1540s in music
The decade of the 1540s in music involved some significant events.
Events
- 1540
- *4 April – Cristobal Morales leaves the position of master of the choristers at the Chapel of the Papal Basilica in St. Peter's, Rome
- *23 April – Thomas Tallis loses his job at Waltham Abbey due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries
- *27 April – Gioseffo Zarlino is elected capellini and mansionario of the Scuola di San Francesco in Chioggia
- *1 May – Ambrose Lupo is taken on as a musician and composer at the court of Henry VIII
- *30 December – Jacques Arcadelt is appointed maestro di cappella at the Sistine chapel in Rome
- *December – Nicolas Gombert dismissed from his position at the court chapel of the Emperor, Charles V
- 1541
- *25 May – Cristobal Morales re-joined the Papal choir at St. Peter's, Rome
- *15 July – Jacques Buus appointed second organist at the basilica of S Marco, Venice
- 1542
- *3 April – Francisco Guerrero joined the Seville Cathedral choir as a contralto
- 1543: Thomas Tallis becomes a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in England.
- *20 July Tielman Susato is granted a three-year privilege to print music in the Netherlands.
- 1544
- *28 October Giovanni Pierluigi Da Palestrina appointed organist at San Agapito Church, Palestrina
- 1545
- *1 May Bartolomeo de Escobedo appointed maestro di cappella at the chapel of the Papal Basilica at St Peter's in Rome.
- *1 May Cristobal Morales was granted 10 months leave from the Papal Chapel in Rome. He never returned.
- *31 August Cristobal Morales succeeded Andres de Torrentes as maestro di capilla at Toledo Cathedral.
- 1547
- *6 May Waclaw of Szamotuly joined the Chapel Royal of Sigismund II Augustus of Poland in Vilnius.
- *28 May Jacques Arcadelt reappointed maestro di cappella at the Sistine chapel.
- *12 June Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina marries Lucrezia de Goris in his home town of Palestrina, Lazio
- *9 August Cristobal Morales leaves the position of maestro di cappella at Toledo Cathedral.
- *Bologna's first public theatre, the Teatro Della Sala, was opened. It burned down in 1623.
- 1548 François Roussel appointed maestro di cappella at St. Peter's, Rome
- 1549 Juan Francisco de Penalosa succeeded Francisca Sacedo as principal organist of Toledo Cathedral
- *Balint Bakfark appointed court lutenist to King Sigismund Augustus of Poland
Bands formed
- 1548: Staatskapelle Dresden formed in Saxony.
Publications
1540
- Sebald Heyden – De arte canendi, third installment, important treatise on singing
- Francesco de Layolle – 25 canzoni for five voices
- Hubert Naich – Exercitium Seraficum for four and five voices, a collection of madrigals
- Hans Neusidler – Ein newes Lautenbüchlein, a collection of lute music
- Alfonso dalla Viola – Il secondo libro di madrigali for four voices
- Claudio Veggio – Madrigali a quattro voci, published in Venice
1541
- Martin Agricola – Book of Protestant hymns Sangbuchlein, published in Wittenberg.
- Jhan Gero – Il Primo Libro de Madrigali Italiani et Canzoni Francese a due voci
- Nicolas Gombert
- *Second book of motets for five voices
- *Second book of motets for four voices
- Giovanni Domenico da Nola – Canzone villanesche, books 1 and 2, for three voices
- Giordano Passetto – Madrigali nuovi a voce pare, book 1
1542
- Benedictus Appenzeller – Des Chansons a Quattre Parties, a collection of chansons for 4 voices
- Jacques Arcadelt – First book of madrigals for three voices, "together with some madrigals by Costanzo Festa along with twelve French chansons and six new motets"
- Pierre Certon
- *Second book of motets for four voices
- *Third book of motets for four voices
- Domenico Ferrabosco – First book of madrigals for four voices
- Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego – Regola rubertina, Venice
- Johannes Lupi – Third book of motets for four voices, published posthumously
- Cipriano de Rore – First book of madrigals a5.
1543
- Jacques Buus – First book of French chansons for six voices
- Sebastian z Felsztyna – Directiones musicae ad cathedralis ecclesia premislensis usum, Kraków
- Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego – Lettione seconda, Venice
- Balthasar Resinarius – ''Responsorium numero orctoginta de tempore et festis...libri duo''
1544
- Jacques Arcadelt – Il Quinto Libro di Madrigali for 4 voices
- Paolo Aretino – Sacra responsoria
- Jacquet de Berchem – "Ala Dolc'ombra de le Belle Frondi" published by Antonio Gardano in Venice.
