The year 1708 in music involved some significant musical events and new works.

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 (hymns)
• 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 (Authorship disputed)
  • 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 (The Resurrection) (oratorio)
  • Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, HWV 72
  • Ah, crudel! nel pianto mio, HWV 78
  • Aminta e Fillide, 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 (died 1777)
• February 8 – Václav Jan Kopřiva, composer (died 1789)
• February 11 – Egidio Duni, composer of opera comique (died 1775)
• February 25 – Felix Benda, composer (died 1768)
• April 6 – Georg Reutter II, composer of church music (died 1772)
• May 5 – Johann Adolf Scheibe, composer and critic (died 1776)
• June 19 – Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, composer (died 1763)
• date unknown
  • Lavinia Fenton, actress, the original Polly Peachum (died 1760)
  • Johann Adolph Scheibe, composer (died 1776)
  • William Tuckey, composer (died 1781)

Deaths

• April 19 – Angiola Teresa Moratori Scanabecchi, composer and painter (born 1662)
• May 13 – Giovanni Battista Draghi, composer and keyboardist (born c.1640)
• September 3 – Christian Liebe, organist and composer (born 1654)
• October 1 (or January 10) – John Blow, composer (born 1649)
• date unknown
  • Moll Davis, singer (born c. 1648)
  • Johannes Kelpius, mystic and musician (born 1673)
  • Thomas Pereira, musician (born 1645)
  • Bernard Smith, organ maker (born c.1630)^[1]

References