1612 in music

Events

• July – Claudio Monteverdi is dismissed from his post at the court of Mantua by the new duke Francesco IV Gonzaga.
• October 28 – John Dowland is appointed to a special post at the court of King James I of England.
• December – The death of Francesco Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, fails to bring a recall to court for Claudio Monteverdi.

Publications

• Adriano Banchieri – Moderna armonia di canzoni alla francese, Op. 26, a collection for four instruments
• Antonio Brunelli – Prato di sacri fiori musicali for one voice and eight voices with continuo, Op. 7
• Sethus Calvisius – Bicinia book two, an expanded edition of book one from 1599
• Antonio Cifra – Fifth book of motets for two, three, and four voices, Op. 11
• William Corkine – The second book of ayres, some, to sing and play to the base-violl alone: others, to be sung to the lute and base violl, also includes pieces for the lyra viol
• Giovanni Croce – Sacre cantilene for three, five, and six voices with a four-part ripieno
• Ignazio Donati – Sacri concentus for one, two, three, four, and five voices
• John Dowland – A Pilgrimes solace for three, four, and five voices
• Giacomo Finetti – Concerti for four voices with organ bass
• Melchior Franck
• *Ein schöner Text Auß dem Ersten Capitel Syrachs for five voices, a wedding song
• *Suspira musica for four voices, a collection of motets
• Bartholomäus Gesius – Gratulatio musica in lauream doctoralem Jacobi Schickfusii for five voices, a graduation song
• Orlando Gibbons – The First Set Of Madrigals and Motetts of 5. Parts: apt for Viols and Voyces
• Konrad Hagius – First book of Etlicher Teutscher Geistlicher Psalmen und Gesängen for four, five, and six voices
• Hans Leo Hassler – Sacri concentus Book 2, published in Augsburg.
• Joachim van den Hove – Delitiae musicae, a collection of lute music
• Sigismondo d'India – Second book of Villanelle alla napolitana for three, four, and five voices
• Giovanni Girolamo Kapsberger
• *First book of motetti passagiatti for one voice
• *First book of arie passagiatti for one voice with theorbo
• Claude Le Jeune – Second livre des meslanges, a collection of chansons, published posthumously
• Simone Molinaro – Concerti for one and two voices
• Giovanni Bernardino Nanino
• *Third book of motets for one, two, three, four, and five voices with organ bass
• *Third book of madrigals for five voices
• Pietro Pace – Second book of madrigals for five voices
• Benedetto Pallavicino – Eighth book of madrigals for five voices, published posthumously
• Tomaso Pecci - Second book of madrigals for five voices, published posthumously
• Peter Philips – Cantiones Sacrae Quinis Vocibus
• Michael Praetorius – Terpsichore, a set of Renaissance dances.
• probable
• *Parthenia, a collection of keyboard music by William Byrd, John Bull, and Orlando Gibbons

Opera

• ''none recorded''

Births

• date unknown
• *Wolfgang Ebner, organist and court composer
• *John Hingston, organist, viol player and composer
• *Vincenzo Tozzi, opera composer

Deaths

• June 8 – Hans Leo Hassler, German composer
• August 12 – Giovanni Gabrieli, composer and organist
• September – Giovanni de' Bardi, writer and composer
• September 24 – Johannes Lippius, theologian, philosopher, composer, and music theorist
• date unknown
• *Ercole Bottrigari, writer and composer
• *Tomasz Szadek, Polish composer and singer