The year 1642 in music involved some significant events.

Events

• none listed

Publications

• Claudio Monteverdi – Selva morale e spirituale

Classical music

• none listed

Opera

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

Births

• Giovanni Maria Bononcini, Italian composer
• 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)