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)
* Joseph Solomon Delmedigo, Cretan music theorist, in Candia (Iraklion) (died 1655)

Deaths

* January 7 - Jacobus de Kerle, Netherlandish composer, dies in Prague
* 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)