Francisco Guerrero (composer)

Francisco Guerrero ( * 1527 or 1528 in Seville, † November 8, 1599 ibid ) was, together with Tomás Luis de Victoria, and Cristobal de Morales, one of the most significant Spanish composers of sacred music of the Renaissance.

Life

Francisco Guerrero received his first musical training as a chorister of the Cathedral of Seville by his older brother Pedro ( * 1520) and by Kapellmeister Pedro Fernández de Castilleja. Cristóbal de Morales also taught him. At age 17, he was appointed in 1546 Kapellmeister of the cathedral of Jaén. Before he had completed his 30th year, he enjoyed a good reputation thanks to its publications.

He was elected conductor of the Cathedral of Málaga, the call did not follow. In 1551 he was hired as assistant Kapellmeister Fernández de Castileja and as choirmaster at the Cathedral of Seville. It was not until 1574, after the death Fernández Guerrero got there the Kapellmeister. Extensive travels have taken him in the service of the emperor Maximilian II of Spain and Portugal. At the wedding celebrations of the Spanish King Philip II to Anne of Austria, he accompanied the archbishop of Seville to Italy, where he. In a private audience with Pope Gregory XIII his second book fair handed.

1588 he again accompanied the archbishop to Rome, he received permission in Venice to monitor the pressure of his second book Canciones y villancescas espirituales. On August 14, 1588 took one trip to the Holy Land, from which he returned early in January 1589. The experiences of this journey he described in his travelogue Viage de Hierusalem of 1590th plagued by money worries, which took over the chapter generous, he spent the rest of his days as Kapellmeister of the cathedral. He probably died in 1599 of the plague and was buried in the Cathedral of Seville.

Guerrero spent more time in Spain than Victoria or Morales, who lived mostly in Italy and created a greater number of secular works. Like his contemporaries, he preferred homophonic structures with a leading voice. His music has a huge emotional range. Especially in the cathedrals of South America enjoyed his work for a long time consideration. The functional harmonies indicated in his works already, so one of his Magnificat, which was found without specifying composers in Lima, has long been thought of as a work of the 18th century.

Guerrero created 18 exhibitions and 150 liturgical pieces, including motets, psalm settings, Vespers and also spiritual and secular songs.