Cristóbal Galán
Encyclopedia
Cristóbal Galán was a Spanish baroque composer.
The first record of Galán is that in 1651 he was rejected as maestro de capilla in Sigüenza
because he was married. From 1653 singer and organist, then later maestro de capilla in Cagliari
, Sardinia
. Then from 1656 to 1559 in Morella, Castellon. From 1560-1663 he worked in Madrid, in an unknown position. From 1664 to 1667 he was maestro de capilla at Segovia Cathedral
1664-1667, then moving to the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, Madrid, where in 1680, five years after the death of Carlos Patiño
, he became director of the capilla real.
In letters written in Madrid in 1675 and 1681 to Miguel de Irízar
Galán is cited as Madrid's principal composer of sacred music since Juan Hidalgo de Polanco was only interested in writing tonos humanos. A generation later his style was still respected by Francisco Valls
.
The first record of Galán is that in 1651 he was rejected as maestro de capilla in Sigüenza
Sigüenza
Sigüenza is a city in the province of Guadalajara in Spain.-History:The site of the ancient Segontia of the Celtiberian Arevaci, now called Villavieja , is half a league distant from the present Sigüenza...
because he was married. From 1653 singer and organist, then later maestro de capilla in Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
. Then from 1656 to 1559 in Morella, Castellon. From 1560-1663 he worked in Madrid, in an unknown position. From 1664 to 1667 he was maestro de capilla at Segovia Cathedral
Segovia Cathedral
Segovia Cathedral is a Roman Catholic religious building in Segovia, Spain. It is located in the main square of the city, the Plaza Mayor, and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary....
1664-1667, then moving to the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, Madrid, where in 1680, five years after the death of Carlos Patiño
Carlos Patiño
Carlos Patiño was a Spanish baroque composer.Patiño was a choirboy at Seville Cathedral where he studied with Alonso Lobo. He married in 1622 but his wife's death in 1625 led to his entry into the priesthood...
, he became director of the capilla real.
In letters written in Madrid in 1675 and 1681 to Miguel de Irízar
Miguel de Irízar
Miguel de Irízar y Domenzain was a Spanish baroque composer.Irízar trained as a choirboy in León and Toledo. In August 1657 he became maestro de capilla in Vitoria, then in August 1671 appointed to Segovia Cathedral where he remained for his remaining thirteen years.The correspondence of Irízar...
Galán is cited as Madrid's principal composer of sacred music since Juan Hidalgo de Polanco was only interested in writing tonos humanos. A generation later his style was still respected by Francisco Valls
Francisco Valls
Francisco Valls was a Spanish composer, theorist and maestro de capilla. Among his most known works are the mass Missa Scala Aretina and tract Mapa Armónico Práctico.-Life:...
.
Works
As with other Spanish baroque composers, many works were lost in a fire at the royal archives. None of his music for autos sacramentales by Calderón survives. Complete edition by J.H. Baron and D.L. Heiple.- Missa a 12
- Missa a 9
- Magnificat a 12
- St John Passion, a 8 1672
- Litany a 6
- Lamentations a 7
- 5 Motets: Hoc est corpus a 3. Laudate Dominum a 8. O beata virgo a 9. Salve a 5. Stella coeli a 8.
- Stabat mater for 3 soloists, violin and basso continuo.
- Villancicos for 1 to 13 voices.
- Tonos divinos: Atencion al retrato etc.
- Tonos humanosTono humanoThe tono humano was one of the main genres of 17th Century Spanish and Portuguese music.In the early 17th Century the main vernacular forms for Spanish and Portuguese composers were the villancico, usually a Christmas song, and the solo tono; tono humano if secular, tono divino if sacred. The...
- Theatre music including for plays by Juan Bautista DiamanteJuan Bautista DiamanteJuan Bautista Diamante , minor Spanish dramatist of the school of Calderón, was the son of a Portuguese mother and a Sicilian merchant of Greek parentage who came to Madrid some time before 1631. He began writing for the stage in the early 1650s, gained favour at the courts of Philip IV and Charles...
(1625–1687): Lides de amor y desdén. El labyrinto de Creta.
Discography
- Cristobal Galan: Al espejo que retrata. Al Ayre Espanol dir Eduardo Lopez Banzo. Deutsche Harmonia Mundi DHM 05472 773762 Tr 10.