1708 in music

The year 1708 in music involved some significant musical events and new works.

Events

 * Alessandro Scarlatti returns to Naples from Venice.
 * Johann Sebastian Bach becomes organist and concert-master at the Weimar court.
 * Arcangelo Corelli returns to Rome and joins the household of Cardinal Pietro Ottoboni.

Published popular music

 * Lyra Davidica (hymns)
 * Isaac Watts, Hymns and Spiritual Songs

Published classical music

 * Tomaso Albinoni – 6 Sonate da chiesa, T.So 26–31, Op. 4
 * Louis de Caix d'Hervelois – Pièces de viole, Livre 1
 * Andre Campra – Cantates françoises
 * Francisco José de Castro – 8 Concertos, Op. 4
 * Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco – 12 Violin Sonatas, Op. 1
 * Pierre Du Mage – Livre d'orgue
 * Jean-Baptiste Stuck – Cantates françaises Livre II

Classical music

 * Johann Sebastian Bach
 * Gott ist mein König, BWV 71
 * Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele, BWV 143
 * Kyrie in F major, BWV 233a
 * Fantasia and Fugue in C minor, BWV 537
 * Prelude and Fugue in C major, BWV 545a
 * Toccata and Fugue in E major, BWV 566 (Authorship disputed)
 * Fugue on a Theme by Giovanni Legrenzi, BWV 574
 * Fugue in C minor, BWV 575
 * Passacaglia in C minor, BWV 582
 * Heut’ triumphiret Gottes Sohn, BWV 630
 * Fantasia super 'Jesu, meine Freude', BWV 713
 * Suite in A major, BWV 832
 * Praeludium et partita dei tuono terzo, BWV 833
 * Toccata in D minor, BWV 913
 * Fugue in C major, BWV 946
 * Antonio Maria Bononcini
 * Mentre in placido sonno
 * La presa di Tebe
 * Tutta fiamme e tutta ardore
 * Antonio Caldara – Il martirio di Santa Caterina
 * Henri Desmarets – Usque quo Domine
 * George Frederic Handel
 * La Resurrezione (The Resurrection) (oratorio)
 * Aci, Galatea e Polifemo, HWV 72
 * Ah, crudel! nel pianto mio, HWV 78
 * Aminta e Fillide, HWV 83
 * Cuopre tal volta il cielo, HWV 98
 * Dalla guerra amorosa, HWV 102a
 * Ditemi, o piante, HWV 107
 * Lungi n'andò Fileno, HWV 128
 * Nel dolce tempo, HWV 135b
 * Nell'africane selve, HWV 136
 * Olinto pastore, Tebro fiume, Gloria, HWV 143
 * Quando sperasti, o core, HWV 153
 * Se pari è la tua fè, HWV 158a
 * Sento là che ristretto, HWV 161a
 * Jacques-Martin Hotteterre – Pièces pour la flûte traversiere, Op. 2
 * Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre – Cantates françaises sur des sujets tirés de l’écriture, Livre I
 * Benedetto Marcello – 12 Concerti à 5, Op. 1
 * Johann Mattheson – 12 Flute Sonatas, Op. 1
 * Johann Pachelbel
 * An Wasserflüssen Babylon, P. 18
 * Plauener Orgelbuch
 * James Paisible – The Saltarella. Mr. Isaac's new dance made for Her Majesty's Birthday, 1708...
 * Bernardo Pasquini – Passagaglie and Variation
 * Alessandro Scarlatti – Oratorio per la Passione di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo
 * Georg Philipp Telemann – Singet dem Herrn, TWV 1:1748
 * Antonio Vivaldi
 * Cello Concerto in F major, RV 410
 * Concerto in A major, RV 585
 * Sonata for Violin, Oboe, Organ, Chalumeau and Continuo, RV 779

Opera

 * Giovanni Bononcini – Mario fuggitivo
 * Antonio Caldara – Più bel nome
 * André Campra – Hippodamie
 * Johann Joseph Fux – Pulcheria, K.303
 * George Frideric Handel
 * Daphne
 * Florindo
 * Antonio Literes – Acis y Galatea
 * Nicola Porpora – L'Agrippina

Births

 * January 26 – William Hayes (composer), organist, singer, conductor and composer (died 1777)
 * February 8 – Václav Jan Kopřiva, composer (died 1789)
 * February 11 – Egidio Duni, composer of opera comique (died 1775)
 * February 25 – Felix Benda, composer (died 1768)
 * April 6 – Georg Reutter II, composer of church music (died 1772)
 * May 5 – Johann Adolf Scheibe, composer and critic (died 1776)
 * June 19 – Johann Gottlieb Janitsch, composer (died 1763)
 * date unknown
 * Lavinia Fenton, actress, the original Polly Peachum (died 1760)
 * Johann Adolph Scheibe, composer (died 1776)
 * William Tuckey, composer (died 1781)

Deaths

 * April 19 – Angiola Teresa Moratori Scanabecchi, composer and painter (born 1662)
 * May 13 – Giovanni Battista Draghi, composer and keyboardist (born c.1640)
 * September 3 – Christian Liebe, organist and composer (born 1654)
 * October 1 (or January 10) – John Blow, composer (born 1649)
 * date unknown
 * Moll Davis, singer (born c. 1648)
 * Johannes Kelpius, mystic and musician (born 1673)
 * Thomas Pereira, musician (born 1645)
 * Bernard Smith, organ maker (born c.1630)