1797 in music

Events

• February 12 – First performance of Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser (God Save Emperor Francis), an anthem to Francis II, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and later of Austria, with lyrics by Lorenz Leopold Haschka and music by Joseph Haydn.

Classical music

• Ludwig van Beethoven – Piano Sonata, Op. 7, in E-flat
• Joseph Haydn – String Quartets, Op. 76, "Erdödy Quartets"
• Hyacinthe Jadin – Quartet for Strings, Op. 1,
• Giovanni Battista Viotti – Concerto for Violin No. 22 in A minor

Opera

• Luigi Cherubini – Médée
• Józef Elsner – Amazonki
• Étienne Méhul – Le jeune Henri
• Luigi Mosca – L'impresario burlato

Births

• January 31 – Franz Schubert, composer (d. 1828)
• September 7 – Per Erik Wallqvist, Ballet master (d. 1855)
• October 26 – Giuditta Pasta, operatic soprano (d. 1865)
• November 29 – Gaetano Donizetti, composer (d. 1848)

Deaths

• February 2 – Pasquale Anfossi, composer (born 1727)
• February 8 – Johann Friedrich Doles, composer (born 1715)
• February 11 – Antoine Dauvergne, violinist and composer (born 1713)
• March 19 – Philip Hayes, organist, singer, conductor and composer (born 1738)
• May 28 – Anton Raaff, operatic tenor (born 1714)
• September 3 – Josina van Aerssen, composer and painter (born 1733)
• September 11 – Pierre Jélyotte, operatic tenor (born 1713)