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Events

  • Lutenist and composer Robert Jones graduates from St Edmund Hall, Oxford.

Publications

  • Gregor Aichinger – Third book of motets (Nuremberg: Paul Kauffmann)
  • Giammateo Asola – for two choirs (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
  • Ippolito Baccusi – , for eight voices (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino), also includes two Magnificats
  • Adriano Banchieri
  • , first book of canzonettas for three voices (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
  • First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice)
  • Joachim a Burck – (The Story of the Passion of Jesus Christ by the Evangelist St. Luke) for five voices (Mühlhausen: Hieronymous Reinhard)
  • Sethus Calvisius – for four voices (Leipzig: Jacob Apel), a collection of Lutheran hymns
  • Giovanni Croce
  • for eight voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti), contains psalms for Vespers
  • First book of motets for four voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti)
  • Girolamo Dalla Casa – First book of motets for six voices (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
  • John Dowland – The First Booke of Songes or Ayres of Foure Partes with tableture for the lute (London: Peter Short)
  • Johannes Eccard
  • for five voices, in two volumes (Königsberg: Georg Osterberger)
  • for eight voices (Königsberg, Georg Osterberger), a wedding song
  • for six voices (Königsberg, Georg Osterberger), a wedding song
  • Giovanni Gabrieli – , Book 1, for six to sixteen voices and instruments (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
  • Jacobus Gallus – for four, five, six, eight, and more voices (Nuremberg: Alexander Philipp Dieterich), a collection of motets, published posthumously
  • Bartholomäus Gesius
  • for four voices (Frankfurt an der Oder: Andreas Eichorn)
  • for ten voices (Frankfurt an der Oder: Andreas Eichorn), a graduation motet
  • Anthony Holborne – Cittarn Schoole (London: Peter Short), a collection of songs for the cittern
  • George Kirbye – The first set Of English Madrigalls, to 4. 5. & 6. voyces (London: Thomas Este)
  • Giovanni de Macque – Third book of madrigals for five voices (Ferrara: Vittorio Baldini)
  • Simone Molinaro – First book of motets for five voices and masses for ten voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti)
  • Thomas Morley
  • A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke
  • Canzonets, or little short aers to five and sixe voices (London: Peter Short)
  • Pietro Pace – (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
  • Asprilio Pacelli – First book of motets and psalms to eight voices (Rome: Nicolo Mutii)
  • Orfeo Vecchi
  • First book of masses for four voices (Milan: Francesco & the heirs of Simon Tini)
  • First book of motets for five voices (Milan: the heirs of Francesco and Simon Tini)
  • Orazio Vecchi
  • Canzonette a3
  • L'Amfiparnasso, a madrigal comedy

Opera

  • Jacopo Peri – Dafne, the earliest known opera

Births

  • July 22 – Virgilio Mazzocchi, Italian composer of oratorios (died 1646)
  • date unknown
  • Andreas Düben, organist and composer (died 1662)
  • Luigi Rossi, Italian composer of cantatas (died 1653)

Deaths

  • January 29 – Elias Ammerbach, organist (b. c.1530)
  • June 6 – William Hunnis, poet, dramatist, and composer
  • September 15 – Friedrich Lindner, composer, music editor, singer, and music copyist (b. c.1542)
  • October 7 – Francesco Rovigo, organist and composer (b. c.1540)