Géry de Ghersem

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Géry de Ghersem (* between 1572 and 1575 in Tournai , † May 25, 1630 in Tournai) was a Franco-Flemish composer and singer of the late Renaissance .

Live and act

In his youth, Géry de Ghersem received his first musical training from the composer George de La Hèle at Tournai Cathedral . After La Hèle in 1580 to Kapellmeister of the Spanish King Philip II. Was appointed and in 1582 his ministry in Madrid took, followed Ghersem after some time his teacher along with 13 other boys and was on 28 June 1586 a chorister at the Chapel Flamica under La Hèles management. He died just two months later (August 27, 1586); the further training of the choirboys was taken over by his successor Philippe Rogier . Ghersem's name appears in the list of cantarcillos of the Spanish chapel in 1590. On December 4, 1593, he was accepted by the chapel's cantors after he had left the house of the choirboys. Philippe Rogier died in 1596 and was succeeded by Mateo Romero . Under this Ghersem became vice conductor. Shortly before his death, Rogier had commissioned him to publish five of his masses . However, six masses appeared, with the sixth mass Ghersem's own composition Missa "Ave virgo sanctissima" being. The only complete transmission of Ghersem's compositions is thanks to this fortunate circumstance.

Until August 1604, Ghersem remained in the position of vice conductor, which is evident from the payroll of the royal band. That month he returned to Tournai, the Netherlands; the Tournian historian Catullius writes that this happened either out of homesickness or out of disappointment that the younger Mateo Romero and not himself had been appointed Kapellmeister. Shortly afterwards he got the position of Kapellmeister to Archduke Albert and Archduchess Isabella in Brussels and in 1607 also became chaplain at their chapel; He held both positions until shortly before his death. His colleagues at the Brussels court were Peter Philips , Pieter Cornet and, for a short time, John Bull . Although his name appears between 1609 and 1630 in the accounts of the Capilla Flamenca in Valladolid , it is not certain that he stayed in Spain again.

Because he was also a priest , he had several benefices , namely in Brussels, in Mons and from 1622 to St. Jacques in Coudenberg (Brussels). He is also referred to as "chapelain da l'oratoire et maître de la Chapelle de la cour" among those who attended the funeral ceremonies of Archduke Albert in July 1621, and he can be seen in a contemporary illustration. The composer's tomb is in Tournai Cathedral.

meaning

According to the Tournaier historian Catullius and the music theorist Pietro Domenico Cerone (1566–1625), Géry de Ghersem was a very fruitful composer who was highly valued by the Spanish and Portuguese kings . King John IV of Portugal had around 280 Ghersem's compositions in manuscript in his library, including nine masses, a requiem on the death of Archduke Albert, around 20 motets with four to twelve voices, Magnificat scoring and lamentations , four polyphonic passions, around 170 Villancicos , 15 secular chansons with French texts as well as polyphonic antiphons and sequences . Instruments were also provided for a number of polyphonic works. This extensive work was almost completely lost in a fire in the royal library after the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755.

Works, as far as passed

  • Mass “Ave virgo sanctissima” with seven voices (Madrid 1598), an artistic canon mass on a motet by Francisco Guerrero , the only work in print.
  • Half of the motet “Benedicam Dominum” has survived, the second tenor part is complete.
  • Mass “Missa sine nomine” with eight voices (Antwerp 1642), of which only the second bass part has survived.

Literature (selection)

  • A. Catullius: Tornacum civitas metropolis et cathedra episcopalis Nerviorum. Brussels 1652.
  • E. van der Straeten: La musique aux Pays-Bas avant le XIXe siècle. 8 volumes. Brussels 1867–1888.
  • G. Bourligueux: Géry de Ghersem, sous-maître de la chapelle royale d'Espagne (documents inédits). In: Mélanges de la Casa de Velazquez. No. 2, 1966, pp. 163-178.
  • P. Becquart: Musiciens néerlandais à la cour de Madrid. Philippe Rogier et son école (1560–1647). Brussels 1967.
  • LJ Wagner: Music of Composers from the Low-Countries at the Spanish Court of Philipp II. In: Musique des Pays-Bas anciens - musique espagnole ancienne. Brussels 1985, pp. 193-214.

swell

  1. ↑ Robert Wangermée:  Ghersem, Gery (de). In: Ludwig Finscher (Hrsg.): The music in past and present . Second edition, personal section, volume 7 (Franco - Gretry). Bärenreiter / Metzler, Kassel et al. 2002, ISBN 3-7618-1117-9 , Sp. 866–867
  2. ↑ Marc Honegger, Günther Massenkeil (ed.): The great lexicon of music. Volume 3: Elsbeth - Haitink. Herder, Freiburg im Breisgau a. a. 1980, ISBN 3-451-18053-7 .
  3. ^ Stanley Sadie (ed.): The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians . 2nd Edition. Volume 9, McMillan Publishers, London 2001, ISBN 0-333-60800-3 .
personal data
SURNAME Ghersem, Géry de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Late Renaissance Franco-Flemish composer
DATE OF BIRTH between 1572 and 1575
PLACE OF BIRTH Tournai
DATE OF DEATH May 25, 1630
Place of death Tournai