1597 in music

Events

 * Lutenist and composer Robert Jones graduates from St Edmund Hall, Oxford.

Publications

 * Gregor Aichinger – Third book of motets (Nuremberg: Paul Kauffmann)
 * Giammateo Asola – Vespertina omnium solemnitatum psalmodia for two choirs (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
 * Ippolito Baccusi – Psalmi omnes qui a S. Romana Ecclesia in solemnitatibus ad vesperas decantari solent..., for eight voices (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino), also includes two Magnificats
 * Adriano Banchieri
 * Hora prima di recreazione, first book of canzonettas for three voices (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
 * First book of madrigals for four voices (Venice)
 * Joachim a Burck – Die Historia des Leidens Jesu Christi auss dem Evangelisten S. Luca (The Story of the Passion of Jesus Christ by the Evangelist St. Luke) for five voices (Mühlhausen: Hieronymous Reinhard)
 * Sethus Calvisius – Harmonia cantionum ecclesiasticarum for four voices (Leipzig: Jacob Apel), a collection of Lutheran hymns
 * Giovanni Croce
 * Vespertina omnium solemnitatum psalmodia for eight voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti), contains psalms for Vespers
 * First book of motets for four voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti)
 * Girolamo Dalla Casa – First book of motets for six voices (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
 * John Dowland – The First Booke of Songes or Ayres of Foure Partes with tableture for the lute (London: Peter Short)
 * Johannes Eccard
 * Geistlicher Lieder auff den Choral oder gemeine Kirchen Melodey for five voices, in two volumes (Königsberg: Georg Osterberger)
 * Echo for eight voices (Königsberg, Georg Osterberger), a wedding song
 * Epithalamion (Ein Sprichwort ist) for six voices (Königsberg, Georg Osterberger), a wedding song
 * Giovanni Gabrieli – Sacrae Symphoniae, Book 1, for six to sixteen voices and instruments (Venice: Angelo Gardano)
 * Jacobus Gallus – Sacrae cantiones de praecipuis festis per totum annum for four, five, six, eight, and more voices (Nuremberg: Alexander Philipp Dieterich), a collection of motets, published posthumously
 * Bartholomäus Gesius
 * Hymni scholastici for four voices (Frankfurt an der Oder: Andreas Eichorn)
 * Echo (Qualia jam resonet) for ten voices (Frankfurt an der Oder: Andreas Eichorn), a graduation motet
 * Anthony Holborne – Cittarn Schoole (London: Peter Short), a collection of songs for the cittern
 * George Kirbye – The first set Of English Madrigalls, to 4. 5. & 6. voyces (London: Thomas Este)
 * Giovanni de Macque – Third book of madrigals for five voices (Ferrara: Vittorio Baldini)
 * Simone Molinaro – First book of motets for five voices and masses for ten voices (Venice: Giacomo Vincenti)
 * Thomas Morley
 * A Plaine and Easie Introduction to Practicall Musicke
 * Canzonets, or little short aers to five and sixe voices (London: Peter Short)
 * Pietro Pace – Madrigali a cinque voci con uno a sei & un dialogo a sette (Venice: Ricciardo Amadino)
 * Asprilio Pacelli – First book of motets and psalms to eight voices (Rome: Nicolo Mutii)
 * Orfeo Vecchi
 * First book of masses for four voices (Milan: Francesco & the heirs of Simon Tini)
 * First book of motets for five voices (Milan: the heirs of Francesco and Simon Tini)
 * Orazio Vecchi
 * Canzonette a3
 * L'Amfiparnasso, a madrigal comedy

Opera

 * Jacopo Peri – Dafne, the earliest known opera

Births

 * July 22 – Virgilio Mazzocchi, Italian composer of oratorios (died 1646)
 * date unknown
 * Andreas Düben, organist and composer (died 1662)
 * Luigi Rossi, Italian composer of cantatas (died 1653)

Deaths

 * January 29 – Elias Ammerbach, organist (b. c.1530)
 * June 6 – William Hunnis, poet, dramatist, and composer
 * October 7 – Francesco Rovigo, organist and composer (b. c.1540)