1608 in music

List of years in music (table)
… 1598 1599 1600 1601 1602 1603 1604 1605 1606 1607 1608 1609 1610 1611 1612 1613 1614 1615 1616 1617 1618 …
Art Archaeology Architecture Literature Music Philosophy Science +...

The year 1608 in music involved some significant events and new musical works.

Events

• February 9 – The masque The Hue and Cry After Cupid, written by Ben Jonson and designed by Inigo Jones, is performed at Whitehall Palace. The masque features the music of Alfonso Ferrabosco the younger.
• June 4 – Claudio Monteverdi's latest work, Il ballo delle ingrate, is given its first performance in Mantua as part of the wedding celebrations for Francesco Gonzaga (the son of Monteverdri's patron Duke Vincenzo of Mantua) and Margaret of Savoy. In the same year, Monteverdi asks to be allowed to resign his post with the Gonzaga family.

Classical music

• Adriano Banchieri – Festino, a madrigal comedy
• Girolamo Frescobaldi – Il primo libro de' madrigali
• Girolamo Frescobaldi – Primo libro delle fantasie
• Hans Leo Hassler – Kirchenesäng, a collection of sacred songs, published in Nuremberg
• Robert Jones – Ultimum vale, with a triplicity of musicke...
• Thomas Weelkes – Ayeres Or Phantasticke Spirites for three voices

Opera

• Claudio Monteverdi – L'Arianna (mostly lost)
• Marco da Gagliano – La Dafne

Births

• date unknown – Francisco Lopez Capillas, Mexican composer (died 1674)

Deaths

• October 26 – Philipp Nicolai, composer (born 1556)
• date unknown
  • Luca Bati, composer (born 1546)
  • Peter Lupo, court musician and composer, son of Ambrose Lupo
  • Simone Verovio, printer of music books