1608 in music

The year 1608 in music involved some significant events and new musical works.

Events

• February 9 – The masque The Hue and Cry After Cupid, written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace. The masque features the music of Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger.<ref>Chambers, E. K. The Elizabethan Stage. 4 Volumes, Oxford, Clarendon Press, 1923.</ref>
• June 4 – Claudio Monteverdi's latest work, Il ballo delle ingrate, is given its first performance in Mantua as part of the wedding celebrations for Francesco Gonzaga (the son of Monteverdri's patron Duke Vincenzo of Mantua) and Margaret of Savoy. <ref>Paolo Fabbri Monteverdi, translated by Tim Carter (Cambridge University Press, 1994) p.99</ref> In the same year, Monteverdi asks to be allowed to resign his post with the Gonzaga family.

Classical music

• none listed

Publications

• Giovanni Francesco Anerio – Second book of madrigals for five and six voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti)
• Costanzo Antegnati – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Op. 16 (Venice: Angelo Gardano e fratelli), a collection of intabulated ricercars for the organ
• Adriano Banchieri – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, Op. 18 (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino), a madrigal comedy
• Giulio Belli – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for four, five, six, and eight voices with continuo (Venice: Angelo Gardano e fratelli)
• Antonio Cifra – Second book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti)
• Christoph Demantius – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for six voices and instruments (Nuremberg: Balthasar Scherff for David Kauffmann), a collection of dance music
• Juan Esquivel Barahona
  • First book of masses (Salamanca: Arti Taberniel)
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for four, five, six, and eight voices (Salamanca: Arti Taberniel)
• Melchior Franck
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Sacred Songs and Melodies) for five, six, and eight voices (Coburg: Justus Hauck), mostly setting texts from the Song of Songs
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for various instruments but especially violas, in six parts (Nuremberg: David Kauffmann)
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for five voices (Coburg: Kaspar Bertsch), a wedding song
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for five voices (Coburg: Kaspar Bertsch), a setting of Psalm 121
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for eight voices (Coburg: Justus Hauck)
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for seven voices (Coburg: Justus Hauck), a Christmas motet
• Girolamo Frescobaldi
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
  • {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}
• Marco da Gagliano – Fifth book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano e fratelli)
• Bartholomäus Gesius – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for six voices (Frankfurt an der Oder: Friedrich Hartmann), a wedding motet
• Gioseffo Guami – Second book of motets for choir and instruments (Milan: heirs of Agostino Tradate)
• Pierre Guédron – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for four and five voices (Paris: Pierre Ballard)
• Cesario Gussago – Sonatas for four, six, and eight (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
• Hans Leo Hassler – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for four voices (Nuremberg: Paul Kauffmann), a collection of sacred songs
• Sigismondo d'India – First book of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for three voices (Naples: Giovanni Giacomo Carlino & Costantino Vitale)
• Robert Jones – Ultimum vale, with a triplicity of musicke...
• Claude Le Jeune
  • Second book of 50 psalms for three voices (Paris: Pierre Ballard), published posthumously
  • Airs for three, four, five, and six voices (Paris: Pierre Ballard), published posthumously
  • Second book of airs for three, four, five, and six voices (Paris: Pierre Ballard), published posthumously
• Claudio Merulo – Third book of {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for four voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano & fratelli), published posthumously
• Pomponio Nenna – Seventh book of madrigals for five voices (Naples: Giovanni Battista Sotile)
• Asprilio Pacelli – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, book 1 (Venice, Angelo Gardano e fratelli)
• Franciscus Pappus – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, book 1 (Milan: Simon Tini & Filippo Lomazzo)
• Vincenzo Passerini – Second book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
• Orfeo Vecchi – {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} for five voices (Antwerp: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
• Thomas Weelkes – Ayeres Or Phantasticke Spirites for three voices

Opera

• Claudio Monteverdi – L'Arianna (mostly lost)
• Marco da Gagliano – La Dafne

Births

• date unknown – Francisco Lopez Capillas, Mexican composer (died 1674)

Deaths

• October 26 – Philipp Nicolai, composer (born 1556)
• date unknown
  • Luca Bati, composer (born 1546)
  • Peter Lupo, court musician and composer, son of Ambrose Lupo
  • Simone Verovio, printer of music books