- Simon Boyleau – Motets for four voices
- Francesco Corteccia – First book of madrigals for four voices
- Cristóbal de Morales
- *First book of masses, for four and five voices
- *Second book of masses, for four, five, and six voices
- Hans Neusidler – three books of lute music: Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein, Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lautten Buch, and Das dritt Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch.
- Georg Rhau – Newe Deudsche Geistliche Gesenge published in Wittemberg.
- Cipriano de Rore – Il secondo libro de madrigali for 5 voices published in Venice.
- Tielman Susato
- *Third book of chansons, for four voices, contains only compositions by Thomas Crecquillon
- *Fifth book of chansons, for five and six voices, contains mostly compositions by Nicolas Gombert
1545
- Perissone Cambio
- *Madrigals for five voices
- *Canzone villanesche alla napolitana for four voices
- Vincenzo Fontana – First book of canzone villanesche alla napolitana for three voices
- Guillaume Le Heurteur – 12 Motets
- Pierre de Manchicourt – Modulorum musicalium, tome one, for four voices, a collection of motets
- Gian Domenico del Giovane da Nola – Madrigali for four voices
- Cipriano de Rore – Motets for five voices
- Vincenzo Ruffo – Li madrigali a notte negre for four voices published in Venice
- Tielman Susato
- *Ninth book of chansons, for four voices, contains only compositions by Pierre de Manchicourt
- The Lutheran hymnal Geistliche Lieder published by Valentin Babst in Leipzig
1546
- Giovan Thomaso di Maio – Canzone villanesche a3, book 1.
1547
- Giovanni Animuccia – First book of madrigals for 4, 5, and 6 voices
- Loys Bourgeois – First book of four-part psalms, published for the Calvinists of Geneva using the French translations by Clément Marot.
- Jacques Buus – First book of ricercars for four voices or instruments
- Perissone Cambio – First book of madrigals for four voices, also includes a few madrigals by Cipriano de Rore
- Francesco Corteccia
- *New expanded edition of the first book of madrigals for four voices, including pieces composed for intermedii for the comedy Il furto by Francesco d'Ambra
- *Second book of madrigals for four voices
- *First book of madrigals for five and six voices
- Claude Gervaise, ed. – Second book of dances for four instruments
- Heinrich Glarean – Dodecachordon published in Basel.
- Hoste da Reggio – First book of madrigals for four voices
- Hans Neusidler – Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein
- Caspar Othmayr
- *Bicinia sacra
- *Symbola for five voices, a collection of motets
- Dominique Phinot – First book of motets for five voices
- Enriquez de Valderrabano – Book of vihuela music Libra de musica de vihuela intitulado Silva de Sirenas published in Valladolid
1548
- Benedictus Appenzeller – A collection of sacred songs without a title
- Arnold Caussin – First book of motets for five voices
- Heinrich Faber – Beginner's music textbook Compendium Musicae published in Nuremberg.
- Didier Lupi Second
- *First book of spiritual chansons for four voices, all texts by Guillaume Guéroult
- *Third Book, containing 35 chansons for four voices
- Tugdual Menon – Madrigali d'amore for four voices
- Jan Nasco – Madrigals for five voices
- Dominique Phinot
- *Second book of motets for six, seven, and eight voices
- *First book of thirty-seven chansons
- *Second book containing thirty-six chansons
- Francesco Portinaro – Primi frutti de motetti for five voices
- Cipriano de Rore – Il terzo libro de madrigali a cinque voci published in Venice.
1549
- Gasparo Alberti – First book of masses, the first printed book of masses dedicated to a single Italian composer
- Paolo Aretino – Libro primo delli madrigali cromati
- Jacques Buus
- *Second book of ricercars
- *First book of Intabolatura d'organo di recercari, a collection of ricercars in organ tablature
- *First book of motets for five voices
- Ghiselin Danckerts – Canons for four voices
- Nicolao Dorati – First book of madrigals for five voices
- Jhan Gero
- *Libro primo delli madrigali a quatro voci
- *Libro secondo delli madrigali a quatro voce
- Claude Goudimel – book of chansons.
