1814 in music

Events

• Invention of the metronome by Johann Nepomuk Mälzel
• February 27 – Première of Beethoven's Eighth Symphony in Vienna ^[1]
• September 14 – Francis Scott Key, inspired by the sight of the American flag over Fort McHenry, writes the lyrics of "The Star-Spangled Banner".
• November – Romani composer János Bihari plays to the court during the Congress of Vienna.

Classical music

• Ludwig van Beethoven
  • Polonaise in C major, Op. 89
  • Piano Sonata No. 27 in E minor, Op. 90
  • Merkenstein, Op. 100
  • Overture in C major, Op. 115
  • Elegischer Gesang, Op. 118
  • Der glorreiche Augenblick, Op. 136 (Cantata)
  • Germania, WoO 94
  • Chorus for the Allied Princes, WoO 95
  • Abschiedsgesang, WoO 102
  • Des Krieger's Abschied, WoO 143
  • Merkenstein, WoO 144
  • Resignation, WoO 149
  • 20 Irish Songs, WoO 153
• Johann Ludwig Böhner – Fantaisie and Variations for Clarinet and Orchestra, Op. 21
• Luigi Cherubini – String Quartet No.1
• Franz Danzi – Horn Sonata, Op. 44
• Anton Diabelli – 30 Sehr leichte übungsstücke, Op. 39
• Friedrich Ernst Fesca – 3 String Quartets, Op. 1
• John Field
  • Piano Concerto No.4, H 28
  • Nocturnes Nos. 1, 2, and 3 for piano
• Mauro Giuliani – 6 Variations on 'I bin a Kohlbauern Bub', Op. 49
• Johann Nepomuk Hummel
  • Serenade No.1, Op. 63
  • Piano Trio in G major, Op. 65
  • Serenade No.2, Op. 66
  • Piano Concerto No.4, Op. 110
  • 6 Polonaises for piano
• Franz Krommer – Concerto No.2 for 2 Clarinets, Op.91
• Nikolaus von Krufft – Sonata for Horn and Piano
• Friedrich Kuhlau – Rondo, WoO 203
• Ferdinand Ries
  • Symphony No. 2 in C minor, op. 80
  • Symphony No.5, Op. 112 (premiered Feb. 14 in London)
  • Sextet, Op. 142
  • 3 Flute Quartets, Op. 145
  • Sonate sentimentale, Op. 169
• Franz Schubert
  • String Quartet No.7, D.94
  • Trost: an Elisa, D.97
  • Die Betende, D. 102
  • String Quartet Movement, D. 103
  • Die Befreier Europas in Paris, D. 104
  • Mass No.1, D. 105
  • Wer ist gross?, D.110
  • String Quartet No.8, D. 112
  • An Emma, D. 113
  • Der Geistertanz, D. 116
  • Gretchen am Spinnrade, D. 118
  • Schäfers Klagelied, D. 121
  • Am See, D.124
  • Symphony No.2, D.125
  • Ballade, D. 134
  • Tantum ergo, D. 739
• Louis Spohr
  • Violin Concerto No. 7 in E minor, Op. 38
  • Das befreite Deutschland (cantata), WoO 64 ^[2]
• Carl Maria von Weber – Piano Sonata No.2 in A-flat major, Op. 39
• Johann Wilhelm Wilms – Wilhelmus van Nassauwe, Op.37

Opera

• Ludwig van Beethoven – Fidelio (Vienna, 3rd version)
• Johann Nepomuk Hummel – Die Eselshaut, S.101
• Friedrich Kuhlau – Røverborgen (The Robbers' Castle)
• Giovanni Pacini – La ballerina raggiratrice
• Gioacchino Rossini
  • Il Turco in Italia
  • Sigismondo, premiered Dec. 26 in Venice.
• Franz Schubert – Des Teufels Lustschloss , D.84

Popular music

• "All the World's in Paris" sung by Joseph Grimaldi in Harlequin Whittington ^[3]
• "Sadak and Kalasrade, or the Waters of Oblivion" by Henry Bishop
• "The Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key

Publications

• Johann Friedrich Wilhelm Koch – Gesanglehre
• Anton Reicha – Traité de mélodie

Births

• January – Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, violinist and composer (died 1865)
• January 26 – Jean-Chrysostome Brauneis II, organist, composer and teacher, the first Canadian to study music in Europe (died 1871)
• February 21
  • Nicolò Gabrielli, opera composer (died 1891)
  • Franz Hoffmann, publisher (died 1882)
• February 26 – Giuseppe Lillo, opera composer (died 1863)
• March 3 – Charles Kensington Salaman, pianist and composer (died 1901)
• April 9 – Félix Battanchon, composer and cellist (died 1893)
• April 21 – Béni Egressy, composer and librettist (died 1851)
• May 1 – Emma Albertazzi, contralto (died 1847)
• May 7 – Henriette Hansen, Norwegian ballerina, singer and actor (died 1892)
• May 9 – John Brougham, lyricist and librettist (died 1880)
• May 10 – Stanislas Verroust, oboist and composer (died 1863)
• May 12 – Adolf von Henselt, pianist and composer (died 1889)
• May 25 – William H. C. Hosmer, lyricist (died 1877)
• June 14 – Alexander John Ellis, musicologist (died 1890)
• July 2 – Thérèse Wartel, pianist and composer (died 1865)
• July 15 – Edward Caswall, hymnist (died 1878)
• October 28 – Annette Julie Nicolò-Isouard, composer (died 1876)
• November 6 – Adolphe Sax, inventor of the saxophone (died 1894)
• December 19 – Robert Campbell, hymnist (died 1868)

Deaths

• January 4 – Johann Georg Jacobi, lyricist and poet (born 1740)
• February 3 – Jan Antonín Koželuh, composer (born 1738)
• April 12 – Charles Burney, English music historian (born 1726)
• April 15 – Karl Alois, dedicatee and patron (born 1761)
• April 30 – Joseph Harris, composer and organist (born 1745)
• May 6 – Georg Joseph Vogler, organist, composer and music theorist (born 1749)
• June 8 – Friedrich Heinrich Himmel, composer (born 1765)
• June 19 – Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Benda, musician (born 1745)
• June 27 – Johann Friedrich Reichardt, composer and music critic (born 1752)
• July 14 – Giovanna Sestini, opera singer (b. ca 174)
• July 25
  • Charles Dibdin, musician, songwriter, author of A Musical Tour through England (born c. 1745)
  • Franz Xaver Huber, librettist (born 1755)
• August 19 – Angelo Tarchi, opera composer (born c. 1760)
• September 1 – Erik Tulindberg, first Finnish classical composer of note (born 1761)

References

1. Brown, Clive. Louis Spohr: A Critical Biography at Google Books, page 98.
2. Brown, Clive. op. cit., pages 92, 99.
3. "Memoirs Of Joseph Grimaldi by Joseph Grimaldi, a Project Gutenberg eBook". www.gutenberg.org. Retrieved 2026-01-11.