Pedro Ruimonte
Encyclopedia
Pedro Ruimonte (1565 – November 30, 1627) was a Spanish
composer and musician who spent much of his career in the Low Countries
.
, the son of Pedro Ruimonte and Gracia de Bolea y Latas, and was baptized
in the Church of San Pablo in 1565. Pedro had three sisters, Justa, Gracia and Catalina. It is believed that he studied under Melchor Robledo, who gave public classes on music in La Seo, although he also could have studied with several other noted musicians who were in the city in the 16th century. Until his arrival in Brussels
, nothing further is known of him.
On August 17, 1601, he wrote to his sister, stating that he was maestro de música en la capilla de Sus Altezas Serenísimas (master of music in the chapel of His Majesty). In 1604 he announced himself on the title page of Missae sex as Maestro de la Capilla y de la Cámara de Sus Excelencias (maestro di capella and of the chamber of His Majesty). In 1614, the title page of Parnaso español de Madrigales y Villancicos reads Maestro de Música de la Cámara de los Serenísimos Príncipes Alberto y doña Isabel Clara Eugenia, Archiduques de Austria. It is probable that this difference in title is due to the arrival in 1605 of Géry de Ghersem
, maestro of the Chapel Real of the Court of Madrid, who was to take charge of the chapel at the Court of Brussels. However, existing records show that Ruimonte was paid more than Ghersem, a measure of the esteem in which the Archduke held him.
As head of the musicians of the ducal court, aside from overseeing the boy singers, he had under his charge organists and composers of great stature, including the English Peter Philips
, Peeter Cornet
and John Bull
(then organist at the cathedral of Antwerp), and the Flemish Philippe van der Meulen.
.
The first was Missae Sex IV. V. et V. Vocum, published in 1604, and consisted of six masses which display the full range of musical forms and styles of the era. Among the works are parody mass
es of works of Palestrina
and Guerrero.
In 1607 he published Cantiones sex vocum. The collection contains four 4-voice motet
s for Advent
and six more 5 and 6-voice pieces for Lent
, an antiphon
, Salve Regina
for 5 voices, a psalm, De profundis
, for 7 voices, and Lamentations for six voices for Holy Week
. Except for the lamentations, which are preserved in the Colegiata de Albarracín, the rest has been lost.
His most important work is the Parnaso español de Madrigales y Villancicos a cuatro, cinco y seis, published in 1614. It consists of nine madrigal
s in Castilian
for 4, 5, and 6 voices and twelve villancico
s for 5 and 6 voices.
. He lived in the city until his death, living with his Catalan
wife, the rich widow of Martín de Villanueva, a merchant and dyer.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
composer and musician who spent much of his career in the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
.
Early years
He was born in ZaragozaZaragoza
Zaragoza , also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza Province and of the autonomous community of Aragon, Spain...
, the son of Pedro Ruimonte and Gracia de Bolea y Latas, and was baptized
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
in the Church of San Pablo in 1565. Pedro had three sisters, Justa, Gracia and Catalina. It is believed that he studied under Melchor Robledo, who gave public classes on music in La Seo, although he also could have studied with several other noted musicians who were in the city in the 16th century. Until his arrival in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, nothing further is known of him.
Stay in Flanders
It is believed that Ruimonte arrived in Brussels in 1599 as a young man in the choir of the retinue of Archduke Albert of Austria and the Princess Isabel Clara Eugenia, new governors of the Low Countries.On August 17, 1601, he wrote to his sister, stating that he was maestro de música en la capilla de Sus Altezas Serenísimas (master of music in the chapel of His Majesty). In 1604 he announced himself on the title page of Missae sex as Maestro de la Capilla y de la Cámara de Sus Excelencias (maestro di capella and of the chamber of His Majesty). In 1614, the title page of Parnaso español de Madrigales y Villancicos reads Maestro de Música de la Cámara de los Serenísimos Príncipes Alberto y doña Isabel Clara Eugenia, Archiduques de Austria. It is probable that this difference in title is due to the arrival in 1605 of Géry de Ghersem
Géry de Ghersem
Géry de Ghersem was a Franco-Flemish composer of the late Renaissance, active both in Spain at the court of Philip II and Philip III, and in his native Netherlands...
, maestro of the Chapel Real of the Court of Madrid, who was to take charge of the chapel at the Court of Brussels. However, existing records show that Ruimonte was paid more than Ghersem, a measure of the esteem in which the Archduke held him.
As head of the musicians of the ducal court, aside from overseeing the boy singers, he had under his charge organists and composers of great stature, including the English Peter Philips
Peter Philips
Peter Philips was an eminent English composer, organist, and Catholic priest exiled to Flanders...
