Matías Ruiz (composer) facts for kids

Fray Matías Ruiz was a Spanish composer who wrote music during the Baroque period. He was active from around 1665 to 1702. He was likely the same Matías Ruiz who worked as a maestro de capilla, which means a music director or choir master, at important places.

He was a music director at León Cathedral in 1665. Later, he worked at the Encarnación from 1676 to 1678. Even after that, he was still known as the music director at the Convent of the Incarnation in Madrid. In 1702, he published music for Easter.

Matías Ruiz's Musical Works

Matías Ruiz wrote different kinds of music:

• Villancicos: These were popular Spanish songs, often for religious holidays. One of his known villancicos is En la carcel de Belen.
• Tonos humanos: These were secular (non-religious) songs for one or more voices. His tonos humanos can be found in the Guerra Manuscript and other old music collections.
• Music for Passions: He wrote music for parts of the Passion story, which tells about the last days of Jesus. This included crowd scenes and choruses. For example, he composed a piece called «Turba de la Passion, de la Dominica in Palmis, puesta en musica por Don Matias Ruiz, Maestro de Capilla del Real Convento de las Senoras de la Encarnacion. Ano 1702». This means "Crowd scene for the Passion, for Palm Sunday, set to music by Don Matías Ruiz, Choir Master of the Royal Convent of the Ladies of the Incarnation. Year 1702."

See also

In Spanish: Matías Ruiz para niños