1591 in music

Events

• Alonso Lobo, Spanish composer, is appointed maestro de capilla by Seville Cathedral.
• Ruggiero Giovannelli, Italian composer and successor to Palestrina at St. Peter's, acquires post at Collegio Germanico in Rome.
• Giulio Belli, Italian composer, is appointed maestro di cappella at cathedral in Carpi, Italy.
• Giovanni Bernardino Nanino, Italian composer of the Roman School, is appointed maestro di cappella at S Luigi dei Francesi in Rome.
• John Bull becomes organist for Elizabeth I at the Chapel Royal.
• Emilio de' Cavalieri serves as a papal spy, engaging in several secret vote-buying missions to Florence.

Publications

• William Byrd, Catholic composer in England, publishes his Cantiones sacrae, Book 2
• First collection by Giovanni Croce, his Compietta for eight voices
• Giovanni Giacomo Gastoldi – Balletti a5, published in Venice
• Hans Leo Hassler, German composer, publishes the large collection Cantiones sacrae de festis praecipuis totius anni in Augsburg
• Luca Marenzio, Italian composer of madrigals, publishes his fifth book of madrigals in Venice
• Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, Italian composer, publishes a group of Magnificat settings, in Rome
• Giaches de Wert, Franco-Flemish composer, publishes his tenth book of madrigals

Births

• October 6 – Settimia Caccini, Italian composer and singer, younger daughter of Giulio Caccini and sister of Francesca Caccini (died 1638)
• date unknown
  • Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Cretan music theorist, in Candia (Iraklion) (died 1655)
  • Robert Dowland, lutenist and composer (died 1641)

Deaths

• January 7 – Jacobus de Kerle, Netherlandish composer
• May 23 - John Blitheman, organist and composer (born 1525)
• July 2 – Vincenzo Galilei, Italian composer, lutenist and music theorist, father of Galileo (born 1520)
• July 18 – Jacobus Gallus (Jakob Handl), Slovene composer (born 1550)
• date unknown
  • Joan Brudieu, composer (born 1520)
  • William Mundy, composer of sacred music (born 1529)