Francisco Guerrero, a composer known for his music praising the Virgin Mary, was called 'El cantor de Maria' by his contemporaries.
Compositional Technique
Mateo Flecha 'El Viejo' (an early 16th-century composer) was known for his 'ensaladas' (salads), humorous combinations of texts in different languages, nonsense syllables, popular songs, and clashing meters.
Composition History
Alonso Lobo's Missa Beata Dei genitrix Maria is a 'parody mass,' meaning it borrows musical ideas from an existing motet by his former teacher, Francisco Guerrero.
Performer Biography
Stile Antico, the vocal group on this recording, works without a conductor and has earned multiple awards, including a Gramophone Award for Early Music.
Composer Biography
Francisco Guerrero, after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, was twice ransomed by pirates and returned home penniless, facing a debtors' prison.
Historical Context
This album explores Christmas music from the Siglo de Oro, the golden age of the Spanish Renaissance.
Compositional Technique
The villancico, a popular Spanish song genre with vernacular words and a verse-refrain structure, was originally secular but later became common in religious contexts, sometimes replacing Latin music in church.
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Byrd: 3 Masses, Taverner: Western Wind Mass etc.
A Garland of English Choral Works
Christmas with the Shepherds: Morales, Mouton & Stabile
