1598 in music

Events

• Thomas Weelkes becomes organist at Winchester College.
• The "first documented European music education" in the United States begins in a colony in New Mexico, founded by a group of Spanish friars accompanying Juan de Oñate.

Publications

• Gregor Aichinger – Tricinia Mariana, a collection of antiphons, hymns, Magnificats, and litanies for the Office of the Blessed Virgin, for three voices
• Felice Anerio – Madrigals for three voices
• Giovanni Artusi – First book of canzonettas for four voices
• Giammateo Asola
• *Introitus in dominicis diebus totius anni... for four voices
• *In omnibus totius anni solemnitatibus Introitus et Alleluia ad Missalis Romani formam ordinati...
• *Completorium romanum primus et secundus chorus, music for Compline, including an Alma Redemptoris Mater and an Ave Regina caelorum
• Adriano Banchieri
• *Psalms for five voices, includes pieces for Vespers for the entire year
• *La pazzia senile, second book for three voices, a madrigal comedy
• Giovanni Bassano – Motetti per concerti ecclesiastici for five, six, seven, eight, and twelve voices
• Giulio Belli – Psalmi ad vesperas in totius anni solemnitatibus for five voices, Psalms for Vespers for the whole year, also includes two Magnificats and a Te Deum
• Michael Cavendish – Ayres in Tabletorie
• Scipione Dentice – Third book of madrigals for five voices
• Johannes Eccard
• *Epithalamion for five voices, a wedding song
• *Der CXXVIII Psalm, zu hochzeitlichen Ehren for five voices, a wedding song
• *Braudt Lied for four voices, a wedding song
• Giles Farnaby – Canzonets to Fowre Voyces with a Song of Eight Parts, with a dedicatory poem in Latin by Anthony Holborne
• Bartholomäus Gesius – Der Lobgesang Mariae und andere geistliche Lieder for five voices, also includes a New Year's motet for eight voices
• Claude Le Jeune – Dodécacorde, a collection of twelve psalms for two, three, four, five, six, and seven voices
• Luzzasco Luzzaschi – First book of motets for five voices
• Luca Marenzio – Eighth book of madrigals for five voices
• Tiburtio Massaino – Third book of masses for five voices
• Claudio Merulo – Toccate d’Intavolatura d’Organo, Book 1
• Philippe de Monte – Nineteenth book of madrigals for five voices
• Peter Philips – Madrigals for eight voices
• Orfeo Vecchi
• *Second book of masses for five voices
• *Second book of motets for five voices
• *Third book of motets for six voices
• Thomas Weelkes – Balletts And Madrigals to five voyces
• John Wilbye – ''The First Set Of English Madrigals To 3. 4. 5. and 6. voices''

Opera

• Jacopo Peri – Dafne, the earliest known modern opera

Births

• April 9 – Johann Crüger, composer of hymns
• date unknown
• *Charles d'Helfer, French baroque composer and maître de musique at Soissons Cathedral
• *Charles Racquet, organist and composer
• *Jan Vencálek, composer for lute and voice

Deaths

• April 8 – Ludwig Helmbold, poet of chorales
• May 3 – Anna Guarini, virtuoso singer
• December – Giovanni Dragoni, composer and maestro di cappella
• date unknown
• *Adrian Le Roy, French music publisher, lutenist, guitarist, composer and music educator
• *Christoph Fischer or Vischer, hymnist
• probable – Simon Bar Jona Madelka, composer
• * Teodora Ginés, Dominican musician and composer