Juan Bautista Cabanilles facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Juan Bautista Cabanilles
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| Born | 6 September 1644 |
| Origin | Spain |
| Died | 29 April 1712 (age 67) |
| Occupation(s) | Organist and Composer |
Juan Bautista Cabanilles was a famous Spanish organist and composer. He was born on September 6, 1644, in Algemesí, a town near Valencia, Spain. He passed away on April 29, 1712, in Valencia. Many people think he was the greatest Spanish composer of the Baroque period. Some even call him the "Spanish Bach" because of his amazing talent.
Contents
Life Story
Juan Bautista Cabanilles likely started his music journey as a singer. He sang in a church choir when he was young. Later, he studied to become a priest at the Valencia Cathedral. His studies included many music lessons.
On May 15, 1665, when he was just 20 years old, Cabanilles became the assistant organist at the cathedral. An organist is someone who plays the pipe organ, a very large musical instrument. Just one year later, he became the main organist. He was ordained as a priest on September 22, 1668.
Cabanilles held his job as the main organist for a very long time, 45 years! However, after 1703, he often needed someone to fill in for him because of his health. From 1675 to 1677, he also taught the children in the cathedral choir.
It's interesting to know that no real picture of Cabanilles exists today. Some pictures you might see online are actually of a different person. They show a botanist named Antonio José Cavanilles, who lived much later.
His Music
Cabanilles wrote many pieces of music. His compositions are often very complex and show off the player's skill. This means they were "virtuosic." They were also quite advanced for his time. However, his music still followed the Spanish traditions of keyboard music from the 1500s.
Most of his original music papers are kept in the Biblioteca de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain. He wrote many pieces for the organ, like tientos, toccatas, and passacaglias. He also composed music for choirs, some with as many as 13 different parts singing at once!
Media
You can listen to some samples of his music online.
- La Glòria Musical del Barroc Valencià 2 samples.
See also
In Spanish: Juan Cabanilles para niños
