The Art Music of the Rennaissance

From the plethora of music that flooded Europe during this rich period of flowering culture, Spain made its contribution in mainly secular music associated with various wealthy families. The composer Juan del Encina (1468-15.30) is a good example. He served Don Fadrique de Toledo, entertaining the ducal family with ‘poetic compliments, amorous solo songs, egologas ( short plays) with part songs for three or four voices’. They belong ‘in the quiver of a hot blooded youth but not that of the staid eccelsistic that he has become’ said someone (I don’t remember the reference). Ordained priest in 1519 he doubtless had other things on his mind – or perhaps not; the Renaissance had its colourful influence on the culture of the Church, as in a very different way the Reformation had.

In a later period of the Renaissance, Tomas Luis de Victoria (c.1548 –1611), who was born in Avila began and ended his adult life in the Church, is a major composer. Ordained priest in1575 and trained in Rome, most of his work was in Italy - so much so that often the Italian version of his name is more common than the Spanish. After several appointments as organist and choirmaster, he moved to the Convent of Descalzas Reales in Madrid where in the same capacity he remained until his death, having the additional responsibility of being Chaplain to the Dowager Empress Maria, the sister of Philip ll.

His music is of and for the Church, in contrast to the prevailing secularism of such earlier composers as del Encino. He was influenced by Massimalliano Neri , the originator of the oratorio and earlier may have been a pupil of the great Palestrina. Certainly he is regarded, with Palestrina, as one of the supreme contrapuntalists of his age, his music having the ‘dramatic vigour and colour which reflects his nationality’ (Oxford Dictionary of Music). There are several of his compositions on disc and his music is still played at concerts and in worship around the world today.

B.R.