Claudio Merulo (also spelled Merlotti, Merulus, also Claudio da Correggio; April 8, 1533 – May 4, 1604) was an Italian composer, publisher and organist of the late Renaissance period, most famous for his innovative keyboard music and his ensemble music composed in the Venetian polychoral style. Events 217 - Roman Emperor Caracalla is Assassinated (and succeeded by his Praetorian Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A composer (literally meaning 'one who puts together' is a person who creates Music, usually in the medium of notation, for Interpretation and Performance Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or Orchestra, or accompany Renaissance music is European music written during the Renaissance, approximately 1400 - 1600 The Venetian polychoral style was a type of music of the late Renaissance and early Baroque eras which involved spatially separate Choirs singing in alternation He was born in Correggio and died in Parma. Correggio is a small town in the Province of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in the Po valley Parma is a City in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna near Modena famous for its Architecture and the fine countryside around it He was born Claudio Merlotti and he Latinised his surname (meaning little blackbird) when he became famous in Venetian cultural clubs. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. The Blackbird, Common Blackbird or Eurasian Blackbird ( Turdus merula) is a species of true thrush which breeds in Europe, Asia Venice ( Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venesia or Venexia) is a city in Northern Italy, the capital of the
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Life
Little is known about his early life except that he studied in Correggio with Tuttovale Menon, a famous madrigalist who also worked in the Ferrara court; he also studied with Girolamo Donato, an organist. Correggio is a small town in the Province of Reggio Emilia, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy in the Po valley Tugdual Menon (also in sources Tuttvalle Tugdualo Tudual Tuttuale Tuduuale Jugdulus before 1502 - 1566/1568 was a French composer A madrigal is a type of Secular vocal music composition written during the Renaissance and early Baroque eras Ferrara is a city in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is likely that he studied with Zarlino at St. Mark's in Venice. Gioseffo Zarlino ( January 31 or March 22, 1517 &ndash February 4, 1590) was an Italian music theorist and Saint Mark's Basilica ( Italian: Basilica di San Marco a Venezia) the Cathedral of Venice, is the most famous of While in Venice he became close friends with Costanzo Porta, a friendship which was to endure for his entire life. Costanzo Porta (1528 or 1529 &ndash May 19, 1601) was an Italian Composer of the Renaissance, and a representative of what is known On October 21, 1556, he was appointed organist at Brescia Cathedral ("Duomo Vecchio"), and his skill as an organist must have been impressive, because he became organist at St. Brescia ( Lombard: Brèsa) is a city in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. Mark's, one of the most prestigious positions for an organist in Italy, in 1557; he was selected over a list of candidates that included Andrea Gabrieli. Andrea Gabrieli (1532/1533? – August 30, 1585) was an Italian Composer and Organist of the late Renaissance. This was the first important event of his career, and he was considered to be the finest organist in Italy.
It is important to note that in St. Mark's there were two organs, and two separate organists were appointed to play them: in 1557 Merulo was appointed to the second, smaller organ, while Annibale Padovano remained at the post of first organist. Annibale Padovano (1527 &ndash March 15, 1575) was an Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance Venetian School.
After Padovano's hurried departure from Venice in 1566, Merulo was appointed to the first organ, and Andrea Gabrieli became the second organist. Andrea Gabrieli (1532/1533? – August 30, 1585) was an Italian Composer and Organist of the late Renaissance. He was appointed as ambassador of Venetian Republic at the marriage of Franceso de’ Medici and Bianca Cappello in 1579 and wrote music of celebration for Henry III of France, who visited Venice in 1574. Francesco I de' Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany ( 25 March 1541 &ndash 17 October 1587) was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling Bianca Cappello (1548 &ndash October 17 1587) was an Italian noblewoman who was first the lover and then the wife of Francesco I de' Medici Grand Duke Henry III of France (Henri III Henryk ( September 19 1551 – August 2, 1589)
In 1584, he suddenly left this position in Venice. The reasons for this are unclear, and somewhat surprising; in Venice he was well-paid, and had a very good reputation; and St. Mark's was one of the most important places for an organist. However, in December 1584 his name appears in payment register of Farnesia Court of Parma. Alexander Farnese ( Italian: Alessandro Farnese, Spanish: Alejandro Farnesio, ( August 27 1545 &ndash Parma is a City in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna near Modena famous for its Architecture and the fine countryside around it
In 1587 he was appointed as organist in Parma Cathedral and from 1591 also in Church of Santa Maria della Steccata. Parma Cathedral (Duomo is a Cathedral church in Parma, Emilia-Romagna ( Italy) The Sanctuary of Santa Maria della Steccata is a greek-cross design Renaissance church in central Parma, Italy While here, he requested improvements to the organ, carried out by Costanzo Antegnati, the last heir of the great Brescian family of organ makers. We can deduce that Merulo used the Steccata's organ for his proofs of new composition, based on his Venetian experience, and continued to compose in this style.
He lived in Parma until his death. During this period, he made several trips in Venice and Rome, where he published his famous two volume Toccate per organo.