, Peeter Cornet
Peeter Cornet
Peeter Cornet was a Flemish composer and organist of the early Baroque period. Although few of his compositions survive, he is widely considered one of the best keyboard composers of the early 17th century.-Life:Very little is known about Cornet's life. Much of the information comes from a letter...
and John Bull
John Bull (composer)
John Bull was an English composer, musician, and organ builder. He was a renowned keyboard performer of the virginalist school and most of his compositions were written for this medium.-Life:...
(then organist at the cathedral of Antwerp), and the Flemish Philippe van der Meulen.
Works
During his time in Belgium, he published works through the publisher Pierre PhalèsePierre Phalèse the Elder
Pierre Phalèse the Elder was an important Flemish music editor and engraver of the sixteenth century....
.
The first was Missae Sex IV. V. et V. Vocum, published in 1604, and consisted of six masses which display the full range of musical forms and styles of the era. Among the works are parody mass
Parody mass
A parody mass is a musical setting of the mass, typically from the 16th century, that uses multiple voices of another pre-existing piece of music, such as a fragment of a motet or a secular chanson, as part of its melodic material. It is distinguished from the two other most prominent types of...
es of works of Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer of sacred music and the best-known 16th-century representative of the Roman School of musical composition...
and Guerrero.
In 1607 he published Cantiones sex vocum. The collection contains four 4-voice motet
Motet
In classical music, motet is a word that is applied to a number of highly varied choral musical compositions.-Etymology:The name comes either from the Latin movere, or a Latinized version of Old French mot, "word" or "verbal utterance." The Medieval Latin for "motet" is motectum, and the Italian...
s for Advent
Advent
Advent is a season observed in many Western Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday, called Levavi...
and six more 5 and 6-voice pieces for Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
, an antiphon
Antiphon
An antiphon in Christian music and ritual, is a "responsory" by a choir or congregation, usually in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or other text in a religious service or musical work....
, Salve Regina
Salve Regina
The "Salve Regina", also known as the Hail Holy Queen, is a Marian hymn and one of four Marian antiphons sung at different seasons within the Christian liturgical calendar of the Roman Catholic Church. The Salve Regina is traditionally sung at Compline in the time from the Saturday before Trinity...
for 5 voices, a psalm, De profundis
Psalm 130
Psalm 130 , traditionally De profundis from its Latin incipit, is one of the Penitential psalms.-Commentary:...
, for 7 voices, and Lamentations for six voices for Holy Week
Holy Week
Holy Week in Christianity is the last week of Lent and the week before Easter...
. Except for the lamentations, which are preserved in the Colegiata de Albarracín, the rest has been lost.
His most important work is the Parnaso español de Madrigales y Villancicos a cuatro, cinco y seis, published in 1614. It consists of nine madrigal
Madrigal (music)
A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, usually a partsong, of the Renaissance and early Baroque eras. Traditionally, polyphonic madrigals are unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six....
s in Castilian
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
for 4, 5, and 6 voices and twelve villancico
Villancico
The villancico was a common poetic and musical form of the Iberian Peninsula and Latin America popular from the late 15th to 18th centuries. With the decline in popularity of the villancicos in the 20th century, the term became reduced to mean merely "Christmas carol"...
s for 5 and 6 voices.
Return to Zaragoza
He returned to Zaragoza in 1614 and worked as a teacher. Among his students were Diego Pontac, and among his friends were Sebastián Aguilera de HerediaSebastian Aguilera de Heredia
Sebastian Aguilera de Heredia was a Spanish monk, musician and composer.He was first the organist at the cathedral in Huesca from 1585 to 1603, and then moved to a more prestigious position as maestro de música at La Seo Cathedral in Saragossa. He published a collection of works in 1618, and...
. He lived in the city until his death, living with his Catalan
Catalan people
The Catalans or Catalonians are the people from, or with origins in, Catalonia that form a historical nationality in Spain. The inhabitants of the adjacent portion of southern France are sometimes included in this definition...
wife, the rich widow of Martín de Villanueva, a merchant and dyer.
Further reading
- Palacios, José Ignacio (2000), Los compositores aragoneses. Zaragoza: Caja de Ahorros de la Inmaculada de Aragón. ISBN 84-95306-41-7.
- Calahorra, Pedro (1988), El maestro Pedro Ruimonte: una pica musical en Flandes (en Aragón en el Mundo). Zaragoza: Caja de Ahorros de la Inmaculada de Aragón. ISBN 84-505-7333-5.