Events

• John Bull is appointed organist at Hereford Cathedral

Publications

• Lodovico Agostini – Third book of madrigals, for six voices (Ferrara: Francesco Rossi & Paolo Tottorino)
• Blasius Amon – Liber sacratissimarum (quas vulgo introitus appellant) cantionum selectissimus (Vienna: Stephan Creuzer)
• Vittorio Baldini (ed.) – Il lauro secco (anthology of madrigals)
• Paolo Bellasio – Second book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: heirs of Girolamo Scotto)
• Antoine de Bertrand – Airs spirituels for four and five voices (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard), contains hymns and canticles
• Jacobus de Kerle – 4 Masses for four and five voices (Antwerp: Christophe Plantin)
• Paschal de l'Estocart
  • First book of Sacrae cantiones for four, five, six, and seven voices (Lyon: Barthelemi Vincent)
  • First and Second book of octonaires de la vanité du monde for three, four, five, and six voices (Lyon: Barthelemi Vincent)
  • Cent vingt et six quatrains du Sieur de Pibrac for two, three, four, five, and six voices (Lyon: Barthelemi Vincent), settings of poems by Guy Du Faur, Seigneur de Pibrac
• Francisco Guerrero – Second book of masses (Rome: Domenico Basa)
• Paolo Isnardi – Magnificats for four, five, and six voices (Venice: heirs of Girolamo Scotto)
• Orlande de Lassus
  • Sacrae cantiones for five voices (Munich: Adam Berg)
  • Motets for six voices (Munich: Adam Berg)
  • Lectiones sacrae novem, ex libris Hiob excerptae for four voices (Munich: Adam Berg), a collection of readings from the Book of Job
  • Etliche außerleßne, kurtze, gute geistliche und weltliche Liedlein for four voices (Munich: Adam Berg), a collection of his chansons with new German texts
• Carolus Luython – First book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
• Luzzasco Luzzaschi – Third book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
• Giovanni de Macque – Second book of madrigaletti et napolitane for six voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
• Luca Marenzio – Third book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
• Philippe de Monte – First book of madrigals for three voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
• Claudio Monteverdi – Sacrae Cantiunculae (Little Sacred Songs) for three voices (Venice: Angelo Gardan)
• Pomponio Nenna – First book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina – Fourth book of masses (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
• Piae Cantiones (collection of late medieval Latin songs)

Classical music

Musical theatre

Births

• May 1 – Marco da Gagliano, composer (d. 1643)
• June 26 – Johannes Schultz, composer (d. 1653)
• December 23 – Severo Bonini, organist, composer and music writer (d. 1663)
• date unknown
  • Gregorio Allegri, Italian composer (d. 1652)
  • Sigismondo d'India, Italian composer (d. 1629)

Deaths

• March – Severin Cornet, Franco-Flemish singer, conductor and composer (born c.1530)
• May 3 or 4 – Giorgio Mainerio, Italian composer (born 1530/40)
• July 14 – Johannes de Cleve, composer at the court of Ferdinand I and Charles II (born c.1529)
• date unknown
  • Leonora Sanvitale, Italian courtier and singer (born c.1558)
  • Pere Alberch Vila, organist and composer (born 1517)