Francisco de Peñalosa

Francisco de Peñalosa (* around 1470 in Talavera de la Reina , † April 1, 1528 in Seville ) was a Spanish cleric, singer and composer of the Renaissance .

Singer

The exact date of birth of Francisco de Peñalosa is not known; he was probably born around 1470 in Talavera de la Reina . Nothing is known about his training, nor when he was accepted into the royal Spanish chapel. However, the granting of a canonical title by the Spanish king in 1505 testifies to the first high point of the royal family's esteem for Peñalosa. From 1511 Peñalosa was also active as a music teacher for the heir to the throne Ferdinand I; He served as a singer in the Spanish royal chapel until the king's death in 1516. Peñalosa also worked in Burgos at times .

In the late summer of 1517 Pope Leo X called him to the papal chapel in Rome, again as a singer. Peñalosa held this office at least until the death of Leo X in 1521; According to other sources even until 1523. After that he returned to Seville, where not only that - at the request of the Pope, did not occupy him again! - canonical with house and income expected; Two years later, in 1525, Peñalosa was made the treasurer of the chapel. Francisco de Peñalosa died three years later, on April 1, 1528; he was buried in the Cathedral of Seville .

composer

While other Spanish composers of the Renaissance in Italy not only adopted the style of composition there, but also printed their scores there, Francisco de Peñalosa did not make use of this option. This is often seen as an - unproven - indication that he only began to compose seriously after his return to Seville. For example, none of his works is named in the manuscripts of the papal chapel or is listed in the lists of works, and no evidence has been found to date that any of Peñalosa's works was printed during his lifetime.

Only a few years after Peñalosa's death, posterity recognized the quality of his compositional work: in one of the most important Iberian manuscripts, E-Tz Ms. 2/3, most of Peñalosa's sacred works are listed, which reflects his great appreciation at the time this manuscript was written .

Compositional style

Quite often one finds a stylistic device common in the Renaissance with Peñalosa : a three- or four-part composition on a given melodic theme. When choosing this theme, Peñalosa used melodies from his Spanish homeland, as evidenced very impressively by the example of the villancico "Nunca fue pena mayor" known in Peñalosa's time in the mass of the same name, as well as melodies that were used in the French Flemish music space was better known, such as the famous melody of " L'homme armé " used by a striking number of composers of the Renaissance , which is also the basis of Peñalosa's mass setting.

In terms of the tonal quality of his works, Peñalosa's music builds a bridge between Spanish tonality and the Franco-Flemish-influenced, multi-layered contrapuntal musical style of that era. What at times sounds almost brittle with Johannes Ockeghem or Josquin des Prez , often appears much softer, almost delicate, with Peñalosa, which is largely based on the principle of double bicinenia: two voices sing a melody with an identical rhythm in a third, sixth or decimal interval , while the other two voices, again with identical rhythm, sing a melody that is contrapuntal to the first, which is also largely based on parallel thirds, sixths or decimals. The motet “Deus qui manus tuas” should be mentioned as a particularly outstanding example.

On the other hand, rhythm models, which are often very central in the villancicos, such as measures with five beats, found little influence in Francisco de Peñalosa's work.

Works

Above all, Peñalosa composed several masses , some Magnificat scorings, a whole series of sacred motets , almost without exception linked to the passion theme, and some hymns . To date, eleven compositions of secular works have survived or are undoubtedly attributed to Peñalosa.

The motet “Sancta mater istud agas” is wrongly ascribed to 'Iusquin' in one source, i.e. Josquin Desprez (often also “Josquin des Prez”), which documents both Peñalosa's compositional affinity to that and the high quality of his work.

Measuring and measuring parts:

• Missa "Adieu mes amours"
• Mass "Ave María Peregrina"
• Missa "El ojo"
• Missa Ferial (torso, consisting of Kyrie, Sanctus and Agnus Dei)
• Missa "L'homme armé"
• Missa "Nunca fie pena mayor"
• Missa por la mar
• a mass of unknown name (torso, consisting of Gloria and Credo)
• 5 Kyrie settings

Liturgical works:

• 6 Magnificat settings
• 3 lamentations
• 5 hymns

Motets:

• Adoro te, Domine
• Ave regina caelorum
• Ave vera caro Christe
• Ave Vere sanguis Domine
• Ave verum corpus
• Deus qui manus tuas
• Domine Jesu Christe qui neminem
• Domine, secundum actum meum
• Emendemus in Melius
• In passione positus
• Inter vestibulum ac altare
• Ne reminiscaris
• Nigra sum sed formosa
• O decus virgineum
• O domina sanctissima
• Father noster
• Precort, Domine
• Sancta Maria, sucurre miseris
• Sancta mater istud agas (see above)
• Transeunte domino
• Tribular si nescirem
• Unica est columba mea
• Versa est in luctum

Secular works:

• Alegraos, males esquivos
• A tierras agenas
• De mi dicha no se spera
• El triste que nunca os vio
• Lo qui mucho se desea
• Los braços traygo
• Niña, ergiudme los ojos
• Por las sierras de Madrid
• Pues vivo en perder la vida
• Que dolor more me doliera
• Tú que viens de camino

Works considered lost:

• Ave Maria
• Creed
• Magnificat
• Vide Domine

In addition, there are still some works whose authorship has not yet been established beyond doubt.

Sheet music

In addition to a Spanish musicological edition, there are scores of some works in the International Music Score Library Project on the Internet and the editions of the Scottish music publisher "mapa mundi". Despite the compositional quality, the wealth of ideas and the tonal beauty of Peñalosa's music, no publisher has yet dealt with a complete edition; This is one of the reasons why Peñalosa's music is still more of a niche existence.

music

In order to wrest Francisco de Peñalosa from oblivion again, a vocal ensemble was founded in 1996 that not only performs works by Francisco de Peñalosa in many of its concerts, but has also adopted his name: The Peñalosa Ensemble.

Recordings

• "Missa el Ojo": In addition to the first recording of the mass of the same name, eight motets by Peñalosa can be heard.

literature

• The music in the past and present . 2nd revised edition, Bärenreiter-Verlag
• The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicans . second edition, Macmillan Publishers Limited 2001

Web links

• Sheet music and audio files by Francisco de Peñalosa in the International Music Score Library Project

Individual evidence

1. ^ Peñalosa Ensemble