1742 in music

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Events

• March 23 Johann Sebastian Bach revives his St Matthew Passion BWV 244 (BC D 3b) with some further revisions of instrumentation and voicing at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig. Work now scored with a ripieno Soprano choir and Viola da gamba and Harpsichord in the 2nd Orchestra (Organ for 2nd Orchestra under repair).
• December 7 – The Berlin Court Opera is inaugurated with a performance of Carl Heinrich Graun's Cleopatra e Cesare.
• Joseph Benda joins the Prussian royal orchestra.

Classical music

• Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Peasant Cantata
  • Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, book 2
  • Autograph version of Die Kunst der Fuge
• George Frideric Handel – The Messiah, an oratorio, first performed in Dublin
• Franz Xaver Richter – Kemptener Te Deum

Opera

• Giuseppe Carcani – Demetrio
• Carl Heinrich Graun – Cesare e Cleopatra
• Niccolò Jommelli – Don Chichibio
• Gennaro Manna – Tito Manlio

Births

• August 5 – Jean-Baptiste Krumpholz, composer (died 1790)
• August 19 – Jean Dauberval, dancer (died 1806)
• date unknown – Martha Ray, singer (died 1779)

Deaths

• January 24 (buried) – Benedikt Anton Aufschnaiter, composer (born 1665)
• April 16 – Stefano Benedetto Pallavicino, librettist (born 1672)
• June 28, Johann Joseph Ignaz Brentner, composer
• July 12 – Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco, violinist and composer (born 1675)
• August 25 – Carlos Seixas, composer (born 1704)
• date unknown
  • Andrea Adami da Bolsena, master of the papal choir (born 1663)
  • Matteo Goffriller, cello-maker (born 1659)