Juan Navarro Hispalensis facts for kids

Juan Navarro of Seville (born around 1530 in Marchena, died September 25, 1580, in Palencia) was an important Spanish composer. He is sometimes called Hispalensis, which means "from Seville," because his hometown of Marchena is in the Seville province. He is not the same person as the Mexican composer Juan Navarro Gaditanus.

Early Life and Career

Navarro was born in Marchena, a town about 30 miles (50 km) from Seville. He started his music career as a tenor singer. By 1549, he was singing in the choir of the Duke of Arcos in Marchena. At that time, the famous composer Cristóbal de Morales was the chapel-master there.

After Marchena, Navarro sang in the cathedrals of Jaén and Málaga. In 1553, he tried to become the maestro de capilla (chapel-master) in Málaga. This important job was open because Morales had passed away. However, another famous composer, Francisco Guerrero, won the position instead.

Becoming a Chapel-Master

Navarro continued his career and became a chapel-master himself. In 1563, he was appointed to lead the music at the Cathedral of Avila. Then, in 1566, he moved to Salamanca. He was chosen for the Salamanca position without having to compete, which showed how respected he was.

The city of Avila even offered to double his salary to keep him. But the job in Salamanca was more appealing to him. He stayed in Salamanca until New Year's Eve 1573. After an incident there, he left his position.

In 1574, Navarro became the chapel-master in Ciudad Rodrigo. Later, in 1578, he moved to Palencia. He stayed in Palencia until he died in 1580 and was buried there.

Musical Works

Juan Navarro wrote many musical pieces. He is known for his two cycles of hymns. One cycle was written in Avila in 1565 and is still kept as a manuscript there. The second cycle was published after his death in Rome in 1590.

This Roman collection was a large book of 350 pages. It was called "Psalmi, Hymni ac Magnificat totius anni," which means "Psalms, Hymns, and Magnificats for the whole year." It included music for four, five, and six voices. The book contained 12 psalms for evening prayers, 18 hymns for evening prayers, and a set of Magnificats (a type of song) for each of the eight musical tones. It also had four Marian antiphons (songs dedicated to the Virgin Mary). This collection was very similar to a book published by Guerrero in 1584.

During his lifetime, only a few of Navarro's works were printed. These included a villancico (a type of Spanish song) and two villanescas (another type of song). They appeared in a collection by Esteban Daza in 1576.

Navarro also wrote many motets, which are short choral pieces. These are mostly found in manuscripts. Interestingly, he did not write any mass settings, which were common for composers of his time. Some of his works, like two hymns ("Vexilla regis" and "Pange lingua") and two antiphons ("Regina caeli" and "Ave Regina caelorum"), and a "Te Deum" (a hymn of praise), are special. They use unique Spanish chant melodies instead of the more common Roman melodies that other Renaissance composers used.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Navarro Hispalensis para niños