Juan de Lienas facts for kids
Juan de Lienas (fl. 1617-1654) was a music composer. He lived in Latin America in the 1600s. He was also a music director and conductor for the Catholic Church. We don't know much about his life. What we do know comes from two old music books. These books are called El Codice del Convento del Carmen and the Newberry Choirbooks. Some notes in these books weren't very nice about him. They even made fun of how he looked and acted.
He was called a "cacique," which means a native person of noble family. He was also called an Indian and a married man. These things might have stopped him from getting higher jobs in the church. One expert thinks he was born in Spain. Most experts believe he worked in Mexico City. He worked for a convent linked to the main cathedral there. But one expert says he also worked in Havana, Cuba.
His music sounds like early Renaissance music. It uses a style called polyphony. This is like the music of composers such as Francisco Guerrero and Cristóbal de Morales. Lienas is often linked to other composers. These include Juan Hernandez, Fernando Franco, and Francisco López. The last two also had music in the Carmen Codex book. His known music includes two masses, one of which is a Requiem. He also wrote eleven motets, three Magnificats, and two sets of lamentations.
The two music books with his compositions might have been connected at one time. Both books include his "Salve Regina" for four voices. They also have his "Lamentation" for four voices. And they both feature his "Magnificat" for five voices. His music first came to the United States through the Newberry Choirbooks. People still perform his music from these books today.
Understanding Lienas's Musical Style
Lienas was a very skilled composer. You can find several interesting musical ideas in his works. His vocal parts were quite challenging to sing. The notes for each singer were often very high. His music often used five different voice parts at once.
He was also good at writing for two choirs singing together. Sometimes, he would use musical instruments for the lower voice parts. His music can be understood using modern ideas about musical keys. It focuses less on older "modal" music styles. This shows how music styles can flow and change. They don't just stop sharply between different time periods.
Even though his music sounds like early Renaissance style, he lived during the Baroque period. His use of musical keys shows that he was moving towards newer musical ideas. This happened even while he used older styles.
Recordings of Juan de Lienas's Music
Here are some recordings that feature the music of Juan de Lienas:
- Juan de Lienas, Missa. Les Chemins du Baroque 8: Messe de l'Assomption de la Vierge. Performed by Compañia Musical de las Américas, led by Josep Cabré, K617.
- Nicolas Gombert, Ferdinand de Lassus, Juan De Lienas; Messe de la Bataille en Nouvelle Espagne - Mexique Performed by Cristina García Banegas, K617.
- Juan de Lienas, Office de Complies, Trésors des Couvents, Performed by ensemble Vox Cantoris, led by Jean-Christophe Candau, Psalmus.
See also
In Spanish: Juan de Lienas para niños
