José Juan Santesteban facts for kids
José Juan Santesteban was a talented Basque composer. He was born in San Sebastián on March 26, 1809. He passed away in the same city on January 13, 1884.
José Juan was the father of another musician, José Antonio Santesteban. For many years, from 1844 to 1879, José Juan worked as an organist. He played the organ at the Santa Maria church in Donostia, which is another name for San Sebastián.
His Musical Creations
José Juan Santesteban wrote many different types of music during his life. As a composer, he created pieces for various performances and religious services.
Musical Plays
One of his well-known works was a Spanish musical play called La Tapada. This type of play, known as a zarzuela, combines singing and spoken dialogue. It's like a musical where characters sing and talk.
Religious Music
Santesteban also composed a lot of religious music. He wrote 22 masses. A mass is a special musical composition often used in church services.
Music Education Books
Besides composing, José Juan Santesteban also wrote books to help people learn music.
- He wrote a book called Método teórica-práctico de Canto llano. This book taught about plainsong, which is a very old style of church music sung without instruments.
- He also created Método elemental de solfeo. This was a basic guide to solfège, a system used to teach singing and reading music notes.
