Joan Rossell facts for kids
Joan Rossell (born 1724, died 1780) was a Spanish music maker, also known as a composer. He came from a family of musicians in Barcelona. His grandfather played music in the cathedral, his father was a singer, and his brothers were excellent violin players in top orchestras.
In 1748, Joan Rossell became a music director, or "maestro de capilla," at the Royal Palace of La Almudaina. Later, he held the same important job at the Cathedral of Toledo. Another composer from Catalonia, Francesc Juncà, took over his role there after him. When Rossell was young, his music sounded like the older Spanish baroque style. But later, especially when he was in Mallorca, he started using a newer, more modern style called the gallant style.
What Music Did Rossell Write?
Joan Rossell wrote several pieces of music. Here are some of his known works:
- Third Lamentation for Holy Thursday: This piece was recorded along with music by other composers like Francisco Valls and Tomàs Milans. The group Mapa Harmónico, led by Francesc Bonastre, recorded it in 2005.
- Salve Regina for Soprano and Contralto: This beautiful song is for two female voices, a soprano and a contralto. It has been recorded by the Orquestra de Cambra Catalana (in 2007) and Ensemble Resonanz (in 2021). For a long time, people thought this song was written by a famous Italian composer named Giovanni Battista Pergolesi. An English music publisher, Robert Bremner, even sold it as Pergolesi's work after making a few small changes to it. But later, experts discovered that Joan Rossell was the true composer!
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In Spanish: Juan Rossell para niños
