1642 in music

The year 1642 in music involved some significant events.

Events

 * Bartolomeo Montalbano becomes Kapellmeister at San Francesco in Bologna.

Publications

 * Christoph Demantius – Morgenröthe for five voices (Freiberg: Georg Beuther), written for the funeral of Hedwig on May 30
 * Johannes Eccard & Johann Stobaeus – Part 1 of Der Preussischen Fest-Lieder/ vom Advent an biß Ostern (The Prussian Feast-day Songs: From Advent to Easter) for five, six, and eight voices (Elbing: Wendel Bodenhausen)
 * Claudio Monteverdi – Selva morale e spirituale
 * Nicodemo Parisi – Messa e salmi concertati a 5 voci facili da cantarsi... (Venice: Bartolomeo Magni), collected by his brother, Filippo Parisi, and including two of his compositions
 * Johann Rist – Des Daphnis aus Cimbrien Galathee (Hamburg: Jacob Rebenlein), a collection of pastoral songs, music by Heinrich Pape

Popular music

 * Jean de Brébeuf – "Huron Carol" (Canada's oldest Christmas song)

Classical music

 * Cornelis Padbrué – Synphonia in nuptias..., written for the wedding of Mathaeus Steyn and Maria van Napels

Opera

 * Francesco Cavalli – Amore innamorato
 * Claudio Monteverdi – L'incoronazione di Poppea
 * Luigi Rossi – Il Palazzo incantato

Births

 * 11 January – Johann Friedrich Alberti, German composer and organist
 * 23 September – Giovanni Maria Bononcini, Italian composer (died 1678)
 * 6 December – Johann Christoph Bach, composer (died 1703)
 * date unknown – Benedictus Buns, Dutch composer

Deaths

 * date unknown
 * Giovanni Battista Buonamente, Italian composer and violinist (born c.1595)
 * Johann Daniel Mylius, composer for the lute (born c.1583)
 * probable – Nicolas Vallet, lutenist and composer (born c.1583)