Claudio Merulo

Merulo Claudio Claudio da Correggio ( born April 8, 1533 Correggio; † May 5, 1604 in Parma) was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance.

Merulo first worked as an organist in Brescia ( 1556 ), in the following year he applied for the post of second organist at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice and was able to prevail against Andrea Gabrieli. In 1566 he went as a successor to Annibale Padovano for the first organist. After 30 years working at St. Mark's, he left Venice in 1586, obtained a position as court organist to the Duke of Parma and took plus the post of organist, and in 1591 a third post at the Basilica of Santa Maria della Steccata in Parma.

Merulo died after a short illness on May 5, 1604. He was given a state funeral and was buried in the Cathedral of Parma on the side of the composer Cipriano de Rore.

Work

From contemporaries he was regarded as one of the best organists of his time and is considered a pioneer of the Toccata. The traditional organ works by him are genuine instrumental works that have removed much of the pure imitation of the vocal style. He composed quite in the Venetian multiple choirs and one of the pioneers of the stylus Phantasticus. His students included Florentio Maschera (around 1540-1584 ) and Giovanni Battista Mosto.