Composer of the day: Cristóbal de Morales
Some composers cannot be missed during an early music festival dedicated to Seville. Cristóbal de Morales (c. 1500-1553) ranks high in that list. We do not know much about this composer's youth, but we do know that his name is accompanied in several documents by the word ‘hyspalis,’ referring to his birthplace. The attentive reader of this wake-up service today then now knows: so that was Seville.
Morales composed a lot, mostly sacred vocal music. Many of these are masses that are sometimes quite demanding, 100 motets, 18 times the Maginificat and at least 5 times the Lamentations of Jeremiah. He was very good at what he did and certainly aware of that.
Morales benefited from the fact that around his time, a number of popes particularly liked Spanish singers. Consequently, Morales spent most of his life in Rome and in the service of the Vatican. In 1545, he left Spain. He became chapel master in Toledo, but had a difficult relationship with his employer due to his financial difficulties and his rather complicated and arrogant nature. Morales also became seriously ill. After only two years, he had to resign.
After several wanderings at other cathedrals and having recovered a bit in the meantime, Morales heard that the position of chapel master at Toledo Cathedral became available again. In August of 1553, he made a written request to return, but a number of canons were not keen on the idea. Despite his fame, Morales just had to apply and ‘audition’ like all the other candidates. Fuelled by good cheer, Morales applied on 4 September 1553. He died in early October.
It should be clear that Cristóbal de Morales is on programmes daily at this year's festival. This morning, Xavier Díaz-Latorre plays some of Morales' works as an arrangement on vihuela. Moreover, tonight's Feast for Saint Isodorus by Gabrieli Consort & Players is built around the Missa Mille Regretz. A mass that Morales took with him to Toledo in 1545 and very likely sounded there.
