Claudio Merulo
Claudio Merulo | |
---|---|
Correggio, Italy | |
Died | 4 May 1604 Parma, Italy | (aged 71)
Genres | Classical |
Occupation(s) | Composer, publisher, organist |
Instrument(s) | Organ |
Claudio Merulo (Italian pronunciation:
Life
Little is known about his early life except that he studied in
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.
After Padovano's hurried departure from Venice in 1566, Merulo was appointed to the first organ, and
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
In 1587 he was appointed as organist in
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. He left a daughter and his wife Amabilia Banzola.
Music and influence
Merulo is famous for his keyboard music. His
Even though the fame of his instrumental music has overshadowed much of his
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 the Italian Renaissance.
Works
- Ricercari d’Intavolatura d’Organo, Libro primo (1567):
- Ricercar del primo tuono
- Ricercar del secondo tuono
- Ricercar del terzo tuono
- Ricercar del quarto tuono
- Ricercar dell’undecimo tuno
- Ricercar del duodecimo tuono
- Ricercar del settimo tuono
- Ricercar dell’ottavo tuono
- Toccata del terzo tuono from Il Transilvano, part I, by Diruta(1597)
- Toccate d’Intavolatura d’Organo, Book 1 (1598):
- Primo Tuono Toccata prima
- Primo Tuono Toccata seconda
- Secondo Tuono Toccata terza
- Secondo Tuono Toccata quarta
- Secondo Tuono Toccata quinta
- Terzo Tuono Toccata sesta
- Terzo Tuono Toccata settima
- Quarto Tuono Toccata ottava
- Quarto Tuono Toccata nona
- Toccate d’Intavolatura d’Organo, Book 2 (1604):
- Undecimo detto Quinto Tuono Toccata prima
- Undecimo detto Quinto Tuono Toccata seconda
- Duodecimo detto Sesto Tuono Toccata terza
- Duodecimo detto Sesto Tuono Toccata quarta
- Settimo Tuono Toccata quinta
- Settimo Tuono Toccata sesta
- Ottavo Tuono Toccata settima
- Ottavo Tuono Toccata ottava
- Nono Tuono Toccata nona
- Decimo Tuono Toccata decima
- Canzoni d’Intavolatura d’Organo, a quattro voci, fatte alla francese, Book 1 (1592) :
- La Bovia
- La Zambeccara
- La Gratiosa
- La Cortese
- La Benvenuta
- La Leonora
- L’Albergata
- La Rolanda
- Petit Jacquet
- Canzoni d'intavolatura d'organo fatte alla francese, Book 2:
- La Ironica
- La Jolette
- La Pazza
- La Palma
- La Pargoletta
- La Rosa
- La Radivila
- La Seula
- La Scarampa
- L'Arconadia
- Petite Camusette
- Canzoni d'intavolatura d'organo fatte alla francese, Book 3:
- Languissans
- Onques amour
- Susanne un jour
- Content
- Madrigali a 5 libro I (1566) e II (1604)
- Madrigali a 4 (1579)
- Madrigali a 3 (1580)
- Mottetti a 5 libro I (1578), II (1578)
- Mottetti a 6 libro I (1583), II (1593) e III (1605, postumo)
- Sacrae Cantiones (1578)
- Mottetti a 4 (1584)
- Sacri Concentus (1594)
- Messe a 5 (1573)
References and further reading
- Giuseppe Martini, Claudio Merulo. 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
- ISBN 0-393-09530-4
External links
- Free scores by Claudio Merulo at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
- Free scores by Claudio Merulo in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)