1540s in music

The decade of the 1540s in music (years 1540–1549) involved some significant compositions.

Events

• 1540
  • 27 April – Gioseffo Zarlino is elected capellini and mansionario of the Scuola di San Francesco in Chioggia
• 1543: Thomas Tallis becomes a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in England.

Bands formed

• 1548: Staatskapelle Dresden formed in Saxony.

Publications

1540

• Hans Neusidler – Ein newes Lautenbüchlein, a collection of lute music
• Sebald Heyden – De arte canendi, third installment, important treatise on singing

1541

• Gian Domenico del Giovane da Nola – Canzone villanesche a3, books 1 and 2.

1542

• Jacques Arcadelt – First book of madrigals a3.
• Pierre Certon – Second Book of Motets, Paris: Attaignant
• Domenico Maria Ferrabosco – First book of madrigals a4.
• Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego – Regola rubertina, Venice
• Cipriano de Rore – First book of madrigals a5.

1543

• Silvestro Ganassi dal Fontego – Lettione seconda [=second book of Regola rubertina], Venice

1544

• 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.

1545

• Gian Domenico del Giovane da Nola – Madrigals for four voices.

1546

• Giovan Thomaso di Maio – Canzone villanesche a3, book 1.

1547

• Loys Bourgeois – First book of four-part psalms, published for the Calvinists of Geneva
• Francesco Corteccia – First book of madrigals a4
• Hans Neusidler – Das erst Buch: ein newes Lautenbüchlein

1549

• Claude Goudimel – book of chansons.
• Hans Neusidler – Das ander Buch: ein new künstlich Lauten Buch
• Gian Domenico del Giovane da Nola – Motets for five voices.

Sacred music

1541

• Gasparo Alberti – Magnificat

1542

• Gasparo Alberti – Magnificat

Births

1540

• date unknown – Giovanni Maria Artusi, Italian composer and theorist (died 1613)
• probable – William Byrd, English composer (died 1623)
• probable – Jakob Regnart, Franco-Flemish composer (died 1599)

1542

• February 22 – Santino Garsi da Parma, lutenist and composer (died 1604)
• November 1 – Tarquinia Molza, Italian singer (died 1617)
• probable – Cesare Bendinelli, Italian trumpeter (died 1617)

1545

• October 19 – Giovenale Ancina – Italian priest and composer (died 1604)
• probable
  • Gioseppe Caimo, Italian composer and organist (died post 1584)
  • Luzzasco Luzzaschi, Ferrarese composer (died 1607)

1546

• date unknown – Luca Bati, Italian composer (died 1608)

1549

• December 9 – Costanzo Antegnati – Italian organ builder, organist, and composer

Deaths

• 1543: probable – Ludwig Senfl, Swiss composer (born c.1486)
• 1545: April 10 – Constanzo Festa, Italian composer (born c.1485-1490)
• 1547: October or November – John Redford, English composer, poet and playwright (born c. 1500)
• 1548: June 14 – Elzéar Genet de Carpentras, French composer (born c. 1470)