The year 1716 in music involved some significant events.

Events

• July 1 – Domenico Zipoli joins the Society of Jesus. Soon afterwards he is sent on a mission to Paraguay.
• Georg Philipp Telemann visits Eisenach, resulting in an appointment as visiting Kapellmeister.
• Antonio Stradivari – completes Le Messie violin (The Messiah Stradivarius)
• Jonathan Swift conceives the idea for the Beggar's Opera.
• Giuseppe Tartini hears Francesco Maria Veracini play the violin, and is inspired.

Classical music

• William Babell – The Fourth Book of the Ladys Entertainment
• Johann Sebastian Bach
  • Wachet, betet, seid bereit allezeit!, BWV 70a
  • Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147a
  • Mein Gott, wie lang, ach lange, BWV 155
  • Komm, du süsse Todesstunde, BWV 161
  • Ärgre dich, o Seele, nicht, BWV 186a
  • In dir ist Freude, BWV 615
• Diogenio Bigaglia – 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 1
• Louis-Nicolas Clérambault – Cantates françoises, Book 3
• François Couperin
  • Second livre de pièces de clavecin
  • L'art de toucher le clavecin
• Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco – 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 4
• Domenico Elmi – Oboe Concerto in A minor
• Francesco Geminiani – 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 1
• Georgio Gentili – 12 Violin Concertos, Op. 6
• Christoph Graupner
  • Verleih dass ich aus Herzensgrund, GWV 1114/16
  • Muss ich denn noch ferner leiden, GWV 1145/16
  • Gott ist für uns gestorben, GWV 1152/16
• George Frideric Handel
  • Concerto Grosso in F major, HWV 315
  • 6 Fugues, HWV 605–610
• Johann Kuhnau – Wenn ihr fröhlich seid an euren Festen
• Jean-Baptiste Loeillet – 12 Recorder Sonatas, Op. 4
• Michel Montéclair – Musette (Les festes de l'été)
• Giovanni Mossi – 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 1
• Alessandro Scarlatti – Ombre tacite e sole
• Georg Philipp Telemann
  • Concerto for 3 Trumpets, 2 Oboes, Timpani and Strings in D major
  • Brockes Passion, TWV 5:1
  • Germania mit ihrem Chor, TWV 12:1c
  • Kleine Kammermusik
• Francesco Maria Veracini
  • Six Overtures (first performed, Venice)
  • 12 Sonate a violino o flauto solo e basso (manuscript)
• Robert di Visée – Pièces de théorbe et de luth
• Antonio Vivaldi
  • La stravaganza, Op. 4
  • 6 Violin Sonatas, Op. 5
  • 12 Concerti, Op.7
  • Violin Concerto in C major, RV 195
  • Violin Concerto in D major, RV 205
  • Violin Concerto in D minor, RV 245
  • Violin Concerto in F major, RV 292
  • Violin Concerto in G minor, RV 319
  • Violin Concerto in A major, RV 340
  • Violin Concerto in A major, RV 343
  • Gloria in D major, RV 589
  • Juditha Triumphans, RV 644
  • Recorder Sonata in G major, RV 806
• Jan Dismas Zelenka
  • Deus dux fortissime, ZWV 60
  • Da pacem Domine, ZWV 167
• Domenico Zipoli – Sonate d'intavolatura per organo e cimbalo, Op. 1

Opera

• Antonio Maria Bononcini – Sesostri re d'Egitto
• Giuseppe Maria Buini – Armida abbandonata
• Francesco Ciampi – Timocrate
• Francesco Bartolomeo Conti – Il finto Policare
• Johann Christoph Pepusch – Apollo and Daphne
• Carlo Francesco Pollarolo – Ariodante
• Alessandro Scarlatti – Carlo re d'Allemagna
• Antonio Vivaldi
  • Arsilda Regina di Ponto
  • La costanza trionfante degl'amori e degl'odii, RV 706
  • L'incoronazione di Dario, RV 719

Publications

• Johann Heinrich Buttstett – Ut, mi, sol, re, fa, la, tota musica et harmonia aeterna
• François Campion – Traité d'accompagnement et de composition
• Estienne Roger – Concerti a Cinque con Violini, Oboè, Violetta, Violoncello e Basso Continuo del Signori G. Valentini, A. Vivaldi, T. Albinoni, F. M. Veracini, G. St. Martin, A. Marcello, G. Rampin, A. Predieri

Births

• February 9 – Johann Trier, composer
• March 21 – Josef Seger, composer (died 1782)
• April 12 – Felice Giardini, violinist and composer (died 1796)
• c. 1716/17 – John Beard, tenor and actor-manager (died 1791)

Deaths

• August 3 – Sebastián Durón, composer (b. 1660)
• September 25 – Johann Christoph Pez, composer (b. 1664)
• October 1 – Giovanni Battista Bassani, composer, violinist and organist (born c. 1650)
• November – Johann Aegidus Bach, organist and uncle of Johann Sebastian (born 1645)
• December 1 – Johann Samuel Drese, composer (b. c. 1644)
• December 6 – Benedictus Buns, Dutch religious composer (b. 1642)
• date unknown – Carlo Giuseppe Testore, double bass maker (born c. 1665)