Merulo died in Parma on 4 May 1604, and was buried in Parma Cathedral near to the tomb of Cipriano de Rore. Cypriano de Rore or Cipriano de Rore (1515 or 1516 – between September 11 and September 20 1565 was a Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, active He left a daughter and his wife Amabilia Banzola.
Music and influence
Merulo is famous for his keyboard music. His Toccatas, in particular, are innovative; he was the first to contrast sections of contrapuntal writing with passageworks; often he inserts sections which could be called ricercars into pieces which otherwise are labelled toccatas or canzonas. Toccata (from Italian toccare, "to touch" is a Virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or Plucked string instrument In Music, counterpoint is the relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and Rhythm, and interdependent in Harmony A ricercar (or ricercare recercar; the terms are interchangeable is a type of late Renaissance and mostly early Baroque instrumental composition In music a canzona (also Canzone) was a 16th-century multipart vocal setting of a literary canzone and a 16th - and 17th-century instrumental (In the late 16th century, these terms are only approximately descriptive; different composers clearly had different ideas of what they meant). Often his keyboard pieces begin as though they are to be a transcription of vocal polyphony, but then gradually add embellishment and elaboration until they reach a climactic passage of considerable virtuosity. In Music, polyphony is a texture consisting of two or more independent Melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice ( Monophony Sometimes, especially in his later music, he develops ornaments which acquire the status of a motif, which is then used developmentally; this anticipates a principal generative technique in the Baroque era. In Music, a motif or motive is a perceivable or salient recurring fragment or succession of notes that may be used to construct the entirety or parts Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of European classical music which were in widespread use between approximately 1600 and 1750. Often Merulo casually ignores the "rules" of voice-leading, giving the music an expressive intensity more associated with the late school of madrigalists than with keyboard music of the time. In Music, voice leading is the relationship between the successive pitches of simultaneous moving parts or voices. A madrigal is a type of Secular vocal music composition written during the Renaissance and early Baroque eras His keyboard music was hugely influential, and his ideas can be seen in the music of Sweelinck, Frescobaldi and others; because of the immense influence of Sweelinck as a teacher, much of the virtuoso keyboard technique of the north German organ school, culminating in Johann Sebastian Bach, can claim to be descended from the innovations of Merulo. Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck (April or May 1562 &ndash October 16 1621 was a Dutch Composer, Organist, and Pedagogue whose work straddled the Girolamo Frescobaldi (baptized mid-September 1583 – March 1 1643 was an Italian musician one of the most important Composers of keyboard music in the late WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section.2 This article is written in British English including maximised use of "-ise"
Even though the fame of his instrumental music has overshadowed much of his a cappella vocal output, Merulo was also a madrigalist. A cappella (Italian or Latin "From the chapel/choir" Music is Vocal music or Singing without instrumental Accompaniment Since he was a member of what is known today as the Venetian School, he also wrote motets for double choir in the manner of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli. In music history the Venetian School is a term used to describe the Composers working in Venice from about 1550 to around 1610; it also describes Giovanni Gabrieli (c 1554/1557 &ndash August 12 1612 was an Italian Composer and organist. He published two books of Madrigali a 5 voices (1566 and 1604), one of Madrigali a 4 (1579) and a 3 (1580). A madrigal is a type of Secular vocal music composition written during the Renaissance and early Baroque eras
The famous essay of keyboard technique Il Transilvano (1593), by Girolamo Diruta, was dedicated to Merulo, indicating his status as one of the most important keyboard players of Renaissance. Girolamo Diruta (c 1554 &ndash after 1610 was an Italian organist music theorist and composer The Renaissance (from French Renaissance, meaning "rebirth" Italian: Rinascimento, from re- "again" and nascere
External links
- Free scores by Claudio Merulo in the Werner Icking Music Archive (WIMA)
- Claudio Merulo was listed in the International Music Score Library Project
- Voice "Claudio Merulo" on Italian Wikipedia [1]
References and further reading
- Giuseppe Martini, Claudio Merulo. The Werner Icking Music Archive, often abbreviated WIMA, is a web archive of Public domain Sheet music. The International Music Score Library Project ( IMSLP) is a project for the creation of a virtual library of Public domain music scores, based on the Parma, Ordine Costantiniano di S. Giorgio, 2005 (512 pp. , with ill. ) ISBN 88-901673-8-6
- Eleanor Selfridge-Field, Venetian Instrumental Music, from Gabrieli to Vivaldi. New York, Dover Publications, 1994. ISBN 0-486-28151-5
- Article "Claudio Merulo," in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, ed. Stanley Sadie. 20 vol. London, Macmillan Publishers Ltd. , 1980. ISBN 1-56159-174-2
- Gustave Reese, Music in the Renaissance. Gustave Reese ( November 29 1899, New York City – – September 7 1977, Berkeley California) was an American New York, W. W. Norton & Co. , 1954. ISBN 0-393-09530-4
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