Cristóbal de Morales was the most famous Spanish composer of the mid sixteenth century. His music was known internationally during his lifetime. He was eulogized by contemporary writers, and his fame and influence remained significant in the seventeenth century: sixty years after his death, he was still regarded as one of the finest composers of sacred polyphony. His repertory includes over twenty Masses and a very large number of motets and works in other sacred genres.
This wide-ranging volume examines numerous aspects of the composer's works, and the Spanish and other contexts within which they were composed and received. Topics covered include sources, newly uncovered works and issues of authorship, musical traditions in Spain and elsewhere, the transmission and reception of Morales's music in Spain, Northern Europe and the New World, patterns of influence and emulation involving Morales and other composers, and modern perceptions of Morales and his music. The book also provides the first comprehensive published list of the composer's works and their sources.
OWEN REES is Reader in the Faculty of Music at the University of Oxford; BERNADETTE NELSON is affiliated to Wolfson College at the University of Oxford.
Contributors: CRISTLE COLLINS JUDD, MARTIN HAM, TESS KNIGHTON, KENNETH KREITNER, ALISON SANDERS MCFARLAND, MICHAEL NOONE, BERNADETTE NELSON, OWEN REES, STEPHEN RICE, EMILIO ROS-FABREGAS, GRAEME SKINNER, ROBERT STEVENSON, CRISTINA URCHEGUIA, GRAYSON WAGSTAFF
Reviews
Exceptionally thought-provoking and comprehensive...providing new information and insights, while demonstrating genuine love and respect for their subject...This collection of essays marks something of a watershed in Morales scholarship. EARLY MUSICA welcome assessment of Morales scholarship today. This is a collection that deserves a place on the bookshelf of every scholar of Renaissance music and it is indispensable for specialists in the music of Spain and the Spanish Americas.[...]It is the best starting point for the much-needed work that remains to be done on this important Spanish composer. RENAISSANCE QUARTERLY
This excellent new volume...is a wide-ranging anthology...it includes all the leading scholars in the field. MUSICAL TIMES [Peter Phillips]
A significant achievement [providing] a much needed impetus for the revision of this figure and his music...a required purchase for all serious libraries. MUSIC & LETTERS
