2 early Spanish pieces

Two fine Spanish pieces: Pange Lingua by Juan Bermudo and (from 1:43) Fantasia Quinti Toni by Tomas De Santa Maria.

About these composers:

Juan Bermudo OFM (c. 1510 in Écija, Province of Seville – c. 1565) was a Spanish Friar Minor who is best known as a composer, music theorist and mathematician.

Bermudo entered the Franciscan Order in 1525, belonging to the Province of Andalusia. He was subsequently sent to study at the University of Alcalá, where he resided at the College of Saint Peter and Paul, for friars studying at the University. He then dedicated his energies to preaching to the people of that region. The esteem he gained from the other friars of the province can be seen in his election on 24 June 1560 as a Definitor of the province.

A subsequent long period of illness led Bermudo to retire from his service as a preacher. During his recovery, he began to read various manuscripts of musical theory and began to develop his untrained, native talents in this art.

Fr. Tomás de Santa María O.P. (also Tomás de Sancta Maria) (ca. 1510 – 1570) was a Spanish music theorist, organist and composer of the Renaissance. He was born in Madrid but the date is highly uncertain; he died in Ribadavia. Little is known about his life except that he joined the Dominican order of friars in 1536, he was employed as an organist in various locales in mid-century, and he published his major work, Arte de tañer fantasía, in Valladolid in 1565.

Santa María's writings were influential both inside of Spain and throughout the rest of Europe, as can be seen by the numerous early Baroque music theorists (for example Dámaso Artufel and Pietro Cerone) who plagiarized him. The preface to the 1565 edition mentions that the influential clavichordist and organist Antonio de Cabezón (and his brother Juan de Cabezón) examined the treatise and approved it.

Played on the beautiful Smecno organ.

Enjoy!

Marco