1708 in music

Events

• Alessandro Scarlatti returns to Naples from Venice.
• Johann Sebastian Bach becomes organist and concert-master at the Weimar court.
• Arcangelo Corelli returns to Rome and joins the household of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.

Published popular music

• Lyra Davidica
• Isaac Watts, ''Hymns and Spiritual Songs''

Published classical music

• Tomaso Albinoni – 6 Sonate da chiesa, T.So 26–31, Op. 4
• Louis de Caix d'Hervelois – Pièces de viole, Livre 1
• Andre Campra – Cantates françoises
• Francisco José de Castro – 8 Concertos, Op. 4
• Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco – 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 1
• Pierre Du Mage – Livre d'orgue
• Jean-Baptiste Stuck – ''Cantates françaises Livre II''

Classical music

• Johann Sebastian Bach
• *Gott ist mein König, BWV 71
• *Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 143
• *Kyrie in F major, BWV 233a
• *Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537
• *Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 545a
• *Toccata and Fugue in E major, BWV 566
• *Fugue on a Theme by Giovanni Legrenzi, BWV 574
• *Fugue in C minor, BWV 575
• *Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582
• *Heut’ triumphiret Gottes Sohn, BWV 630
• *Fantasia super 'Jesu, meine Freude', BWV 713
• *Suite in A major, BWV 832
• *Praeludium et partita dei tuono terzo, BWV 833
• *Toccata in D minor, BWV 913
• *Fugue in C major, BWV 946
• Antonio Maria Bononcini
• * Mentre in placido sonno
• * La presa di Tebe
• * Tutta fiamme e tutta ardore
• Antonio Caldara – Il martirio di Santa Caterina
• Henri Desmarets – Usque quo Domine
• George Frederic Handel
• *La Resurrezione
• *Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, HWV 72
• *Ah, crudel! nel pianto mio, HWV 78
• *Aminta e Filide, HWV 83
• *Cuopre tal volta il cielo, HWV 98
• *Dalla guerra amorosa, HWV 102a
• *Ditemi, o piante, HWV 107
• *Lungi n'andò Fileno, HWV 128
• *Nel dolce tempo, HWV 135b
• *Nell'africane selve, HWV 136
• *Olinto pastore, Tebro fiume, Gloria, HWV 143
• *Quando sperasti, o core, HWV 153
• *Se pari è la tua fè, HWV 158a
• *Sento là che ristretto, HWV 161a
• Jacques-Martin Hotteterre – Pièces pour la flûte traversiere, Op. 2
• Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre – Cantates françaises sur des sujets tirés de l’écriture, Livre I
• Benedetto Marcello – 12 Concerti à 5, Op. 1
• Johann Mattheson – 12 Flute Sonatas, Op. 1
• Johann Pachelbel
• *An Wasserflüssen Babylon, P. 18
• *Plauener Orgelbuch
• James Paisible – The Saltarella. Mr. Isaac's new dance made for Her Majesty's Birthday, 1708...
• Bernardo Pasquini – Passagaglie and Variation
• Alessandro Scarlatti – Oratorio per la Passione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo
• Georg Philipp Telemann – Singet dem Herrn, TWV 1:1748
• Antonio Vivaldi
• *Cello Concerto in F major, RV 410
• *Concerto in A major, RV 585
• *Sonata for Violin, Oboe, Organ, Chalumeau and Continuo, RV 779

Opera

• Giovanni Bononcini – Mario fuggitivo
• Antonio Caldara – Più bel nome
• André Campra – Hippodamie
• Johann Joseph Fux – Pulcheria, K.303
• George Frideric Handel
• *Daphne
• *Florindo
• Antonio Literes – Acis y Galatea
• Nicola Porpora – ''L'Agrippina''

Births

• January 26 – William Hayes (composer), organist, singer, conductor and composer
• February 8 – Václav Jan Kopřiva, composer
• February 11 – Egidio Duni, composer of opera comique
• February 25 – Felix Benda, composer
• April 6 – Georg Reutter II, composer of church music
• May 5 – Johann Adolf Scheibe, composer and critic
• June 19 – Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, composer
• date unknown
• *Lavinia Fenton, actress, the original Polly Peachum
• *Johann Adolph Scheibe, composer
• *William Tuckey, composer

Deaths

• April 19 – Angiola Teresa Moratori Scanabecchi, composer and painter
• May 13 – Giovanni Battista Draghi, composer and keyboardist
• September 3 – Christian Liebe, organist and composer
• September 26 - Giovanni Battista Bianchini, composer, organist, and choir conductor
• October 1 – John Blow, composer
• date unknown
• *Moll Davis, singer
• *Johannes Kelpius, mystic and musician
• *Thomas Pereira, musician
• *Bernard Smith, organ maker