Francesc Queralt facts for kids
Francesc (sometimes called Francisco) Queralt (born 1740 – died February 28, 1825) was a Spanish composer. He spent most of his life working in the city of Barcelona.
Queralt was born in a town called Les Borges Blanques. For many years, he held an important job as the maestro di capilla (which means "chapel master") at the Barcelona Cathedral. A chapel master was in charge of all the music for church services.
A Respected Teacher
Francesc Queralt was highly respected as a teacher. Many students learned music from him. Some of his famous students included Baltasar Saldoni, Ramón Carnicer, and Mateu Ferrer. These students later became important musicians themselves.
His Music
As a composer, Queralt wrote only religious music. This means his music was created for churches and religious ceremonies. He composed four masses, which are musical settings for parts of a church service. He also wrote many responsories and motets, which are other types of religious songs.
Queralt was also known for writing many oratorios. An oratorio is like a big musical story, often based on a religious theme, but performed without costumes or acting. Many of his oratorios were performed at the Church of Saint Philip Neri in Barcelona.
Some of his well-known oratorios include:
- Daniel en Babilonia (Daniel in Babylon)
- El juicio de Salomón (The Judgment of Solomon)
- La casta Susanna (The Chaste Susanna)
- La conversión de Agustino (The Conversion of Augustine)
- La arca del testamento (The Ark of the Covenant)
We still have the music scores for nineteen of his oratorios. We also have the librettos (the words or script) for 45 of them. Many of Queralt's original handwritten music papers are kept at the Library of Catalonia. Some printed versions of his music from the 1700s are also there. Francesc Queralt passed away in Barcelona.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Queralt para niños
