1618 in music

Events

• May 23 – Beginning of the Thirty Years' War, which will disrupt German musical establishments, and will affect the nature of the music composed by those who endured the widespread devastation, famine, and disease of this period.
• The first Zildjian cymbals are made.
• Robert Ballard becomes lutenist and composer at the court of King Louis XIII of France.
• Michael East is choirmaster at Lichfield Cathedral.

Publications

• Sebastián Aguilera de Heredia – Magnificats for four, five, six, and eight voices
• Gregorio Allegri – Concerti, vol. 1
• Giovanni Francesco Anerio – Fifth book of sacrarum cantionum
• Francesca Caccini – First book of music for one and two voices
• Johannes Vodnianus Campanus – Sacrarum odarum libri duo for four voices, book one contains psalms while book two contains hymns
• Antonio Cifra – Second book of Scherzi sacri for one, two, three, and four voices, Op. 25
• Christoph Demantius
• *Hochzeitlicher Davidischer Ehe-Segen for eight voices, an epithalamium for the wedding of Heinrich Schönleben and Magdalena Tannenberg on October 20
• *Glückseliger Ehe Schatz for eight voices, an epithalamium for the wedding of Johannes Reger and Susanna Reisiger on November 3
• *Euredikos armonikos for eight voices, an epithalamium for the wedding of Georg Schöller and Maria Caspar Dachsell
• *Te Deum laudamus for six voices, written for the funeral of Michael Rothen
• Richard Dering – Cantica sacra ad melodiam madrigalium for six voices with basso continuo
• René Descartes – Compendium Musicae
• Ignazio Donati
• *Concerti ecclesiastici for two, three, four, and five voices
• *Concerti ecclesiastici for one, two, three, four, and five voices, Op. 5
• *Motetti concertati for five and six voices, Op. 6
• Michael East – The Fourth Set Of Bookes... to 4. 5. and 6. Parts: Apt for Viols and Voyces
• Melchior Franck
• *Newes Hochzeitgesang ausz dem 2. Capitel deß Hohenlieds Salomonis for five voices, a wedding motet
• *Newes Hochzeit Gesang ausz dem 8. Capitel deß Hohen Lieds Salomonis for five voices, a wedding motet
• *Psalm 122 for eight voices in two choirs
• *Zwey newe HochzeitGesäng for eight voices in two choirs
• Pierre Guédron – Fourth book of airs de cours for four and five voices
• Sigismondo d'India – Third book of Le Musiche for one and two voices
• Giovanni Bernardino Nanino – Fourth book of motets for one, two, three, four, and five voices with organ bass
• Pomponio Nenna – Eighth book of madrigals for five voices
• Pietro Pace – The sixth book of motets..., Op. 16
• Francesco Pasquali
• *Cantiones..., Op. 3
• *Second book of madrigals, Op. 4
• Isaac Posch – Musikalische Ehrenfreudt for four voices, a collection of dance music
• Hieronymus Praetorius – Cantiones variae for five, six, seven, eight, ten, twelve, fourteen, and twenty voices, Op. 4
• Michael Praetorius – De Organographia
• Johann Hermann Schein – Opella nova, volume 1, a collection of sacred concertos

Opera

• Claudio Monteverdi – ''Andromeda''

Births

• date unknown
• *Solomon Eccles, composer
• *Pierre Robert, composer

Deaths

• December 10 – Giulio Caccini, Italian composer
• December 12 – Pedro de Cristo, composer