1594 in music

Events

• Thomas Ravenscroft joins the choir of St Paul's Cathedral, London.
• Alfonso Fontanelli and Carlo Gesualdo visit Venice, Florence, Naples, and Venosa.
• Sethus Calvisius becomes Thomaskantor in Leipzig.

Publications

• Ippolito Baccusi
• *Psalmi omnes qui in vesperis a Romana Ecclesia decantantur for four voices, books 2 & 3, also includes a Magnificat
• *First book of madrigals for three voices
• Girolamo Belli – Sacrae cantiones cum B. V. cantico for ten voices, also includes a mass for eight voices
• Valerio Bona – Masses and motets for three voices, also includes a Magnificat for six voices
• Sethus Calvisius – Hymni sacri latini et germanici for four voices
• Giovanni Croce
• *First book of motets for eight voices
• *Novi pensieri musicali for five voices
• Christoph Demantius – Epithalamium honori nuptiarum Dn. Andreae Goldbeckii cum foemina Anna Christophori Reichij relicta vidua, a wedding song
• Scipione Dentice – First book of motets for five voices
• Giovanni Dragoni – Fourth book of madrigals for five voices
• Johannes Eccard
• *Epithalamion for five voices, a wedding song
• *Dilexi sapientiam for five voices, a graduation song
• Carlo Gesualdo
• *First book of madrigals for five voices
• *Second book of madrigals for five voices
• Adam Gumpelzhaimer – Neue Teutsche Geistliche Lieder for four voices
• Johannes Herold – Historia, deß Leidens unnd Sterbens unsers Herrn und Haylandts Jesu Christu auß dem H. Euangelisten Mattheo for six voices
• Paolo Isnardi – Missa cum motteto for eight voices
• Orlande de Lassus – Motets for six voices
• Claude Le Jeune – Airs for four and five voices
• Luzzasco Luzzaschi – Fourth book of madrigals for five voices
• Luca Marenzio – Sixth book of madrigals for five voices
• Tiburtio Massaino – Fourth book of madrigals for five voices
• Rinaldo del Mel
• *Fifth book of madrigals for five voices
• *Third book of madrigaletti for three voices
• Claudio Merulo – Sacrorum concentuum, book one for eight, ten, twelve, and sixteen voices
• Philippe de Monte – Eighth book of madrigals for six voices
• Thomas Morley – Madrigalls To Foure Voyces... The First Booke
• John Mundy – Songs and psalmes composed into 3. 4. and 5. parts
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
• *Sixth book of masses for four and five voices
• *Seventh book of masses for four and five voices
• Andreas Raselius – Teutscher Sprüche auss den sontäglichen Evangeliis durchs gantze Jar, first Evangelienmotetten cycle covering the whole year to be written in the German language

Classical music

• Orlande de Lassus – ''Lagrime di San Pietro''

Births

• February 5 – Biagio Marini, violinist and composer
• September 13 – Francesco Manelli, Italian composer and theorbist

Deaths

• February 2 – Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Italian composer
• June 14 – Orlande de Lassus, Flemish composer
• July – Girolamo Mei, humanist and inspiration of the Florentine Camerata
• July 10 – Paolo Bellasio, organist and composer