1559 in music

Events

• Cipriano de Rore leaves his post as maestro di cappella in Ferrara when Alfonso II becomes duke.

Publications

• Filippo Azzaiolo – Il secondo libro de villotte del fiore alla padoana con alcune napolitanae e madrigali, for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
• Jacob Clemens non Papa
  • Eighth book of masses: Missa Pastores quidnam vidistis for five voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
  • Ninth book of masses: MissaA la fontaine du prez for six voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
  • First through sixth books of motets for four voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
• Pierre Clereau
  • First book of chansons tant françoises qu'italiennes for three voices (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard)
  • Tenth book of chansons tant françoises qu'italiennes for four voices (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard)
• Johannes de Cleve
  • First book of motets for four, five, and six voices (Augsburg: Philipp Ulhard)
  • Second book of motets for four, five, and six voices (Augsburg: Philipp Ulhard)
• Thomas Crecquillon – Seventh book of motets for four voices (Leuven: Pierre Phalèse), published posthumously
• Nicolao Dorati – Second book of madrigals for five, six, seven, and eight voices (Venice: Girolamo Scotto)
• Philibert Jambe de Fer – Psalmodie de quarante et un pseaumes royaux (Lyon: Michel Du Bois)
• Clément Janequin – Octante deux pseaumes de David traduits en rithme françoise par Cl. Marot et autres avec plusieurs cantiques (Paris: Le Roy & Ballard), published posthumously
• Mattheus Le Maistre – Catechesis numeris musicis inclusa for three voices (Nuremberg: Johann Berg & Ulrich Neuber)
• Costanzo Porta
  • First book of madrigals for five voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
  • First book of motets for four voices (Venice: Antonio Gardano)
• Adrian Willaert – Musica Nova

Births

• date unknown - Adam Gumpelzhaimer, Bavarian composer and music theorist (d. 1625)

Deaths

• October 2 – Jacquet of Mantua, composer (b. 1483)
• date unknown
  • Nicolas Payen, choirmaster and composer (b. c. 1512)