- Clement Janequin – XXX chansons nouvelles
- Didier Lupi Second – 30 Psalms for four voices, French translations by Gilles D'Aurigny
- Hans Neusidler – Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch
- Giovanni Domenico da Nola – First book of motets for five voices
- Caspar Othmayr
- *Tricinia
- *Reutterische unnd Jegerische Liedlein for four voices
- Robert Wedderburn – The Complaynt of Scotland, including the earliest known references to a number of Border ballads
- Gioseffo Zarlino – Moduli motecta vulga noncupata liber primus – book of motets for 5 voices
Sacred music
1541
- Gasparo Alberti – Magnificat
1542
- Gasparo Alberti – Magnificat
1547
- Louis Bourgeois – published his first 4-voice psalms
Births
1540
date unknown – Giovanni Maria Artusi, Italian composer and theorist probable – William Byrd, English composer probable – Jakob Regnart, Franco-Flemish composer probable – Girolamo Dalla Casa, Italian composer, cornetist and writer probable – William Daman, Flemish recorder player, organist and composer probable – Giovanni Dragoni, Italian composer probable – Noel Fagnient, Flemish composer and shopkeeper probable – Johannes de Fossa, Flemish composer and choirmaster probable – Marcin Leopolita, Polish composer and musician probable – Francesco Rovigo, Italian composer and organist probable – Alexander Utendal, Flemish singer, composer and choirmaster probable – Matthaus Waissel, German lutenist, composer, Lutheran theologian, publisher, schoolteacher and writer1541
- September 7 – Hernando de Cabezon, Spanish composer, publisher and editor probable – Vincenzo Bellavere, Italian composer and organist
1542
- January 27 – Gioseffo Guami, Italian composer, organist, singer and teacher
- February 22 – Santino Garsi da Parma, lutenist and composer
- May 20 – Gasparo da Salo, Italian violin maker and double bass player
- November 1 – Tarquinia Molza, Italian singer
- probable – Cesare Bendinelli, Italian trumpeter
- probable – Jakob Meiland, German composer, organist and choirmaster
1543
- Alfonso Ferrabosco the elder, Anglo-Italian composer
- Andreas Pevernage, Flemish composer and choirmaster
- Giovanni Maria Nanino, Italian composer, teacher, tenor and choirmaster
1544
- Maddelena Casulana, Italian composer, lutenist and singer. First female composer of the period to have her music printed and published.
- Ivo de Vento, Flemish composer and organist.
1545
- October 19 – Giovenale Ancina – Italian priest and composer probable
- *Gioseppe Caimo, Italian composer and organist
- *Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Ferrarese composer
- *Lodovico Balbi, Italian composer, singer, choirmaster and Minorite friar
- *Antoine Barbe II, Flemish organist and choirmaster
- *Gioseppe Caimo, Italian composer and organist
- *Bernardo Clavijo del Castillo, Spanish composer, organist, harpsichord player and teacher
- *Anthony Holborne, English composer
1546
- date unknown – Luca Bati, Italian composer
1547
- April 8 – Lucrezia Bendidio, Italian noblewoman and singer
- George de la Hele, Flemish composer.
- Manuel Mendes, Portuguese composer.
1548
- Gines Perez De La Parra, Spanish composer.
- Lambert de Sayve, Flemish singer and composer.
- Tomas Luis de Victoria, Spanish composer, singer, organist, priest and choirmaster.
1549
- December 9 – Costanzo Antegnati – Italian organ builder, organist, and composer.
- December 24 – Kaspar Ulenberg, German theologian, poet, and composer
- Eustache du Caurroy, French composer and singer
- Giovanni de Macque, French composer, singer, organist and choirmaster
Deaths
- 1540: Francesco De Layolle, Italian composer and organist
- 1541:
- * Lupus Hellinck, Flemish composer
- * Hans Kotter, Organist and composer
- 1542: Lodovico Fogliano, theorist and composer
- 1543: probable
- * Ludwig Senfl, Swiss composer
- * Francesco Canova da Milano, composer and lutenist
- Avery Burton, composer died in England
- 1544:
- * Balthasar Resinarius,
- * Benedictus Dulcis,
- 1545: April 10 – Constanzo Festa, Italian composer
- *July 7 – William Crane, English composer, musician and merchant.
- * Pietro Aaron, Italian composer, theorist and priest
- * Sebastian z Felsztyna, Polish composer and theorist
- 1546: October 18 - John Taverner, English composer
- 1547: October or November – John Redford, English composer, poet and playwright
- 1548: June 14 – Elzéar Genet de Carpentras, French composer
- * January 23 – Bernardo Pisano, Italian composer and singer.
- * April 10 – Giacomo Fogliano, Italian composer, organist and teacher
- * August 16 – Georg Rhau, printer, publisher and composer, died in Wittenberg
- * October 21 – Sixt Dietrich, composer and teacher, died in St Gallen, Switzerland
- * Vincenzo Capirola, lutenist and composer, died in Brescia.
- 1549: Richard Pygott, English composer and choirmaster