Antonio de Salazar (composer)

To be distinguished from Juan García de Salazar (1639-1710) Spanish composer.

Antonio de Salazar (Seville, Spain c.1650– Mexico City, Mexico 1715) was a Mexican composer.[1]

Salazar arrived in New Spain in 1688 as chapel master of Puebla Cathedral, then later held his final position later at Mexico City Cathedral. It is unknown if he had any direct connection to Oaxaca Cathedral though some of his compositions are found in manuscript there.

In his sacred Latin works Salazar was noted for strict contrapuntal style harking back to Palestrina. The musicologist Bruno Turner considers that Salazar "represents the last of the truly conservative Hispanic composers before the all-conquering Italian style took Spain and its Empire by storm".[2]

Salazar also composed lighter pieces including Christmas villancicos, including several in the "negrillo" genre imitating the dialects and dances of African slaves.

Works

Motets

Villancicos

References

  1. ^ Barwick, Steven. ed. Two Mexico City Choirbooks of 1717: an Anthology of Sacred Polyphony from the Cathedral of Mexico, Southern Illinois University Press
  2. ^ Turner, Bruno. Essay in booklet to Masterpieces of Mexican Polyphony(Hyperion CDH55317). 1990
  3. ^ Recording, commentary, lyrics and translation, in Nueva España Close Encounters with the New World, 1590-1690 Boston Camerata - Joel Cohen CD Erato 2292 45977-2, reissued as Apex (Warner) 2564-62408-2 2006