Overview of the events of the 1540s in music
The decade of the 1540s in music (years 1540–1549) involved some significant events.
- 1540
- 4 April – Cristobal Morales leaves the position of master of the choristers at the Chapel of the Papal Basilica in St. Peter's, Rome
- 23 April – Thomas Tallis loses his job at Waltham Abbey due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries
- 27 April – Gioseffo Zarlino is elected capellini and mansionario of the Scuola di San Francesco in Chioggia
- 1 May – Ambrose Lupo is taken on as a musician and composer at the court of Henry VIII
- 30 December – Jacques Arcadelt is appointed maestro di cappella at the Sistine chapel in Rome
- December – Nicolas Gombert dismissed from his position at the court chapel of the Emperor, Charles V
- 1541
- 25 May – Cristobal Morales re-joined the Papal choir at St. Peter's, Rome
- 15 July – Jacques Buus appointed second organist at the basilica of S Marco, Venice
- 1542
- 1543: Thomas Tallis becomes a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in England.
- 20 July Tielman Susato is granted a three-year privilege to print music in the Netherlands.
- 1544
- 1545
- 1 May Bartolomeo de Escobedo appointed maestro di cappella at the chapel of the Papal Basilica at St Peter's in Rome.
- 1 May Cristobal Morales was granted 10 months leave from the Papal Chapel in Rome. He never returned.
- 31 August Cristobal Morales succeeded Andres de Torrentes as maestro di capilla at Toledo Cathedral.
- 1547
- 6 May Waclaw of Szamotuly joined the Chapel Royal of Sigismund II Augustus of Poland in Vilnius.
- 28 May Jacques Arcadelt reappointed maestro di cappella at the Sistine chapel.
- 12 June Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina marries Lucrezia de Goris in his home town of Palestrina, Lazio
- 9 August Cristobal Morales leaves the position of maestro di cappella at Toledo Cathedral.
- Bologna's first public theatre, the Teatro Della Sala, was opened. It burned down in 1623.
- 1548 François Roussel appointed maestro di cappella at St. Peter's, Rome
- 1549 Juan Francisco de Penalosa succeeded Francisca Sacedo as principal organist of Toledo Cathedral
- Balint Bakfark appointed court lutenist to King Sigismund Augustus of Poland
- Martin Agricola – Book of Protestant hymns Sangbuchlein, published in Wittenberg.
- Jhan Gero – Il Primo Libro de Madrigali Italiani et Canzoni Francese a due voci (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Nicolas Gombert
- Second book of motets for five voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Second book of motets for four voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Giovanni Domenico da Nola – Canzone villanesche, books 1 and 2, for three voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Giordano Passetto – Madrigali nuovi a voce pare, book 1 (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Benedictus Appenzeller – Des Chansons a Quattre Parties (Antwerp: Henry Loys & Jehan de Buys), a collection of chansons for 4 voices
- Jacques Arcadelt – First book of madrigals for three voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano), "together with some madrigals by Costanzo Festa along with twelve French chansons and six new motets"
- Pierre Certon
- Second book of motets for four voices (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant & Hubert Jullet)
- Third book of motets for four voices (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant & Hubert Jullet)
- Domenico Ferrabosco – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego – Regola rubertina, Venice
- Johannes Lupi – Third book of motets for four voices (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant & Hubert Jullet), published posthumously
- Cipriano de Rore – First book of madrigals a5.
- Jacques Arcadelt – Il Quinto Libro di Madrigali for 4 voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Paolo Aretino – Sacra responsoria (Venice: Gerolamo Scotto)
- Jacquet de Berchem – "Ala Dolc'ombra de le Belle Frondi" published by Antonio Gardano in Venice.
- Simon Boyleau – Motets for four voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Francesco Corteccia – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Cristóbal de Morales
- First book of masses, for four and five voices (Rome: Valerio and Luigi Dorico)
- Second book of masses, for four, five, and six voices (Rome: Valerio and Luigi Dorico)
- Hans Neusidler – three books of lute music: Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein, Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lautten Buch, and Das dritt Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch.
- Georg Rhau – Newe Deudsche Geistliche Gesenge published in Wittemberg.
- Cipriano de Rore – Il secondo libro de madrigali for 5 voices published in Venice.
- Tielman Susato (ed.)
- Third book of chansons, for four voices (Antwerp: Tielman Susato), contains only compositions by Thomas Crecquillon
- Fifth book of chansons, for five and six voices (Antwerp: Tielman Susato), contains mostly compositions by Nicolas Gombert
- Giovan Thomaso di Maio – Canzone villanesche a3, book 1.
- Giovanni Animuccia – First book of madrigals for 4, 5, and 6 voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Loys Bourgeois – First book of four-part psalms (Lyon: Godfroy & Marcelin Beringen frères), published for the Calvinists of Geneva using the French translations by Clément Marot.
- Jacques Buus – First book of ricercars for four voices or instruments (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Perissone Cambio – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano), also includes a few madrigals by Cipriano de Rore
- Francesco Corteccia
- New expanded edition of the first book of madrigals for four voices, including pieces composed for intermedii for the comedy Il furto by Francesco d'Ambra (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Second book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- First book of madrigals for five and six voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Claude Gervaise, ed. – Second book of dances for four instruments (Paris: Pierre Attaingnant)
- Heinrich Glarean – Dodecachordon published in Basel.
