioni, composer (died 1788)
• date unknown
  • Henry Hargrave, composer (died 1780)
  • William Savage, singer, organist and composer (died 1789)
• probable
  • Gioacchino Cocchi, composer (died 1804)
  • Bernhard Joachim Hagen, composer (died 1787)
  • Joan Baptista Pla, oboist and composer (died 1773)
  • Johann Georg Schürer, composer (died 1786)

Deaths

• July 7 – Maria Barbara Bach, first wife of Johann Sebastian Bach (born 1684)
• July 27 – Johann Samuel Welter, composer
• date unknown
  • Sridhara Venkatesa Ayyaval, Hindu saint and composer (born 1635)
  • Jean Hotteterre, musician and composer
  • José Peyró, composer (born c.1670)
  • Demoiselle Conradi, German opera singer
• probable
  • Antonia Bembo, singer and composer (born c. 1640)
  • Jean Baptiste Loeillet of Ghent, composer (born 1688)
  • Guillaume Minoret, composer (born c.1650)
  • Johann Speth, organist and composer (born 1664)