Sebastián de Vivanco facts for kids

A picture of Vivanco on the cover of his Liber Magnificarum

Sebastián de Vivanco was a Spanish priest and a famous composer from the Renaissance period. He was born around 1551 in Ávila, Spain, and passed away on October 26, 1622, in Salamanca.

Vivanco's Early Life and Music

Vivanco was born in Ávila, just like another famous composer, Tomás Luis de Victoria. We don't know his exact birthday. People think he was born a few years after Victoria. They might have known each other as kids. They may have even sung together in the choir at the Cathedral of Ávila.

While Vivanco was singing in the choir, some important music directors, called maestri di cappella, taught there. These included Gerónimo de Espinar, Bernardino de Ribera, and Juan Navarro Hispalensis. Juan Navarro Hispalensis had the biggest impact on Vivanco's music. After 1566, when his voice changed, Vivanco began studying to become a priest.

Becoming a Music Director

Around 1576, Vivanco became the music director at the Cathedral of Lérida. He was still a subdeacon at this time. But he was dismissed from this job shortly after, on July 4, 1576.

He then returned to Castille. In February 1577, he got a more important job. He became the music director at the Cathedral of Segovia. This job paid better too. He moved there with his mother and stayed for ten years. During this time, he became a deacon. Then, in 1581, he was ordained as a priest.

Important Roles in Ávila and Salamanca

In 1588, Vivanco went back to his hometown of Ávila. He took charge of the music at the cathedral there. He stayed in Ávila until 1602. Then, he moved to Salamanca to become the music director at the Cathedral of Salamanca. This was his most important job for his music career.

His three main music books were printed while he was in Salamanca. On February 19, 1603, he also became a music professor at the University of Salamanca. A few weeks later, on March 4, he received a special Master of Arts degree. Vivanco worked at the cathedral and the university until he passed away on October 26, 1622.

Vivanco's Musical Works

Most of Vivanco's music that we still have today was printed in three books. These books were published in Salamanca between 1607 and 1610. The printer was Artus Taberniel from Antwerp. He was the official printer for the University of Salamanca. Vivanco probably chose his best pieces for these books. They included music he had written over 40 years.

His main books are:

• Liber magnificarum: This book was published in 1607. It has 18 different versions of the Magnificat. It is 270 pages long and is set up for choirs. The cover shows Vivanco kneeling in front of a crucifix. This book is thought to be his most important work.
• Libro de misas: This book came out in 1608. Only three copies are known to exist today. One is in a church in Ledesma, Salamanca. Two other small parts are in Granada and Seville. It contains 10 masses, which are musical settings for church services:
  • Missa Assumpsit Jesus (for 5 voices)
  • Missa in festo Beata Maria Virgine (for 4 voices)
  • Missa Beata Virgine in sabbato (for 4 voices)
  • Missa Crux fidelis (for 6 voices)
  • Missa Doctor bonus (for 4 voices)
  • Missa In manus tuas (for 8 voices)
  • Missa O quam suavis es, Domine (for 4 voices)
  • Missa quarti toni (for 4 voices)
  • Missa sexti toni (for 4 voices)
  • Missa super octos tonos (for 4 voices)
• Libro de motetes: This book was published in 1610. Two copies still exist. One is in the Cathedral of Salamanca, and the other is in the Cathedral of Segovia. Both are missing some pages. However, the Salamanca copy is almost complete, with about 70 motets remaining.

Another book of motets was printed in Salamanca in 1614. The only known copy of this book is in the Metropolitan Cathedral of Mexico. It has 74 motets and is similar to the book from 1610.

Other pieces of Vivanco's music are found in different handwritten copies. These include:

• Two choir books made for the Monastery of Guadalupe in Extremadura. They were copied in the early 1600s. They contain:
  • 3 masses:
    • Missa Tu es vas electionis
    • Misa para dias feriados
    • Missa de Requiem taciturna
  • Parts of the office for the dead
  • A version of the hymn Vexilla regis for Passiontide
  • 3 Lamentations of Jeremiah for Holy Week
  • 2 small pieces
• Various handwritten copies from the early 1600s from the Cathedral of Salamanca. These have motets and hymns.

Recordings of Vivanco's Music

Here are some recordings that feature Vivanco's music:

• 1985 - Treasures of the Spanish Renaissance. Performed by the Westminster Cathedral Choir. Directed by David Hill.
• 1998 - Mortuus Est Philippus Rex: Music For The Life And Death Of The Spanish King. Performed by the Westminster Cathedral Choir. Directed by James O'Donnell.
• 1999 - Canticum Canticorum. Performed by the Orchestra of the Renaissance. Directed by Richard Cheetham and Michael Noone.
• 2003 - Lobo: Lamentationes. Vivanco: Missa Assumpsit Iesus. Performed by Musica Reservata de Barcelona. Directed by Bruno Turner.
• 2003 - Sebastian de Vivanco. In Manus Tuas. Performed by the Orchestra of the Renaissance. Directed by Michael Noone.
• 2003 - Sebastian de Vivanco- Sancti et Justi, Libro de Motetes 1610. Performed by Capilla Flamenca and Oltremontano. Directed by Dirk Snellings and Wim Becu.
• 2005 - Sebastian de Vivanco. Missa Crux Fidelis. Motets. Performed by The Choir of King's College London. Directed by David Trendell.
• 2018 - Sebastian de Vivanco. Missa Assumpsit Jesus. Motets. Performed by De Profundis. Directed by Robert Hollingworth.
• 2022 - Sebastian de Vivanco- Libro de Motetes 1610, vol. 2. Performed by Capilla Flamenca and Oltremontano. Directed by Dirk Snellings and Wim Becu.

See also

In Spanish: Sebastián de Vivanco para niños