- Hoste da Reggio – First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Hans Neusidler – Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein
- Caspar Othmayr
- Bicinia sacra (Nuremberg: Johann Berg and Ulrich Neuber)
- Symbola for five voices (Nuremberg: Johann Berg and Ulrich Neuber), a collection of motets
- Dominique Phinot – First book of motets for five voices (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringen)
- Enriquez de Valderrabano – Book of vihuela music Libra de musica de vihuela intitulado Silva de Sirenas published in Valladolid
- Benedictus Appenzeller – A collection of sacred songs without a title (Augsburg: Philip Ulhart)
- Arnold Caussin – First book of motets for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Heinrich Faber – Beginner's music textbook Compendium Musicae published in Nuremberg.
- Didier Lupi Second
- First book of spiritual chansons for four voices (Lyon: Beringen & Beringen), all texts by Guillaume Guéroult
- Third Book, containing 35 chansons for four voices (Lyon: Beringen & Beringen)
- Tugdual Menon – Madrigali d'amore for four voices (Ferrara: Giovanni de Buglhat & Antonio Hucher)[1]
- Jan Nasco – Madrigals for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Dominique Phinot
- Second book of motets for six, seven, and eight voices (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringer)
- First book of thirty-seven chansons (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringer)
- Second book containing thirty-six chansons (Lyon: Godefroy & Marcellin Beringer)
- Francesco Portinaro – Primi frutti de motetti for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Cipriano de Rore – Il terzo libro de madrigali a cinque voci (Third Book of Madrigals for Five Voices) published in Venice.
- Gasparo Alberti – First book of masses (Venice: Girolamo Scotto), the first printed book of masses dedicated to a single Italian composer
- Paolo Aretino – Libro primo delli madrigali cromati (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Jacques Buus
- Second book of ricercars (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- First book of Intabolatura d'organo di recercari (Venice: Antonio Gardano), a collection of ricercars in organ tablature
- First book of motets for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Ghiselin Danckerts – Canons for four voices (Augsburg: Melchior Kriesstein)
- Nicolao Dorati – First book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
- Jhan Gero
- Libro primo delli madrigali a quatro voci (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Libro secondo delli madrigali a quatro voce (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Claude Goudimel – book of chansons.
- Clement Janequin – XXX chansons nouvelles
- Didier Lupi Second – 30 Psalms for four voices (Lyon: Beringen & Beringen), French translations by Gilles D'Aurigny
- Hans Neusidler – Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch
- Giovanni Domenico da Nola – First book of motets for five voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
- Caspar Othmayr
- Tricinia (Nuremberg: Johann Berg & Ulrich Neuber)
- Reutterische unnd Jegerische Liedlein for four voices (Nuremberg: Johann Berg & Ulrich Neuber)
- Robert Wedderburn (probable) – The Complaynt of Scotland, including the earliest known references (in Middle Scots) to a number of Border ballads
- Gioseffo Zarlino – Moduli motecta vulga noncupata liber primus – book of motets for 5 voices
- date unknown – Giovanni Maria Artusi, Italian composer and theorist (d. 1613)
- probable – William Byrd, English composer (d. 1623)
- probable – Jakob Regnart, Franco-Flemish composer (d. 1599)
- probable – Girolamo Dalla Casa, Italian composer, cornetist and writer (d. 1601)
- probable – William Daman, Flemish recorder player, organist and composer (d. 1591)
- probable – Giovanni Dragoni, Italian composer (d. 1598)
- probable – Noel Fagnient, Flemish composer and shopkeeper (d. c. 1600)
- probable – Johannes de Fossa, Flemish composer and choirmaster (d, 1603)
- probable – Marcin Leopolita, Polish composer and musician (d. c. 1585)
- probable – Francesco Rovigo, Italian composer and organist (d. 1597)
- probable – Alexander Utendal, Flemish singer, composer and choirmaster (d. 1581)
- probable – Matthaus Waissel, German lutenist, composer, Lutheran theologian, publisher, schoolteacher and writer (d. 1602)
- Maddelena Casulana, Italian composer, lutenist and singer. First female composer of the period to have her music printed and published.
- Ivo de Vento, Flemish composer and organist (d. 1575).
- October 19 – Giovenale Ancina – Italian priest and composer (d. 1604)
- probable
- Gioseppe Caimo, Italian composer and organist (d. post 1584)
- Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Ferrarese composer (d. 1607)
- Lodovico Balbi, Italian composer, singer, choirmaster and Minorite friar (d. 1604)
- Antoine Barbe II, Flemish organist and choirmaster (d. 1604)
- Gioseppe Caimo, Italian composer and organist (d. 1584)
- Bernardo Clavijo del Castillo, Spanish composer, organist, harpsichord player and teacher (d. 1626)
- Anthony Holborne, English composer (d. 1602)
- date unknown – Luca Bati, Italian composer (d. 1608)
- 1540: Francesco De Layolle, Italian composer and organist (b. 1492)
- 1541:
- 1542: Lodovico Fogliano, theorist and composer (c. 66)
- 1543: probable
- Avery Burton, composer (c.73) died in England
- 1544:
- 1545: April 10 – Constanzo Festa, Italian composer (b. c.1485–1490)
- 1546: October 18 – John Taverner, English composer (b. c. 1490)
- 1547: October or November – John Redford, English composer, poet and playwright (b. c. 1500)
- 1548: June 14 – Elzéar Genet de Carpentras, French composer (b. c. 1470)
- January 23 – Bernardo Pisano, Italian composer and singer (b. 1490).
- April 10 – Giacomo Fogliano, Italian composer, organist and teacher (b. c. 1468)
- August 16 – Georg Rhau, printer, publisher and composer, died in Wittenberg (b. 1488)
- October 21 – Sixt Dietrich, composer and teacher, died in St Gallen, Switzerland (c. 55)
- Vincenzo Capirola, lutenist and composer, died in Brescia (b. 1474).
- 1549: Richard Pygott, English composer and choirmaster
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