Antonio de Salazar (composer) facts for kids
Antonio de Salazar (born around 1650, died 1715) was an important composer from New Spain, which is now Mexico. He wrote many kinds of music, from serious church songs to lively Christmas tunes.
Contents
Life and Work of Antonio de Salazar
Antonio de Salazar was born in a city called Puebla de los Angeles, in what is now Mexico. He became a very important musician, working as the music director (called "master of the chapel") at the Puebla Cathedral in 1698. Later, he moved to the Mexico City Cathedral, which was a very big and important church. He died in Mexico City.
Salazar's Musical Style
Salazar was known for his serious church music, especially songs in Latin. His style was very traditional, like the music of an older composer named Palestrina. This style used many different melodies playing at the same time, which is called contrapuntal music.
A music expert named Bruno Turner said that Salazar was one of the last composers to stick to this older, traditional Spanish style. After Salazar, a new, more exciting Italian style of music became very popular across Spain and its empire.
Lighter Music and Villancicos
Besides his serious church music, Salazar also wrote lighter, more fun pieces. These included Christmas songs called villancicos. Some of his villancicos were in a special style called negrillo. These songs copied the sounds and dances of African slaves, making them very lively and rhythmic.
Known Musical Works
Antonio de Salazar wrote many pieces. Here are some examples of his different types of music:
Motets (Church Music)
Motets are sacred songs, usually for a choir, often sung in Latin.
- Credidi quod locutus sum
- O sacrum convivium
- Joseph fili David
- Gloriosa virginum
- Te Joseph celebrent
- Vexilla Regis prodeunt
Villancicos (Christmas Songs)
Villancicos were popular songs, often sung during Christmas.
- Tarará tarará qui yo soy Antoniyo
Links
- Free scores by Antonio de Salazar in the Choral Public Domain Library (ChoralWiki)
See also
In Spanish: Antonio de Salazar para niños
